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Academic Policies

Students must specifically request academic forgiveness from the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the time of readmission to Northwestern College. At least five years must have elapsed since the last attendance date at Northwestern College. 
 
Under the policy:
(1) All student grades in their prior academic periods at Northwestern College are excluded from the GPA calculation required for graduation.
(2) All coursework and grade information will be included on transcripts, with academic forgiveness so noted.
(3) Graduation honors will be determined by considering the cumulative GPA of all coursework attempted at Northwestern College.

A student’s normal progress is based on the number of credits attempted at Northwestern College and if applicable, any credits transferred in, and the cumulative grade point average. A student is making normal progress toward graduation if he or she has attempted the credits and cumulative grade point average is at or above what’s listed below.
 

Classification Attempted Hours Placed on probation when minimum cumulative gpa is below: Suspended when cumulative gpa is below:
Freshman 0-23.99 1.75 1.00
Sophomore 24-54.99 1.90 1.50
Junior/Senior 55 and up 2.00 1.70
Students may audit any lecture course, but they will receive no academic credit. Audited hours do not count toward full-time status. The deadline for electing to audit a course is the 5th day of the term in which the class is taken. Students must receive the instructor's approval to audit a course. 
At Northwestern College students are classified by the following:

Freshman: 0-23 credit hours
Sophomore: 24-54 credit hours
Junior: 55-88 credit hours
Senior: 89+ and above credit hours

The maximum number of credits that a student may take in a given semester is 18. Exceptions for an overload may be granted if the student has the following cumulative gpa:

3.30 when registering for the sophomore year
3.15 when registering for the junior year
3.00 when registering for the senior year
Freshmen are not eligible for an academic overload.

A reported grade, other than an incomplete, may be changed only through student petition to the faculty member. Grades will be changed only in cases of instructor error. Grades are not changed based on a student’s request to submit additional work to raise a grade. No grade can be changed more than 30 calendar days after it has been reported to the registrar’s office.

An incomplete grade is given only when there are extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student (e.g. serious illness and/or family affliction) that make it impossible for the student to complete required coursework before the last day of the term. Students may request an incomplete from their instructor. Incomplete grades are a late-semester response to emergent circumstances in the life of a student, thus students may not pre-emptively request incomplete grades in anticipation of potential circumstances or to request an incomplete so early in the term that it would be impossible to meaningfully complete the requirements of the course. Students who receive incomplete grades must turn in all course work to the instructor by the incomplete deadline, which is four weeks from the last day of the term. The instructor must then submit the final grade to the Registrar no later than one week after the incomplete deadline. If the incomplete grade is not changed at that time, the final grade will automatically become an "F".

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Northwestern College will provide, on a flexible and individual basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have a documented disability that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact both their instructor and the college disability service provider to discuss their individual needs and accommodations.

Students with an existing ADA accommodation who require additional time to complete coursework beyond the last day of a session or term will be granted an incomplete grade if their accommodation specifies additional time for assignments. The student must notify their instructor that an incomplete is needed by the last day of the course. Instructors are required to award an incomplete, in accordance with the student's ADA accommodation. The instructor will verify the accommodation with the ADA compliance officer, and the student will be granted a four-week extension after the end of the session or term to complete the requirements of the course. The grade will automatically become an "F" if the final grade is not submitted to the registrar one week after the incomplete deadline unless another extension is requested by the student, provided for in the student's accommodation, and approved by the instructor.

To encourage students to explore academic areas outside their major strengths and specializations, each student has the option of taking a maximum of 12 credit hours of elective courses on a pass/ no pass basis. This option may not be used for Northwestern Core requirements or for any requirements for a major, minor, or career concentration. Freshmen may not take courses on a pass/no pass basis; sophomores and juniors may take one course per term; seniors may take two courses per term.
 
Courses taken on a pass/no pass basis will count toward the 124-credit-hour graduation requirement but will not affect the student’s grade point average.
Credits will be accepted for coursework with grades of "C" or higher.  Before enrolling for coursework at another institution, students must receive approval from the Registrar's Office by submitting the  Acceptance of Coursework from Another Institution  form.

Students who wish to withdraw from college during a semester must obtain a withdrawal form from the Registrar's office and complete the withdrawal process by obtaining the necessary signatures. The completed form must be returned to the Student Life Office within two business days of notifying either the Registrar's office or the Student Life Office of the student's intent to withdraw from college. Students will be granted honorable dismissal and receive withdrawal status (W's) in their registered courses provided the withdrawal form is submitted to the office of the registrar within the time limit for dropping courses. Determination of tuition, room and board refunds is based upon the date the student initiates the withdrawal process.

A student who is unable to complete a semester's course work due to serious physical and/or mental distress after the official drop deadline may qualify for special consideration. Such students should obtain the late withdrawal form from the Registrar’s office. Students with mental health concerns must be recommended by the director of counseling services to the Vice President for Student Life or the Vice President of Academic Affairs, who have the authority to make voluntary or involuntary medical leave decisions and to authorize other college officials (e.g., Financial Aid) to make decisions based on contextual circumstances. If withdrawal is granted, students receive a "W" for all courses.

Students who leave college without completing the official withdrawal process will not be granted honorable dismissal. A grade of "F" is given in each course in which they were registered.