CCS students benefit from the cooperative programs and built-in access to leading art schools that are members of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD). By sharing resources and facilities, AICAD colleges offer educational opportunities that, taken together, are without parallel in professional arts education. Through the AICAD Exchange Program, qualified students at one AICAD school can spend a semester at another participating AICAD school without additional cost or loss of credit. In addition to the 42 full member schools in the US & Canada within the network, AICAD has three long-standing International Affiliate schools in Japan, Ireland and Israel. Through the International Affiliate program, AICAD has broadened its membership and enhanced the dialogue at the Executive level, which in turn brings greater global opportunity to the students of all AICAD schools.
Application deadlines are March 15 for the fall semester and October 1 for the winter semester.
Students should contact Tom Turoczi in the Academic Advising and Registration Office at 313.664.7832 for more information on these programs.
The College for Creative Studies recognizes the importance of accommodating members of the institution regarding the use of an individual’s legal or chosen name, while remaining in compliance with federal and legal obligations. There are various reasons students, faculty and staff may choose to use a name to identify themselves that differs from their legal name. It is the policy of the College to use a chosen name (if requested) within CCS systems where a legal name is not absolutely necessary. The use of a chosen name does not automatically change the legal name in College systems/records. Proper documentation is required for students, staff or faculty members that wish to change their legal name.
Definitions
Legal Name
A name, also commonly known as a given name, that appears on the state issued ID card, driver’s license, passport, social security card, birth certificate, and immigration documents. Documentation (marriage license, court order, divorce decree, etc) is required to change a legal name. A legal name change will result in a comprehensive change in the individual’s records.
Chosen Name
A first name that you may choose to be called. It is different from your legal first name and no legal documentation is required. A chosen name, also known as preferred name, is generally used by individuals who choose to use:
Legal Name Policy
CCS must always maintain a record of students’ and employees’ legal name and are used where required within CCS records/systems (i.e., Human Resource records, Financial Aid documents, student conduct records, medical/insurance records, academic transcripts, etc). A legal name will continue to appear within institution records for reasons related to conducting institutional business, technology limitations or if required by law. Legal name change requests will be approved based on submission of legal evidence indicating the name change. All requests must be verified with Information Technology Services through the approving office, to update CCS systems.
Chosen Name Policy
A chosen name will appear in select institutional systems, records, or documents in which a legal name is not required. To assure accurate identification, the legal last name will appear along with the chosen first name whenever possible. CCS reserves the right to remove or deny the chosen first name if used inappropriately. This includes, but is not limited to, names using foul or inappropriate language, names submitted to avoid a legal obligation, fraud, and names used to create misrepresentation. A chosen name that includes numbers or symbols will not be recognized. Each individual may request one chosen first name change during each twelve month period. An Individual may request to revert back to their legal name at any time. Historical notes in systems may not be updated to reflect the change.
A chosen name can appear on CCS ID cards and email, among other approved areas if requested. All requests must be verified with Information Technology Services through the approving office, to update CCS systems.
For the purpose of F-1 and J-1 student visa status, the legal name must be used on I-20s and DDS-2019s. An individual’s legal name is what appears on the passport.
Under FERPA, a student’s chosen name or legal name may be disclosed as directory information (unless a request to withhold is on file to prevent disclosure, see FERPA Policy). The Chosen name will be used as first preference.
Note: Parents/families that have access to your personal CCS accounts, will be able to see the same information accessed by a student or employee. It is recommended that personal accounts and login information is not shared with anyone (including family).
Procedures for Chosen Name Requests and Legal Name Changes
Procedures for chosen and legal names may vary. Individuals interested in updating personal records should contact the appropriate office directly related to their status of enrollment or employment.
Chosen & Legal Name Display Areas:
The below chart indicates where chosen and legal names will appear in CCS records and documents, along with the affiliated campus office*.
If a chosen name is requested, it will display on all items in the “Chosen Name” column.
The Legal Name will always appear within records listed in the “Legal Name” column.
*Changes to a name (chosen or legal) may take 2 to 3 business days to update across campus systems.
“The college will continue to review the section below to adhere to policy updates and institutional changes that impact the use of Chosen and Legal Names.”
Academic Advising & registration Office (aARO)
Last Updated: 07/30/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Academic Evaluation
Transcripts (Official, Unofficial, and CE)
Registration Confirmation
Enrollment Verifications
Class Schedule
Subpoenas
Graduation Reports
Academic Standing (probation/suspension)
Diplomas
Commencement line-up name cards
Commencement Program
Deposit Reports
Course & Attendance Rosters
Student Email*
* All student records (UG, MFA, TC, Guest Students and non credit records)
Academic Affairs
Last Updated: 08/10/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Dean’s/President’s list/letters
Academic Honesty Records/notifications
Review week schedules for departments
Imre Molnar Award letters
Mentor or other Departmental student lists
Award of Academic Excellence – Graduate Studies
Student Affairs Monthly Reports
admissions
Last Updated: 08/17/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Transfer Credit Evaluations
Acceptance Letters
Admissions Email
Merit Scholarship Award letters
Text messages
Mailed documents
International admissions
Last Updated: 08/10/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Individual communication (email & text)
Admissions documents & reports
Institutional communication
Business Services/Payroll Students, faculty & Staff
Last Updated: 08/10/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Tuition Billing
Checks
Pay Stubs
W2’s
All payroll systems/reports
Receipts
Campus Safety
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
CCS ID cards
Career Development
Last Updated: 08/13/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
College Central Network (formerly Job Book)
Display/exhibition, Career Dev. recruiting events (or showcase)
Financial aid
Last Updated: 08/10/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Individual Email communication
Financial Aid Award letters
Mailed correspondence
Correspondence with Department of Education
Loan records
Pell Grant records
Enrollment records
Human resources
Last Updated: 08/10/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Employee/Phone Directory
IRS forms
CCS Employee ID card
Benefits
CCS Employee email*
Retirement
Employee hire records
Work-Study hire records
Tuition remission records
Employee fee waivers (credit and non-credit)
*IT updates systems, but does not handle the initial requests for changes. Updates by office requests.
Information technology
Last Updated: 08/11/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
CCS email address*
Access Manager*
Self-Service – student*
Self-Service – staff*
WebAdvisor for Faculty*
Phone Directory*
*IT updates systems, but does not handle the initial requests for changes. Updates by office requests.
International Student Services Office (ISSO) International Students
Last Updated: 08/10/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Registration Confirmations (AARO printed)
Registration Confirmations (ISSO printed)
Degree Audits
SEVIS
Immigration documents
Office for Institutional Equity & Inclusion
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
Title IX records
student affairs, Student Life, Housing, Wellness Center, Nurse
Last Updated: 07/31/20
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
On-Campus housing rosters
Meal Plans
Roommate assignments
Medical & Insurance Records
Orientation
Student Disability Services Records
Disability Accommodation Notifications
Student Conduct Records
Student Elections
Student Organization Representatives
compliance reporting for Internal & external auditing processes
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
use of Legal name as required
compliance Reporting Requirements As Mandated By Authorized Entities Of The U.S. Government
Chosen Name (if requested) Displays on:
Legal Name will display:
use of Legal name as required
Compliance Reporting Requirements AS Mandated By The State OF Michigan
Undergraduate students who complete a minimum of 12 credits during a given semester with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 to 3.799 are placed on the Dean’s List. Undergraduate students who achieve a GPA of 3.80 or above are placed on the President’s List. A notation will be placed on the student’s transcript for each semester that Dean’s List status is achieved.
If you are an undeclared student and need to declare your major, or you are a student who wishes to change your major, you must:
Meet with a staff advisor in the Academic Advising and Registration Office (AARO)to discuss your plans. Complete and sign the Change of Major form. It is best to make any changes before registering for the upcoming semester.
Meet with the chair of the department you intend to enter and have him/her approve the transfer of any credits from your old major to the new major (if applicable) and sign and date the Change of Major Form.
The Program Manager will forward the completed form to the Academic Advising and Registration Office.
If a student decides to change majors, all classes already taken will count in the maximum timeframe SAP evaluation. It is possible a change of major could impact your SAP standing.
The main award year consists of two semesters (Fall and Winter) for a total of 31 weeks. Awards are credited to student accounts at the beginning of each semester and are based on full-time status (12 credits or more). Awards will be adjusted for students attending less than full-time based on their actual semester enrollment. Students must be enrolled at least half-time (six credits) to receive most kinds of financial aid.
Students whose total financial aid is greater than the charges owed to the school will receive a refund for the overage. Refunds for for all borrowers at CCS will be processed the week before each semester is set to begin. If your financial aid funds and/or supplemental loans are in excess tuition and housing charges owed to CCS, the Cashier’s office will issue a refund check to you for the overage. It is important to remember that financial aid is disbursed on a per semester basis, so if you have taken out an additional $5000 for the year, you will receive $2500 during the fall semester, and $2500 during the winter semester. Refund checks are printed in the Cashier’s office every Friday. You may also set up Direct Deposit for your refund through the Business Office.
ALL STUDENTS entitled to a refund should expect the refund within first the 1-2 weeks of the start of the semester.
Students who have concerns about their grades should discuss those concerns with the instructor who issued the grade. If a solution cannot be reached, the student should meet with the appropriate Department Chair to discuss and resolve the issue. If resolution still cannot be reached, students may then submit a written request for an appeal to the Office of Academic Affairs identifying the course and instructor, along with an explanation of the circumstances and reason for the request. Students must submit this documentation within 60 days after the last day of the semester in which the student was enrolled in the course. The Office of Academic Affairs will appoint a Hearing Officer (an academic Dean, the Provost, or a Department Chair other than the Department from which the appeal originates) and will schedule an academic hearing to be attended by the instructor, the student, the Department Chair, and the Hearing Officer. The Student Ombudsman may attend the hearing, at the student’s request. No other persons will be allowed in the hearing. The Hearing Officer will chair the hearing.
Students have the right to appeal the results of this hearing. These appeals must be initiated in writing either via email or in hard-copy to the Office of Academic Affairs within seven business days following the findings of the hearing. The appeal will be submitted to the Academic Performance Committee who will review it and render a final decision or conduct an appeal hearing before reaching a final decision. If the Committee is unable to meet in a timely manner, the appropriate Dean or the Provost may serve as the Hearing Officer. The appeal decision will be communicated to the student in written form and documentation will be placed in their file. The ruling of the Academic Performance Committee (or the Provost or appropriate Dean, as applicable) is final.
Any grade dispute must be addressed with the instructor that issued the grade. Should the instructor agree to change the grade, he or she must complete a Grade Change Form. If the dispute is not resolved, the student may initiate the Grade Appeal Process.
Grade changes must occur within 60 days of the last day of the semester in which the student was enrolled in the course. The Office of Academic Affairs must approve all grade changes beyond a 60-day period.
Students who have a grade change or incomplete grade changed after Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) has already been processed for any semester must notify Academic Advising and Registration of the change. At that time SAP will be recalculated to determine if the SAP status needs to be modified and the Office of Academic Advising and Registration will notify the Office of Financial Aid.
An incomplete or grade of “I” may be given to a student when a minimal number of course assignments have not been completed due to unavoidable and legitimate circumstances (i.e., injury, hospitalization, jury duty, death of a family member, or other reasons beyond a student’s control).Completion of at least 75% of course work at passing levels is recommended before an “I” grade is assigned.
Unless otherwise indicated, students have one semester to finish any work necessary to complete the course (i.e. Incompletes assigned for the fall semester must be completed by the end of winter semester; Incompletes assigned for the winter semester must be completed by the end of summer semester; Incompletes assigned for the Summer semester must be completed by the end of fall semester. See alsoCampus and Facility Access section below.) If work is not completed within this timeframe the Incomplete Grade will default to the grade earned. Any student receiving an “I” grade in their anticipated semester of graduation, will graduate in a later semester after all unsatisfied credits are confirmed.
Important: Faculty may exercise the grade change form for situations where the incomplete grade is not warranted, but late assignments have been approved (see Grade Change policy).
Incomplete Grade Verification
The Instructor should submit the current “grade earned” (A-F) for their student during final grading submissions for their course, in the grading module.
For students approved to receive an “I” grade: the instructor must submit a completed Incomplete Grade Verification Form to the Academic Advising & Registration Office (AARO).
The reason for the incomplete grade and outstanding assignments must be identified on the form and agreed upon by the student.
The instructor, student and department chairperson must sign the form.
All forms must be received by the final grading deadline of the current semester for “I” grade processing. Incomplete grade submissions will be entered/updated by AARO staff.
Forms not received by the deadline will maintain records displaying the “grade earned”.
Updating an Assigned “I” Grade
Once the required coursework is completed by the student, the instructor must submit a Grade Change Form with all required signatures, to the AARO, by the “I” Grade Expire Date (or by the final grade due date for the subsequent semester).
Assigned “I” grades that do not have grade change submissions , will revert back to the student’s original “grade earned”.
The Office of Academic Affairs must approve all standard grade changes beyond a 60-day period and any grade changes for Incompletes.
Resolving “I” Grades if the faculty is no longer teaching at CCS:
Incomplete Grades assigned by a former faculty member will be handled by the Department Chair of the course; who will review the required assignments and submissions to determine a final grade. The required grade change form must be completed and submitted by the Department Chair to the AARO.
Campus and Facility Access
Students working on Incomplete Grades are not granted automatic access to CCS facilities (studios, labs or classrooms). Departments are not obligated to ensure access to CCS facilities if a student is not registered and/or if a registered student has day/time conflicts during hours of facility open access.
If access to a CCS facility is required (or desired) to complete coursework for an incomplete grade, it is the student’s responsibility to:
communicate with the Instructor to understand expectations for completing the coursework;
and to confirm If open access to facilities are available through the affiliated department, before agreeing to the incomplete grade.
If campus facilities are approved for use, each department can determine arrangements for reasonable access, which should be verified in advance with appropriate campus offices as required (i.e. registration, security, etc); and included on the Incomplete Grading Form.
The Internship Program allows qualified students to earn academic credit while gaining first-hand experience in their chosen fields. Internships are available to BFA students with a junior or senior ranking and MFA students who completed one year of course work– although it is never too early to begin researching opportunities.
Benefits Students Gain by Participating in an Internship
Using classroom skills in a real-world employment situation
Learning new skills from professionals in one’s chosen field
Gaining first-hand work experience prior to graduation
Networking with professionals, which may lead to future employment opportunities
Steps to Pursue an Internship for Credit
Internships for credit are intended to replace a studio or elective course in your major. Course placement will be determined and approved by the department chair. Students should work closely with their Department Chair or faculty and their Academic Advisor to determine which class should be replaced for the internship. The internship needs to replace a required class within the student’s major department.
Students may earn 3 or 6 credits for an internship, depending on internship structure and contact hours.
International Students and Internships/Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
The Office of Partnerships does not advise students on OPT, CPT, or Visa rules and regulations. International students must meet with the Director of Global Engagement to receive approval to proceed before internship paperwork will be initiated. The Office of Global Engagement determines a student’s eligibility to participate in an internship/CPT and has precedence over Faculty recommendations.
BFA Requirements:
Student must be a Junior or Senior in studio courses.
Student must meet the College’s Junior Status Policy requirements.
Student interns must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher.
All students pursuing an internship must have their portfolio approved by their department chair or full-time faculty member.
Internship credit can not replace a Liberal Arts required course.
Students may search for internships in the following ways:
Visit CCS Handshake to view internships and jobs that have been vetted by the Office of Partnerships
Job Search sites such as the ones listed in the Additional Resources section on the Office of Partnerships departmental page
Visit websites of companies of interest to research internship opportunities and the application process.
Schedule an appointment with the Office of Partnerships if additional assistance is needed.
Once you have secured your internship location:
Considerations:
For credit internships are only $450 for 3 credits.
A student may take ONE 6-credit internship or TWO 3-credit internships.
The contact hour requirement for a three-credit internship is 135 hours over the course of the semester; six-credit internships require 270 contact hours over the course of the semester.
You must register for your internship when you register for classes. The last day to add a class is the same for internships. Contact the Office of Partnerships to get the paperwork necessary to register for a for credit internship.
Internships for credit are billed at a lower per-credit hour rate ($150 per credit hour) than other CCS coursework.
All enrolled courses, including internship courses for credit, will be billed the same tuition rate . The Financial Aid Office will be notified that a student is taking an internship for credit and will apply the Internship Grant to the students account, reducing the internship course cost to $150.00 per credit hour or $450.00 for a 3-credit internship course or $900.00 for a 6-credit internship course.
A student can review their semester billing statement through Self Service and contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss any further financial aid eligibility.
Steps to Pursue a Non-Credit Internship
Non-credit internships are another option for students to pursue a professional experience. Non-credit internships do not require a specific GPA, class standing or a mandated number of contact hours. There is no tuition cost for a non-credit internship and there is no limit on the number of non-credit internship opportunities that a student can take.
Students who will be on hiatus or enrolled less than 6 credits during their internship should contact the Financial Aid Office in order to fully understand any financial implications.
Military tuition assistance (TA) is a benefit that is paid to eligible members and veterans of the United States military branches. TA is not a loan and will not need to be repaid as long as the student enrolls in and attends class. When a student withdraws (officially or unofficially), they may no longer be eligible for the entire amount of the TA awarded. The College for Creative Studies Business Services staff will work with the Academic Advising and Registration Office to calculate the amount that is to be returned based on the following criteria:
Number of days completed divided by the total days of the course will equal the percentage earned
For “Official” withdraws: The date of withdrawal will be used as the last date of attendance
For “Unofficial” withdraws: CCS will conclude the last date of attendance as the last date of activity within the course taken.
In compliance with the Department of Defense policy, CCS will return unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60 percent portion of the course regardless of the reason for withdrawal.
For military deployment or reactivation: if you are unable to complete your current semester due to deployment or reactivation, contact the VA School Certifying Official in the Academic Advising and Registration Office immediately. Students will need to supply official proof of military deployment or reactivation and will be advised to complete a Tuition Appeal Form.
