Registration Information

New Student Orientation: Week One

All students carrying nine or more hours who are in their first semester at AIC are required to attend the Week One program. This week of instruction, information, and fellowship takes place during the week before registration each semester. Any exception to this requirement must be approved by the Dean of Students.

Phase I - Pre-arrival

Accepted students will receive a letter from the Dean of Students with relevant information and instructions to prepare them for arrival. Sections of the Student Handbook that could be useful (e.g. dorm life, dress code) will be enclosed, as well as contact information. The expected arrival time will be stressed, so that new students and their families will understand the importance of getting the best possible start.

Phase II - Week One

The Week One program is designed to give the maximum amount of orientation to the student, before classes begin. It should be clearly understood that Week One is the actual first week of college, and is not at all optional.

The content is built around three areas:

1. Campus Orientation - Students will be aided to find their way around campus, as it is a new home for many, and a new workplace for all.
2. College Orientation - Students will be guided through AIC policies and procedures as given in the Student Handbook, giving opportunity for questions and discussion, to enhance their understanding of community services and expectations. It is expected that members of our Faculty and Staff will be a part of this as well.
3. Community Orientation - Students will be introduced to the physical "neighborhood" of AIC, and local resources.

In developing the orientation program and its content, the college combines what we know about the First Year Experience (FYE) in general, and about AIC students specifically, to give our students the best "quick start" possible on their college experience.

Non-Discriminatory Policy

American Indian College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the College. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, handicap, or national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and other school-administered programs. However, prospective students should recognize that the philosophy of the College is oriented to Native Americans.

Student Privacy Rights

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records to ensure that they are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or other rights
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent
4. The right to file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning alleged failures by American Indian College to comply with the requirements of FERPA
5. The right to obtain a copy of the American Indian College’s student records policy. You may obtain a copy of the policy from the Registrar’s office.

REGISTRATION FOR CLASSES

Students will register for classes at the beginning of each semester. Dates for registration are indicated on the academic calendar in the front of the catalog. A late registration fee of $25.00 is assessed to students who are not present at the scheduled time for registration.

Academic Advising

AIC will provide as much help as possible in planning academic programs through the Registrar’s Office or through the student’s academic advisor (usually the department chair of the student’s major.) However, each student is responsible for the proper completion of a program, and therefore should be familiar with the requirements in their major as listed in this catalog. The student should take the initiative in seeking academic advising from the Registrar or faculty advisor. Each student is placed on a recommended program of study when (s)he enrolls. It is the student’s responsibility to seek academic advising and to follow the program of study as closely as possible so as to ensure timely completion of course work.

Course Selection

A course should not be taken whose number is more than one level above the student’s current classification. This means that a freshman student should not be taking courses beyond the two hundred level, and sophomores should not be taking courses beyond the three hundred level.

Course Load

Students are limited to 16 credit hours per semester. Students wishing to take 17-19 hours must have signed permission from the Department Chair of their major. Students desiring to take in excess of 19 hours must file a written appeal to the Academic Affairs Committee (See Registrar for details.)

Classification of Students

Classification of students is determined at the beginning of the fall semester for the entire school year. Class standing is as follows, based on the number of credits earned:

         0-30.......................................Freshman
         31-62......................................Sophomore
         63-95......................................Junior
         96 or more..............................Senior

Students are identified as:

• Full time if course load is at least twelve credits
• Part time if course load is under twelve credits
• Audit if not desiring academic credit
• Special if non-degree seeking student, or seeking only teacher certification

Conference Courses

Courses are available for individual conference with a full-time, resident instructor (when available) when an urgent situation requires it. Conference courses will have a substantial workload (additional readings, papers, projects, etc.) to replace the in-class learning experience.

Conferencing will be limited to upper-class students. The College assumes no obligation to offer a conference course when a student has failed to follow his/her prescribed program of study. The procedure for conferencing a course is as follows:

1. The student obtains a conference course request form from the Registrar and then makes an appointment with the departmental chair of that course for conferencing approval.

2. The departmental chair for that course will determine if a departmental faculty member is available. (Note: A conference course will be considered to be the equivalent of one third of a normal course load. i.e., a three hour conference course will be considered the equivalent of a one credit class for purposes of calculating an instructor’s load.)

3. If a faculty member is available, the departmental chair will notify the student’s academic advisor (if different from the departmental chair) and arrangements will be made. The faculty member, the student’s advisor, and the departmental chair of the proposed conference course will sign the conference request form, which will be forwarded to the Registrar.

4. The student will be responsible for staying current with assignments, meeting times, etc. Failure to maintain regular contact with the instructor, and/or neglecting to complete or turn in assignments, etc. may lead to a failing grade.

5. All conference courses will have a syllabus explaining course requirements, assignment due dates, and grading criteria.

6. Students will only be allowed to conference one course at a time, and no more than three courses throughout their degree program.

7. Students wishing to conference a course(s) must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

8. Any exceptions to the above-stated policies must be approved by the Academic Dean. Questions and concerns regarding conference courses should be directed to the Academic Dean’s Office.

Dropping/Adding Courses

The drop/add period is one week. Students who add courses during this period will be counted absent from classes they have missed. Students who drop a course during the second to sixth week will receive a W (withdrawal) on their transcripts. Students who drop after that time will receive a grade of either WF (withdrawal failing) or WP (withdrawal passing) up to the last three weeks of the semester. (The grade awarded will be at the instructor’s discretion.) After that, no withdrawals will be allowed without the approval of the Department Chairperson (unless the chair is the instructor, in which case the Academic Dean’s approval will be required). Only a grade of WF will be computed in determining a student’s grade point average. Drop/add forms may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office. This form must be completed and signed by the student before the drop/add is considered official.

Repeating a Course

Students may repeat a course in order to receive a higher grade. In such cases, the second grade will be used when determining grade point averages. If the first grade received is an F it will be recorded as an FX after the second grade is earned. The FX will not be figured in the cumulative GPA.

Academic Renewal

Under certain circumstances, an undergraduate may petition the Registrar for academic renewal. If the petition qualifies, the student may have a maximum of two consecutive semesters of course work disregarded in all calculations regarding academic standing, grade point average, and eligibility for graduation. Eligibility for academic renewal shall be subject to the following conditions:

1. At the time the petition is filed, a minimum of three years shall have elapsed since the most recent course work to be disregarded was completed.
2. In the interval between the completion of the most recent course work to be disregarded and the filing of the petition, the student shall have completed a minimum of fifteen credits of course work at an accredited institution of higher education with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on all work completed during that interval. Courses taken during this interval may be repeats of previously attempted college work.

The petition to be filed by the student shall specify the semester(s) to be disregarded. If more than one emester or term is to be disregarded, those shall be consecutive, completed within two calendar years, with no intervening enrollment at the College.

If the petition qualifies under this policy, the student’s permanent academic record shall be suitably annotated to indicate that no work taken during the disregarded semester(s), even if satisfactory, may apply toward graduation requirements. However, all work will remain on the academic record, ensuring a true and accurate academic history. The semester(s) work to be disregarded will be indicated by the grade of FX. Academic renewal may be affected only once during a student’s academic career and applied to the first undergraduate degree only.

Withdrawal from the College

When a student wishes to completely withdraw from college for any reason, a withdrawal form from the Registrar’s Office should be signed by the student and returned to be official. Students who completely withdraw during the second to sixth week will receive a W (withdrawal) on their transcripts.

Students who completely withdraw after that time and up to the last day of class will receive a grade of either WF (withdrawal failing) or WP (withdrawal passing). A grade of WF will be computed into the student’s grade point average.

Enforced Withdrawal from College

When a student is being withdrawn from the College at the College’s initiative, an “Enforced Withdrawal from the College” form will be used. This form differs from the “Withdrawal From the College” form issued by the Registrar’s office in that it doesn’t require the student’s signature.

Students may be withdrawn for one of the following reasons:

1. Administrative action of the college based on disciplinary issues as determined by Student Life policy, failure to pay on a school bill in accordance with Business Office policies, or failure to attend all classes during two consecutive weeks without a valid excuse as determined by AIC policies.
2. When there is clear evidence that a student has left the College (i.e. moved out of the dorms without permission).

RECORDS

Transcript of Records

Requests for official transcripts are to be made by the student, in writing, directly to the Registrar. A student who graduates or withdraws in good standing from the College is entitled to one transcript of his/her records, issued without charge. After this, a $6.00 fee will be required for each additional official transcript. No transcript will be issued to anyone who has failed to meet all financial obligations to the College. Although the Registrar’s Office will make every attempt to expedite requests, individuals requesting transcripts should allow five to seven working days for transcript requests to be processed.

Recording of Grades

All grades will be recorded in the Registrar’s Office as reported by the instructors. No grades once filed may be changed except upon a written statement from the instructor.

Declaration or Change of Major

All students must sign a declaration of major upon registration during their first semester of attendance. Any change of major will also require a signed declaration of change approved by the Academic Dean.

Double Majors

Students who wish to double-major should be aware that in most cases this will extend the time needed to complete a degree. Students who double major in both Christian Ministry and Elementary Education simultaneously will receive one diploma listing both majors but will not receive two B.A. degrees. Also, students desiring to enter both an A.A. and a B.A. program should complete the A.A. program first, and then transfer to the B.A. program. It should be noted that most tribal agencies will fund a maximum of ten (10) semesters.

Final Grade Reports

A final grade is recorded on the student’s transcript in every course for which (s)he is registered. No entry will be recorded, however, for courses dropped before the end of the drop/add period. The Registrar will distribute to each student a report of his/her final grades at the end of each semester. A copy of the student’s grades will also be sent directly to each agency granting financial aid to the student.

Credit by Examination

College credit may be earned through satisfactory scores made on examinations taken in general education courses in either the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or the Proficiency Examination Program (PEP). For any credit through these examinations, the student will pay one-third of the prevailing rate of tuition per credit hour.