Academic Policies and Procedures

Independent Study

An Independent Study is available to students who are at junior or senior level standing with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above. The student may receive approval to work in an area or on a project that is not otherwise offered or addressed in the curriculum. Students may receive credit toward graduation for no more than 6 credit hours of independent study.

The student, working with the supervising faculty, must complete an Independent Study form for consideration by the Department Chair and Academic Affairs. The student may register for the course upon approval from all signatories.

The student must submit a minimum 150-word Independent Study Proposal, along with the Independent Study Approval Form, to the Chair of the department in which they wish to study stating the reason for the independent study and their plan for study, including topics to be covered and goals.

Once the Department Chair approves of the Independent Study, the instructor appointed to oversee the Independent Study must write an Independent Study syllabus with a detailed course description, learning outcomes, assignments, meeting dates (minimum of four), due dates, and grading criteria. The Independent Study Approval Form, with faculty and Chair signatures, must be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs for final approval by the appropriate Dean.

The final approved form will be sent by Academic Affairs to the Academic Advising and Registration Office for registration of the Independent Study. Independent Study forms must be turned in no later than the final day to add a class of the semester in which the Independent Study is to be taken.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress – Graduate Students

Graduate Students

The standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) measure a student’s academic progress using both qualitative and quantitative measurements. These measurements include a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) requirement, a Pace/Course Completion Rate requirement, and a Maximum Timeframe requirement.

Students who receive financial aid must demonstrate SAP as determined by the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in accordance with federal regulations. Financial aid recipients are required to be in good academic standing and to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree requirements for each semester in which they are enrolled.

SAP is evaluated at the end of each term in which a student is enrolled (Fall, Winter, and Summer). Federal regulations require the College to evaluate students who receive federal financial aid using standards that are at least as strict as standards that apply to students who do not receive federal financial aid; CCS evaluates all students using the same standards. SAP is evaluated based on the student’s cumulative academic record.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTAINING SAP

GRADE POINT AVERAGE

At the end of each semester, a student’s cumulative grade point average is calculated. He or she must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to achieve SAP.

REQUIRED PACE/COURSE COMPLETION RATE

Required course completion rate also determines SAP. Students must complete their academic program within 150% of the published length of the program. To meet this requirement, students must successfully complete, with a grade of C or better, at least two-thirds (67%) of attempted cumulative credit hours. Examples are as follows:

Credits Attempted	Must Complete
6	4
15	10
30	20

MAXIMUM TIMEFRAME (MTF)

Federal regulations require that a student must complete his or her educational program within a MTF no longer than 150% of the published length of the educational program measured in credit hours attempted.

Example: Graduate Student
If a graduate student is enrolled in an academic program that requires 60 credit hours for graduation, he or she would be allowed a maximum of 90 (60 x 150%) attempted credits in order to obtain his/her degree.

TRANSFER CREDITS

Courses that are transferred from another institution and accepted toward an academic degree program at the College (at the time of SAP Review) count as attempted and completed hours for Pace/Course Completion Rate (CCR) and MTF. The GPA is determined only with courses taken in residence at the College.

GRADE CHANGES

Students who have a grade change or incomplete grade changed after SAP has already been process 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.

CHANGE OF MAJOR/DEGREE

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.

GRADES

Successful completion of attempted courses is required for SAP. Therefore, grades of A through C are acceptable unless otherwise specified. Courses for which these grades are received will be used to establish your cumulative GPA and CCR.

Grades of D, F (failing), I (incomplete), W or WN (withdraw), WF (withdraw-unofficial) are not acceptable. Courses for which these grades are received will not be counted as successfully completed courses and will be valued at 0.00 grade points, thus also lowering your CCR and cumulative GPA.

NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, students have the option to request that their grade(s) be changed to P/NC (Pass/No Credit) for the Winter 2020, Fall 2020, and Winter 2021 semesters. Please see the Pass/No Credit – Winter 2020 and Pass/No Credit – 2020 – 2021 Academic Year policies for more details.

DROPPING CLASSES (after the Add/Drop period)

Courses for which a student is enrolled at the conclusion of the Add/Drop period will be used to determine attempted courses for the CCR. Therefore, if it is necessary to adjust one’s class schedule, it is best to do so during the Add/Drop period of the semester. Courses that are dropped after conclusion of the Add/Drop period will show a recorded grade of W or WN. This will be counted as an unsuccessfully completed course valued at 0.00 grade points, thus lowering your completion rate and cumulative GPA.

COMPLETE WITHDRAWALS (OFFICIAL OR UNOFFICIAL)

Students who officially withdraw from the College or stop participating in their courses (unofficial withdrawal) after the Add/Drop period are considered to have no successfully completed courses for the semester. This will lower your CCR and cumulative GPA and can result in being placed on Academic Probation or being suspended from the College resulting in the loss of financial aid eligibility if you already had a low pace/course completion rate or GPA or there are consecutive withdrawals over a number of semesters. Unofficial withdrawals will be reviewed at mid-term and end of the semester. If a student has been determined to be unofficially withdrawn, the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) will reach out to all enrolled course professors to determine last date of attendance (LDA). If the OFA does not receive a response, mid-term date will be used to determine the withdrawal date.

REPEATED COURSES

When a successfully completed course is repeated, the previous enrollment is not counted as a successfully completed course; therefore, this will lower your CCR. Only the last grade received is counted in the cumulative GPA.

Per the Federal Student Aid Handbook, students may repeat a course as many times as necessary to receive a passing grade and receive federal funding for that course. The federal definition of a passing grade is anything above an F.

Once the student has taken the course and received a grade above failing (anything above an F), the student may repeat the course only one additional time to try to earn a higher grade and receive federal financial aid funds. Any subsequent repeats of that course cannot be covered by federal financial aid funds. CCS does have some required courses that require at least a C grade per College policy. The College policy does not affect federal eligibility, so the student may still only retake this course one after receiving a grade above an F and receive federal funding.

FAILURE TO MEET SAP

SAP is monitored at the end of each semester and if a student fails to meet the 3.0 cumulative GPA requirement or does not complete two-thirds (67%) of the cumulative credit hours attempted to date, he or she will be placed on SAP financial aid warning for a period of one semester. During the SAP financial aid warning semester, a student can receive financial aid. If the student fails to raise the GPA to 3.0 or the completion rate to two-thirds (67%) at the end of the financial aid warning semester, they will lose eligibility for financial aid.

NOTIFICATION OF UNSATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

Students who do not meet SAP standards will be notified, by the Director of Financial Aid, in writing via email, which will be sent to their College for Creative Studies email.

SAP APPEAL PROCESS

Students may appeal their loss of financial aid eligibility by submitting an appeal letter to the Director of Financial Aid. Appeals should be based on circumstances beyond the student’s control such as, injury or illness, death of a relative, or other special circumstances. The appeal must explain the failure to make satisfactory progress and what has changed that will allow satisfactory progress in the future.

If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on SAP financial aid probation and will be required to follow an Academic Success Plan. This status is limited to one semester (or time as specified by the Academic Success Plan), during which the student may receive financial aid. At the end of that semester, a student on SAP financial aid probation will have his/her academic progress reviewed and must be meeting the SAP standards. If a student fails to meet these standards, the student loses financial aid eligibility.

REESTABLISH FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY WITHOUT AN APPEAL

Students who become ineligible for assistance can reestablish their eligibility by attending CCS at their own expense until they achieve the minimum SAP standards.

Note: Neither paying for classes nor sitting out periods of enrollment in and of themselves improves a student’s SAP standing; therefore, neither action is sufficient to regain financial aid eligibility.

Transcripts and Enrollment Verification

Requests for copies of academic transcripts must be submitted in writing (with the student’s signature) to the Academic Advising and Registration Office or electronically. A $10 charge is assessed for each transcript.

Enrollment verifications are also available from the Academic Advising and Registration Office. There is no charge for the completion of enrollment verifications needed for insurance, loans, etc. A minimum of 3 working days is required for the processing of transcripts and enrollment verifications. Students requesting “on-the-spot” transcripts will be charged $15 for each copy.

“On-the-spot” transcript requests will be accepted only if time permits, subject to the approval of the registrar. Students may also view their transcripts through the WebAdvisor system. Once a student accesses the Registration and WebAdvisor tab, a transcript option is available under academic profile.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress – Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate Students

REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTAINING SAP

GRADE POINT AVERAGE

At the end of each semester, a student’s cumulative grade point average is calculated. He or she must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to achieve SAP.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE REQUIREMENT FOR ART EDUCATION MAJORS

In the Art Education program it is the student’s responsibility to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 at the end of each term. Additionally, teacher candidates must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.70 in Art Education courses. Only grades of “C” or better will be accepted in required art education courses. If a student receives a grade of “C-” or below they must retake the course to obtain a grade of “C” or better. The higher grade is always recorded for purposes of calculating cumulative GPA; each attempt is counted as “credits attempted” but only the attempt associated with the higher grade is counted as a successfully completed course for purposes of the Pace/Course Completion Rate. The Center for Tutoring and Writing is available for all students seeking assistance with any course content.

REQUIRED PACE/COURSE COMPLETION RATE

Required course completion rate also determines SAP. Students must complete their academic program within 150% of the published length of the program. To meet this requirement, students must successfully complete, with a grade of D- or better, at least two-thirds (67%) of attempted cumulative credit hours. Examples are as follows:

Credits Attempted	Must Complete
6	4
12	8
15	10
18	12
66	44
100	67
126	84

MAXIMUM TIMEFRAME (MTF)

Example: Undergraduate Student
If an undergraduate student is enrolled in an academic program that requires 127 credit hours for graduation, he or she would be allowed a maximum of 191 (127 x 150%) attempted credits in order to obtain his/her degree.

Example: Undergraduate Art Education Student
If an undergraduate Art Education student is enrolled in an academic program that requires 148 credit hours for graduation, he or she would be allowed a maximum of 222 (148 x 150%) attempted credits in order to obtain his/her degree.

TRANSFER CREDITS

GRADE CHANGES

CHANGE OF MAJOR/DEGREE

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.

SECOND DEGREE

If you are obtaining a second degree, you will need to have a degree audit performed to determine your new SAP standing. This will allow Financial Aid to create a new Maximum Timeframe.

GRADES

Successful completion of attempted courses is required for SAP. Therefore, grades of A through D- are acceptable unless otherwise specified. Courses for which these grades are received will be used to establish your cumulative GPA and CCR.

Grades of F (failing), I (incomplete), W or WN (withdraw), WF (withdraw-unofficial) are not acceptable. Courses for which these grades are received will not be counted as successfully completed courses and will be valued at 0.00 grade points, thus also lowering your CCR and cumulative GPA.

DROPPING CLASSES (after the Add/Drop period)

COMPLETE WITHDRAWALS (OFFICIAL OR UNOFFICIAL)

Students who officially withdraw from the College or stop participating in their courses (unofficial withdrawal) after the Add/Drop period are considered to have no successfully completed courses for the semester. This will lower your CCR and cumulative GPA and can result in being placed on Academic Warning or being suspended from the College resulting in the loss of financial aid eligibility if you already had a low pace/course completion rate or GPA or there are consecutive withdrawals over a number of semesters. Unofficial withdrawals will be reviewed at mid-term and end of the semester. If a student has been determined to be unofficially withdrawn, the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) will reach out to all enrolled course professors to determine last date of attendance (LDA). If the OFA does not receive a response, mid-term date will be used to determine the withdrawal date.

REPEATED COURSES

EXAMPLE: A student has taken a course requiring a C grade and received above an F but less than a C. The student takes the course a second time but again earns less than a C. The student must continue to retake the course to pass it per CCS policy but is no longer eligible for federal financial aid for that course. If the student subsequently enrolls for 12 credits, including the course they are having to repeat, only 9 of those credits are eligible for federal financial aid. Institutional aid is not affected and can still be processed at the full-time amount. Students who are enrolled for 15 credits are not affected since they will still have 12 eligible credits and would still be considered full-time.

FAILURE TO MEET SAP

SAP is monitored at the end of each semester and if a student fails to meet the 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement or does not complete two-thirds (67%) of the cumulative credit hours attempted to date, he or she will be placed on SAP financial aid warning for a period of one semester. During the SAP financial aid warning semester, a student can receive financial aid. If the student fails to raise the GPA to 2.0 or the completion rate to two-thirds (67%) at the end of the financial aid warning semester, they will lose eligibility for financial aid.

NOTIFICATION OF UNSATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

Students who do not meet SAP standards will be notified, by the Director of Financial Aid, in writing via email, which will be sent to their College for Creative Studies email.

SAP APPEAL PROCESS

REESTABLISH FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY WITHOUT AN APPEAL

Students who become ineligible for assistance can reestablish their eligibility by attending CCS at their own expense until they achieve the minimum SAP standards.

Undergraduate Student Readmission

Students returning to CCS after an absence of more than two consecutive academic years or students who seek readmission after suspension must complete the Application for Readmission. This application along with a $50 nonrefundable readmission fee should be submitted to the Academic Advising and Registration Office at least two months prior to the start of the semester the student wishes to attend. Official transcripts with final grades from other institutions attended during the absence from CCS should be included with the readmission application.

Readmitted students must meet the program and graduation requirements in effect at the time of readmission. Studio courses older than seven years at the time of readmission cannot be used toward the degree, except with prior written approval from the Department Chair and Director of Academic Advising and Registration. The Department Chair must review and approve studio courses completed prior to the seven-year limit or taken at another college during the absence from CCS. This approval will be based on the student’s ability to demonstrate current curriculum proficiency as evidenced by a review of a current portfolio. The cumulative grade point average for all readmitted students includes all CCS grades, regardless of how much time elapsed between enrollments.

Students who have left for mandatory military service are able to resume studies at CCS without completing the readmission application for up to three academic years from the time of their withdrawal.

Procedure

Readmission for students in good standing:

Readmission for Students in Good Standing: Students, who left CCS in good academic standing with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher, should complete the Application for Readmission and attach the $50 Readmission Fee. Students will be notified via mail when their application has been processed.

Readmission after academic suspension:

Students applying for readmission after academic suspension, must complete the Application for Readmission, attach the $50 Readmission Fee, and address the problems that led to the academic suspension and put forth the case for the student’s success upon returning to CCS. This information should be provided in the “Student Explanation” section of the Application for Readmission. The Committee on Academic Performance will review appeals for readmission after academic suspension. If approved, the student’s academic standing would carry the status of “Continued Academic Warning.”

Readmission after suspension related to conduct:

Students applying for readmission after suspension related to conduct must complete the Application for Readmission, attach the $50 Readmission Fee, and include any relevant information that will build a case for the student’s success upon returning to CCS. This information should be provided in the “Student Explanation” section of the readmission application. The Dean of Students will review appeals for readmission after a conduct suspension.

Graduation Requirements

To be certified for graduation, students must:

Fulfill all departmental and academic course requirements for graduation in his/her major as outlined in the College catalog. Students have the option of electing the requirements listed in the catalog that was in effect at the time of their most recent admission to the college or those in the catalog that is in effect at the time of their final course completion.
Receive departmental permission to graduate based on a final review and exhibition of their work, unless waived by the department. Departmental permission to graduate is good for one year. Students who fail to complete their degree requirements within one year of being approved to graduate must be re-approved and have their portfolio re-reviewed prior to receiving their degree.
Undergraduate students must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (C). Graduate students must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (B)
Have all official transcripts from other schools on file in the Academic Advising and Registration Office no later than the last day of the drop/add period of the semester that graduation is to occur.
Be enrolled at the College for Creative Studies at the time that their degree is awarded.
File an Application for Graduation with the Academic Advising and Registration Office prior to the start of the anticipated final semester.

A commencement ceremony takes place in the spring and fall semesters. Students who have applied for graduation and have completed all their requirements for graduation within the year preceding this event are invited to participate.

Graduate Student Readmission

Graduate students returning to College for Creative Studies (CCS) after an absence of more than two consecutive academic years or students who seek readmission after suspension, must complete the Application for Readmission. This application along with a $50 nonrefundable readmission fee must be submitted to the Academic Advising and Registration Office at least two months prior to the start of the semester the student wishes to attend. Official transcripts with final grades from other institutions attended during the absence from CCS must be included with the readmission application.

Readmitted students must meet the program and graduation requirements in effect at the time of readmission. Studio courses older than seven years at the time of readmission cannot be used toward the degree, except with prior written approval from the Department Chair and Director of Academic Advising. The Department Chair must review and approve studio courses completed prior to the seven-year limit or taken at another college during the absence from CCS. This approval will be based on the student’s ability to demonstrate current curriculum proficiency as evidenced by review of a current portfolio. The cumulative grade point average for all re-admitted students includes all CCS grades, regardless of how much time elapsed between enrollments. Students, who have left for mandatory military service, are not required to apply for readmission to the College for up to three academic years from the time of their withdrawal.

Readmission for Graduate Students in Good Standing

Graduate students, who left CCS in good academic standing with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, must complete the Application for Readmission and attach the $50 Readmission Fee. Students will be notified via email when their application has been processed.

Readmission after academic suspension

Graduate students applying for readmission after academic suspension, must complete the Application for Readmission, attach the $50 Readmission Fee, and address the problems that led to the academic suspension and put forth the case for their success upon returning to CCS. This information must be provided in the “Student Explanation” section of the Application for Readmission. The Committee on Academic Performance will review appeals for readmission after academic suspension. If approved, the student’s academic standing would carry the status of “Continued Academic Warning.”

Readmission after suspension related to conduct

Graduate students applying for readmission after suspension related to conduct, must complete the Application for Readmission, attach the $50 Readmission Fee, and include any relevant information that will build a case for the student’s success upon returning to CCS. This information must be provided in the “Student Explanation” section of the readmission application. The Dean of Students will review appeals for readmission after a conduct suspension.

Grading

Grading is based on performance in coursework, growth in ability, and professionalism. A continuous record of all grades throughout a student’s enrollment is kept in the Academic Advising and Registration Office. Final grade reports are available on the College’s learning management system the week after classes end. Faculty must enter midterm and final grades into Canvas.

CCS uses the following grading system:

Undergraduate Grading Scale

Grade	Rating	GPA	Description
A	Excellent	4.00	grade point
A-		3.70	grade point
B+		3.30	grade point
B	Good	3.00	grade point
B-		2.70	grade point
C+		2.30	grade point
C	Average	2.00	grade point
C-		1.70	grade point
D+		1.30	grade point
D	Poor	1.00	grade point
D-		0.70	grade point
F	Failing	0.00	grade point
NC	No Credit	0.00	no grade point value
P	Passing	0.00	no grade point value
I	Incomplete	0.00	no grade point value
W	Withdrawal	0.00	second through fourth week of class
WN	Withdrawal	0.00	after the fourth week of class
WF*	Withdrawal	0.00	stopped attending course without official withdrawal

Graduate Grading Scale

Grade	Rating	GPA	Description
A	Excellent	4.00	grade point
A-		3.70	grade point
B+		3.30	grade point
B	Good	3.00	grade point
B-		2.70	grade point
C+		2.30	grade point
C	Below Graduate	2.00	grade point (minimum required standard)
F	Failing	0.00	grade point
NC	No Credit	0.00	no grade point value
P	Passing	0.00	no grade point value
I	Incomplete	0.00	no grade point value
W	Withdrawal	0.00	second through fourth week of class
WN	Withdrawal	0.00	after the fourth week of class
WF*	Withdrawal	0.00	stopped attending course without official withdrawal

Junior Status

Students are required to complete all 15-18 credits of Foundation courses and 15 credits of 100/200 level Liberal Arts courses before they can begin their junior-level departmental studio courses.

Each department decides which departmental courses students must complete before progressing to junior-level department courses. Students who are placed into ELS 107 are not subject to the same Junior Status Policy requirements.

Students who fail to complete Junior Status requirements by the end of their sophomore year will receive a “Junior Status hold” and may need registration approval.

Foundation courses required

For Advertising, Communication Design, Photography, Film, and Interior Design Majors	*For Art Practice, Craft & Material Studies, and Fashion Design Majors**	For Entertainment Arts (Concept, Game, Animation), Illustration, Product Design, Transportation Design
DFN 135 Image Concepts I	DFN 103 Drawing I: Materials & Methods	DFN 101 Drawing I: Rapid Concept
DFN 136 Image Concepts II	DFN 104 Drawing II: Drawing as a Practice	DFN 112 Drawing II: Style & Skill
DFN 137 2D & 3D Integrated Design Studio	DFN 116 3D Techniques* (Fashion does not require DFN 116 due to the nature of its program.)	DFN 117 2D Design Principles
DFN 138 4D Design Studio	DFN 120 Design Color & Context	DFN 118 3D Design Form & Space
DFN 139 Color & Light Studies	DFN 121 3D Design Material Manifestation	DFN 119 Digital Techniques
DFN 142 Performance Spaces	DFN 119 Digital Techniques	DFN 132 Process & Making

Liberal Arts courses required

DEN 101, Composition I
DEN 102, Composition II
DEN 239, Survey of World Literature (catalog year, 2021 or earlier)
or
DAH —, History of Major (i.e. History of Advertising, Photography etc.) (catalog year, 2022 or later)
DAH 200, Art & Culture: Ages of Discovery
DAH 201, Visual Narration: Asia or Africa/America

Academic Integrity

Introduction

College for Creative Studies adheres to the highest standards of academic integrity throughout a student’s educational experience, in both academic writing and research and in studio work. Students who violate the standards of academic integrity face serious disciplinary consequences, including letters documenting the incident in their permanent record, failure of the assignment, immediate course failure, and/or dismissal from the College.

Faculty members have a responsibility to foster a culture of creative honesty, freedom, and intellectual expression for all students. Promoting and cultivating an environment of integrity reinforces that mandate and upholds the reputation of the College and its students.

Students should make sure they that have a clear understanding of these important issues and how they apply to both Liberal Arts and studio classes. The instructor or Department Chair should be consulted for clarification on how this relates to their discipline or project.

Scope and Purpose

This statement on academic integrity applies to all undergraduate and graduate students at College for Creative Studies. Students are responsible for seeking clarification on assignments to ensure full understanding of what practices might be deemed an incidence of academic misconduct, including unethical use of language, ideas, or creative expression.

The purpose of this statement is to:

Clarify the College’s expectations of academic integrity, and
Outline the process to be followed if this policy is violated.

Definition

The College condones no form of dishonesty in any academic activities, whether in academic writing and research or studio work. Academic dishonesty is defined as the use of a third party’s words, ideas, visual material, or physical artifacts as one’s own original work without proper permission, citation, or other appropriate recognition of source. Any act that assists academic dishonesty is itself a violation of the academic integrity policy.

Artists, designers, and writers draw on the work of others for reference, inspiration, and understanding. However, there is a difference between creative exploration, seeking inspiration, and considering the work of other creatives, and presenting language or ideas that are not your own without proper acknowledgement. Students are ultimately responsible for the creative integrity of their own work. Referencing or appropriating ideas may be part of an assignment, especially for written works, but it is always up to the student to include proper citation of the original material. That said, the College understands that new technologies might provoke further questions of boundaries. Students should consult faculty members for clarification as to what practices do and do not constitute creative dishonesty.

Types of Violations

While this list is meant to address broad categories of violations, it is not meant to be exhaustive and there may be other examples deemed as violations in respect to the written policy herein.

Buying papers or using a third party* to write a paper, or produce a studio project Submitting the same work in two courses without explicit permission. This could take the form of presenting all or part of work done from one course or independent study to another course requires permission of the instructor in the current course.
Unauthorized collaboration with other people or third party* tools. Many course activities permit and encourage collaboration. Course syllabi and in-class instructions will usually identify situations where collaboration on assignments is allowed. The student is responsible for determining whether collaboration is approved by seeking clarification from the instructor.
Cheating. This is a very broad category encompassing a variety of unfair or dishonest methods to gain an advantage. Examples include: copying another student’s work, unauthorized usage of third party* tools, using “crib notes” on tests, and accepting from or giving aid to another student unless authorized by the instructor.
Misrepresenting experience or ability. This includes providing false information concerning academic and creative achievement or background. For example: misrepresentation of technical abilities through the use of third party* tools, falsely reporting the substance of an internship, omitting transcripts, or otherwise providing false information, including submitting a falsified portfolio as part of the admission process.
Falsifying data or records.
Deleting/Destroying Student Work. All students must refrain from altering work that does not belong to them, regardless of the date the piece was created or its location. Destruction or deliberate inhibition of the progress of another student’s work is also strictly prohibited. This includes the deletion or destruction of digital files, sabotaging another student’s artwork, or destroying College property, including library materials, lab materials, and computer software, hardware, or studio space.

*Third party tools are defined as a person or artificial intelligence tool/system

Statute of Limitations

There is no statute of limitations on academic integrity violations. Academic integrity violations may be discovered and acted upon at any time during the course of a semester, after a semester has ended, and even after a student has graduated. Academic dishonesty that occurred prior to a student being admitted to CCS, and which has a bearing upon their status as a student in good standing, may also be discovered and acted upon, including but not limited to falsification of transcripts, portfolio work, or relevant experience.

Reporting Misconduct

Faculty, students, exam proctors, and administrative staff all share responsibility ensuring the honesty and fairness of the intellectual environment at CCS. It is the responsibility of every individual to report incidents of academic dishonesty to the appropriate faculty, Department Chair, exam proctor, and/or College officer.

Processes, Procedures, and Potential Outcomes

Faculty or staff who suspect a violation of academic integrity should immediately inform the student of the nature of the violation and advise him/her that they will not be able to withdraw from the course until the case is reviewed and resolved.
Faculty or staff should complete an online Academic Integrity Violation Report documenting the alleged violation. The report is sent automatically to the Office of Academic Affairs and the Academic Advising and Registration Office for recording.
The faculty member or staff member should identify and collect supporting evidence of the alleged violation, such as comparisons of writing samples or creative processes, witness statements, and/or forensic investigations.
Within seven business days of receiving the report, the chairperson of the department in which the alleged violation occurred, will notify the Office of Academic Affairs. The Office of Academic Affairs will appoint a Hearing Officer and will schedule an academic hearing to be attended by the instructor, the student, the Department Chair, and the Hearing Officer. The Student Advocate 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.
All relevant factors, including the nature of the offense, the severity of any damage, injury or harm resulting from the offense, and the student’s statement will be taken into consideration in the hearing.
Outcomes of the hearing will be determined by the instructor, the Department Chair, and the Hearing Officer, who will communicate the findings to the student.

Potential Outcomes

Charged Dropped- Insufficient Evidence

In the case of denial by the student and the impossibility of determining adequate support of the violation, the charge will be dismissed. (Determination of adequate support may include but is not limited to comparisons of writing samples or creative processes, witness statements, and/or forensic investigations.)

First Offense

If the work is determined or affirmed by the student to be in violation, an academic sanction will be imposed and a letter placed in the student’s file. First offense sanctions may be but are not limited to:
Repeating the assignment
Failure of the assignment
Failure of the course
Academic probation
Suspension
Dismissal from the College

Second Offense

Second offense sanctions may be but are not limited to:
Academic probation
Suspension
Dismissal from the College

Process of Record Keeping

If the work is determined or acknowledged by the student to be in violation, a letter will be placed in the student’s file in the Registrar’s Office.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

A student accused of an academic integrity violation is entitled to:

Review the evidence prior to the academic hearing.
Offer an explanation as to what occurred and present any supporting material.
Determine the validity of the charge without reference to any past record of misconduct.
Have the Student Advocate present in the hearing to ensure a fair process is granted (optional).

Appeals

Students have the right to appeal the results of an academic hearing. Appeals must be initiated in writing either via email or in hardcopy to the Office of Academic Affairs within seven business days following the findings of the academic hearing and imposition of a sanction.

The appeal will be submitted to the Committee on Academic Performance 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 Committee on Academic Performance (or the Provost or appropriate Dean, as applicable) is final.