Academic Policies and Procedures

All students are subject to the academic policies and procedures set forth in the Strayer University Catalog and the Student Handbook. All students should familiarize themselves with the policies concerning incompletes, withdrawals, academic standing, refunds, and other such matters contained in this publication, as well as those regarding financial aid.

Course Requirements

Immunization of Students

Strayer University must comply with various state health and immunization standards which require students to provide proof of proper immunization.

Registration

Students may register for classes in one of two ways:

1. Online at https://icampus.strayer.edu
2. Speak with an advisor or coach. Students on academic probation or academic suspension must register by speaking with an Academic Operations Associate.

Note: For individuals currently serving in the military and wishing to utilize tuition assistance, we encourage you to speak with your Education Office prior to registration.

Student Enrollment Status
Undergraduate students taking 12 quarter credits or more in a term at Strayer are considered full time. Undergraduate students are considered three-quarter time if taking between 9 and 11.99 quarter credits, half-time if taking 6 to 8.99 quarter credits, and part-time if taking less than 6 quarter credits. An undergraduate student who wishes to carry more than 18 quarter hours in one quarter must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average. They may not carry more than 27 quarter hours in one quarter, unless permitted by an Academic Operations Associate.

Graduate students taking 6 quarter credits or more in a term at Strayer are considered full time. Graduate students are considered three-quarter time if taking between 4.5 and 5.99 quarter credits, half time if taking 3-4.49 credits, and less than half time if taking less than 3 quarter credits. A graduate student who wishes to carry more than 13.5 credit hours in one quarter must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA. They may not carry more than 18 credit hours in one quarter, unless permitted by an Academic Operations Associate.

Courses taken at any entity or institution outside of Strayer, with the intent to transfer them in, do not count towards Strayer enrollment status. Credits earned via Strayer challenge exam or through the Skills Advantage Program do not count towards Strayer enrollment status.

Cancellation of Courses
The university reserves the right to cancel a course. Cancellation decisions take place before the first day of class. Affected students will receive notification by phone, email, and/or mail, and the university provides assistance with alternative course selection.

Auditing

A student who has been admitted to the university may elect to audit a class for no academic credit. Students who wish to audit a class may do so by completing a "Request to Audit a Course" form which can be obtained from a coach or advisor. A student may not change their status in a class from credit to audit or from audit to credit after midterm. A student who is auditing a class is expected to take an active part in the class but is excluded from examination requirements. A class taken for audit may be repeated for credit in another quarter. Students auditing courses are subject to all regular tuition and fees. Federal student aid, military tuition assistance and veteran’s educational benefits cannot be used to cover tuition and fees for an audited course.

Attendance

Online Class – Attendance
An academic week for online courses is from Monday 12:00 a.m. ET to Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET (seven calendar days). In rare instances, the academic calendar may stipulate that an academic week for an online course is only six calendar days. Attendance is recorded for the day the action was completed regardless of the day a particular assignment or item was due. Additionally, items submitted prior to the official start date of an academic week, or after the official end date of an academic week, do not record attendance for that week; rather, they record attendance for the actual week during which the assignment was submitted.

In order to satisfy weekly attendance requirements, online students must complete one or more of the following grade or credit-bearing activities each week: (1) submit an academic assignment in the Learning Management System (LMS), i.e. Canvas, (2) submit a quiz or an exam in the LMS, or (3) actively participate in a posted online academic discussion in the LMS. Additionally, some courses use labs to supplement a portion of their material. These labs do not count for attendance unless noted in the course guide.

Weekly attendance participation must be within the class-specific online LMS. Logging into the online class without active participation (as described above) does not constitute official weekly attendance. The university reserves sole discretion to determine that attendance will not be awarded for posts that do not constitute active participation in online discussion posts.

Campus Class – Attendance
Students are expected to attend for the full duration of all regularly scheduled campus classes. Should absence, tardiness or early departure be necessary, students are responsible for the material covered during the absence. Faculty cannot grant requests for excessive amounts of makeup material. Strayer University requires all faculty to take attendance during each class period, generally in the form of a sign-in sheet, and to record it accurately on their permanent roster.

In order for a campus class student to be marked as present for attendance purposes, the student must attend at least half of the class and be recorded as present on the sign-in sheet. Being marked as present for attendance purposes does not obligate the instructor to give the student credit for participation for grading purposes.

Hybrid Class – Attendance
Students are expected to attend for the full duration of the regularly scheduled on-ground portion of the hybrid class and complete all assignments in the online portion of the class. Should absence, tardiness or early departure be necessary during the on-ground class, students are responsible for the material covered during the absence. Faculty cannot grant requests for excessive amounts of makeup material. Strayer University requires all faculty to take attendance during each class period, generally in the form of a sign-in sheet, and to record it accurately on their permanent roster.

For the on-ground portion of the hybrid class, following the circulation of the class sign-in sheet, the instructor will mark their own signature next to each student to confirm they were actually present in class. Being marked as present for attendance purposes does not obligate the instructor to give the student credit for participation for grading purposes.

Absences from Campus and Online Classes
Students are advised to work directly with their instructor as personal emergencies arise that prevent satisfactory class attendance. A student who expects to be absent due to extended mitigating circumstances should contact a dean, advisor, or coach and their instructor. The university has defined the following as possible mitigating circumstances of physical or financial hardship: serious injury or serious or chronic illness of the student; serious illness or injury of a member of the student’s immediate family for whom the student is the primary caregiver or which results in the student becoming the immediate family member’s part-time or full-time caregiver; death of a member of student’s immediate family; military deployment; mental health conditions that are severe enough to warrant hospitalization and/or treatment and multiple sessions of counseling, psychotherapy, or psychiatric consultations, and/or a medical provider’s recommended break from school; unforeseen travel requirements; significant cost of living increase; or relocation related to the student’s employment. To request an accommodation or waiver based on mitigating circumstances, the student must provide a dean, advisor, or coach and their instructor with the appropriate written documentation supporting the student’s claim of mitigating circumstances. If the student’s request for an accommodation is granted based on the documentation provided, a dean, advisor, or coach will notify the student. Students may be required to submit additional documentation before enrolling in subsequent quarters to demonstrate that the mitigating circumstance has been alleviated or no longer exists.

If circumstances are such that, due to the extended length of the class absences or anticipated absence, the preferable course of action is class withdrawal, the student may petition an advisor or coach for withdrawal and consideration for a tuition and/or fee adjustment and/or waiver of the withdrawal fee. Appropriate written documentation supporting a withdrawal request must be provided to the advisor/coach.

For campus and synchronous classes, a student who is absent from four consecutive class meetings (two consecutive class meetings for mini-sessions), will be withdrawn automatically from that course. Note: in situations when a class was rescheduled because the originally scheduled class was cancelled or fell on a scheduled Strayer holiday, it is possible that the four (two for mini-sessions) consecutive class meetings may be greater than or less than 28 (14 for mini-sessions) calendar days.

An online student who is absent for four (two for mini-sessions) consecutive academic weeks (i.e., for online classes an academic week is Monday, 12:00 a.m. EST to Sunday at 11:59 p.m. EST) will be withdrawn automatically from that course.

A student who does not attend any of the classes for which they are registered in a term will be administratively withdrawn from the university.

Emergency Cancellation of Classes
In case of inclement weather or other emergencies, the university will notify the campus community that classes are canceled. Students may also view emergency announcements on the website at https://icampus.strayer.edu and will receive notification from StrayerALERT via text message and/or email. When cancellation of classes is necessary, instructors may arrange for additional class meetings, virtual sessions, or the completion of instructor-determined work to compensate for attendance time.

Military Service Deployment

Notification of Military Service
Active duty military students who are called to perform a military service obligation must notify their military advisor or coach of their military service as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances. This notice must demonstrate that the interruption to enrollment/attendance is related to fulfilling a military service obligation, but does not have to indicate whether the student intends to return to Strayer.

Grades and Academic Credit
Active duty military students whose attendance is interrupted by military service may petition for an incomplete grade in the affected course(s), provided they meet the other eligibility requirements set forth in Strayer’s Grading and Grade Appeals Policy.

Course Withdrawals and Tuition and Fee Adjustment
A military advisor or coach will work with active-duty military students whose attendance is interrupted by military service to complete the necessary documents for course withdrawals and tuition/fees adjustment for the term per the Special Credit Procedures.

Notification of Intent to Return to School
Active duty military students whose attendance is interrupted by military service must give oral or written notice of their intent to return to the school within three years after the completion of the period of military service to their military advisor, coach, or dean. Students have up to five years after the completion of the period of military service to return to the school without having to requalify for admission. A student who fails to re-enroll within these periods is subject to the University’s general readmission policies.

Re-Enrollment in the University
Active duty military students whose attendance is interrupted by military service will be re-enrolled in their original program of study and placed in the same academic status as at the time of withdrawal. This academic status means being admitted to the same program to which the student was last admitted, unless the student chooses a different program. The student will be enrolled with the same number of credit hours previously completed, unless the student is readmitted to a different program to which any portion of the completed credit hours are not applicable. The student will be readmitted with the same academic standing (GPA). If the University no longer offers the student’s original academic program, the University will work with the student to enroll in an alternative program that aligns with the student’s interests.

Online Class: Participation

The university expects students taking online classes to actively participate throughout the week in order to promote a meaningful and engaging learning experience. In order to earn full credit for an online threaded discussion, students must make substantive contributions to the online discussion, as determined by the instructor and make a total of two posts per discussion thread. There must be at minimum one original post and at minimum one other post per discussion. Online students may choose to, and are encouraged to, post on multiple days of the week, but are not required to do so to earn full credit for an online discussion.

In order to earn full credit for an online threaded discussion, JWMI students must make substantive contributions to the online discussion, as determined by the instructor and make a total of three posts per discussion thread. There must be at minimum one original post and at minimum two peer responses per discussion. Online students may choose to, and are encouraged to, post on multiple days of the week, but are not required to do so to earn full credit for an online discussion.

This policy does not change attendance requirements for online courses. Please see the attendance policy in the catalog.

Student Illness Policy

When a student misses coursework due to illness, the student must contact the instructor as soon as possible and provide the instructor with medical documentation stating the dates of illness. Makeup work is given at the instructor’s discretion, in accordance with the class late policy. Students are subject to the attendance requirements as described under the Polices and Procedures section of the catalog. Makeup work agreements do not overrule attendance requirements.

When considering whether to withdraw from a class due to illness, please note that all policies on refunds and/or withdrawal fees described in the catalog will be followed.

Developmental English and Foundational Skills

Fundamental education courses are designed for students who need a refresher course before enrolling in credit-bearing courses. Fundamental courses are not offered for academic credit and do not fulfill graduation requirements. Students who take developmental English (ENG 090) must complete it with a grade of C or better.

All undergraduate students, excluding students in a stand-alone undergraduate certificate or diploma program*, must enroll in WRK 100 in their first term, where they will be assessed for English proficiency. Students who do not earn the university-determined passing algorithmic score on the writing assessment or who do not meet one of the other criteria as outlined in the Undergraduate Admission section of the catalog, must enroll in ENG 090 for their second term. Students may defer ENG 090 to their third term only if they need to repeat all of their first term courses in their second term. Developmental English requirements may not be deferred past the third term under any circumstances.

*Students in a stand-alone undergraduate certificate or diploma program may satisfy developmental English requirements in accordance with the criteria outlined in the Undergraduate Admission section of the catalog.

Students, excluding students solely enrolled in a stand-alone undergraduate certificate or the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program, must successfully complete MAT 104 or MAT 110 by earning a grade of C or higher or post transfer credit. Students without transfer credit in mathematics must attempt MAT 104 or MAT 110 no later than their fifth term* of enrollment to continue taking other courses in their program. Students may defer MAT 104 or MAT 110 to their sixth term only if they need to repeat all of their fourth term courses in their fifth term. Changes to the term requirement are subject to accreditation, regulatory, or state requirements.

Note: Students in a stand-alone certificate program do not need to complete MAT104 or MAT110 unless it is in the certificate program or unless and until the student enrolls in another program at Strayer University which includes MAT104 or MAT110 in the curriculum.

*Students enrolled in the LPN program are required to demonstrate proficiency in math within their first quarter of enrollment. A student may satisfy this by attaining a score of 22 or above on the ACT test or earning a score of 70% or higher in the Sophia Introduction to Mathematics course.

A student enrolled in ENG 090 who does not earn a passing grade may repeat the course pursuant to the Repeating Courses – Undergraduate Policy.

Withdrawal

Before withdrawing from a course or from the university, a student should confer with a coach or advisor as well as with Student Financial Services in order to review all of the university's policies prior to the withdrawal. Withdrawal requests must be initiated through the student portal at https://icampus.strayer.edu.

Students withdrawing or who are administratively withdrawn before the financial aid census date each term will receive a grade of W (withdrew). Students withdrawing or who are administratively withdrawn on or after the financial aid census date but prior to last day to withdraw without academic penalty will receive grade of WP (withdrew passing) for the course. Students withdrawing or who are administratively withdrawn after the last day to withdraw without academic penalty will receive a grade of WF (withdrew failing). Students withdrawing or who are administratively withdrawn within the third week of the scheduled mini-session class will receive a grade of W (withdrew). After the third week, a grade of WF (withdrew failing) will be recorded. Withdrawal deadlines are indicated in each quarter’s class schedule. Failure to follow these procedures may result in a failing grade in the course.

Repeating Courses: Undergraduate

An undergraduate student may repeat any college-level course in which they receive a grade of D or F. A course may be repeated one time. A dean or academic designee may grant an exception to this policy upon consideration of the student's individual situation. The student may enroll for the additional attempt after review and approval by the dean or academic designee.

Students enrolled in associate and bachelor's degrees may have no more than five repeat grades on their academic record, appearing as "repeat excluded" on the student record. Students enrolled in undergraduate certificate programs may have no more than two repeated grades on their academic record, appearing as "repeat excluded" on the student record, and students enrolled in diploma programs may have no more than three repeated grades on their academic record, appearing as "repeat excluded" on the student record. Once a student has reached the maximum number of repeated courses that may be excluded, all subsequent courses where a D or an F is received will be counted towards the student’s cumulative grade point average. Students may continue to enroll and pursue their program of study until which time they fail to meet academic standards set by the university.

Repeats of required courses attempted at Strayer University may be satisfied by transfer credit, subject to all applicable policies, limitations, and requirements, including residency requirements. If the course requirement is satisfied by transfer credit, the Strayer course grade remains on the student's transcript and in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.

In conjunction with the policy on repeating college-level courses, there is a separate policy to be considered surrounding developmental English. Students should refer to the Policies and Procedures section of this catalog for information on developmental English and foundational skills requirements.

Students who do not earn a passing grade in developmental English (under 100-level) may repeat the developmental course one time during the immediately subsequent term or satisfy the requirement by one of the approved means as outlined in the Developmental English and Foundational Skills section of the catalog. Other than in cases of extraordinary extenuating circumstances, students who fail developmental English two times must utilize one of the alternative means to earn credit as outlined in the Developmental English and Foundational Skills section of the catalog before being allowed to take additional courses at Strayer. Upon demonstration of extraordinary extenuating circumstances, an academic designee may recommend a student for a third developmental English course attempt. A student may not attempt developmental English more than three times under any circumstances.

Students who wish to improve their grade by retaking a course for which they have already received a grade higher than F may use financial aid only for the first repeat of that course.

Students receiving VA education benefits may not repeat a course in which they have a passing grade unless a higher grade is required to pursue their program of study. In addition, VA students may not repeat a course in which they have received transfer credit for the same course.

Administrative Swap Policy – Undergraduate
Under the administrative swap policy, the university has permission to reenroll students in a failed remedial course, a failed prerequisite course, or a failed required course which results in the student's GPA falling below a 2.0 at the undergraduate level. Students who would like to opt out of being reenrolled may send an email to optoutadminswap@strayer.edu. Students may opt in or opt out at any time.

Transfer Credit
Required undergraduate courses attempted at Strayer University (attendance established) where a passing or otherwise required grade was not received, may be satisfied by transfer credit, subject to all applicable policies, requirements and limitations. If the course requirement is satisfied by transfer credit, the Strayer course grade remains on the student record as part of the cumulative grade point average calculation.

Repeat Grade Calculation – Undergraduate Degree Programs
During the quarter in which the D or F grade is earned, that grade is computed as part of the quarterly and cumulative grade point average for academic purposes. Repeating a course does not remove the course from the student’s academic record, but the grade may be excluded from the cumulative grade point average. When the course has been completed in another quarter, and the maximum number of repeated courses that may be excluded has not yet been reached, a grade of repeat excluded replaces the lesser of the two grades in the cumulative grade point average. The better grade is computed in the quarter in which it was earned and thereafter replaces the lesser grade when calculating the cumulative grade point average.

In addition to the above-listed requirements, students must fulfill all graduation requirements as listed in this catalog under Undergraduate Degree Conferral Requirements.

Students otherwise eligible for federal financial aid may use this funding to repeat a failed course, presuming they remain in good standing for federal financial aid. Students who wish to improve their grade by retaking a course for which they have already received a grade higher than F may use financial aid only for the first repeat of that course.

Repeating Courses: Graduate

A graduate student may repeat any college-level course in which they receive a grade of C or below. A course may be repeated one time. A dean or academic designee may grant an exception to this policy upon consideration of the student's individual situation.

Students enrolled in a graduate degree may have no more than three repeat grades on their academic record, appearing as "repeat excluded" on the student record. Students enrolled in graduate certificate programs may have no more than two repeated grades on their academic record, appearing as "repeat excluded" on the student record. Once a student has reached the maximum number of repeated courses that may be excluded, all subsequent courses where a C or below is received will be counted toward the student’s cumulative grade point average. Students may continue to enroll and pursue their programs of study until they fail to meet academic standards set by the university.

Repeats of required courses attempted at Strayer University may be satisfied by transfer credit, subject to all applicable policies, limitations and requirements, including residency requirements. If the course requirement is satisfied by transfer credit, the Strayer course grade remains on the student's transcript and in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.

Students who wish to improve a grade by retaking a course for which they have already received a grade higher than F may use financial aid only for the first repeat of that course.

Students receiving VA education benefits may not repeat a course in which they have a passing grade unless a higher grade is required to pursue their programs of study. In addition, a VA student may not repeat a course in which they have received transfer credit for the same course.

Students who are earning a master's degree and are required to repeat a course they previously passed because the class exceeded the 10-year rule do not need to submit a repeat appeal for their first repeat; however, if they do not pass the first repeat, they will need to submit a repeat appeal for subsequent attempts.

Administrative Swap Policy – Graduate
Under the administrative swap policy, the university has permission to reenroll students in a failed prerequisite or a failed required course that results in the GPA falling below 2.5 at the graduate level. Students who would like to opt out of being reenrolled may send an email to optoutadminswap@strayer.edu. Students may opt in or out at any time.

Transfer Credit
Required graduate courses attempted at Strayer University (attendance established) in which a passing or otherwise required grade was not received, may be satisfied by transfer credit, subject to all applicable policies, requirements and limitations. If the course requirement is satisfied by transfer credit, the Strayer course grade remains on the student record as part of the cumulative grade point average calculation.

Repeat Grade Calculation – Graduate Degree Programs
During the quarter in which the C or lower grade is earned, that grade is computed as part of the quarterly and cumulative grade point average for academic purposes. Repeating a course does not remove the course from the student’s academic record, but the grade may be excluded from the cumulative grade point average. When the course has been completed in another quarter, and the maximum number of repeated courses has not yet been reached, a grade of repeat excluded replaces the lesser of the two grades in the cumulative grade point average. The better grade is computed in the quarter in which it was earned, and thereafter replaces the lesser grade when calculating the cumulative grade point average.

In addition to the above-listed requirements, students must fulfill all graduation requirements as listed in this catalog under the Graduate Degree Conferral Requirements.

Students otherwise eligible for federal financial aid may use this funding to repeat a failed course, presuming they remain in good standing for federal financial aid. Students who wish to improve a grade by retaking a course for which they have already received a grade higher than F may use financial aid only for the first repeat of that course.