undergraduate student handbook

Academic and Administrative Policies

Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities

Student Grievance Process

Academic Honesty

Cheating

Plagiarism

Credit for Course Work Completed

Students with Disabilities

Social Security Number

Nondiscrimination Policy

Release of Student Information

Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities

The Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct provides regulations governing the actions and interactions of all members of the university community. According to the Code, your student rights include the right to be free from discrimination or harassment, to access records and facilities, to exercise freedom of association and expression, to contribute to university governance, and to receive accommodation for disabilities.

Your responsibilities include upholding and following the codes and bulletins of respective schools, professional programs, and professional societies; obeying all applicable university policies and procedures; facilitating the learning environment (for example, by preparing for lessons and completing course assignments); planning a program of study appropriate to your educational goals; maintaining and regularly monitoring your email and bursar accounts; and upholding and maintaining academic and professional honesty and integrity.

Throughout your tenure at Indiana University, it is important for you to understand your rights and responsibilities. We strongly encourage you to read the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, available at dsa.indiana.edu/Code/index1.html or by writing to scs@indiana.edu.

Student Grievance Process

The School of Continuing Studies adheres to Indiana University standard practices for review of student and instructor grievances.

Assignment and exam evaluation issues should be discussed between the student and instructor, with appropriate intervention by the School of Continuing Studies faculty coordinator when necessary. Issues pertaining to students who are in the General Studies Degree program may be submitted to the general studies director for review. Issues considered major in relation to the policies in this handbook can be submitted to the dean and a review committee.

Academic Honesty

 We realize the temptation to cheat while taking a distance education course may be especially great; after all, a teacher isn’t there to watch you while you complete your work. Be fair to yourself and other students by avoiding the temptation and by doing your own work.

We fully expect you to complete all course work honestly. Honesty is not only the best policy—it’s the only policy!

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Cheating

 Cheating involves submitting work on an assignment or exam that is not your own. Cheating includes

• copying someone else’s work.
• allowing someone else to copy your work.
• having someone else complete your work for you.
• using unauthorized material to help you complete your work.

If a course instructor detects cheating on an assignment or exam, the instructor may recommend—depending on the severity of the cheating—that you receive

• a reduced grade for the assignment or exam.
• no credit for the assignment or exam.
• a reduced grade for the entire course.
• a failing grade for the entire course (forfeiting all course fees).

Plagiarism

 Plagiarism is a kind of cheating in which you basically steal someone else’s work and present it as your own. If you use the ideas, words, or statements of another person or source to support your ideas, you must always give credit to the person or source.

If a course instructor detects plagiarism in an assignment or exam, the instructor may recommend—depending on the severity of the plagiarism—that you receive

• a reduced grade for the assignment or exam.
• no credit for the assignment or exam.
• a reduced grade for the entire course.
• a failing grade for the entire course (forfeiting all course fees).

Credit for Course Work Completed

If you fail a course (F), you may repeat the same course once under the university FX policy. Check with your academic advisor before re-registering.

You may repeat a course in which you received a grade of A, B, C, D, or P only with the permission of your academic advisor. Credit toward your university degree is given for only one course; however, both grades are averaged into your GPA.

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Students with Disabilities

 Indiana University provides reasonable disability support services and/or auxiliary aids that facilitate the education of eligible students with temporary or permanent disabilities. The extent to which these services are supplied is based on a student’s individual needs as supported by documentation (Individualized Education Program, or IEP; 504 Plan; or psycho-educational evaluation) and on academic requirements of the course(s).

Consistent with federal law, students seeking any accommodation for completion of lesson assignments and examinations must provide documentation of the disability to the Independent Study Program. Please submit this documentation within 45 calendar days of course registration.

Submit the documentation to
Eileen Balliet, Disabilities Coordinator
Owen Hall 203
790 E. Kirkwood Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47405

Social Security Number

 Your social security number is not disclosed to individuals or agencies outside Indiana University except in accordance with university policy and as otherwise required by law. For example, the reporting requirements of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 require disclosure of students’ social security numbers to the Internal Revenue Service. We do not use your social security number for identification purposes, and it does not appear with your name on any correspondence we might have with you.

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Nondiscrimination Policy

 Indiana University has an affirmative action office on each campus and will recruit, hire, promote, educate, and provide services to persons based upon their individual qualifications. Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on arbitrary considerations of such characteristics as age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Release of Student Information

 The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act is a federal law designed to protect the confidentiality of your records. Unfortunately, the law can be confusing. To clarify how FERPA regulations affect students in School of Continuing Studies programs, the school’s administration consulted IU’s University Counsel.

If, after reading the information below, you have questions about FERPA, call 800.334.1011.

Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act:

1. If you are taking a high school course and you are 17 years old or younger, your parents or legal guardians hold the rights to authorize the Indiana University School of Continuing Studies to release your student records to third parties. In other words, your parents hold the FERPA rights for that course.
2. If you are taking a high school course and you are 18 or older, you hold the FERPA rights for that course, and we may not release your records to your parents without your written permission.
3. If you were 17 years old or younger at the time of enrollment and turn 18 while still enrolled in a high school course, you assume the FERPA rights for the course, and we may not release your records to your parents without your written permission.
4. If you register for an undergraduate dual-credit course, you hold the FERPA rights for that course, even if you are 17 or younger, and we may not release your records for that course to your parents without your written permission.
5. If you are under 17 and register for both an undergraduate dual-credit course and a high school course, you hold the FERPA rights for the undergraduate course, and your parents hold the FERPA rights for the high school course.

Certain information is public and will be released unless you file the appropriate form. Public information is limited to the following: name; address; phone number; major field of study; dates of attendance; admission or registration status; campus, school, college, or division; class standing; degrees and awards; activities; and sports and athletic information. Public information that cannot be restricted includes name, registration status, degrees, and dates of attendance.

You can obtain the FERPA form for restricting the release of information by sending an email request for the form to scs@indiana.edu , or download it here.

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