Academic Policies

Admission

Belmont University’s graduate programs are open to applicants without regard to race, sex, national origin, or religious preference. Admission to the graduate programs is based on qualifications and space availability. The university seeks student diversity that enriches the academic community.

International students applying to Belmont University graduate programs may contact International Student Services for information regarding TOEFL testing, student visa information, health insurance, housing, work permission, and social activities sponsored by the International Student Association.

Honor System

The members of the Belmont University community seek to provide students with a high-quality education while encouraging in the entire community a sense of ethics, social responsibility, and interdependence. We believe that trust is a vital part of this enterprise and that self-discipline and responsibility to one another are also essential elements. We also believe that any instance of dishonesty is a violation of the entire Belmont University community. Therefore, the Belmont University Honor System aims to cultivate a community based on trust, academic honesty, and social responsibility that promotes the following:

• to ensure that students, faculty, staff, and administrators understand that the responsibility for upholding honor at Belmont University lies with them;
• to ensure that all members of the Belmont University community understand that all forms of dishonesty represent a profound violation of the entire community;
• to clarify what constitutes academic dishonesty and to define standards of behavior expected of all members of our community;
• to promote an environment at Belmont University where honor is expected and respected and where dishonesty is not tolerated;
• to define a statement of expectations at Belmont University regarding behavior, as well as a mechanism for a consistent and reasonable adjudication process for violations of our community.

Affirmation of Academic Integrity

The Belmont community values personal integrity and academic honesty as the foundation of university life and the cornerstone of a premiere educational experience. Our community believes trust among its members is essential for both scholarship and effective interactions and operations of the university. As members of the Belmont community, students, faculty, staff, and administrators are all responsible for ensuring that their experiences will be free of behaviors which compromise this value. In order to uphold academic integrity, the university has adopted an Honor System. Students and faculty will work together to establish the optimal conditions for honorable academic work.

Student Honor Pledge

I will not give or receive aid during examinations; I will not give or receive false or impermissible aid in course work, in the preparation of reports, or in any other type of work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of my grade; I will not engage in any form of academic fraud. Furthermore, I will uphold my responsibility to see to it that others abide by the spirit and letter of this Honor Pledge.

Standards for Academic Integrity

Generally, academic fraud and dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following categories: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, multiple submissions, obtaining unfair advantage, aiding and abetting, and unauthorized access to academic or administrative systems.

Cheating: using unauthorized notes, aids, or information on an examination; altering a graded work prior to its return to a faculty member; allowing another person to do one’s work and submitting it for grading.

Plagiarism: submitting material that in part or whole is not one’s own work without properly attributing the correct sources of its content.

Fabrication: inventing or falsifying information, data, or citation; presenting data gathered outside of acceptable professorial guidelines; failing to provide an accurate account of how information, data or citations were gathered; altering documents affecting academic records; forging signatures or authorizing false information on an official academic document, grade, letter, form, ID card, or any other university document.

Multiple Submissions: submitting identical papers or course work for credit in more than one course without prior permission of the instructor.

Obtaining Unfair Advantage: a) gaining or providing access to examination materials prior to the time authorized by an instructor; b) stealing, defacing, or destroying library or research materials which can deprive others of their use; c) unauthorized collaboration on an academic assignment; d) retaining, possessing, or circulating previously used examination materials without the instructor’s permission; e) obstructing or interfering with another student’s academic work; or f) engaging in any activity designed to obtain an unfair advantage over another student in the same course.

Unauthorized Access: viewing or altering in any way computer records, modifying computer programs or systems, releasing or distributing information gathered via unauthorized access, or in any way interfering with the use of availability of computer systems/information.

Aiding and Abetting: providing material, information, or other assistance which violates the above Standards for Academic Integrity; providing false information in connection with any inquiry regarding academic integrity.

For additional information regarding procedures for upholding the Honor System, including sanctions for violation of the system, contact the Office of Student Affairs.

Auditing Classes

Courses may be audited provided space is available and students satisfy the necessary prerequisites, except in the Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs. Current Belmont students and alumni need to request admission to a course in writing. Others must apply for Special Student status and can either be an observer in the class or an active participant (team projects, class discussions, testing). Admission requests should be made to the graduate office of the appropriate program. Cost for auditing is the same as credit hour tuition.

Students will be billed before the term begins. Tuition is due by the published payment deadline.

Student Class Attendance Policy

Belmont University is committed to the idea that regular class attendance is essential to successful scholastic achievement. Absence is permitted only in cases of illness or other legitimate cause. Attendance is checked from the first class meeting. Late registrants will have accrued some absences prior to formal registration in the course. In the case of excused absence from class, students have the right and responsibility to make up all class work missed.

• Provost’s Excused Absences

If a class absence is necessary because of an activity by another class or university organization, the sponsor of the activity will provide a detailed memorandum on the letterhead of the unit to the Provost at least two (2) weeks prior to the event. The memo will provide the names of students involved, the type of event, and the date range of the event. If approved the Provost will countersign the memo, generating a Provost’s Excuse, and copies will be provided by the sponsor to each student to present to instructor as an excused absence with the allowance for the student to make up missed class work.

• Failure for Non-attendance

Should the number of absences other than Provost’s Excused Absences exceed 20% of class meeting time (applicable to every term and part-of-term course) for a given student, the faculty member may assign the grade “FN” (failure for non-attendance) to that student.

• Student responsibilities

Students are responsible for notifying faculty members if they miss class(es). They are to provide documentation in support of absenteeism for the faculty member to review and evaluate according to course attendance policies. Student with excused absences (as approved by the faculty or through the Provost’s Excuse) are able to make up all classwork missed during the absenteeism period.

• Faculty responsibilities

Faculty members will provide an absenteeism policy on each course syllabus and review and explain the policy to all students. Faculty members providing for excused absences will review requests for those not covered by the Provost’s Excuse and communications relating to unexcused absences and approve them according to the course syllabus. They will honor absences that are properly documented and provide either the same or in-kind assignments and provide opportunities for students to make up missed coursework during or immediately following an excused absence period. 

• Appeal

Students may appeal a disputed absence matter to the chair of the faculty member’s department or to the appropriate dean’s office should the faculty member be the department chair. The appropriate dean’s decision will be final. Proper documentation must be provided in support of the appeal. If the appeal is approved, the chair or dean will communicate the reason for the approval and the remedy to the faculty member who will permit the student (s) to make up missed coursework in a timely manner.

Class Load

The minimum load for full-time status is six (6) hours of graduate credit per term.

International Students

Belmont welcomes international students into its graduate programs and is authorized to issue F-1 (student) and J-1 (exchange visitor) documentation for obtaining visas. International students interested in pursuing a graduate degree from Belmont University should follow the steps outlined in the graduate catalog for the particular graduate program they wish to pursue with the following additional requirements.

International Applicants Seeking Non-immigrant Visas [F-1 student Visa]

In order to be issued an I-20 for the desired entry term, international students must be admitted by October 1, March 1, or June 1 in order to enroll for the spring, summer, or fall terms respectively.

1. International applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by meeting any one of the following: minimum TOEFL score of 550 paper-based test (PBT) or 80 internet-based test (iBT); minimum IELTS score of 6.5; minimum SAT Critical Reading score of 530; successful completion of ELS Language Center Level 112.
2. International applicants with college level course work from foreign institutions must have their transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation service such as World Education Services, www.wes.org.
3. Submit the notarized Sponsor Statement indicating the individual responsible for financing your education. (Note: A bank statement is NOT sufficient.)
4. International applicants who are offered admission to Belmont must complete the Enrollment Confirmation Form and submit a nonrefundable enrollment deposit of $3,000* payable to Belmont University which will be applied to the first semester charges.
5. Upon receipt of the Enrollment Deposit, Belmont will issue an I-20.
6. After receipt of the I-20, you should apply for the visa by taking the Belmont University offer of admission letter and I-20 to the nearest American embassy or consulate. Please check with the U.S. Department of State, www.unitedstatesvisas.gov, for specific information about obtaining an appointment for a visa interview and paying the appropriate fees.

*Students who do not enroll as scheduled, due to failure to obtain a visa, may request a $2,900 refund of the tuition deposit, if requested within 30 days after the close of registration.

Graduate students are not eligible for on-campus housing. All international students must purchase health and accident insurance coverage. Information and application for an insurance plan with coverage for hospitalization, surgical benefits and medical care may be obtained online at www.belmont.edu/ie.

Application to the University for Resident Aliens or Permanent Residents – International English Competency

Applicants who are permanent residents or resident aliens may follow the application instructions for domestic students with one exception. Applicants whose first language is not English must have a score of at least 550 (written), 213 (computer based) or 80 (internet based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or successfully complete ELS Language Centers Level 112.

International Students Seeking Exchange Visitor Visas [J-1 Exchange/Visitor Visa]

International students interested in attending Belmont through one of its established exchange programs may be considered for admission by completing the Exchange Application available online at www.belmont.edu/ie. A student must be recommended by his or her home institution in order to participate and be issued a J-1 visa.

Performance Evaluation and Feedback

Getting feedback on your performance is critical to improvement. A variety of instruments will be used by various instructors throughout your courses. Where appropriate, grades will be given that will be an overall indication of performance. The grading scale for graduate courses is as follows:

** See policy below under “Progression Toward Graduation” for actions that result from a grade of any “F” grade.

Academic Numbering

Graduate level courses are represented with 5000 and 6000 numbered courses. Beginning in the spring 2004 term, Belmont University converted all three digit academic numbers to four digits. In most instances the change was accomplished by adding a zero (0) to the end of the existing number.

Definition of Academic Numbering and Credit  Hours

Course Numbering System

Course descriptions are arranged alphabetically by subject prefix description. Courses are identified by a course prefix up to four letters and a course number that indicates suggested level and/or type of course.

At Belmont, the first digit in the course number indicates the year level of the course, as follows:

Courses which begin with number 1 are primarily for freshmen; those beginning with 2, primarily for sophomores; 3, primarily for juniors and seniors; 4, primarily for seniors. 5 and 6000 level courses are graduate level. 

Some courses are offered only in the fall and/or spring semesters. Some courses are only offered in alternating years or based on need. Please consult individual departments and/or catalog course listing for course schedule rotations.

Courses are numbered as follows:  

1000-2990 Undergraduate, lower division

3000-4990 Undergraduate, upper division

5000-6990 Graduate, Masters, Doctoral 

Credit Hour

A credit hour is an amount of work represented by intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates:

1. For a traditional, face-to-face lecture class, not less than one contact hour (50 minutes) of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work, including but not limited to reading, studying, conducting research, writing, performance practicing, rehearsals and other learning activities each week for approximately 15 weeks for one semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, or

2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required outlined in item 1 above for other academic activities as established by the institution including distance education, lab and lecture/lab, tutorial, seminar, independent study, thesis, studio, internships/practica, student teaching, clinical, physical education, discussion/quiz/recitation and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. For face-to-face lecture classes, this shall equate to a minimum of 750 minutes of classroom contact, including final exams, per credit per semester.

Repeating Courses

If a student repeats a course, it must be done the next semester the course is offered. The last grade will be the permanent grade recorded, and the student’s GPA will be recomputed accordingly. No course may be repeated more than once.

Grade Appeals

Students have the right to appeal grades directly to the instructor if they believe that an incorrect grade has been assigned for the course. If a grade issue is not resolved after contact with the instructor, the student may appeal in writing to the department chair / associate dean of the college. This must occur by the mid-term point of the next semester. In the written appeal the student must be prepared to demonstrate and document an unusual circumstance that warrants a review of the grade and evidences of the grade s/he believes should have been given by the instructor. All written appeals will be reviewed within one month of receipt and responded to in writing either confirming or changing the posted final grade. A copy of this response will go to the Registrar’s Office for the student’s record.

Further appeal is through the administrative structure of the college in which the course was taken, with final appeal to the Dean of the College. Any appeal must be in writing and include appropriate documentation to support the student’s position that a grade change is warranted.

The final grade is the instructor’s posted grade, which may be viewed in the student’s grade report on-line at the close of the term or part-of-term. It is solely the responsibility of the student to check that grades are posted for all courses taken during a semester and note the grade given for each class. All grade appeals must be requested by the mid-term point of the next semester. Unless an active appeal is under review, after the mid-term point of the next semester, neither instructors nor the university will consider a grade change.

Once a final grade has been posted the student may not petition the instructor to do additional work or extra credit to raise the grade awarded. Any grade change as a result of such action will be disallowed.

For grades of IP or I, once the I or IP is replaced (required prior to mid-term of the follow semester) by a grade, including a change to F, that becomes the posting date of the final grade. Administrative grades such as W (withdrawal) are handled through the Registrar’s Office.

Transfer Credit

A student may transfer up to six (6) hours of graduate credit with a minimum grade of “B” from an accredited institution upon approval of the student’s graduate director. A degree program may have a different number of allowable credit hours, which may be found on their catalog page or web page. The School of Education has a five (5) year limitation on courses that are transferable. 

*The School of Physical Therapy does not accept graduate-level transfer credit from other institutions toward the Doctorate of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree. Veteran students who apply to the physical therapy programs are eligible for consideration of graduate level transfer credits from accredited institutions.

*The School of Occupational Therapy does not accept transfer credit from other institutions toward its degree program. Veteran students who apply to the occupational therapy programs are eligible for consideration of graduate level transfer credits from accredited institutions.

* Students accepted into the M.A. in Mental Health Counseling Program may request graduate course credits from an accredited institution be reviewed for possible substitution for Belmont University course credit. The program department will determine at its sole discretion what course(s) are eligible for transfer toward the student’s program of study. Eligible transfer course work must have at least a grade of “B” in each course. Other credit bearing work on a transcript such as academic projects, significant research, internships, and fieldwork courses with a grade of “P” may also be considered as an eligible transferable course provided that the content of the work is determined to have an equivalency for a course in the program. The department may accept up to 21 credit hours of course work toward the graduate degree.

* In the Belmont College of Law all academic credits accepted for transfer must have been completed at an ABA-approved law school.  No more than one-third of academic credits required for graduation at the College of Law shall be accepted for transfer (i.e. 29 academic credits).  The College of Law shall accept transfer credit only for courses in which the grade received is equal to or higher than the grade point average required for graduation at the other law school.  Credit for any course required for graduation from the College of Law shall be accepted for transfer only when the course was comparable to the course offered at the College of Law. All grades for which credit is transferred shall be entered as “Pass” on the student’s records and shall not affect the student’s cumulative grade point average.

Progression Towards Graduation

It is essential that students make satisfactory progress toward their degree in terms of consistency and performance. Unless stated otherwise in a specific graduate school, unsatisfactory progress will result in the following actions:

If a student remains on Inactive Status for more than one year without the program director’s permission, the student must reapply for admission to the program.

Any student on “Probation” or “Dismissed” (expressed either as “university dismissal” or “program dismissal”) academic standing is considered to be “not in good standing” with the university. 

Students on probation must raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 or better within the next two semesters, unless stated otherwise in a specific graduate school. If a student fails to meet this criterion the student is automatically dismissed from the program. Any student who is dismissed may apply for readmission, but only once. Reapplication under these circumstances does not guarantee admission back into the program. 

A student may graduate by meeting degree requirements listed in the university catalog for either the year in which she/he enters Belmont University or the one for the year in which she/he graduates in agreement with the graduate dirctor of the degree program. A student who is not enrolled for a period of two (2) consecutive academic years must meet the graduation requirements for either the university catalog under which he/she reenters Belmont or the one for the year in which he/she graduates.

*Several graduate programs have specific or additional conditions for program dismissal (such as in graduate business MBA for Massey Program, in graduate nursing for MSN & DNP Programs, and in graduate PT for Physical Therapy program). Graduate students should be familiar with dismissal conditions for their program of enrollment. In the absence of specific conditions in a program’s graduate handbook (or equivalent) the matrix of dismissal conditions above will apply.

Graduate (Master and Doctorate) Degree Requirements

• Complete the specified program curriculum.
• Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better (unless stated otherwise in a specific graduate school program)
• Complete all degree requirements within the time period specified for each program if such a timeframe is specified. Time limits shall be computed from and will include the first term of credit applied to the degree program.
• Meet the minimum credit hours published in the catalog for that program.
• All graduate programs must have 30 semester credit hours or greater. Credit hour requirements for award of the sought degree are specified in the program’s curriculum published in the University Graduate Catalog for each program and degree.

Students must file a graduation application online through their “My Belmont” account by the posted deadlines for each graduation date. These dates are listed in the Academic Calendar in the front of this catalog. The student will be billed for a non-refundable graduation fee of $250 for candidates of a Master degree and $275 for candidates of a Doctoral degree to cover graduation expenses of academic regalia and diploma. An additional $100 fee will be charged for late applications and an additional $50 fee will be charged for each subsequent application, due to failure to complete the graduation process.

FERPA and Privacy

FERPA - Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

What does “FERPA” stand for and why is it important?

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
• This federal law requires Belmont to protect the privacy of students’ education records

Rights guaranteed to students by FERPA

• The right of access to education records
• The right to consent to the release of records to third parties
• The right to challenge inaccurate or misleading information in an education record
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning non-compliance with FERPA

Do parents or legal guardians have access to a student’s education records?

• A student, regardless of age, is the “legal entity” once he or she begins to attend Belmont. FERPA rights belong to the student, not the parent or guardian.
• This means that students must consent before a record is disclosed to the parents or legal guardians.
• A student can authorize Belmont to discuss his/her educational records with parents/guardians by filling out the Consent to Release Educational Records.

What are education records?

Information recorded in any form that is directly related to a student and maintained by a college or university and by those acting for the college or university.

When is Consent Not Required?

• To individuals within the university with legitimate educational interest
• To officials at an institution in which student seeks to enroll
• To comply with a court order or subpoena
• To parents of students who are dependents for income tax purposes
• To parents in cases of drug or alcohol violation when the student is under the age of 21
• In connection with a health or safety emergency if necessary to protect the student or others
• If the data is considered directory information

What is Directory Information?

• Name, address, telephone number
• Campus e-mail address
• Date and place of birth
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance, degrees and awards received
• Previous educational agencies or institutions attended
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams

What if a student wants to prohibit the disclosure of directory information as well?

• Students who do not want their directory information released may visit the Office of the Registrar to complete the appropriate form. Once the form is filed, the student’s record is flagged as “confidential” and no directory information is disclosed except as required by FERPA.
• The confidentiality hold prohibits the release of information including but not limited to transcripts, enrollment verifications, and degree verifications.
• If the student needs Belmont to release information from the student record, the request must be made in writing, accompanied by legal proof of identity. This applies whether the information is for the student’s personal use or for use by a third party.
• Graduation, withdrawal and dismissal from the university do not automatically lift the confidential status on a student’s record. The record will remain confidential until the status is revoked by the student, in writing, accompanied by legal proof of identity.
• If a confidentiality request is not filed, Belmont University assumes that a student does not object to the release of directory information.

For additional information, please visit:
http://www.belmont.edu/notices/privacy-policies/ferpa.html

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Procedures for Protecting Students Privacy in Distance Education Courses

Belmont University is committed to protecting student privacy for students enrolled in all courses regardless of the mode of instruction (on-line, hybrid, classroom, etc.). All of the university policies regarding student privacy and information security applied through FERPA apply to distance education courses. Faculty teaching distance education courses are expected to uphold these polices and follow these procedures:

• Teach distance education courses using BlackBoard, the University’s learning management system, in order to ensure security of student work and grades.
• Use the University’s secure BannerWeb site to report student grades.
• Use BlackBoard or the University’s email system for all official, confidential communication such as providing feedback on student work, releasing grade or course progress information to students, etc.
• Keep student work, scores or grades confidential. Students in the course should not have access to other students’ work or grades.
• Keep course BlackBoard or UR email account information secure. Do not share any login information with anyone, give anyone unauthorized access to the BlackBoard course or assign a student the role of instructor or graduate assistant in BlackBoard unless the graduate assistant is assigned a teaching role in the class and has an educational need to know.
• Follow FERPA guidelines for sharing student educational record information with other faculty, staff, parents or others outside the university.