Academic Policies

Standards of Student Behavior

A College is a marketplace of ideas, and in the course of the search for truth, it is essential that freedom exists for contrary ideas to be expressed. American College of Education students are expected to conduct themselves as responsible members of the College’s academic community. This requires the demonstration of mutual respect and civility in academic and professional discourse. As such, it is mandatory students interact with other students and all College faculty, administrators, and staff with respect and in a professional manner.

Conduct that is determined to impair the opportunities of others to learn or that disrupts the orderly functions of the College will be deemed misconduct and will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

Misconduct for which students are subject to disciplinary action includes, but is not limited to:

1. Actions, verbal statements, written statements and/or online statements which may be construed as cyber bullying and/or written statements which may be used to intimidate, threaten or violate the personal safety of any member of the faculty, staff, or other students, or any conduct which interferes with the educational process or institutional functions.
2.  Harassment - sexual, racial, ethnic or otherwise - that has the effect of creating a hostile or offensive educational environment for any student, faculty, or staff member.
3. Disruptive behavior, such as but not limited to harassment, verbal insults, ethnic and/or racial slurs, that hinders or interferes with the educational process.
4. Violation of any applicable professional codes of ethics or conduct and College and program dispositions, where applicable.
5. Failure to comply promptly with any reasonable directive from faculty or College officials.
6. Failure to cooperate in a College investigation.
7. Carrying of weapons on campus, at campus sanctioned events, or when meeting with campus personnel.
8. Using or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while in class, at College-sanctioned events, or when meeting with College personnel.
9. Cheating - using or attempting to conspire to use unauthorized materials, information, copying another student’s work, or study aids in any academic exercise.
10. Fabrication - falsification or invention of any information, citation, or document, or lying during a College investigation.
11. Hazing (any action which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental health or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with any College sanctioned organization).
12. Violation of the academic integrity policy, information technology policy, College regulations and policies, and any violation of federal, state, or local laws or regulations that impacts the College’s educational environment.

Disciplinary Action for Student Conduct Behavior

While an alleged violation of the Standards of Student Behavior is being investigated, a student may be removed from class, College-sanctioned events, or other College functions. If a violation is found, disciplinary action will be based on the seriousness of the situation and may include, but not be limited to, documented counseling by a College staff member, loss of credit, suspension and/or dismissal. In all cases, College officials will take action in accordance with College policies and procedures. Please see the procedures outlined in the Student Handbook.

A student has the right to appeal this decision.

Academic Integrity

American College of Education expects students to exhibit academic integrity throughout their educational experience and to avoid all forms of academic dishonesty.

Academic dishonesty, which includes but is not limited to plagiarism, collusion, abuse of resource materials, fabrication, conspiracy to plagiarize, or cheating on an examination or other academic work, is subject to disciplinary action. Student work created for a specific assignment in a course will be subject to plagiarism sanctions if reused for any other purpose.

Exception: If a student retakes a course, the student is required to meet all course requirements, including current discussion board postings. The student may resubmit assignments from the same course. All coursework in the retaken course will be reevaluated. The student is responsible for communicating with the instructor about the re-submission of assignments.

Students are allowed to reference course materials while taking quizzes and tests due to their emphasis on application; however, exams must be taken independently.

Grading

The College uses the following individual letter and numeric grading system. Grade point averages are computed on the following scale with points computed for each hour of credit attempted:

• 90 - 100% A - 4 points
• 80 - 89% B - 3 points
• 70 - 79% C - 2 points
• 60 - 69% D - 1 point
•  0 - 59% F - 0 points

The following symbols may also appear on the student’s transcript. These grades do not bear grade points and are not used in computing the grade point average (GPA)*:

•  I = Incomplete
• TR = Transfer Credit
• P = Pass
• NP = No Pass
• W = Withdrawn

Important notes about grades:

• The credits attempted for courses with W grades are used in the calculation for cumulative GPA. 
• Courses with a grade of “F” or “D” will not be counted toward degree conferral and must be repeated as listed in the Degree Conferral Policy 
• All courses attempted will appear on the transcript. For courses that are repeated, only the highest grade will be used in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.
• Each student has secure access to a personal online portal account where they can access their grades within one week of the course end date. Students can also access their degree progress audit through their online portal account, which demonstrates their progress through their academic program.

Capstone Completion Policy: Students must fulfill all requirements of the Capstone course with a minimum of 80% for the overall final grade. Students who earn less than 80% will be required to retake the course in the next term. 

Field-Based Experiences, including internships, student teaching, and practicums, require a minimum of 80% for each artifact. All artifacts must be completed to receive a passing score or the course must be retaken in the next term.

Incomplete Grade

A student may need an extension of time to complete course requirements due to unanticipated circumstances arising near the end of the term. Incompletes are issued only in cases of extenuating circumstances, such as severe illness or life-impacting events. Incompletes are not issued in cases in which the student is simply unable to complete his/her work within the specified term.

Students are limited to two incomplete grade requests during their program of study.

The student must submit the incomplete Grade Contract and provide any requested documentation to be reviewed and completed by the course instructor prior to the end of the term. However, the student must have completed at least half of the course work to be eligible. Final approval of an Incomplete Grade Contract resides with the department chair or designee. The grade received at the end-of-term for incomplete work due is the grade earned. 

Grade Record Change

A faculty member or department chair can initiate an official grade change after official grades are posted due to computational or technical errors. Grades may also be changed from an “I” to an earned grade.

Grade Appeal

“Arbitrary and capricious grading” is defined in the following manner:

1. A grade assigned on some basis other than performance in the course.
2. A grade assigned through significant deviation from criteria stated in the course syllabus, assessment rubrics or articulated by the faculty member.
3. A grade assigned by resorting to standards significantly different from those applied to other students in the course.
4. A grade assigned as a result of vindictiveness or discrimination.

Students at American College of Education have the right to appeal a final course grade that they allege to be the result of arbitrary or capricious grading. To do so, the student would follow the Appeals Process as stated above. The deadline for appealing a final grade is Week 2 of the following term.

Late Assignment

Due to extenuating circumstances, students may submit an assignment past the due date. (See the definition of “extenuating circumstances” below).

Procedures

Assignments
Students are responsible for contacting their instructor regarding all late work and to establish the deadline for late submission. Students may submit an assignment after the due date, but will receive an additional 10% deduction each day the assignment is late. No work will be accepted after the Wednesday immediately following the assignment due date with the exception of extenuating circumstances defined below. Technological issues are not considered valid grounds for late assignment submission. At the faculty’s discretion, late work may be accepted without a point deduction, dependent solely on extenuating student circumstances which will require documentation when asked.

Discussion Boards 
Students may submit discussion board posts until the discussion closes on Saturday. Posts submitted after the Saturday deadline will not be awarded credit. Posts submitted late during the discussion time frame will be accepted with a late penalty.

Quizzes/Exams
Quizzes and Exams must be completed by the specified deadlines. Late submissions of quizzes and exams are not accepted except in the case of extenuating circumstances.

Peer Review
The peer review is a time sensitive element of the course as feedback informs future efforts. Students who submit the initial draft after the Wednesday deadline are responsible for contacting the professor to request a peer’s work to review. Late submission of the draft will result in a 10% penalty per day the work is late. No draft submissions will be accepted past Thursday. No credit will be awarded for peer feedback submitted after the Friday deadline.

Last Day of Class
No work will be accepted after the last day of class except in the case of extenuating circumstances or when an incomplete grade has been granted.

For Students Requesting Extensions Due to Extenuating Circumstances Only: Extenuating circumstances are limited to any emergency which can be clearly documented, including, but not limited to, a death in the family, medical emergency/illness requiring medical attention for the student or family member, or related urgent issues beyond the student’s control. The documentation must show the event resulting in the late submission occurred no more than two (2) days prior to the deadline. Students must submit all documentation within 48 hours after the original assignment deadline.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Master’s and Doctoral Level

Academic Achievement Standards
In order to graduate from American College of Education, each student must have a minimum 2.0 GPA for Bachelors and 3.0 GPA for Master’s and Doctoral. A course in which a grade below a “C” is earned will not be counted toward graduation requirements and must be retaken. When the course is retaken, each course and grade will appear on the transcript, but only the highest grade will be reflected in the student’s cumulative grade point average.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Students are required to maintain satisfactory progress toward degree completion. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 and complete their program in the maximum amount of time allowed, 1.5 times the length of the program (without stop outs). Refer to the Student Handbook for specific requirements.

Provisional Admission
If the applicant’s overall GPA (grade-point average) does not meet the minimum requirements for full admission outlined in the admissions policy, the applicant might be allowed to enroll as a provisionally admitted student. Provisional Admission could also be the result of an admissions appeal. Students must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 by the end of their second course in order to be removed from Academic Probation status and be in good standing with the College.

Academic Warning
Academic Warning is assigned when a student’s cumulative grade point average falls below a 3.0. A student who is withdrawn or dismissed from ACE while on Academic Warning will return under this same status if he or she is granted Re-Entry or Readmission.

Academic Probation
Academic Probation is assigned when a student on Academic Warning status is not successful in raising his or her cumulative GPA to a 3.0 within two terms. A Provisionally Admitted student (due to admission GPA below program requirements) will enter the College on Academic Probation. A student who is withdrawn or dismissed from ACE while on Academic Probation will return under this same status if he or she is granted Re-Entry or Readmission.

Dismissal
A student admitted as a provisional admit or any student on a SAP status, may be dismissed if they receive a grade of “C” or worse in their courses. This constitutes failure to make academic progress. The one exception is if a student on Academic Warning receives a “C” and this grade results in raising his/her GPA to a 3.0 cumulative GPA, he/she will not be dismissed. Students who have been academically dismissed are restricted to one petition for Re-Entry or Readmission to the College. (See Re-Entry or Readmission procedures).

Bachelor’s Level

• Academic Achievements Standards: In order to graduate from American College of Education, each student must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): Bachelor’s level students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 and complete their program in the maximum amount of time allowed, 1.5 times the length of the program.
• Provisional Admission: Bachelor’s students must have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.0 by the end of their second course in order to be removed from Academic Probation status and be in good standing with the College. Bachelor’s level students cannot earn below a “C” while being monitored due to provisional admission. If a grade is received below a “C”, he/she will be dismissed.
• Academic Warning: Academic Warning is assigned when a bachelor’s level student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0. Bachelor’s level students cannot earn below a “C” while on this status. If a grade is received below a “C”, he/she will be dismissed.
• Academic Probation: Academic Probation is assigned when a bachelor’s student on Academic Warning status is not successful in raising his or her cumulative GPA to a 2.0 within two terms. A Provisionally Admitted student (due to admission GPA below program requirements) will enter the College on Academic Probation. Bachelor’s level students cannot earn below a “C” while on this status. If a grade is received below a “C”, he/she will be dismissed.

Repeating a Course

If a student repeats a course, both grades will appear on the student’s transcript. However, only the highest grade will be reflected in the student’s cumulative GPA.

Academic Course Load & Multiple Course Requests

To complete a degree or certificate program, students are enrolled in classes in the method associated with their degree level:

Bachelor Level Students
Students are enrolled in one academic course per term. This equates to a maximum of three credit hours in an academic course.

Master Level Students
Students are enrolled in one academic course per term. This equates to a maximum of three credit hours in an academic course. This can be coupled with a non-academic course, capstone or independent study.

Certificate/Doctoral Level Students
Students are enrolled in a maximum of seven credit hours per term.

ACE recognizes circumstances may exist when a student determines he or she would benefit from taking several courses during a single term. ACE will consider student requests to take multiple courses simultaneously.

Students seeking to take a course load exceeding the amount listed above complete the Multiple Course Request Form for consideration. The request will be reviewed and decisions will be based on the following:

• GPA: Must be in good academic standing.
• Course Completion: Must have completed at least one course at ACE prior to approval.

If a course is available for the term in which the student has been approved, they will be registered in the additional course(s) requested. Due to course availability, not all classes are scheduled each term; meaning that requests may not be able to be honored. 

Please realize taking more than one course at a time does not guarantee early graduation. Students taking multiple courses are no longer on the prescribed course map and future terms may not have required courses available.

Credit Hour Policy

American College of Education (ACE) assigns and awards credit hours that conform to commonly accepted practices in higher education. The College employs the Federal Credit Hour Definition in the assignment and awarding of credit hours as stated in the following policy:

At ACE a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement, an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than: 

1. One (1) hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two (2) hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester.
2.  At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practicum, studio work, and other academic work leading toward to the award of credit hours.

Basic credit hour is defined as at least 15 hours of lecture, discussion, seminar, or colloquium as well as 30 hours of student preparation, homework, studying, and application.

All of the coursework at American College of Education is completed asynchronously over the Internet, facilitated by qualified faculty. Some programs may also include a face-to-face internship, student teaching, or other field experience.

Lecture/Seminar Courses
Credit hour policy is consistent with the standards of courses offered through face-to-face instruction, although some or all of content and faculty-student interaction occurs through one or more forms of distance education.

Student Teaching, Internships, and Field Experiences
Require at least 45 hours of professional practice for one credit hour, or the combination of such with required coursework.

Independent Study Courses
Credit hour policy is consistent with the standards of courses offered through face-to-face instruction, although some or all of content and faculty-student interaction occurs through one or more forms of distance education.

Capstone Courses
Credit hour policy is consistent with the standards of courses offered through face-to-face instruction, although some or all of content and faculty-student interaction occurs through one or more forms of distance education.

Course Numbering

Course numbers are set by a defined, consistent system for course identification aligned with higher education standards and readily understood on transcripts. The course numbering system uses a prefix, unique course number identifier and credit hour value.

• The prefix consists of 2-4 alphabetic characters for the subject area designation. It may include a 2 letter state code for courses specific to a particular state. Course numbers begin with the course level designation as follows:
  • 3000-4000 level courses designate baccalaureate level courses.
  • 5000 level courses designate Master’s level courses.
  • 6000 level courses designate Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) or Doctoral level (Ed.D.).
• Course numbers end with the number of semester credits the student earns by successfully completing the course.
  • A course that ends in a “1” (i.e. LEAD6001) signifies a one (1) credit hour course.
  • A course that ends in a “3” (i.e. LEAD6003) signifies a three (3) credit hour course.

Course Registration Policy

It is the practice of ACE’s registration office to schedule new enrollments for their first class immediately upon enrollment. This first class, in all degree programs, is a dedicated first class and is listed as such in the College’s catalog.

After a new student matriculates past the first week of class, future classes are scheduled by the registration office. The goal is to provide students the most optimal progression to complete their program in the shortest amount of time possible. For bachelor’s and master’s level students, a schedule for the remainder of the program will be produced for the student. For doctorate students, a schedule for the next term will be provided.

If a student wishes to make a change to this schedule, they are required to seek approval through contacting the registration office. If the change can be made without impact to prerequisites, time to completion, or benchmark requirements, the change will be made for master’s and bachelor’s level students.

If a doctoral student wishes to either add or drop a course, they can do so through utilizing the doctoral schedule change request form. If he or she wishes to take another course other than the one they have been scheduled, this must be approved by the Department Chair or his/her designee through utilizing the appeal process

General Education for Bachelor’s Program Policy

American College of Education requires students enrolled in bachelor’s completion programs to complete thirty general education credits aligned with Indiana’s Statewide Transfer General Education Core (STGEC). The established framework for the Indiana Statewide Transfer General Education Core includes two categories: “Foundational Intellectual Skills” and “Ways of Knowing.” Each category includes three competency areas as depicted in the chart below. Indiana STGEC requires for students to earn a minimum of 3 credits in each of the competency areas (18 credits) and complete a minimum of 30 credits in the defined competencies. ACE has defined the additional credit hours needed to fulfill general education requirements as listed below:

ACE students can complete general education credits prior to enrolling at ACE or while attending ACE. All credits are required to be fulfilled prior to degree conferral unless required as a prerequisite in a course as listed in the College Catalog.

Transfer Credit Policy

American College of Education acknowledges students may have earned credit previously at ACE or from another accredited institution that is equivalent and relevant to an ACE degree program. Acceptance of earned credits is based on standards established by ACE and specific to ACE degrees.

General criteria for approved transfer credit appropriate for all programs except Bachelor’s programs include the following:​

• The credit must have been earned from a regionally accredited institution.
• The course must be the equivalent credit hour length as ACE’s equivalent course.
• The potential transferred course(s) must have a completion date within five years (Master’s) from the “next term start” for current or re-entry students or from “start term” for new students. See below for completed Ed.S. and ABD guidelines.
•  If transfer credit is granted and the student leaves the College, upon return, the transfer credit will be re-evaluated and may no longer be granted.
•  A grade of “B” or better must have been earned in the course.
• The content and rigor of the course(s) requested for transfer credit, to be applied to specific ACE courses, must be evaluated and determined to be sufficiently similar or comparable in content and difficulty to the course(s) in the ACE program.
• Credits earned as military credit, credit for life experience, credit by examination, credit by correspondence, credit from non-accredited institutions, or professional development credits or units are not accepted unless designated in the ACE program.

Credits That May Not Be Transferred include the following:

• Transfer credit will not be approved to replace the required first course in any degree program.

Credit Previously Earned through Enrollment in ACE programs
Students, may receive credit for courses previously and successfully completed from another ACE program. A student:

1. Completing courses or certificate program at ACE may transfer credits into a degree program which meet the general requirements, including earned grade.
2. Requesting admission into the M.A.T. program may transfer credits earned in the Transition-to-Teaching program which meet the general requirements.
3. Seeking a dual degree may receive credit for courses required for both programs.
4. Seeking to “change programs” receives credit for those courses required for both programs contingent upon final grade earned in the course.
5. Admitted into the doctoral program from the master’s level may transfer equivalent courses into a focus of study.
6. Seeking to change from an ACE Ed.S. to the Ed.D. program, will receive transfer credit for all courses credit meeting the general requirements.

Credit Transfer from External Programs

Credits earned from regionally accredited institutions are transferrable to ACE programs as established by the general guidelines.

1. All degree seeking students are eligible to transfer in up to six semester credits. In addition to this, specified programs allow more transfer credits. These are outlined below.
2. Masters of Arts in Teaching: A MAT student may transfer six semester credits or a maximum of 24 credits earned in an Indiana approved Transition-to-Teaching program which meet the general requirements.

Transfer Credit for Bachelor’s Level Program

Transfer credit requests will be evaluated based on the following: 

• The credit must have been earned from an institution that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• An internal or external course or courses requested for transfer credit or general education fulfillment must have been taken at the equivalent level of degree (e.g. undergraduate) as the degree program to which the applicant wishes the transfer credit applied.
• The content and rigor of the course(s) must be equivalent to specific ACE courses OR must meet the content requirements of the Indiana Statewide Transfer General Education Core (STGEC) competencies for general education fulfillment.
• Prior coursework for credit transfer or general education fulfillment must be evaluated to confirm content equivalency to standards used for evaluation.
• The grade earned in the evaluated course must be “C” or better for credit transfer or general education credit fulfillment to be awarded.
•  An internal or external course or courses reviewed for transfer credit or general education fulfillment must equate to a 4.5 quarter-hour or 3 semester-hour credits.
• American College of Education does accept Prior Learning credits as assessed by the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).
• American College of Education does accept Military credit as assessed by the American Council on Education (ACE).

Institutions of higher education with which the college has established an articulation agreement for the Bachelor’s degree program are listed on the American College of Education website www.ace.edu.

Transfer Credit for Doctoral Program

The potential transferred course(s) in doctoral program must have a completion date within seven years from the “next term start” for current or re-entry students or “start term” for new students.

Since the doctoral program is 64 credits in length at ACE, students can transfer in more credits to this program if all requirements for credit transfer are met. A maximum of 18 credit hours can be transferred into the program. These credits must be a combination of Leadership, Research and Focus of Study courses and not all from one area. Specifically, a student cannot transfer in more than nine (9) semester credits in each course area.

For students in the Completion Pathways (Ed.S./ABD to Ed.D.), there is no expiration date for transfer credits.

Ed.S. or All But Dissertation (ABD) Candidates

ACE Ed.D. students who have completed an Ed.S. degree or all doctoral level work besides dissertation (ABD) at a 3.0 GPA or better can transfer in prior course work in its entirety at 27 semester credits. The ABD student must also have earned a minimum of 6 credits in research courses to be eligible for the pathway. The student, after review of the transcript for degree or coursework verification, will be required to take 37 semester credits in an Ed.D. Completion Pathway version at ACE to earn their Ed.D. degree. The following must apply:

• Transcript confirming Ed.S. degree or ABD coursework must be received to conduct a pathway review for student and/or applicant.
• Transcript, in addition to ABD coursework, must indicate successful completion of a minimum of six semester credits in research courses.
• If the transcript does not confirm an Ed.S. degree or ABD work with 6 credits in research, the applicant/student will not be eligible for the Ed.D. Completion Pathway.
• Transcript reviews can be conducted based on unofficial transcripts; however, official transcripts are required for final approval and application.
• Once the official transcript is received, the ACE student will be moved to the Ed.D. Completion Pathway as outlined in the College Catalog.

Transferability of ACE Credits

American College of Education is regionally accredited, but it does not guarantee or allege coursework taken at the College will be accepted for transfer to other institutions. The acceptance of transfer credit is entirely at the discretion of the receiving institution according to its policies. Students are responsible for contacting the receiving institution about their transfer credit policies related to coursework taken at American College of Education.

Course Addition Request

ACE recognizes circumstances may exist when a student determines he or she would benefit from taking an additional course(s) that are not a part of his or her program. Students can be approved to take course(s) outside of his or her program if the following conditions are true:

• Student is in good academic standing (2.0 GPA for Bachelors and 3.0 GPA for Masters or Doctoral).
• Student has completed at least one course successfully at ACE prior to approval.
• The additional course(s) are at the same or lower degree level than the student’s program of enrollment (i.e. Masters level students can be approved to take masters level or bachelors level courses but cannot be approved to take doctoral level courses).
• The requested course(s) are available during a term prior to the student’s expected graduation date.

The student will be assessed tuition and fees associated with the added course(s). Furthermore, the additional courses will be factored in the students GPA and extend program completion time. 

State Specific Course Policy 

It is the American College of Education’s policy to schedule students solely in courses listed in the course list for the program that corresponds to their student information. Specifically, some ACE programs list specific courses to be taken based on the state of residence for the student. ACE does this to ensure that key state components for potential licensure are covered during the student’s time at ACE. To meet this practice, the ACE registration team schedules students based on the state entered in the student’s record.

ACE recognizes there may be circumstances where students may live in one state or country; however, will be seeking licensure in a different state. To accommodate this scenario, students can be approved to be registered in state specific courses that differ from their state/country of residence if any of the following conditions are true:

• Student has a valid teaching certificate in the state for the request (i.e. Student lives in Iowa but has an Illinois teaching certificate).
• Student has current proof of employment in the state for the request (i.e. student lives in Indiana but is presently teaching in Ohio).
• Student lives overseas presently but will be returning to the United States and has proof of teaching certificate in a specific state.

Maximum Time to Completion - with Stop Outs

A stop out is defined as a break in enrollment with the College. These occur when a student takes a leave of absence or is withdrawn from the College. 

American College of Education requires its students to complete all program requirements within a specific time limit in order to be eligible to graduate is known as maximum time to completion. Students who do not complete these requirements within this timeframe will be administratively withdrawn from the College. These time limits do not supersede those outlined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. The maximum time to completion are the outside limits for completion and take into consideration time spent away from coursework. 

To ensure the certificates and degrees completed at American College of Education are representative of students’ current work, the College limits the length of time allowed to complete a program of study.

Time limits are as follows:

Certificate and master’s programs are calculated in relation to program length in terms as defined by 5-weeks. A student has 2.5 times the length of the program to complete the program. All calculations are figured in terms. 

Doctoral programs are calculated in years. Students have a maximum time limit of 10 years to complete their degree.

Maximum Number of Enrollments in Capstone, Internship & Student Teaching

Due to unforeseen circumstances, times may exist when students cannot complete their internship or capstone prior to their intended graduation date/end of program. If either an internship or capstone is not completed, students can be re-enrolled in these courses as long as they do not exceed the maximum number of enrollments as defined below. If a student is not successful after the designated number of course registrations, they will be administratively withdrawn from the College.

• Internship: Students can take the Internship course no more than three times during an enrollment at ACE.
• Student Teaching: Students can take the Student Teaching course no more than three times during and enrollment at ACE
• Capstone: Students can take the Capstone course no more than five times during and enrollment at ACE.

Graduation Requirements

Students must be in good standing to graduate. Good standing is defined as achieving the required College academic standards and program requirements as outlined in the catalog while having no outstanding financial obligations to the College.

The following requirements must be met before a student can graduate from American College of Education:

• Satisfactory completion of all coursework.
• Satisfactory completion of the Capstone Experience.
• Satisfactory completion of the Dissertation Oral Defense for Ed.D. candidates.
• Satisfactory completion of internship or student teaching, when applicable.
• Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for Bachelor Level students and 3.0 for Master/Doctoral students GPA with no D’s or F’s.

Certificate Completion Requirements

Certificates in general are granted to students who have satisfactorily completed a course of study as outlined in the catalog, maintaining a minimum of 2.50 GPA. Transcript documentation is available and a printable certificate.

The Transition-to-Teaching certificate requires the satisfactory completion of all coursework and student teaching experience with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 with no D’s or F’s. Transcript document is available. The College will also complete appropriate documentation for states, as needed.

Degree Conferral

Students transfer to graduate status from the College when all obligations have been met, including financial. Students are then eligible to receive appropriate documentation, including but not limited to a diploma, transcript, verification, and certificates.

Graduation with Honors

ACE recognizes exemplary academic performance for graduates. ACE graduates of post baccalaureate degree programs will be awarded the honor of “Distinguished Graduate” if all degree requirements have been met, a cumulative GPA of a 4.0 has been achieved in program enrollment, and no academic or conduct violations occurred during the enrollment in the completed degree program.

Commencement

Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Educatinoal Specialist students who intend to participate in a commencement ceremony at American College of Education must be expected to be in “Graduate Status” within two terms of the commencement date. I.E. if commencement is held in July, students with August and September expected graduation dates are allowed to participate.

Doctorate (Ed.D.) students who intend to participate in a commencement ceremony must be expected to be in “Graduate Status” by the date of the commencement. Furthermore, the academic team must confirm anticipated dissertation completion for all Ed.D. students prior to being allowed to participate in commencement.

Exceptions to the Commencement Policy will be made by the Academic Dean or designee.

Student Complaint Policy

American College of Education provides fair, consistent, and equitable procedures for addressing student complaints. This policy addresses formal procedures for resolving problems related to violations of legally prohibited actions, College policies, academic status, records, and disciplinary actions, including the following:

• Criteria and procedures for the decision were not published.
• Inconsistent published criteria and procedures.
• Published criteria and procedures were not followed.
• The decision was substantially influenced by factors other than the published criteria; i.e., the decision was discriminatory on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or handicap in admissions, employment, or the provision of services.
• Ethical behavior standards were violated.
• An illegal act was committed.

Students are expected and advised to first pursue resolution to problems informally by discussing the concern with a faculty or staff member within the department. If resolution is not accomplished, students may file a written complaint using the appropriate form available on the ACE website, Student/Doctoral Commons, and/or follow the Appeal Process.

If, after following the Appeal Process, the student is not satisfied with the resolution, he has the right to appeal the decision to the regulatory agency in his home state.

Complaints of a serious nature requiring mandatory reporting, include:

• Discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, citizenship status, marital status, military status, or other any characteristic protected by law.
• Harassment/bullying/hazing.
• Sexual harassment/sexual misconduct.
• False or misleading statements made about the College or its programs (including, but not limited to, accreditation, authorization to operate, cost of attendance, transferability of credits, and the legitimacy of an awarded degree).
• Criminal misconduct.
• Violations of federal, state, and local laws.
• Violation of the Standards of Student Behavior including, but not limited to violation of College policies, plagiarism, cheating, and falsifying information.

All formal complaints are recorded for reporting purposes. The Student and Faculty Handbooks have additional specific information.