Graduate School of Management Academic Policies

Academic Honesty
Academic Review Policy
Academic Appeal Process
Audit Courses
Class Attendance
Course Load
Equal Opportunity Policy
Federal Regulations
Grade Appeal Process
Making the Grade
Laptop Policy
Withdrawal Policy

Academic Honesty

The Graduate School of Management is a community dedicated to learning and research, both of which include the transmission of knowledge. In striving to learn, we are often dependent on what others have achieved an thus become indebted to them. We must acknowledge our reliance on and use of the ideas and writings of others. The University does not tolerate offenses such as plagiarism and cheating. You are responsible for understanding the University's policy on Academic Honesty.

All work performed by you must be your original work. This includes courses taught in any type of environment, whether campus-based, company-based, or through distance learning. When plagiarism or cheating is found to have occurred, you are subject to immediate dismissal from Graduate School of Management and the grade for the course or the work submitted is subject to change. If a degree or certificate has already been granted at the time the violation is discovered, the degree or certificate shall be revoked.

Plagiarism is an attempt to claim as your own, ideas or writings that originate with others. It is a serious offense against the academic community. Plagiarism is not lessened by a paraphrase or even by an extensive rewriting of another's work. Whenever ideas or words are borrowed, you must give credit by citing the source. All credentialed sources of information must be documented. In addition to traditional sources of information (e.g., books, journals, magazines ad news articles), information accessed through the Internet or other electronic sources must be acknowledged.

Cheating is the deceitful use of another person's work or work product and is subject to disciplinary action. When cheating is suspected during an exam, the instructor or proctor is to separate the suspect examination from those of the other students. The instructor will inform the student of the suspected cheating at the time of examination is turned in and set up an appointment regarding the suspected cheating.

The review of all plagiarized work and/or cheating cases (herein referred to as "offense") and the imposition of penalties will follow the procedure explained below:

1. An instructor who discovers an offense shall immediately inform the student, allowing the student the chance to explain the circumstances.

2. If, after conferring with the student, the instructor still determines that an offense has occured, the instructor will compile the materials of the case to include the piece of work in question and a report of the instructor's conversation with the student. These materials will be submitted to the appropriate academic dean.

3. If the student acknowledges in writing that he or she committed an offense, the case does not go to an Academic Review Board. Instead, the instructor assigns a grade on the work and a grade in the course. The appropriate academic dean reviews the case and decides on a penalty according to the procedure described below.

4. If the student does not acknowledge the offense, the appropriate academic dean will submit the case, with all relevant materials, to the Academic Review Board. That Review Board will conduct its own investigation and will hold a hearing at which the student, without counsel, will be invited to present his her case and to respond to the Board's questions. The Board will decide on whether the student did commit an offense, and will base its decision only on the evidence, not on mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

5. If the Board finds that an offense did occur, it will convey its findings to the instructor and to the appropriate academic dean. The instructor will assign a grade for the material in question and a grade for the course, and will report these grades to the appropriate academic dean. The dean will hold a show-cause hearing with the student on why he or she should not be dismissed from the University and will decide on any penalties beyond the course grade. The student will be informed of the final decision of the hearing and the implications of the decision.

6. If the Academic Review Board decides that the student did not commit an offense, the Board will inform the instructor of its decision. The instructor shall then compute a grade for the piece of work and the course without regard to any offense, but solely on the basis of the quality of the student’s work. The case against the student is then dropped. Adequate procedures for dealing with offenses in off-campus programs will be determined by the appropriate academic dean in consultation with the director of that program.

Academic Review Policy

All students in the Graduate School of Management are subject to the Academic Review Policy. After the completion of 9 credit hours, students are initially reviewed for satisfactory progress toward a degree. A satisfactory status will be granted if all the admissions requirements have been met and a minimum grade point of average of 3.0 has been attained (unless otherwise stated on your acceptance letter). Student status is reviewed every trimester as grades and documents are received.

The term “Probation” will be assigned to those students who meet any of the following conditions:
• Three grades of C
• One failing grade (C- and below)
• A cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 but more than 2.5 after the completion of 9 credit hours

Students will be allowed to take up to three courses (9 credit hours) in order to clear probation status. If a student’s GPA should remain below a 3.0 at the end of three courses, the student will be dismissed.

Students are subject to dismissal for any one of the following situations:
• Two or more failing grades (C- and below)
• Four or more C grades
• Two or more C grades and one failing grade (C- and below)
• A cumulative GPA at or below a 2.5 after the completion of 9 credit hours

Dismissal criteria have precedence over warning/probation criteria. For example, if you receive two C grades and one failing grade during your first trimester, you are subject to dismissal without warning. Students who have been dismissed may not apply for readmission until one year after the date of dismissal.

Academic Appeal Process

Students have the right to appeal a dismissal by means of a hearing before the Academic Review Board. Such requests must be filed within two weeks of the date of the dismissal notice.
To appeal your dismissal, please provide a written and dated letter to the Academic Review Board that contains:
• full name
• contact information: phone and email
• explanation of academic performance
• attach supporting documentation (if necessary)

You may mail, fax, or email the letter to:

University of Dallas
Graduate School of Management
Attn: Nicole Anderson
1845 East Northgate Drive
Irving, Texas 75062

Fax: 972.721.5254

Email: nicolea@gsm.udallas.edu

You will be contacted by the Dean’s office to schedule a time to appear before the Academic Review Board on the date specified in your dismissal letter. Please make arrangements to attend the meeting if you live in the local area. The Academic Review Board will recommend a course of action regarding your dismissal to the College of Business Dean. The College of Business Dean is the final decision maker.

Audit Courses

Students admitted to Graduate School of Management may register to audit a course by paying the tuition amount for one credit hour. Auditing students will not be graded or receive credit toward completion of course requirements, but their transcript will indicate course registration and attendance with a grade of "AD". Students may change a credit course to an audit with the professor's approval prior to the end of the 11th week of class (prior to the last day of class for intermester and intensive classes). No tuition is refunded when changing from credit to audit. An audit course cannot be changed to a credit course after the first week of class.

Class Attendance

As a Graduate School of Management student you are expected to attend all scheduled classes and satisfy all course requirements within the time limits established by your professors. You should be present at each scheduled meeting of Intensive Classes. Exceptions may be made due to serious illness or unavoidable travel. If you have been excessively absent, it may be wise to withdraw from the course, as your lack of attendance may be reflected in your final grade.

Course Load

A full-time student must be enrolled in a minimum of nine credit hours per trimester. Any course load less than nine credit hours is considered part-time. International students on a student visa must enroll for at least nine credit hours to maintain full-time status. For financial aid purposes, half-time is considered six credit hours; full-time is nine credit hours. The maximum load for any student is 14 credit hours per trimester. If you wish to register for more than 14 credit hours you may complete a Course Overload Request Form and must gain approval from the Associate Dean of Academics.

Equal Opportunity Policy

Federal Regulations

The University brings together, in common pursuit of its educational goals, persons of many backgrounds and experiences. The University is committed to the principle that in no aspect of its programs shall there be differences in the treatment of persons because of race, creed, national origin, age, sex, or disability and that equal opportunity and access to facilities shall be available to all. Any student complaints pursuant to a discrimination concern should be referred to the Office of the Associate Dean for Academics, 972.721.5153.

Unlawful Discrimination and Harassment,
The University prohibits all forms of unlawful discrimination, including sexual harassment, i.e., discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin or citizenship. As a Catholic institution, the University may take actions based on religion in many areas (for example, in stude nt admissions and administrative faculty appointments), and may establish a University approved code of conduct based on the teachings of the Catholic Church. Specific policies and procedures are published in the student, faculty, and staff handbooks.

Section 504 and Americans with Disabilities Act
The University will not exclude or empede an otherwise qualified handicapped individual, by sole reason of handicap, from submitting an application for employment or from participation in University programs and activities.
The University will provide any and all reasonable accommodations to facilitate handicapped applicants, students, employees, and guests access to and participation in University programs, evetns, classes, and administrative activities. The Director of Human Resources, Carpenter Hall, 972.721.5382 will designate an individual to coordinate and comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
University departments sponsoring events that are open to the public must include as part of the event announcement the clause: Persons with disabilities needing special assistance to attend should contact the ADA coordinator at 972.721.5382 at least 72 hours before the event. The University will provide reasonable accommodation to those requesting assistance.
Employees and students who complain of any alleged violations of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act may presen ttheir complaint to the Section 504 coordinator.
The coordinator assists in an information resolution of the complaint or guides the complainant to the appropriate individual or process for resolving the complaint. Complainants who are not faculty, staff, or students who are not satisfied with the resolution of the problem by the coordinator may ask the Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration to review their situation. The decision of the Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration will be final.

Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 regulations cover all aspects of sex discrimination with regard to admission and participation by students and employees in federal programs or projects.
Any student or employee alleging to have been discriminated against in violation of Title IX may present a complaint to the Title IX coordinator. The coordinator assists in an informal resolution of the complaint or guides the complainant to the appropriate individual or process for resolving the complaint.
The University designates the Dean of Enrollment Management to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972 as amended.

Release of Information
Section 438 of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 protects the privacy of student's records. Students who choose to limit access to their official files must advise the Office of Student Records in writing and must renew a nondisclosure request each trimester. In the absence of such notifications, Graduate School of Management may release items considered directory information:
*Student name
*Address
*Telephone number
*Email address
*Date and place of birth
*Major field of study
*Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
*Dates of school attendance
*Enrollment status
*Degree and awards received
*The most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student

Grade Appeal Process

To appeal a grade given by a professor students should:

1. Request a conference (in person, if possible) with the professor so that an explanation of the grade may be given. This request must be submitted in writing within the trimester immediately following the trimester or intermester when the course was taken. Attempt to gain an understanding of the reason for the grade or ask for a correction if an error. If Step 1 does not satisfy the students concerns or students are unable to get the professor to meet, proceed to Step 2.

2. Submit an appeal to the Graduate School of Management Associate Dean for Academics. This appeal must be made within two weeks following the conference (or attempt to conference) with the professor. The Associate Dean will discuss your appeal with the student and the professor to see if the situation may be resolved. The Associate Dean cannot require a professor to change a grade. Within three weeks of the appeal, the Associate Dean will provide a written statement of the situation. If Step 2 does not resolve the situation, proceed to Step 3.

3. Submit a copy of the written appeal submitted in Step 2, along with a copy of the Associate Dean's statement, to the Dean of COB. The Dean will discuss your appeal with the professor and the Associate Dean for Academics in an attempt to resolve the situation. If, in the Dean's view, there is strong evidence that the professor's judgement should be questioned, the Dean will consult with the Academic Review Committee (students may be asked to appear before the committee) prior to making the final decision. The Dean will provide students a final written statement of the situation within one month. This is the students final appeal.

Making the Grade

Student academic performance is generally based on at least two measurements in each course: for example, two examinations, or an examination and a project. The exception would be a Capstone course or a practicum, which may be solely measured on the student's overall performance as evaluated by the professor. Upon the student's request, professors will explain grades but will not change grades unless it can be shown that the original grading was in error. The Dean's Office must approve any grade changes from lower to higher grades. If you believe that the grade was assigned incorrectly, you may appeal your grade according to the steps outlined in the Grade Appeal Process.

The following grade system is used:

A grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, or C signifies that the course was passed. Students may not retake the course for grade replacement. The passing grade remains on your permanent record and will be used to compute final GPA.

A grade of C-, D+, D, D-, F, or FA signifies that the course was failed, and that you must retake the course and obtain a grade of C or higher. The failing grade remains in your permanent record and is included on any transcript, but it is not used in computing the final GPA or credit hours towards graduation. If a failing grade is earned in an elective course, you may either retake the course, (in which case the failing grade will not be included in the GPA) or enroll in another course which will satisfy the elective requirement (in which case the failing grade will be included in the GPA). If a course has been failed more than once, only a single failing grade is excluded from the GPA. Failed courses may only be repeated once. Courses failed as part of a conditional admission may not be repeated.

Incomplete Grades: The letter "I" denotes an Incomplete and is given only when some valid emergency prevented the student from completing coursework. For an Incomplete grade to be considered, you must have completed the required course work with a grade for that course work. If you receive an "I", you must perform whatever academic tasks the granting faculty member deems necessary before the Incomplete will be changed to a letter grade. An Incomplete Grade Contract must be completed by you and the professor specifying the work required and a date for completion. The Incomplete Grade Contract must be submitted to the Assistant Dean for Academics for final approval and will remain on file in the Office of Student Records. Upon submission of the required work, the professor assigns a grade and submits a grade change form to the Office of Student Records. An Incomplete that is not changed within one term after issuance will be changed to a grade of "I/PR", a permanent incomplete that can not be changed once issued. An extension may be granted in extenuating circumstances. To withdraw from a course in which an Incomplete grade was awarded, a Form 160 must be completed. Upon approval, you will then receive a "W" grade for the class dropped. In order to retake the class with another professor, you must register for class again and pay the appropriate tuition.

Laptop Policy

Many GSM and PreMBA courses require the use of a personal computer in the classroom, and the vast majority require the use of personal computers to produce class assignments. Therefore, beginning in the Fall 2008 trimester, all incoming students are required to have a laptop or Tablet PC

Minimum Laptop Requirements
Operating Systems: XP or Vista for Windows,
Memory: Min 1 GB (2GB recommended)
Wireless: 802.11 G or N

Minimum Software Requirements
Microsoft Office: 2003 or 2007 (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Access is recommended, but not required)
Adobe Acrobat Reader 8 or greater
Flash viewer 9.3 or greater (loads automatically for the most part)
Virus Protection: Trend, Mcaffee, Norton, or Kapersky are recommended.
Browser: IE 7 or equivalent.

Withdrawal Policy

Students may drop themselves from all but their last class during the first week of class. In order to drop their last class or to drop a class after the first week of class, students should contact the Office of Student Records either in person or via email sent to: srecords@gsm.udallas.edu. Students who drop a course after the third week of class but prior to the end of the 11th week of class (prior to the last day of class for intermester, foundation, and intensive classes), must have written permission from the professor. Students are not allowed to drop courses after the 11th week of class (prior to the last day of class for intermester, foundation, and intensive classes). Refunds will be evaluated based on the refund schedule and the date that the request is received in the Office of Student Records. Students who drop a course after the first week of class will receive a grade of “W” on their transcript.

Students who fail to officially withdraw from courses that they do not complete will receive a grade of “FA” and are subject to the Academic Review Policy. Failure to attend class is not an official means of withdrawal from a course. In addition, students are responsible for any financial obligations they incur as a result of failing to withdraw.

To officially withdraw from the University of Dallas, students will need to obtain a Form 160 and gather signatures from the required departments. This form will need to be submitted to the Office of Student Records prior to the end of the 11th week of class (prior to the last day of class for intermester, foundation, and intensive classes). Refunds will be evaluated based on the date the form is received in the Office of Student Records. Students who withdraw from the University of Dallas after the first week of class will receive grades of “W” on their transcript for each class attempted.