Policies and Appeals

Enroll in the Hendrix Four-Year Guarantee, choose a major and stick to that major, be a full-time student with a full course load, and maintain the standards of academic progress at Hendrix.

Meet the criteria above and you will graduate from Hendrix in four years. If you don’t, the remaining Hendrix College courses you need to graduate are yours. Tuition free. That’s the Hendrix Four-Year Guarantee.

Sign up for the Hendrix Four-Year Guarantee, and we’ll make sure courses are available for you to complete the Collegiate Center, Odyssey Program, and major requirements for a baccalaureate degree by the end of your eighth consecutive semester at Hendrix.

If you meet the Hendrix Four-Year Guarantee conditions and still do not graduate in eight semesters, Hendrix will credit you the tuition for any remaining Hendrix courses you need to complete your degree.*

*The Hendrix Four-Year Guarantee is not available for transfer students. Joint degree programs with other institutions & programs that require coursework beyond the major are excluded from the Hendrix Four-Year Guarantee.

What you do:

• If you are a first-time Hendrix College freshman committed to graduating in four years, sign the Hendrix Four-Year Guarantee by the end of your second semester.
• Declare a major by the College deadline before registering for your junior year classes and stick with that major 
• Check with your academic advisor(s) every semester to receive guidance to help you select courses to meet all College and major requirements. 
• Adjust your preferred schedule to take courses you need when they are offered.
• Successfully complete the courses necessary each academic year to meet the minimum graduation requirements. 
• Maintain the required College and major grade point averages and earn sufficient grades to enroll in the next level of required courses so you do not lose time by repeating courses.
• Regularly consult your unofficial transcript on Campus Web to make sure you are on track to complete your degree and graduate in four years.

What we do:
As part of your Hendrix Four-Year Guarantee, Hendrix College will provide academic advising with a designated advisor to make sure you are well informed about the College and degree requirements you need to complete your degree in four years.

Students should regularly attend all classes for which they are enrolled. Absences will typically be excused for observance of religious holidays, documented cases of illness or emergency, sanctioned school functions, or other appropriate exigent circumstances. Students must notify instructors of their circumstances in a timely manner. 

At their professional discretion, course instructors may, by notifying the Registrar prior to the deadline for withdrawing from a course, remove from their courses any student whose unexcused absences over any three week period reach or exceed 50%. Instructors are not obliged to notify the student prior to taking this action. A student removed from a course under these circumstances will be notified by the Office of the Registrar through the student’s Hendrix email account. A student may appeal this action by contacting the Registrar within three business days of the drop notice date. The Registrar will forward the appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee for review and action.

As a result of inclement weather, the College may later its regular operations as follows:

• Late opening/closing: Offices will operate at hours other than normal; classes will be held only within the announced time period for office operation.
• Campus closed: Only essential administrative and staff personnel will be on campus. Offices will be closed and classes will be cancelled.

Notification will be provided as early as possible through H-Alert and on the Hendrix website. If a closing occurs during final exams, the Provost will announce an altered exam schedule.

A student who believes that he or she has an academic grievance should discuss the concern with the faculty member in charge of the course in which the concern has arisen. If a mutually satisfactory resolution is not reached, the student should confer with his or her academic adviser and should take the matter to the relevant department chair. If no resolution is reached at this level or if the department chair is the faculty member in question in the first instance, then the student should take the concern to the relevant Area Chair. Concerns remaining unresolved at this level should be taken to the Provost. Students shall take all concerns regarding graduation requirements and their fulfillment to the Registrar.

A student who wishes to appeal a policy or decision by the Office of Academic Affairs concerning interpretations of, or exceptions to, rules, procedures or decisions governing registration in courses and the management of academic records must make that appeal to the Committee on Academic Appeals. Examples of such appeals would include an appeal to drop a course with no mark after the no mark deadline or an appeal to withdraw from a course with a W after the W deadline.

To pursue such an appeal, the student should submit a formal petition in writing to the Registrar. This appeal should state the specific request being made and include some explanation of the situation relating to the request. The Registrar will forward the student’s petition to the Committee on Academic Appeals, which will review and rule on the appeal. The Committee will notify the student of the decision. Committee decisions are final.

The Committee on Academic Appeals does not hear appeals concerning grades (other than I, W or WE). Course grade issues are covered in the previous section under Academic Grievances.

Hendrix College is committed to high standards of honesty and fairness in academic pursuits. Such standards are central to the process of intellectual inquiry, the development of character, and the preservation of the integrity of the community.

Hendrix College cultivates an active interest in the liberal arts and intellectual inquiry where students take responsibility for their own actions. In keeping with this mission, the Faculty and students of Hendrix College have adopted a set of standards and procedures designed to

• help create a supportive and fair learning environment;
• guarantee the integrity and value of each student’s work;
• demonstrate the student body’s commitment to serious academic pursuits;
• foster a capacity for ethical decision-making;
• involve students and faculty mutually in the academic judicial process;
• specify the procedures to be followed for incidents of academic dishonesty;
• cultivate an on-going dialogue about academic values within the Hendrix Community.

In pursuit of these goals, Hendrix students have agreed to adhere to the following principles:

• All students have an equal right to their opinions and to receive constructive criticism.
• Students should positively engage the course material and encourage their classmates to do the same.
• No students should gain an unfair advantage or violate their peers’ commitment to honest work and genuine effort. It follows that any work that a student submits for class will be that student’s own work. The amount of cooperation undertaken with other students, the consistency and accuracy of work, and the test-taking procedure should adhere to those guidelines that the instructor provides.
• Members of the Hendrix community value and uphold academic integrity because we recognize that scholarly pursuits are aimed at increasing the shared body of knowledge and that the full disclosure of sources is the most effective way to ensure accountability to both ourselves and our colleagues.

Violations of these standards of academic integrity may take one of the following forms:

• Plagiarism, which involves the use of quotations without quotation marks, the use of quotations without indication of the source, the use of another’s idea without acknowledging the source, the submission of a paper or project (or any portion of such) prepared by another person;
• Cheating on examinations, laboratory reports, exercises, or projects that are to be done by individual students; giving or receiving answers and/or materials pertinent to any academic work without permission of the classroom teacher;
• Stealing, manipulating, or interfering with any academic work of another student;
• Colluding with other students on work that is to be completed by an individual student;
• Lying to or deceiving faculty; or
• Violating particular standards as determined and explicitly outlined by individual classroom teachers on a course by course basis. These particular standards should be clearly indicated on the syllabus for each course.

Instances of academic dishonesty are handled in a two-track system that distinguishes between minor and major violations. The distinction between minor and major violations is made by the classroom teacher except in the case of students with multiple violations. The Committee on Academic Integrity shall handle instances of students with multiple violations as well as violations that require a conference.  Multiple violations are treated as major violations. Otherwise, the distinction between minor and major violation is subjective and is intended to differentiate between cases of ignorance, such as poor citation, and cases of deliberate dishonesty. Records of all violations are submitted to the Committee on Academic Integrity for inclusion in a database to track violations.  These records are kept for a period of six years.

Composition of the Committee: The committee consists of six members of the Student Association and five Faculty members. The Student Senate nominates and selects student members in the same manner as the College Conduct Council. The College’s Committee on Committees nominates the faculty members. The Committee on Committees also identifies one of the Faculty members to serve as committee chair.

A minimum of five members of the Committee on Academic Integrity including at least two Faculty and two student members is required to hold a conference The Chair assembles conference groups from available committee members.

The Chair is responsible for the following: convening the Committee when a report has been filed that requires a conference; serving as the official, corresponding liaison between the Committee and the concerned parties; being the contact person for all questions concerning the process and procedure of the Committee; and transmitting all Committee decisions to the concerned parties through an Official Letter of Decision.

Committee Process: All alleged violations of academic standards must be reported in writing to the Committee on Academic Integrity. A report may be filed, using the available Letter of Agreement form, in one of three ways:

1. The classroom teacher and student discuss the alleged violation and agree to a sanction. The classroom teacher files the violation report to the Chair of Committee on Academic Integrity. The Chair may then accept the violation and file it without committee involvement, unless further action is warranted by inconsistencies of sanctions or by previous violations.
2. The classroom teacher and student discuss the alleged violation and/or sanctions and the student does not agree with one or both. The classroom teacher files the violation report to the Chair of Committee on Academic Integrity, who then schedules a conference.
3.  A student may report another student's alleged violation by either informing the classroom teacher, who files a report with the Chair of the Committee, or filing a report directly with the Chair of the Committee. In either case, the Chair shall establish appropriate deliberations and sanctions with respect to the severity of the violation in consultation with the classroom teacher and the Committee.

Generally, reviews of violations of academic integrity fall into two procedural categories:

• Alleged violations that are settled through a letter of agreement, without a conference.  If a classroom teacher accuses a student of a violation of academic integrity, the classroom teacher can describe the alleged violation and recommended sanctions in a letter.  In these cases, no conference is required as long as:
  • The student signs the letter, indicating that they accept the charges and sanction.
  • The student has no prior record with CAI.
  • The sanction is reasonable, as determined by the CAI.
    
    
• Alleged violations settled through a conference. Conferences are called when a case falls into any of the categories below:
  • A student does not accept the charges / admit responsibility for the violation.
  • The student does not agree to the sanction (i.e., they think the sanction is too harsh).
  • The student is on academic probation.
  • The student initially agreed to the sanctions and accepted guilt, but later changed their mind; they have one week to repeal the decision, once they sign the letter. 

If it is determined a conference is necessary, the Committee shall convene within two weeks of that report, provided this conforms to the academic calendar. If the academic calendar does not allow such convention, the case will be revisited during the first two weeks of the next academic session. Whoever files the alleged violation report to the Committee must attend the conference. At this meeting, all statements and evidence will be presented.  All parties have the right to introduce evidence or witnesses. Witnesses must have firsthand knowledge of the academic integrity violation and/or evidence related to the accusation. A student facing an accusation of violating standards of academic integrity must continue through the conference process even if the student has withdrawn from the class in which the alleged violations took place.

A simple majority may postpone a decision if certain evidence deemed crucial to the case has not been presented. A decision may be postponed only twice, and on each occasion the Committee must reconvene within a week, provided this conforms to the academic calendar.

In order to protect the confidentiality of students, all Committee deliberations are held in confidence, as are all decisions and potential sanctions. Furthermore, at the beginning of each academic year, and at each conference, every member of the Committee must sign a Confidentiality Statement to protect the privacy of deliberations.

The Committee has two options in rendering a decision:

• In violation
• Not in violation

In situations where a conference is required, a student is in violation of the standards of academic integrity only when a majority of the conference committee concur that a violation has occurred. If the Committee finds a student to be in violation of the standards of academic integrity, it also hands down a particular sanction in direct consultation with the classroom teacher. The Committee must consider the recommended sanction from the classroom teacher. A majority of the conference committee must agree upon specific sanctions.

Students are still subject to these sanctions if they have withdrawn from a course in which an academic integrity violation took place, whether the violation is determined to be major or minor. When a decision has been reached, it is transmitted to the involved parties through an Official Letter of Decision from the Chair of the Committee. Included in this Letter is the decision of the Committee and the prescribed sanction.

In cases of a minor violation, the violation letter is sent to the student and to the classroom teacher. The violation will not appear on the transcript. In addition, these records may be divulged to Hendrix Faculty and staff requesting information relevant to awards and honors. Records of single or minor violations shall not be divulged to outside parties such as employers and graduate schools. 

In cases of a major violation, the violation letter is sent to the student, classroom teacher, Vice-President for Student Affairs, Provost, Registrar, and parents or legal guardians (in situations where FERPA does not apply). The violation will not appear on the transcript. Inquiring parties (e.g., employers or graduate schools) who directly ask whether or not a student has violations of academic integrity will be informed that a violation exists (although the details of the violation will not be released).  

If a student is not found to be in violation of the standards of academic integrity, the student and the classroom teacher will be notified.

The Committee shall retain all records of academic integrity violations for a period of six years, after which the records are purged. 

Penalty Guidelines: In most cases, cheating or plagiarism on assignments results in a “0” for that assignment and/or a reduction of one letter grade in the course. In most cases, cheating or plagiarizing on a cumulative assignment, for example a final exam, paper or presentation, results in an F for the course.

Other options include:

• Academic Integrity Probation.  If a student is later found responsible for another academic integrity violation, the committee may consider a more serious sanction, such as probation. With such a recommendation, the Provost of the College is the consulting officer.
• Suspension or expulsion.  In severe cases, a student may be suspended or expelled. With such a recommendation, the Provost of the College is the consulting officer.

Appeals: You are entitled to appeal an academic integrity decision based on one of the following reasons:

• new information exists, unavailable during the original conference, that could affect the outcome;
• a material deviation from written procedures could have impacted the fairness of the conference;
• the sanction(s) may be grossly disproportionate to the severity of the offense.

If you choose to make an appeal, you must submit a letter explaining your reason for the appeal to the Provost by email within seven days of the Committee's decision. The Provost will determine whether there are sufficient grounds for appeal, and, if such grounds are found, forward the case to the Committee on Academic Appeals. Decisions by the Committee on Academic Appeals are final. The Appeals process should be completed within four weeks of filing, exclusive of breaks in the academic year.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly referred to as FERPA, is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Hendrix College (“College”) is to inform enrolled students annually of their rights under the terms of the FERPA. The information below is provided in accordance with FERPA notification requirements. The act does not apply to students admitted to the College who have not officially enrolled. Enrolled students have the following rights under the Act:

A. Policy Intent

1. The College student record policy is intended to conform with all state and federal statutes dealing with access to information held by an educational institution on present and former students. 
2. The College student record policy is formulated to protect the privacy of that student information that is maintained and yet provide access to student records for those having a legitimate purpose to view such records. Regulations and procedures to ensure adequate protection of the student are provided in this policy. 
3. Copies of this policy are available upon request from the Registrar, who is responsible for the administration of the student record policy.

B. Student Education Records

1. “Education Records” refers to those files and their contents that are maintained by the College and which directly relate to a student. “Education Records” do not include: 
   a.  Records which are in the sole possession of the maker thereof, are used only as a personal memory aid, and which are not accessible or revealed to any person except a temporary substitute of the maker of the record;
   b.  Records of the Admission Office concerning students admitted but not yet enrolled at the College;
   c.  Records of a student regardless of age that are made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional made in connection with treatment of the student and only disclosed to persons providing treatment. Such records are, however, reviewable by a physician or psychologist of the student’s choice upon proper notice and consent;
   d.  Records of a law enforcement unit of the College;
   e.  Records relating to an individual who is employed by the College except students employed by the College as a result of his or her status as a student.

C. Access to Student Records by an Eligible Student or Parents of Non-Eligible Students

1. Students over the age of 18 and who are enrolled in the College (“Eligible Students”) and parents of students who have not reached the age of 18 (“parents of non-Eligible Students") have the right to inspect the student’s Education Records (as defined in B.1 above). The Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student must submit a request to the appropriate College official (as defined in Section B.6 below) to review the Education Records specifying the record to be reviewed. The Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student may request a reasonable explanation or interpretation of the applicable record in writing to the appropriate College official. Students may inspect and review their educational records within 45 days from the day the Colleges receives a written request for access. 
2. The College will disclose information in an Eligible Student’s Education Records, including financial and disciplinary records, to his or her parents either (a) upon an Eligible Student’s written consent, or (b) without the Eligible Student’s consent, to parents of a dependent student as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The student’s age and his or her parents’ custodial status are not factors in determining dependency. If either parent claims the student as a dependent on tax returns, then either parent may be afforded access to the student’s Education Records. 
3. Generally, Eligible Students have the right to review any Education Records that the College maintains on them. Information to which the Eligible Student does not have access is limited to the following:
   a.  Confidential letters or statements of recommendation placed in the student’s files if the student has signed a waiver of his or her right to review the letters or statements, and those letters or statements are related to:
        i) admission to an educational institution;
        ii) application for employment;
        iii) receipt of an honor or honorary recognition.
   b.  Parents’ confidential financial statements.
4. Documents submitted to the College by or for the student will not be returned to the student. Normally, academic records received from other institutions will not be sent to third parties external to the College. Such records should be requested by the student from the originating institution to be sent to the appropriate third party. 
5. Official records and transcripts of the College (signature and/or seal affixed) are mailed directly to other institutions or agencies at the student’s request. When circumstances warrant, official records may be given directly to the student at the discretion of the proper College official. In such cases, the record will be clearly marked to indicate issuance to the student. 
6. Only the following individuals are permitted to receive requests for records and to allow access to records: Registrar, Director of Integrated Advising, Director of Counseling Services, Director of Financial Aid, Dean of Students, Provost, and the President of the College.

D. Procedure for Requesting Amendment to Record

1. Should an Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student believe information contained in the student’s Education Records is incorrect, a written request should be submitted to the appropriate College official as set forth in B.6. requesting that the record be amended. The appropriate official will respond within a reasonable period as to whether the amendment will be allowed. If the amendment is not allowed, the Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student may request a hearing before the Registrar.

E. Access to General Directory Information

1. Certain information may be released by the College without prior consent of an Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student if considered appropriate by designated officials. Such information is limited to the following:
   a.  Student’s name, address, telephone number (permanent and local);
   b.  Date and place of birth;
   c.  Dates of attendance at the College, major fields of study, current classification, degrees, honors, and awards;
   d.  Previous schools attended and degrees awarded;
   e.  Heights and weights of members of athletic teams;
   f.  Participation in officially recognized activities;
   g.  E-mail address;
   h.  Class schedule/roster;
   i.  Full or part-time status;
   j.  Photograph.
2. General Directory Information will not be released for commercial purposes by administrative offices of the College under any circumstances. Students may request that General Directory Information not be released by written request to the Office of the Registrar.

F. Access to Personally Identifiable Information

1. An Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student must authorize the release of Personally Identifiable Information through written consent, except as provided in Section G below, to anyone other than the Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student. “Personally Identifiable Information” includes the student’s name, the name of the student’s parent or other family members, the address of the student or student’s family, a personal identifier, such as a Social Security number or student identification number, a list of personal characteristics that would make the student’s identity easily traceable; or other information that would make the student’s identity easily traceable. The written consent must state:
   a.  The records which may be disclosed;
   b.  The purpose of the disclosure;
   c.  The party or class of parties to whom the disclosure may be made.

G. Access to Education Records and Personally Identifiable Information by Others without Consent

1. Access to Education Records and Personally Identifiable Information, without an Eligible Student’s or parents of a non-Eligible Student’s permission is permissible in certain circumstances set forth below:
   a.  Information designated as Directory Information;
   b.  To other school officials, including teachers, within the College whom the College has determined have a legitimate educational interest;
   c.  To officials of another institution where the student seeks or intends to enroll;
   d.  To authorized representatives of certain government agencies including appropriate state officials and authorities pursuant to federal and state law;
   e.  In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary for such purposes as:
        i)  To determine eligibility for the aid;
        ii)  To determine the amount of the aid;
        iii)  To determine the conditions for the aid;
        iv)  To enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
   f.  To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the College to:
        i)  develop, validate, or administer predictive tests;
        ii)  administer student aid programs; or
        iii)  improve instruction provided that the study is conducted in a manner that does not permit personal identification of parents or students by third persons and the information is destroyed once the information is no longer needed.
   g.  To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions;
   h.  Pursuant to a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena upon notice of the order or subpoena to the Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student;
   i.  In connection with a health or safety emergency;
   j.  The final results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the College with respect to a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense and only to the victim of the alleged crime;
   k.  In connection with a disciplinary proceeding at the College provided that the College does not disclose the information unless the student is the alleged perpetrator of a violent or non-forcible sex offense, or the student has committed a violation of the institution’s policies or rules;
   l.  To the parent of a student under the age of 21 regarding the student’s violation of any law or policy governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the College determines the student has violated its policy;
2. All other student information will be released only upon written request of an Eligible Student. When access is permitted, documents will be examined only under conditions that will prevent unauthorized removal, alteration, or mutilation.

H. Complaints

1. An Eligible Student or parent of a non-Eligible Student may file a written complaint with the Family Post Compliance Office (“Office”) regarding an alleged violation under FERPA. The complaint must contain specific allegations of fact giving reasonable cause to believe that a violation of FERPA has occurred. The complaint must be filed within 180 days of the date of the alleged violation unless extended by the Office for good cause shown.