Academic Policies

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Transfer of Credits
Letter Grade Designations

Academic Standards

Cascadia College is committed to facilitating the academic success of students. The primary purpose of the Academic Standards and Progress Policy is to quickly identify and alert students with low academic achievement and provide those students with assistance to improve their academic performance. Additionally, the policy is intended to ensure students are making progress toward their educational goals.

Good Academic Standing

Students whose cumulative and most recent quarterly grade point average (GPA) is 2.0 or above are considered to be on good academic standing.

Level I – Academic Concern

Students enrolled in academic programs carrying five or more credits will be placed on Academic Concern at the end of any quarter in which their cumulative GPA is 2.0 or better but their quarterly GPA is below 2.0. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress over time will be placed on the next level of academic intervention. Students placed on Academic Concern will be sent a letter that offers effective study tips and strongly encourages students to take advantage of college support resources for education planning. There is no appeal process to this level of intervention.

Level II – Academic Intervention

Students enrolled in academic program carrying five or more credits will be placed on Academic Intervention at the end of any quarter in which both their cumulative and quarterly GPAs are below 2.0. Students placed on Academic Intervention will be sent a letter that offers effective study tips and strongly encourages students to take advantage of college support resources for education planning. Students on Academic Intervention are required to complete an Academic Success Plan that outlines steps, created by the student, for improving the student's academic performance. A student on Academic Intervention will be required to meet with an advisor to review their success plan prior to registration. Registration will be blocked while the student remains on Academic Intervention. Students must contact advising to register, add, or drop courses. There is no appeal process to this level of intervention. Students remain on Academic Intervention until their cumulative GPA is 2.0 or better.

Level III – Academic Suspension

Students enrolled in academic programs carrying five or more credits will be placed on Academic Suspension at the end of any quarter in which their cumulative and quarterly GPAs are below 2.0 for three consecutive quarters. Students placed on Academic Suspension will not be permitted to register for any courses for credit the subsequent quarter. Suspended students will be blocked from registering. Students who enrolled for classes prior to suspension status will be administratively withdrawn, and tuition paid will be refunded. While suspended, students may not participate in events or activities reserved for students.

Students placed on Academic Suspension will be sent a letter that outlines the appeal process for reinstatement. To be considered for reinstatement, students must show proof of circumstances over which they did not have control and/or proof of making measurable and substantial progress towards improving their grade point average. Students must contact an academic advisor to initiate this process.

Appeals of Suspension

Appeals of academic suspension due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances can be made to the Director of Student Advising and Support Services before the first day of the suspended quarter.

Reinstatement after Suspension

A suspended student may petition for readmission to the College after a waiting period of at least one quarter. The student must contact advising at least two (2) weeks prior to the beginning of the quarter that the student wants to attend. Prior to the readmission appointment, the student must submit a readmission essay and success plan that includes:

  • The student’s short-term educational goals
  • Specific plans to overcome barriers and improve the student’s academic progress
  • Proposed course schedule

The Retention Specialist or Direct of Student Advising and Support Services will review the readmission documents with the student and outline specific conditions that the student must meet for reinstatement. If approved, the student will continue on Academic Intervention status Level II until both their cumulative and quarterly GPAs are above 2.0. Notification will be sent to the student outlining conditions of readmission.

If a student receives a quarterly GPA of below 2.0 after reinstatement during the first Term of their probationary period, the student will be dismissed for 1-year. Re-admitted students will continue on Academic Intervention until they reach satisfactory academic progress (cumulative 2.00 GPA).

Grading System

Students can access grades online approximately one week after the end of the quarter. Instructors may report grades from 4.0 to 1.0 in 0.1 increments, as well as the grade of 0.0. Grades in the range of 0.9 to 0.1 are not assigned. Under specific circumstances, non-decimal grades of “H,” “I,” “P,” and “NP” may be awarded. See Letter Grade Designation page for details. 

Repeating a Course

Students may repeat any course a maximum of two times (enroll in the class up to three times). An “R” will be placed next to the lower grade, removing it from the Cascadia GPA. The transcript will show that a course has been repeated, except in certain designated courses where the student may, by re-registering, obtain additional credits and grade points. Students receiving financial aid should contact Student Financial Services to inquire whether financial aid will cover the cost of repeating a course. Students may request that an “R” be posted next to the previous course grade(s) on the official transcript by completing the Repeat Class Form on the Enrollment webpage in the Forms section. Students submit this form after final grades are posted. Courses may be repeated up to two times (or enroll in the class up to three times). 

Students should be aware that other schools and universities may treat repeated classes differently.

Grade Changes

Students are advised to contact the instructor immediately if a grade has been recorded incorrectly. Errors and omissions will be corrected as soon as identified.

Grade changes are submitted by the instructor to Enrollment Services.

  1. Grade changes will not be made after one quarter (not including summer quarter), unless documentation is provided by the instructor that the grade was awarded in error.
  2. Grade changes will be made at any time if due to a recording error.

Instructional Grievances

During the quarter, students are encouraged to discuss concerns about their class with the appropriate instructor. If concerns persist, the Dean for Student Learning should be consulted. If the matter cannot be resolved informally as outlined above, students may file formal grievances by following the processes outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities section of the Student Handbook, which is available on the Cascadia website.

Grade Appeals Process

Course Grade Appeals

Cascadia College believes in the right of all students to receive a fair and equitable review process when a grade complaint arises. The Senior Academic Officer will establish procedures to govern all grade review requests. These procedures will ensure that the grade awarded was not an arbitrary or capricious evaluation of the student’s fulfillment of the course requirements as described in the course syllabus.

Administrative Procedures

Students who believe they received an improper final grade shall have until a week prior to the end of the subsequent quarter to appeal. For example, if the final grade was given in fall quarter, it must be appealed no later than a week prior to the end of winter quarter. However, if the grade was given in spring quarter the complaint may be appealed through a week prior to the last day of the next fall quarter. Students are responsible for retaining all papers, tests, and projects from the class in question. W Withdrawal, or V Vanished are not appealable.

PLEASE NOTE: The Grade Appeal Process is not available to a student in a case where the grade has been given as a result of disciplinary action, such as cheating or plagiarism.

Step 1: Informal Process — Resolution Between Student and Faculty

The student initiates the grade appeal process by speaking to the course instructor. This process should facilitate good faith efforts on the part of both the student and faculty member (see following note) to resolve the matter.

PLEASE NOTE: In the event that the instructor is no longer employed by the college, or is away from the campus for an extended period of time, the Dean for Student Learning will appoint two faculty members to review the student’s work and the grade which is under appeal. The grade can only be changed upon the recommendation of both faculty members. If there is no agreement, the grade shall remain as awarded.

Step 2: Formal Process with the Dean for Student Learning

If the informal resolution with the instructor is not reached, the student can initiate a formal grade appeal process by submitting a completed grade appeal form to the Dean for Student Learning a week prior to the end of the following quarter (with exception for summer quarter). Once the Dean for Student Learning has received the completed form, they have ten (10) business days during which classes are in session in which to discuss the situation with the instructor and the student. The student must be reasonably available to meet with the Dean for Student Learning. The Dean for Student Learning has another ten (10) business days following their discussion(s) with the instructor and student within which to make a written recommendation to the student which may include:

  1. To deny the request for a change of grade.
  2. To move forward with the grade appeal and convene the Hearing Committee.

If the Dean for Student Learning convenes the Hearing Committee, the decision of the Hearing Committee shall be final.

Appeal of the Dean for Student Learning’s Decision to Deny the Grade Change

If the student wishes to appeal the Dean for Student Learning’s decision to deny the grade change, it should be done within five (5) business days of receipt of the Dean for Student Learning’s decision. The written appeal should be submitted to the Senior Academic Officer and should stipulate the reasons for the appeal. The Senior Academic Officer has ten (10) business days following the receipt of the appeal to review the documents and meet with the student. The Senior Academic Officer has another ten (10) business days following their meeting with the student to make a written recommendation to the student which may include:

  1. To uphold the decision of the Dean for Student Learning and deny the request for a change of grade which will end the appeal process.
  2. To move forward with grade appeal and request the Dean for Student Learning convene a Hearing Committee.

If the recommendation is to convene the Grade Appeal Hearing Committee, the Senior Academic Officer will review the procedures of the Hearing Committee with the student.

Composition of the Grade Appeal Hearing Committee

The Grade Appeal Hearing Committee will be drawn from the college’s pool of tenured faculty with Senior 1 status or higher. From the pool, six (6) will be chosen randomly by the Dean for Student Learning (with the student and the instructor of record present). The student will then remove two (2) of the six (6) names. The remaining four (4) faculty members will make up the Hearing Committee. Chosen faculty may abstain from any Hearing Committee if they stipulate that serving poses a conflict of interest. In that case, another member would be selected randomly from the pool by the Senior Academic Officer. The Dean for Student Learning or designee will serve as facilitator and ex-officio member of the Grade Appeal Hearing Committee.

Grade Appeal Hearing Committee Process

The Dean for Student Learning will contact the Grade Appeal Hearing Committee within ten (10) days of the request by the Senior Academic Officer. The Hearing Committee will set a date for the hearing, review all documentation, and may interview all parties, including other students who may serve as student and/or faculty advocates.

The instructor and the student will have a maximum of 30 minutes each in which to present their case. The Hearing Committee may vote to extend the 30-minute limit to an additional amount of time and provide the same number of minutes to both the student and instructor. The Hearing Committee will render their decision within ten (10) business days of the hearing. The decision of the Committee is final and the appeals process ends.

If there is a tie vote by the Hearing Committee, the Senior Academic Officer shall review the record of the hearing committee and render a decision. The decision of the Senior Academic Officer shall be final. Copies of the decision will go to the Senior Academic Officer, the student, and the instructor. A copy also will be placed in the student’s file.

Transfer of Credits to Cascadia College

Course work from accredited institutions will be accepted to a maximum of 65 credits. See the Transcript Evaluation section under Admission and Registration. The course work from other colleges will be evaluated upon receipt of the Transcript Evaluation Request form, available online.

Credit for Prior Learning

Cascadia awards college credit for prior learning when a student demonstrates they have achieved the student learning outcomes, knowledge, and skills found in the Course Outcomes Guide for that specific course. Prior learning experience can be gained through formal and informal education, work and life experience, as well as military training and experience. These credits will not fulfill Cascadia’s 25-credit residence requirement that students must complete at Cascadia in order to graduate.

Interested students should first complete a Cascadia College application and determine a specific degree or certificate as their goal. Credit for Prior Learning can be awarded by Transcript Evaluation or a Course Challenge. Course Challenge may be achieved through an Industry Recognized Certification, Credit by Exam, or Documented Experience.

Transcript Evaluation 

This includes any transcripts from previous regionally accredited colleges and military training as well as credit earned through National Standardized tests such as the Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Cambridge International Examination tests. Transcript evaluation is coordinated through the Enrollment Services Office; see Transcript Evaluation section under Admission and Registration.

Course Challenge 

Course Challenge may be achieved through an Industry Recognized Certification, Credit by Exam, or Documented Experience. A maximum of 15 credits of the following experiences may be applied to degree or certificate requirements.

Industry Recognized Certification 
Cascadia’s Professional Technical Programs may award program credit for specific industry recognized certifications. Networking Infrastructure is the only program that has pre-approved certain certificates for the awarding of credit. Interested students should speak with their programs advisor or faculty member to initiate the process.

Credit by Exam 
This is possible for a limited number of classes for which faculty have developed an examination or other means of demonstration of college-level learning outcomes. This process is appropriate for those students whose work or life experience has provided them with learning that closely matches a particular course at Cascadia.

Interested students should begin by contacting the Student Learning Office. They will maintain a list of all courses which may be challenged and the instructor(s) who can administer and assess the demonstration of learning. If a student wishes to challenge a course not listed, the appropriate Dean will contact the faculty to see if a challenge will be allowed.

Documented Experience 
Documented prior experience that demonstrates college-level learning equivalent to coursework at Cascadia may earn academic credits or placement in professional/technical programs. If you are able to document past experience that connects to a specific course(s), you may be eligible. Interested students should begin the process by contacting the Student Learning Office.

Current Fees:

  • Industry Recognized Certification - $35 per 5 credit course
  • Credit by Exam - $155.00 per assessment
  • Documented Experience (Assessment of Portfolio) $260.00 up to 10 credits

Learning Credits

The regular college year is divided into three quarters of 11 weeks each, plus a condensed summer session. Credits may be earned from several modes of learning: Theory (lecture) Guided Practice (lab), and Field Based Experiences (internships/service learning). For each hour of faculty instruction, the student should allow an average of two hours of out-of-class student work. A carefully planned program of 15 or more college-level credits per quarter will allow for graduation in two years. A carefully planned program of 10 or more college-level credits per quarter will allow for graduation in three years. Students should develop their program of study with an academic advisor.

To enroll in more than 24 credits students must have academic advisor approval.

Examinations

All students are required to take regularly scheduled examinations as outlined in the course syllabus. Final examinations are held at the end of each quarter and are scheduled by the instructor of the course. If a student misses an examination, it is their responsibility to contact the instructor and, if permitted by the course syllabus, schedule a makeup exam as soon as possible.

Attendance

Attendance and participation requirements for each course are specified in the course syllabus and are an important part of student learning and student success.

Academic Integrity Policy Statement

WAC 132Z-115-0025

Admission to Cascadia College carries with it the presumption that students will conduct themselves with high standards of academic honesty and integrity.

Hallmarks of academic integrity include:

  • Submitting work that reflects original thoughts and ideas
  • Clearly citing other people’s work when using it to inform your own
  • Seeking permission to use other people’s creative work
  • Fully contributing to group work and projects
  • Students who choose not to uphold the hallmarks of integrity are considered to be engaging in academic dishonesty.

Academic dishonesty is defined as any act of course-related dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism and fabrication.

  • Cheating includes any attempt to give or obtain unauthorized assistance relating to the completion of an academic assignment, including collaboration without authority.
  • Plagiarism includes taking and using as one’s own, without proper attribution, the ideas, writings, or work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Prohibited conduct may also include the unauthorized submission for credit of academic work that has been submitted for credit in another course.
  • Fabrication includes falsifying data, information, or citations in completing an academic assignment and also includes providing false or deceptive information to an instructor concerning the completion of an academic assignment.

Any act of cheating and/or plagiarism is strictly prohibited and will be subject to disciplinary action. Where suspected violations of the academic honesty policy occur, appropriate procedures are designed to protect the academic process and integrity while ensuring due process. Students are expected to adhere to guidelines on academic honesty as stated by individual instructors in their course syllabi, provided those guidelines do not contradict policies and procedures established in the Student Code of Conduct. All documented violations of the academic honesty policy will be reported to the Student Conduct Officer, who shall maintain a record of violations. Students who violate the academic honesty policy twice will be placed on Disciplinary Probation. Students who violate the academic honesty policy subsequently (a third time) will be placed on Disciplinary Suspension.