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Academic Advising

Faculty and the Academic Advising staff serve as advisers after students matriculate and until they declare a major. At that time, a faculty adviser in the department in which students plan to major helps the student select the required courses of study and plan class schedules. Although students are directly responsible for meeting graduation and other requirements, they are urged to consult frequently with their advisers.

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Academic Committee Representation

Student representation exists in each of the standing committees of the faculty except the Committee on Promotion and Tenure, the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Faculty Development Committee, the Graduate Council, the Assessment Committee, the Nominations Committee and the Barring Appeals Committee.

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Academic Credit

Anderson University's academic year is arranged on the semester system. The semester hour is the unit of academic credit and represents one 50-minute period of class work per week. Thus, a three-hour course will usually meet for one 50-minute lecture three times each week during the semester, although this can vary with laboratories or other special courses. It is assumed that students will spend two hours in preparation for each period of class time. Students who are considering taking courses elsewhere (i.e., during the summer for transfer to Anderson University) should check with the Registrar before doing so.

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Academic Integrity

Anderson University supports and promotes academic honesty and personal integrity and regards cheating, plagiarism and all other forms of academic dishonesty as serious offenses against the university community.

Cheating or academic dishonesty is defined as the "deception of others about one's own work or about the work of another." Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:

  • Submitting another's work as one's own or allowing another to submit one's work as though it were his or hers.
  • Failure to properly acknowledge authorities quoted, cited or consulted in preparing written work (plagiarism).
  • Use of a textbook or notes during an examination without the instructor's permission.
  • Getting or giving unauthorized help on assignments.
  • Tampering with experimental data to obtain a desired result or creating results for experiments not done (dry labbing).
  • Tampering with or destroying others' work.
  • Submitting substantial portions of the same academic work for credit or honors more than once without permission of the present instructor.
  • Lying about these or other academic matters.

Students who are guilty of such academic violations can expect to be penalized. Instructors whose definition of cheating differs from that stated above have the responsibility and obligation to so inform students, in writing, at the beginning of the course. Instructors who fail to do so have no basis for disciplinary action in instances of purported student dishonesty outside the above provisions.

In all instances of academic dishonesty, instructors are urged to discuss incidents with students and, if necessary, refer them to the Dean of Students for more extensive counseling. The course instructor shall have authority to deal with instances of academic dishonesty within these guidelines:

  • Faculty members must report any student who has violated the policy on academic integrity to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean. After two reports against a student, action will be initiated under provisions of the Judicial Code and could lead to dismissal of the student from the university.
  • The maximum assessable penalty for a first offense shall not exceed double the original value of the assignment plus no option to make up the work in question.
Alternate courses of action may include, but are not limited to:
  • Work may be redone for full or partial credit.
  • Alternate assignments may be given for full or partial credit.
  • Work may not be redone and no credit given.

Students have the right to appeal action under this policy through the regular channels as established by the grade appeal process. Grounds for appeal are:

  • Insufficient evidence of dishonesty
  • Penalties in excess of those allowed under the above guidelines
  • Provisions of grade appeal cited in the Student Life Handbook
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Academic Standards

To be in good academic standing, students must maintain these minimum standards:

Hours Earned GPA
1-29 1.6
30-59 1.8
60-89 2.0

Students may be dropped from the university at any time when excessive class absences or academic performance indicates inability or unwillingness to achieve normal progress toward a degree. Typically, however, students not in good academic standing are placed on academic probation for a maximum of two consecutive semesters.

In general students on academic probation may not participate in any extracurricular activities. The vice president for academic affairs or the vice president for student life has the final authority over the conditions placed upon students on academic probation.

All students on academic probation are expected to develop and sign an academic support contract with the director of educational support services before attending classes. The academic support contract may include, but is not limited to, such items as study assistance, limits on work commitments, housing, course load, and class attendance.

Students not achieving acceptable standards are barred from returning to Anderson University for a period of at least one semester. Students who are readmitted, after having been barred once, are expected to attain a 2.00 current GPA in their next 12 hours and must continue to achieve or make substantial progress toward the stated minimal standards in order to continue. If they are barred again, it will be for at least two years. Any subsequent readmission will be regarded as a final opportunity to continue studies at Anderson University.

The vice president for academic affairs may request the barring appeals committee to review and make recommendations regarding cases when necessary. Extenuating circumstances may justify the continuation of students whose cumulative grade point average falls below the stated standards.

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Academic Support

Center for Educational Technology

The Center for Educational Technology (CET) supports students using instructional technology in support of course learning activities.  Students may check out portable audiovisual equipment to be used in class projects.  In addition, the CET staff will set up AV equipment in campus classrooms upon being given at least four business hours notice.  Installed classroom technology is also available for use by students upon request.  IMC personnel can assist students in using production tools and facilities to record and edit video and audio programs, and create computer-based presentations. A variety of production supplies can be purchased including paper supplies, miniDV videocassettes, CD and DVD recording media; and art and photography supplies. Call ext. 4294 for assistance or visit Decker 339.

hours: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
  Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  Sunday 5-8 p.m.

Kissinger Learning Center (KLC)

The Kissinger Learning Center assists students in achieving their academic goals through individual and group-oriented resources, including self-directed audio, audio-visual and computer-assisted materials. The Learning Center offers peer tutoring and study groups for many courses as well as general assistance with reading, writing and study skills. In addition, the KLC provides programmatic assistance to students admitted through the ALPHA program and programs for students with learning disabilities.

The Learning Center is located on the main floor of Nicholson Library. For more information, Teresa Coplin at ext. 4223.

KLC hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  Evenings: Sun.-Thurs. 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Robert A. Nicholson University Library

The mission of the Robert A. Nicholson University Library is to provide the Anderson University community with relevant information resources in support of the University's teaching-learning mission. We foster the abilities necessary in finding, evaluating, and using resources, and further, we facilitate the user's quest in independent intellectual study, discovery, and lifelong learning. The library collection includes over 250,000 books (in-print and electronic), approximately 900 periodical subscriptions, more than 50 periodical databases, a selective depository collection of United States government publications, and the Anderson University and Church of God Archives. Two computer labs, including the 24/7 computer lab, are located in the Library.

The Nicholson Library Catalog identifies materials located in the Nicholson Library, the Instructional Materials Center, the Archives, and other campus locations. Catalogs of other Indiana libraries are linked through the "Information Desk" of the Nicholson Catalog. The "Reserve Desk" feature of the catalog includes the full text of materials placed on reserve by various professors. The library subscribes to more than 50 periodical databases, many of which include the full text of indexed articles and electronic journals. All electronic resources are available to current AU students both on-and off-campus.

Librarians are available during most hours to assist with information and research needs. Think of the librarian as your "ultimate" search engine. An "Ask a Librarian" link is conveniently located on the Library's Web site. Class, small group, and individual instruction in research skills and strategies are available. In addition, the librarians create and maintain electronic subject resource guides for virtually every major on campus.

Need something not owned by the Nicholson Library? Materials may be borrowed from other libraries located virtually anywhere in the country. Request materials through Inter-library Loan (ILLiad) by e-mail or in person at the library's reference desk. In-person borrowing privileges are available at the Anderson Public Library and Bracken Library at Ball State University with a valid Anderson University ID. Forty-six Indiana academic libraries are members of the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) consortium and allow in-person borrowing privileges with a special borrower's card. A list of member libraries and special borrower's cards are available at the Circulation Desk of Nicholson Library.

Do you have suggestions or comments? E-mail the library director or use the "Comments" link on the library's Web site.

  Academic-year hours: Reference assistance available:
Monday-Thursday 7:45 a.m.-midnight 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and 6-10 p.m.
Friday 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday 1:30 p.m.-midnight 2:30-5 p.m. and 6-10 p.m.
 
  Summer hours (may vary): Reference assistance available:
Monday 8 a.m.-5p.m. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Wednesday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.-2p.m. NO reference assistance available
Sunday CLOSED  
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Class Attendance

It is the assumption of this policy that class attendance, by instructors and students, is fundamental to the teaching/learning process and is crucial to effective, quality teaching and learning at the university level. The AU faculty adopted the class attendance policy with this rationale in mind.

Any absence results in a loss of learning for the student. It is the student's obligation to personally notify individual course instructor(s) about any absence, in advance if possible. Students may be directly penalized only after the number of absences exceeds the number of class meeting hours per week. When a student misses more than the number of classes stated above, the course instructor determines whether to allow completion of missed work and how much work will be evaluated, including possible penalties.

This policy recognizes that the loss of participatory learning and class involvement due to class absences by students will differ depending on the particular course and instructor. For this reason, individual instructors are responsible for setting specific course policy for each class regarding make-up work sanctions for missed classes (after the student misses more than the number of class meeting hours per week), course examinations, laboratory sessions, field experiences, class presentations and special class events. Policies adopted by instructors for specific classes should be clearly documented in the course syllabus and reviewed with students at the beginning of the semester.

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Declaration or Change of Major

To officially declare and/or change a major, a Declaration of Major/Change of Major Form, available in the Academic Advising Office, must be completed. Students entering teacher education, social work or nursing must also file applications for admission with those departments. This procedure constitutes the official declaration of a major and is necessary before the assignment of a Faculty Adviser from the department in which major work is intended.

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Honor Societies

National academic honor society chapters fostering the pursuit of scholarship at Anderson University are:

  • Alpha Chi (top 10 percent of juniors and seniors maintaining a GPA of 3.70 or higher)
  • Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma (freshmen)
  • Alpha Mu Gamma (foreign languages)
  • Alpha Psi Omega (dramatics; non-academic, national recognition)
  • Alpha Sigma Lambda (non-traditional students)
  • Delta Mu Delta (business)
  • Kappa Delta Pi (education)
  • Kappa Mu Epsilon (mathematics)
  • Phi Alpha (social work)
  • Phi Alpha Theta (history)
  • Phi Epsilon Kappa (health and physical education)
  • Pi Kappa Lambda (music)
  • Psi Chi (psychology)
  • Sigma Tau Delta (English)
  • Sigma Theta Tau (nursing)
  • Sigma Zeta Upsilon (mathematics and science)


Non-Academic, National Recognition:

  • Alpha Psi Omega dramatics 

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Summer School

The Summer School program offers students the possibility of attaining a full semester’s credit by participating throughout the entire summer term. Generally, there are three four-week sessions, followed by a concluding three-week session, running from May to August, for a total of 15 weeks.

The School of Adult Learning generally offers two seven-week summer sessions. Courses listed in the master schedule are open to all students. Also possible in summer are specially arranged courses Anderson University Undergraduate College Catalog, 2008-2010 25 Special Programs, continued such as reading, online, tutorial, and TRI-S programs. These courses are arranged to help students meet educational goals during the summer without being confined to campus.

The Summer School schedule of classes lists Summer School courses and information about other educational opportunities. Students should read that bulletin and/or contact their academic advisors to determine relationships of such courses to graduation or other requirements. Students planning course work elsewhere during the summer should consult the registrar’s office.

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Adult Education

The School of Adult Learning was established in 1987 to provide credit, professional development and personal enrichment programs for adult and community students. In developing this program, the university acted on its commitment to provide convenient and affordable collegiate-based educational experiences for area lifelong learners. Academic, business and student services are offered to adult students during the day and evening hours.

Undergrad students of all ages may enroll in many School of Adult Learning evening courses on a space-available basis.

Adult students taking credit courses are encouraged to be involved in the AU community. Adult and Continuing Education Support (ACES) is a social/academic support group for adults 25 and older. The group sponsors activities for student and family recreation, fellowship and academic success. For more information, contact Aleza Beverly, Dean in the School of Adult Learning, ext. 4251.

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