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Policies and Requirements

Academic Policies

The policies published in this catalog apply to all College of Menominee Nation students, with the exception of students in those programs having more stringent requirements. For example, students in the Bachelor of Science in the Early Childhood/Middle Childhood Education program must meet higher standards. Student should see Program-Specific Information below and check with their department faculty members.

Graduation Credentials

The College offers the following graduation credentials:

  • Bachelor of Arts (BA)
  • Bachelor of Science (BS)
  • Associate of Arts and Sciences (AA)
  • Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
  • Technical Diploma (TD)

Students meet with their Academic Success Coach to choose a degree, major, and/or emphasis from the current catalog. See Programs of Study for a list of current majors.

Students who change their degree, major, and / or emphasis are subject to the current degree requirements in effect at the time of the change. A credit evaluation may be completed when a student effects the change. Academic Success Coach assistance is required.

Majors that have been placed in latency are not available to new, transfer, or returning students. Continuing students in majors that are being placed in latency are accommodated.

Class Standing

Undergraduate class standing is determined by the number of college credits earned. When determining class standing, the approved transfer credits are included.

Freshman
A student who has earned fewer than 31 credits.
Sophomore
A student who has earned at least 31 credits, but fewer than 62.
Junior
A student who has earned at least 62 credits, but fewer than 92.
Senior
A student who has earned at least 92 credits.

Full-time / Part-time Status

Determination of full- or part-time status is as follows:

Full-time

A student registered for 12 or more credits per semester.

Part-time

A student registered in fewer than 12 credits per semester.

Summer Session

CMN recognizes 6 or more credits as academic full-time status for Summer Session. For financial aid purposes, 6 credits or fewer is considered part-time.


Credit Hour

As defined by Federal regulations, a credit hour is the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes. It is verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

  1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty member instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

  2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph one above for other activities as established by the institution.

In compliance with Federal regulations, CMN establishes the following minimal equivalencies for one credit hour with an hour defined as 50 minutes and a minimum of 45 hours per one credit per semester:

Lecture

One hour of classroom or direct faculty member instruction per week and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work per week.

Hybrid / Online

An equivalent amount of instruction and student work leading to equivalent learning outcomes, as required for a face-to-face class.

Laboratory

A minimum of two hours of work each week in a laboratory under the supervision of a lab supervisor/instructor and an expectation of one hour of additional out-of-class student work per week.

Internship / Practicum

At least 45 hours of supervised work in a field placement each semester.

Student Teaching

A full-time commitment consisting of full days for a full semester following the daily schedules and semester calendars of the cooperating schools.

Individualized Study (Alternative Course Delivery or Independent Study)

A minimum of three hours of direct instruction and / or individual work per week.

Technical

Two hours of classroom or direct faculty member instruction per week and a minimum of one hour out-of-class student work per week.

 

Course Requisites

Alternative Course Delivery

CMN may cancel classes for a variety of reasons; therefore, some courses may be offered by alternative course delivery methods.

Eligibility for an alternative course delivery requires that a student possess a minimum GPA of 2.00 and have Sophomore status. Only existing courses are delivered via alternative course delivery at the discretion of the Chief Academic Officer.

Students must contact their Academic Success Coach for assistance.

The Alternative Course Delivery form and procedure are available in the Student Form Library.

Course Substitution

CMN expects students to fulfill their course requirements. However, CMN recognizes that it may be appropriate to substitute a required course within students’ programs of study. The course substitution should be completed prior to the student enrolling in the course to ensure the course will count towards the student’s degree.

All requests must be filled out in consultation with an Academic Success Coach and must include a detailed explanation for the substitution. The final decision regarding course substitutions is made by the Chief Academic Officer.

The Course Substitution form and procedure are available in the Student Form Library.

Repeating a Course

Students who receive a grade “C” or below in a course may repeat that course. CMN allows students to retake the same course twice to either earn a grade of “C” or above (which is required for prerequisites) or to earn a grade of “B” or above to meet certain program requirements. However, for financial aid purposes, students are only allowed one repetition of a previously passed course.

Both the initial and repeat grades remain on students’ transcripts, but only the most recent grade is used to compute the Grade Point Average. Students should discuss their intentions with their Academic Success Coach.

Courses may be placed in latency, discontinued, or offered on a different schedule. The College does not guarantee the right to retake any course.

Overload Permission

Students with a 3.00 term GPA or higher for two consecutive terms may file an Overload Permission Request to exceed the maximum student credit load limit of 18 credits.

Chief Academic Officer permission is required for students to enroll for more than 18 credits. For more information, students should contact their Academic Success Coach who will submit requests to the Chief Academic Officer.

The Overload Permission Request form and procedure are available in the Student Form Library.

Independent Study

The purpose of independent study is to allow a student to explore a topic of scholarly interest which is not available through traditional CMN coursework. Eligibility for independent study requires that a student be in good standing, possess a minimum GPA of 3.00, and have at least Sophomore status.

Independent study does not count toward degree requirements and is not covered by financial aid.

To register for independent study, students confer with their Academic Success Coach. All requests must be approved by the Chief Academic Officer prior to registration.

The Independent Study form and procedure are available in the Student Form Library.

Course Audit

Courses may be audited with Chief Academic Officer approval. Audited courses do not:

  • Carry degree credit,
  • Count toward a student’s GPA,
  • Count toward full-time attendance for purposes such as certification for Social Security or Veterans Administration benefits, or
  • Count for purposes of student financial aid.

Audit courses are charged 50 percent of current tuition. Full fees are charged.

Students who are taking the course for credit are given priority. A student may audit a course only if space is available. Audit (AU) will be reflected on the student’s transcript.

The Course Audit form and procedure are available in the Student Form Library.

Grading Policies

Grades are assigned in each course and serve as a measure of students’ academic achievement in their courses. At mid-term and at the end of each semester or session, each student receives a grade from the instructor who uses a standard scale to convert a percentage grade to a letter grade. Each letter grade equals a certain number of grade points per credit. For example, a grade of “B” in a three-credit course equals three grade points per credit or nine total grade points for the course.

The table below shows the conversions across percentage grades, letter grades, and grade points per credit.

Percentage Grade Letter Grade Points per Credit
95% - 100% A (Excellent) 4.00
90% - 94.9% AB 3.50
85% - 89.9% B (Good) 3.00
80% - 84.9% BC 2.50
75 - 79.9% C (Fair) 2.00
70% - 74.9% CD 1.50
65% - 69.9% D (Poor) 1.00
Below 64.9% F (Fail) 0.00

Midterm grades are issued to inform students of their current progress and are not reflected on transcripts. Midterm grades cannot be appealed.Final grades are posted to students’ transcripts. Grades may be accessed via MyEmpower. If students have outstanding obligations, e.g. owe a fine, money, material or financial aid, a “hold” is placed on their records and they do not have access to their official transcripts.

Grade point average (GPA) is computed on a 4.00 scale. Both current semester and cumulative GPA are calculated for each student. CMN does not award credit / no credit or pass / fail grades.

Since grading standards differ from institution to institution, grades received from other colleges and universities are not used to compute GPAs.

The following symbols appear on academic transcripts for which grade points are not assigned:

AU Audited Course
I Incomplete
W Withdrawal
AW Amnesty withdrawal
UK Unknown (contact instructor)

Student Performance

Every student is expected to maintain a high standard of performance at CMN. The College is concerned about students whose performance indicates that they are unable to meet the expectations of the course or who are experiencing other challenges that may be interfering with their success in higher education.

Performance is measured throughout each semester. CMN’s student information system automatically notifies students and their Academic Success Coach when students have excessive absences or low mid-term grades. Students are encouraged to seek assistance from a Academic Success Coach, a faculty member, or an academic support staff member to address personal or academic problems.

Academic Requirements

Each student must assume responsibility for complying with the instructions and regulations set forth in this catalog for selecting courses that will satisfy individual educational objectives, course requirements, and graduation requirements. Students should consult with their Academic Success Coach or faculty advisor to ensure all necessary paperwork is submitted.

The College does not assume responsibility for student misinterpretation of policies and procedures as presented in this catalog. Any questions concerning catalog content should be referred to the Chief Academic Officer.

CMN strives to provide a balanced educational experience that helps students develop the creativity, flexibility, and independence needed to face future challenges with confidence. This is accomplished through the College Core and General Education requirements, which students must complete before graduation.