Academic Policies

Student Classification

Freshman: A student who has earned fewer than 24 semester hours of credit.

Sophomore: A student who has earned at least 24 semester hours of credit.

Full-time: A student who is registered for 8 or more semester hours of credit.

Part-time: A student who is registered for fewer than 8 semester hours of credit.

Credit Hour Policy

Indian Hills Community College follows Iowa Administrative Code when defining course credit and the minimum length of instructional time for a credit hour.

Iowa Administrative Code 281, Chapter 21.2(12), sets requirements for determining credit hours based on the amount of instructional contact time and delivery method.

When determining course credit, colleges must follow some basic rules as stated in code, starting with the requirement that each course must be assigned a minimum length of one credit hour. A fractional unit of credit may be awarded provided the course exceeds the minimum length of one credit hour. Each credit hour shall consist of a minimum number of contact hours, based on its delivery method.

NOTE: One Contact Hour = 50 Clock Minutes

Every course must be at least ONE credit

Conventional instruction is subdivided into four instructional methods with the minimum number of required contact hours as provided below.

• Classroom Work: Lecture and formalized classroom instruction under the supervision of an instructor.
  • One Semester Credit Hour = Minimum of 800 minutes or 16 contact hours of scheduled instruction.
• Laboratory Work: Experimentation and practice by students under the supervision of an instructor.
  • One Semester Credit Hour = Minimum of 1,600 minutes or 32 contact hours of scheduled laboratory work.
• Clinical Practice: Applied learning experience in a health agency or office under instructor supervision.
  • One Semester Credit Hour = Minimum of 2,400 minutes or 48 contact hours of scheduled clinical practice.
• Work Experience: Employment-related experience planned and coordinated by an institutional representative and the employer, with control and supervision of the student on the job being the responsibility of the employer.
  • One Semester Credit Hour = Minimum of 3,200 minutes or 64 contact hours of scheduled work experience.

(Citation: Iowa Department of Education, Program Approval Manual, September 2023)

Course Load

Full-time: 8 semester hours or more each term

Part-time: Fewer than 8 semester hours each term

3/4-time: 6 to 7 semester hours each term

1/2-time: 4 to 5 semester hours each term

Students may not carry a course load of more than 15 semester hours in any term without permission of the appropriate instructional dean.

Grading Symbols

All indicated prerequisites must be successfully completed with a passing grade to satisfy course requirements.

Calculating GPA

To calculate your grade point average, you will convert your letter grades into points as follows:  A=4 points; B=3 points; C=2 points; D=1 point; F=0 points.   You then multiply your grade points by the number of credits in the course.   For example, Introduction to Psychology is a three credit course.  If you received a “B” in that class, you would take 3 credits times 3 grade points for a total of 9 grade points.

Your overall grade point average is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of credits taken.  Do not include courses with a “W” grade.  If a class is taken on a pass/fail basis (such as developmental courses), a “P” does not impact your GPA, but an “F” does.

Incomplete Grades

Students who are unable to complete assigned work in a course may be given a grade of “I” (incomplete). Students must complete the assigned work as soon as possible (at the discretion of the instructor/department chair), but no later than six weeks into the following term. Grades for courses left with an “I” past the six-week completion period will automatically convert to “F”.

Academic Misconduct

Academic Integrity Statement

Indian Hills Community College expects a full commitment to academic integrity from each student. 

Academic integrity means:

1. Your work on each assignment will be completely your own
2. Your collaboration with another classmate on any assignment will be pre-approved by your instructor
3. You will not plagiarize in any form
4. You will not allow others to copy your work
5. You will not misuse content from the Internet
6. You will not manufacture or falsify data
7. You will not receive assistance from another person or other outside source (book, internet, etc) while taking any type of test or completing an online course

Academic Misconduct

Plagiarism or any form of cheating on assignments, quizzes, exams or any course materials is considered academic misconduct and will not be tolerated.  Plagiarism is defined as copying or using ideas or words (from another person, an online classmate, or an internet or print course) and presenting them as your own. Students should be aware of the various types of plagiarism when writing papers or reports. These include but are not limited to students who:

1. Buy a paper from an Internet site, another student or writer, or any other source
2. Turn in any paper that someone else has written, whether it was given to you, you download it from the Internet, or you copied it from any other source
3. Change selected parts of an existing paper, and claim the paper as your own
4. Combine the ideas from many sources and claim that they’re your own thoughts
5. Use general or specific ideas from a source without using full and correct documentation telling where you got the ideas
6. Copy or paste into your paper any key terms, phrases, sentences or longer passages from another source without using documentation to tell precisely where the material came from
7. Neglect to put quotation marks around words that you quote directly from a source, even if you document the source
   (Quitman Troyka, Lynn and Douglas Hesse. QA Compact. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007.)

Academic Integrity Requirements

1. Indian Hills Community College requires all students taking online exams to utilize Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor.
2. Students completing make-up exams or exams through distance learning must do so through a pre-approved proctor.

Sanctions for Academic Misconduct

Indian Hills Community College takes all cases of academic misconduct seriously utilizing various forms of technology to monitor and detect academic misconduct. Faculty may require students to use technology that searches for instances of plagiarism in written assignments and software that ensures academic integrity while taking quizzes or exams. Faculty will report instances of academic misconduct through the college’s electronic reporting system. Students who commit academic misconduct are subject to the following sanctions:

1. Failure of the assignment
2. Failure of the course
3. Removal from the academic program
4. Indefinite suspension from the college

Each case of academic misconduct will be reviewed by the appropriate faculty member and college administration. Cases of academic misconduct deemed to be a serious threat to the academic mission of the program or institution may result in immediate action including indefinite suspension from the college. A higher level of sanction may be deemed appropriate if a student has prior academic misconduct offenses.

Appeal of Academic Misconduct

Students who fail a course due to academic misconduct may appeal the course failure by following the process of the Indian Hills Community College Appeal of Final Grade Policy. Students who have reached the level of removal from an academic program or indefinite suspension from the college due to academic misconduct may appeal this decision using the following process:

1. The student shall confer with the appropriate program director or department chair in regard to the decision regarding academic misconduct. The program director or department chair shall confer with the instructor and the student, and the program director or department chair shall render an opinion to the student.
2. If unsatisfied with the opinion of the program director or department chair, the student may confer with the Academic Dean. It is understood that the Academic Dean will initiate a closed meeting between the student and instructor, and act in a mediating role to ensure that no misunderstanding exists regarding application of the academic misconduct policy by the instructor. If the matter is not resolved at this point, the student may initiate an academic misconduct appeal to be reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee. The academic misconduct appeal reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee must be initiated by the student no later than 8 regular academic days into the next college term following the enrollment period for which the challenged grade was issued.  (The college “term” is defined as fall, winter, spring, or summer)
3. The student wishing to complete an academic misconduct appeal hearing before the Academic Standards Committee must submit in writing and must fully state the basis for the misconduct challenged, identifying the reason or reasons the student feels the academic misconduct decision is unwarranted.  The written appeal shall be filed by the student with the Executive Dean, Instruction within 8 regular academic days into the next college term. The written appeal should be completed in the form of a standard business letter, identify the course name and the faculty member teaching the course. The appeal letter must document the rationale for the appeal, and include appropriate facts related the academic misconduct decision being appealed. 
4. The Executive Dean shall present the student’s written appeal to the chairperson of the Academic Standards Committee. The written appeal shall be sent electronically to the chairperson who will set a hearing date in the consultation with other members of the Academic Standards Committee. The chairperson will have 5 regular academic days to identify the appropriate meeting date, time, and location of the hearing. The chairperson of the Academic Standards Committee will communicate in writing the date of the hearing to the student and faculty member involved in the academic misconduct dispute.
5. At least 5 regular academic days of notice must be given to the parties affected to insure an opportunity to prepare for the hearing. The Academic Standards Committee hearing shall be held in closed session unless the student requests in writing to the Chair of the Academic Standards Committee that it be open. The open session must be requested 2 regular academic days prior to the hearing.
6. During the hearing, both the student making the appeal and the instructor who issued the academic misconduct decision shall be given the opportunity to testify and present evidence and/or witnesses. Each shall have the opportunity to hear and question adverse witnesses.
7. The Academic Standards Committee decision shall be based solely on the evidence introduced at the hearing. The student bears the burden of proving that there are sufficient grounds to change the academic misconduct decision.
8. After hearing the appeal, the Academic Standards Committee shall have up to 2 regular academic days to decide either to reject the appeal or to uphold it. The Office of the Executive Dean will be notified of the decision and rationale for the decision in writing by the Academic Standards Committee chairperson. The Executive Dean shall in turn notify in writing the student and the instructor who issued the challenged academic misconduct decision. Should the appeal be granted, the committee chairperson and the instructor shall re-examine the student’s course work and recommend in writing appropriate steps to rectify the disputed academic misconduct dcision. The decision of the Academic Standards Committee is final.
9. A student who wishes to pursue the academic misconduct decision beyond the jurisdiction of the Academic Standards Committee may submit a written appeal within five (5) days through the Executive Dean to the Vice President, Learning & Engagement, who will review all facts and determine if the student’s due process rights were protected.

Copyright Policy

It is the policy of Indian Hills Community College that all students, faculty and staff respect and acknowledge the works of others and adhere to the provisions of the United States Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code, Sect. 101, et. Seq.).  Use of copyrighted materials in any manner not allowed by the Act, subsequent guidelines and/or other proprietary permissions is strictly prohibited.

Students, faculty and staff who willfully or recklessly disregard this policy and/or violate the Act may be personally liable in the event legal action is taken against them.  The college will defend and indemnify Indian Hills faculty and staff who have demonstrated a good faith effort to comply with the Act.  The college will not defend nor indemnify willful or intentional violations of the Act.

Appeal of Final Grade

Indian Hills Community College students are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established by the instructor for each course in which they are enrolled. A student may appeal a final course grade that they feel is inaccurate or unwarranted. The final grade appeal process is recognized as the appropriate method students may utilize to appeal a disputed grade. The final grade appeal process should begin as soon as possible following the date of issue of final grades, and in any case, no later than 10 regular academic days into the next college term following the enrollment period for which the challenged grade was issued. (The college “term” is defined as fall, winter, spring, first half summer, second half summer, or full summer)

Indian Hills Community College will provide students the appropriate due process in disputing final grades. All grades submitted by faculty are considered final and a part of a student’s permanent academic record. Indian Hills Community College believes it is the student’s responsibility to review and understand the final grades on their permanent academic record. Indian Hills Community College provides students access to final grades and their permanent academic record. Students who do not initiate the appeal of final grades within 10 regular academic days forfeit the right to appeal a final grade, and the grade on the permanent academic record is final.

1. The student shall confer with the instructor who issued the challenged grade to ascertain and/or reaffirm the method for grade determination. If the matter is not resolved at this point, the student may proceed to step two.
2. The student shall confer with the appropriate program director or department chair. The program director or department chair shall confer with the instructor and the student, and the program director or department chair shall render an opinion to the student.
3. If unsatisfied with the opinion of the program director or department chair, the student may confer with the Academic Dean. It is understood that the Academic Dean will initiate a closed meeting between the student and instructor, and act in a mediating role to ensure that no misunderstanding exists regarding the grading policy of the instructor. If the matter is not resolved at this point, the student may initiate a final grade appeal to be reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee. The final grade appeal reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee must be initiated by the student no later than 15 regular academic days into the next college term following the enrollment period for which the challenged grade was issued.  (The college “term” is defined as fall, winter, spring, summer one, summer two, or full summer)
4. The student wishing to complete a final grade appeal hearing before the Academic Standards Committee must submit in writing and must fully state the basis for the grade challenged, identifying the reason or reasons the student feels the grade is unwarranted.  The written appeal shall be filed by the student with the Executive Dean, Instruction within 15 regular academic days into the next college term. The written appeal should be completed in the form of a standard business letter, identify the course name and the faculty member teaching the course. The appeal letter must document the rationale for the appeal, and include appropriate facts related the final grade being appealed. 
5. The Executive Dean shall present the student’s written appeal to the chairperson of the Academic Standards Committee. The written appeal shall be sent electronically to the chairperson who will set a hearing date in the consultation with other members of the Academic Standards Committee. The chairperson will have 5 regular academic days to identify the appropriate meeting date, time, and location of the hearing. The chairperson of the Academic Standards Committee will communicate in writing the date of the hearing to the student and faculty member involved in the final grade dispute.
6. At least 5 regular academic days of notice must be given to the parties affected to insure an opportunity to prepare for the hearing. The Academic Standards Committee hearing shall be held in closed session unless the student requests in writing to the Chair of the Academic Standards Committee that it be open. The open session must be requested 2 regular academic days prior to the hearing.
7. During the hearing, both the student making the appeal and the instructor who issued the challenged grade shall be given the opportunity to testify and present evidence and/or witnesses. Each shall have the opportunity to hear and question adverse witnesses.
8. The Academic Standards Committee decision shall be based solely on the evidence introduced at the hearing. The student bears the burden of proving that there are sufficient grounds to change the grade.
9. After hearing the appeal, the Academic Standards Committee shall have up to 2 regular academic days to decide either to reject the appeal or to uphold it. The Office of the Executive Dean will be notified of the decision and rationale for the decision in writing by the Academic Standards Committee chairperson. The Executive Dean shall in turn notify in writing the student and the instructor who issued the challenged grade. Should the appeal be granted, the committee chairperson and the instructor shall re-examine the student’s course work and recommend in writing appropriate steps to rectify the disputed grade. The decision of the Academic Standards Committee is final.
10. A student who wishes to pursue the grade appeal beyond the jurisdiction of the Academic Standards Committee may submit a written appeal within five (5) days through the Executive Dean to the Vice President, Learning & Engagement, who will review all facts and determine if the student’s due process rights were protected.

Pass/Fail Course Grading Policy

Indian Hills Community College offers a limited number of courses that can be taken on a Pass/Fail basis. In order for a course to be considered specifically for Pass/Fail grading, it must be designated as a Pass/Fail through curriculum action and noted in the course description in the college catalog. 

The grade award for Pass/Fail courses shall be:
     P = Pass
     F = Fail

Credits earned through course work as P-Pass shall count toward the total number of credits earned by the student while enrolled at Indian Hills Community College. However, no numerical value is assigned to a P-Pass grade. P-Pass course grades are not used in calculating the student’s term or cumulative grade point average. 

Transfer Credit

Indian Hills accepts credits from other regionally-accredited, post-secondary institutions and will apply these credits, when appropriate, toward requirements of the program in which the student is enrolled. Acceptance of credit by Indian Hills does not guarantee acceptance at other colleges. Indian Hills does not accept as transfer credit courses for which a grade of “D” or less (or equivalent) was earned. Courses will be evaluated by the Registrar for final determination as to transferability of credit.

Students transferring from a technical education program to the Arts and Sciences Program may transfer up to 16 semester hours of technical education credit. These credits will be applied toward the elective requirements for the student’s particular major. Contact an academic advisor to find out how your credits transfer.

Students earning Arts and Sciences transfer credit in international programs will have their credits processed in accordance with the IHCC International Students Policy. Contact the Registrar for additional information.

Audit Policy

Students may be allowed to audit certain courses. Students who audit will not be held responsible for lesson assignments or tests and will not receive credit for the course.

A student should indicate a course is being audited during registration. Tuition for courses audited is charged at the normal credit hour rate. Registration for a course may be changed from audit to credit or from credit to audit anytime prior to midterm with permission from the instructor.

Repeat Policy

Students may repeat a course in order to earn a higher grade. Requests to repeat any course requires approval from the appropriate department. The lowest grade earned will then be replaced with an “X”. Permission to repeat courses in which a grade of “C” or higher was earned will be granted on a course-by-course basis and will require permission from the appropriate Dean(s) and from the Registrar.

Students wishing to take advantage of this policy must file a “Notification of Intent to Repeat Courses” form in the Registrar’s office. This form must list each course the student wishes to repeat. The highest grade earned in a repeated course will be calculated in the student’s cumulative GPA (The “X” carries no credit, nor does it affect a student’s grade point average). Students who withdraw from courses they are repeating will retain their original grades.

Academic Renewal Policy

Students may request permission to remove one entire academic term from future degree and GPA considerations.

Eligibility
To be eligible for academic renewal consideration, students must be currently enrolled at Indian Hills Community College.

Conditions
Academic Renewal is based on the following conditions:

1. Renewal may be applied to only one academic term.
2. ALL courses and credits that were taken during the chosen term will be removed from consideration for GPA and degree requirements. Students MAY NOT combine courses from multiple terms to comprise the term dropped.
3. If the student has been previously awarded a degree or diploma, the chosen term MUST be after the term in which the degree or diploma was awarded.
4. All courses for the chosen term will remain on the student’s academic record. Grades for those courses will be changed to the “O”. [Note: Courses marked with a grade of “O” do not meet graduation requirements in any program at Indian Hills Community College.]
5. A student may be granted only ONE academic renewal.
6. All other IHCC academic rules, policies and requirements apply.

Procedure
Students should begin the renewal process by discussing their desire to pursue academic renewal with a counselor or advisor in the program in which they are currently enrolled. Students must submit a properly completed Administrative Appeal form to the Registrar’s office.

Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) is defined as college credit earned through experiences outside of Indian Hills credit course completion.  CPL can be earned in a variety of methods, such as transfer credit, work experience, professional training, industry-recognized credentials, credit by examinations, military training and more.  A maximum of 18 technical credits can be earned through the CPL process.  A maximum of 30 credits may be awarded for CPL of any kind, with the exception of transfer credit from other institutions of higher learning.  Students must also meet the residence and college general education requirements.  A student must request alternative credit be awarded, the credit is not awarded automatically. 

Credit for Prior Learning may include:

• Transfer Credit
• Credit by Examination (CLEP, AP, DSST, Test Out)
• Experiential Learning/Work Experience
• Professional Training/Industry-Recognized Credentials
• Military Education/Training

Transfer Credit

Indian Hills accepts credit from other regionally-accredited, post-secondary institutions and will apply these credits, when appropriate, toward requirements of the program in which the student is enrolled.  Acceptance of credit by Indian Hills does not guarantee acceptance at other colleges.  Indian Hills does not accept as transfer credit courses for which a grade of “D” or less (or equivalent) was earned.  Courses will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar for final determination as to transferability of credit.

Students transferring from a technical education program to the Arts & Sciences program may transfer up to 16 semester hours of technical education credit.  These credits will be applied toward the elective requirements for the student’s particular major.

Students earning transfer credit from international colleges and universities may be required to have their credits evaluated by an accredited third-party agency. 

Experiential Learning/Work Experience & Professional Training/Industry-Recognized Credentials

Indian Hills may award students credit for training/learning that they received during their time of employment.  Credit for Work Experience/Experiential Learning and Professional Training/Industry Recognized Credentials will be evaluated by the Department Chair or Program Director, the divisional Dean and a Continuing Education & Workforce Solutions staff member, on a case-by-case basis upon examination of the student’s portfolio. 

The Experiential Learning/Work Experience and Professional Training/Industry-Recognized Credentials portfolios will include, but will not be limited to:

• Tangible examples of competencies and a completed portfolio worksheet
• A current résumé
• A job description that clearly defines duties and a letter from the employer verifying that the student has met the competencies of the course(s) requested
• Demonstration of skill (when applicable)
• Third party credentials, certificates or licensure

Credit by Examination

Indian Hills will accept for credit appropriate test scores, as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service, on approved subject-matter tests provided by College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP) and DSST (Formerly Dantes).

A maximum of 16 semester hours earned through the Credit by Examination process may be applied to the associate degree requirements.  Rules, guidelines, subject-matter examinations and test fees are available from the Indian Hills Testing Centers on the Ottumwa and Centerville Campuses.  There is a cost associated with the tests.  However, there is no additional cost to add the credit to an Indian Hills transcript.

Students may elect to take one or more College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests.  Each CLEP Subject Examination covers material taught in an undergraduate course with a similar title at most colleges and universities.  Successful completion of a CLEP Subject Examination will substitute for credit earned in a similar, traditionally taught class.  Indian Hills complies with Iowa colleges’ agreement that only CLEP scores at the 50th percentile or higher (the most recent national norms of people who have taken the course) will receive any credit. If you do not meet the minimum requirements to receive credit for the examination, you must wait six months before you can take the same exam.  Credit by examination will not be granted:

• If it duplicates courses previously passed or failed;
• For a course which the students does not meet the stated prerequisites listed in the Indian Hills catalog; or
• For a course which is a prerequisite to one for which credit has previously been earned.

Additionally, students may “test out” of courses at Indian Hills for which there is no CLEP, AP or DSST test.  Credit by departmental examination is a means of being granted alternative credit by satisfactorily demonstrating subject-matter competency through an examination developed, administered and evaluated by an Indian Hills faculty member. 

The student must be enrolled in the course and is required to achieve an “A” or “B” on the exam to receive credit.  Indian Hills “test out” grades will appear as a “T” on a transcript.  Contact an advisor or instructor prior to enrolling if you wish to “test out” of a course.

Students interested in CLEP, AP and DSST tests can contact the Ottumwa Testing Center by calling (641) 683-5142.  The Centerville Testing Center can be reached at (641) 856-2143.  Students can also email [email protected].

Military Education/Training

Indian Hills may award credit for applicable armed service school experiences and training, non-collegiate institution training, or earned professional certificates and licensures.  When applicable, credit will be awarded based on the American Council on Education’s (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service and the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.  Official military transcripts will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar.  Veterans should direct any questions regarding transfer credits to the Veteran’s Affairs Office or the Office of the Registrar.  All other Indian Hills policies related to transfer credits also apply to military credits. 

Students interested in the Credit for Prior Learning process, should contact an academic advisor to initiate the process. 

Schedule Changes/Withdrawal 

Students may add classes to their schedule during the first five college calendar days of a 12-week term either online or through the academic advisors, program directors or OneStop. Students may enroll in SUCCESS Center courses through the tenth week of the term. Students may elect to drop courses through the eighth college calendar day of a 12-week term with full refund. There are no refunds after the eighth college calendar day. 

No adds can be made to a student’s schedule after the first five class days and no drops with refund can be made to a student’s schedule after the first eight class days. Students may drop with grade “W” from classes through the 10th week of a 12-week term and receive a “W” (withdrawal) on their transcripts. Withdrawal and drop dates may vary for courses scheduled for less than a full 12-week term. Students should contact their academic department for specific dates.

Students may add/drop courses within the add/drop periods either online or through the acadmic advisors, program directors or OneStop. 

Students may withdraw from courses up to the tenth (10th) week of the term and will receive a “W” (withdrawal) on their transcript. Students should contact OneStop or Academic Advising in order to start the withdrawal process.  Withdraws do not have a negative impact on a student’s GPA. No refund will be issued for courses from which a student withdraws. Withdrawing from courses may have an impact on the student’s financial aid.

(Refer to section on Return of Title IV Funds .)

Arranged Study

Arranged study is the procedure whereby eligible students may take approved courses on an independent basis due to emergency, hardship or unusual circumstances. Arranged study is not available in all subject areas, and students must document their need for this type of study to their department administration.

Academic Progress/Probation/Dismissal

Minimum satisfactory scholastic achievement is represented by a 2.0 grade point average each term of enrollment. Students who fall below this level will be placed on academic probation for the following term. Students who fail to achieve a 2.0 GPA during their probationary term may then be dismissed from their current program or from the college. Students not dismissed must have permission from their Dean and from the Registrar to re-enroll for the next term. Very poor work in any term, however, may result in dismissal at the close of that term.

NOTE: To graduate, a student must achieve a 2.0 cumulative grade point average as well as comply with all other academic requirements.

Class Attendance

Attendance is important and expected. Class attendance policies are established by divisions and faculty. Students are expected to meet all program and class requirements, including those pertaining to attendance.

Childcare/Restriction of Children in Classrooms

Although necessities of childcare may occasionally conflict with a student’s attendance, children cannot be allowed to accompany a student to a class. The presence of children hinders the instructional process. Neither the comparative safety of any class nor the comparatively good behavior of any child should alter this policy. If a student brings a child to class, the student will not be permitted to attend the class.

Students Attending School-Sanctioned Events

It is the intention of IHCC to provide meaningful and equitable education for all students. No individual student or group of students will receive either preferential or punitive treatment; all students will have an equal opportunity to perform to the best of their abilities. IHCC recognizes that students should be allowed to make up work missed while attending school-sanctioned events. IHCC also recognizes that the total educational experience of the student is of primary importance and that the student must take responsibility for their own academic growth. In order to ensure that students can realize both their scholastic and extra-curricular goals, they need to follow these basic rules:

1. When students schedule their classes, they should keep in mind that they need to minimize the number of absences from classes. In addition, they should inform their instructors of any conflict between class time and extra-curricular schedules.
2. At the beginning of the term, or as soon thereafter as possible, students should present their instructors with a list of required absences.
3. Prior to missing class for a school-sanctioned event, the student must make arrangements with instructors for any tests, quizzes and class work that they will miss.
4. If a student has any question about an instructor’s execution of these policies, that student should speak to the instructor first. If a satisfactory conclusion is not reached, the student then should speak with the appropriate department chair or dean.
5. Students attending school-sanctioned events are representing IHCC and must adhere to school policies regarding conduct.

Transcript Policy

1. Indian Hills Community College has authorized Parchment to provide transcript ordering via www.parchment.com.
2. A processing fee of $8.00 per transcript will be charged for all transcripts produced.
3. Students with outstanding financial obligations or who have defaulted on a student loan, will be directed to contact the Registrar at [email protected] to make arrangements for payment and to request a transcript.

Dean’s List/President’s List

Indian Hills Community College recognizes those students who have excelled in the classroom by compiling a list of Honor Roll students after each term. A student must be enrolled full-time to be included on the Honor Roll. It is made up of a President’s List and a Dean’s List. The Dean’s List is comprised of those students who have a grade point average between 3.5 and 3.9 for a given term. The President’s List is made up of those students with a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the term.

Retention of Student Records

Indian Hills Community College retains the official academic record (transcript) of enrollment and credits earned in Indian Hills Community College credit programs in perpetuity. All other student record documents will be destroyed three years after the student’s last enrollment at Indian Hills. Students who believe there is an inaccuracy in their official academic records (transcript) must notify the Registrar’s office immediately.

Academic Freedom Statement

The mission of Indian Hills Community College promotes learning, diversity, and social enrichment. The college values acceptance, inclusion, and academic excellence. Academic Freedom is critical in pursuing institutional mission and purpose. College faculty and administration define Academic Freedom by what it does and does not allow. The source of this definition comes from a review of Academic Freedom completed by Carly Nelson, Inside Higher Education (2010) and is derived from the American Association of University Professors definition dating back to 1915.

Part 1: Academic Freedom - What it does do

• 1. Academic freedom means that both faculty members and students can engage in intellectual debate without fear of censorship or retaliation.
• Academic freedom establishes a faculty member’s right to remain true to his or her pedagogical philosophy and intellectual commitments. It preserves the intellectual integrity of our educational system and thus serves the public good.
• Academic freedom in teaching means that both faculty members and students can make comparisons and contrasts between subjects taught in a course and any field of human knowledge or period of history.
• Academic freedom gives both students and faculty the right to express their views — in speech, writing, and through electronic communication, both on and off campus — without fear of sanction, unless the manner of expression substantially impairs the rights of others or, in the case of faculty members, those views demonstrate that they are professionally ignorant, incompetent, or dishonest with regard to their discipline or fields of expertise.
• Academic freedom gives both students and faculty the right to study and do research on the topics they choose and to draw what conclusions they find consistent with their research, though it does not prevent others from judging whether their work is valuable and their conclusions sound. To protect academic freedom, colleges should oppose efforts by corporate or government sponsors to block dissemination of any research findings.
• Academic freedom means that the political, religious, or philosophical beliefs of politicians, administrators, and members of the public cannot be imposed on students or faculty.
• Academic freedom gives faculty members and students the right to seek redress or request a hearing if they believe their rights have been violated.
• Academic freedom protects faculty members and students from reprisals for disagreeing with administrative policies or proposals.
• Academic freedom gives faculty members and students the right to challenge one another’s views, but not to penalize them for holding them.
• Academic freedom protects a faculty member’s authority to assign grades to students, so long as the grades are not capricious or unjustly punitive. More broadly, academic freedom encompasses both the individual and institutional right to maintain academic standards.
• Academic freedom gives faculty members substantial latitude in deciding how to teach the courses for which they are responsible.
• Academic freedom guarantees that serious charges against a faculty member will be heard before a committee of his or her peers. It provides faculty members the right to due process, including the assumption that the burden of proof lies with those who brought the charges, that faculty have the right to present counter-evidence and confront their accusers, and be assisted by an attorney in serious cases if they choose.

Part 2: Academic Freedom - What It Doesn’t Do

• Academic freedom does not mean a faculty member can harass, threaten, intimidate, ridicule, or impose his or her views on students.
• Student academic freedom does not deny faculty members the right to require students to master course material and the fundamentals of the disciplines that faculty teach.
• Neither academic freedom nor tenure protects an incompetent teacher from losing his or her job. Academic freedom thus does not grant an unqualified guarantee of lifetime employment.
• Academic freedom does not protect faculty members from colleague or student challenges to or disagreement with their educational philosophy and practices.
• Academic freedom does not protect faculty members from non-college penalties if they break the law.
• Academic freedom does not give students or faculty the right to ignore college or university regulations, though it does give faculty and students the right to criticize regulations they believe are unfair.
• Academic freedom does not protect students or faculty from disciplinary action, but it does require that they receive fair treatment and due process.
• Academic freedom does not protect faculty members from sanctions for professional misconduct, though sanctions require clear proof established through due process.
• Neither academic freedom nor tenure protects a faculty member from various sanctions — from denial of merit raises, to denial of sabbatical requests, to the loss of desirable teaching and committee assignments — for poor performance, though such sanctions are regulated by local agreements and by faculty handbooks. If minor, sanctions should be grievable; if major, they must be preceded by an appropriate hearing.
• Neither academic freedom nor tenure protects a faculty member who repeatedly skips class or refuses to teach the classes or subject matter assigned.
• Though briefly interrupting an invited speaker may be compatible with academic freedom, actually preventing a talk or a performance from continuing is not.
• Academic freedom does not protect a faculty member from investigations into allegations of scientific misconduct or violations of sound university policies, nor from appropriate penalties should such charges be sustained in a hearing of record before an elected faculty body.

Violations of Academic Freedom

Faculty or students who believe their Academic Freedom have been violated have a right to file a grievance through the College’s Grievance Procedure for Discriminatory Practices. This procedure is outlined on the Indian Hills Community College website and seeks resolution to grievances including violation of Academic Freedom.  

Freedom of Speech Policy

Preamble

Indian Hills Community College establishes this Policy to comply with the laws of the state of Iowa and to protect speech and expression at public institutions of higher education.

Policy

The primary function of an institution of higher education is the discovery, improvement, transmission, and dissemination of knowledge by means of research, teaching, discussion, and debate. To fulfill this function, the institution must strive to ensure the fullest degree of intellectual freedom and free expression allowed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This Policy is made and published by the College to prohibit intellectual restrictions and penalties based on protected speech, including political speech, to the fullest extent of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

It is not the proper role of an institution of higher education to shield individuals from speech protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which may include ideas and opinions the individual finds unwelcome, disagreeable, or even offensive.

It is the proper role of an institution of higher education to encourage diversity of thoughts, ideas, and opinions and to encourage, within the bounds of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the peaceful, respectful, and safe exercise of First Amendment rights. Students and faculty have the freedom to discuss any problem that presents itself, assemble, and engage in spontaneous expressive activity on campus, within the bound of established principles of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that are consistent with established First Amendment principles.

The outdoor areas of campus of an institution of higher education are public forums, open on the same terms to any invited speaker subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that are consistent with established principles of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

The outdoor areas of campus, which for this Policy means the generally accessible outside areas of campus where the campus community are commonly allowed, such as grassy areas, walkways, or other similar common areas. Outdoor areas of campus do not include areas outside health care facilities, veterinary medicine facilities, facilities or outdoor areas used by this Community College’s athletic programs or teams, or other outdoor areas where access is restricted to a majority of the campus community.

Annual training shall be provided to the College’s students, faculty, and staff on free speech and First Amendment protections.

Protected Activities

A Member of the campus community, which for this Policy shall include students, administrators, faculty, staff, and/or guests invited by students, administrators, faculty or staff, shall be freely permitted to engage in noncommercial expressive activity in outdoor areas of campus, subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions, and as long as the Member’s conduct is not unlawful, does not impede others’ access to a facility or use of walkways, and does not disrupt the functioning of this Community College. This Community College may designate other areas of campus available for use by the campus community. All access to designated areas will be granted on a viewpoint-neutral basis.

Noncommercial expressive Protected Activities include but are not limited to any lawful oral or written means by which Members of the campus community may communicate ideas, including but limited to all forms of peaceful assembly, protests, speeches including invited speakers, distribution of literature, circulating petitions, and publishing, including publishing or streaming on an internet site, audio or video recorded in outdoor areas of campus.

Protected Activities shall also include the right of student expression in a counter demonstration held in an outdoor area of campus as long as the conduct at the counter demonstration is not unlawful, does not materially and substantially prohibit the free expression of others, or impede other’s access to a facility or use of walkways.

If any faculty member of the College is found to have knowingly restricted the protected speech of a student, or otherwise penalizes a student for protected speech or activities, under the Student Conduct Code or other applicable policies or procedures for student conduct, the faculty member is subject to discipline, up to and including termination under the applicable faculty policies, procedures, and Iowa law based on the totality of the facts.

In all instances, faculty and staff (including extracurricular coaches) may support a student’s First Amendment rights without fear of discipline by the College.

Nonprotected Activities

Nothing shall prevent this Community College from prohibiting, limiting, or restricting expression and/or expressive activity that is not otherwise protected by the Constitution of the United States. Nonprotected activities include, but are not limited to the following:

• A threat of serious harm and expression directed or likely directed to provoke imminent unlawful actions; [and]
• Harassment, including but not limited to expression which is so severe or pervasive and subjectively and objectively offensive that the expression unreasonably interferes with an individual’s access to educational opportunities or benefits provided by this Community College;
• Violence;
• Defamation, including libel and slander;
• Obscenity; or
• Inciting others to commit crimes or engage in unlawful conduct.

Student Organizations

This Community College will not deny Benefits or privileges available to student organizations based on the viewpoint or expression of the viewpoint of a Student Organization or its members protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. For purposes of this Policy, Benefits means recognition, registration, use of facilities for meetings or speaking purposes, use of channels of communication, and access to funding sources otherwise available to other student groups.

In addition, this Community College shall not deny any Benefits or privileges to a Student Organization based on the Organization’s requirement that its leaders agree to and support the Organization’s beliefs as interpreted and applied by the Organization, and to further the Organization’s mission. For purposes of this Policy, Student Organization means a group officially recognized or registered by the Community College, or a group seeking official recognition or registration comprised of students who are admitted and in attendance at this Community College who receive or are seeking to receive Benefits or privileges.

Student Government

Student government organizations must comply with the requirements of this Policy and not infringe upon speech by a member of the Community College campus community protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. A student government organization that knowingly and intentionally violates this policy shall have its authority to manage and disburse student fees, if any, suspended for a period of one year.  During this period of suspension, student fees shall be managed and disbursed by the Community College.  Nothing in this policy shall prohibit student government organizations from enforcing content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions and/or reasonable rules to ensure the orderly operation of meetings, so long as those rules are content-neutral and consistent with the requirements of this Policy.

Public Forums on Campus/Freedom of Association 

The outdoor areas of campus are deemed public forums. This Community College may maintain and enforce clear, published, reasonable viewpoint-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions that are narrowly tailored in furtherance of a significant institutional interest, but shall allow members of the campus to engage in spontaneous expressive activity and to distribute literature. If this Community College places restrictions, it shall provide ample alternative means of expression.

Except as provided in this policy, and subject to the reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions, this Community College shall not designate any area of campus a free speech zone or otherwise create policies restricting expressive activities to a particular outdoor area of campus.

Nothing in this policy shall be construed to grant individuals the right to engage in conduct that intentionally, materially, and substantially disrupts the expressive activity of a person or student organization if this Community College has reserved space in an outdoor area of campus for the activity in accordance with this policy.

Complaint Procedure 

If a Member of the campus community believes he or she has been aggrieved by a violation of this Policy, the Member shall follow the grievance procedures as described in this Community College’s Policy.

In the event the matter is not resolved through the appropriate grievance process, or otherwise as provided under Iowa law, the aggrieved member of the campus community may file a complaint with the governing body (the College Board) not later than one year after the day of the alleged policy violation.

Retaliation against any Member of the campus community who files such a complaint is prohibited, and any founded instance of founded retaliation is subject to discipline or other sanctions.

It is the proper role of an institution of higher education to encourage diversity of thoughts, ideas, and opinions and to encourage, within the bounds of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the peaceful, respectful, and safe exercise of First Amendment rights.

Students and faculty have the freedom to discuss any problem that presents itself, assemble, and engage in spontaneous expressive activity on campus, within the bounds of established principles of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that are consistent with established First Amendment principles.

The outdoor areas of campus of an institution of higher education are public forums, open on the same terms to any invited speaker subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that are consistent with established principles of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

The outdoor areas of campus, which for this policy means the generally accessible outside areas of campus where the campus community are commonly allowed, such as grassy areas, walkways, or other similar common areas. Outdoor areas of campus do not include areas outside health care facilities, veterinary medicine facilities, facilities or outdoor areas used by the college’s athletic programs or teams, or other outdoor areas where access is restricted to a majority of the campus community.

Annual training shall be provided to the College’s students, faculty, and staff on free speech and First Amendment protections.

A member of the campus community, which for this policy shall include students, administrators, faculty, staff, and/or guests invited by students, administrators, faculty or staff, shall be freely permitted to engage in noncommercial expressive activity in outdoor areas of campus, subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions, and as long as the member’s conduct is not unlawful, does not impede others’ access to a facility or use of walkways, and does not disrupt the functioning of Indian Hills Community College. Indian Hills Community College may designate other areas of campus available for use by the campus community. All access to designated areas will be granted on a viewpoint-neutral basis.

Noncommercial expressive protected activities include but are not limited to any lawful oral or written means by which members of the campus community may communicate ideas, including but limited to all forms of peaceful assembly, protests, speeches including invited speakers, distribution of literature, circulating petitions, and publishing, including publishing or streaming on an internet site, audio or video recorded in outdoor areas of campus.

Protected activities shall also include the right of student expression in a counter demonstration held in an outdoor area of campus as long as the conduct at the counter demonstration is not unlawful, does not materially and substantially prohibit the free expression of others, or impede other’s access to a facility or use of walkways.

Graduation Requirements

Students intending to graduate with their Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Applied Science Degree will need to fill out an Intent to Graduate form at the beginning of their final term. 

Graduation will be certified by the issuance of a degree or diploma. Satisfactory completion includes complying with all program requirements, as well as the following:

1. The student must achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average;
2. A minimum of 16 semester hours in an associate degree program must be earned at Indian Hills (a minimum of 12 semester hours, or one term, in a diploma program must be taken at Indian Hills);
3. The student must have made arrangements for meeting all financial obligations to the college.

Associate of Arts Degree (AA)

The student must meet all previously listed general requirements and earn a total of 64 semester hours, which include the following:

Associate of Science Degree (AS)

The student must meet all previously listed general requirements and earn a total of 64 semester hours, which include the following:

Associate of General Studies (AGS)

The student must meet all general graduation requirements, including a minimum of 15 credits within the following categories:

• English/Speech
• Humanities/Fine Arts
• Social Sciences
• Mathematics/Science

The Associate of General Studies degree is designed for students wishing to acquire a broad education, rather than pursue a specific college major or career technical program. The general studies degree indicates the student has achieved an educational goal in an area unique to his or her own interests. Because of the flexibility of this degree, it may not fulfill requirements for transfer to a four-year institution. The degree may be transferable on a course-by-course basis.

The student must prepare a tentative educational plan that demonstrates uniqueness prior to acceptance into the AGS program. Before beginning any coursework toward the degree, the student’s educational plan must be approved by an academic advisor and the Academic Standards Committee. The educational plan must contain courses totaling at least 64 hours of college-level (non-remedial) credit and must include fifteen hours of general education coursework.

Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS)

The student must meet all previously listed general graduation requirements as well as successful completion of an approved technical education program. The following are approved AAS programs:

Dual Major Policy

For students planning to transfer to a four-year institution for a bachelor’s degree, it is possible to combine degrees from some Career and Technical and Health Sciences programs with an Associate of Arts degree for a dual major. A dual major form must be filed with the Office of the Registrar prior to registering for classes. For more information on this option and a list of courses the student will need to add to the current major, please speak with an academic advisor, the department chair or dean of the specialized major.

Diploma

The student must meet all general requirements and complete an approved program of at least 15 semester credits and not more than 48 semester credits. The program and its length must be stated on the diploma. The following are approved diploma programs:

Certificate of Completion

A Certificate of Completion is granted to students who meet the graduation requirements of an approved program of instruction that is not intended to result in the awarding of a degree or diploma. The course and its length should be stated on the certificate. The length may not exceed 48 semester credits.