Academic Policies
Academic Policies
Academic Honesty
Any form of falsification, misrepresentation of another’s work as one’s own (such as cheating on examinations, reports, or quizzes), or plagiarism from the work of others is academic dishonesty and is a serious offense.
Plagiarism occurs when a student, intentionally or unintentionally, uses someone else’s words, ideas, or data, without proper acknowledgement. College policy regarding plagiarism is more fully explained in the Whitman College Student Handbook (https://www.whitman.edu/dean-of-students/student-handbook/student-rights-and-responsibilities/academic-integrity-policy). Each student is required to sign the Statement on Academic Honesty and Plagiarism. Cases of academic dishonesty are heard by the Council on Student Affairs.
Academic Standards
To maintain good academic standing a student must meet the following requirements:
Earn a grade-point average of at least 1.700 each semester.
Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 during the second semester of the first year and subsequently.
Subsequent to the first year, earn a minimum of 24 credits in the two immediately preceding semesters, except graduating seniors completing degree requirements with a normal load for the final (eighth) semester of study who may complete fewer than 24 credits in the previous two semesters.
Complete successfully the First-Year Seminars in the first full academic year after entrance. Any deficiency must be removed not later than the end of the fourth semester of college-level work or by the time the student has accumulated 57 degree credits, whichever occurs first.
Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA in the major study of 2.000 beginning with the end of the fifth semester of college-level work. A student with a combined major must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.000 in each subject area of the major.
Transfer students, to be in good standing, must meet the minimum GPA requirements appropriate to their class standing as determined by the number of transfer credits accepted.
Any student who fails to meet the standards listed above, upon vote of the Council on Academic Standards at their discretion will receive one of the following:
Academic Warning
A student who receives an academic warning from the Board of Review must correct the problem in the next semester. Transfer work may be used to address a credit deficiency Academic Warning, provided that the student completes the Request for Approval of Transfer Credit form prior to registering for coursework at another institution.
The following three actions require concurrence of the Council on Academic Standards.
Academic Probation
A student given academic probation is no longer in good academic standing and may be suspended or dismissed from the college if their performance in the next semester in residence fails to meet the minimum requirements for good standing, or fails to demonstrate sufficient progress toward that goal. Normally, a student will not be continued on probation for more than two consecutive terms.
A student on probation is restored to good standing when they completes the semester of probation with accomplishments that meet the minimum standards listed above.
Academic Suspension
A student who is suspended is not allowed to complete registration for classes until they have the approval of the Board of Review. To obtain such approval, the student is expected to submit a plan of study that demonstrates the feasibility of completing a degree at Whitman College.
Academic Dismissal
A student who had been dismissed from the college for failure to be in good standing may be reinstated on probation upon vote of the Board of Review in response to a written petition. This petition must state clearly what actions the student will take in order to return to good standing.
Challenge of Student Academic Assessment
The evaluation of a student’s academic performance is the responsibility of the person appointed to teach or supervise a course. A student who questions the validity of a faculty member’s evaluation should first confer with that faculty member. If the matter is not resolved, the student may confer with the Provost and Dean of the Faculty who may, in turn, confer with the faculty member. If the issue is not resolved through this conference, the student may petition the Board of Review to consider the case.
The Board of Review may decide not to hear the case, or, hearing the case, may take one of the following actions: 1) deny the petition; 2) in the case of an instructor no longer at the college, the Board of Review may, upon presentation of appropriate evidence, change the grade to credit or no credit; or 3) in the case of an instructor who is a current member of the faculty, the Board of Review may make recommendations concerning possible solutions to the problem.
Access to Records
Students shall have access to their educational records except for:
Financial records of their parents
Confidential letters and recommendations placed in the education record prior to January 1, 1975
If not being used for the purpose specified
In situations where the student has signed a waiver of right to access to confidential recommendations in regard to admission to the college, employment applications, and receipt of an honor or honorary recognition.
Whitman College shall not permit access to, or the release of, educational records or personally identifiable information contained therein, other than directory information of students, without their written consent, to any party other than the following:
other school officials, including teachers, within the educational institution who have been determined to have legitimate educational interests;
in connection with a student’s application for, or receipt of, financial aid;
organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, educational agencies or institutions for the purpose of developing, validating, or administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs, and improving instruction, if such studies are conducted in such manner as will not permit the personal identification of students by persons other than representatives of such organizations (such information will be destroyed when no longer needed for the purpose for which it is conducted);
accrediting organizations, in order to carry out their accrediting functions;
in compliance with judicial order, or pursuant to any lawfully issued subpoena, upon condition that the student is notified of all such orders or subpoenas in advance of the compliance therewith by the educational institution; and
appropriate persons in connection with an emergency, if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or other persons.
Parents of a minor dependent student may have access to the student’s record upon demonstration that the student is dependent. Dependency is generally demonstrated by providing a copy of the parents’ tax return, reflecting the student as a dependent, to the Registrar.
Whitman College has designated the following categories as directory information: the student’s name, home address, college address, telephone listing, email listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, grade level, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height (of members of athletic teams), dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, academic honors, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student, and photographs. The college shall allow a reasonable period of time for a student to inform the college that any or all of the information designated should not be released without the student’s prior consent.
Evaluation of Students
The evaluation of students’ work is the responsibility of the instructor or supervisor of the class. It is expected that the assessment methods will include a final evaluative exercise unless the instructor deems it impractical or unnecessary. These exercises may include written or oral examinations, take-home examinations, papers, and/or oral reports. The instructor should inform the students of the methods of evaluation at the start of each course.
Students are required to take the final examinations according to the schedule distributed by the Registrar’s Office. A student who is absent from a final examination and has an authorized incomplete for that absence may take the examination at a later date (see Incompletes, as follows).
A student who misses a final examination and has no authorized incomplete may not take such an examination at a later date, and the instructor shall determine the grade for the course without the examination.
Leave of Absence
A regularly enrolled student who wishes to be granted a leave of absence from the college for one or two consecutive semesters must file a Leave of Absence form with the Registrar’s Office. In preparing the request, the student is expected to consult with their academic advisor. Reasons for a leave of absence may include study at another educational institution, medical or financial reasons, or other need to interrupt formal academic work for a period of time.
A leave of absence for the purpose of study with another institution (academic leave), either as a full-time or part-time student, is subject to certain additional procedures and restrictions. An application for an academic leave to complete work in a domestic program of another school requires submission of a Request for Approval of Transfer Credits form approved by the student’s advisor.
An academic leave of up to two semesters may be granted to students whose total academic program has been at Whitman. Transfer students admitted as sophomores or who have completed a full year at another school may be granted no more than one semester of academic leave. Transfer students who have been admitted as juniors are not eligible for academic leaves. Exceptions to this policy must be assessed by the Board of Review.
An application for a leave of absence requires approval from the Dean of Students, Office of Financial Aid, and Registrar’s Office. A student on leave may not reside on campus, attend classes, or participate in the regular activities of the college.
A student on leave of absence may re-enter the college in the semester immediately following the expiration of the leave. Pre-registration for the following semester will be considered formal notification. A student on administrative leave for medical reasons must obtain the approval of the Dean of Students for the return. While on leave, a student is expected to meet deadlines with respect to room reservations and registration as stipulated for regularly enrolled students.
An extension of the period of the leave may be granted for valid reasons provided that the student submits a request for extension during the last semester of their leave except that an academic leave may not be extended beyond two semesters. If the student extends the period of leave without authorization, they will be withdrawn from the college.
A leave of absence may be canceled if a student registers in another collegiate institution without completing the procedures required for an academic leave.
Registration Regulations
Every student is required to register in a program of study at the beginning of each semester. Registration is for one semester only and carries with it no right for continuance in the college. The extension of the privilege of reenrollment to any other semester is always at the option of the officers of the college.
The 18-credit limit for registration shall be exclusive of sport studies, recreation and athletics activity courses and those other activity courses for which the 16-credit limitation applies (see Credit Restrictions). Applied music courses are not considered activity courses. Permission to register for more than 18 academic credits after the preregistration period may be granted by the Board of Review upon written petition by the student provided that:
The student has both cumulative and previous semester Whitman grade-point averages of at least 3.500.
The student’s advisor signs the petition indicating their approval of the student’s overload.
The student submits the petition with attached signatures from all of their current semester Whitman professors, confirming, as of week nine or later, that they have met course deadlines consistently (if a student is abroad, on leave, or registering in the semester in which the overload will occur, they shall instead need signatures from all of the professors currently on campus from the student’s last completed semester courses at Whitman).
Requests for more than 18 academic credits that do not meet the above criteria will be granted by the Board of Review only in truly exceptional circumstances in which there is exigent need to take an academic overload (such as the need to graduate).
The instructor of a class may have a student without an authorized absence removed from the class roster if the student fails to attend the class in the first calendar week that it meets. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of an authorized absence. The instructor must notify the student and the Registrar of the intent to remove the student from the class roster at least 24 hours before they are removed from the class roster.
Registration procedures and regulations are described in detail by the Registrar’s Office prior to each semester’s registration.
Repeating Courses
Should a student wish to repeat a course taken at Whitman for which they received a passing grade that has not been approved for multiple enrollments because of changing subject matter, they should request consent from the instructor of record for the term in which the student will re-enroll and their advisor. If they receive consent and sign up for, and complete, the course, the repeat course credits, grade, and GPA will be applied towards the graduation requirements. Meaning the credits, grades, and GPA from the earlier course will be excluded. During their studies at Whitman, a student can repeat up to three separate non-repeatable courses. However, they can repeat a particular non-repeatable course only once. However, if a student successfully repeats a previously failed course, the grade and credit for both the failed and completed courses are included in the calculation of the semester, cumulative, and major grade-point averages.
In the event a student wishes to take the Whitman course for which they have received transfer or AP, IB, GCE (Cambridge) A-Level exam credit, they will need advisor and instructor approval. The Whitman grade will be included in the GPA calculation but the course will not add additional credits towards graduation. Transfer courses, which are taken after a student attempts the course at Whitman, are not subject to this policy and will not be transferred back to Whitman College.
Residence
The 124 credits required for the bachelor’s degree must be completed in not more than nine semesters or equivalent, except that additional time may be allowed in unusual cases by vote of the Board of Review.
Residence at Whitman College is required of all degree candidates during the last two semesters immediately prior to completion of degree requirements. A student who has on record no fewer than 116 acceptable credits and who has met the minimum residence and the credit requirements may be allowed to complete the remaining credits for the degree requirement at another institution under the following provisions: 1) such work, within the maximum of eight credits, must be approved in advance by the student’s major advisor and a record of the proposed work must be filed with the Registrar; and 2) the work must be completed in the interim between the student’s last residence in the college and the date for the awarding of degrees in the following fall.
Degrees are awarded at the commencement ceremony in May and on specified dates in September and December. A degree may not be conferred in absentia at commencement except by special action of the Board of Review taken in response to a petition showing satisfactory reasons for the candidate’s inability to take the degree in person. A student who has met the residence requirements and who has successfully completed at least 116 credits toward graduation may participate in commencement, though a degree will not be conferred until all the requirements for graduation are met.
Second Baccalaureate Degrees
After a baccalaureate degree conferral, a student may not request a new major or minor to be added. Students may earn a second degree by completing at least 30 additional credits in residence and by completing the requirements for a second major study in a field different from that conferred on the first baccalaureate. If there has been a change in the general degree requirements, the student must satisfy the degree requirements in effect at the time of granting the second degree.
Transcript Policy
A transcript is an official copy of a student’s academic record at Whitman College bearing the official seal and the signature of the Registrar. A request for a transcript must include the student’s signature to authorize the release of the record. Generally, there is a 24-hour preparation period for a transcript.
Transcripts are not issued during the final examination and grading periods. Release of a transcript may be withheld in a case where the financial obligations to the college have not been satisfied. Whitman does not issue or certify copies of transcripts from other institutions.