Academic Policies

General Information

In order for students to be successful, it is the responsibility of the students to familiarize themselves with the academic policies.

Academic Appeals
Students placed on academic probation or suspension may appeal to the Academic Standards Committee by filing an appeal with the Registrar. The student has the right to appeal any action affecting their academic status by obtaining the appropriate form from the Registrar’s Office: Appeal of Suspension, Appeal of Probation, Grade Appeal, or General Appeal.

Academic Course Load
A full course load normally will consist of twelve (12) to sixteen (16) credit hours earch semester. Depending upon the student's major and degree of academic preparation, a student may take more than 16 credit hours. The student must have 3.00 cumulative GPA or higher, and obtain approval from an assigned advisor and the Dean of Academics, to take 17 to 21 credit hours for Fall and Spring. Under no circumstances may a student enroll for more than 21 credit hours in one semester. During the summer students may take a maximum of 6-8 hours per session and no more than 12-14 total over the summer. Credits earned through Credit by Examination are not counted in this policy.

Academic Integrity
Students are responsible for the integrity of their academic work. Examples of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to, obtaining unauthorized assistance in any academic work: cheating on a test; plagiarism; quoting without proper credit; modifying any examination, paper, record, report or project without the instructor’s approval for obtaining additional credit or an improved grade; and, representing the work of others as one’s own. Some of the penalties that may be imposed include: warning (written or oral); reducing the grade for the assignment, test, or project; reducing the grade for the course; assigning a failing grade for the course; dismissing the student from the course and issuing a grade of “W”; academic probation or suspension; expulsion; and recording the decision in the student’s academic record.

Academic Probation
Students who do not maintain a semester GPA of 2.00 are subject to academic probation for the next semester of regular attendance. Academic probation is not recorded on the transcript. The criteria for full- or part-time students are:

  • Full-time students, upon completion of 12 or more semester credit hours, are placed on academic probation if they have a GPA less than 2.00 (higher levels specific to each Bachelor’s program). If the number of semester credit hours drops below 12 as a result of an “In Progress” (IP) grade (see below), students are still considered to be making satisfactory progress.
  • Part-time students, upon completion of 16 or more cumulative semester credit hours, are placed on academic probation when a total of 11 or fewer credit hours of work have been attempted in a semester and cumulative GPA is less than a 2.00.
  • Students on academic probation may take no more than 14 credit hours per semester unless approved by an advisor.

Academic Recognition
Academic recognition can be achieved as follow:

  • President’s Honor List: Students must achieve a semester GPA of 4.00, complete a minimum of 12 credit hours, and receive no grades of “I” or “IP.” “Honors” will be noted on transcript.
  • Dean’s Honor List: Students must achieve a semester GPA of 3.50 –3.99, complete a minimum of 12 credit hours, and receive no grades of “I” or “IP.” “Honors” will be noted on transcript.

Academic Standing
Students must maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) throughout their program of study. (or higher levels in the Bachelor’s degree programs; consult the program handbooks for details). When students receive final grades of A, B, C, D, or F, they are considered credit hours attempted and earned. W, I, or IP grades earn no credit and are not considered hours completed. Transfer credit hours accepted by Diné College are not calculated in cumulative grade point averages for determining satisfactory progress.

Academic Status Change
When change of an “Incomplete” (I) or “In Progress” (IP) grade alters a student’s academic status (see Table of Non-Grade Designation, below), the student is notified of the change in writing by Records and Admissions. When the changes are formally adjusted, students are placed on academic probation or suspension and the restriction is effective immediately.

Academic Suspension
Students who do not satisfactorily meet the minimum standards required during the probationary semester will be placed on academic suspension. Academic suspension means the student will not be permitted to enroll in any classes at Diné College for the semester of suspension. Upon returning, the student will be placed on academic probation until minimum standards for satisfactory progress are met. Academic suspension is not recorded on a student’s transcript. Students who are placed on academic probation or academic suspension are subject to additional regulations regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). A student may appeal academic suspension by obtaining appeal information from Records and Admissions. Program-specific policies regarding academic suspension apply to each of the Bachelor’s degree programs. Consult the program handbooks for details.

Access to and Confidentiality of Records
Social Security or Student Identification Numbers are used for students' identification and records only. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects the privacy of such information. The College provides access to specified official records related to the student and an opportunity to change such records if they are inaccurate while providing for the challenge of actual grades received. To ensure that their rights are upheld, students are required to file requests for non-disclosure on an annual basis if withholding of directory information is desired. Such requests will be honored for one academic year. Only the Registrar’s Office and other authorized personnel have access to student files. An authorized personnel is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, faculty, academic research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel), or other authorized personnel offices; a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Regents; or a student serving on an official committee or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

Administrative Withdrawal
The College reserves the right the right to withdraw a student from classes for any reason when College officials consider this action to be in the best interest of the College or of the students.

Auditing Courses
With the exception of laboratory courses, if space is available and permission is secured from the faculty, a student may audit a course. Full tuition is assessed for audits and confers no credit, grades, or quality points and does not apply toward graduation. A student must declare audit status at the time of registration. Changes from credit to audit or audit to credit are not permitted after the last day to add a class (See Academic Calendar). Audited courses will be noted on the student’s permanent record as “AU” grade.

Change of Grade
Change of Grade The Instructor and Division Chair must approve a grade change. Students wanting to appeal a grade must complete an Academic Grade Appeal form and follow the appeal process. Circumstances necessitating a change of grade may include a clerical error made by the instructor or data entry personnel in preparing the grade report or the change of an “Incomplete" grade. With the exception of the “I” and the “IP” grade which must be changed by the end of the following semester, a grade may be changed within one academic year from the time it was given. Changes of grades for summer courses must be completed by the end of the following Spring semester.

Class Attendance
Students are expected to attend all classes and required labs. Instructors will keep attendance records. An absence does not excuse a student from classwork or assignments that are missed. Repeated absences and tardiness that affect student performance will be reflected in the final grade.

Course Change or Cancellation
Diné College reserves the right to cancel any scheduled course or to change the day, time, location, and/or faculty of any course without notice. Students will not be penalized for cancelled courses. Tuition is fully refundable. Registration, technology, and other applicable activity fees are non-refundable.

Course Substitution
The Course Substitution Request Form is available at all sites and must be submitted to Records and Admissions. The course substitution must be initiated and approved by both the division chair and Academic Dean and given to all applicable chairs for their signatures. Students must consult with their assigned advisor prior to graduation. Request for course substitution must be approved by the appropriate Division Chair and the Dean of Academics.

Credit-by-Examination
Students who are currently enrolled in Diné College may apply for credit-by-examination in certain courses by contacting the appropriate Division Academic Dean. The Registrar and the Division Chairperson must also grant permission. Students may not petition to challenge a course a second time, nor may they take an exam for a course in which they have previously enrolled. Each academic division may have additional qualifications. Students must register for examinations by the end of the fourth week of classes. Students at the Regional Sites may need to take the exam at the Tsaile Campus. Students must pay for the cost of the examination and the tuition fees, which are non-refundable. The exam and other division requirements must be passed with a grade of A, B, or C for credit to be given. A notation of “Credit by Examination” is placed on the transcript. The grade is included in the total earned credit hours but is not computed in the total grade point average. Students should note that Diné College's credit by examination may not transfer to other colleges and universities.

Definition of Semester Hour
Diné College operates on a 16 weeks, two-semester system, with summer sessions. All credits earned are expressed in semester hours. A completed semester hour represents a total of 15 contact hours per semester.

Dropping and Adding Course(s)
Students who drop course(s) must complete a Drop/Add Form with proper signature(s) required and submit it to the Records and Admissions Office by the Drop/Add Date Deadline (See “Academic Calendar”). Students who fail to fill out the appropriate form and/or stop attending classes will receive an “F” grade. A student who properly drops a course will receive a “W” grade on his/her record. “W” grades do not affect the student’s GPA.

  • The student may drop courses by completing a Drop/Add form available from the Registrar’s Office or the respective site.
  • The Drop/Add form must be signed by the instructor of the class and the student’s advisor. Completed Drop/Add forms must be returned to the Registrar’s Office or to the respective Sites for processing by the drop/add date deadline. (See Academic Calendar.)
  • A course dropped in the first two weeks of the semester will not appear on a student’s transcript.
  • A grade of “W” will be recorded for all classes dropped beginning the third week of the semester.
  • Residential students dropping below 12 credit hours at any time during a semester lose eligibility for campus housing. Any appeals to this must be submitted to Residence Life.
  • Students receiving financial aid must check with the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office for continued financial aid eligibility.
  • Any student who discontinues a course at any time without officially dropping the course is subject to a grade of “F.”

Enrollment Status
The number of credit hours carred per semester indicates a student's enrollment status.

  • Full Time—a student carries 12 or more credits per semester and must complete 24 credits in an academic year.
  • Three-quarter time—a student carries 9-11 credits per semester and must complete 18 credits in an academic year.
  • Half-time—a student carries 6-8 credits per semester and must complete 12 hours in an academic year. Students who have earned fewer than 32 credit hours are classified as freshman. Students with more than 32 hours are classified as sophmores.

General Grade Appeal
Grades are determined solely by the individual faculty who taught the course for the session(s) or the semester(s). A student who wishes to contest a grade must first attempt to resolve the matter with the course faculty.

If the matter cannot be resolved with the instructor, the student may appeal to the appropriate department chairperson. The student must provide the evidence as to why the grade posted by the faculty is an error.

If the matter is not resolved with the division chair, the student may appeal a final time to the Academic Standards Committee. The decision of the Academic Standards committee is final.

Grades may be appealed within one academic year. The Grade Appeal Form can be obtained by Records and Admissions and will guide students through each of the three steps.

Grade Point Average (GPA) System
Grade Point Average (GPA) refers to the average grade at any particular time during, or at the end of, any particular semester. It is determined by the total number of credits divided by quality points earned. Quality points are figured as follows: A = 4 quality points, B = 3 quality points, C = 2 quality points, D = 1 quality point, and F = 0 quality points. For instance, if a student receives an A in ENG 101 (3 credits x 4 quality points = 12), B in MTH 110 (3 credits x 3 quality points = 9), and C in PSY 111 (3 credits x 2 quality points = 6), that person's GPA would be 3.00 (27 total quality points divided by 9 credits = 3.00). The Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is the average for all courses taken at the college. It is computed by taking the sum of all quality points earned while in attendance at Diné College divided by the sum of all eligible credit hours earned. The following rules are considered in computing the CGPA:

  • Courses that are repeated are counted only once for credit and the CGPA; however, all repeated courses appear on the student's transcript.
  • The higher grade is used for computing the CGPA whenever a course is repeated.
  • Certain courses can be repeated for credit and therefore are exempt from the two rules above (e.g., 099, 199, and 299 courses; students should consult with their advisor).
  • When grades of “I” or “IP” have been changed to letter grades, they are computed in the CGPA.
  • A “CR” grade is computed in the total credit hours earned, but is not included in the CGPA.
  • Individual instructors or academic divisions have specific policies and requirements for the “IP” grade. Students are advised to check each course syllabus carefully to be informed about the “IP” grade policy for courses.
  • F, a failing grade, is shown on the transcript and computed in the CGPA unless the student retakes the course and passes, at which time the passing grade is entered on the transcript and the quality points are computed in the CGPA and the semester GPA.

Graduation Requirements
To be eligible for graduation and participation in a commencement exercise, students must meet the requqirements for a degree or certificate, plus the following:

Graduation Requirements for an Academic Degree or Certificate:

  1. Fulfill all coursework and degree requirements listed in the Graduation Degree Checklist.
  2. Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of “C”    or better.
  3. Completion of Reading Proficiency requirement (Not applicable to Certificate Programs).
  4. File a completed Graduation Petition and Degree Checklist with the Office of Records and Admissions prior to the deadline.
  5. Pay the $25.00 non-refundable filing fee to the Cashier’s Office.
  6. Pay all outstanding and prior accounts in full to the College.
  7. Return all checked-out materials to the library.
  8. Complete the College’s student graduate survey.
  9. Have all course substitutions approved.

Reading Proficiency Requirement for Graduation
Satisfactory skill levels in reading, English, and mathematics are required for graduation. Graduation with a certificate does not require reading proficiency unless specified by courses required for the certificate. English and mathematics development are embedded into the General Education course requirements. Although reading courses do not fill any general education requirements, students must demonstrate satisfactory ability to read with comprehension in one of the following ways:

  1. Students earn a passing score on the College’s reading placement test during enrollment or when it is offered as part of a reading course in which they are placed.
  2. Students who have not passed the reading placement test by the time they have completed one semester of FST 131 Advanced Reading must either take the course again and pass it with at least a “C” or pass the reading test when it is given during the semester
  3. Students who have taken FST 131 a second time and have not passed either the course or the reading test must either: a. Retake and pass FST 131 or b. Retake and pass the reading test.

Students may not retake the reading test more than two times per semester and must wait a minimum of eight weeks between each attempt.

Graduation Degree Checklist
A Degree Checklist needs to be completed with the assistance of an Academic Advisor and/or a Faculty Advisor. The Degree Checklist requires their signature for submission. Student use the degree checklist from the year that they begin attending classes at the College. If a student stops taking classes at the College for one year or longer, he or she can use the checklist in the catalog the year that they return. Any student, regardless of admittance year, is permitted to use the current Catalog.

A Degree Checklist should be reviewed each semester prior to registering in order to assist a student in selecting courses for registration.

Hold on Student Records
Students who fail to meet their obligations to the College, financial or otherwise, will have their academic records placed on hold until the obligation is resolved. No grade report or transcript will be issued to the student until obligations are satisfied in full.

Instructor Drop
Students may be dropped from the course by the faculty. Instructor drop forms must be submitted to the Records and Admissions for processing. Any student dropped by the faculty will be notified of the action by the Records and Admissions Office. A student who wishes to be reinstated in a course from which they have been dropped must receive permission from the faculty and the dean. If the drop is revoked, the student will be responsible for payment of tuition and submit the Drop/Add form to the Records and Admissions Office.

Midterm and Final Grade Report
The midterm examinations occur during the 8th week of classes during the Fall and Spring semesters. Midterm grades are not entered on the permanent record. Final examinations are scheduled at the end of the semester and must be taken during scheduled times.

Military Service Credit
Basic training from any military branch of service may be accepted as one (1) physical education credit. The student must show proof of honorable discharge and pass the evaluation of the physical education instructor.

Participation in College-Sponsored Events
Participation in official college events or activities, such as intramural sports or conference attendance, requires satisfactory academic standing with a 2.00 GPA and completion of a Class Release Form prior to departure.

Repeating Courses
Students may repeat courses previously taken at the College to better their understanding or to improve their grades. A transcript shows that the course was repeated, but only the higher grade is used to compute the student’s Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Repeating or retaking a class can affect a student’s financial aid, please see repeat or retake in Financial Aid Policies.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)
The Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy delineates requirements for satisfactory academic progress as well as guidelines for academic probation and academic suspension. They are:

  • Full-time students are placed on academic probation if, upon completion of 12 or more semester credit hours, they have a semester grade point average less than a “C” (2.0). If a student’s number of semester credit hours drops below 12 as a result of an IP grade, the student is still considered to be making satisfactory progress.
  • Part-time students who have accumulated 16 or more semester credit hours are placed on academic probation whenever a total of 11 or less semester credit hours of work have been attempted and a cumulative grade point average less than a “C” (2.0) or is earned.
  • The Satisfactory Progress Policy applies to part-time students who have not yet accumulated a minimum of 16 semester credit hours.
  • Students on academic probation may take no more than 14 credit hours per semester unless approved by the appropriate Academic Dean.
  • Students placed on academic probation or academic suspensions are subject to additional regulations regarding SAP. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for pertinent Financial Aid (SAP) regulations.

Student Rights and Responsibilities
All Diné College students have rights and responsibilities identified in the Student Code of Conduct Handbook. A copy may be obtained from any Diné College site or online.

Transcripts
Students may request an official transcript from the Records and Admissions Office from the main campus in Tsaile. The Transcript Request Form is available at all sites and on the College website. A fee is required for each Official Transcript. Currently enrolled students may review their unofficial transcript at any time by logging into WarriorWeb. Records and Admissions Office is not permitted to provide transcript services to any current or former student who owes money to the college. Same-day service is available only for in-person requests at Tsaile Campus, for a nominal fee. The fee for a transcript is $5.00 and the same day service is $15.00 per transcript. Diné College cannot send an Official Transcript by e-mail or fax.

Transfer Credits
Transfer of credit is awarded for coursework completed at other colleges and universities. Records and Admissions is responsible for conducting official credit evaluations. Transfer students wishing to receive transfer credit must request official transcripts from colleges previously attended. AP tests and IB scores are also considered. Transfer credit evaluation can take up to two weeks.

Withdrawal from College
Students who officially withdraw from the College must use a Withdrawal Form available from Records and Admissions or respective campus site. Failure to withdraw properly results in the forfeiture of any refunds, and a grade of “F” is given for each course in progress at the time of the unofficial withdrawal. Withdrawal forms must be returned to the Registrar’s Office with all the required signatures.