Policies and Procedures

Academic Honor Code

The College of Idaho maintains that academic honesty and integrity are essential values in the educational process. Operating under an Honor Code philosophy, the College expects conduct rooted in honesty, integrity, and understanding, allowing members of a diverse student body to live together and interact and learn from one another in ways that protect both personal freedom and community standards. Violations of academic honesty are addressed primarily by the faculty member and may be referred to the Dean of Graduate Studies or their designee.

Honor Code

The Code
The College of Idaho is a community of integrity; therefore, we, the students, seek to promulgate a community in which integrity is valued, expected, and practiced. We are honor bound to refrain from cheating, stealing, or lying about College-related business. We are obligated to examine our own actions in light of their effect on the community, and we are responsible to address any violations of these community standards.

The Pledge
All course work submitted for evaluation is pledged with the student's signature:
I pledge that this work was completed with academic integrity.

Revision
Any changes to the Academic Honor Code must be approved by a student referendum.

Violations

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:

• Cheating on exams or assignments;
• Plagiarism;
• Ghost writing;
• Buying or using a term paper, exam, or project that was not composed by the student turning it in;
• Use of unauthorized notes or information during an exam;
• Taking an exam for another student;
• Collaboration on take-home exams when it has been forbidden; or
• Furnishing false or misleading information on any official College form or the College website.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of another's product, words, ideas, or data as one's own work. When a student submits work for credit that includes the product, words, ideas, or data of others, the source must be acknowledged by the use of complete, accurate, and specific references, such as footnotes. By placing one's name on work submitted for credit, the student certifies the originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgments. A student will be charged with plagiarism if there is not an acknowledgment of indebtedness. Acknowledgment must be made whenever:

• One quotes another person's actual words or replicates part of another's product.
• One uses another person's ideas, opinions, work, data, or theories, even if they are completely paraphrased in one's own words.
• One borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials, unless the information is common knowledge (already published in at least three other sources without citation).

Students may not use content sourced from generative artificial intelligence tools and applications as a substitute for their own academic work. Students may not claim ownership or authorship of any content generated by these tools, as it is considered a violation of the College’s Academic Dishonesty and Misconduct policy. Exceptions are allowed if student AI use is specifically authorized by a faculty member (e.g., an assignment to use AI tools or content for class) or by a graduate program (see “Program Policies” section for each relevant graduate program).

Penalties

The burden of proof of student academic dishonesty or misconduct lies with the faculty member; the imposition of penalties is also the responsibility of the faculty member. Faculty members have the discretion to require that the student repeat the assignment or exam, or may give a failing grade for the assignment, exam, or course, or may otherwise deal with the academic dishonesty in a manner they determine to be appropriate within the context of their course or graduate program (see “Program Policies” section for each relevant graduate program). Before determining an appropriate disposition of the situation, the faculty member is encouraged to consult with the Dean of Graduate Studies to see if there are other instances of academic dishonesty by the student on file in the Dean’s records.

In any instance the student has the right to appeal the faculty member’s accusation and penalty by invoking the Grade Mediation Policy (see Grade Mediation Policy).

In the case of repeated or more serious violations of academic honesty, the faculty member or department chair/program director may also refer the matter to the Dean of Graduate Studies or their designee for disciplinary proceedings pursuant to the College’s General Student Conduct Procedures as articulated in the Student Handbook.

Student Code of Conduct

The College of Idaho is concerned for the welfare and personal development of each of its students. The College recognizes and affirms the values of personal responsibility and accountability and seeks to provide an atmosphere where these values are supported.

It should be recognized, however, that the College does not operate in a vacuum. Students and other members of the College community are a part of a larger society. Students are subject to the same federal, state and local regulations as the general public. Students’ actions reflect not only on themselves, but also on the College and its relationship within the community. Violations, on or off campus, of the Student Code of Conduct and/or state and federal laws are subject to College disciplinary action.

The College of Idaho reserves the right, and by matriculation the student acknowledges that right, to dismiss or suspend any student whose conduct is unacceptable by College standards.

For additional information, see the College’s Student Handbook.

Grades and Transcripts

Grades and Grading Policies

The following symbols are used for grades: A, B, C (passing), D, F (failure), and I (incomplete). Each graduate program may specify the grading requirements for the specific program; however, most graduate program require students to maintain an overall B (3.0) average and/or earn a grade of B or higher in every course.

A Pass-Fail (P-F) grading system may be used at the discretion of the graduate programs for certain types of graduate study with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Graduate programs have the option of assigning grades that include a plus or a minus to graduate students enrolled in graduate courses. As plus/minus grading is only an option, graduate programs, at their discretion, may continue to assign only single letter grades. By design, the grade of A still indicates superior achievement, so A+ is not assignable. For more information regarding the meaning of grades assigned, see Grade Point Average.

Grade Point Average

The grade point average (GPA) is obtained by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of credits attempted, except credits marked AU, P, W, and I, and other credits awarded which do not carry quality points. Credits with the grade of F are used in the calculation.

The following charts indicate the meaning of the grades assigned and the number of quality points given per credit for each grade. Final grades are made available to students through Self Service.

Incomplete Grades

A grade of Incomplete (I) is a temporary grade that may be assigned at the instructor’s discretion due to extenuating circumstances such as illness, military obligations, or death in the family. A student must be passing the course and have attended class through the final withdrawal date to be eligible for an incomplete. If the instructor agrees with issuing an incomplete grade, the instructor and the student must execute the Graduate Incomplete Grade Contract and submit it to the Registrar and the director/chair of the graduate program before the last day of the term. Final approval for the incomplete grade is at the discretion of the director/chair of the graduate program, providing that the student meets the conditions listed above. Upon approval of an incomplete grade, the student will have a maximum of four (4) weeks post-course to complete all course requirements. Courses that are not assigned a grade within four (4) weeks will be assigned an F for the course.

Transcripts of Record

Official transcripts of record are ordered through the Registrar's Office. In certain circumstances, transcripts may be released only when financial obligations to the College have been met. As stated on each transcript, federal law requires that release of such records be authorized personally by the student. No third party may legally have access to that record without the student's written consent. Official transcripts can be requested via www.getmytranscript.org. Unofficial transcripts can be viewed via Self Service.

Grade Change Policy

Once a grade has been recorded in the Registrar’s Office, it can be changed only if an error was made in assigning the original grade. An error refers to incorrect data entry, miscalculation, or failure to consider all coursework submitted before the grading deadline. Any coursework received after grades are posted or the Incomplete contract deadline cannot be considered for a grade change.

If a grading error was made, the faculty member must notify the Registrar’s Office by submitting a Grade Change form no later than the end of the term/semester following the grade submission. To protect records integrity, all grade changes must be submitted in writing and be signed and dated by the faculty member.

For an error discovered more than one term after grade submission, the grade change must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies and supported by documentation (e.g., grade books, papers, examinations) from the faculty member or director/chair of the graduate program. No changes will be permitted more than one year after the grade has been recorded.

A student who believes that a course grade does not accurately reflect their performance must attempt to resolve the matter with the faculty member within two weeks from posting of the final grade in Self Service. If the student and faculty member are unable to reach a solution, then the student may request grade mediation (see Grade Mediation Policy).

Grade Mediation Policy

If a student believes a course grade was improperly or unfairly assigned, the College has a grade mediation procedure to help resolve the matter. The evaluation of a student's academic performance is the sole responsibility of the person appointed to teach or supervise the course. A student who questions the validity of a faculty member's final evaluation of the student's academic work should confer with that faculty member within two weeks from posting of the final grade in Self Service. If the matter cannot be resolved between the faculty member and the student, the student should seek the appropriate director/chair of the graduate program to act as a mediator between the student and faculty member (if the instructor of record is the director/chair of the graduate program, the student should request that a mediator be appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies). However, the faculty member assigned to teach the course retains the final responsibility for assigning the course grade.

Upon conclusion of the mediation, the mediator will prepare a brief summary of the interaction with the student and its outcome and provide a copy of the summary to the student, the faculty member, and the Dean of Graduate Studies (a copy of which will be retained through the subsequent evaluation period of the faculty member in case it would need to be referred to for any reason). If the faculty member agrees to alter the grade, they must submit a Grade Change form to the Registrar (see Grade Change Policy).

After the final outcome, if the student and/or mediator feel that the faculty member in question has been unprofessional in resolving the matter, they should send a letter to the Dean of Graduate Studies to be put in the file of the faculty member and considered by the faculty evaluation committee as part of the regular evaluation process. Upon receipt of such a letter, the Dean of Graduate Studies will provide a copy to the faculty member, and if relevant, the mediator, both of whom may write letters for the file as well.

If the faculty member whose grade is questioned is no longer employed by the College or is otherwise unavailable because of sabbatical leave or some other reason, the student submits a petition for review by the director/chair of the graduate program. The director/chair of the graduate program will review all available materials and speak with people who may have insight into the situation and will issue a resolution. The timelines for the grade mediation procedures are the same whether or not the faculty member continues at the College. The decision by the director/chair of the graduate program is final.

Academic Warning and Dismissal

Satisfactory progress toward an advanced degree as determined by the faculty is required at all times. The graduate program director/chair will inform students who fail to make satisfactory progress.

Graduate programs take factors other than satisfactory grades and adequate GPAs into consideration in determining a student’s qualifications for an advanced degree. A student’s overall academic performance, specific skills and aptitudes, and faculty evaluations will be considered in decisions regarding a student’s continuation in a certificate, master’s or doctoral degree program. The faculty has the right to recommend at any time after written warning that a student be dismissed from a graduate program for academic reasons or that a student be denied readmission. For additional information, review the warning, probation and dismissal standards for the relevant graduate program.

Process for Dismissing a Graduate Student:

• The appropriate director/chair of the relevant graduate program informs a student in writing that they are not making satisfactory progress toward the degree. This letter will indicate that the student is on probation and include what deficiencies have led to this action, corrections that need to be made, and the timeframe the student has to improve their performance.
• A review is made after the specified timeframe. If the student is making satisfactory academic progress, the program director/chair sends a letter to the student informing them that probation is lifted. If the student has not met the standards specified in the first letter, the program director/chair sends a letter to the student, references items in the first letter that are still deficient, and informs the student that they are dismissed from the program.
• The program director/chair processes the dismissal with the College.

Drops and Withdrawals

Administrative Drop

A student who does not attend the first session of any course will be administratively dropped from that class roster and will need to re-register for the course if they plan to take the course. If a student is unable to attend the first-class session, they must contact the faculty member and the director/chair of the relevant graduate program prior to the first class session to arrange the completion of any missing assignments and request not to be dropped.

Students are responsible for checking their own schedule before the end of the add/drop period to confirm all courses have been properly added and/or dropped. Students may check their schedule on Self Service via Student Planning or through the Registrar’s Office.

Withdrawal from Courses

Course drops must be approved by the director/chair of the graduate program and submitted to the Registrar prior to the drop/withdraw deadline. Before dropping or withdrawing from a course, students are encouraged to contact the graduate program to review their academic plan and options for dropping or withdrawing from a course.

If an approved Request to Drop form is submitted with the Registrar by the Last Day to Drop, the course does not appear on the student’s record/transcript. If an approved Request to Drop form is submitted with the Registrar by the Last Day to Withdraw, the course will appear on the student’s record/transcript and will be assigned a mark/grade of a W. Students should refer to the academic calendar for their graduate program for specific dates each term/semester.

Students will be withdrawn as of the day that the Request to Drop form is submitted to the Registrar’s Office. Merely ceasing to attend class does not constitute withdrawal, and failure to follow prescribed withdrawal procedures may result in a grade of F. The College of Idaho does not allow students to withdraw retroactively from a course from which they earned a grade. A course withdrawal must be completed by the deadline.

Under certain circumstances, a faculty member, the Dean of Graduate Studies or the Dean of Students, in consultation with the Registrar, may administratively withdraw a student from a course. In such a case a mark/grade of W will appear on the transcript.

Withdrawal from the College

A student who must withdraw completely from the College whether for military deployment, medical or personal reasons should submit a Request to Withdraw form to the director/chair of the graduate program.

Upon form submission, the student’s graduate program has three (3) business days to contact the student to discuss the withdrawal. After three (3) business days, the withdrawal will be processed with an official withdrawal date recorded as the initial submission date of the withdrawal form.

Grades of W or F are assigned in accordance with the policies set forth under Withdrawal from Courses. Students will be withdrawn as of the day on which they submit their form or notify the institution, not according to the last date of attendance. In some cases, if sufficient work has been completed and extenuating circumstances are established, it may be possible to arrange for grades of Incomplete (see Incomplete Grades).

The College of Idaho reserves the right to administratively withdraw students for non-compliance with College policy; non-attendance or participation as required by the student’s academic program; failure to fulfill financial, academic or legal obligations; or failure of the student to initiate the official withdrawal process (Administrative Withdrawal Policy). Students who are administratively withdrawn will be notified of the action in writing by the College official initiating the withdrawal.

Students who withdraw from the College or who are administratively withdrawn must apply for re-admission (see Re-Admission Policy and Procedures).

Violations of the College’s Student Code of Conduct, including the Honor Code, will not be addressed under the Administrative Withdrawal Policy. For additional information, see the “General Student Conduct Procedures” section (and related sanctions) in the College’s Student Handbook.

Leaves of Absence

Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence

The College may require a student to take an Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence in certain circumstances when the student's health may be adversely impacted or the community may be adversely impacted by the student's continued presence on campus. This policy describes how these leaves of absence can be issued and appealed.

The Dean of Students or designee may issue an Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence. An Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence may be issued if:

• The student is engaging in, or is threatening to engage in, behavior that poses a significant danger of causing substantial harm to the health, safety, or welfare of the student or others; or
• The student's behavior has resulted in substantial harm to the health, safety, or welfare of the student or others and the behavior continues, or there is a risk the behavior will continue, posing a significant danger of causing substantial harm to the health, safety, or welfare of the student or others; or
• The student's behavior has resulted in significant disruption of the teaching, learning, or administrative activities of other members of the campus community and the behavior continues, or there is a risk the behavior will continue, with the likely result of such behavior substantially impeding the education processes or proper activities or functions of the College and its personnel.

Before issuing an Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence, the Dean of Students or designee will, when possible:

• Consult with others who can provide relevant information about the student's condition; and
• Provide the student an opportunity to present information about the student's circumstances. If the student is unable or unwilling to meet with the Dean in a timely manner, the student's opportunity to provide information is waived.

The Dean or designee will issue an Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence in writing via email to the student. The written notice will include:

• The effective date of the leave.
• The reasons for requiring the leave.
• The conditions for re-enrollment.
• Any restrictions imposed on the student's access to the campus or College-sponsored activities.

A student wishing to return from an Involuntary Medical Leave of Absence must:

• Notify the Dean of Students of desire to return.
• Document fulfillment of all conditions placed on re-enrollment.
• Meet all other admission and enrollment requirements of the College.

The Dean will notify the student in writing of the decision to approve or deny returning to campus and/or re-enrollment.

Voluntary Leave of Absence

Graduate students are expected to maintain active status through continuous registration from the time they matriculate until they graduate. At times, however, students may need to interrupt their enrollment for reasons they cannot control (e.g., medical, personal or military deployment). Students who are not able to maintain active status are strongly encouraged to consult with the director/chair of their graduate program studies and relevant offices to determine whether requesting a leave of absence is the most appropriate course of action.

Students who experience circumstances that prevent them from maintaining active student status will ordinarily be granted College approval for a leave of absence upon request. Allowing students to take a leave of absence provides students the opportunity to return to the College under the rules and policies in effect when they left and without affecting their time to degree. Students must complete a Leave of Absence form that specifies the term(s) and year(s) of the leave. If the reason for the leave is military deployment, a copy of military orders must be provided; and if the reason is for medical leave, the student must include documentation from their healthcare provider identifying the condition and anticipated time needed for the leave.

The following policies and procedures govern a request for a leave of absence:

• If approved, a leave may be granted for up to one (1) year.
• Students who obtain a College-approved leave of absence will not be eligible for financial aid while on leave and no enrollment will be reported to defer student loans. An appointment with the Office of Student Financial Aid Services will be required prior to leave approval.
• A leave notation will appear on the transcript for the term in which the leave began.
• In order to return from a leave of absence, students must notify the graduate program of their intent to return within a timeframe specified by the Dean by completing the Returning Graduate Student Form.
• Reinstatement to active status may be denied based on crimes or other serious misconduct occurring during the leave that would have been grounds for suspension or expulsion had the student engaged in the conduct while enrolled (for additional information, see the College’s Student Handbook).
• Students whose leave of absence has expired and who have not yet registered for the following term will be administratively withdrawn. Students who are administratively withdrawn must apply for re-admission (see Re-Admission Policy and Procedures).
• Graduate programs may develop additional rules governing leaves of absence, as long as they are consistent with this policy.

Graduation Requirements

Requirements for graduation may change after students matriculate at The College of Idaho. Changes are not retroactive, although students will have the option to elect to meet the new requirements. Exceptions may be necessary when changes in professional certification or licensure standards mandate such changes in requirements. For details regarding the graduation requirements for a specific graduate program, see the “Graduation Requirements” section under each graduate program.