Academic Regulations

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Academic Integrity

The integrity of an academic program rests on the principle that the grades awarded to students reflect only their own individual effort and achievement. Students are required to perform the work specified by the instructor and are responsible for the content of work submitted such as papers, reports, and examinations. The use of another person’s ideas or work claimed as your own without acknowledging the original source is known as plagiarism and is prohibited. A student reported for plagiarism or cheating will be referred to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible expulsion from NTU.

Plagiarism

According to the fifth edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, “to use another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source is to plagiarize. A writer who fails to give appropriate acknowledgment when repeating another’s wording or particularly apt term, paraphrasing another’s argument, or presenting another’s line of thinking is guilty of plagiarism.”

Different disciplines use different documentation methods; therefore, students should consult with instructors about the correct use of the appropriate documentation style. Additional resources and guidance in the correct use of sources can be obtained from the English faculty at NTU.

Course Load

The normal load for a full-time college student is 12-15 credit hours. An overload is 16 or more credit hours per semester. Part-time enrollment is up to 11 credit hours per semester. Students are allowed to register for a maximum of 21 credit hours per semester in the fall and spring. The normal load for a full time student during the summer session is 6 or more credits. (Full Financial Aid requires 12 credit hours.)

Credit Overload

An overload is 16 or more credit hours per semester. Students in good academic standing must obtain permission from the Dean of Undergraduate Studies if they want to attempt a credit overload. An Overload form signed by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies must be submitted prior to registering for the course.

• First semester students (not including transfer students) or students on academic probation or provisional admission will not be allowed to register for more than the allowed credit hours recommended by their Academic Advisor.
• A student should be in good standing (maintain a cumulative of 2.50 or better.) The Dean of Undergraduate Studies will require a copy of the student’s transcript to verify academic standing and also the registration form of courses already registered for in order to verify credit hours.

Credits Granted for Hours Completed

A completed semester hour represents a minimum of eight hundred (800) minutes per credit per semester. One lab semester hour represents a minimum of one thousand sixteen hundred (1600) minutes per credit per semester. One credit hour is awarded for 150 minutes of contact in a shop session per week. For every credit hour spent in class, a student is expected to spend two hours outside of class studying the course materials. For a hybrid or blended course of one (1) credit hour, a student is expected to spend three (3) hours per week studying the course materials. For an online course of one (1) credit hour, a student is expected to spend four (4) hours per week studying the course materials.

Student Academic Classification:

• Freshman: A student who has completed 30 or less credits.
• Sophomore: A student who has completed 31 - 59 credits.
• Junior: A student who has completed 60 - 90 credits.
• Senior: A student who has completed 91 or more credits.

English/Math Placement

All new incoming students are required to take the Accuplacer placement test to help assess the student’s Math and English skills in order to place students in the appropriate course level, according to their abilities. If students would like to use their ACT scores, they need to bring in official copies of their ACT to replace placement testing. Students with low scores may be required to complete remedial studies coursework prior to entering their chosen major. Transfer students who have successfully completed English and Math courses comparable to those required by their certificate/degree programs with a “C” or better at another institution (as recorded on an official transcript) should complete a Course Transfer form and submit to the Registrar for review.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to regularly attend all classes for which they are registered. A percentage of the student’s grade will be based on class attendance and participation. In certain courses, the weight placed on attendance may be considerably more due to the nature of the course work and required assignments. Absence from class, regardless of the reason, does not relieve the student of his/her responsibility to complete all course work by the required deadlines. Furthermore, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain notes, handouts, and any other information covered when absent from class and to arrange to make up any in-class assignments or tests if permitted by the instructor. Incomplete or missing assignments will affect the student’s grades. Some instructors may drop students from the class after three (3) absences unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor to make up work and the instructor deems any excuse acceptable.

Leave of Absence

Academic leave of absence refers and is limited to students in a degree program requiring continuous enrollment and have completed a minimum of one academic term of program coursework, and who, while in good academic standing, are forced to withdraw temporarily from academic work due to reasons beyond their control, such as illness, military service, financial exigency, or pressing personal reasons justifying an interruption of the degree program. No academic activities may be conducted during leave and this leave may not be used to avoid payment of tuition.

The decision to take time off can be made before the start of a new semester or once a semester is underway. Since the reasons for requesting a leave of absence can have important implications for academic planning, including financial aid, students are encouraged to discuss their options with an advisor and their financial aid counselor before making a final decision.

A Leave of Absence is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study. A LOA cannot exceed 180 days in any 12-month period and may have a serious impact on a student’s financial aid.

According to federal regulations, 34 CFR 668.22 (d), the following criteria outlines the requirements to process an approved LOA:

• The student must request the leave of absence in writing to the Academic Dean for approval. The letter should state the reason(s) for the request.
• A LOA cannot be granted for academic reasons (i.e. to keep a student from failing).
• There must be reasonable expectation that the student will return from LOA.
• A student returning from a LOA must resume training at the same point in the academic program that he or she began the LOA.
• Upon return from LOA, the institution may not assess the student any additional institutional charges. Therefore, the student is not eligible for any additional federal student aid (Title IV funds).
• If a student is a Title IV recipient, the institution must explain the requirements and regulations of his/her financial aid status (grace period, repayment, etc.) prior to granting the LOA. The information that will be provided will include the financial aid consequences if the student fails to return from LOA.

A student granted a LOA is not to be considered withdrawn and no return of Title IV calculation is required. If a student does not meet the LOA criteria, the student is considered to have ceased attendance from the institution and a Title IV return of funds calculation is required if the student received federal aid.

For more information contact the Registrar’s Office at Skyhawk Central Main Campus (505) 387-7426.

Skyhawk for Success

The Skyhawk for Success has been developed to focus on students who are experiencing difficulties such as excessive absences and/or tardiness, low test/quiz and assignment scores, incomplete homework or risk of being dropped from class. Navajo Technical University will provide appropriate early intervention and reasonable accommodation to help their student.

1. ESkyhawk for Success Mission Statement: The Skyhawk for Success is developed for faculty, staff and academic advisors to work together as a team in an involved, proactive and supportive manner to increase student retention and success. It is designed to be used when additional resources are needed after faculty intervention.
2. ESkyhawk for Success Goal: Our goal is to identify and effectively intervene with students who are exhibiting at risk behaviors and to establish a referral process, thus increasing retention and reducing the number of students in academic probation and/or suspension.
3. ESkyhawk for Success Objectives: To improve communication between students, faculty, and academic advisors; to encourage students to use available student support services; more importantly, to improve student academic success.
   1. Graduation Rates
   2. Retention Rates
   3. Job Placements
   4. Student Satisfaction

Forms may be found at http://www.navajotech.edu/skyhawk-for-success on the Navajo Technical University website.

Contact Information: First Year Experience Career & Academic Advisor,
Office Number: (505)387-7470

For further detailed information, please refer to the NTU Student Handbook.

Student Academic Standing

The academic progress of all enrolled students will be reviewed at the end of each semester. Students must maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.00 or greater to remain in satisfactory academic standing and progress toward a certificate or degree, and/or to be eligible to graduate.

Academic Probation

Academic probation is a condition of student academic standing for students who fail to maintain a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of a 2.00 by the end of the current semester. If a student’s CGPA is 1.99 or below at the end of the semester, that student will be placed on academic probation.

The Registrar will notify the student in writing that he/she is placed on academic probation and will refer the student to the Academic Advisor/Counselor. A student placed on academic probation will not be allowed to pre-register for the next semester, unless approved by the Academic Advisor/Counselor. A probationary contract will be developed to include mandatory counseling and tutoring. The student will be given two semesters (summer session is considered as a semester) to bring his/her cumulative grade point average to a 2.00 or better. If the student raises his/her CGPA to a 2.00 or better within the allotted time, he/she will be removed from academic probation status the following semester or summer session.

NOTE: Transfer students who were on academic probation at another institution will be placed on probationary status therefore requiring mandatory counseling and tutoring.

Academic Suspension

If the student does not meet the minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 by the end of the second consecutive semester (or summer session) while on academic probation, he/she will be placed on academic suspension the following semester and will not be allowed readmission for one semester. The Registrar will notify the student in writing that he or she is placed on academic suspension. The student can reapply and request in writing for re-admission to the Registrar but will remain on suspension until he/she raises his/her CGPA to 2.00 or better and are ineligible for any federal student aid. If allowed readmission, the student will be referred to the Academic Advisor/Counselor and placed on an Academic Contract to include mandatory tutoring and counseling.

Right to Appeal

Students wishing to appeal academic probation or suspension must do so in writing to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies within ten (10) working days of the postmark of the letter.
The Dean of Undergraduate Studies will review the documents and reply with a decision within ten (10) working days of receiving the appeal. The Dean’s decision is the final decision.

NOTE: Student Financial Aid Probation and Suspension Appeal procedure is explained in the Financial Aid Policy section of this catalog.

All student including Veterans follow the Student Academic Standing and also meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress under Financial Aid.

Grading Standards

The letter grade of A, B, C, and D indicate passing grades. A grade of D, however, is not transferable to another school, nor does it allow the student to progress to the next level course in that subject area at NTU. A grade of incomplete (I) is considered none passing grades and don’t result in earned credits.

Grading System

The following letter grades and grade points are used at NTU:

Incomplete

An “I” may be issued when unforeseeable circumstances beyond the student’s control prevent the student from completing course requirements. Incomplete grades will not be authorized when the student has failed to complete course requirements or has earned a failing grade due to personal negligence. An incomplete grade must be converted to a credit grade by satisfactorily completing the required assignments within the adjusted deadline (arranged between the instructor and student) of the following semester. A student does not have to reregister for the course if completed within the stated deadline. The Incomplete grade must be converted by the next semester otherwise the “I” will automatically convert to an “F”. The instructor must complete and submit an Incomplete Form to the Registrar’s office.

Audit

An Audit (AU) is awarded for class participation and does not indicate proficiency in the subject matter. Course credit is not included in the GPA or cumulative GPA. Forms are available at the Registrar’s Office. Audit courses accumulate charges as a regular course. Audit courses are counted towards attempted hours but not eligible for federal student aid.

Advanced Placement (AP) Credit

Students who have taken an Advanced Placement Exam and earned composite scores of 3, or higher may be granted credit. Credit will be designated as a grade of CR for credit but will count toward graduation, and may be used in fulfilling specific curriculum requirements. The Program Department Chair in which the course is offered will determine the amount of the credit and the equivalent university courses for which credit will be granted. See Registrar’s Office for specific courses and approved scores.

Continuing Education Units (CEU)

Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is designed and awarded to individual participation in non-credit continuing education and professional activities. One CEU unit is equivalent to ten (10) classroom hours in a lecture or laboratory format. An instructional contact hour is defined as sixty (60) minutes, excluding breaks. Student will receive a grade of P (pass) or F (fail).

Course Withdrawal

Used for student, instructor and/or administrative withdrawals from a course before the withdrawal deadline date.

Credit/No Credit

A Credit or No Credit (NC) grade will be issued for a course that did not have credits or Pass/Fail grade. This grade is not factored into the students GPA.

Pass/Fail

Some courses are graded on a pass/fail basis and will not be included in the computation of the GPA.

Course Repeat

NTU’s Course Repeat Policy permits a student to repeat a course and to have the grade for the repeated course computed in his/her GPA in place of the original grade. Normally, course repeat only applies to a specific course that a student chooses to repeat. The repeated course must be taken under the standard grading system (A-F) and the latest grade must be “C” or higher. Grades of “W” are not permitted. All grades shall remain on the student’s transcript. The original course grade will be annotated with “R” to indicate that the course has subsequently been repeated.

This applies to courses with identical course abbreviations and numbers except for the following: topics or cooperative educational courses, and when course abbreviations and numbers change as a result of new programs and/or program revisions. Students who are repeating courses that had a grade of “D” or “F” for the third time will not be eligible for financial aid assistance and have to pay for the course(s) on their own.

NOTE: The NTU Course Repeat applies only to courses originally taken at NTU and repeated at NTU.

Grade Changes

All discussions regarding grade changes should be directed to the instructor of the course in question. If there is a grading error, the instructor must submit a grade change to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies for approval. The Dean of Undergraduate Studies will forward the approved Grade Change form to the Registrar who will record the grade and update the student’s transcript.

Grade Appeal

Students who believe they have received a grade in error should informally meet with the instructor to determine if a clerical error has occurred. If the instructor has erred in submitting the grade, the instructor will submit a grade change form with the Registrar’s office. If the error occurred due to a clerical error in the Registrar’s office, the instructor should request that the grade be corrected. If discussions with the instructor do not resolve the issue, and the student believes he/she has a justifiable grade appeal, he/she should submit a Grade Appeal form. Any appeal of a grade by a student must be initiated no later than the end of the semester following the semester in which the grade was awarded. Summer session grades must be appealed before the end of the fall semester following the summer class. Forms are available in the Registrar’s Office.

The grade appeal process:

1. The student must submit a Grade Appeal form with supporting documents to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and a copy to the Registrar’s Office for record keeping.
2. The Dean of Undergraduate Studies will review the appeal and assign a committee to investigate.
3. The committee will request a copy of the syllabus and documentation pertaining to attendance and grades, and a copy of the student’s Grade Appeal form.
4. After investigation, the committee will submit a report to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies of the findings.
5. The Dean of Undergraduate Studies will make a final decision. A report of the final decision will be placed in the student’s master file located in the Registrar’s office.
6. The student will be notified of the decision.

Petition for Course Substitution

All students are expected to satisfy all NTU certificate and degree requirements. However, under certain circumstances, substitutions for required courses may be necessary and appropriate. To initiate a course substitution, students should complete the “Course Substitution” form with approval from his/her advisor and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, which must then be submitted to the Registrar’s office. This form can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office.

Independent Study

Under unusual or special circumstances, a student and instructor of a regular University course may adapt the course to an Independent Study. The arrangement is subject to approval of the Department Chair and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Registration for an independent study course must be completed and approved no later than the last day of Drop/Add. Department Chairs will determine which courses are eligible for Independent Study. Forms are available at the Registrar’s office.

A full time faculty member may supervise and offer an independent study courses during a semester or summer session and is restricted to no more than two graduating students. No more than six credit hours may be taken in any one semester.

• The student must agree in writing to a syllabus that outlines the learning objectives, texts, course requirements, evaluation criteria, meeting dates and examination dates for the course. A final assessment or examination is required for independent study courses. However, the role of final examinations for independent study courses may vary based on the intended outcomes for the course. Department Chairs can approve a nontraditional final examination in such cases (e.g., a portfolio of the student’s work, a thesis or substantial paper, a take-home examination).
• Students should devote a minimum of three hours each week for each credit hour of independent study, or at least nine hours per week for a three-credit independent study course.
• The student has a term grade point average of at least 2.50 from previous term.
• The student should not be on academic and financial aid probation status during the semester that the student would take the program course through independent study.

Honors and Awards

At the end of every term, students who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above are recognized for their achievement.

The Honors List recognizes academic excellence on a semester to semester basis. The student must be enrolled full time in a certificate or degree program, have completed 12 or more credit hours, received no grades of “I”, have no violations of any NTU policies, have maintained good class attendance, and be in good academic standing. Honors List will be determined by the Registrar’s office and confirmed by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Presidential Honor List: Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 4.00.
Dean’s Honor List: Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 to 3.99.

Graduation Honors: At the graduation ceremony, students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 4.00 will be recognized with a blue honor cord and students who have achieved a GPA of 3.50 to 3.99 will be recognized with a gold honor cord.

Graduation with Honors for Baccalaureate Degrees:

Summa Cum Laude: Graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.90-4.00
Magna Cum Laude: Graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.70-3.89
Cum Laude: Graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.50-3.69

American Indian Higher Education Consortium Student Congress Outstanding Student of the Year

A student is nominated based on his/her academic and personal achievements within the guidelines provided by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). This student represents NTU at the national level and is eligible to receive a monetary award. The recipient is also recognized at and participates in the NTU graduation ceremony. The Financial Aid Office is responsible to receive all nomination packets and submit to the President for review and final selection.

Catalog under Which a Student May Graduate

Students who have been admitted should follow the catalog program requirements in effect at the time of their initial enrollment unless they have withdrawn (i.e., “stopped out”) and returned after two semesters or changes are required for certification requirements or licensures. In such cases, the current year catalog applies and students are expected to follow the requirements for completion of their certificate or degree. To maintain the catalog program requirements in effect at the time of their initial enrollment, students must remain in continuous attendance. Continuous attendance is defined as attendance in at least one course at NTU for one semester in any one calendar year. Students may choose to qualify for graduation under the requirements in effect either: at the initial enrollment or during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment.

Note: Students who have been academically disqualified may lose continuous attendance rights.

Graduation Requirements

To be eligible for graduation and participation in commencement exercise, students must meet the requirements for a degree or certificate.

• Meet with an advisor to complete the certificate/degree checklist and graduation petition.
• Submit the completed graduation petition and certificate/degree checklist with the Registrar’s Office prior to the deadline (according to the NTU calendar). The Registrar will audit the graduating candidate’s course/grades and recommend eligibility for graduation according to curriculum requirements as stated in the catalog.
• Pay in full all outstanding accounts to the University. All financial obligations must be cleared before being issued a certificate or degree.
• Return all Library books and checked out materials.
• Return any other equipment (i.e. laptops, tablets, etc.) and materials that are the property of NTU.
• Complete the university exit survey and the student career graduate survey.

It is the responsibility of the student to complete all graduation requirements and submit a petition to graduate to begin the auditing process. Participation in the commencement exercises does not mean that a student is considered a graduate.

Note: The official graduate list of candidates is presented to the NTU Board of Regents for approval.

Issue of Degree or Certificate

Certification of final approval for a degree or certificate will be placed on the student’s official record at the end of the semester when all requirements have been completed and final grades certified. Degree and certificate documents are mailed to students after the semester concludes when all final grades are certified and all financial records are cleared. Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or above and must meet all minimum course grade requirements as set forth in this catalog for the specific degree or certificate sought. For further information, contact the Registrar at (505)387-7365.

Note: Students with outstanding accounts will not be awarded their official transcript, certificate or degree until payment is complete.

Graduation Attire

Appropriate university cap and gown are required for the commencement exercise. Traditional attire may be worn under the gown and is encouraged. The cap and gown signifies the completion of a college degree or certificate program. In respect to the earned degree the following was adopted by the university.

• Certificate Program: Students wear the traditional caps and gowns in red.
• Associate Degree: Students wear the traditional caps and gowns in Black
• Bachelor Degree: Students wear the traditional caps and gowns in White with Bachelor Hoods in school colors.
• Master Degree: Students wear the Master cap and gown in Black with Master Hoods in school colors.

Cap and gowns are ordered through the Registrar’s Office.