Cameron Students posing for a picture on Campus

Student Handbook

Academic Regulations


Academic Regulations section of the Code of Student Conduct:


STUDENT COMPLAINTS AGAINST FACULTY MEMBERS

This University encourages students to meet with their instructor to attempt to resolve any issues and concerns. However, if a concern cannot be directly resolved with the faculty member, students may pursue a complaint by progressing through the administrative channels by contacting the instructor’s department chair, academic dean, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This procedure, in addition to directly contacting the President of the university, may also be followed by students who have a complaint regarding an instructor’s English proficiency as required by Sections 3224 and 3225 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

6.01 SCHOLASTIC REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTINUING ENROLLMENT

a. Enrollment in Good Standing. A student who meets the University’s retention standards is eligible for continuing enrollment.

1. Undergraduate Retention Standards. The following standards relating to retention of students pursuing study in an undergraduate program apply at all institutions in the Oklahoma State Systems of Higher Education. For continued enrollment at Cameron University, a student must have earned a retention grade point average as indicated below:

0 – 30 attempted semester hours 1.70

Over 30 attempted semester hours 2.00

Any student not maintaining satisfactory progress toward his/her study objective as indicated above will be placed on Academic Probation. To continue as a student, student must attain a semester grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or meet the minimum retention standards required above. If a student does not make a 2.0 GPA for each subsequent semester after being placed on probation, he/she will be academically suspended. For information regarding suspension and academic appeals contact the Admissions Office. For information regarding suspension, if classified as a senior, contact the Registrar’s Office.

b. Graduate Retention Standards. A student, regardless of admission status, will be placed on academic probation if that student’s cumulative graduate grade point average (GPA) at Cameron is less than 3.0. at the end of any semester or summer term. Failure to achieve a 3.0 GPA or above during any semester or summer term, during which the student is already on academic probation, will result in suspension for one regular semester (Fall or Spring) from graduate study at Cameron University. Students who are suspended may apply for re-admission on probation at the end of that semester. Following re-admission, students who fail to achieve a 3.0 GPA in any semester while still on probation will be dismissed from Cameron University. The Registrar’s Office will notify students of their probation, suspension, or dismissal status.

6.02 ACADEMIC NOTICE

Freshman students, 30 or fewer attempted credit hours, with a retention GPA of 1.70 to less than 2.00 will be placed on academic notice. Academic notice is not recorded on the transcript.

6.03 ACADEMIC PROBATION

A student will be placed on academic probation if he/she fails to attain the grade point average noted in 6.01a. Scholastic probation is recorded on the transcript. (For graduate requirements, refer to 6.01b.)

6.04 ACADEMIC SUSPENSION

A student will be suspended if after one semester of academic probation they do not attain a minimum grade point average of 2.00 for the semester, or their retention grade point average (not to include activity or performance courses) does not meet the retention standards stated above. Suspension is recorded on the transcript.

6.05 READMISSION AFTER SUSPENSION

The student who has been suspended from the University because of poor grades will be eligible to apply for readmission after one full semester. (A summer term is not a full semester.) Graduate students must receive permission from the Graduate Council.

6.06 ACADEMIC FORGIVENESS/REPRIEVE/RENEWAL POLICIES

Contact the Registrar’s Office for the academic forgiveness, reprieve, and renewal policies.

6.07 ACADEMIC OFFENSES

Each student is expected to engage in all academic pursuits in a manner that is above reproach. Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary action. Examples of academic dishonest, including, but not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating on an examination or in the preparation of academic work. Cheating may include:
    1. Copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report, or computer files, data, listings, and/or programs;
    2. Using materials not authorized by the professor or instructor;
    3. Collaborating with another person without authorization during an examination or in the preparation of academic work;
    4. Knowingly and without authorization, using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, soliciting, copying or possessing in whole or in part, the contents of an examination or the work of another student;
    5. Substituting for another student, or permitting another student/individual to substitute for oneself in taking an examination or preparing academic work; or
    6. Attempting to bribe another person to obtain an examination or information about an examination;
    7. Attempting to bribe any faculty/staff or student to alter a grade.
    8. Plagiarizing: To plagiarize is to “pass off ideas or words of another’s as one’s own created production without crediting the source; to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.” (Webster)
    9. Any forgery, alteration, or misuse of academic documents, forms or records.

6.08 SANCTIONS FOR ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

A student who is found guilty of an act of academic dishonesty may be subject to one or more of the following sanctions:

  1. The student may be required to perform additional academic work/project not required of other students in the course;
  2. The student’s grade in the course or on the examination or other academic work affected by the dishonesty may be reduced to any extent, including a reduction to failure;
  3. The student may be required to withdraw from the course with a grade of “W” or “F”.
  4. The student may be placed on disciplinary probation, or suspended or expelled from the university.

Cases where the faculty member, chair of the department (Chair), or dean of the school (Dean) recommends the sanction of disciplinary probation, suspension or expulsion, will be referred to the Director of Student Development (Director) for appropriate action. The disciplinary committee will be convened for cases involving suspension or expulsion.

6.09 PROCEDURES IN CASES OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

A. Initiation of Action. When a faculty member believes that a student has committed academic dishonesty, the faculty member shall summon the student to a conference (e.g. in person, zoom, etc.), which constitutes an administrative review under the Code.

B. Faculty Disposition. If, after presenting the student with evidence of academic dishonesty and allowing the student an opportunity to respond, the faculty member determines, based on all evidence available to them that an act of academic dishonesty did occur, and with approval from the respective Chair, he or she shall advise the student of the determination and the sanction(s) to be imposed under section 6.08 of the Code. The Chair shall report the decision, in writing, to the Dean and the Office of Student Development within five (5) business days. If the student involved is a current student athlete, the Office of Student Development will notify the Athletic Department. The student shall indicate either written acceptance or non-acceptance of the sanction imposed by the faculty member.

C. Appeal of Faculty Disposition. The student may appeal to the appropriate Dean. A request for an appeal hearing must be made in writing to the Dean within five (5) business days following notification of the chair’s decision. The appeal will follow 6.09D of the Code. The Dean’s decision constitutes the final decision of the case.

D. Appeals Procedures. A student may request an appeal, in writing, on the following grounds: insufficient evidence to support the decision, the sanction(s) imposed was too harsh, an error that significantly prejudiced the rights of the students, and/or significant new information discovered after the initial meeting. A student must include a statement of the charge and rationale for the appeal to the appropriate Dean. The Dean shall summon the student to a conference (e.g. in person, zoom, etc.), which constitutes an administrative review under the Code. After the student has the opportunity to present their appeal, and Dean has discussed the matter with the Chair and reviewed all evidence submitted, he or she will make a decision on the appeal. The Dean may dismiss the charge, uphold the faculty decision, or modify the sanction(s) as prescribed under section 6.08 of the Code. The Dean will notify the student, faculty member, Chair, and the Office of Student Development of the decision with five (5) business days.

E. Multiple Offenses. Faculty shall review each case of suspected academic misconduct within their class. The Office of Student Development shall track all policy violations, as reported. For academic misconduct cases involving significant egregious offenses, repeated behavioral offenses, or otherwise as appropriate, the Director shall conduct an investigation separate from the faculty action as provided in Section 3.04 of the Code. After a fair and impartial assessment of all of the information collected during the investigation, the Director may impose additional penalties specified in section 3.05 of the Code.