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Academic Information

The most current University Policies can be found on the University Policies and Procedures webpage.

Academic Year 

The academic year at Minnesota State University Moorhead is arranged into fall and spring semesters of approximately 16 weeks each and a summer semester offering a variety of start and end dates comprised of variable week and short-term workshop sessions.

Students may enter the university at the beginning of any term although the academic year begins officially with the fall semester.

Academic Requirements

Within practicable limits, academic policies and requirements at MSUM are not retroactive. Students entering a degree program can expect to complete the program under the requirements specified at the time of enrollment, unless enrollment is interrupted for more than one year. When a required course is no longer offered, students may substitute another course or courses with the approval of the department chair.

Individual exceptions to major and minor requirements listed in the university catalog, including the waiver or substitution of courses, are subject to the approval of the department chair by written notice to the Registrar's Office. Records of approved changes will be retained in student files until graduation or five years after the last term of enrollment.

Academic Credit Hour

The unit of credit at Minnesota State University Moorhead is the semester hour.

In accordance with federal guidelines, academic credit hours for a course are determined by the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement. The institutionally established equivalency is not less than:

  • One semester hour of credit is awarded for 750 minutes of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of 1800 minutes of out-of-class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
  • At least an equivalent amount of work as required in item (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practicum, studio work, and other academic work leading toward the award of credit hours.
  • For laboratories, a minimum of 100 minutes per week for 15 weeks is equivalent to one credit.
  • One semester credit of field experience requires a minimum of 40 hours of direct experience.
  • For alternate course formats which do not meet faculty contact requirements credit is awarded based on the equivalent face-to-face course or by assessing the amount of work required by the student.

Each academic year shall consist of at minimum 144 instructional days.

Alternative Course Formats

Any course not fitting the traditional 50 minutes per week for each credit in a face-to-face classroom. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Accelerated course defined as courses with the normal number of seat-time hours but in a more compressed time than a traditional semester length.
  • Hybrid courses defined as reduced seat time with an online component with the same outcomes as the traditional in-seat class.
  • Online courses defined as completely presented in an online environment with the same outcomes as the traditional in-seat class.
  • Internships defined as similar hours as a traditional course per credit.
  • Clinical rotations defined as a minimum of similar hours as a traditional course per credit with specific identified outcomes. Time frames may be dictated by an accrediting agency.
  • Individual study or research. The scope of the study or research to require the average student to work an average of three hours a week per credit for 15 weeks.

Approved Times for Classes

Options for 3 credit classes that meet 150 minutes per week that are not labs/studios/practica: 

      Monday-Wednesday-Friday

          Monday-Wednesday

          Tuesday-Thursday

          a) 8:00 am-8:50 am

 

        l) 7:30 am-8:45 am

          b) 9:00 am-9:50 am

 

        m) 9:00 am-10:15 am

          c) 10:00 am-10:50 am

 

 

          d)11:00 am-11:50 am

 

        n) 10:30 am-11:45 am

          e) 12:00 pm-12:50 pm

          i) 12:00 pm-1:15 pm

        o) 12:00 pm-1:15 pm

          f) 1:00 pm-1:50 pm

          j) 1:30 pm-2:45 pm

        p) 1:30 pm-2:45 pm

          g) 2:00 pm-2:50 pm

 

 

          h) 3:00 pm-3:50 pm

          k) 3:00 pm-4:15 pm

        q) 3:00 pm-4:15 pm

Evenings: Two evenings per week
r) either 4:30 pm-5:45 pm or 5:00 pm-6:15 pm (Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu)
s) 6:30 pm-7:45 pm (Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu)
t) 8:00 pm-9:15 pm (Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu)

Evenings: One evening per week
u) one 2 hour 30 minutes (150 minutes) continuous time block starting at 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, or 7:15 pm on any single evening (ex. 4:30-7:00 on Wed)

Options for classes that meet less than 150 minutes per week that are not labs/studios/practica (ex. 1 credit class, 2 credit class, classes partially online, etc.)

  • Choose a class time starting on the hour or half-hour that overlaps at most one of the options a-u above (ex. 10:00-10:50 am Mon/Wed)

Options for classes that meet more than 150 minutes per week that are not labs/studios/practica (ex. 4 credit class, half-semester 3 credit class, etc.)

  • Choose a class time starting on the hour or half-hour that overlaps at most two of the options a-u above (ex. 9:00-9:50 am M/T/Thu/F)

Options for labs/studio/practica that meet at most 2 hours 50 minutes at a time

  • Choose a class time starting on the hour or half-hour that overlaps at most two of the options a-u above (ex. 9:00-10:50 Monday)
  • If there are multiple labs/studios/practica per week, each of which meets for at most 2 hours 50 minutes, schedule the days to be Mon/Wed, Mon/Fri, Wed/Fri, or Tue/Thu

Classes meeting for more than 3 hours at a time shall be scheduled to minimize class conflicts for the enrolled students and efficiently use classroom space.

Course Online Presence Policy

All courses with student enrollments shall have an online presence in the campus LMS (Learning Management System: D2L Brightspace). Students shall have, at a minimum, access to the latest version of the syllabus, the instructor's contact information (available via the online class list), and office hours with location (physical or virtual).

Course Syllabus

The course syllabus is prepared to clearly notify students of course content, course requirements, and course expectations. Each student enrolled in a course shall be provided a course syllabus during the first week of class. For courses offered in a condensed format, the timeframe for distribution will be adjusted accordingly. 

Classification of Students

Students at Minnesota State University Moorhead are divided into classes as follows:
            freshman          0-29 credits
            sophomore       30-59 credits
            junior               60-89 credits
            senior               90 or more credits

Special students not participating in a degree program are admitted on an individual basis and classified separately.

Academic Honesty  

The university expects all students to represent themselves in an honest fashion. In academic work, students are expected to present original ideas and give credit for the ideas of others.

Faculty members have academic freedom, which includes the authority to design and develop materials presented in a course along with deciding how to teach the course. Also, faculty members have the authority to evaluate submissions from students to determine what grade is to be given to each student in the course or on a particular activity.

When an instructor has convincing evidence of cheating or plagiarism, the instructor has a variety of options, which may include the following academic outcomes (this list is not exhaustive):

  • A failing grade may be assigned for the course in which the student cheated.
  • The course grade may be reduced.
  • The assignment may be given a zero.
  • The individual item on the assignment may be given a zero.
  • The student may be required to re-submit the assignment.
  • The student may be required to submit an alternative assignment that meets the same learning outcomes.

The instructor shall report the incident of academic dishonesty and the academic outcome to the college dean in instances where a failing grade in a course is given solely due to academic dishonesty. The instructor may also choose to report the incident of academic dishonesty and the academic outcome to the college dean for other cases, at the instructor's discretion. If the instructor, dean, or any other person feels the seriousness of the offense warrants additional action, the incident may also be reported to the Director of Student Conduct and Resolution in the Dean of Students Office who will determine any relevant student conduct outcome (see Student Conduct Code for details).

  • For students who are referred, past case history will be reviewed to determine if any additional disciplinary, non-academic outcomes should be assessed. The Director of Student Conduct and Resolution may assess non-academic outcomes in addition to the academic outcomes in situations including, but not limited to, the following: if there are repeated academic honesty violations; if a student takes a test for another student; if a student obtains an unauthorized copy of a test; if a student misrepresents facts to receive a postponement or extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment.
  • The Director of Student Conduct and Resolution does not provide an academic outcome for students found responsible for violating University Prohibited Conduct Policies nor requests or initiates any academic outcome in such cases; rather, a student conduct outcome is assigned and recorded within the student's disciplinary record.

Advising

Academic advising is designed to assist each student in the development of a meaningful educational plan compatible with the student’s interests, abilities, and life goals. Academic advising is an ongoing and collaborative process and requires the student and advisor meet at least once each semester.

Students may expect their advisors:

  • Have knowledge of the university curriculum requirements and are able to provide accurate information; 
  • Are informed about university policies, procedures, support services, and resources; 
  • Are reasonably available for consultation by having posted office hours and/or appointment times; 
  • Have knowledge of career opportunities and appropriate graduate programs in their fields; and 
  • Will refer the student to specialized institutional and community resources when necessary. 

Advisors may expect the student:

  • Will make and keep appointments;
  • Will prepare for advisor appointments by bringing their degree audit report (DARS) to the appointment and giving thoughtful consideration to life/career goals, fields of study, and personal interests;
  • Will keep their advisor informed when there are changes in objectives, course selection, academic plans, or progress;
  • Will maintain up-to-date personal records of academic progress and will resolve discrepancies on official grade reports and/or other university documents; and
  • Recognizes that they bear the ultimate responsibility for the development and implementation of his or her academic plan of study, including meeting graduation requirements.

Advisor Assignment and Changes

Students are assigned to a faculty advisor after the time of first registration. Students can find the name of their advisors in eservices. Any change of advisor may be made with the approval of the chair of the department in which the student plans to seek a major and must be reported to either the Registrar's Office or the Academic Support Center.

Appeal of Undergraduate Academic Policies

Academic Appeals can be filed to seek waiver of a graduation or Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum (LASC) requirements, retroactively withdraw from a course (after the withdrawal deadline has passed), and other similar situations. Appeals to retroactively withdraw cannot be accepted if five years have passed since the course in question was taken. Students can inquire in the Registrar's Office whether an appeal is appropriate in their situation.

Students may complete the appeal form and return it to the Registrar's Office, along with appropriate supporting documentation. The Academic Appeals Committee reviews student appeals and approves or denies them. Students whose appeals are denied by the Committee may appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs whose decision is final.

Academic Forgiveness Policy

Academic forgiveness gives an undergraduate student who has not been enrolled at MSUM for at least five years a one-time opportunity to establish a new GPA. Students must meet the following conditions: 

  • The student must not have been enrolled at MSUM for a minimum of five consecutive years prior to the “point of academic forgiveness.”
  • Upon readmission, the student must demonstrate adequate academic ability by completing 12 undergraduate credits at MSUM with a minimum GPA of 2.0 (grade of “C” or higher in each class).

Academic forgiveness cannot be granted if a student has earned a post-secondary degree following his/her initial MSUM attendance and applied MSUM credits toward that degree.

If academic forgiveness is granted, The Registrar's Office will make the following adjustments to the student's transcript:

  • The transcript will be separated into two sections indicating the point of academic forgiveness. Academic forgiveness will be indicated on the transcript.
  • No credits will be granted for any course completed at MSUM prior to the point of academic forgiveness. However, the course titles and grades from these courses will remain on the transcript.
  • Calculation of the student's grade point average will not include grades received prior to the point of academic forgiveness.

Internship Policy  

Students will not be required to return to campus after completing an internship. Students should, however, be encouraged to return to campus to share their experiences.

Before the start date of the internship, the internship supervisor, the site evaluator, and the student shall sign an internship agreement which outlines mutual responsibilities and expectations and contains statements clearly articulating liability assumption on the part of MSUM, the site, and the student.

Internship Standards:

  • A minimum of one (1) semester credit and a maximum of twelve (12) semester credits will be granted.
  • A maximum of twelve (12) semester credits may be counted toward a degree.
  • An internship will be graded only on a pass-fail basis.
  • An internship may be taken only by a student majoring in the department or program with an approved internship experience.
  • The student must have at least junior standing.
  • Internship credits will be awarded on the basis of a minimum of forty (40) hours of fieldwork per semester per credit received.
  • Each internship must have a written agreement outlining the mutual expectations and responsibilities of MSUM, the site, the department, and the student.
  • The internship agreement will be kept on file in the department office for six years.
  • Every internship will be evaluated by the department internship coordinator or the internship supervisor.

Departmental Expectations:
All departments offering internships must have a current internship document on file in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and in the office of the appropriate college dean. The document shall include statements of the:

  • Objectives of the internship program.
  • Responsibilities of the student, the faculty supervisor, and the site evaluator.
  • Departmental procedures for approving internships.
  • Means of reporting results or accomplishments.
  • Method(s) of assessment.
  • Expectations and procedures of monitoring internship achievements.
  • Departmental practice on faculty workload, if any.
  • Departmental policy on internship compensation.
  • Name of a designated departmental internship coordinator.

Background Checks 

Minnesota law requires any person who provides direct contact services to people receiving services from facilities and agencies licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and/or the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) have a background study conducted by the state. Direct contact is defined as providing face-to-face care, training, supervision, counseling, consultation, or medication assistance to people receiving services from the agency or facility. Any individual who is disqualified from having direct patient contact as a result of the background study will not be permitted to participate in a clinical placement in a DHS or MDH licensed facility or agency. Failure to participate in a clinical placement required by the academic program could result in ineligibility to qualify for a degree in this program.

Students whose programs may involve DHS or MDH licensed facilities or agencies should contact the chair of their major program. Forms may be obtained from the program chair.

Student Liability 
Students are liable for their actions and may be sued (along with others) for damages due to negligence. Minnesota State University Moorhead has a Student Intern Professional Liability Policy which covers students engaged in internships. The coverage is for $2,000,000 per occurrence and $5,000,000 in annual aggregate. In addition, some internships and academic programs may require students to purchase separate liability insurance.

If the student or his/her academic department or clinical practicum site does not have a formal internship agreement, and therefore does not have a formally acknowledged internship (i.e. no credit hours, etc.), the student is NOT covered by the University Student Intern Professional Liability Policy.

Students completing their practicum work in area schools can receive liability insurance through the Education Minnesota Student Program provided they are members. For more information, check out their website at http://www.educationminnesota.org/member-benefits/membership/students.aspx.