Academic Policies

Academic Advising

Each student enrolling at Crown is assigned an academic advisor who assists the student in course selection and is available when the student needs assistance. Although the student is ultimately responsible to ensure that graduation requirements are met, the advisor aids in planning the program and selecting courses best suited to the student’s interests and requirements. The advisor guides students toward becoming academically successful and helps students reach the goal of earning a degree.

Academic Calendar 

The College Registrar creates the academic calendar each year based on approved parameters. This calendar lists the start and end of each semester and summer term as well as non-class breaks and holidays.  Other pertinent dates and important deadlines are also included. This calendar is posted to the Crown College website prior to the start of the academic year and updated as needed. 

Academic Calendar and Course Scheduling Procedures 

The semester dates are set using the calendars parameters as approved by the campus community. The calendar parameters describe the components of a Fall and Spring semester plus a shorter summer term. Each semester is 15-16 weeks, and the summer term is 14 weeks. The Academic Calendar is published a year in advance and is available on the Crown College website and Registrar’s Office bulletin board. It is also emailed to the campus community. Class periods within each semester are based on the credit hour definition (1 credit = 50 minutes of class time for 15 weeks). The registrar creates a list of class days based on precise calculations of seat time by period type (e.g. MWF, T/R, etc.) so that the appropriate amount of seat time occurs for each type of class period within the semester.

Department chairs for the School of Arts & Sciences and the online program manager for the School of Online Studies and Graduate Schools submit lists of courses to be scheduled to the registrar prior to the start of the registration period. The registrar schedules the classes for the appropriate amount time per week based on the length of the class and number of credits assigned.   

The School of Online Studies and Graduate Schools courses utilize a standard course template and course auditing tool which helps to ensure the appropriate amount of student engagement activities takes place for each credit. These are courses scheduled by the registrar to ensure compliance with the academic calendar and credit hour definition for online classes.

Academic Integrity Policy - Arts & Sciences (SAS) Students

This policy applies to all SAS students who are seeking academic credit: (courses, internships, and projects). Each student is responsible for his or her own work and is expected to remain honest in all academic activity. Academic dishonesty is a serious violation of both academic standards and Biblical teaching.

Academic dishonesty includes:

1. Cheating on assignments and tests: Inappropriately choosing to use or attempting to use non-approved materials, information, aides, or other assistance to complete an assignment or test. Students may not take examinations or evaluations in place of another student.

2. Plagiarism: The student is responsible for knowing the legitimate use of source material in written papers (Direct quotes and paraphrased material must be properly cited; Information gained that is not common knowledge will need to be acknowledged and properly cited.)

• A student’s work must be one’s own unless properly cited. Unless specified by the instructor, attempting to pass Artificial Intelligence generated work as the student’s own is plagiarism.

3. Fabrication, Forgery and Obstruction:

• Any act which violates the rights of other students from completing their academic assignments (Deliberately withholding information; Willful harm to another students’ work).

• Submitting a fabricated or forged explanation of absence to a professor. Providing fabricated, forged, or obstructed information to college offices for student information or records.

• Submitting a paper or project in which part or the entirety was done by someone else. (This would not include designated group assignments in which the student is a participant.

4. Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same (or essentially the same) paper or project in more than one course without prior consent of the instructor.

5. Computer Misuse:

• Students are not allowed to use the institutional computers or software programs in disruptive, unethical, or illegal behaviors in completing their academic program.

• Students may not monitor or tamper with a student, college personnel, or faculty electronic communications.

Policy Procedures: 

A. PENALTY - Steps regarding the assignment of a penalty:

1. The instructor contacts the student to discuss the Academic Integrity Policy and its violation.

2. If the instructor does not believe the violation warrants official action, the instructor will provide at least cursory training regarding academic integrity and may invoke a penalty which could include reduced or no credit on the assignment/test, additional assignments, or other measures deemed appropriate.

• The instructor will be required to send the student an email documenting the action taken.

3. When the instructor believes the violation warrants official academic action, the instructor will submit documentation of the offense to the Office of Academic Affairs and determine what course of action to pursue

• The instructor will be required to send the student an email documenting the action taken.
• A copy of the email is placed in the student’s file in the Office of Academic Affairs.

a. If the instructor does not believe the offense was intentional or severe (example: direct quotes and paraphrased material was not properly cited; information gained that is not common knowledge is not acknowledged and properly cited) the student may receive the following penalty.

1) Warning

• Penalty assigned by the instructor which may include reduced or no credit on the assignment/test, additional assignments, or other measures deemed appropriate and/or,
• May require the student to complete the academic integrity tutorial in Canvas and meet with the Director of Library Services to discuss the incidence of plagiarism or academic dishonesty.

2) First Offense - Failure of the assignment

3) Second Offense - Failure of the course

4) Third Offense - Referral to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who may invoke a penalty that could include suspension or dismissal from the College

b. If the instructor believes the offense is severe (example: submitting a paper or project in which part or the entirety was done by someone else, cheating on an assignment or a test, etc.), the student may receive the following penalty: 

1) First Offense - Failure of the assignment

2) Second Offense - Failure of the course

3) Third Offense - Referral to the Vice President of Academic Affairs who may invoke a penalty that could include suspension or dismissal from the College.

Reminder: If the instructor believes the plagiarism violation warrants official academic action, the instructor will be required to send the student an email documenting the action taken. A copy of the email is placed in the student’s file in the Office of Academic Affairs.

B. RECONCILIATION PROCESS - A student who feels that the charge is unjust or that the penalty is unfair may make an academic appeal after following the steps below.

1. The student will contact the instructor within 10 business days of being notified of the offense to set up a conference.

2. If the initial conference with the instructor does not bring about a satisfactory result, the student must submit a written request within 10 business days to the department chair.

• The request must include detailed factual data and other information the student deems pertinent to their case. This must consist of an account of the reconciliation procedures and why the attempted resolution was unsatisfactory.
• The department chair will call a meeting with the instructor and the student.
  • If the department chair is the instructor involved in the reconciliation, the student may request the meeting in writing directly with the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

3. If the student feels the second conference with the instructor and the department chair does not bring about a satisfactory result, the student may submit a written appeal within 10 business days to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

• The request must include detailed factual data and other information the student deems pertinent to their case. This must include an account of the reconciliation procedures and why the attempted resolution was unsatisfactory.
• The Vice President of Academic Affairs will call a meeting with the instructor and the student.

4. If the student feels the third conference with the instructor and the Vice President of Academic Affairs does not bring about a satisfactory result, the student may submit a written appeal to the Academic Affairs Committee within 10 business days.

5. The request must include detailed factual data and other information the student deems pertinent to their case. This must include an account of the reconciliation procedures and why the attempted resolution was unsatisfactory.

C. APPEAL PROCESS - Steps for an appeal to the Academic Affairs Committee

1. After receiving the student’s request for an appeal to the Academic Affairs Committee, the Vice President of Academic Affairs will request a written statement from the relevant instructor stating their rationale. The instructor must produce this written statement within 10 business days from the request.

2. The Academic Affairs Committee will review the student petition and instructor’s statement and may request additional information from all parties involved.

3. The Academic Affairs Committee may invite the student and the instructor to issue a statement in front of the Committee.

4. The Committee will communicate their decision in writing to both the student and instructor within 10 business days of their decision.

5. The decision of the Academic Affairs Committee shall be final.

6. If a student receives the notification of academic dishonesty at the end of the semester, the student may submit a written appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The student must submit the appeal within 10 business days after grades are posted for the semester. The student must request that the appeal be submitted directly to the Academic Affairs Committee. This would bypass the reconciliation process listed above.  

(ASP 1.3.1 approved August 2023)

Academic Integrity Policy - Crown Online Students (SOS)

This policy applies to all Crown Online (SOS) students who are seeking academic credit: (courses, internships, and projects). Each student is responsible for his or her own work and is expected to remain honest in all academic activity. Scholastic dishonesty is a serious violation of both academic standards and Biblical teaching.

Academic dishonesty includes:

1. Cheating on assignments and tests: Using or attempting to use non-approved materials, information, aides, or other assistance to complete an assignment or test. Other individuals may not take examinations or evaluations in place of a student.

2. Plagiarism: The student is responsible for knowing the legitimate use of source material in written papers (Direct quotes and paraphrased material must be properly cited; Information gained that is not common knowledge will need to be acknowledged and properly cited.

3. Fabrication, Forgery and Obstruction:

• Any act which violates the rights of other students from completing their academic assignments (Deliberately withholding information; Willful harm to another student’s work).
• Submitting a fabricated or forged explanation of absence to a professor.
• Provide fabricated, forged, or obstructed information to college offices for student information or records.

4. Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same (or essentially the same) paper or project in more than one course without prior consent of the instructor.

5. Computer Misuse:

• Students are not allowed to use the institutional computers or software programs in disruptive, unethical, or illegal behaviors in completing their academic program.
• Students may not monitor or tamper with a student, college personnel, or faculty electronic communications.

Professor and Department Process of Handling Alleged Violations of the Learner Code of Conduct

1. The professor contacts the student to discuss the Academic Integrity Policy and its violation.
2. When the professor believes the violation may warrant official academic action, he/she contacts the program director or dean to provide documentation and discuss the case.
3. In consultation with the professor and advisor, the program director or dean determines what course of action to pursue and notifies both the professor and advisor of the course of action.
4. If official action is taken, the advisor in consultation with the program director or dean sends the student the offense letter.
5. Advisor contacts the student to make sure the student understands the violation and appropriate resources are sent to the student.
6. The decision can be appealed by the student to the Appeals Committee within 7 days of receiving the letter from the academic advisor.

Appeal Process:

1. The student discusses the academic appeal with their Academic Advisor.
2. The student submits the appeal form.
3. The Appeals Committee will review ALL documentation of the sanctions brought against the student: Determine whether the decision reached regarding the student was based on substantial evidence; Determine if the sanction(s) brought against the student(s) were appropriate for the violation(s) the student(s) were found to have committed; Determine if there is new evidence or information not used that could alter the decision. If the appeal is upheld, the Appeals Committee has the right to reduce, not increase, the sanctions imposed on the student.
4. The Committee’s decision will be indicated on the appeal form.
5. The Academic Advisor is informed of the Appeals Committee’s decision and emails the result to the student via Crown student email.
6. The decision of the Appeal Committee is final.

Academic Standing and GPA Calculation

All current students who are not on academic probation are in good standing at the College.

A student’s individual grade point average is determined by dividing the total grade points earned by the total hours attempted in graded courses. Grades from transfer institutions are not recorded on Crown College transcripts and are not included in GPA calculations. For purposes of evaluating academic progress, accumulated credits are determined by adding transfer credit (if any) to credit earned at Crown College. The policies set forth below determine academic standing.

Academic Probation and Suspension - Arts & Sciences (SAS)

An Arts and Sciences undergraduate level student is placed on academic probation at the end of any semester, summer session, or specified period determined by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, in which that student’s cumulative grade point average falls within one of the ranges listed below:

Arts and Sciences students on academic probation:

1. Are limited to 15 credits per semester
2. Must retake all required courses in which they have a grade of “F” in the first available semester.
3. Will work with his/her advisor(s) and the Director of Student Success to develop and follow an academic improvement plan.

Students will have one semester to raise their cumulative grade point average to an appropriate level. Failure to comply with these requirements may lead to suspension after one semester. Students who earn “F” grades in all their graded classes in one semester will be academically suspended. Students who have been suspended for academic reasons may appeal the suspension. The appeal should be addressed to the Academic Affairs Committee.

Eligibility for participation in intercollegiate sports is determined according to the regulation of the relevant intercollegiate athletic associations. Please refer to the section on Athletic Eligibility.  

(ASP 2.1 approved January 2024)

Academic Probation and Suspension - Crown Online Undergraduate Students (SOS)

A Crown Online undergraduate level student is placed on academic probation at the end of any semester, summer session, or specified period determined by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, in which that student’s cumulative grade point average falls within one of the ranges listed below:

Crown Online undergraduate level students on academic probation:

1. Will have limitations on their academic load.
2. Must retake all required courses in which they have a grade of “F” in the first available term.
3. Will develop and follow an academic improvement plan with their academic advisor.

Students will have one term to raise their cumulative grade point average to an appropriate level. Students taking a minimum of 9 credits who earn “F” grades in all their graded classes in a semester will be academically suspended. 

Students who have been suspended for academic reasons may appeal the suspension if they have earned an average of at least 2.00 for the term immediately preceding the possibility of suspension. The appeal should be addressed to the School of Online Studies Academic Affairs Committee.

If the appeal is not successful, students will need to withdraw from the classes for which they are registered. Academic suspension means that students are not permitted to enroll for the next term. Students wishing to return at a later time must re-apply for admission. Applications of academically suspended students must be reviewed and approved by the Admissions Council.

Academic Probation and Suspension - Crown Online Graduate Students 

Students failing to attain and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 will be placed on Academic Probation. Students will have one semester to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0. At the end of the semester on Academic Probation, students who fail to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 will be placed on Academic Suspension. In addition, students who take a minimum of 9 credits in one semester and earn “F’s” for all 9 credits will be academically suspended.

Students are ultimately responsible for their own success or failure during their probation semester, although their academic advisor will work with them to create a success plan.

Suspended students are not allowed to take classes for one semester before reapplying to come back. Part of the reapplication process requires a letter of appeal to the Admissions Council including a plan of how to raise their GPA. Part of the plan to raise their GPA is that students will be required to retake classes with a grade below a C in the first available semester. If re-accepted, students must earn a 3.0 term GPA to continue. Keep in mind that a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.

Academic Support and Resources

Academic Success

The Director of Student Success is located within the Registrar suite on the first floor of the Main building. Students have access to the following support services: Writing Lab and Math Tutoring. Students can also receive assistance with additional items such as organization, study skills, time management, test-taking strategies, and advising.

The Writing Lab and Math Tutoring for on-campus students:

• Is available to students on a walk-in basis.
• Is open to all students of Crown College.
• Is provided for students at no additional cost.
• Is open during convenient hours (Monday through Thursday) each week during the semester. 

Study Spaces

Having a place to study is important for every student. Whether you prefer a quiet setting or a busy one, there are several areas to study around campus. The library, collaboration center, student center, residence halls, courtyard, and Sherburne Avenue coffee shop all serve to provide students a setting to study.

Disabilities Services

The Office of Disability Services of Crown College coordinates services needed by students who have physical, learning, emotional, and psychological/psychiatric disabilities. All requests for accommodations, whether physical or academic must be made through the Office of Disability Services.

Our commitment is to provide reasonable accommodations and services to students who have disabilities so that students with disabilities have equal access to the opportunity for academic success as student without disabilities, not to provide special treatment or advantages that students without disabilities do not receive.

Student Responsibilities:

• Identify him/herself as a student with a disability by making an appointment with the Director of Disability Services to discuss the disability as well as reasonable accommodations.
• Provide adequate documentation of the specific disability. This documentation should be no more than 3 years old and be signed by an appropriate professional qualified to diagnose the disability. Any Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan should also be provided when available.
• Discuss with each professor the necessary accommodations for his/her classes.
• Please note that accommodations will not be provided until approval is given by the Director of Disability services.
• Students who are requesting special housing accommodations and Support Animals must provide documentation that is no older than one year. Approval of Support Animals are determined by a case-by-case basis.

For more information on the Office of Disability Services, please contact Dr. Tom McCracken (Director of Disability Services) at 952-446-4216 or by email at mccrackent@crown.edu.

Tutoring Services (Crown Online Students only)

Crown contracts with Tutor.com to provide one-to-one, 24/7 tutoring in the areas of basic math, accounting, statistics, finance, economics, biology, social studies, grammar, and literature. Students can access this help through their course portal.

Library Resources

Among the many resources currently available in the Watne Memorial Library are:

• About 78,000 physical/print books, and 270,000 e-books, as well as DVDs/Blu-rays, videos and CDs. 
• Over a million Kindle books available. Additional books can be downloaded if needed.  
• Crown InfoSearch (WorldCat)-the largest library online catalog in the world with access to over 200 million books and other resources in 483 languages, contained in 15,000 libraries around the world (107 countries). Many of these resources are available via Interlibrary loan.
• Over 90 research databases containing almost 45,000 full-text e-journals containing literally millions of articles.
• Films on Demand which contains over 40,000 academic videos. 
• Mango language learning software for learning over 70 languages.
• Cameras, video cameras and voice recorders, laptop computers, and Kindles that can be checked out.  
• Group study rooms, private study cubicles.
• Wireless access throughout the library.
• Houses a curriculum library, the college archives, and the Writing Lab.
• Helpful library staff to assist in finding resources and answer reference questions.

Appeals, Grievances, and Complaints - Arts & Sciences Students (SAS)

Academic Appeals

1. Appeals  
   1. Program Appeals
      1. A program appeal is focused on academic policies, procedures, and regulations.
      2. Program appeals are most appropriately handled on an Academic Petition (available online or at the Registrar’s Office). This form requires both the approval of the student’s advisor and the academic dean. If the advisor does not approve the petition, the petition will still be forwarded to the academic dean for a decision.
      3. The academic dean can approve or deny the request or refer the petition directly to the Academic Affairs Committee.  If the request is denied by the academic dean, the student can request that the appeal be forwarded to the Academic Affairs Committee.
      4. The Academic Affairs Committee will review the petition and may request additional information from all parties involved.  The decision of the Academic Affairs Committee shall be final.
   2. Academic Appeals - A student who feels that a decision made by an instructor is unjust or unfair may make an academic appeal after following the steps below:
      1. The student must contact the instructor within 10 business days of being notified of the offense to set up a conference.
      2. If the initial conference with the instructor does not bring about a satisfactory result, the student must submit a written request within 10 business days to the department chair.  
      3. If the conference with the department chair does not bring about a satisfactory result, the student must submit a written request within 10 business days to the academic dean.  
      4. If the conference with the academic dean does not bring about a satisfactory result, the student must submit a written request within 10 business days to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.  
      5. If the conference with the Vice President of Academic Affairs does not bring about a satisfactory result, the student must submit a written request within 10 business days to the Academic Affairs Committee.  
         1. After receiving the student’s request for an appeal to the Academic Affairs Committee, the Vice Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee will request a written statement from the relevant instructor stating their rationale. The instructor must produce this written statement within 10 business days of the request.
         2. The Academic Affairs Committee will review the student petition and instructor’s statement and may request additional information from all parties involved.
         3. The Academic Affairs Committee may invite the student and the instructor to issue a statement in front of the Committee.
         4. The decision of the Academic Affairs Committee shall be final.
         5. If a student is appealing a decision at the end of the semester, the student may submit a written appeal to the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs to take directly to the Academic Affairs Committee. The student must submit the appeal within 10 business days after grades are posted for the semester. This would bypass the reconciliation process listed above.   

Student Grievances

A grievance is an allegation of unfair or discriminatory practice or decision by faculty, administration, or administrative staff. The central focus of a grievance is not a policy, but rather the action of the one against whom the grievance is filed. A grievance must be supported by evidence that the decision is in violation of institutional policy or practice, or that the person has been treated in a different way than other persons in like circumstances have been treated.

A student wishing to file a grievance may do so in the form of a letter stating the grievance and submitting the letter to the Dean of Students. After receipt of the letter, a written response will be given to the student no later than five class days after receipt of the form.

If the student is not satisfied with the response, the student may resubmit the grievance to the appropriate Vice President of the faculty or staff member involved. The Vice President may then choose to take the grievance to the Academic Affairs Committee or the Student Affairs Committee. The committee will then make a recommendation to the appropriate Vice President for their consideration. A written response will be given to the student no later than five class days after receipt of the form.

Complaints

A complaint is an expressed concern about an issue or service that does not fit into the category of a grievance or appeal.  

Complaints or concerns can be reported using the Crown College Complaint form. A link to the online form can be found on the main Crown College Website at the bottom of the page. A current Crown Login is required to access the form. This form is routed to the appropriate person or office best equipped to resolve it. The person filing the complaint will be contacted regarding how the issue will be addressed.  

(ASP 1.2 approved May 2023)

Appeals, Grievancesand Complaints - Crown Online Students

Appeals

An appeal is a request to waive a policy, procedure, and/or regulation that has been or will be applied. The central focus of an appeal is the institutional policy and the considered merits of its waiver.

Appeals may concern academics, student life, financial affairs, policies and regulations, admission to and retention of students in academic programs, academic inequities, and forms of academic discipline.  The appeal and the decision must be in writing on the appropriate form. The investigation may include personal appearances by the parties involved in the appeal.

Process for Appeals: 

1. Student contacts their Academic Advisor to discuss the Appeal
2. The Academic Advisor emails the Appeal Form to the student via Crown College Student email.
3. Student completes the Appeal Form and returns to the Academic Advisor via Crown College Student email.
4. The Academic Advisor submits the Appeal Form to be reviewed by the Appeals Committee. The committee reviews the appeal and places the results on the Student Appeal Form.
5. The results will be communicated to the Academic Advisor and the student within 10 business days of the initial submission. The Academic Advisor will communicate the appeal decision to the student using their Crown College Student email.

Grievances

A grievance is a complaint of alleged unfair or discriminatory practice or decision by faculty, administration, or administrative staff. The central focus of a grievance is not a policy but rather the action of the one against whom the grievance is filed. A grievance must be supported by evidence that the unfavorable decision is in violation of institutional policy or practice, or that the person has been treated in a different way than other persons in similar circumstances have been treated.

Any student wishing to file a grievance may do so by using the following procedure:

1. If the informal process to resolve a grievance has failed, students will submit a formal letter to the Academic Affairs Committee for review. 
2. The student provides the letter to their Academic Advisor, who then sends the letter for review with the Academic Affairs Committee.
3. The results are communicated to the student from the Academic Affairs Committee through an official letter to their Crown Student email within ten business days of submission. The decision of the Academic Affairs Committee is final.

Complaints

A complaint is an expressed concern about an issue or service that does fit into the category of a grievance or appeal.  

Procedure: 

Complaints or concerns can be reported using the Crown College Complaint form. A link to the online form can be found on the main Crown College Website. A current Crown Login is required to access the form. This form is routed to the appropriate person or office best equipped to resolve it. The person filing the complaint will be contacted regarding how the issue will be addressed.  

Non-Resident Student Grievance Policy

If an online student, who resides in a SARA participating state, is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the SARA portal agency in Minnesota. If an issue cannot be resolved internally, you may also file a complaint with the regulatory agency in the state in which you are receiving instruction.

Arts & Sciences Students taking Crown Online Courses

Arts & Sciences students will be allowed to take classes in the School of Online Studies depending on when the class occurs in the semester, if they have met all criteria and have obtained all necessary approvals as outlined below.

Arts & Sciences students requesting to take a class through Crown Online must meet the following criteria:

• Must have cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 at the time of application
• Senior status

Arts & Sciences students requesting to take a class through Crown Online must obtain approval via petition from the following people:

• Student’s Advisor
• Student’s Department Chair
• Dean of Online Studies

Arts & Sciences Program students will be limited to a maximum of 2 courses (or 6-8 credits) in the online program during their coursework in the Arts & Sciences Program.

Students enrolled in the Arts & Sciences non-degree seeking licensure programs are not limited to a maximum of 2 online courses (or 6-8 credits) during their coursework.

(ASP 10.26 approved August 2016)

Assessment of Student Learning

Assessment is a comprehensive process designed to evaluate student learning outcomes and ensure academic excellence. Assessment methods at Crown College encompass a variety of tools, including exams, projects, presentations, essays, and practical demonstrations. Faculty members utilize rubrics and grading criteria to provide clear feedback to students, facilitating their understanding of strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, Crown College employs systematic program reviews and external evaluations to assess the effectiveness of curriculum, instructional practices, and student support services. The college is committed to using assessment data to inform continuous improvement efforts and enhance the overall educational experience for its students. Assessment at the college is in alignment with the requirements of the Higher Learning Commission (http://www.hlcommission.org, 312-263-0456) and external programmatic accreditation bodies.  

Attendance Policies - Arts & Sciences Students (SAS) 

The College takes a serious view of class attendance and expects students to be present in the class. Class attendance is necessary for the educational process to be fully effective because significant materials, insights, perspectives, and opinions will be gained from class sessions. Moreover, students are expected to contribute to class discussion and content.

• Instructors establish attendance requirements for their courses. 
• Excused Absences: When permitted by the instructor and stated in the syllabus, students may request that an absence be excused. The instructor will make the decision as to whether or not to excuse the student’s absence
• Appeals for Excessive Class Absences: When a student has exceeded the maximum absences permitted in a given course because of extended serious illness or emergency, he/she may appeal for special consideration. An academic petition form, available online or in the Registrar’s Office, must be approved no later than the last day of classes before the final examination period of the semester concerned.
• Class attendance records will begin with the first day of classes in any given grading period. Absences due to late registration are included in the maximum absence record.
• A schedule conflict between two courses is not normally permitted. However, it may be allowed if each course carries a minimum of three credit hours and the conflict involves no more than one class hour (50 minutes) per week. Permission must be obtained from the instructors. When a conflict is permitted, the student must alternate between the two classes on the conflict day. Students permitted such a schedule conflict are to have no unexcused absences in either course.
• In the event of an unannounced absence of the instructor, students are not required to wait longer than 10 minutes after the scheduled beginning time of class unless word has been sent that the instructor will arrive late.

Attendance Policies - Crown Online Students (SOS)

Online courses require weekday student participation (also referred to as course participation or educational activity) through the internet weekly.

Guidelines and policies issued by the U.S. Department of Education stipulate that any participation in a course is considered “educational activity” in the course. For the purposes of online classes, participation is defined as one of the following:

• Attendance at a virtual meeting of the course.
• Discussion with the course instructor regarding course content or course requirements.
• Any activity in the Learning Management System (LMS) course. This includes logging into the course after submitting the learning contract. The LMS records logins automatically; it is this record that will be used to make the official determination of whether a student has logged into/participated in the course or not.

If a student chooses to drop a course and has participated in the course according to the above definition, a “W” is recorded on his or her transcript. The only time a course will be dropped from the transcript is when absolutely no educational activity in the course is recorded. Students are urged to view and download the course syllabus before the course begins.

Auditing 

For the student who wishes to attend classes but does not desire credit, a course(s) may be audited. Those auditing may fully participate in all activities of the course but are not under an attendance policy, are not required to take examinations, or meet other course requirements. The special student application process listed in the Admission Section of the catalog is applicable for those who only wish to enroll for one audited course. Audit credits are not included in the determination of full-time credit load. Audit tuition rates are listed under the Tuition and Fees sections of the College Catalog and are available through the Student Billing Office.

Catalog Requirements

Students are responsible for the academic program as stated in the College Catalog that is current at the time of their matriculation at the College. Students, in consultation with their department chair or academic advisor, may choose to follow the major requirements of a subsequent catalog.

• The major requirements of one catalog must be followed in its entirety.
• Students who discontinue studies and subsequently return to the College are responsible for the academic program as stated in the College Catalog that is current at the time of their re-enrollment to the College.
• Students in the Teacher Education or Nursing Departments must meet the current license requirements at the time of graduation which may require students to switch to the most current catalog.

Chapel and Service Credits (Arts & Sciences Students only)

Students participate in required chapel and service. Chapel services are designed to glorify God, advance the global mission of Christ and promote a Kingdom lifestyle for the Crown College community through worship, biblical instruction, encouragement, prayer and fellowship. The Service program exists to provide opportunities for students to serve God and to minister to the needs of others with The Christian and Missionary Alliance, the church-at-large, and the world. See the Crown College Student Handbook for specific requirements.

Class Cancellation and School Closing Procedure

Crown College rarely closes due to weather conditions. Those who commute should monitor the weather and road conditions to determine whether travel is advised for his/her particular situation.

The determination of whether or not on-campus classes are cancelled (and/or the College offices are closed) will be made by 6:30 am. Afternoon and evening classes, as well as activity cancellations, will be made by 1:00 pm. If it is deemed necessary that the College close, there are multiple ways of communicating this decision.

• Message posted on the Crown website and the Crown App.
• An email message will be sent to the Crown email addresses of all affected students and employees. 
• A text alert will be sent to those who have not opted out.
• Local radio, TV and internet media outlets such as KARE11 will also be informed. Please note, each media outlet updates their information at different times and in different ways. Due to this variance in practice, this should be your last choice to obtain information. 

Classification of Students

Students may register for no more than one level beyond their classification unless they obtain the written consent of the professor.

Course Numbering

000-099 Pre-Freshman Courses (do not satisfy degree requirements)

100-199, 1000-1999  Freshmen Level Courses

200-299, 2000-2999  Sophomore Level Courses 

300-399, 3000-3999 Junior Level Courses 

400-499, 4000-4999 Senior Level Courses

500-699, 5000 - 6999 Graduate Level Courses 

Credit for Prior Learning (AP/CLEP/DSST/IB/PLA)

Matriculated students at Crown College may earn up to 30 semester credits toward bachelor degree program requirements with satisfactory results in the following approved testing programs. Associate degrees may apply 15 credits from these testing programs. Students must request that official test scores be sent to Crown College. Credits by examination may not be used to raise a grade or remove a failing grade in courses already taken at Crown College. Credit application is listed below. Consult the Registrar’s Office for more details.

Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations

 Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations-The Advanced Placement Program is developed by the College Board (CB) and the Educational Testing Service (ETS). It is a cooperative, educational endeavor of secondary schools, colleges, and the College Board. It consists of college-level courses and examinations for students in secondary schools. The examination grade is sent to the colleges of the student’s choice which then grant credit.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CLEP Subject Examinations are recommended for students with extensive preparation and advanced knowledge in subject fields. Students are advised to take CLEP tests as early as possible in their college program. They must request that official test scores be sent to Crown College.

DSST (formerly Dantes)

A minimum score of 400 is needed.  Official transcripts must be submitted.  Crown limits credits by all proficiency sources (CLEP, IB, AP, DSST, etc.) to 30 total credits.  Level:  A “U” in the level column indicate “upper-level.”

International Baccalaureate Credit (IB)

The Vice President of Academic Affairs has approved International Baccalaureate credits as eligible for transfer to Crown College. Eligible tests include those which are: 1) similar to the courses offered at Crown College, and 2) required in the particular major program which the student pursues at Crown College. An official transcript from IB is required, and only test results with a minimum score of 4 will be considered.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) - Crown Online Students only

In some situations, students may receive college credit for life experiences and other non-academic experiences. The guidelines and processes for pursuing this option are different for each program. Credits can be acquired from a number of different sources, including workshops, seminars, self-study, non-credit classes, training programs, and/or work experiences. If the training has been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE), a copy of the certificate of completion is needed and credits can be awarded based off the ACE recommendations.  If they do not fall into this category, the prior learning from these sources must be documented through a portfolio and evaluated by a faculty member in the relevant field in order for the credit to be awarded. A PLA informational packet can be obtained from the School of Online Studies.

Credit Hour Definition

The underlying principle in determining the assignment of undergraduate level credit is that there is a minimum of 50 minutes of direct instruction and 2 hours of out-of-class student work for 15 weeks per semester credit. Some courses may require more direct instruction and out-of-class student work per credit than the minimum based on specific requirements for the discipline.  

Seated Class:  One seated semester credit equals, at a minimum, 50 minutes of direct instruction per week for 15 weeks with 2 hours of out-of-class work each week verified by the student achievement of the course learning outcomes. 

Laboratory: One lab semester credit of lab is equal to, at a minimum, 100 minutes of direct instruction per week for 15 weeks with 1 hour of out-of-class student work each week verified by student achievement of the course learning outcomes. 

Hybrid: One semester credit of class in a hybrid format requires 7 hours of face-to-face instruction plus 30.5 hours of engagement with the content (including homework), verified by student achievement of the course learning outcomes. 

Internships/Practicum: Internships/practicums incorporate a combination of fieldwork and supervisor interactions or supplemental reading/writing assignments. A minimum of 37.5 hours per semester credit of fieldwork or combination of fieldwork and other requirements, verified by student achievement of the course learning outcomes is required. Some internships/practicums may require more than the minimum standards per credit. 

Student Teaching: One Student Teaching credit equals, at a minimum, 6.25 days (15 weeks = 75 days divided by 12 credits) of full-time student teaching responsibility with supervisor and cooperating teachers to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes. 

Varsity Team Sport: One Varsity Sports Team semester credit equals participation in a minimum of 37.5 hours of practice (both on and off the field) and game time per season. 

Compressed Format Seated Course: One Compressed Format Seated semester credit equals 4 hours of direct instruction weekly, multiplied by course length with additional out of class work for a total of 37.5 hours of engagement with the instructional material, verified by student achievement of the course learning outcomes.  

Compressed Format Online Course: One online semester credit equals a total of 37.5 hours of student engagement with the instructional material verified by student achievement of the course learning outcomes. 

Guided/Independent Study: One credit of guided/independent study is equal to a total of 37.5 hours of engagement with the instructional material which includes a minimum of two contact sessions with the instructor and is verified by the student achievement of the course learning outcomes. 

Applied Private Music Lessons: One hour of credit equals 12, 45-minute lessons focused on the same instrument (including voice) regularly paced throughout a semester with a minimum of 3 hours of individual, out of class practice for each lesson. 

(ASP 1.12 revised November 2021)

Credit Load

Full-time Status: Students enrolled at Crown College for 12 or more credits per semester in undergraduate programs are considered full time and 6 or more credits per semester in graduate level programs.

Arts and Sciences Students

Students who register for less than 12 credits at Crown College are considered part time. Programs vary slightly in the number of credits required for completion. Generally, a student needs to average about 16 credits per semester to complete a baccalaureate degree in eight semesters. A typical student load is 15-17 credits per semester. Students on probation may be limited to 15 credits. Students wishing to enroll in more than 19 credits must petition to request permission. Students who are receiving financial aid need to inform the Financial Aid Office whenever their credit load drops below 12 credits. When the academic future, health, or spiritual welfare of students seems to be in jeopardy because of over-employment, students may be asked to reduce their academic load or employment, or to make adjustments recommended by the Vice President of Student Development.

Crown Online Students

Undergraduate students who wish to register for more than 18 credits must contact their academic advisor and petition to do so. Graduate students wishing to take more than 15 credits must also contact their academic advisor and petition to do so.

Crown College Email 

The Crown College email is the College’s official means of communication with all students. Each student is issued a Crown College email account upon acceptance to the College. Students are responsible for all information sent to them via their Crown College email account. Students are expected to check their Crown College email frequently and should use their Crown College email when communicating with faculty and staff regarding college-related matters. 

(ASP 1.22 approved November 2019)

Crown Online Student Information (Crown Online Students only)

Computer Requirements

Documents should be submitted in Microsoft Office or PDF format. Students can obtain Microsoft Office by following the instructions located under the Help Desk tab in Our.Crown. The minimum system requirements for computers are also listed under the Help Desk tab in Our.Crown.

Course Locations

The School of Online Studies and Graduate School offers two course locations where a select number of face-to-face classes are offered in a seated format.  The course locations are:

• Christ Community Church, Omaha Nebraska
• All Nations Institution located at Lilburn Alliance Church, Tucker Georgia

Students at these course locations who choose to pursue a degree from Crown College will take 50% or more of their course work in an online format using Canvas Learning Management System. This system provides online course content and utilizes a standard course template that includes student and instructor interaction and evaluations. Canvas also provides an online submission box where students submit assignments for evaluation.

Netiquette (Crown Online Students Only)

Netiquette is etiquette on the Internet. Each participant of an online community needs to be cognizant of the perceptions of others. Whether the communication is in the form of an e-mail or discussion post, it is imperative that sensitivity and grace are used in all situations. Here are some tips that can help improve online communication:

• Be clear and do not abbreviate. Avoid the use of slang.
• Be polite and respectful. Avoid sarcasm and irony which can be misinterpreted. Do not USE ALL UPPERCASE LETTERS or multiple punctuation marks!!!! When these are used, the tone of the message is difficult to interpret.
• Emoticons can be used, :-) BUT be careful as some do not understand them.
• Ask for clarification when not understanding a message.
• Include all individuals in group messages.
• Spell check, revise and edit messages before sending them.

Online Student Conduct Code (Crown Online Students Only)

Policy Statement
Crown College Online students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner guided by respect, collegiality, honesty, and ethical behavior as part of their academic development. Learner conduct that infringes on the quality of such an educational experience is not acceptable. This policy describes the types of conduct that are deemed prohibited and unacceptable. This policy also serves as Crown’s tool to fight impersonation, identity theft, text mining, and/or creation of fictitious identities in an effort to secure access to federal funds.

Prohibited learner conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: complicity, dishonesty, disruptive conduct, disrespect, document forgery, illegal activity, impersonation, incarceration, text mining, and theft, as described in the definitions section of this policy.
 

Rationale
This policy sets a high standard of conduct for members of the college community that reflects Crown College’s Commitments: Boldly Christian, Academically Excellent, and Lifelong Authentic Community, as well as the Core Values: Professional Excellence, Collaboration, Kingdom Diversity, Innovation, and Hospitality. This policy also reflects Crown’s philosophy of resolving issues at the most direct level and in the most equitable way possible, and defines the appropriate terms and procedures required to meet these standards.
 

Student Rights
Crown College offers each student the freedom to learn and enjoy college life in an orderly and lawful manner. This freedom comes with obligations and responsibilities and in return, Crown College expects students to adhere to these policies. By voluntary enrollment, students assume the obligation and responsibility of conducting themselves in accordance with the reasonable and lawful requirements of Crown College in its educational functions and processes. Violations of these responsibilities may result in sanctions that can include expulsion from the institution.

        Crown College online students are expected to:

1. Be aware of student conduct, policies, and procedures as stated in the Crown College Catalog and appropriate school handbooks.
2. Read course syllabus to find course expectations and grading policies.
3. Adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy.
4. Abstain from the use of drugs or alcohol when on the Crown premises or while participating in Crown College events.

Definitions

• Complicity is helping, procuring, encouraging, and/or cooperating with another person in the commission of a violation of the learner code of conduct.
• Dishonesty is intentionally providing false information or forging, altering, or falsifying college documents. Learners may not misrepresent their academic record or status.
• Disruptive conduct is engaging or participating in an activity that interferes with teaching, administration, and other college functions, whether in the online course environment or at a university-sponsored event (e.g., commencement). Examples of disruptive conduct include, but are not limited to:

1. Threatening or belligerent language, posturing, physical acts, or gestures
2. Vulgar or offensive language or gestures
3. Bullying or cyber-bullying
4. Disturbance of public peace
5. Lewd or indecent language or behavior
6. Inciting others to engage in disruptive conduct

(This list of examples of disruptive conduct is not exhaustive, and Crown reserves the right to determine whether behavior constitutes disruptive conduct on a case-by-case basis.)

• Disrespect is harassing, threatening, or embarrassing others. Learners may not post, transmit, communicate, promote, or distribute content that is racially, religiously, or ethnically offensive or is harmful, abusive, vulgar, sexually explicit, or otherwise offensive or discriminatory. Learners are expected to behave in an appropriate manner and treat other learners and university faculty, staff, and administrators with respect at all times.
• Forging documents is falsifying any document or evidence required for admission to the university, completion of a course or examination, or receipt of any other university-related privilege or benefit, whether in print or electronic form.
• Illegal activity is any behavior that results in a criminal conviction.
• Impersonation is assuming the identity of another.
• Incarceration is jail time after a conviction of a crime/offense.
• Prohibited conduct includes but is not limited to complicity, dishonesty, disruptive conduct, disrespect, document forgery, illegal activity, impersonation, incarceration, text mining, or theft.
• Sanction is disciplinary action that may result from prohibited conduct. Disciplinary action may include one or more of the following: non-acceptance of work submitted; receiving a failing grade on an assignment; lowering a grade for a course; receiving a failing grade in a course; formal, written warning; suspension from the college; dismissal from the college; and cancellation of a previously awarded academic credit or degree. This list of possible sanctions is not exhaustive, and Crown College reserves the right to assign sanctions on a case-by-case basis.
• Suspension is a Crown-initiated temporary status during which a learner is denied access to the classroom or learning management system and prohibited from engaging in university activities until stated conditions have been met.
• Text mining is analyzing and then synthesizing information from electronic documents, email messages, and other free-form text written by others as a way to create summary content of written work that is presented as one’s own for the express purpose of seeking an advantage in completing one’s academic assignment and/or work.
• Theft is taking property that is not one’s own, or posting, transmitting, promoting, or distributing content that violates copyright or other protected intellectual property rights. Unauthorized use of university property is prohibited. Theft and abuse of computer resources is prohibited.

A written warning may result from engaging in prohibited conduct; it describes certain conditions learners must meet to continue to have access to the classroom.

Procedures

• The purpose of this policy is to establish disciplinary procedures to guide the enforcement of the Learner Code of Conduct. These procedures are applicable to any student who is alleged with a violation of the Learner Code of Conduct.
• These disciplinary procedures are designed to allow for information-gathering and administrative decision-making in the framework of an educational community, and to encourage students to accept responsibility for actions, which resulted in the disciplinary actions with a desire to provide adequate procedural safeguards to protect the rights of the individual student(s) and the reasonable interests of Crown College
• Student records and information gathered during this process and/or associated with the process are subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Provisional:

1. If someone is to be suspected of violating Crown College’s learner code of conduct, the Program Director or Chair is to be notified at which time, it will be determined if a Code of Conduct Complaint Form will need to be submitted.
2. Based on the alleged misconduct, a student may be suspended for an interim period, as determined by the Program Director or Chair, which may include classroom, campus, or campus related events if the student’s presence poses a threat to the safety of others until further investigation and disciplinary proceedings are conducted.
3. The Dean of the School of Online Studies will communicate the interim suspension or restrictions in writing to the student and will go into immediate effect as the date stated on the letter.
4. The decision for suspension or restriction will remain in place until a final decision has been made by the Appeals Committee on the pending charges of violating the learner code of conduct or until the Dean of the School of Online Studies determines the situation that imposed the restrictions and/or suspension is no longer of necessity.

Review Process:
The Appeals Committee will review the alleged situation and determine if there is sufficient evidence to show violation of the learner code of conduct. The Director of Student Services may decide to interview the individual(s) and other witnesses or request additional information on the complaint. The student(s) involved will be provided an opportunity to consult with the Appeals Committee to discuss the complaint brought forth. However, if a student chooses to not “attend” the meeting, the student then forfeits the right of complaint against the sanctions brought forth to the student.

1. During the meeting the student will be provided with the following documentation: Explanation of the charges, summary of information gathered, opportunity to respond, explanation of sanctions taken against the student behavior, if any.
2. If a student chooses to not attend the meeting, the Director will provide the above in writing to the student within 7 business days of the last opportunity for the student to respond.
3. If the sanction includes expulsion or suspension, the student can request to meet in person within 20 days of the date on the notice. If a meeting is requested, the interim sanctions will remain in place until the meeting to request an appeal.

Appeal

1. A student can appeal the decision of the Appeals Committee. The appeal must be received within 7 school days of the decision. The appeal will need to be in writing and submitted to the Dean of the School of Online Studies and Graduate School.
2. The appeal will go to the Academic Affairs Committee: The committee will meet within 10 school days of receiving the appeal.
3. The Academic Affairs Committee will meet to review ALL documentation of the sanctions brought against the student:  Determine whether the decision reached regarding the student was based on substantial evidence; Determine if the sanction(s) brought against the student(s) were appropriate for the violation(s) the student(s) were found to have committed; Determine if there is new evidence or information not used that could alter the decision.
4. If the appeal is upheld, the Academic Affairs Committee has the right to reduce, not increase, the sanctions imposed on the student.
5. The final decision of the Academic Affairs Committee will be reviewed by the Dean of the School of Online Studies and will communicate the Committee’s decision to either uphold the appeal or deny the appeal to the student. If the appeal is upheld, the student will also be notified of any updated sanctions. The decision will be communicated in writing within 7 days of the Committee’s final decision.
6. A copy of the decision will be filed in the student’s record.

Sanctions

1. The following sanctions can be imposed upon a student(s) who has violated the Learner Code of Conduct: a) WARNING: A written notice to the student stating the student is currently violating or has violated Crown College Learner Code of Conduct.  b) PROBATION: A written reprimand for violation of specific regulations. This is designated for a specific period of time.  c) LOSS OF PRIVILEGES: Denial of specific privileges for a specific amount of time.  d) ACADEMIC CREDIT LOSS: Receiving a failing grade due to academic dishonesty.   e) RESTITUTION: Compensation for loss, damage, or injury.  f) SUSPENSION: Separation of student and college for a specific amount of time, after which the student will be eligible to apply for review by the Admissions Council.  g) EXPULSION: Permanent separation from the college.  h) WITHHOLDING OF DEGREE: College reserves the right to hold degree until sanctions, if any, have been completed.
2. Incarceration will lead to a suspension of a minimum of one year after all legal obligations are concluded.
3. All sanctions listed above, expect for Suspension, Expulsion, and Withholding a degree, will not become a part of the student(s) permanent record, but will be placed in the student’s disciplinary record.

Students in the Online Christian Ministry Department and Graduate School of Ministry

Because all students admitted to study in a ministry program are required to sign the Crown College Statement of Faith and Community Covenant, a violation of the Student Code of Conduct or the Community Covenant may warrant dismissal from their Christian Ministry degree program. In addition, any significant divergence from the Crown College Statement of Faith may warrant dismissal from their Christian Ministry degree program. In the above scenarios, the Christian Ministry Program Director or the Dean of the School of Online Studies will discuss the concern with the student in order to determine if switching majors would be a viable option. In cases where the student does not wish to withdraw from the ministry program, the Program Director or Dean may elect to implement the Student Code of Conduct review process as set forth in this policy statement. This process could lead to mandatory withdrawal from the Christian Ministry degree program. 

Term Paper Style (Crown Online Students only)

Formatting, style, and documentation for term papers will follow the APA (American Psychological Association) seventh edition (October 2019) guidelines. This will serve as the faculty’s reference for evaluation purposes. Click here for guidance.

Curriculum Changes

The curriculum at Crown College is being studied and revised continuously. Therefore, this catalog may not always reflect the current features of every program. Changes in requirements, course offerings, and class schedules may occur subsequent to the publishing of this Catalog.

Core Curriculum Goals

Every baccalaureate degree major contains the following primary components: the Christian studies core, the general studies core, and major specific coursework. The core curriculum consists of general education and Christian studies. The Crown College core curriculum is designed to develop informed Christian thinkers who integrate faith and learning, communicate effectively, think critically and engage in life-long learning. The goals for the core curriculum are as follows:

1. Students will develop competencies essential to success in academics and life-long learning.
2. Students will communicate appropriately and effectively. 
3. Students will utilize biblical analysis to better understand the world.
4. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and reasoning skills.  
5. Student will integrate faith and ethical reasoning with the human experience.
6. Students will use cultural self-awareness as a tool in recognizing shared humanity across cultures.  

Core Curriculum - School of Arts & Sciences

The Core Curriculum is designed to help students to integrate faith, biblical analysis, and reasoning in order to understand the world and the human experience. It is designed to assist students at a foundational level to become clear and effective communicators, informed global thinkers, critical thinkers and practical problem solvers, self-directed life-long learners and teachers, and integrators of faith and learning.

Core Curriculum Requirements for students seeking a Bachelor Degree (B.S. or B.A. - refer to the specific major for details):

 *This integrative course must be completed at Crown College.

Transfer guide for Core Curriculum: 

Biblical, Theological, and Ministry Studies Department Majors are excluded from the transfer guide since the Core Curriculum classes are considered part of their major core requirements with the exception of CHM 122 The Great Commandment.

Core Curriculum Requirements for Associate Degree Students (A.A.)

Christian Studies Second Major

All School of Arts and Sciences students graduating with a baccalaureate degree have the option to complete either a second major or minor in Christian Studies. To be eligible for a second major in Christian Studies, students must complete a minimum of 30 Bible, Theology and Christian Ministry credits. This consists of the 24 credits of BIB/CHM/THE classes in the Core Curriculum plus an additional 6 credits of 300-400 level BIB/THE Electives. The minor consists of a minimum of 18 Bible, Theology and Christian Ministry credits. All students must complete BIB 434 - Romans  at Crown College. A minimum of 50% of the major or minor must be completed at Crown. Students may declare either the major or minor by submitting a major/minor change request in the student portal.

 Christian Studies Minor

Humanities and Social Science Course Options

                Humanities Electives: Communication (COM), English (ENG), Fine Arts (FAR), History (HIS), Humanities (HUM), Language (LAN), Music (MUS), Philosophy (PHI), Preaching (PRC)

                Social Science Electives: Anthropology (ANT), Criminal Justice (CRJ), Economics (ECO), Geography (GEO), History (HIS), Political Science (POL), Psychology (PSY), and Sociology (SOC).

                HIS courses can fulfill either a humanities or a social science elective, but they can only satisfy one of those requirements not both.

Curriculum - School of Online Studies 

Christian Studies Core Curriculum - School of Online Studies

* Christian Ministry majors MUST take this option

+ Christian Ministry majors are NOT required to take this course

X = denotes required course

Christian Ministry Department Majors are excluded from this policy since the Christian Studies Core Classes are considered part of their program requirements.

General Education Core Curriculum - School of Online Studies

The General Education Curriculum is designed to assist students at a foundational level to become clear and effective communicators, informed global thinkers, critical thinkers and practical problem solvers, self-directed life-long learners and teachers, and integrators of faith and learning.

Below is the approved General Education Curriculum that is common to all associate and baccalaureate degree majors. Refer to the major programs in the catalog for specific details.

* Required for students who transfer in less than 60 credits to Crown Online

Humanities and Social Sciences Course Options

   Humanities Electives: Communication [COM], English [ENG], English as Second Language [ESL], Fine Arts [FAR], History [HIS] and Humanities [HUM]

   Social Sciences Electives: Criminal Justice [CRJ], Economics [ECO], History [HIS], Psychology [PSY] and Sociology [SOC]

   HIS courses can fulfill either a humanities or a social science elective, but they can only satisfy one of those requirements not both.

Degrees Offered

A.A. = Associate of Arts

A.S. = Associate of Science

B.A. = Bachelor of Arts

B.S. = Bachelor of Science

M.A. = Master of Arts

M.B.A. = Master of Business Administration

M.DIV. = Master of Divinity

Department Application - Arts & Sciences Students only

Students usually select a major during their freshman or sophomore year. After earning 36 semester credits, students may apply to the department of their choice. However, Crown College does not automatically admit applicants to the department of their choice. The procedure governing students’ progress to departmental standing follows these steps:

1. The minimum cumulative grade point average for acceptance to full standing in any department and continuance therein is 2.0. Several majors require higher minimum grade point averages for departmental acceptance. Details are listed with each major’s suggested program guide.

2. Each department determines other specific criteria for acceptance.

3. If denied admission, students may continue to apply until they reach senior status. Denials for admission will be made in writing with the reasons for the denial clearly stated. Following a denial, departments will offer counsel to help students find God’s will for them in the department application process.

4. A student who is not a member of a department may not register for credit beyond the ninety-fifth credit hour. Students who have reached this point, but have not been admitted to a department, must petition to be allowed to register for the next semester while pursuing department acceptance. If a petition is denied, students must discontinue their enrollment at the College for at least one semester to reconsider the quality and direction of their commitment to academic study.

5. Discontinued students shall be eligible to apply for re-admission to the College after one semester according to standard admission procedures. Circumstances surrounding the student’s failure to be admitted to a department, the student’s attitude toward the decision, and the student’s current circumstances will be taken into consideration. During the interim, students are expected to address the issues resulting in departmental denial. Students must include with their application a recommendation from the department from which they were previously unable to obtain standing.

Double Majors and Double Degrees

When a student pursues a double major and the same course is required, the requirement for both majors is fulfilled by completing the course once (i.e. no additional credits or course substitute requirements are necessary). Similarly, when the same course is required in a major and a minor, the requirement is fulfilled for both by taking the course once.

The institutional minimum number of credits required to earn a baccalaureate degree is 125 semester credits. Double majors may be earned when the student meets all the requirements for both majors. Double baccalaureate degrees may be earned when the student meets all the requirements for both majors and earns a minimum of 155 semester credits (i.e. completing the residency requirement a second time).

The institutional minimum number of credits required to earn an associate degree is 60 semester credits. Double associate degrees may be earned when the student meets all of the requirements for both majors and earns a minimum of 75 semester credits (i.e. completing the residency requirement a second time).

The institutional minimum number of credits required to earn a Master of Arts degree is 36 semester credits. Double majors may be earned when the student meets all the requirements for both majors. Double Master of Arts degrees may be earned when the student meets all the requirements for both majors and earns a minimum of 60 semester credits (36 credits for the first degree and an additional 24 credits to complete the residency requirement a second time.) Please note that the diplomas only list the degree and not the major, for example “Master of Arts”.

Final Examinations - Arts & Sciences Students Only

Final Examinations

All students should expect a final exam or learning experience to be held at the time reserved for the final exam. The times of final examinations are noted in the syllabus provided by the instructor at the beginning of each class. Final exams may not be rescheduled to accommodate travel plans.

Students may reschedule final examinations under the following conditions:

• Three or more examinations on the same day.
• Two examinations at the same time.

Rescheduling of an exam for any reason other than those listed above must be approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs in collaboration with the instructor.

(ASP 1.20 approved January 2024)

Grading Information

Grading Scale.  The following is the official grading scale for all programs:  

A = Superior
A-
B+
B = Above Average
B-
C+
C = Average
C-
D+
D = Below Average
D -
F = Failure
AU = Audit
I = Incomplete
IP = In Progress
R = Repeated Course
S = Satisfactory (“C” or higher)
U = Unsatisfactory
W = Withdrew
WF = Withdrew/Failing
WP = Withdrew/Passing
WIP = Work In Progress
Z = Grade not Available

Grade Points. Graduation requirements include the accumulation of appropriate credits and the quality of work performed. The faculty has established a cumulative grade point average of 2.000 as the minimum standard. Grade point averages are calculated to the third decimal place on the basis of hours attempted in graded courses taken at this College. Grade points are granted on the following basis:

A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C - = 1.7
D + = 1.3
D = 1.0
D- = 0.7
F = 0.0
U = 0.0

Grade Point Average Calculation.  A student’s grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total grade points earned by the total credit hours attempted in graded courses. Courses that are assigned a Satisfactory (S) grade are not computed in the grade point average. Courses that are assigned a “U” or “F” are computed in the grade point average. Grades of transfer courses are not included in GPA calculation. At the end of each course, grades will be available to view online. Paper copies are available upon request.

Incomplete Grades (grades of “I”) - Arts and Sciences Students. A grade of I represents course work which is incomplete. Professors may grant an Incomplete if the student has completed three-fourths of the course work with a grade of C or better. The I grade must be removed within four weeks of the beginning of the next semester by completion of the course work. If not removed within the specified time, the I lapses into an F grade.

Incomplete Grades (grades of “I”) - Crown Online Students. Students are responsible for all coursework in keeping with posted deadlines. In most cases, assignments are due by the course end date. A student may request a seven-day extension from the professor; this request must be made in writing before the course ends. If the extension is granted, work not submitted within seven days will be graded as “zero” and the final grade calculated accordingly. Students facing extenuating circumstances (e.g., medical issues) may request a longer extension, generally 14 days after the course end date. The request must be made during the last week of the course and before the course ends. If the extension is granted, work not submitted by the deadline given by the professor will be graded as “zero” and the final grade calculated accordingly. Extension requests may be denied if the student is not passing and has not completed a majority of the work in the course. The last date to drop a class is the end date of class. If students proceed with an extension, the course cannot be dropped after the end date of class.

In-Progress Grade (grade of “IP”). This grade may be applied by the professor when course requirements are specifically designed to extend beyond the end of the term (e.g. an internship, etc.). The course syllabus should note this grade designation.

Grade Changes

Grade changes cannot be made on the basis of work done after the final grade has been submitted unless an incomplete grade was issued during the appropriate grading period. If instructors discover errors in grades they have reported, they may complete a Change of Grade Request Form to have the incorrect grade rectified. Grades of F resulting from the lapse of the time period for completion of work may not be changed except for instructor error. All grade changes are to be reviewed and approved by the College Registrar.

A student who has reasonable concerns regarding a grade must contact the instructor within 30 calendar days after the original grade was posted. The instructor may request that the student provide a written explanation that justifies the need for a change of grade. If a satisfactory resolution has not been achieved, the student may appeal to the Academic Affairs Committee within six months after the original grade was posted. The decision of the Academic Affairs Committee is final.

(ASP 2.3)

Graduation Requirements - SAS Students -  Bachelor and Associate Degrees

Bachelor or Associate degree-seeking students enrolled in the School of Arts & Sciences must satisfy the following requirements to graduate: 

1. Completion of all required courses for the given degree even when the total hours exceed the minimum credit requirements. Students are eligible to participate in Commencement with up to six semester hours or two courses to complete during the summer. They must be registered for their summer classes by February 1 to be approved for Commencement. 

2. Completion of institutional credit requirements. The minimum hours required for a baccalaureate degree is 125 semester credits. Students earning an associate degree must complete a minimum of 60 semester credits. Students who wish to earn a second baccalaureate degree must meet all the requirements of that degree and complete a minimum of 155 semester credits.

3. Attainment of a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in work taken at Crown College. Graduates from the Nursing department must attain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75. Graduates from the Teacher Education department must attain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5. Note: Some departments have a grade requirement for specific courses as indicated in the degree program pages of the catalog.

4. Admission to the major department (baccalaureate graduates only).

5. Fulfillment of the residency requirement. See Residency Requirement.

6. Submission and approval of the graduation application.

Although advisors are provided to assist the student with course selection, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to ensure that graduation requirements are met prior to his or her anticipated graduation date. The graduation date for a student with academic deficiencies is the last day of the month in which all requirements are met.

College policy requires full payment of the student’s account prior to receiving a diploma.

(ASP 3.1 approved January 2024)

Graduation Requirements - SOS Students - Bachelor and Associate Degrees

Crown Online Students - Bachelor and Associate Degrees

Bachelor or Associate degree-seeking students enrolled in the School of Online Studies must satisfy the following requirements to graduate:

1. Completion of all required courses for the given degree even when the total hours exceed the minimum credit requirements.

2. Completion of institutional credit requirements. The minimum hours required for a baccalaureate degree is 125 semester credits. Students earning an associate degree must complete a minimum of 60 semester credits. Students who wish to earn a second baccalaureate degree must meet all the requirements of that degree and complete a minimum of 155 semester credits.

3. Attainment of a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in work taken at Crown College.

4. Fulfill the residency requirement (see Residency Requirement ).

5. Submission and approval of the graduation application.

6. To be approved to participate in commencement, the student must have completed all requirements or be registered for any remaining credits within the same academic year as commencement.

Although advisors are provided to assist the student with course selection, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to ensure that graduation requirements are met prior to his or her anticipated graduation date. The graduation date for students in the School of Online Studies is the last day of the month in which all requirements are met.

College policy requires full payment of the student’s account prior to receiving a diploma.

(ASP 3.1 approved January 2024)

Graduation Requirements - SOS Graduate School Students - Master Degrees and Certificates

Crown Graduate School Students - Master Degrees

Master degree-seeking students enrolled in the Graduate School must satisfy the following requirements to graduate:

1. Completion of all course requirements for the desired degree within a period of seven years. (Petitions to extend this time can be submitted to the Graduate Studies Advisory Committee.)

2. Completion of institutional credit requirements. The minimum hours required for a Master of Arts or MBA degree is 36 semester credits. The minimum for the Master of Arts in Counseling is 60 credits, and the Master of Divinity minimum is 72 credits.

3. Attainment of a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in work taken at Crown and completion of all coursework with a grade of C or higher (must retake any course work of “C-” and below).

4. Fulfillment of the residency requirement (see Residency Requirements).

5. Submission and approval of the graduation application.

6. To be approved to participate in commencement, the student must have completed all requirements or be registered for any remaining credits within the same academic year as commencement.

Although advisors are provided to assist the student with course selection, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to ensure that graduation requirements are met prior to his or her anticipated graduation date. The graduation date for students in the Graduate School is the last day of the month in which all requirements are met.

College policy requires full payment of the student’s account prior to receiving a diploma.

Crown Graduate School Students - Master Certificates

Students pursuing a graduate certificate must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Completion of all course requirements for the desired certificate even when the total hours exceed the minimum credit requirements.

2. Completion of institutional credit requirements. The minimum credit requirement for graduate certificates is 12 credits.

3. Attainment of a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in work taken at Crown and completion of all coursework with a grade of C or higher (must retake any course work of “C-” and below).

4. Fulfillment of the residency requirement (see Residency Requirements).

5. Submission and approval of the certificate completion application.

Although advisors are provided to assist the student with course selection, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to ensure that requirements are met. The completion date for graduate certificate-seeking students is the last day of the month in which all requirements are met.

College policy requires full payment of the student’s account prior to receiving a certificate.

(ASP 3.1 approved 1/2024)

 Graduation Honors

• Graduation honors for bachelor’s degrees are based on the following cumulative grade point average. (Graduation honors are only awarded at the bachelor level.)

• Students must have completed a minimum of 60 Crown College credits to be eligible for graduation honors. Students with between 30-59 Crown College credits with a cumulative grade point average of 3.90 are recognized as graduating “with distinction.”

• Academic graduation honors for bachelor’s degrees are awarded and listed on the diploma on the basis of the policy that is in effect at the time the final requirement is completed.

• Note: Grade point averages are calculated to the third decimal place.

(ASP 3.2 approved April 2009)

Guided Study/Independent Study 

Students who cannot attend classes for a required course at a regularly scheduled time may request that the course be taught as a guided study. However, a guided study is a privilege that the College is under no obligation to provide. Students for whom guided studies are approved must register for such courses during a regular term and all work must be completed within that term. Students must be regularly enrolled in other courses on campus. All policies pertaining to regularly scheduled classes, except attendance requirements, pertain to guided studies including those governing refunds, course abandonment, and grades of Incomplete.

 A guided study is an arrangement for providing a course that normally requires class attendance but exempts the student from part or all of the attendance requirements.

An Independent Study is a course listed in the curriculum that is individually designed and administered. Whether or not attendance at meetings is required for an independent study is determined by the design of the course. Regular attendance at a class is normally not required for independent studies. The procedure for designing and approving an independent study is similar to the guided study procedure. The student must obtain the sponsorship of a professor who will provide a syllabus or syllabus summary for the course. The approvals of the advisor, the Registrar, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs are also required.

Arts & Sciences Students:  

1. Obtain agreement from a qualified Crown College faculty member for the administration of the course. The instructor will be required to submit a syllabus or syllabus summary for the approval of the Registrar that demonstrates the educational validity of the proposed offering and specifically outlines how the deficiency in class attendance will be overcome.

2. Submit the guided study request form electronically to the Registrar’s Office. 

3. The form will be routed for approval of the student’s advisor, the Registrar and the Office of Academic Affairs.

4. A per credit surcharge will be assessed for each guided or independent study in addition to tuition. Please see the Tuition and Fees page for details.

Crown Online Students:

1. Discuss the guided study option with the academic advisor.

2. Submit the guided study request form.

3. The paperwork must be submitted by the module before the guided study is to start. Exceptions can be made for canceled courses only.

4. Upon approval and registration, the guided study must be completed within 14 weeks (two modules) for undergraduate and graduate courses. The course must be started within two weeks of the designated timeframe listed above. If the course is not started, it will automatically be dropped from the student’s schedule and the surcharge fee will not be refunded. ALL guided studies must be completed within a single semester timeframe (in other words, a guided study may not begin in the second module of a semester and carry over to the first module of the next semester).

5. A per credit surcharge will be assessed for each guided or independent study in addition to tuition. Please see the Tuition and Fees page for details.

Instructional Goals

The college seeks to provide an education that is Christ centered, academically excellent and globally connected to undergraduate and graduate students. These values are evident to the extent that Crown College students:

1. Demonstrate knowledge, skill, and attitudes appropriate to their fields and levels of studies.
2. Demonstrate written and oral expression observing the conventions of their discipline.
3. Integrate a field of study with a Christian perspective.
4. Illustrate a life of learning enabled with critical thinking skills.
5. Apply ethical principles that are consistent with Biblical values.
6. Demonstrate knowledge of and respect for people of diverse cultures.   

Intercollegiate Athletics (Arts & Sciences and Graduate Students)

The mission of the Crown College Athletic Department is to provide and foster Christian leadership and excellence in all aspects of the student-athlete’s life. Crown College student athletes are actively involved in missions and ministry, locally and abroad. We believe that athletics should be a means to reach others for Christ. Development of the complete person, physically, mentally, and spiritually, is the priority.

Crown College offers a variety of athletic outlets for participants and fans. Intercollegiate varsity sports offered for men are soccer, football, cross country, golf, basketball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis and baseball. Sports offered for women are volleyball, soccer, cross country, golf, basketball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis and softball.

Crown College Athletics is affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Division III) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Crown is also a full member of the NCAA Division III affiliated Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). This conference features schools from Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Transfer students should contact the Department of Athletics for transfer guidelines related to intercollegiate athletics.

All students in good academic standing are deemed to be making satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate or equivalent degree.

Athletic Eligibility

To be eligible to represent Crown College in intercollegiate athletics competition, a School of Arts and Science or Crown College Graduate student athlete must be enrolled fulltime in a program of study, be in good academic standing, and maintain satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate or graduate degree. Enrollment in a full-time program of study requires students to take a minimum of twelve (12) credits per semester for undergraduate students and six (6) credits per semester for graduate students. In keeping with the institutional policies of Crown College and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, students involved in intercollegiate athletics must meet the criteria for Good Academic Standing and Satisfactory Academic Progress to be eligible for athletic competition.

Good Academic Standing:

Good academic standing for incoming students will be determined by their admissions status to the Crown College School of Arts & Sciences (SAS) and Crown Graduate School. Students with a standard acceptance are eligible for co-curricular activities including intercollegiate athletics. Arts & Sciences students with a transitional acceptance are limited to one intercollegiate sport per semester. Graduate students enrolled under provisional or probationary status will not be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics. Current Crown College students are in good academic standing if the following guidelines are satisfied: (ASP 2.1)

Satisfactory Academic Progress:

Students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to be eligible for athletic participation. Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured by 1) the student’s cumulative grade point average, 2) the number of credits earned in relation to those attempted, and 3) the maximum time frame allowed to complete the academic program (See Satisfactory Academic Progress in the Crown College Catalog). A student maintains their athletic eligibility and is eligible to receive federal and state financial aid, as long as the student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Should a student fail to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, based on one of the three criteria above, the student will be placed on a Financial Aid Suspension for failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress by the financial aid office. A Financial Aid Suspension due to failure to meet SAP indicates that the student is no longer eligible to participate in athletics and is unable to receive federal and state financial aid.

If a student is placed on a Financial Aid Suspension, that student has the opportunity to appeal the suspension with the financial aid office. If the appeal is granted, the student regains their athletic eligibility and their ability to receive federal and state financial aid. If the appeal is denied, the student is unable to receive federal and state financial aid but has the opportunity to appeal to the SAS Academic Affairs Committee to regain their athletic eligibility. The SAS Academic Affairs Committee would review the appeal and determine if a student should be allowed to participate in athletics for that semester. The decision of the SAS Academic Affairs Committee is final.

(ASP 1.4 approved August 2019)

Class Attendance and Course Work

Student-athletes are expected to attend all class periods and complete all assignments and exams according to the course syllabus. However, excused absences will be granted for scheduled athletic competitions. Every effort should be made by the student-athlete and coaches not to miss regularly scheduled class times or labs. 

Conference officials determine the schedule for all conference competitions. Deviation from the schedule is allowed for weather and other extenuating circumstances if the Athletic Director determines a move is necessary or better serves the competitive atmosphere of the event. The other conference schools must also approve of the schedule change.

Crown College coaching staff will work to minimize conflicts with the academic calendar, with the understanding that avoiding all conflict might not be possible given travel restrictions, facility amenities (i.e. lighting), and other factors.  Reasonable time should be granted to athletes, trainers, coaches, and other participants to prepare for the event. This includes meals and travel to and from the venue, and other factors to be considered.

In alignment with NCAA bylaws (17.1.4.2), absences will not be excused due to practice activities or competitions in “the nontraditional segment.” However, a student-athlete will be excused from class for practice activities if “a team is traveling to an away-from-home contest and the practice is in conjunction with the contest” or when Crown College is hosting an NCAA championship event.

Most class periods will be scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. Practice time and team meetings should be held outside of this time.  Coaches must plan in such a way to allow sufficient time for student-athletes to prepare for class, maintain proper hygiene, eat meals in the cafeteria, and attend classes in a timely fashion. Smaller team meetings, such as team leadership meetings or other such groups, may be held during the 8:00 - 3:00 academic time so long as participants are not being asked to miss class time or leave class before the appointed time. Physical therapy and other sessions necessary for maintaining or restoring athletic fitness should be scheduled at times that do not conflict with class times.

Communication

Student-athletes are required to have weekly, in-person conversations about classes they are missing or from which they are leaving early for competition. The student-athlete must communicate competition dates and expected absences via email within a week of the absence and no later than 48 hours prior to missing class, except for extenuating circumstances, such as competitions with weather-related factors, scheduling changes, and tournament play. 

Athletic travel rosters will be submitted to the Director of Athletics indicating which student athletes will participate in each off-campus event. Rosters will be completed 24-hours in advance of the trip, though some changes may occur up to the time of departure. Faculty members may make inquiries to the Director of Athletics.

Faculty, coaches, and athletic trainers should utilize the Student Alert System to communicate regarding a student athlete’s academic performance, health concerns, and general success.

Assignment and Exam Completion

Student-athletes are responsible for communicating with individual professors before an absence to ensure that missed exams or assignments are completed and submitted promptly. Student-athletes may be permitted to complete in-class activities or exams before or within a reasonable amount of time following the missed class periods. Professors are accountable to provide and communicate a reasonable opportunity for the student-athlete to complete the missed exam or assignment in a manner that allows for student success, maintains the integrity of the academic work, and is fair to all students. Student-athletes must make arrangements with an individual faculty to make up missed work or exams at the faculty members’ discretion, including completing work before or after the missed class.

All students should be proactive to evaluate course syllabi at the beginning of each semester to ensure an understanding of class work and dates.

Academic Progress

To remain eligible to compete, student-athletes must follow Crown College’s good academic standing (see ASP Policy 2.1 for GPA requirements).

The coach is responsible to review grades periodically through the semester and determine the student-athlete’s level of athletic participation in order to achieve academic success.

Note: A student-athlete under disciplinary action from Student Development will be ineligible to play for the allotted amount of time decided upon by Student Development.

(ASP 10.36 approved Spring 2023) 

Leave of Absence 

Students may need to interrupt their studies temporarily for a variety of reasons. A full-time student in good standing wishing to take a one semester leave of absence should first contact their academic advisor to discuss their plans. The form must be requested and approved prior to the beginning of the semester off (for Arts & Sciences Students).  Leave of absence will not be granted for more than one semester.

Students who take an approved leave of absence and who do not have any holds preventing re-enrollment may enroll for the next term with the privileges of a returning student. The leave permits the student to remain under their current catalog* and plan of study*. Students may not enroll in another academic institution during the leave period without prior approval from the Academic Petition for Approval of Future Transfer Credit. The College does have the right to prohibit reentry if the student has unsatisfactory academic work at another college or university.

*Nursing and Teacher Education students may not be able to keep their same catalog or plan of study due to the certifications/licensing requirements.

Arts and Sciences Students

• The leave of absence will be for one semester only.

• During the semester of leave, students will retain access to Crown email and Our.Crown but access to on-campus facilities and resources will not be available.

• International students on a F1 visa must speak with the International Advisor about the effects on their visa.

• Students should clear all outstanding bills before leaving campus. 

• Students should request exit information from the financial aid office.  A leave does not exempt students from loan repayment. They need to consider the effect of the leave on their loan status as lenders may count the leave as part of the total grace period.

• A student who does not re-enroll by the stated leave of absence return date (one semester) must re-apply for admission to the College.

Crown Online Students (both undergraduate and graduate)

• The leave of absence will be for one semester only.

• During the semester of leave, students will retain access to Crown email and our.crown.edu

• Students should clear all outstanding bills before the leave of absence begins.

• Students should request exit information from the financial aid office.  A leave does not exempt students from loan repayment. They need to consider the effect of the leave on their loan status as lenders may count the leave as part of the total grace period.

• A student who does not re-enroll by the stated leave of absence return date (one semester) must re-apply for admission to the College.

Major/Minor/Concentration/Emphasis Definitions

Every department defines the course requirements for students who plan to receive a degree in the academic area administered by that department. This set of requirements is termed the major. A major is a collection of courses designed to give opportunity for in-depth study of a specific area within a given discipline. Students completing a major should be able to demonstrate a significant level of expertise in that area. The collection of courses within it must be coherent, progressing from a basic understanding of the area’s history, nature, theory, methodology, tools, and practice to a more complex and sophisticated integration of knowledge and skills in that area. Each course makes a significant contribution to the major and the fulfillment of its outcomes. Normally a major consists of at least 30 - 45 credit hours of courses related to a given area. A minimum of 24 credits for a major must be at the 300 or 400 level. No more than 50% of the major core can be earned through transfer, CLEP, AP, or other non-Crown credit.

A minor is a secondary area of specialized academic study usually consisting of 18-21 semester hours available only for those students who are pursuing a Bachelor’s degree. Each course must make a significant contribution to the minor. Departments may choose not to permit students to select a minor from within their department. 

A concentration is a selection of courses within a student’s major consisting of 15-21 credits that provides a particular specialization or focus for the major and is designed to give a student specialized knowledge, competence, or skill within the major. Concentrations are comprised of courses offered by the major department and courses of other department that are specifically acceptable for credit toward the major. The concentration must be a coherent structured course of study. To qualify for more than one concentration within one major, a minimum of 9 credits must be unique to that concentration. Since the concentration is designed to be paired with a particular major, it is not available to students who have a major other than the one for which it was designed.

An emphasis is a selection of courses within a student major consisting of 9 to 14 credits. The focus is on specialization but not as in-depth as a concentration. Some emphases are only available to specific majors.

(ASP 1.18 approved January 2018)

Military Deployment - Crown Online Students Only

Students called to active service during the course of a semester must submit a copy of their orders and choose one of the following options before departing for active service:

Any student called to active service during the course of a semester may elect to withdraw from the current class and drop the future classes. A full refund of tuition will be granted for the current and future classes. Under this circumstance, no course credit and no course grades will be awarded for the current class.

Any student called to active service at least halfway through the class may elect to take the grade of “Incomplete” in the course. The time period allowed to satisfy the Incomplete would not, under this circumstance, begin until the date of release from active service. At that time, a deployment/activation of four weeks or more is allowed a six-week grace period to complete the work; an active-duty period of less than four weeks allows the student a two-week grace period. At any point within this timeframe the student may elect to withdraw from the class in which he/she was called to active service. Students who elect this alternative are not eligible for the refund of academic tuition.  If no withdrawn is taken and the work is never completed, the grade will turn to an F.

Name Change Policy

In an effort to maintain the integrity and accuracy of our records and to protect our students, alumni, and constituents, the following Name Change Policy is in effect.

The following offices are authorized to process name changes in the Crown College Administrative System:

• Current students:  Registrar’s Office

• Alumni:  Registrar’s Office and/or College Relations Office

• Donors/Friends of Crown College:  College Relations Office

In order to process a name change, an individual must present legal documentation which includes but is not limited to one of the following: a copy of marriage certificate showing name change, a driver’s license, social security card, or other legal document.

Off Campus Programs - Arts & Sciences Students

Crown College encourages students to explore the world as an important part of their education and Christian perspective. Therefore, Crown College offers opportunities and partnerships to foster such exploration and to encourage engagement with a breadth of cultures and ethnicities around the world. These include:

Destination: Serve

Destination: Serve (DS) at Crown College exists to provide students with intensive team-oriented, short-term ministry opportunities. The DS trips are designed to introduce the student to the complexity of culture, culture research, intensive intercultural engagement, and exposure to what God is doing around the world. The trips are offered during early summer for 7-10 days. Contact Student Development for more information.

GlobalEd

Through partnership with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, “CCCU GlobalEd is a collection of faith-integrated, off-campus study programs that foster intellectual, cultural, vocation, and spiritual growth. [These] programs transform the way students experience the world and equip them to live out their Christian faith in today’s global society.” Programs include Middle East Studies Program (Amman, Jordan), Scholarship and Christianity (Oxford, UK), and Uganda Studies Program (Mukonon, Uganda), as well as opportunities at the Los Angeles Film Studies Center and the Contemporary Music Center in Nashville, TN. For more information, visit: https://www.cccuglobaled.org.

Students International

Crown partners with Students International, a Christian missions and study abroad organization that provides opportunities for students to earn credit while doing extensive missions service in Costa Rica. While on the program, students serve for 8 weeks of the semester in educational, health, sports, and social work sites. Coursework in culture, ministry and Spanish is intentionally integrated with ministry work. Students are mentored and discipled throughout their experience. Homestays and numerous excursions provide further opportunities for students to experience the culture.

Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO)

Through the Minnesota Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO), high school juniors and seniors can take college courses at Crown to complete their high school requirements and the tuition is paid by the State of Minnesota.

In order to qualify for the program a student must be a resident of Minnesota and must have earned a minimum 3.25 GPA (on campus) or 3.0 GPA (online). To qualify for housing in Crown College residence halls, a student must be at least 17 years old, be classified as a high school senior and agree to the Crown Community Covenant. The cost of room and board is not covered by the State of Minnesota and is the responsibility of the student.

The PSEO student and parent or guardian are responsible to work closely with their high school counselor to ensure that the courses to be taken at Crown College will satisfy their high school graduation requirements. Each PSEO student will be assigned an academic advisor who will provide academic and registration assistance.

PSEO students may register for most 100 or 200-level courses. Ministry related courses and private music lessons are not eligible for state financing. Electronic transcripts will be sent to the PSEO student’s high school at the end of the semester according to the Minnesota Department of Education Notice of Student Registration form submitted by the student upon application. Students may access grade reports and unofficial transcripts online.

Course textbooks are considered the property of Crown College and must be returned by the second to last day of each final exam week. Academic transcripts may not be released until textbooks are returned or fines are paid.

The Crown College academic calendar may not coincide with a student’s high school or home school schedule. PSEO students are responsible for attending class according to the College calendar.

Upon graduation from high school, PSEO students desiring to continue at Crown College must apply for admission into the School of Arts & Sciences or the School of Online Studies.

Registration

Arts & Sciences Students

Students are notified via Crown email regarding upcoming registration dates with instructions and a listing of courses to be offered. Each class year is given a specific date and must register during the designated time. Students will meet with their academic advisor to discuss progress toward their degree and the courses that should be taken in the upcoming semester. Students may register for up to 19 credits without special permission. Academic advisors clear students to register using the online system. The closing day of registration and the last day to add classes are listed on the Academic Calendar.

Crown Online Students

Students are notified via Crown email regarding upcoming registration dates and must register during the designated time. Students are encouraged to register at least two weeks prior to the start of class to allow time to obtain textbooks and access the course syllabus. Undergraduate students who wish to register for more than 18 credits must contact their academic advisor and petition to do so. Graduate students wishing to take more than 15 credits must also contact their academic advisor and petition to do so. All students register online.

Registration Changes 

Arts & Sciences Students

The dates for the close of registration are listed each semester in the College Calendar. Students must have completed all steps of registration including financial arrangements on or before this deadline.

Courses dropped after classes begin are subject to the refund policies listed in the College Catalog. The last day to withdraw from a class that lasts the full semester is the last day of the ninth week of each semester or the halfway point of the class for courses lasting less than a full semester. Between the close of registration and the last day to withdraw from classes, a grade of W, WF or WP will be given for each course dropped (see Grading System).

Crown Online Students

The close of online registration is the day before the first class begins (see Academic Calendar  for the specific dates). Any changes made after that must be made through the student’s academic advisor. Courses dropped after classes begin are subject to the refund policies listed in the Tuition & Fees  section. The last day to withdraw from a class is the last day of the class.

Remote Learning Request (School of Arts & Sciences)

Since the Crown College School of Arts & Sciences is accredited as a face-to-face school, it is important for instruction to take place in this mode when possible.  Online courses or remote delivery are considered options of last resort for School of Arts & Sciences students.  This policy establishes a system to review student requests to study remotely either for an entire module or full semester.  This system also provides a way to collect a remote learning fee to cover the administrative and faculty costs due to the student not being on campus for a full module or a whole semester.  (The Remote Learning Fee amount can be found under the Tuition and Fees section of the catalog.)

Procedures: 

1. Student will complete the Remote Learning Petition which is available from the Office of the Registrar 
2. The Vice President of Academic Affairs will provide the official decision.
3. The Registrar Office will notify the student of the decision.
4. If the student appeals the remote learning fee, it is referred to the Academic Affairs Committee. Their decision is final.
5. Remote learning fee will be added to the semester bill unless there is an approved appeal to have it waived.   

Residency Requirements (Credits to be taken from Crown College)

“In residence” is defined as the completion of Crown College classes. To be considered “in residence” for any term, the student must have met the minimum attendance requirements for the institution in at least one class for that term. Independent studies or Honors studies are an exception; a student who satisfactorily meets the requirements of any independent study, including any required meetings with the faculty supervisor, is deemed to be in residence for that term. Crown professional development courses, proficiency tests and other forms of prior learning are not considered in residence.

Associate Degree

To graduate from Crown College with an associate degree, a student must have earned a minimum of 15 semester credit hours from Crown College. Persons pursuing two associate degrees at Crown College must fulfill the 15 semester credit residency requirement two times. Thus, the institutional minimum of 60 semester credits plus an additional 15 credits and completion of all requirements for both majors shall be required to earn two associate degrees.

Bachelor’s Degree

To graduate from Crown College with a bachelor’s degree, a student must have earned a minimum of 30 semester credit hours from Crown College including a minimum of 50 percent of the major core. In addition, 30 of the final 60 semester credits must be earned from Crown College. Persons pursuing two baccalaureate degrees at Crown College must fulfill the 30 semester credit residency requirement two times. Thus, the institutional minimum of 125 semester credits plus an additional 30 credits and completion of all requirements for both majors shall be required to earn two baccalaureate degrees.

Master’s Degree

To graduate from Crown College with a master’s degree, a student must have earned a minimum of 24 semester credit hours from Crown College.

Graduate Certificate

To complete a graduate level certificate at Crown College, a student must complete a minimum of 50% of the certificate’s credit hours from Crown College.

(ASP 3.4 approved January 2024)

Satisfactory Progress

The College is occasionally asked to respond to inquiries as to whether particular students are making satisfactory progress. For the purpose of answering such inquiries, all students in good academic standing (i.e. not on academic probation or not suspended) are deemed to be making satisfactory progress. A special satisfactory progress policy governs receipt of financial aid (see Satisfactory Academic Progress in the Financial Aid  section). 

Records indicating academic progress are maintained by the Registrar’s Office, and a grade report indicating academic progress is available to each student online following the close of each term. This grade report contains notification of term grades, accumulated credits, grade point hours, grade points, and grade point average. Grade reports also include notice of any academic action taken including probationary status and suspension.

Semester Honors - Arts & Sciences Students

Students who have completed at least 12 graded (A-F) credits in a semester may be eligible to be placed on the Dean’s List or Honorable Mention List.

Dean’s List: Students meeting the following requirements will be placed on the Dean’s List:

• A semester GPA of 3.500 or higher

Honorable Mention List: Students meeting the requirements listed below will be placed on the Honorable Mention List:

• A semester GPA of 3.250-3.499.

Senior Honor Award - Arts & Sciences Students

Senior Honor Medallions are presented by the faculty to a select group of graduating seniors in recognition of outstanding merit and accomplishment as a student at Crown College. The criteria include academic achievement, participation and leadership in campus life and spiritual contribution. Fourteen percent of baccalaureate degree candidates in the School of Arts and Sciences are selected to receive the award each year.

Special Programs

Accelerated Master’s Degrees

These programs are offered to qualified students in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Online Studies. The accelerated programs are tightly structured courses of study in which students take graduate courses during their undergraduate degree program. Once students graduate with the respective undergraduate degree, the graduate courses then transfer into the master’s degree program allowing the student to complete that degree in a shortened time frame.

To apply for the accelerated programs, the student must be a junior in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of no less than 3.0 on all previous undergraduate work. Students will apply to enroll into the program through their departments, and the graduate application will be included as a part of this process. Any graduate work taken in the accelerated program must be completed with at least a C grade for the course to transfer to the master’s degree. Students must complete their undergraduate degree before starting the final year of the graduate degree.

Crown College Honors Program 

The Crown College Honors Program exists to glorify Christ in a community of distinguished scholars who explore truth, faith, science, and culture to engage minds and serve others. The curriculum includes 14 credit hours of course work in the first two years and 6 credits hours of study abroad and research in the final two years of the program. Honors students who complete the program will earn an Honors Minor in addition to their major course of study. Students must be accepted into the Honors Program to be eligible to declare the minor. Students interested in the Honors program can go to http://www.crown.edu/crown-honors for more information.

Student Privacy Rights - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) sets out requirements designed to govern the access to and release of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the FERPA Office (U.S. Department of Education) concerning alleged failures of Crown College to comply with provisions of FERPA.

Directory Information Policy

“Directory Information” can be released to an outside party without written consent of the student. Directory items include name, home address, campus address, email address, telephone numbers, dates of attendance, full-time/part-time status, classification, previous institutions(s) attended, major field(s) of study, awards, honors (e.g., Dean’s List), degree(s) conferred (e.g., B.S., A.A.), digital image or photograph, past and present participation in officially recognized sports and activities, and height and weight of athletic team members.

Students have the right to suppress their directory information by completing a request form in the Registrar’s Office. The request is valid for one semester.

Crown employees who have a legitimate educational interest are allowed to access student education records. Designated offices may also disclose education records or components thereof to persons or organizations providing the student with financial aid, to accrediting agencies carrying out their accrediting functions, and to persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or other persons. Other exceptions are listed in the official policy.

Confidential information may be released by phone only if positive identification of the student or appropriately designated representative may be made. Because of federal regulations, the student’s SSN or birth date is not used to ascertain identity.

Confidential information can be released directly to the student; however, it cannot be released directly to the student’s family members (e.g., parents, spouses, etc.) without the written consent of the student. Note, however, that when a student is a dependent of the parent as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of 1954: Sec. 152, such information may be released to the parent without the written consent by of the student.

Crown College has adopted policies and procedures concerning implementation of FERPA on campus. Copies of the entire policy are available from the Registrar’s Office as well as the Registrar’s Office website.

Student Retention and Graduation Rates

In compliance with the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, Crown College is engaged in an ongoing study of retention and graduation rates.

Retention Rates

For the past ten years, the percentages of new first-time freshmen still enrolled at the start of the next academic year are as follows:

• 69% of the Fall 2013 freshmen

• 70% of the Fall 2014 freshmen

• 66% of the Fall 2015 freshmen

• 69% of the Fall 2016 freshmen

• 69% of the Fall 2017 freshmen

• 78% of the Fall 2018 freshmen

• 66% of the Fall 2019 freshmen

• 73% of the Fall 2020 freshmen

• 69% of the Fall 2021 freshmen

• 67% of the Fall 2022 freshmen

Graduation Rates

Study at Other Institutions

Study Work that the student expects to take at other institutions (summer school, etc.) to make up deficiencies or for other justifiable academic reasons may usually be credited toward the Crown College graduation requirements if written approval of such work is secured through the Registrar’s Office in advance. Satisfactory performance is necessary (i.e. earning the equivalent of a grade of “C” or higher though some academic departments may require a higher grade). Grades from transfer institutions are not recorded on the Crown College transcript and are not included in GPA calculations.

Textbooks

With the exception of Cengage materials, students are responsible for purchasing their own textbooks. To determine the correct text and edition number, students should consult the Crown College Virtual Bookstore even if intending to purchase through another source. The virtual bookstore wll provide students with the list of materials and the ISBN textbook numbers needed for each class. If Cengage materials are required for a course, they will be accessed through the course portal and will be available at no additional cost.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit from institutionally or programmatically accredited institutions as recognized by the U. S. Department of Education is evaluated on a course-by-course basis under the supervision of the College Registrar in consultation with the respective Academic Dean. Crown College accepts transfer credit in accordance with the policies below:

Undergraduate Level Credit

1. All academic courses in which at least a “C” grade or its equivalent has been earned may qualify for transfer up to 95 semester credits for a bachelor degree. A maximum of 45 credits will transfer toward an associate degree (see Residency Requirement). Some departments may require a higher grade for the course to apply toward degree requirements (e.g. Nursing). Additional information about program specific requirements can be found under the Academic Department or Program Requirement pages in this catalog. 
2. Articulation agreements may allow transfer credit from some unaccredited colleges. See Articulation Agreements  for a list of current agreements with Crown College. A maximum of 15 credits may be articulated toward an associate degree and a maximum of 80 credits toward a bachelor degree.
3. Transcripts containing credits earned at an institution in a language other than English must be accompanied by a translation by an international/foreign transcript evaluator that is a member of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services). The list of third-party evaluators recognized by the Higher Learning Commission may be found at www.naces.org/members.
4. Official transcripts are required for credit to be transferred. Transcripts are only official when sent by an institution in a sealed envelope directly to Crown College or sent by an institution to Crown College using an approved electronic transcript service. Students are responsible to ensure official transcripts are sent to Crown and to review the application of transfer credit to their degree record at Crown.
5. The maximum number of credits that may be transferred toward the specific major or minor core courses (e.g. the psychology core in the psychology major, etc.) is 50%. When a student has earned additional transfer credits in the major core, the respective Academic Dean will specify which courses will be applied toward the Crown College major.
6. Only courses at the 100 or 1000 level or higher will be accepted for transfer. Remedial coursework, audited classes, competency credit, CEUs and credit granted for prior learning assessments are not transferable.
7. To fulfill degree requirements, transfer courses must meet 2/3 of the course content and 2/3 of the credit requirement at Crown (a 1-credit class may not fulfill a 3-credit requirement, but a 2-credit class will fulfill a 3-credit requirement). In addition, the level of the transfer course must be within one level of the requirement at Crown unless the Academic Dean specifies otherwise.
8. Science credits must have been completed within 5 years prior to enrollment at Crown for applicants to the Nursing (B.S.) degree.
9. Nursing courses will not transfer into the Crown College Nursing (B.S.) degree.
10. Students who transfer EDU 241 Foundations of Education or EDU 314 Multicultural and Diverse Learners will be required to complete the standard assignments for the associated course(s) that they transfer. Transfer education courses accepted for credit that contain a field experience will be counted if the student has verification of successful completion of the field experience. If the transfer course did not contain a field experience, the course will be counted when a field experience has been successfully completed.
11. Transfer credits that do not fulfill specific degree requirements will count as general electives and apply toward the total number of credits required for the degree. Transfer students must meet all departmental and general college requirements for the degree in the program for which they are enrolled.
12. The following course has been designated by the faculty as an upper level, integrative Bible and Theology course that must be completed at Crown College: BIB 434 - Romans . Therefore, transfer credit will not be applied toward this requirement in the School of Arts & Sciences.
13. Current degree-seeking students expecting to take courses at other institutions (summer school, etc.) should obtain approval prior to taking the courses. Petition forms are available in the student portal. Satisfactory performance is necessary (i.e. earning the equivalent of a grade of “C” or higher though some academic departments may require a higher grade). Upon completing the courses, students are responsible to request official transcripts with final grades be submitted to the Crown College Registrar’s Office.
14. Grades from transfer institutions are not recorded on the Crown College transcript and are not included in GPA calculations.

Graduate Level Credit

1. All graduate courses in which at least a “B” grade or its equivalent has been earned may qualify for transfer up to 12 semester credits.
2. To fulfill degree requirements, transfer courses must meet 2/3 of the course content and 2/3 of the credit requirement at Crown.
3. Graduate level credits over ten years old are not eligible for transfer.
4. Credit is not awarded for life experience or continuing education.

Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC)

In addition to the graduate transfer requirements, these criteria must be met for the M.A. in Counseling degree: 

1. A maximum of 30 credits (50% of the degree) may transfer into the M.A. in Counseling.
2. Credits transferred as electives must have relevance to the counseling profession. 
3. Core Counseling classes have been completed within 5 years prior to enrollment at Crown. The content of core classes must be comparable to the current best practice standards for that course. 
4. Clinical coursework and Ethics coursework (i.e. COU 5212 - Counseling Skills, Methods and Techniques in Helping Relationships , COU 5210 - Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling , COU 6260 - Counseling Practicum , COU 6261 - Counseling Internship I , and COU 6262 - Counseling Internship II ) will not transfer.
5. Because students may not transfer in COU 5212 - Counseling Skills, Methods and Techniques in Helping Relationships , all students in the program will be required to attend COUZ 5212 - Counseling Skills, Methods and Techniques Residency . 
6. Students who transfer COU 6214 - Psychopathology  from a hybrid or face-to-face program may petition to waive COUZ 6214 - Psychopathology Residency . 

Master of Divinity (M.Div.)

In addition to the graduate transfer requirements, these criteria must be met for the Master of Divinity degree:

1. A maximum of 36 credits (50% of the degree) may transfer into the M.Div. 
2. Credits transferred as electives must have relevance to the ministry profession.

(ASP 5.1 approved January 2024)

Transcripts

The Registrar keeps on file the permanent record of all credits earned by each student. Transcript requests should be submitted electronically at www.crown.edu/transcripts. At least two weeks should be allowed after the close of a term for issuance of an up-to-date transcript.

In compliance with federal and state regulations and best-practice recommendations, Crown College will fulfill any requests for transcripts submitted through the transcript request process. While it is expected that students will pay their Crown College bill, lack of compliance will not affect the fulfillment of a transcript request. 

(ASP 8.2 approved May 2023)

Undergraduate Students taking Graduate Level Classes

Undergraduate students have two avenues in which to take graduate level classes while still completing their bachelor degree. 

1. Undergraduate students can apply to one of the accelerated master’s programs. The acceptance criteria and number of credits that can be taken are determined by the Graduate School. Students are permitted to take no more than 50% of the graduate degree credits while an undergraduate.  
2. Undergraduate students who are not in an accelerated program can petition to take up to 9 credits or 3 classes of graduate level coursework to fulfill undergraduate requirements.

(ASP 4.11 approved November 2019)

Veterans

Crown College is approved for veterans’ education training by the Minnesota State Approving Agency. Applicants who are veterans should check with the Veterans Administration regarding their eligibility for benefits before registering for classes. If a student plans to utilize VA educational benefits to pay for their Crown education, they must provide:

1. A copy of the Certificate of Eligibility (if student is/was the soldier) or Transfer of Eligibility (if student’s parent or spouse is/was the soldier)
2. A copy of the DD214 if the student served and was discharged
3. An official copy of the Joint Services Transcript (JST) if the student served (to receive transfer credit for military training)
4. Completed “Veterans Request for Enrollment Certification” available on Our.Crown under Students and then Online Forms
5. Completed FAFSA as VA educational benefits and Crown military scholarships are administered through the Crown Financial Aid office

Withdrawal from the College

Withdrawal - Arts & Sciences Student

• Students may discontinue their studies by completing a Withdrawal Form available at the Office of the Registrar. The form must be returned to the Office of the Registrar before the withdrawal is considered official. The last day to drop classes with a grade of W or WF or WP is the end of the ninth week of the semester for full semester (16-week) classes.  When the class meets for only a portion of a semester, the last day to drop is the half-way point. A “withdrawal from the college” involves all classes in the student is enrolled in a semester/term but has not completed.  

  • Students who discontinue studies following the last day to drop classes, whether or not they complete a Withdrawal Form, will automatically receive a grade of F for each discontinued course.

  • Students with the classification of Special Student automatically discontinue studies by dropping all credits by the last day to drop classes.  

  • Students who are dismissed from the College for student life reasons or Involuntary medical/health reasons, whether before or after the last day to drop classes, will receive grades of W, WP, or WF.

• Medical or Extreme Hardship Exceptions

Student must submit a medical or extreme hardship appeal in writing to the Registrar’s Office prior to the last day of the term and include the appropriate documentation. This can be done in the form of a letter or an academic petition. The appeal applies to all in-progress classes in which a student is currently enrolled.  Classes for to which final grades have been posted are not included in the appeal. 

• Medical:  Student must submit a dated and signed letter on letterhead from the physician [explaining the student’s illness with recommendation for withdrawal]; medical bills and/or other medical documentation. 
• Death of Immediate family member:  Student must submit a death certificate or obituary from the newspaper.  Pamphlets from the funeral will not be accepted. 
• Other - Additional circumstances will be considered based upon documentation that is submitted. 

If needed, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Vice President of Student Development, and the College Health Services Coordinator shall determine the status of the student’s health.  A physician’s advice may be sought if necessary.  The Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Vice President of Student Development shall determine in instances of extreme hardship.

Students whose appeals are approved will receive grades of W, WF, or WP for each discontinued course.  Approved appeals do not guarantee a financial adjustment or tuition reimbursement.   Fees are not refundable. 

Once the appeal is approved it will be routed to financial aid, student development, and billing to determine if an adjustment in the student’s billing or financial aid status is required.  Dates of attendance will be considered when making this decision based on federal financial aid regulations. Instances of extreme hardship shall be determined by the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Vice President of Student Development. Students whose appeals are approved will receive grades of W, WF, or WP for each discontinued course. 

Withdrawal - Crown Online Students

• Official withdrawal occurs when the student notifies the School of Online Studies and Graduate School Office via Crown e-mail of his/her intent to withdraw and completes the necessary forms to consummate the withdrawal. Official withdrawals can be completed for a single class or for a term. The date of withdrawal is the date of notification. Until notification occurs, enrollment is considered to be active. A student who neglects to withdraw before the end date of a course will receive the grade he or she has earned in the course (uncompleted assignments will be graded as “0” and the final grade will be calculated accordingly).

• Unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student stops attending class for 30 days. The last class of attendance is considered the date of withdrawal and the student is withdrawn from all the classes remaining in the term. In other words, if a student is withdrawn from a module 2 course due to non-participation, he or she will also be withdrawn from any module 3 courses that he or she may be registered for unless specifically notified by the student that he or she intends to attend the remaining course(es). This is done in compliance with financial aid guidelines stipulated by the U.S. Department of Education.

• Crown realizes students have many valid reasons to withdraw from classes. To better understand the particular needs of the student and to keep improving the program, an exit interview is required.

(ASP 4.7 approved July 2020; ASP 4.8 approved April 2016)