In using the Internet and other communications technologies to interact with other students, faculty and administrators, you will respect the privacy of others, respect the integrity of these systems, and respect other users' data. It is also your responsibility to respect copyright protection of licensed computer software.

As a member of a community of learners that is interacting using a variety of mediums and communication modes, you have certain responsibilities to your colleagues. You may not intentionally obstruct, disrupt or interfere with the interactions that occur on the Web site through computer "hacking" or any other action. You may not harass, stalk, threaten, abuse, insult or humiliate any student, professor or administrator using the WGU computer system or any other communications utilized by Western Governors University or its education providers. This includes, but is not limited to demeaning written or oral comments of an ethnic, sexist or racist nature, and unwanted advances or intimidations. You will be held liable for monetary damages for any such wrongful actions. If legal action is taken, you agree to a venue in the State of Utah. Complaints regarding violations of the code of conduct can be directed to the director of academic services and will be resolved through the provost's office.

1. WGU holds, as a core value, that the respect for ideas and intellectual property rights is a critical value in academic communities. All members of the University community share responsibility in ensuring that the authentic expression of those ideas is observed.
2. The expression of authentic ideas is observed when (a) a person credits or documents the use of the unique ideas or words of another (in speech or in writing), and (b) a person refuses to submit or assist someone else in submitting work prepared by another.
3. WGU Student Commitment: WGU students will indicate their commitment to Academic Authenticity when taking assessments or submitting documents for assessment by signing their names to the following statement for each item submitted:

   "THIS SUBMISSION IS THE RESULT OF MY OWN PREPARATION AND COMPLETION AND NOT ANOTHER'S."

4. All assignments submitted and all assessments taken by a student shall be solely performed by the student, except where assessment protocol indicates that the student may work with another or others.
5. Students may not submit work that is plagiarized (representing the work of another as one's own) or otherwise violates the copyright laws of the United States of America.
6. Cheating is also a violation of this policy. Cheating is defined as taking unfair advantage for the purpose of completing assignments, assessments, or related activities.
7. Alleged violations of the University's policy on Academic Authenticity are reviewed and adjudicated by the Academic Standards Committee. For a first violation, depending on its judgment of the severity of the infraction, the Committee may impose Warning, Probation or Suspension on the student. A second violation of Academic Authenticity by a student previously placed on Warning or Probation results in Suspension. Suspension must be for a minimum of six months and requires application for readmission. Any subsequent violation of Academic Authenticity for students previously on Suspension results in permanent Dismissal from the University. The judgments of the Academic Standards Committee may be appealed to the Provost, whose decisions are final in these matters.

Accordingly, equal opportunity shall be extended to all persons in the programs and services offered by WGU. This policy of nondiscrimination applies to (without limitation) admissions, recruitment, academic programs, student treatment and services, counseling and guidance, discipline, class assignments, grading, access, and employment.

Any student or applicant who wishes to discuss a possibly discriminatory act is welcome to do so. The provost has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies. Inquiries can be addressed to:

Western Governors University
Provost and Academic Vice President
4001 South 700 East, Suite 700
Salt Lake City, UT 84107-2533

Any student or applicant who wishes to discuss a possible discriminatory act is welcome to do so. Such complaints concerning perceived discriminatory acts can also be the subject of complaints to the State of Utah Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, as well as to the Utah Civil Rights Commission.

FERPA
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) was designed to protect the privacy of education records; to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records; and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. The following is a description of the rights of parents and students under FERPA. Regarding this policy, WGU defines a student as, "an individual who is enrolled in a class provided through WGU or who has applied to a WGU credential program," and a parent refers to "any individual who is the legal guardian of a student under 18 years of age."

Inspecting and Reviewing Education Records
You or your parent(s) have the right to inspect and review your education records. In accordance with FERPA, WGU established the following procedures for granting your request for access to your education records:

1. submit a letter clearly stating which records are requested to be reviewed to the WGU director of academic services;
2. upon receipt of the letter, WGU will notify you within 30 days describing how to access the specified records; and
3. copies of education records cost $.50 per page.

Requesting Amendment of Education Records
You or your parents may request to amend education records if you feel the information in the records is inaccurate, misleading or in violation of your right to privacy. WGU established the following procedures for handling your request:

1. Submit a letter to the WGU director of academic services clearly stating the nature of the proposed amendment and why it should be amended.
2. WGU will notify you of its decision on the request within 30 days of receipt of the letter. If WGU agrees to the request, the amendment to the education record is made.
3. If WGU chooses not to comply with the request, you are informed of your right to have a hearing on the issue and the procedures to request a hearing.
4. As a result of the hearing, if WGU decides that the information in the education record is not misleading, inaccurate, or in violation of your privacy rights, you may place a statement in the record commenting on the contested information. This statement will be included in any disclosure of the contested information.

Education records may be disclosed to school officials, financial aid officials, parents of dependent students, officials with court orders for the information, or other officials indicated by FERPA, after notice is afforded you or (if you are a dependent student) your parents.

WGU students are given notice of their rights to withdraw "directory information" in the Student Handbook. Such NOTICE reads:

Western Governors University is committed to ensuring your privacy as a visitor to our site and as a student in our university. The information you share with us through our forms will only be used for purposes specified on the form and, in some cases, to contact you with news about WGU, its course and program offerings, services, and special events. WGU will store the information you provide only as long as necessary. Students can modify their personal information each time they enroll in a class or apply to a WGU degree program. They may also call WGU's Student Services Center (877-435-7948) to request changes to personal information.

WGU uses passwords to protect the privacy of students who use personalized areas of its site. The highest level of security is used for storing information (SSL encryption). WGU staff monitor the site for technical reliability.

WGU provides its education providers and partners with complete enrollment information for students who enroll in their classes and with information in aggregate form about traffic to the WGU Web site. WGU's education providers and partners are obligated through their agreements with WGU to maintain the privacy of WGU students.

Student directory information may be shared with outside institutions and corporations. Students who do not wish to be listed in the student directory or to be included on WGU mailing lists may send their request via e-mail to unsubscribe@wgu.edu or click the "Confidentiality Required" button in the personal information section of the WGU application.

WGU complies with the protections established under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). For details about WGU's policy on the use of student information and the procedures WGU has established in accordance with FERPA, please see Student Handbook.

1. Transcripting Academic Achievement upon Graduation
Students are cleared for graduation when they:

• complete academic requirements (as certified by the Director of Assessment and Institutional Research and the Provost) and
• are cleared financially (as certified by the Vice President of Budget and Finance).

When cleared for graduation students can go through the next graduation ceremony, whenever it is scheduled.

2. Transcripting Academic Achievement Prior to the Graduation Term
Student academic achievement will be officially transcripted at the end of the student's six-month term.

WGU Transcripts include five possible "grades":

• Pass: Certifies successful completion of a course of study, demonstrating the required competencies by passing the final assessment.
• Not Passed: Indicates that a student has completed the time allotted to complete the course of study and thus is considered to have failed the course during this time period. The student will be required to re-take the course of study.
• Incomplete: Indicates that the student has been referred for the assessment and is waiting for the assessment results. Students will have 30 days to clear the incomplete by receiving the outstanding assessment result.
• Transfer: Documents that the student has completed equivalent work at another regionally or nationally accredited institution prior to attending WGU.
• Withdrawal: Documents that a student has withdrawn from the course of study.

The WGU Registrar must receive the official transcript verifying receipt of the baccalaureate degree within 60 days of the start of the student's program. If the student fails to send the official transcript to the WGU Registrar on the date specified, the student will be withdrawn from the WGU program until the official transcript is received.

We will measure your SAP quantitatively by reviewing the number of competency units you have completed each term. Graduate students must enroll in at least 8 competency units each term and undergraduate students must enroll in at least 12 competency units each term. You are expected to complete all of the competency units for which you enroll each term, but in order to remain in good academic standing you must complete at least 67% of the units you attempt. If you are unable to complete the minimum units in a given term, you will be placed on probation for the following term and you will be required to complete all of the competency units in the following term(s) until you reach a cumulative 67% of the competency units required for your entire degree program. If you are unable to complete the minimum number of units during a probationary term, you will be suspended from WGU. We know that SAP can be confusing so we will discuss it in greater detail with you during the EWB introductory course and your mentor can provide additional guidance.

Suspension Status for Financial Aid Students: If a student is on probation and fails to complete all competency units attempted, the student's academic record will be reviewed as follows:

If the student fails to complete all of the attempted units and fails to complete the minimum required competency units during the probationary term, the student is suspended without regard to cumulative completion.

If the student successfully completes the minimum competency units required for the term, but fails to complete all of the attempted units, we will review the student's cumulative completion rate. If the rate is less than 67%, the student is suspended from federal financial aid. If the cumulative completion rate is 67% or greater, the student will be in good standing.

If a student is suspended from federal financial aid it does not mean that the student is suspended from WGU, only that the student will be unable to access financial aid funds and will be required to pay tuition out-of-pocket. The student may appeal his/her suspension status to the Director of Financial Aid for extenuating circumstances. If the appeal is approved, the student will be able to use financial aid funds during the term. If the student appeals his/her suspension and the appeal is not approved, the student will be required to pay for the term out-of-pocket and must make SAP during the six-month term. If, at the end of the six-month term, the student is making SAP and is current on his/her financial account, he/she may appeal the suspension for the next six-month term. All students that return to their studies based on a successful appeal will return on probationary status.

APPEAL PROCESS
Students who are suspended from financial aid eligibility and have extenuating circumstances may appeal to reestablish eligibility. Students who wish to appeal must be current on all financial obligations. Financial aid cannot be used to make retroactive tuition and fees payments.

All appeals must be based on extenuating circumstances that prevented the student from meeting the requirements of this policy. Extenuating circumstances may include medical problems, a death in the immediate family, employment related hardship, military mobilization, and/or extreme personal problems. Documentation of these circumstances must be submitted with the appeal. The appeal must also explain why the circumstances no longer exist and what the student will do to ensure meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy in the future. All appeals include a review of the student's previous academic performance at WGU. If the appeal is approved, the student will be able to use financial aid funds during the term. If the appeal is not approved, the student will be required to pay for the term from other sources and must make SAP during the six-month term. If, at the end of the six-month term, the student is making SAP and is current on his/her financial account, he/she may appeal the suspension for the next six-month term. All students that return to their studies based on a successful appeal will return to good standing status.

A letter of appeal documenting any extenuating circumstances which led to the suspension should be sent to Western Governors University, Director of Financial Aid, 4001 South 700 East, Suite 700, Salt Lake City, UT 84107-2533 or FAX to 801-274-3305. The Director of Financial Aid will evaluate appeals on an individual basis, request additional information or documentation as needed, and advise the student of the final determination. If the student would like to appeal the decision made by the Director of Financial Aid, s/he must submit in writing his/her name along with a short resume of the appeal to the Provost within five (5) working days after receipt of the decision made by the Director of Financial Aid. The decision of the Provost is final.

I. Academic Progress:
Students are considered to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress if they complete required assessments and otherwise progress through their Academic Action Plan at reasonable rates. They work with their mentor to determine readiness for their assessments, but they may attempt them with or without their mentor's recommendation. Consistent with the principles of adult, self-directed learning, students have the right to fail. Unsuccessful attempts at assessments will assist the student and mentor in identifying areas of weakness and in developing strategies to overcome them. Mentors encourage (and as indicated below may require) students to seek learning opportunities that will strengthen areas of weakness.

A. Students who fail the same assessment(s) twice may, either at mentor request or as a result of Satisfactory Academic Progress review, have their academic progress evaluated by the Academic Standards Committee and may be placed on academic Warning or Probation as a result. Students on Warning cannot take the failed assessments again without their mentor's permission, and they are encouraged to undertake additional learning preparation in the deficit area(s) before doing so. Students placed on academic Probation are required to undertake additional learning preparation and must provide their mentors with evidence of satisfactory results before they will be allowed to take the assessments a third time. Passing the previously failed assessments and meeting the required rate of Satisfactory Academic Progress in the degree program removes the Warning or Probation.

A third failure at the same assessment(s), or additional failures at other assessment(s), results in another formal evaluation of academic progress by the Academic Standards Committee and can result in Probation or Suspension from the University. Suspension entails a minimum period of six months' disenrollment and formal application for readmission. The application must show evidence of successful efforts to overcome the area(s) of previous weakness and strong likelihood of success on the previously failed WGU assessment(s). Students returning to the University from academic suspension re-enter on Probation. Passing the failed assessment(s) and progressing at the required rate of Satisfactory Academic Progress in the degree program removes the Probation. Two additional failures at the previously failed assessments, or a continuing and broad pattern of failure at other assessments, may result in permanent Dismissal from the University.

B. In rare instances, students may be sufficiently successful with their early assessments to avoid Warning or Probation, yet present work of such marginal quality that their mentor forecasts ultimate failure to complete the degree program. A student may pass early and easier assessments but display no capacity to succeed with later, more difficult ones. Or a student may succeed with objective assessments but display such poor writing ability as to forecast failure at the essay and capstone assessments. In such instances, the student's mentor may notify the student that s/he is requesting the Committee to review the student's work with a view to counseling the student out of the program.

The Committee will review the evidence supplied by the mentor, including evidence of remedies and interventions that have been attempted, the counter-argument provided by the student, if any, and will reach a decision. The Committee may elect to:

1. take no action against the student
2. request the mentor and student to undertake additional steps to try to overcome the problem,
3. place the student on Warning or Probation,
4. Suspend, or Dismiss the student from the University.

The judgments of the Academic Standards Committee may be appealed to the Provost within ten business days of the Committee's notification to the student. The Provost will review the evidence presented by the Committee and the student, and will confirm or amend the Committee's action. The decisions of the Provost are final in these matters.

In the event of Dismissal, refund of tuition and fees, other than required by the University's policy on Withdrawal, is at the sole discretion of the University.

A. Alleged violations of academic integrity, such as plagiarism or cheating, are reviewed and adjudicated by the Academic Standards Committee. For a first violation, depending on its judgment of the severity of the infraction, the Committee may impose Warning, Probation or Suspension on the student. A second violation of academic integrity by a student previously placed on Warning or Probation results in Suspension. Suspension must be for a minimum of six months and requires application for readmission. Any subsequent violation of academic integrity for students previously on Suspension results in permanent Dismissal from the University. The judgments of the Academic Standards Committee may be appealed to the Provost, who will review the evidence presented by the Committee and the student. The decisions of the Provost are final in these matters.

B. Violations of the University's Code of Conduct are also violations of academic integrity and are subject to review and action by the Academic Standards Committee. WGU students are held accountable for upholding civil and criminal laws as well as for abiding by all rules and regulations published by Western Governors University and its education providers. In using the Internet and other communications technologies to interact with other students, faculty and administrators, students must respect the privacy of others and the integrity of the technology systems they use, as well as other users' data and the copyright protection of licensed computer software. Students may not intentionally obstruct, disrupt or interfere with the interactions that occur on the Web site through computer "hacking" or any other action. They may not harass, stalk, threaten, abuse, insult or humiliate any student, professor or administrator using the WGU computer system or any other communications system utilized by Western Governors University or its education providers. This requirement includes, but is not limited to demeaning written or oral comments of an ethnic, sexist or racist nature, and unwanted advances or intimidations. Students will be held liable for monetary damages resulting from any such wrongful actions. If legal action is taken, students agree to a venue in the State of Utah.

Independent of any legal action that may result from a violation of the Code of Conduct, the Academic Standards Committee, depending on its judgment of the severity of the infraction, may impose a Warning, Probation, or Suspension on the student. A second violation of the Code of Conduct by a student previously placed on Warning or Probation results in Suspension. Suspension must be for a minimum of six months and requires application for readmission. Any subsequent violation for a student previously on Suspension results in permanent Dismissal from the University. The judgments of the Academic Standards Committee may be appealed to the Provost, who will review the evidence presented by the Committee and the student. The decisions of the Provost are final in these matters.

The Academic Action Plan will be frozen at 60 days into the term. Mentors will document academic activity for any changes in assessments after the initial Academic Activity Verification at the beginning of the term. The only changes allowed after 60 days will be the addition of assessments if the student is accelerating.

• 1st month: maintain contact with your mentor twice a week, including once by phone.
• 2nd-6th month: maintain contact with your mentor once a week, with a phone call every two weeks.
• Thereafter: maintain contact with your mentor every two weeks, more as needed, phone calls as needed.
• Probation/Suspension: If you are placed on probation or suspension, a SAP recovery plan must be filed by your mentor within two weeks of the probation notice and it should clearly outline a communication and recovery plan. You will be expected to maintain a weekly communication plan that, at minimum, requires weekly email communication with a phone call every two weeks until you are back in good standing.

WGU uses the last documented academic communication from the student to the mentor or the date an assessment was taken (whichever date is latest) to establish "last date of academic activity" for financial aid and withdrawal purposes.

In the event that 30 days have passed and the student has not responded to the mentor's communication the student will be considered inactive.

All inactive students are contacted by the Academic Services team and placed on notice. The Academic Services team will initiate contact with the student via phone, e-mail, and postal mail immediately upon identification of the inactive student. If the student does not contact the Academic Services team within seven days of receiving the postal notice, the student will be administratively dropped.

Payment of tuition/fees, in the absence of other activity does not constitute academic progress.

Financial Aid Recipients
For financial aid purposes, the Last Date of Attendance is defined as the last date that a record of communication or activity is noted in the student's file. Financial aid recipients will become ineligible for financial aid no later than 30 days after the Last Date of Attendance.

Students may become active at the first of any subsequent month to begin a new six-month term. Students returning from a term break are required to be current on their financial account and establish communication with their mentors within two weeks of the start of the new term so that academic activity can be verified. Students who take a term break for longer than five months will be administratively withdrawn from WGU. Student contact will be made by phone and e-mail and notification will be sent via postal mail prior to withdrawal under these circumstances.

Grievance: when a student believes that an existing policy has been inappropriately applied.
Complaint: when a student believes that s/he has been treated unfairly by a WGU employee.

Complaints and grievances regarding WGU policies, processes, academics, and staff are resolved through an appropriate mediation process. The following procedures document the steps that should be taken. If a student is in doubt as to which procedure to follow, s/he should consult the office of academic services for guidance at 801-274-3280 or academicservices@wgu.edu.

• If a student has a complaint about a course offered by one of WGU's affiliated education providers, s/he should bring it to the attention of the mentor. However, the complaint will be handled through the procedure in place at the education provider institution. The complaint should be brought forward either during the period in which the class is conducted or within ten (10) working days of the last date of the class.
• If a student has a non-academic complaint (i.e., billing, financial aid, texts and resources, registration, etc.) and the student is a:
  1. Student that has not been assigned to a mentor, the student should take the complaint to the Director of Academic Services within ten (10) working days of the situation raising the complaint. If the student would like to appeal the decision made by the Director of Academic Services, s/he must submit in writing her/his name along with a short resume of the appeal to the Provost within five (5) working days after receipt of the decision made by the Director of Academic Services.
  2. Student assigned to a mentor, the student should take the complaint to the mentor within ten (10) working days of the event raising the complaint. If the results are unsatisfactory, the complaint can be taken to the Director of Academic Services who will consult with any necessary departments and will make a final decision. If the student would like to appeal the decision made by the Director of Academic Services, s/he must submit in her/his name along with a short resume of the appeal to the Provost within five (5) working days after receipt of the decision made by the Director of Academic Services.
• If a student has a grievance regarding curriculum or assessments, the student should take the complaint to the mentor within ten (10) working days of the situation raising the complaint. As appropriate, the mentor will forward the complaint to the Director of Assessment and Institutional Research (DAIR). If the DAIR cannot make a final decision, or if the decision made by the DAIR is unsatisfactory to the student, the DAIR will take the complaint to the appropriate Program Council (in the case of curriculum) or the Assessment Council (in the case of an assessment) for a final decision. If the student would like to appeal the decision made by the Program or Assessment Councils, the student must submit in writing his/her name along with a short resume of the appeal to the Provost within five (5) working days after receipt of the decision made by the Program Council.
• If the student has a complaint regarding resources, satisfactory academic progress, etc., s/he should take it to the mentor within ten (10) working days of the situation raising the complaint. If the mentor's decision is unsatisfactory, the complaint should be taken to the Director of Academic Services (DAS) within five (5) days of receipt of the mentor's decision. The DAS will issue a ruling on the case. If the student would like to appeal the decision of the DAS , s/he must submit in writing her/his name along with a short resume of the appeal to the Provost within five (5) working days after receipt of the decision made by the DAS .
• If a student has a complaint about his/her mentor, the complaint should be taken to the student's Program Coordinator. If the student feels the resulting decision is unsatisfactory, s/he may appeal it to the Director of Academic Services (DAS) within ten (10) days after receiving the Coordinator's decision. If the student feels the decision of the DAS is unsatisfactory, s/he may appeal it to the Provost within five (5) days after receiving the decision. All appeals must be in writing and provide reasons for requesting further review.
• The Provost's decision is final in all appeals regarding student complaints and grievances.

Students dropped from the university for nonactivity or failure to make SAP may be considered for readmission. Students dropped from the university apply for readmission by sending a letter of appeal, together with the readmission application fee of $100, to the Director of Academic Services. The appeal should address the following issues: the circumstances that led to inactivity, why s/he believes the WGU model is appropriate for her/him, and why s/he believes s/he will be able to make Satisfactory Academic Progress in their WGU studies if readmitted. If any college level work was completed elsewhere during the absence from WGU, an official transcript of that work should be sent to the Director of Academic Services.

The Director of Academic Services or a designated university official will review the readmission letter and all documents related to the student's prior WGU academic history and make a readmission decision. The student may appeal the decision of the Director of Academic Services within five days of the decision to the Provost, whose decision is final. The student must be current on his/her financial account prior to readmission.

Students readmitted to the university must develop a detailed Academic Action Plan with their assigned mentor within thirty days of the date of readmission, and must agree to abide by the university's SAP policy. Students that have been away from the university for one year or more must successfully complete the Education Without Boundaries course within thirty days of readmission.