Academic & University Policies

Educational Materials and Resources

Appropriate course materials, course syllabi, and course outlines are used for each course. Required course materials are indicated in the course syllabus by title, author, publisher, and ISBN. Students that opt out of the Course Materials Fee (CMF) are responsible for purchasing course materials identified in the syllabus they are issued for each course. Students that opt-in to the CMF will have materials provided for them. Note: required course materials, textbooks, or other readings are not eligible for interlibrary loan in the Library.

It is students’ responsibility to make sure they purchase the primary course materials if they opt out of the CMF and or other textbook(s) and resources required in the syllabus the student is issued. Students must determine from their syllabus what course materials are required. The University may have more than one version of a particular syllabus issued to students. The University is not responsible for student purchases of course materials that do not match assigned syllabi.

The University partners with several online textbook suppliers. Students having difficulty finding required textbooks and course materials may contact their Academic and Finance Advisor or email bookstore@ncu.edu for assistance.

Program, Course Start Date

The program start date is the start date of the first course in the student’s program. Courses are available to begin on Monday of each week.

Once a student is registered for a course, the start date may not be moved. To start the course at a later time, the student must drop the course and re-register. Compliance with the Attendance policy is mandatory regardless of any courses dropped or added.

Students may contact their Academic and Finance Advisor for assistance in determining the latest date they may start a course without violating the Attendance policy.

Coursework may not be submitted until the course start date.

• Faculty Assignment Disclosure Policy
     

Add/Drop/Withdraw Period

Students may add, cancel or withdraw from a course at any time. To cancel or withdraw from a course, students can contact their Academic and Finance Advisor at learnerservices@ncu.edu or call (888) 628-6904. Cancellation or Withdrawal will be effective on the date that the notice is received.

If a student wishes to add a course outside of the prescribed degree plan, they will take the course as a non-degree seeking student.

Students who withdraw from a course are subject to the grading policies and refund policy outlined in the Course Catalog and are responsible for repaying loans obtained plus interest, less the amount of any refund due under the refund policy.

Dropping a Course

Courses dropped during the first seven days of the course session, or 14 days for a term-based JFK School of Law at National University program will be issued a “DR” grade. Dropped courses will not be counted in the units attempted unless a student has posted attendance [in accordance with the University’s Attendance policy] during the first seven days of the course.

A student may not receive more than three “DR” grades with attendance per degree program.

NOTE: Students begin earning Federal Student Aid (FSA) funds on their first day of attendance. Students may be eligible to receive a post-withdrawal/post-drop disbursement of the FSA funds earned but not yet received. To minimize the potential abuse of FSA funds, the University limits the number of “DR” grades with attendance a student can receive to a maximum of three per program.

Students who exceed the maximum number of DR grade with attendance may be administratively withdrawn from their program and prevented from registering for the next course until they have explained the reason for the multiple “DR” grades with attendance. It is then at the discretion of the University if the student will be allowed to continue in the program.

Once a student is registered for a course, the start date may not be moved. To start the course at a later time, the student must drop the course and re-register.

Students who discontinue a course after the seven-day drop period, or fourteen day drop period for term-based JFK School of Law at National University programs, are subject to the Withdrawal Policy.

Refunds of tuition for a dropped course will be made as described in the

Attendance Requirements

The University requires students to be in attendance at least once every 28 calendar days from the last date of attendance.

When doctoral candidates are not actively enrolled in a course, they have limited communication with University support staff and may not engage in certain activities related to their research. Specifically, doctoral candidates must be actively enrolled in a course to have contact with their dissertation chair. Doctoral candidates must also be actively enrolled in a course in order to perform data collection or have any contact with their human subjects if their Institutional Review Board (IRB) application has been approved.

Note: Continual enrollment requirements are different for the Juris Doctor degree program and are outlined in the Juris Doctor Catalog & Handbook.

Academic-Related Activities

Academic-Related Activities (ARAs) are used to determine a student’s official last date of attendance and corresponding enrollment status at the University. ARAs are also used to determine the effective date of active and withdrawn enrollment statuses. Academic-Related activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Uploading or completing an assignment (e.g., paper, project) in an online course
• Course related online quizzes
• Accessing academically related online content within or related to an online course
• Participating in the Discussion Forum section of an online course (e.g., commenting on a discussion question posted by the faculty member, providing feedback to another student), provided that the discussion is related to the course content

Note: Academic-related activities must be posted to an online course no later than Sunday at 11:59 P.M. Arizona time each week. See

Continuous Enrollment

To comply with continuous enrollment, all students must earn attendance at least once every 28 consecutive calendar days. Students who fall out of continuous enrollment will be administratively withdrawn from the University on the 29th day after their actual last date of attendance.

The Office of the Registrar’ Student Records department is responsible for monitoring compliance with continual enrollment requirements. Academic and Finance Advisors are notified of administrative withdrawals for non-compliance and are responsible for deleting scheduled courses when students fall out of continuous enrollment.

Note: Students in JFK School of Law at National University programs are required to maintain regular (continuous) enrollment in their program. To maintain continuous enrollment, students must remain in compliance with attendance policies or petition for a Leave of Absence.

Non-Term Based Enrollment Status

The University recognizes the following program-level enrollment statuses:

Term-Based Enrollment Status

For the purpose of financial aid and enrollment verification enrollment status is determined by the number of credits per semester:

Credit Hours

National University recently merged with John F. Kennedy University and Northcentral University with the goal of providing a more holistic approach to student success and degree offerings to support the “Whole Human Education” experience. In part, due to this merger of three universities, National University currently offers degree plans that use “quarter” credit hours and degree plans that use “semester” credit hours. NU is working to consolidate all degree offerings using semester credit hours. Until then, students will need to refer to the university course catalog or speak with their academic advisor to confirm if their degree plan utilizes quarter or semester credit hours.

Semester Credit Hours

NU courses that award credits earned based on semester credits mostly carry 3-semester credits. It is expected that a student taking a 3-credit semester course will need to spend approximately 135-144 hours on learning experiences such as reading and study; research; faculty-student interaction; demonstration of defined learning outcomes through assignments, papers and projects; examinations; and assessment of performance.

Quarter Credit Hours

Courses designed using quarter credit hours divide the academic year into four 12-week quarters, each comprised of three 4-week classes. Under the current policy, 4.5 units of credit are awarded for courses.

Contact Hours: WSCUC accredited, undergraduate courses require 1hour of classroom instruction (also known as direct faculty instruction or contact hours, including substantive interaction) and a minimum of 2hours of out-of-class (non-contact hour) student work, per credit hour, each week for 10-12 weeks, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. (Note - If the accreditor updates this requirement, the following will be revised.)

At National University, this means that a typical, 4.5 credit hour course taught over 4 weeks, must include at least 2,700 minutes (45 hours) of student contact time spent “in” the course. (For fewer credits, divide these numbers appropriately; for more credits, multiply these numbers appropriately. Courses longer than 4-weeks will see these numbers spread over time.) This student-content, student-student, and/or student-professor interaction typically involves students working in the LMS itself. In the 4-week, 4.5 credit hour course model used at NU, this means that students should spend just over 11 hours per week working in and with fellow students, instructors, and course content such as discussions, simulations, watching videos, etc., (For more assistance with considering how to strategize timing for an online course, see Appendix.)

Non-Contact Hours: WSCUC expects individual programs and/or departments to make determinations above and beyond the base timeframe (called non-contact hours) with a minimum requirement of 2 hours of non-contact time for every 1 hour of contact time. (Ex: A typical week for a National University 1 undergraduate student should see approximately 11 hours of “in class” work with at least 22 hours of reading, writing papers, creating presentations, and other homework, etc.) Course Authors should seek guidance from department stakeholders for other non-contact expectations. 

Student Workload

Active students enrolled in undergraduate courses may take a maximum of 12 credits at a time without Dean approval. Undergraduate students requesting to take more than 12 credits simultaneously must be approved by their school Dean.

Active students enrolled in graduate courses may take a maximum of 6 credits at a time without Dean approval. Graduate students requesting to take more than 6 credits simultaneously must be approved by their school Dean. 

Grades

The University awards letter grades in recognition for academic performance in each course. Grade points are assigned to each academic performance grade, with the exception of S, U, R, and RD grades, and are used to calculate a Grade Point Average (GPA) for each student. 

• Academic Performance Grade Scale
     
• Grading Policies & Procedures
    

Grade Appeals

Students and faculty are encouraged to proactively communicate to address any grading questions or concerns while the course is still in session however, a final course grade may be appealed if:

• A computational error was made in the calculation of a course or assignment grade
• Documented active military duty, which resulted in an inability to continue in the course or program
• Documented personal or family medical emergency
  • Students should first notify Disabilities Services and provide documentation to the appropriate personnel
• Documented act of nature (e.g., hurricane, wildfires, etc.)
• Documented death in the family
• Documented temporary severe economic hardship

NOTE: Family is defined as including husband, wife, domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, (step/adoptive) mother, (step/adoptive) father, (step/adoptive) brother, (step/adoptive) sister, and (step/adoptive) child.

The final grade appeal process is not designed to accommodate issues such as, but not limited to:

• Time management concerns
• Submission of an assignment after the course end date has passed
• IT or technology related issues
• Job demands

Below is additional information on the grade appeal procedure:

• Grade Appeal Procedure
      

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the standard by which the University measures students’ progress toward completion of a degree or certificate program. The three components of SAP are Grade Point Average (GPA), Course Completion Rate (pace), and Maximum Timeframe. If at any time, a student is not meeting the minimum requirements for SAP, they will receive an email notification in NCUOne as well as an email to the address on file. However, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to know these requirements, and failure to receive notification does not nullify the SAP status.

• SAP Procedures
    

Time Limits for Degree Completion

Students at the University are held to two standards regarding time to degree completion: Satisfactory Academic Progress and Academic Maximum Time Frame.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a standard by which the University measures students’ progress toward completion of a degree or certificate program. The three components of SAP are Grade Point Average (GPA), Course Completion Rate (pace), and SAP Maximum Time Frame. For Academic Maximum Time Frame, the University sets the deadline in calendar years from the first date of attendance in the degree program. SAP Maximum Time Frame rules will supersede Academic Maximum Time Frame when it comes to financial aid eligibility.

• SAP Maximum Time to Completion
     
• Academic Maximum Time to Completion
     

Changing Degree Programs

Students must contact their Academic and Finance Advisor for assistance in changing their degree program. Student and Financial Services are required to evaluate the impact on federal financial aid eligibility when a student requests to change degree programs after federal financial aid has been disbursed. In some cases, a program change will result in a return of federal aid per the withdrawal from the initial program and the immediate re-packaging of federal aid that will apply towards the new program.

Changes of school, degree level, specialization, and changes from a professional doctorate to a doctorate of philosophy or vice versa, require Dean approval.

Upon receiving Dean approval, students must complete a new application and enrollment agreement for the new degree program. The student’s new application and Dean approval is then submitted to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation and admissions approval in accordance with University policy. Once approved, the Office of the Registrar updates the student’s degree plan and program of study.  A Learning Management Fee (LMF) will be charged when a student vests in the first course of their new program.

Program Discontinuation

If the University decides to discontinue an academic program, all students that remain continuously enrolled are afforded the opportunity to complete their program. Doctoral students that have advanced to candidacy will have the option to complete their program even if they have had a break in enrollment.

Academic Leave of Absence

The University programs are designed to allow students to pursue their educational efforts full-time while managing other responsibilities. The University will consider granting an Academic Leave of Absence (ALOA) for a student who is experiencing hardships that make effective progress in their academic course of study unusually difficult. A leave of absence is defined as a temporary break from academic registration with a clear intent to return to the program of study.

Leaves are only available to students who have provided their official transcripts and have been officially admitted to the university, are currently in active status and have proceeded beyond the drop period in at least one course since beginning their program of study. Students on approved ALOA who receive Federal Financial Aid are not considered withdrawn, and a return of funds is not required. Students may not receive Federal Financial Aid disbursements while on an ALOA.

Policy and procedure for students who require a leave of absence due to military deployment are given in the Military Leave of Absence policy.

• Academic Leave of Absence (LOA) Policy
      
• Academic Leave of Absence Policy for Term-Based Programs
      

Military Leave of Absence

A student may request a Military Leave of Absence (MLOA) online or by contacting their Academic and Finance Advisor and submitting a copy of supporting documents. A copy of the student’s military orders, a letter from their commanding officer, or other documentation will be required to support the request for military leave. The student may request any length for the leave, so long as it does not begin more than 30 days prior to the assignment date, and does not exceed more than 180 days beyond their last date of attendance. The Academic and Finance Advisors will ensure that the MLOA return date coincides with a valid course start date.

Students are eligible for re-entry if, during their leave, they performed or will perform voluntary or involuntary active duty service in the U.S. armed forces, including active duty for training and National Guard or Reserve service under federal authority, for a period of more than 30 consecutive days, and received a discharge other than dishonorable or bad conduct. In general, the cumulative length of absence and all previous absences for military service (service time only) must not exceed five years.

• MLOA Criteria & Process
     

Student Withdrawal from the University

Students have the right to withdraw from the University at any time. The University team members who receive a student request to withdraw from the University will submit the request to the Office of the Registrar for processing on behalf of the student using the date they received the student’s request as the Request Date. If students are enrolled in a course at the time of withdrawal, the Office of the Registrar will use applicable Grading Policies & Procedures  to determine the final grade of the withdrawn course.

Once officially withdrawn from the university, students are no longer considered to be active. Students that are not active in a program or certificate no longer have access to the NCUOne Portal, previously submitted assignments, or university resources. It is the students responsibility to save previously submitted assignments, syllabi, electronic textbooks (in accordance with publisher download permissions), and other documents from the NCUOne portal to their personal devices.

See the Refund Policy and Procedure  for applicable financial policies. 

Academic Dismissal

Students who fail to meet the requirements of a degree program including official basis for admissions, minimum grade requirements, and satisfactory academic progress of study are subject to academic dismissal from the University. See SAP Procedures  for additional information.

Administrative Dismissal

Students who violate the University’s ethical policies and standards including, but not limited to, the Student Code of Conduct policies, may be subject to immediate administrative dismissal. Students who have been dismissed due to violation of the Student Code of Conduct policies, or due to any other legal or ethical matter, do not qualify for re-entry to the University. See Ethical Standards & Practices and Student Rights & Responsibilities for additional information.

• Administrative Dismissal Appeal Procedure
     

National University Dean’s List 

At National University, we believe it is important to recognize academic success in many forms. We realize our students have many demands across many roles in their lives. While Cum Laude and other graduation honors are awarded in recognition of achievement sustained across the student journey, the Dean’s List recognizes students in their shorter sprints toward ultimate success. 

The Dean’s List at National University is a quarterly recognition of undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance. Students eligible for the honor must complete a minimum amount of coursework (9.0 quarter units/6.0 semester units) with a three-month GPA of at least 3.5 (undergraduate) or 3.7 (graduate). 

In determining student eligibility, we use the following criteria: 

• Completed a minimum of 9.0 quarter units/6.0 semester units). These units are calculated on the end date of the course. For instance, a student completing an 8-week course with 4 weeks completed prior to the quarter and 4 weeks completed during the assessment period would be granted unit and GPA credit for the whole course. 
• Quarter GPA of at least 3.5 (undergraduate) or 3.7 (graduate). These minimum GPAs are only calculated with the courses completed during the assessment period. Therefore, a student may have a cumulative GPA of 3.3, receive two A’s during courses completed in the quarter, and will be eligible for the honor of Dean’s List. 

Exceptions: Dissertation courses and some clinically-focused coursework is excluded in the calculation of eligibility, and those students in the Juris Doctorate program have different eligibility criteria based on program accreditation requirements as outlined in the Juris Doctorate Student Handbook. 

The Dean’s List is calculated and awarded quarterly in January, April, July, and October for the three months preceding. Students are notified via their student email address and also receive a confirmation when their certificate is issued. Certificates are available electronically through Parchment. 

National University President’s Circle

National University (NU) is deeply committed to promoting academic and service excellence. In pursuit of this objective, National University takes great pride in annually acknowledging and honoring students’ outstanding academic achievements through the President’s Circle.

Nomination Process:

• Graduating students are nominated annually by the Dean of their respective schools for consideration to be part of the President’s Circle.
• Within each school, one student is selected from each degree program, including associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs.
• The nominated students represent the highest achievers in their respective programs, consistently exceeding expectations while demonstrating exceptional dedication.
• The following criteria are used to determine the selection of each student:
  • Attainment of consistently high academic performance
  • For graduate students, sustained performance at a distinguished scholarly level
  • Active participation in various student groups, such as University activities, the Student Advisory Council, or Honor Societies
  • Demonstration of a strong commitment to improving the lives of others through their education
  • Belief in their capacity to effect positive change in their communities

Students chosen to join the President’s Circle are invited to attend the President’s Circle Breakfast, which occurs before the commencement ceremony annually. Students will have the opportunity to interact with NU leadership and their school Deans during this event. They will also be publicly recognized for their outstanding achievements and receive an appreciation certificate and specialized honor cords. Subsequent to recognition, academic-year classes of President’s Circle members will be invited to stay engaged as premiere NU academic ambassadors with students, alumni, and the broader community.

National University Memorial Degree

National University wishes to recognize the academic achievements of students enrolled at the University at the time of their passing. In the event of an untimely death of a National University student, they might be eligible to receive an honorary posthumous degree to commemorate those achievements for the benefit of the family. Diplomas awarded posthumously will indicate the honorary posthumous designation. A family member may contact the Office of the Registrar at 858.642.8260 or registrar@nu.edu for more information about the process and eligibility. 

Procedure

Honor Societies

The University’s schools hold membership in honorary societies listed below. Acceptance into these programs is based on academic excellence.

• Honor Societies and Associations
     

Graduation Requirements

To graduate, all degree-seeking students must complete their degree program within the maximum time limits specified in the University’s catalog under the Time Limits for Degree Completion policy.

• Degree Requirements
     
• Diploma Application and Degree Conferral
     
• Commencement Ceremony
     
• Dissertation of the Year Award
     

Licensure and Certification

Professional organizations, societies, states, and licensing jurisdictions have specific requirements for membership, certification, or licensure. Students intending to seek licensure of any type must take full responsibility for ensuring that their degree program at the University meets the licensing requirements of their local states, school districts, professional associations, or agencies. The University cannot provide assistance to a student regarding the interpretation or understanding of a state’s licensure requirements.