Academic Integrity
Appalachian State University's Academic Integrity Code is designed to create an atmosphere of trust, respect, fairness, honesty and responsibility. All members of the Appalachian State University community are responsible for promoting an ethical learning environment. The Honor Pledge is a cornerstone of the University's Academic Integrity Code and serves as a reminder of the University's commitment to academic integrity. Students of the University agree to abide by the following standards as defined by this Code:
- Students will not lie, cheat, or steal to gain academic advantage.
- Students will oppose and report every instance of academic dishonesty.
- Students will not unfairly further their own academic performance.
Students attending Appalachian State University Pledge: “I pledge on my honor that I have not violated the Appalachian State University Academic Integrity Code.”
Violations of Academic Integrity
Cheating. Using, attempting to use, or giving unauthorized assistance or materials in an effort to gain academic advantage.
False Information. Providing false academic information in any form, regardless of communication method (e.g., e-mail or other electronic communication), with the intent to deceive or mislead.
Misuse of Academic Materials. Acquiring, stealing, damaging, or sharing academic materials without a faculty member’s or student’s consent, for the purpose of gaining an academic advantage.
Multiple Submissions. Submitting an assignment more than once, either from a current or prior course, without the consent of all involved faculty members.
Plagiarism. Presenting the words or ideas of another as one’s own words or ideas.
Attendance
It is the policy of Appalachian State University that class attendance is an important part of a student's educational experience. Students are expected to attend every meeting of their classes and are responsible for class attendance. Since attendance policies vary from professor to professor, students should refer to the course syllabus for detailed information. Regardless of what reasons there may be for absence, students are accountable for all academic activities, and faculty may require special work or tests to make up for the missed class or classes. In addition, faculty members are required to make reasonable accommodations for students requesting to miss class due to the observance of religious holidays. All AppState students are allowed a minimum of two absences per year for religious observances. Up to two absences for such observances will be excused, without penalty to the student, provided that the student has informed the instructor in the manner specified in the syllabus. Notice must be given by the student to the instructor before the absence occurs and no later than three weeks after the start of 7 the semester in which the absence(s) will occur. Arrangements will be made to make up work missed by these religious observances, without penalty to the student. For the purposes of this policy, AppState defines the term "religious observance" to include religious holidays, holy days, or similar observances associated with a student's faith that require absence from class. Faculty, at their discretion, may include class attendance as a criterion in determining a student's final grade in the course. On the first day of class, faculty must inform students of their class attendance policy and the effect of that policy on their final grade; both policies must be clearly stated in the class syllabus. A student who does not attend a class during one of its first two meetings may, at the discretion of the academic department, lose their seat in that class. Further, if a class meets only one time per week—e.g., a laboratory or an evening class—the student must attend the FIRST meeting of that class or risk losing their seat. When a student is out of town and unable to return to campus due to hospitalization, death in the family, or other extenuating circumstances, the student or the student's parents may contact the Office of the Dean of Students to request that professors be notified as to the reason for the absence. This notification is conveyed to the appropriate departmental office as a matter of information only and does not serve as an official excuse for class absence. Only individual faculty members make this determination, and documentation may be requested by the faculty members. The Office of the Dean of Students does not provide this service when notification is received after the absence has occurred. Also, if a student is in town, that student is responsible for notifying the individual faculty members that they will be missing class.
Course Engagement
In its mission statement, Appalachian State University aims at "providing undergraduate students a rigorous liberal education that emphasizes transferable skills and preparation for professional careers" as well as "maintaining a faculty whose members serve as excellent teachers and scholarly mentors for their students." Such rigor means that the foremost activity of Appalachian students is an intense engagement with their courses. In practical terms, students should expect to spend two to three hours of studying for every hour of class time. Hence, a fifteen-hour academic load might reasonably require between 30 and 45 hours per week of out-of-class work.
Office of Title IX Compliance and Mandatory Referrals
Appalachian State University is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, and gender identity. To meet this commitment, and to comply with state and federal laws, Appalachian faculty are required to complete a referral to the Of ice of Title IX Compliance for any instances of Sex-Based Misconduct, such as sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or any form of gender-based harassment/discrimination. The purpose of the referral is to ensure you are made aware of the campus and community resources and support that are available to you at no cost and so that you are aware of your reporting options. Once a referral is made, a Case Manager will reach out to you privately, and discuss the resources and support available to you. You will not be required to participate in an investigation or discuss this incident and the university will not take action without your consent unless there is an immediate safety concern to the campus community. Whatever level of participation you choose, your privacy and 8 confidentiality are of the utmost importance, which is why you may seek resources and support whether you participate in an investigation or not. Please visit https://titleix.appstate.edu or call (828) 262-2144 for more information or follow them on Instagram @Appstatetix.
Credit Hour Loads
Most advisors recommend 15-16 hours each semester. With careful planning, this means you should be able to graduate in four years unless you have to repeat courses, or unless you changed majors late in your course of study. You must take at least 12 hours to be a full-time student, and the maximum you can take without special permission is 18 hours. In summer school, a full-time load is 6-7 hours.
Course Drops and Repeats
- Students may drop courses without penalty the first five days of the semester.
- Students may drop a course up to the 9th week of classes. Students receive a WC for a class dropped during this period.
- After the 9thweek deadline, drops can only be processed when there are extenuating circumstances (documentation is required).
- These circumstances generally count: death of immediate family member, serious accidents, AppState health services recommends a reduction in course hours; a documented family crisis.
- The following do not count as extenuating circumstances: changing majors/minors, poor performance, dislike of the course, work schedules, class is too difficult.
- Students can drop up to four courses over their careers at AppState. Courses dropped during the drop/add period do not count against this number.
- You may only earn credit hours once per course, regardless of the number of times the course is taken. (A few courses are repeatable for credit if the content changes. These are indicated in the Undergraduate Bulletin course descriptions.)
- If you repeat a course that you originally passed and fail that repeat, you will lose ALL credit for the course. If you already have credit for a course at AppState, you cannot take the course again at another institution and transfer it to AppState.
The first four courses you repeat will automatically be processed as grade forgiveness courses. You will not have to complete a form to have your first grade excluded from your GPA calculation.
- If you have already used some "repeats" as grade forgiveness, this does not mean you get four more! You will only be allowed 4 total, so if you have already used 2, you will have only 2 more.
- If you don't want to have a course repeat automatically processed as a grade exclusion, you must complete a form before the end of the Drop/Add period for the term (1st five days in fall/spring; 1st or 2nd day in summer). You can find the Grade Forgiveness Exception form [PDF] on theForms page.
Grade forgiveness can be used only once per course. Only courses taken at Appalachian are eligible for grade forgiveness. Grade forgiveness may not be used on courses that have changed their content or credit hours.
Questions may be directed to the Records Area of the Registrar's Office at (828) 262-2096.
Current students who find it necessary to withdraw from the current semester/term (i.e., unenroll from all classes once the semester/term has started) should complete the Withdraw from the University form on the Registrar's website. This form must be completed during the official university withdrawal period as noted on the academic calendar. Once you have submitted the electronic form, your information is automatically forwarded to the Registrar's Office for processing and you will be assigned W grades in all registered courses. Readmission is required upon returning except when the student is dropping during a summer term(s).
For withdrawal requests after the official withdrawal period has passed, students should review the policy and process for submitting a late withdrawal request for extenuatingcircumstances. All requests for late withdrawal, including the required supporting documentation, are reviewed by a university committee.
Returning after time away from campus
Students who do not enroll at the University in a fall or spring term must apply for readmission if they later decide to return. It is recommended that students visit the Office of the Registrar's website early after deciding to return to be aware of applicable deadlines. If you have questions about the readmission process, please contact the Registrar's Office at (828) 262-2050 or readmission@appstate.edu
Academic Probation and Suspension
Undergraduate students must earn, as a minimum, a 2.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) to continue at Appalachian in good academic standing. Failure to earn a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 will automatically place the student on academic probation during the fall or spring semester that follows. (Note: The cumulative grade-point average earned at Appalachian is computed ONLY on the basis of coursework taken at Appalachian; i.e., grades earned on coursework taken at other collegiate institutions or by correspondence are not computed in or allowed to affect the grade-point average at Appalachian, and therefore not used to determine academic standing.)
A student whose cumulative GPA is below the required minimum is placed on academic probation. Each student is permitted two regular terms (fall, spring) of academic probation. If the student has used both probation terms and again fails to meet the required cumulative GPA, the student will be suspended from further enrollment during the fall and spring terms. The student may, however, attend summer school at Appalachian. Students who raise their cumulative GPA to the required minimum during the summer term(s) will be permitted to return in the regular sessions.
Probation status related to academic performance is indicated on the grade report as follows:
■ Academic Probation - First Probation Term
■ Continued Probation - Second Probation Term
■ Academic Suspension - Ineligible to Return Fall/Spring terms
Since the Academic Probation Warning is not punitive in terms of a students' academic record, there is no appeal process. The purpose of the warning is to ensure that students are informed that continued failure to meet expected Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) ratio could have future consequences in terms of their GPA and financial aid eligibility. The SAP ratio compares cumulative earned credit hours to cumulative attempted credit hours and the threshold for good SAP standing is 67%. More information can be found under the Fostering Undergraduate Student Success page.