Academic Administrative Policies

1. Rationale
   
   • Oakland University recognizes that bereavement is a difficult life event. The University also recognizes the necessity of taking time to grieve and fulfill social or family obligations, and not doing so may negatively impact students’ study and transition back to a normal routine.
     
     
2. Policy
   
   • In the event of the death of certain members of students’ families or loved ones, the University would grant necessary bereavement absences upon student request.
     
     
3. Scope of Applicability
   
   • This policy is applicable to all full- and part-time students.
     
     
4. Definitions
   
   • Certain members refers to
     
     • Members of immediate family, including step-family, members living in the same household, as well as legal guardians.
     • In the event of the death of a friend or family member outside of these definitions, the student may petition for bereavement leave through the Dean of Students Office.
       
       
   • Necessary Bereavement Absences are
     • Up to three (3) days of bereavement leave.
     • Additional days may be allotted to accommodate travel situations (to be determined by the distance of the student's home or location of service from Rochester, Michigan) or other special circumstances, to be determined in consultation with the Dean of Students Office.
       
       
5. Procedures
   
   
   • Students
     
     • Fill out online form to request leave from the Dean of Students Office up to 3 work days prior to the funeral, or travel to the funeral.
     • Place a call or e-mail to the Dean of Students Office up to 2 work days prior to the funeral or travel to the funeral. In case of extenuating circumstances, students must still email the Dean of Students offices prior to departure.
     • May request extended leave of absence for special circumstances. This must be discussed with and approved by the Dean of Students office.
     • Collect and submit required proof to the Dean of Students to justify the leave, either immediately or by the second day of returning to campus.
       • Proof should be in the form of a written statement, provided by the funeral home, on stationery from the funeral home, of attendance at the funeral for the student. 
       • Additional proof or alternative may be required by the Dean of Students Office.
     • Notify their instructors as soon as possible before the leave begins.
     • If students do not return within the guidelines provided by the Dean of Students Office, they need to notify the Dean of Students and their instructors with the expected date of return. When they return, they will meet with the Dean of Students to discuss their reason for delay and face possible consequences.
     • When students return to school, they need to communicate with their instructor to define a schedule to make up missed work.
     • Complete all assigned work as agreed upon with the instructor.
     • In the case students will not be returning before the end of the semester, this schedule must be agreed upon with their instructor before the leave begins.
       
       
   • Office of Dean of Students
     
     • Approve leave based on proof provided by the student.
       (Proof may be provided after the leave of absence.)
     • Notify instructors through email
     • Notify Office of Financial Aid through email
     • Notify Office of the Registrar through email
       
       
   • Instructors
     
     • Provide the student opportunity to earn equivalent credit for work missed.
     • Work with the student to define a reasonable timeframe to complete the work.
     • Add a reference to the policy in their syllabus
       
       
   • Registrar
     
     • Request a meeting with the student if the leave of absence affects issues like financial aid, graduation, etc.
       
       
6. Related Forms
   
   • https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?OaklandUniv&layout_id=7

See Important Dates Calendars for late registration dates and faculty instructions for late overrides.

Oakland University Excused Absence Policy

Revised and approved by the Oakland University Senate, 16 April 2020

Rationale

The Oakland University Mission and the Strategic Plan strive to (1) encourage students live up to their full potential in a diverse environment and (2) succeed in all areas, including teaching, learning and comprehensive student services. In keeping with the spirit of these two documents, student participation in University sponsored events, such as intercollegiate athletics, artistic events, scholarly presentations, and leadership opportunities are considered part of their educational experience and students should not be penalized for taking part in these types of events when they are representing the University. Participation in these activities adds educational value for the student, the University and the community; can improve the academic success and well-being of students; and enhances opportunities for professional development and employment beyond graduation.

I. Definition

• This policy for university excused absences applies to any student participating in a University Sponsored Event as an official representative of Oakland University. University Sponsored Events include academic, artistic, athletic and scholarly endeavors, as well as participation in student organizations, including club sports, approved by the Provost or designee. Examples include, but are not limited to:
  • Intercollegiate Athletics (athlete, manager or student trainer in NCAA intercollegiate competitions)
  • Dress rehearsals and performances for artistic events both on and off campus
  • Activities approved by academic units (e.g. research or artistic presentations, conference attendance, special events associated with coursework)
  • State, Regional or National competitions or conferences for student organizations (for club sports this includes regular and post season events)
  • University approved leadership or service opportunities
• This policy excludes those academic endeavors that require the completion of a predetermined number of clock hours, as in clinical experiences, practica, field placements or internships. In these instances, the maximum number of absences will be determined by the program director, department chair, or academic dean. This policy does not supersede program accreditation requirements. Departmental practices and procedures for providing equitable treatment for excused absences must be consistent with and will never supersede this policy.

II. Sponsoring Units Responsibilities

• Inform students of dates/times that they will need to miss class for the activities in a timely manner, preferably by the first day of the semester or prior to the beginning of the semester if known.
• Provide each student with a letter (or send an email) from the faculty/administrator/staff member responsible for the event(s), along with a signed Excused Absence Form that includes dates, times and locations of the events for which students will be required to miss class.
• Help students resolve issues with instructors as they arise.

III. Student Rights and Responsibilities

• Students should inform their instructors of dates they will miss class due to an excused absence by providing a completed Excused Absence Form to the instructor prior to the date of the anticipated absence. For activities such as athletic competitions when schedules are known prior to the start of a term, students should provide this information to their instructors on the first day of class. For events where the dates and times of the excused absences are unknown at the beginning of the semester, students should provide these documents to their instructors at the earliest possible time.
• Instructors and students must sign the Excused Absence Form and both the student and the instructor should keep a copy of the Form. It is recommended that students also email their instructors a copy of the completed Excused Absence Form so there is an electronic record of communication between the student and the instructor.
• Students should remind the Instructor of the absence at least one week prior to the event(s).
• Make-up work
  • It is the responsibility of the student to request from the instructor an opportunity to complete missed assignments and/or make up course requirements for class participation/attendance, activities, labs, examinations or other course requirements in a timely manner.
  • Participation in University Sponsored Events should not be considered a release of responsibility for completing course requirements or for learning course content. Students are responsible for all material covered in classes that they miss, even when their absences are excused, as defined above.
• Students should be aware that excessive absences—whether excused or unexcused—may affect their ability to do well in the class(es).
• Students failing to reach a mutually acceptable agreement concerning excused absences with the instructor and who feel that they are not receiving equitable treatment, should speak to the Department Chair (Program Director of School of Nursing) and follow the unit’s grievance procedure. If after following the unit’s grievance procedures the student is not satisfied, a student can contact the Dean of Students office.

IV. Faculty Responsibilities

• Instructors are responsible for providing students with an equitable way to make up missed work due to an absence excused by this policy, including course requirements for class attendance and/or participation.
• Instructors may not penalize students for absences excused by this policy, including points assigned for attendance and/or class participation.
• Instructors should inform students of procedures to make up missed work in a timely manner and are encouraged to include these procedures and the URL for the Excused Absence Policy in their course syllabus.
• Missed classroom activities will be rescheduled at the discretion of the instructor. Classroom activities, including make-up exams and labs, should be scheduled within a reasonable time when the student is not involved in class or other Oakland University activities.
• Instructors can request the assistance of a faculty/administrator/staff member from the sponsoring unit (e.g. Faculty Athletics Representative or Athletics Academic Advisor for Athletics) for administering make-up exams.
• If the faculty member believes that the number of excused absences will prevent a student from fulfilling the learning experience/mastery that a course requires, the faculty member may advise the student that his/her course grade may be seriously impacted due to excessive absences. In addition, the faculty member must inform the Department Chair of this recommendation.

V. Violation of the Oakland University Code of Student Conduct and Academic Conduct Regulations

• Falsifying information or documentation in order to obtain an excused absence or sharing information about a make-up examination or quiz with other students is considered a violation of the Code of Student Conduct and Academic Conduct Regulations. Students found to be engaged in these types of activities will be reported to the Dean of Students and subject to any sanctions determined by the Academic Conduct Committee. In addition, the student may receive a grade of 0.0 in the course, as determined by the course instructor.

V. Related Forms

• Excused Absence Approval Form
• Guidelines For Make-up Work For Excused Absences

The Office of the Registrar fosters student academic progress during the student’s full life cycle, from prospective student to alumni. As an integral part of Enrollment Management, they contribute to the recruitment, retention and student success efforts of the institution.

Please visit their website for more detail on the services they provide.

• Academic calendar creation
• Class scheduling including the Schedule of Classes publication
• Transfer credit evaluation
• Registration
• Academic records maintenance
• Diploma processing
• Transcript processing
• Enrollment certification
• Residency determination for tuition purposes
• Petition of exception determination
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student certification

Authorizing Body: Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Responsible Office: e-Learning and Instructional Support

Policy: Moodle Policy

Oakland University reserves the award of academic degrees to persons who have met all requirements for the completion of those degrees, except in the instances of Honorary Degrees that are awarded solely upon the authority of the Board of Trustees of the University.

It may be requested of the University that academic recognition be bestowed posthumously to a deceased student who did not complete degree requirements and who did not meet the prescribed criteria for an honorary degree. In such a circumstance, the University may, upon request of the family, spouse or significant other of the subject student and upon approval of the appropriate dean, confer a degree, if the deceased student had met the requirements as set forth below.

Baccalaureate degree student:

1. A student must have been in good academic standing with the institution at the time of death.
2. A student must have met Oakland University requirements for continuous enrollment unless their continuous enrollment was interrupted by their injury, illness, deployment, etc.
3. A student must have completed 70% of the requirements of their degree program for the degree to be nominated for a posthumous degree.
4. If requirements 2 and/or 3 are not met, Oakland University can elect to provide a Certificate of Accomplishment in recognition of the student.

Graduate degree student:

1. A student must have been in good academic standing with the institution at the time of death.
2. A student must have met Graduate School requirements for continuous enrollment unless their continuous enrollment was interrupted by their injury, illness, deployment, etc.
3. A student must have completed 70% of the credits required for the degree to be nominated for a posthumous degree.
4. If requirements 2 and/or 3 are not met, Oakland University can elect to provide a Certificate of Accomplishment indicating that the person was a student in good standing at the time of their death.

The Office of the Registrar publishes the Fall, Winter, and Summer semester calendars and collaborates with various stakeholders on its creation.

Oakland University is subject to the provisions of the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, which makes student records confidential. Accordingly, student grades may not be publicly posted in any form that uses social security numbers or violates the confidentiality of student records. Students now have access to their final grades through SAIL.

Faculty grading resources can be found on the Registrar section of the Employee Resource Network (ERN). This web page outlines procedures on grade entry, grade changes,  and grading deadlines.

Please refer to the Office of the Registrar website for more information on final exam dates/times as well as Faculty Guidance for Scheduling Exams and Final Exams.

Oakland University Senate
Statement on Academic Freedom
Approved by the Board of Trustees on December 11, 1985
Amended by the Board of Trustees on March 30, 2011

The University Senate reaffirms its commitment to maintain Oakland University as an institution where both students and faculty are free to pursue scholarship in an open and creative environment. The rights of faculty members to undertake scholarly approaches to their disciplines in accordance with professional standards in the classroom, in the laboratory, and in publications are guaranteed. Likewise, the rights of students to question, without fear of reprisal, the positions and points of view espoused by faculty must be assured. An academic community is a delicate balance of teaching and scholarship in which both suffer when the freedom to pursue either in a fully open manner is compromised.

Academic freedom includes the following specific freedoms:

• Freedom of research and publication. Within the broad standards of accountability established by their profession and their individual disciplines, faculty members must enjoy the fullest possible freedom in their research and in circulating and publishing their results. This freedom follows immediately from the university's basic commitment to advancing knowledge and understanding. Restrictions on research and publication should be minimal and unobtrusive.
• Freedom of teaching. This freedom is an outgrowth of the previous one. Faculty members must be able to develop and establish the curriculum for academic programs and individual courses. Faculty members must also be free to disseminate to their students the results of research by themselves and others in their profession and to encourage students to think about these results for themselves, often in an atmosphere of controversy, so long as it remains in a broad sense educationally relevant, actively assists students in mastering the subject and appreciating its significance.
• Freedom of internal criticism. Universities promote the common good not through individual decisions but through broad-based engagement in scholarly endeavor. Faculty members, because of their educational and institutional knowledge, play an indispensable role as independent participants in university decision making. By virtue of this role, they are entitled to comment on or criticize in a professional manner University policies or decisions, either individually or through institutions of faculty governance.
• Freedom of participation in public debate. Both within and beyond their areas of expertise, faculty members are generally entitled to participate as citizens in public forms and debates including use of electronic media. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations. As scholars and faculty members, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their utterances. Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others, and should make every effort to indicate they are not speaking for the institution.

As a public institution of higher education, Oakland University acknowledges responsibility to conduct its programs in the public interest. Members of the Oakland University community are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and to act only in ways that will further the mission of the University. The University shall vigorously defend the competence of the faculty to establish the content and direction of their scholarly investigations, presentations in the classroom, and engagement in service activities, including participation in faculty governance, in accordance with prevailing professional and legal standards and institutional requirements.

Regalia Adornments at OU Commencement Ceremonies

To honor student academic achievement and recognize student involvement the following guidelines will govern regalia adornments at Oakland University commencement ceremonies.

Honor Cords and Medallions
The wearing of cords during commencement is reserved for university honors, distinguished graduates (major and Latin honors), academic (GPA-based), distinguished honor societies, study abroad participants, and service in the military. The wearing of medallions during commencement is reserved Presidential Awards recipients.

The University distributes cords to designate undergraduate students who graduate with academic honors. Recognizing the considerable effort of the students who earn honors, the color(s) of the cord will signify the level of honors as follows:

Name of Honor	Color of Cord
Departmental Honors	Red
Conciliar (Department) Honors	Red
Cum Laude	Gold
Magna Cum Laude	Gold
Summa Cum Laude	Gold
Presidential	Medallion

As is the current practice, the determination of honors would be preliminary and based on the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the start of the graduating semester. Cords and medallions will be provided to students before the start of each commencement ceremony.

Cords are not to be used for any other designation unless the Office of the Provost grants specific permission. Cords for academic (GPA-based), distinguished honor societies cannot conflict with the color of OU’s honor cords.

Stoles and Pins
Student organizations may wear stoles and pins to signify participation in nationally affiliated student and Greek organizations only. Kente cloth stoles (distributed at the Black Celebratory Celebration) are permitted to be worn. Permission for all other stoles and pins must be approved by the Office of the Provost (for academic schools or departments) and the Office for Student Involvement (for student organizations). Wearing of stoles and pins should reflect academic achievement or recognized student involvement.

Graduate Students
Graduation honors are not bestowed upon students receiving Masters or Doctoral degrees; therefore graduate degree recipients do not receive or wear honor cords.