Students and faculty of the academic community that forms Indiana Wesleyan are encouraged both to explore and discuss ideas freely and fully and also to be fully responsible to the university mission, seeking to integrate all aspects of a Christian worldview under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Faith mandates and illuminates learning; learning clarifies and expands faith.
The right is reserved to change any of the rules and regulations of the university at any time, including those relating to admission, instruction, and graduation. The right to withdraw curricula and specific courses, alter course content, change the calendar, and to impose or increase fees similarly is reserved. All such changes are effective at such times as the proper authorities determine and may apply not only to prospective students but also to those already enrolled in the university.
IWU is committed to providing equal access to students with disabilities. Further information related to specific processes for seeking assistance and services can be located in the student's area of study (College of Arts and Sciences, College of Adult and Professional Studies, School of Nursing, or The Seminary.)
Students who believe that they have experienced discrimination on the basis of a disability can seek resolution by following the steps as outlined in the Grievance and Appeal Policy (Non-academic).
The university complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and as it appears in final form in June 1976, with subsequent amendments. This law protects the rights of students to review their own records and to challenge any of the content of the record. Students may request access to their records from the following offices:
The law also protects students from the unlawful disclosure of information about their academic performance, personal campus discipline, or financial status.
The law allows the disclosure of five classes of "directory information" as follows:
A student may request in writing that one or all of the five categories of directory information be restricted from publication. In no case will grade, discipline, or financial information be disclosed except in keeping with the law.
Requests are filed with either the Records Office or the Office of Student Services.
Academic dishonesty is inconsistent with scholarship and the pursuit of knowledge and Christian character. Thus, Indiana Wesleyan University expects students to be honest in all academic work.
Coursework
Students are expected to exhibit honesty in the classroom, in homework and on quizzes and tests. Each instructor should define what constitutes honest work in a specific course. Any deviation from ordinary standards, such as the permitted use of notes for an examination or an "open book" test, should be stated clearly by the instructor.
Cheating is defined as the use or attempted use of unauthorized materials or receiving unauthorized assistance or communication during any academic exercise. Examples of cheating include:
Plagiarism is defined as "the false assumption of authorship; the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind and presenting it as one's own" (A. Lindey, 2006, Plagiarism and Originality). The Prentice Hall Reference Guide (2006) indicates, "To plagiarize is to include someone else's writing, information, or idea in a paper and fail to acknowledge what you took by indicating whose work it is" (p. 292). In other words, it is not giving credit where credit is due. Plagiarism is both a moral and ethical offense and sometimes a legal one.
Examples of plagiarism include:
Sanctions
It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of policies regulating academic conduct including definitions of academic dishonesty, the possible sanctions, and the appeals process.
Any undergraduate student apprehended and charged with cheating, including plagiarism, during his or her college matriculation, shall receive the following discipline:
A graduate student is expected to understand clearly the nature of cheating and is subject to dismissal from the university for a single incident of academic dishonesty or cheating. Incidents of cheating and/or plagiarism will be investigated and judged by the appropriate graduate faculty.
Because the matter of cheating cumulatively leads to dismissal, faculty are required to report each case to the appropriate university administrator who in turn reports the case to the academic leader of the specific college/school. Unquestionable evidence must be in hand before any action will be taken to confront and accuse a student of cheating.
A student who is not satisfied with the disciplinary action may follow the grievance and appeal policies below.
Falsification of Academic Records or University Documents: Falsification of academic records or documents includes but is not limited to altering any documents affecting academic records; forging signatures; or falsifying information of an official document such as a grade report, ID card, financial receipt, or any other official university letter or communication. This includes information downloaded (printed) from student information available via Web (online) services.
Unauthorized Access to Computerized Academic or Administrative Records or Systems: Unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems means viewing or altering the university's computer records without authorization; copying or modifying the university's computer programs or systems without authorization; releasing or dispensing information gained through unauthorized access; or interfering with the use or availability of computer systems information.
Students who are found to have falsified university documents or participated in unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems are subject to dismissal from the university for a single incident. The university may consider legal action for any individual found to have participated in these actions.
IWU Safety Policies can be accessed at http://www.indwes.edu/safety and includes crime statistics on certain reportable crimes, as well as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime reporting and prevention, sexual assault, and other related matters. Anyone wishing a paper copy of the policies may contact the Office of Institutional Research at 765-677-1566.
Drug abuse in the United States has become a major problem, and students at Indiana Wesleyan University are not immune. If you need assistance with a drug abuse problem, we encourage you to seek help at your local community drug abuse prevention center. To talk to someone in a strictly confidential atmosphere, please feel free to contact The Aldersgate Center (800-332-6901) at our Marion campus. All conversations are private and will not affect your attendance at the university.
If you would like to talk to someone outside Indiana Wesleyan University, please feel free to call one of the following numbers, or a hospital or treatment center in your area:
Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, and firearms are not permitted on Indiana Wesleyan University premises, including rented classrooms and any building or parts of buildings owned or operated by Indiana Wesleyan University. Refusal to comply may result in dismissal from the university.
Students are to refrain from using tobacco products in all Indiana Wesleyan University classrooms, including rented classrooms and any building or parts of buildings owned or operated by Indiana Wesleyan University. Refusal to comply may result in dismissal from the university.
Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) provides technology systems for the purposes of educating university students, promoting academic research, communicating with university constituents, and administering the daily business of IWU. It is the desire of IWU that technology systems provided by the university be used in a manner that reflects the goals and mission of Indiana Wesleyan. These policies have been established to promote an environment that is safe and secure for all constituents and encourage students to act in a professional and responsible manner.
Technology Equipment:
Technology equipment provided by the university is the property of IWU, and as such IWU retains the right to remove, reallocate, or change equipment at its discretion. No information residing on any computer hardware owned by IWU should be considered private and therefore is subject to review by university staff.
Reporting abuses of technology equipment is expected as it assists the university in providing functional equipment and services to the IWU community.
Computer and Network Access:
Students shall not access files or retrieve any digitally stored information unless authorized to do so. Students shall not attempt to gain access to any entity via electronic means without authorization. Examples of activities that are inappropriate include; attempting to gain unauthorized access to computers or networks owned and or operated by another person or group; and use of an account on a shared computer or network other than the one assigned to the user.
Internet Usage:
Inappropriate use of the internet to access sites such as pornography, gambling, illegal downloads of content, and hate speech is outside of legitimate academic research and is therefore prohibited. IWU monitors and filters all internet activity conducted on university equipment and systems and will, at its discretion, use evidence gathered for disciplinary actions if necessary.
E-mail:
Copyright:
Students are responsible to comply with copyright laws and applicable licenses that apply to software, files, documents, messages and other material they wish to download or copy. Proprietary materials belonging to entities other than the student should not be transmitted on the university's e-mail system or via the university's Internet connection. All students obtaining access to any material prepared or created by another company or individual must respect any attached copyrights and may not copy, retrieve, modify or forward such copyrighted materials, except with written permission of the lawful owner. Students receiving electronic files via the Indiana Wesleyan University's e-mail system or Internet connection should ensure the sender is the lawful owner or has obtained the necessary license.
Use of Indiana Wesleyan University Identity:
The Indiana Wesleyan University name, seal, logo, telephone numbers or address are reserved for official university business and may not be used for any other purpose including electronically (fax, internet, etc.) in advertising or for non-university sponsored events without explicit written permission.
Exclusive Property:
All equipment, services and technologies provided to students as part of Indiana Wesleyan University's computer system constitute the exclusive property of Indiana Wesleyan University. Similarly, all information composed, transmitted, received or stored via the IWU computer system is also considered the property of Indiana Wesleyan University. As such, all stored information is subject to disclosure to management, law enforcement and other third parties, with or without notice to the student.
Policy Remedies:
Individuals found to be in violation of any part of the policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the university. Any known or suspected violations of this or any other university policy should be reported immediately to the office of the Vice President for Student Development and the Vice President for Information Technology.
The student's official transcript is prepared by the Indiana Wesleyan University Records Office and will show the course, grade, credit, and dates of instruction for each course. Requests for transcripts of coursework at Indiana Wesleyan University must conform with the Privacy Act of 1974, which requires that all transcript requests be submitted in writing and signed by the student, for protection of the student's confidentiality. A transcript is official only when it bears the university seal.
It is university policy not to release a transcript if the student owes anything to the university or if he or she is delinquent on any loan received through Indiana Wesleyan University. A $3 fee is charged for each transcript and must be enclosed, along with a complete address to which the transcript is to be mailed. Please provide a current address if request is to be sent to student's home. Students requesting a transcript should write to the Indiana Wesleyan University Records Office, 4201 South Washington Street, Marion, IN 46953. For more information, call 1-765-677-2966 or www.indwes.edu/records/transcripts.htm.
The regular academic year consists of a fall semester and a spring semester. Instructional time is typically 750 minutes per credit hour. A student is classified as full-time when enrolled for 12-16 credit hours in a semester. Students may complete the 124 semester credits required for a baccalaureate degree with four semesters of 15 credits and four semesters of 16 credits. Students who wish to register for more than 16 hours must meet the following criteria: 17 credit hours must have a 2.75 GPA, 18 credit hours a 3.0 GPA, and 19 hours a 3.5 GPA. Students who do not meet these criteria and wish to register for more than 16 hours can submit an academic petition for an exception.
Evening classes are offered on campus to meet the needs of individuals who seek university credit courses but are unable to pursue class work in the day session. These courses are of the same caliber as those offered in the day session and are open to those who are eligible to pursue university work. Usually they will run concurrently with the academic calendar of the day session.
Special sessions include...
Address all application information to Indiana Wesleyan University, Admissions Office, 4201 South Washington Street, Marion, Indiana 46953. Call 1-866-468-6498, ext. 6507, or 765-677-2138. Email address: admissions@indwes.edu; Internet: http: //www.indwes.edu.
College of Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS)
CAPS courses are offered under the semester hour system but in a nontraditional academic calendar. Each program consists of specific courses that are taught in a modular format and taken sequentially. Courses follow a block sequence, one course at a time, with cohort groups pursuing programs that continue year round, until the program requirements have been completed. Core groups meet on the same day for the duration of the program. Classes meet for four hours on weeknights or Saturdays (classes in the M.Ed. program meet for eight hours on Saturdays). Students are also required to complete project team assignments.
Students may only be active in one college due to financial and academic credit implications and may not switch back and forth between the term and non-term programs. IWU students enrolled in IWU colleges other than the College of Arts and Sciences may not enroll in classes in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students in the College of Arts and Sciences can take designated classes in the College Adult and Professional Studies elective offerings ONLY if the class begins after the first day of May term and ends prior to August graduation. Students who plan to change from programs and degrees in one college to programs and degrees in the other should examine carefully the ability to apply courses from one program to the other. See the Records Office for more information.