The Malone University educational experience should be one in which students investigate God’s creation through major and minor areas of study, based upon a liberal arts foundation, as they discover what it means to carry out the biblical mandate of stewardship as God’s image-bearers in our world. Malone University provides students with academic advisers to help students plan and create for themselves a rich and meaningful Christian education within Malone University’s curriculum. Through its schools and departments Malone University has developed programs, courses, and other opportunities designed to equip students to understand and appreciate the theories and practices appropriate to their chosen areas of study or professional education and training. The distinction of advising at Malone University is to help students take full advantage of the University’s integration of Christianity with academic and professional goals.
Academic advising is a vital part of the learning process at Malone University. One of the most important persons in a student’s academic experience is the adviser. Academic advising is most effective when all participants commit to the process, do their respective parts, and reflect on the implications and benefits of the results. Students should work closely with their academic advisers.
The Center for Student Success will assign advisers to first-year students who select majors during their first semester or first year at Malone. These assignments will be made in accordance with students’ academic interests and goals. A request for a change of adviser is permissible provided that the adviser is a faculty person in the student’s major field and the request is processed through the Center for Student Success. A student who has not declared a major will continue to be advised through the Center for Student Success, but may at any time request an assignment to a faculty adviser. See below for additional information.
Faculty Adviser Role: The faculty adviser will assist in the advising process by guiding the student advisee through the planning and scheduling of courses, internships, and other features possible within the Malone University educational program. The adviser and advisee should meet regularly, as appropriate to that advisee’s needs and interests in scheduling courses and opportunities that Malone offers.
The faculty adviser will:
Student Responsibilities: Students bear ultimate responsibility for decisions and actions that determine their success at Malone University. The following list is intended to help clarify the responsibilities that the student, as advisee, bears.
Among other responsibilities the student will:
The following policies apply:
The College Level Examination Program and the Proficiency Examination Program are national testing programs for awarding of college credit. Malone will grant up to a total of 20 semester hours of credit toward the Bachelor’s degree from any of these four programs. Credit is awarded based on the ACE (The American Council on Education) credit recommended standard. A transcript service fee of $15 per course is charged for adding credit to a transcript from ACE, CLEP, DSST (formerly DANTES), or PEP scores and will be added to the student’s bill in the Business Office.
The Advanced Placement Program is a national testing program available to high school students for awarding college credit. A score of 3, 4, or 5 earns college credit that can be used to waive certain General Education, major, or elective requirements. Malone will grant up to a total of 30 semester hours of credit toward the Bachelor’s degree from AP credit. Official score reports of all AP tests should be sent by College Board to the Center for Student Success. A transcript service fee of $15 per course is charged for adding credit to a transcript from AP credits.
Considering that certain courses are sequential in nature, the successful completion of the second course in a sequence would indicate proficiency in the prerequisite course. Therefore, a student who receives a grade of “C” or better in the listed course is entitled to credit for the designated prerequisite courses. A student may not use bypassed credit to remove a failing grade from the academic transcript. Bypass credit may be purchased at $30 per credit hour with completion of a form obtainable from the Office of the Registrar. See program: Mathematics, BA for approved courses for bypass credit.
Credit may be awarded to students who have taken higher-level (HL) courses in the International Baccalaureate Program and who have scored at least a 4 (on a 7-point scale) on the higher-level course examination. No credit is awarded for standard-level (SL) scores. Credits earned based on exam performance may be counted toward major or minor fields of study or General Education requirements. Official IB transcripts of all IB tests should be sent to the Center for Student Success. A credit equivalency table is published in the Center for Student Success web page under Testing Services/Services Available/International Baccalaureate Equivalency.
Periodically, it is necessary for the University to make changes in academic policies and programs. The University reserves the right to make these changes which can include (but not be limited to) the following:
A change shall be effective immediately upon its approval unless stated otherwise and shall pertain to all students regardless of their date of matriculation. For a continuing student, if a change is determined to cause undue hardship, an academic petition may be approved which alleviates the hardship. For a readmitted student whose length of separation from the University is determined to be significant, the University may enforce the change(s) without the option of academic petition to ensure that the student will complete degree requirements that reflect the University’s current standards. Any such determinations will be made by the appropriate Department Chair/Program Director in cooperation with the Office of the Provost.
All students are expected to attend class regularly. No student may continue to live in the residence halls, participate in co-curricular activities and/or receive financial aid who does not do so. Failure to attend class does not constitute official withdrawal from a course. (See Withdrawals below.)
Regular class attendance is imperative for success. Each professor has his/her own unique attendance policy. It is important to clearly understand each individual professor’s attendance requirements and how that attendance policy affects the grade for the course. There are certain rare cases in which an emergency absence is unavoidable (illness requiring hospitalization or death in the immediate family). A student with questions about the procedure for an emergency absence should contact the Office of the Registrar. Upon returning to class, the student should be prepared to present documentation if required by the professor in order to permit make-up work.
Occasionally, University-sponsored field trips or athletic, music, or drama events may necessitate absence from class. Absences of this kind will be considered excused if the student abides by the following procedure: contact each professor whose class will be missed and make arrangements to make up the work or test. This must be done PRIOR to the date(s) of the absence. It is the personal responsibility of each student to follow this procedure; the student should not rely on other members of the group or team to make arrangements in his/her behalf.
Students enrolled part-time or for more than 18 semester hours, who wish to attend a traditional classroom course without earning credit, may audit the course at 50% of the current tuition fee. Students enrolled in the traditional block tuition (12-18 hours) may register to audit courses free provided their total hours, including the audits, remain within the block (see list of exceptions). In either case, registration for audit courses requires the consent of the instructor. No free audits are permitted during summer sessions; all are charged at 50% of the current tuition rate. Course fees associated with audits are the responsibility of the student and are not subject to discount.
The following types of courses are not available on an audit basis:
Students who have completed the requirements for a baccalaureate degree are permitted to take additional courses (e.g., a second degree or personal enrichment).
Full-time students are enrolled for a minimum of twelve hours in a standard semester.
Recipients of baccalaureate degrees from Malone University may enroll for any undergraduate courses within the block (12 to 18 hours) at one-half the normal block-tuition rate. This discount does not apply to tutorial courses, advanced topics, or individual music instruction for students billed at the part-time rate. The graduate discount may not be combined with any other discount that is offered through Malone.
Prospective students holding non-U.S. citizenship may write for a special descriptive sheet covering their primary concerns. Because delays of several months are frequently encountered, the admission process should be initiated well in advance of the intended date for the entrance to class. Demonstrations of proficiency in English and ability to finance the study are among the prerequisites for admission.
Students who have met the minimum entrance requirements may be admitted by the Director of Admissions, in consultation with the Provost, to study for credit not leading toward a degree. To remain eligible for continued enrollment in the University, such students are expected to meet the same academic standards as degree candidates. They may elect courses for which they qualify without regard for general education requirements of the University.
A student may not enroll as a non-degree student after twenty semester hours of credit at Malone have been accumulated. After the twenty-hour limit has been reached, a non-degree student must matriculate as a regular student subject to all institutional requirements. Credit earned while a non-degree student can be applied toward a degree by notification to the Office of the Registrar.
Students of Malone University who interrupt their academic work for a standard semester or more must be approved by the Registrar before re-enrolling. Applications for readmission are available online at www.malone.edu/apply. (Click on Readmission Application.) Readmitted students are registered through the Center for Student Success.
Each student working toward a degree is assigned a class standing by the Office of the Registrar at the beginning of each academic semester. Class standing is assigned on the following basis:
Freshman: | fewer than 30 credit hours |
Sophomore: | 30-59 credit hours |
Junior: | 60-89 credit hours |
Senior: | 90 credit hours or more |
Students who are age 60 or older may audit courses free of charge on a space available basis. (This privilege does not apply to music, advanced topics, MGMT, tutorial, online, or activity courses.) Students who are age 70 or older may take courses for credit for 50% of tuition on a space available basis. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the University of eligibility for these policies. All course fee charges will be paid by the student and are not subject to discount.
Auditors, transients, College Credit Plus enrollments, degreed students, non-degree students.
Students working toward a degree at another college or university may enroll for courses at Malone as transient students. Transient students must present a letter from the dean or registrar of the college/university in which they are enrolled indicating approval of the specific courses to be taken. The $20.00 admission fee is charged once although the student may attend several semesters or sessions. Not more than one year of full-time study will be permitted.
Malone will accept up to nine semester hours of correspondence work from an accredited institution, provided each course carries a grade of at least C and is applicable to the student’s program. Correspondence credits may not be used in meeting the residency requirements.
A list of those students who achieve academic honors is prepared for the Provost at the close of each standard semester. Students on the Dean’s List shall have carried a minimum of twelve hours with grade and shall have received a grade point average of 3.5 or above. In addition, a list is prepared recording those achieving academic honors for each academic year.
Notice: For students involved in student teaching or field instruction in social work, the twelve hours with grade rule is waived. However, the student must meet the following three requirements: 1) a grade point average of 3.5 or above for the semester of student teaching or field instruction, 2) a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or above, and 3) a previous appearance on the Dean’s List.
Malone is authorized by the Ohio Department of Higher Education to grant the following degrees: Master of Arts in Education, Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Educational Leadership, Master of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Education, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
After providing for the required general education courses and the required courses in the chosen major, students are encouraged to thoughtfully plan elective courses to strengthen their major field and broaden their education for life. These courses will help students reach the total requirement of 124 semester hours for graduation.
At the close of the fall and spring semesters four days are provided for final examinations. Two hours are allowed for each examination. The examination schedule is published at the time of registration. Students are required to take examinations at the indicated times. Petitions for exceptions necessitated by severe personal hardships or academic hardships (e.g., three consecutive examinations on one day; four or five exams on one day; two conflicting exams) must be submitted to the Provost at least two weeks prior to the first day of final examinations. Final examinations will not be rescheduled to accommodate student travel.
Nationally, academic forgiveness policies arose out of the observation that students who had done poorly could give themselves an academic fresh start simply by transferring to another university. Such a student could start with a new grade point average but still retain credit for all grades of “C” or better under the transfer policies of most universities. By establishing an Academic Forgiveness Policy, an institution can offer a fresh start to its former students who would like to return to complete their degrees.
The Malone Academic Forgiveness Policy pertains only to former Malone students returning to the university as undergraduate students after a prescribed absence. It provides them the opportunity to have their academic grade calculations reflect the increased maturity and improved levels of academic performance gained since the interruption of studies at Malone. Once the returning students have demonstrated the ability to sustain a satisfactory level of academic performance following their return, all grades of C-, D+, D, D-, and F earned during the previous Malone enrollment will be disregarded in the cumulative calculations of the quality points earned and grade point average.
The Academic Forgiveness Policy is available to returning undergraduate students pursuing their first baccalaureate degrees who meet one or more of the following criteria:
1. Former students who have not been enrolled at Malone University for a period of at least two calendar years during which time the students have been enlisted in the U.S. Armed Services, as documented by a copy of DD 214.
2. Former students who have not been enrolled at Malone University or any other accredited institution of higher education for a period of at least four calendar years.
3. Former students who have not been enrolled at Malone University for more than four calendar years, who may have taken credit coursework at another institution of higher education and have a separation of at least three consecutive calendar years, during which the student was not engaged in study at any institution of higher education.
The established university procedures and criteria for readmission apply to all students, including those who may be eligible for the application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy.
During the first two semesters of re-enrollment, a former student who meets one of the three eligibility criteria indicated above may file an academic petition with the Provost to request the application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy. The academic records of the student will then be reviewed by the Registrar to determine the eligibility for application of the policy to the student’s record and report the findings to the Provost.
• If the student maintains a gpa of at least 2.00 through the term/semester that encompasses the 15th semester hour of graded undergraduate coursework after returning to the university, the Academic Forgiveness Policy shall be implemented.
• If the student fails to maintain a 2.00 average for the first 15 semester hours of graded undergraduate coursework following return to the university, the eligibility period shall be extended to the term which encompasses the 30th semester hour of graded undergraduate coursework after the student’s resumption of study at Malone University. If at this point, the student’s gpa since his/her return has attained the 2.00 level, the Academic Forgiveness Policy will be implemented; if not, eligibility for the Academic Forgiveness Policy shall have expired.
• The Academic Forgiveness Policy is nonselective. It applies to all undergraduate grades below C (2.00) that were earned at Malone University prior to the student’s reinstatement.
• Prior actions of academic standing (i.e., Academic Probation, Suspension, Dismissal) are not changed/erased through the implementation of the Academic Forgiveness Policy.
• An undergraduate student may utilize this academic reassessment policy only one time in his/her career at Malone University.
• Credit hours from all forgiven courses taken during the previous enrollment at Malone with a grade of “C-” or lower are removed from the calculation of the cumulative gpa (although the grades are retained on the academic transcript and bracketed with the notation on the transcript indicating “academic forgiveness policy implemented”). The credit hours for forgiven courses may still be used in meeting academic hours earned and course requirements that are not grade specific.
• Within the student’s academic major, grades of forgiven courses will be used in determining the student’s major grade point average. Course repeats may be required to improve the student’s major grade point average to meet minimum graduation requirements and establish standards of proficiency within the academic discipline.
• The original gpa (unadjusted by the application of the Academic Forgiveness Policy) will be used in determining eligibility for university, collegial, departmental, or professional honors; graduation honors; or other recognition based upon the entirety of the student’s undergraduate academic career and record of academic performance.
Grade points in the undergraduate programs are assigned for each semester hour of credit earned according to the following system:
Letter | Grade Explanation | Quality Points |
A | Excellent | 4.0 |
A- | Excellent | 3.7 |
B+ | Above Average | 3.3 |
B | Above Average | 3.0 |
B- | Above Average | 2.7 |
C+ | Average | 2.3 |
C | Average | 2.0 |
C- | Average | 1.7 |
D+ | Passing | 1.3 |
D | Passing | 1.0 |
D- | Passing | 0.7 |
F | Failing | 0.0 |
CR | Credit | 0.0 |
I | Incomplete | 0.0 |
L | Long-term | 0.0 |
NC | No Credit | 0.0 |
W | Withdrawal | 0.0 |
AU | Audit | 0.0 |
Credit or no credit as a grade is non-punitive. Hours receiving credit as a grade are not used in gpa calculations, but are used toward graduation requirements.
A student’s grade point average is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the number of hours with letter grade. Total quality points are determined by multiplying the credit value of the course times the letter grade value in the preceding table. [e.g., a B+ in ENG 145 is 3.3 (B+) x 3 (# of credits) = 9.9; an A- in GEN 100 is 3.7 (A-) x 1 (# of credits) = 3.7]
Grade reports are available to students near the midpoint and at the end of each semester. The midsemester grades are estimates of the student’s progress and are available via the campus web. They are not permanently recorded and have no effect on the student’s grade point average. Midsemester grades are not available for summer school classes.
An I grade protects the student who, through illness or some other unpreventable circumstances, finds it impossible to take final exams or complete some other course requirement. An I will become an F six weeks after the end of the semester unless the work is made up and the grade change authorized by the instructor.
An L grade designates satisfactory progress in a long-term course assignment continued beyond the end of the semester. Upon completion of the work, the L is changed to a permanent grade. Students must complete the work within six months after the end of the semester in which they registered for the course, or the grade will become an F.
Approved withdrawals after the fourth week will be recorded as W.
Commencement is held once each year following spring semester (May). Diplomas are dated according to the actual semester of completion (May, August, or December). Students should contact the Office of the Registrar for details.
Attendance at the activities related to graduation is required. Activities included in this requirement are Senior Chapel, Baccalaureate, and Commencement. Petitions for the in absentia granting of degrees should be directed to the Provost.
Honors at the time of graduation are given to persons with the following grade point averages: Summa Cum Laude, 3.90-4.00; Magna Cum Laude, 3.70-3.89; Cum Laude, 3.5-3.69. These honors are based upon the cumulative grade point average of all work attempted at all post-secondary institutions attended prior to graduation. To qualify for honors, transfer students must have completed sixty or more semester hours of graded work in residence with a minimum cgpa of 3.5 at Malone University.
A candidate for the baccalaureate degree must:
The purpose of this grievance procedure is to provide undergraduate Malone students an opportunity to process grievances regarding academic issues (e.g., course grades, class procedures, or academic integrity). A student wishing to pursue an academic grievance should follow the procedure described below.
Initially the student shall present his or her academic grievance informally in a meeting with the appropriate faculty member involved and request review, re-evaluation, and a hearing with that person. If a satisfactory resolution of the matter is not reached in that manner, the student may then enter the formal process described below.
The student must submit the academic grievance in writing to the immediate supervisor of the faculty member (as defined above). This grievance shall be submitted no later than thirty (30) class days from the date final grades were issued by the Registrar for the course in question. The grievance shall include statements of the grounds for the grievance, supporting evidence and suggested steps to resolve the matter. In the event the grievance is related to a final grade, one or more of the following conditions must be met for a formal grievance to be filed:
A copy of the grievance shall be given to the appropriate faculty member. Within ten (10) class days of the receipt of the written grievance, the immediate supervisor shall meet with the student and with the faculty member against whom the grievance has been filed to review the matter. The immediate supervisor shall respond in writing to the student and the faculty member, indicating his or her decision and recommendations regarding the matter, within ten (10) class days of meeting with the student. In the event the formal grievance involves a course grade, the immediate supervisor may recommend that the faculty member change the grade, or that the faculty member review course and/or grading requirements and re-evaluate the grade accordingly, or the immediate supervisor may determine that there is insufficient evidence to support the grievance.
Either the student or the faculty member may appeal the decision of the immediate supervisor in writing to the next appropriate administrator who will render a decision in writing within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the written notice of appeal. A copy of the appeal notice, which must include copies of the grievance and appealed decision shall be given to the party against whom the appeal has been filed, the immediate supervisor who heard the initial grievance, and (if applicable) any other appropriate administrator who has handled the appeal (e.g., a dean or the Provost). After reviewing the appeal notice and accompanying documents, this next appropriate administrator may summarily dismiss the appeal if he or she determines that the appeal clearly is without merit, or if he or she determines that the above-stated conditions for filing a grievance have not been satisfied. If the appeal is summarily dismissed by this administrator there is no further basis for appeal. If he or she has not summarily dismissed the appeal, he or she may meet with the student, faculty member, and/or appropriate administrators who heard the appeal previously to seek further information regarding the merits of the appeal and to assist in making his or her determination.
The Academic Leadership Team will submit its recommendations in writing to the student, and to the faculty member, department chair, Associate Provost for Program Support and Improvement, and Provost within fifteen (15) calendar days of the above-described meeting of the Academic Leadership Team.
Personal integrity is a behavioral expectation for all members of the Malone University community: faculty, staff, and students. We are called to personal integrity by the desire and obligation to model our lives after that of Jesus Christ. As noted in the biblical Principles underlying the statement of Malone University Community Responsibilities, “Love for and accountability to God are the primary motivation for Christian conduct.” Christ calls us in John 14:15 to keep his commandments and in Ephesians 5:8-9 we are reminded to walk as children of the light showing truth as a fruit of the Spirit. Academic integrity is that part of personal integrity which encompasses all activities in the learning process. It is the consistent demonstration of honorable behavior in all academic endeavors.
There are times, for example, when pressure to minimize work load, increase academic standing, or assist other students may lead to actions that breach academic integrity, and thereby personal integrity as well. Participation in academic activities and/or submission of academic work that includes any form of deception is an inappropriate response to that pressure. Appropriate resources for responding to this pressure are available by consulting with faculty.
Collaborative study endeavors are both permitted and encouraged under certain circumstances. However, it is essential for faculty, staff, and students to have a common understanding of the factors that distinguish acceptable and unacceptable academic behaviors. The list of examples given below describes situations in which academic integrity is not being maintained. It is provided to help clarify academic behaviors that must be avoided. While it does not constitute an exhaustive list, it is sufficiently comprehensive to inform even those students who might otherwise compromise academic integrity unintentionally, unconsciously or as a result of lack of knowledge.
1 Confusion can arise in distinguishing between collaborative work and plagiarism. The following excerpt from The Writer’s Community (by David J. Klooster and Patricia L. Bloem, Martin’s Press, 1995) is intended to help resolve any potential misunderstandings:
“All good writing builds on the work of previous writers, but the best writing enriches that work, departs from it, transcends it, or even changes it, helping readers to see what came before in new ways. Writers on any subject need to know what others have said about the topic, and if they are to contribute to that conversation, they need to say something new…An original thinker moves the conversation forward by helping the participants see something new. A plagiarist pretends to be original and thereby risks holding the conversation back or even halting it altogether. For any conversation to become a true discussion, the speakers and listeners must be able to trust one another. Plagiarism breaks that trust…What is finally at stake, it seems to us, is that a relationship of trust exists between the reader and writer, and any deception or misrepresentation or dishonesty on the writer’s part - or the writers’ parts - violates that trust. Plagiarism, one form of this violation, is a serious offense, not first of all because it is stealing, but because it is dishonesty. Integrity is at stake.”
2 Files/reports will be maintained by the Provost for a period of at least five (5) years after the last date of the student’s enrollment or at least one (1) year after the student’s actual graduation, whichever last occurs.
Due to special or unique circumstances, a student may need to amend or alter the requirements within his/her academic program. The academic petition process provides the means for this kind of request and the petition itself serves as the official documentation for any such change that is approved. The process is as follows: 1) Obtain the Academic Petition Form from the Office of the Registrar. 2) Fill out the form according to the instructions and obtain the signature of the Chair of the Department involved in the request. 3) Return the signed form to the Office of the Registrar. Final approval will be granted through the Office of the Provost.
During the fall and spring semesters, enrolled students may preregister for the following academic semester. Programs of study are planned with the aid of advisers.
All students are expected to register on the days designated on the University calendar. Permission for late registration must come in advance from the Registrar. All late registrants pay a $20 fee. A new student may not register for classes until officially admitted to the University.
Each student entering Malone University has the opportunity to meet with an adviser in the Center for Student Success (CSS) to plan and register for courses. As the student selects a major, a faculty adviser is assigned by CSS in that particular major. A student may elect to choose an adviser during the first semester at Malone; undeclared majors will continue to be advised through CSS. All requests for a change of adviser are processed through CSS and permissible if the adviser is a faculty person in the student’s major field of study. Each student must work with his/her adviser and have class schedules approved each semester. See Academic Advising Policy .
During the first week of a semester, a student may add additional classes to his/her schedule by obtaining and completing a form supplied by the Office of the Registrar or the Center for Student Success. During the second week of a semester, the form must be signed by the instructor of the class. No classes may be added after the second week of a semester.
The normal academic year class load is 15-16 semester hours. A student enrolled for more than 16 semester hours is considered to be carrying an overload. A student must enroll for a minimum of 12 semester hours to be classified as full-time.
A student with a minimum cumulative gpa of 3.0 may register for more than 18 semester hours with permission of the Registrar.
A student living in a residence hall must carry at least 12 hours unless other arrangements have been approved by the Vice President for Student Development.
A student may not register for a class which is below the level of a course already passed or in which proficiency has been established. Students who do so will have the hours removed from their accumulation of hours so that they will not count toward graduation requirements. (This policy also applies to credit by examination - see above.)
When prerequisite courses are required for entry into a course, it is expected that the enrolled student will make sure these requirements are fulfilled prior to entry into that course. During the registration process the Office of the Registrar will block students from registering for courses whose prerequisites have not been met. It is recommended that students and faculty advisers actively review student information during the advising process to make sure a registration delay does not occur due to missing prerequisites. In order to waive a prerequisite, a written request signed by the Chair or Program Director of the department or school housing the prerequisite course must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
Courses may be repeated at Malone in order to improve performance and to raise grades. The lower grade is not included in computing the cumulative grade point average. Permission is not normally granted to repeat a course by enrolling as a transient student at another college or university; however, when permission is granted, grades received are figured in the overall average as are the original grades. All entries remain a part of the student’s permanent academic record. A student must indicate that a course is being repeated at the time of registration. Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.
To graduate, a student must complete at least thirty semester hours at Malone University. The 30 hours cannot be comprised in any part by Credit-for-Life-Experience or credit by examination.
At least twelve hours of one’s major must be completed at Malone. With the permission of the appropriate Department Chair/Program Director and the Provost, proficiency may be established by examination and the hour requirements modified. Not more than ten semester hours of transient study may be incorporated as part of the last thirty hours of a degree program, except in clinical laboratory science.
A student desiring a second baccalaureate degree must complete a total of at least 154 hours. This represents at least thirty hours of additional work; twenty-four hours of this shall be done in residence. The student must also meet all the graduation requirements of each degree.
For purposes of continuation in the University, the cumulative grade point average is computed on all post-secondary work taken at Malone. Any student who does not meet the standard of minimum acceptable progress adopted by the Faculty will be placed on academic probation for the following semester.
All students must have an average of two quality points per semester hour on all work taken at Malone - the equivalent of a C average - as a minimum requirement for approval in a major and for graduation. In other words, an acceptable cumulative grade point average for all students is 2.0. However, students may progress to the requirement according to the following table:
Hours attempted | Required gpa for good standing |
1-19 | 1.70 |
20-39 | 1.80 |
40-59 | 1.90 |
60 or more | 2.00 |
NOTE: The grade point averages in the above chart do not apply to students granted probational admission. A student granted probational admission should refer to the gpa expectation outlined in the terms of his/her enrollment contract.
Probation is an emphatic warning to the student that the quality of work must improve if the student plans to graduate. When a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00 or, in the case of freshmen, below the standards described above the student will be placed on Academic Probation for the following semester. Students placed on academic probation are permitted to register for a maximum of 13 credits for each semester in which they are on academic probation. Exceptions can be granted only with the approval of the Registrar. Students on probation are advised to curtail extracurricular activities and work schedules.
The student who achieves satisfactory progress, but still falls below the minimum standard, will be continued on academic probation.
A student will be removed from academic probation at the end of the semester that the cumulative grade point average is above the minimum.
Failure to achieve satisfactory progress during the probation semester will result in academic suspension, which implies complete separation from the University for at least the subsequent regular semester. The University may suspend any student who fails to earn at least a 1.0 gpa during any semester, regardless of classification or number of hours completed, or any student who is so indifferent or incompetent that neither the student nor University benefits.
A student suspended has the right to appeal the decision to the Admissions and Retention Committee.
Suspended students applying for re-admission must present evidence in support of the request.
Any student who has been academically suspended two times will have Academic Dismissal recorded on the permanent record which implies complete and permanent separation from the University.
Malone University has a policy of administering and maintaining student records which is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act of 1974. This policy provides students with certain rights of access to these educational records as delimited in FERPA. Directory information is subject to release by the University and includes the student’s name, local and permanent address, telephone listing, major, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height (if a member of an athletic team), dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, place of high school graduation, and most recent educational institution attended.
Students wishing to restrict access to directory information must file a written request with the Office of the Registrar. The complete policy concerning this Act is available upon request from the Office of the Registrar.
Transcripts of grades are sent from the Office of the Registrar only upon the written request of the student or legal notice requiring compliance. A student’s account in the Business Office and all other holds must be paid in full or cleared before the transcript will be released. Transcript charges are as follows:
Expedited Deadlines: Same Day - 2 p.m.; Next Day via FedEx - 11 a.m.
This policy statement is intended to serve as a guide for dealing with transfer, acceptance, and award of credit. “Transfer” as used here refers to the movement of students from one college, university, or other education provider to another and to the process by which credits representing educational experiences, courses, degrees, or credentials that are awarded by an education provider are accepted or not accepted by Malone University.
Transfer of credit from one institution to Malone University involves at least three considerations:
Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic indicator that an institution meets certain minimum standards. Here at Malone, careful attention to the accreditation conferred by accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is used to determine the initial transferability of academic credit. CHEA has a formal process of recognition which requires that all accrediting bodies so recognized must meet the same standards. Under these standards, CHEA has recognized a number of accrediting bodies, including:
Although accrediting agencies vary in the ways they are organized and in their statements of scope and mission, all accrediting bodies that meet CHEA’s standards for recognition function to ensure that the institutions or programs they accredit have met generally accepted minimum standards for accreditation.
Accreditation speaks to the probability, but does not guarantee, that students have met acceptable standards of educational accomplishment and thus allows Malone University to accept in transfer academic credit that meets our institutional transfer standard toward university programs.
Comparability of the nature, content, and level of transfer credit and the appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned with programs offered by Malone, are as important in the evaluation process as the accreditation status of the institution at which the transfer credit is awarded. For those programs that do not hold a recognized status with CHEA, Malone University should have reasonable confidence that students from other institutions are qualified to undertake our educational program. It is through the articulation and transfer policies established by Malone that it determines the existence of valid evaluation measures, including third-party expert review to institutional effectiveness. Therefore, professional institutions in good standing with a State or National accreditation/licensure that are in line with programs or degrees offered at Malone, will be reviewed for transfer toward that program based on existing institutional credit transfers practices.
An example of this alternate comparability/applicability review: A student requesting to transfer academic credit from an institution that does not hold a CHEA recognized accreditation, but is recognized as in good standing with the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN) and/or National League of Nursing (NLN), may have credits reviewed and transferred toward completion of the BSN degree at Malone University. Individual courses still must meet institutional and department standards, but the lack of a recognized CHEA accrediting body will not impede the review for transfer. The good standing of each institution will be evaluated annually to affirm an ongoing transfer of academic credit.
This review will be available for other programs that may hold third-party professional licensing as part of their professional practices.
The review process for these professional institutions requires that the Provost, Registrar, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Dean of School (from academic program where transfer of credit is sought), and Department Chair/Program Director (from academic program where transfer credit is sought) meet to evaluate the following information being presented: appropriate materials documenting the transferring student’s academic courses, the program’s academic content, and all external state and/or federal licensing or accrediting status of the issuing institution. Once approval is granted, the status of the approval is subject to annual review to assure Malone that the issuing institution is maintaining its approved status through external agencies.
In most cases, foreign institutions are chartered and authorized to grant degrees by their national governments, usually through a Ministry of Education or similar appropriate ministerial body. No other nation has a system comparable with voluntary accreditation as it exists in the United States. Therefore, all foreign credentials and/or transcripts will be evaluated through the evaluation services approved/recommended by Malone University.
Every effort is made to correlate the work previously completed with the requirements for a degree from Malone. Transfer students must provide the official transcript from each institution attended beyond high school. These records become the property of Malone University and are considered a part of the student’s official file. Failure to report prior college or university attendance (including early admission) or to furnish official transcript(s) cancels all enrollment privileges.
Any Malone student with a cgpa of at least 2.0 who wishes to take coursework at another accredited institution of higher education must complete a form called the Request for Transient Certification. This form is used to verify that the course(s) in question will be acceptable at Malone. It is obtainable in the Office of the Registrar. Transient work at another college or university is NOT covered by financial aid. (See Repeating a Course for additional information - above.)
Any junior or senior needing a 300-400 level course which is not currently being offered may obtain forms in the Office of the Registrar and see the Department Chair/Program Director for permission to register for a tutorial. The following factors will govern the decisions, which will be made by the Department Chair/Program Director:
Failure to attend class or merely giving notice to the instructor will not be regarded as official notice of withdrawal and will result in a student receiving a grade of F for the class or classes involved. The student must pay in full for classes which are not officially dropped.
Approved course withdrawals in the first 4 weeks are processed in the Office of the Registrar. (Instructor signature required after 2nd week.) Such withdrawals will not appear on the transcript. Tuition refunds are prorated according to withdrawal date (see Fee Payment Policies ). Beginning with the fifth week, all course withdrawals will appear as a grade of W (withdrawal) on the transcript. Such withdrawals must be approved by the course instructor with a recommendation from the student’s academic adviser. It remains the student’s responsibility to keep the academic advisers aware of such actions throughout the semester. Course withdrawals will not be approved after the ninth week of the semester except for unusual reasons such as extended illness. Exceptions must be approved by the Provost.
Courses offered on an accelerated basis or during a summer session may not be dropped after 3/5ths of the scheduled duration of the class. Exceptions must be approved by the Provost.
If a student must withdraw from all courses and leave the University, an official withdrawal form from the Office of the Registrar must be completed. This official withdrawal form must be approved, processed, and returned to the Office of the Registrar no later than one week prior to the course end date. No withdrawal will be approved or processed during the week of final examinations. (See Fee Payment Policies for refund policy.)