CLASS ATTENDANCE
Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor, students are expected to attend all meetings of each class in which they are enrolled. They are expected to be ready to start work at the opening of class and to remain for the entire class session.

Irregular attendance or habitual tardiness usually leads to lower grades and, ultimately, to probation or dismissal. Although an instructor’s discretion is clearly involved, unexcused absence from as few as three classes will result in a failing grade.

In the case of extended illness or other legitimate absences that may keep the student from attending a class for more than three meetings, students must contact the Student Development Specialist in the Division of Student Affairs so that instructors can be notified.

STUDENT CONDUCT IN CLASS
If, in the opinion of the instructor, a student’s behavior is hindering the educational progress of the class, the faculty member may counsel the student to encourage behavioral improvement or may contact the dean of students. The student may be withdrawn from the course and a grade of “W” recorded.

A student may be asked to leave school, and the use of school facilities may be denied if at any time the student’s conduct, attendance, or scholarship is deemed unsatisfactory by College authorities. The student will not be entitled to a tuition refund after the refund period.

PLAGIARISM
Each discipline within the arts has specific and appropriate means for students to cite or acknowledge sources and the ideas and material of others used in their own work. Students have the responsibility to become familiar with such processes and to carefully follow their use in developing original work.

Policy
MICA will not tolerate plagiarism, which is defined as claiming authorship of, or using someone else’s ideas or work without proper acknowledgment. Without proper attribution, a student may NOT replicate another’s work, paraphrase another’s ideas, or appropriate images in a manner that violates the specific rules against plagiarism in the student’s department. In addition, students may not submit the same work for credit in more than one course without the explicit approval of the all of the instructors of the courses involved.

Consequences
When an instructor has evidence that a student has plagiarized work submitted for course credit, the instructor will confront the student and impose penalties that may include failing the course. In the case of a serious violation or repeated infractions from the same student, the instructor will report the infractions to the department chair. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the department chair may then report the student to the Office of Academic Affairs, which may choose to impose further penalties, including suspension or expulsion.

Appeal Process
Students who are penalized by an instructor or department for committing plagiarism have the right to appeal the charge and penalties that ensue. Within three weeks of institutional action, the student must submit a letter of appeal to the department chairperson of the course for which actions were taken. The chairperson will assign three members of the relevant department to serve on a review panel. The panel will meet with the student an the instructor of record and will review all relevant and available materials. The panel will determine whether or not to confirm the charge and penalties. The findings of the panel are final. The panel will notify the instructor, the chairperson, the student, and the Office of Academic Affairs of their findings and any recommendations for change in penalties.

INCOMPLETES
Incomplete grades are given only in exceptional circumstances and require an Incomplete Contract, which may be obtained in the Office of Enrollment Services and must be signed by the student, the supervising faculty member, and department chair. The contract is turned in to the Office of Enrollment Services by the instructor at the time of grading. Incompletes must be fulfilled by the fourth week of classes of the subsequent semester, unless approved by the associate dean of enrollment services. If the contract is not fulfilled by the designated deadline, the grade is automatically changed to a failure (F).

GRADES AND TRANSCRIPTS
Grades are posted electronically and may be accessed by the student through the MyMICA Student Center.

MICA’s grading system is as follows. For purposes of obtaining a quality grade point average, each grade category is assigned the following points:

A+ = 4.0
A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.3
D = 1.0
F = 0.0
Grades listed below are not used in calculation of average:

I – incomplete
W – withdrawal
R – repeat
P – pass
AUD – audit
TR – transfer
WV – waiver
Students may obtain unofficial transcripts through the MyMICA Student Center. Official transcripts must be requested in writing to the Office of Enrollment Services.

DEAN’S LIST
Undergraduate degree students earning at least 12 credits who receive a 3.75 semester grade point average with no grades of F, I, or R will be recognized on the Dean’s List. Students who are studying abroad or participating in the Domestic Study Away Program are not eligible for the Dean’s List.

GRADE APPEAL
Students who receive a grade that they are convinced does not reflect their accomplishments may appeal that grade. Students understand that the College will consider the teacher in the classroom the best judge of a student’s performance and that the burden of proof lies completely with the appealing student. They should also be aware that a grade may be lowered as a result of the appeal process. If, understanding these facts, a student wishes to appeal a grade, the process is as follows:

1. Within four weeks of the grade’s posting, the student must request in writing an appointment with the instructor to discuss the grade, sending a copy of this letter to the Office of Academic Advising to be placed in the student’s file.

2a. If, after the meeting with the instructor, the student still wishes to pursue the appeal, the student will meet with the department chairperson of the course in question. At this time, the student will need to present appropriate evidence from the course (a portfolio, exams, etc.) and a detailed explanation of why the appeal is being made. The chairperson will also meet with the instructor concerned in order to determine any other circumstances that may be reflected in the student’s grades (attendance, class participation, etc.). The chairperson may decide to change the student’s grade at this stage.

2b. If, by the beginning of the next semester, the instructor has not responded to the student’s request to discuss the grade, the student may make the appeal directly to the department chair and proceed as described in step 2a.

3a. If the student wishes to pursue the appeal beyond Step 2, the chairperson may decide to assign three members of the relevant department to serve on a panel to meet with the student and review the coursework and pertinent records from the class. After meeting with the student and the instructor, this panel will determine either to confirm the grade or change it. The panel will then notify the instructor, the chairperson, and the student of their decision. The chairperson will notify the registrar of any grade change. This process of appeal to the chairperson and review by the panel should take place within the semester following the appeal by the student.

3b. If the instructor of the class is also the department chairperson, the student may bring the appeal to the director of academic advising by submitting a written request with a detailed explanation for the appeal. The director will appoint three faculty members of the relevant department, who will interview the student and the instructor/chairperson separately before deciding to confirm or revise the posted grade.

Appeals are considered and acted upon during the semester following that in which the contested grade was received. The determination by the review panel is final.