Academic Calendar
The main campus follows a two-semester academic calendar with the fall semester concluding before Christmas break, a short interim in January, and a spring semester concluding in May. A limited number of undergraduate classes may be offered in summer months.
Most online programs follow a two six-month semester academic calendar: fall starting in July, and spring starting in January. Courses in these online programs are typically accelerated, modular formats that run shorter than a full semester and are designed to be taken one-at-a-time.
Academic Integrity
The Spring Arbor University Concept - the heart of this institution - is based on the common commitment to Jesus Christ as the perspective for learning. This means that the Spring Arbor University community seeks to live in close adherence to the example and teaching of Jesus Christ in all personal and scholarly pursuits and live a life of highest integrity in these areas. Additionally, any community of teachers and scholars recognizes that truth and honesty are essential in academic work. The expectation at Spring Arbor University is that these principles will be rigorously followed in all academic endeavors. This expectation assumes that all work is completed by the person who purports to do the work, without unauthorized aides. With the purpose of encouraging responsible conduct, this policy flows from the Concept and assumes these important community expectations:
- Everyone who is part of the Spring Arbor University community will seek to live a life of highest integrity, both personally and academically.
- Full truthfulness is essential from all those in the SAU Community.
- Faculty and students will carefully and diligently guard themselves from stealing either material or intellectual property - whether physical or electronic in nature.
- Silence about others’ disregard for these standards devalues and violates the principles and spirit of our faith, the Concept, and this policy. With prayerful introspection and loving confrontation, we should strive to hold one another accountable to the standard of our faith.
Acknowledging the call in the principle above, the Spring Arbor University community is challenged to maintain integrity in all academic pursuits. There shall be no cheating, misrepresentation, or plagiarism (borrowing ideas, images, facts, stylistic phrasing, or quoted materials without credit) on assignments, tests, lectures, handouts, or any other written materials.
Violations of this policy will carry disciplinary consequences. A zero on the assignment or test can be expected, but failure of the course or suspension may also occur. Students, faculty, or staff may also be subject to dismissal from the University for failure to adhere to his policy. Some actions, such as altering official University documents or records without proper approval or authority, may be further subject to criminal penalties. While any breach of this policy affects the entire community, only incidents of cheating or plagiarism must be reported immediately to the appropriate professor, department chair, dean, or other University employee. Students are encouraged to report in writing, and employees are expected to report situations in writing to the academic affairs office. Confidentiality will be honored unless specific written permission to disclose sources is obtained. No one will be disciplined solely on the testimony of one report without further substantiation. It will be presumed that every student, faculty, and staff member of the University community is familiar with this policy. Details for handling academic integrity concerns may be found in the Spring Arbor University Academic Integrity Policy Disciplines Process and Procedures.
Grading System
Coursework will be assigned a grade that carries scholastic points according to the following scale, where plus and minus grades are intended to reflect more accurately the student’s performance in the classroom.
- A/A- (4.00/3.67) - Indicates excellent achievement.
- B+/B/B- (3.33/3.00/2.67) - Indicates good work.
- C+/C/C- (2.33/2.00/1.67) - Indicates fair or average attainment.
- D+/D/D- (1.33/1.00/.67) - Indicates poor, barely passing work.
- F (0.00) - Indicates unsatisfactory, non-passing work. Counted as attempted credit, but no credit is earned.
- AU (Audit) - Not calculated into GPA. Not counted as attempted or earned credit. A student may drop a course for credit and add for audit up to the halfway date of the course. Registration may not be changed from audit back to credit. Certain attendance and assignment requirements may be expected by the instructor.
- GP (Grade Pending). Not calculated into GPA. Indicates an extension to complete professional, hands-on courses, such as internships, practica, clinical rotations, or other special courses approved by the registrar. All work, including required paperwork, must be completed within six months from the end of the semester in which the student is registered in the course; no exceptions. If a grade change form is not submitted by the instructor to the registrar’s office after six months, the “GP” grade will be changed to “F.” (Independent studies and tutorials are not eligible for the “GP” grade.)
- I (Incomplete) - Not calculated into GPA. Given due to unforeseen, emergency circumstances occurring between the midpoint and end dates of lecture, tutorial, or independent study courses. Not intended to allow students turn in late work due to their own negligence. A grade change form to the registrar’s office is required of the instructor within six weeks of the end date of the course. A one-time additional six-week extension may be granted by the registrar on a case-by-cases basis with a written request from the instructor before the first six-week deadline. The “I” grade will be changed to “F” if no grade change form is submitted by the deadline.
- IP (In Progress) - Not calculated into GPA. Indicates current registration in a course. Not yet graded.
- LL (Life Learning Credit) - Not calculated into GPA. Credit granted through prior learning assessment.
- P (Passing) - Not calculated into GPA. Indicates credit earned through satisfactory work equivalent to a grade of “C” or above.
- W (Withdrawal) - Not calculated into GPA. Indicates authorized withdrawal from classes. A student may withdraw from a course at any time during the semester. Withdrawals through the last day to withdraw (60% of the course) will receive a grade of “W” on the transcript. A “W” does not affect the GPA. Withdrawals after this point will receive a grade of “WF.” All withdrawals count toward attempted credits, but no credit is earned.
- WF (0.00; Withdraw Failing) - Given after the last day to withdraw from a course as described in the “W” description above. A grade of “WF” on the transcript acts the same as a grade of “F” in GPA calculations.
Grade Changes
Changing of a final grade after its submission to the registrar is permissible in instances in which fairness might justify a final grade change. This might be the case, for example, when there is demonstrable evidence of a mathematical error in the calculation of a grade, or where there has been an egregious error in grading, such as the failure to incorporate an assignment that was turned in on time. Grade changes are not intended for make-up or additional work submitted after the conclusion of the course except in cases where a grade of “I” or “GP” has been granted.
Requests for final grade changes must be submitted in a timely manner so that the student may have time to appeal the grade. Grade change requests should be submitted to the registrar with documentation to support the request. The registrar will have final approval.
Grade Appeals
Only final course grades may be appealed through the formal Grade Appeal process. A formal grade appeal related to a final course grade should be resolved between the student and the instructor of the course. The grade appeal must be submitted to the instructor no later than 30 days after the grade is issued. After 30 days, the grade issued by the instructor is considered permanent. If an academic department has additional levels of final course grade review (e.g., programs with clinical courses, student teaching, practicum courses), the initial grade appeal should be reviewed by the instructor and the department (i.e., chair, program director). After the grade appeal review, based on the evidence considered during the review process, the instructor may raise, lower, or leave the grade unchanged.
If a student and instructor are unable to resolve the grade appeal to the student’s satisfaction, or the student can show at least two unsuccessful attempts to connect with the instructor within one week of time, the student may appeal to the dean, in writing. If the student and dean are unable to resolve the grade appeal, the student may send a final appeal, in writing, to the academic affairs office within seven business days of the decision from the dean. The review by academic affairs is considered final.
If a grade appeal is decided in the student’s favor by the school dean or academic affairs, the course grade may be changed to “P”, signifying a minimum grade of “C,” which will remove the course from the GPA calculations. For “P”/”F” graded courses, all criteria for passing the course must be evidenced for a grade appeal to result in a grade change to “P”. At all times, the burden of proof is on the student.
Final Exams
The last three days of the fall and spring semesters for main campus programs are reserved for final exams. All classes meet at a specially designated final exam time for a final evaluation or summative presentation or activity, and students are required to attend. Any student having three or more final exams on the same day may request that one be rescheduled. Instructors may be contacted for such schedule adjustments.
Learning Environment Behavioral Expectations
Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is appropriate for creating an uninhibited and uninterrupted learning environment for instructors and other students. Disruptive behavior in the learning environment is both disrespectful and unChristian and can affect the offending student’s status and grade in a course. For students to mature to be competent professionals, they are encouraged to behave in ways that are consistent with this goal, which includes being attentive and fully engaged in class activities without distracting instructors and other students. Instructors have the right to manage disruptive students in several ways including asking them to remove themselves from class and to not return until they have signed a statement of behavior conduct with the Office of Student Development.
Attendance and Participation
Class participation is important for academic success at Spring Arbor University, no matter the method of course delivery. While the University does not have an institutional policy for attendance or participation, programs and instructors may establish policies that are expected to be published in course syllabi and communicated to students in the class. Legitimate circumstances may cause students to miss class, such as illness, emergency, or participation in University-sponsored, co-curricular activities, such as athletic competition or music group travel or performances. When these absences occur, students are expected to contact instructors in advance, if possible, to try to work out reasonable arrangements to ensure that class requirements are met. Students are responsible to make up any missed assignments as directed by the instructor. Students should be careful to not become overinvolved in co-curricular activities so that their academic performance suffers. The following are general attendance expectations.
Synchronous Class Attendance
Synchronous classes are those in which the instructor and students come together at regularly scheduled meeting dates and times. Students are required to attend all synchronous class meetings for the classes for which they are registered including final exam days. Absences for starting the class late, extending breaks, or missing exams are not excused. Academic calendars and final exam schedules are available on the SAU portal prior to semester start dates and should be referenced before making travel plans.
Blended Class Attendance
A blended class consists of partial and/or alternate meetings in synchronous and asynchronous delivery mechanisms, where at least 50% of the course is synchronous. Attendance is based upon physical or virtual attendance in the synchronous meetings and upon electronic records of student participation in the class. A student who is absent from a synchronous meeting of the class will be considered absent, and a student who logs into the course but does not submit asynchronous coursework or participate in class activities is not actively attending. To be eligible for financial aid, students must actively attend a course. If the course is dropped by the student or if the student is dropped from the course by the institution for lack of attendance or participation, recalculation of financial aid eligibility may be necessary.
Online Class Attendance
Attendance in an online course is based upon electronic records of student presence. A student who logs into the course but does not submit coursework is not actively participating. To be eligible for financial aid, students must actively participate in the course. If the course is dropped by the student or if the student is dropped from the course by the institution, recalculation of financial aid eligibility may be necessary.
SAU Global Academic Policies Attendance
Students missing two of any combination of class participation - synchronously scheduled class sessions or asynchronous assignments - may be administratively withdrawn from the class due to nonparticipation. Students may be allowed to continue in the program without immediately retaking the course unless the course is prerequisite to the next course in the program course sequence.
Students should work with their student success advisor to determine when the course should be repeated.
Students accumulating five of any combination of absences in major courses in the program may be administratively withdrawn from the program.
A petition to reconsider a withdrawal due to nonparticipation may be submitted through student success advisors to the Office of Registration and Records. The Office of Registration and Records will review the petition for a final determination.
NOTE: some programs may have more stringent absence policies. Students should refer to program handbooks or confer with student success advisors for more information.
Credit Hour Load
A full-time undergraduate student is one who carries a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester. Students will typically register for 12-18 credit hours during fall and spring semesters. Undergraduate students who receive veteran benefits must carry a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester. Main campus students at SAU on an F-1 visa must be registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester to maintain F-1 visa status.
Classification of Students
Students are classified based on the number of credit hours earned as follows:
- Freshman: 0-25 credit hours
- Sophomore: 26-57 credit hours
- Junior: 58-89 credit hours
- Senior: 90+ credit hours
Academic Honors
The academic honors listed in this section are awarded to recognize high academic achievement and scholarship. Graduation honors are listed in the Commencement and Graduation section of this catalog.
Alpha Kappa Sigma
Alpha Kappa Sigma is an honor society among Free Methodist Institutions of higher education. A select number of campus seniors are awarded membership in the organization for recognition of excellence in scholarship, character and leadership. Election is by University faculty.
Dean’s List
The dean’s list includes all students in traditional main campus programs who have passed a minimum of 12 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.70 in the most recent culminating semester. Only letter grades that are computed into the GPA will be considered for the dean’s list.
Departmental Honors
Departmental honors may be awarded to outstanding senior students in campus programs. The selection is made by the faculty of that department.
Academic Status
Spring Arbor University encourages students to be academically successful. To help identify students who may need additional academic assistance, each student is classified with an academic status. At the end of each semester, each student’s academic progress is reviewed by an academic guidance committee comprised of staff, faculty, and administration. Students designated with an academic standing other than Good Standing will be notified in writing by the Office of Registration and Records. Students with incomplete or in progress grades at the time academic status is determined may be eligible to be removed from a particular academic status if the final grades for those courses elevate the GPA to above the designated status criteria. In those cases, the student should notify the Office of Registration and Records to request an academic status change.
Academic Status is different than Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid eligibility. To understand financial aid eligibility, students should refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress section of this catalog.
Good Standing Status
The following step scale indicates the cumulative GPA necessary to remain in good standing at SAU based upon earned credit hours (including transfer) according to the SAU transcript. (Students receiving veteran’s benefits, see Veteran Information.)
Step Scale for Good Standing
| Earned Hours |
Minimum GPA |
| 1-15 |
1.60 |
| 16-24 |
1.70 |
| 25-36 |
1.80 |
| 37-47 |
1.90 |
| 48+ |
2.00 |
A student will be placed on academic warning when the semester GPA is lower than the step scale for correlating earned hours but is above 1.0. Academic warning is not reflected on the student’s academic record, but the student may be encouraged to reduce the number of credit hours per semester. Students may be placed on academic warning in the semester when they are removed from probation upon the recommendation of the academic guidance committee.
Students will be placed on academic probation for the subsequent semester under the following conditions:
- Cumulative GPA falls below the appropriate level of good standing on the step scale, OR
- The student does not earn at least a 1.00 (“D”) semester GPA OR
- The semester GPA falls below the step scale for two consecutive semesters OR
- The completion ratio of courses counted toward the semester GPA is below 67%
Students placed on academic probation are advised to restrict class load to no more than 14 credit hours, curtail extracurricular activities and work schedules, and may be required to take a GES study skills courses that will count toward electives in the degree program. Students on academic probation cannot compete in intercollegiate athletics. Probation status is reflected on the student’s transcript.
Students may be continued on probation under the following conditions:
- The student was on probation the preceding semester, and
- Semester GPA reaches at least 2.0 at the end of the probationary semester, but the cumulative GPA remains below the step scale; or
- The student completes a third consecutive semester with a semester GPA below the step scale, but the cumulative GPA is equal to or above the step scale. In these cases, a hold will be placed on the student account until the meets with the registrar to review the Graduation Success Matrix.
Continued on probation status is reflected on the student’s transcript and is treated as academic probation.
Students may be restored to probation after a successful dismissal appeal. Restored to probation status is reflected on the student’s transcript and is treated the same as an academic probation status.
Students may be removed from academic probation at the end of a semester when their academic record meets the requirements of good standing. It may be recommended by the academic guidance committee for this student to be placed on academic warning to provide one additional semester of academic support.
Students may be academically dismissed from the University under the following conditions:
- At the end of the probation semester, the semester and cumulative GPAs are below the step scale, or
- In any given semester, a student receives a failing grade in at least 60% of the credit hours attempted, or
- In any given semester, the semester GPA is below 1.0., or
- A student completes a fourth consecutive semester with a semester GPA below the step scale.
At the time of dismissal, it is recommended that the student connect with advisors and the Office of Registration and Records to discuss expectations to be met for eventual readmission to Spring Arbor University.
Students may appeal an academic dismissal in writing to the Office of Registration and Records by the deadline stated in the dismissal letter. Appeals received after the deadline will not be considered. An appeal does not guarantee the student will be allowed to continue studies at SAU. Appeals should include reasons for challenges to prior academic success and steps the student intends to implement in the future to remedy those challenges.
The academic status committee will review appeals and the registrar’s recommendations within 30 days of the deadline. The registrar will notify the student within two working days after the committee’s decision is made. The decision of the committee is final. If the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on a status of Restored to Probation. Registration may remain on hold until after the student meets committee requirements.
If the student is dismissed at the end of the semester of being restored to probation status, an appeal will not be considered. The student must separate from SAU for the time specified in Readmission after Academic Dismissal section of this catalog.
Students may apply for readmission after a period of separation from SAU through the Office of Admissions according to the following conditions:
- First dismissal - students may not attend SAU for one full semester including interim or summer.
- Second dismissal - students may not attend SAU for two full semesters including interim and summer.
- Third dismissal - students are permanently dismissed from SAU.
The dismissal count does not restart, even for students who are restored to probation after appeal (see Academic Dismissal Appeal). Once a student receives a dismissal notice, the dismissal is added to the count. Therefore, if a student is dismissed but is allowed to continue on probation after appeal and is subsequently dismissed the next semester, the student has accumulated two dismissals.
When applying for readmission after the specified academic dismissal period, the student will be asked to present evidence of probable future academic success, self-discipline and focus, and self-development, which may include transcripts from courses taken during the separation from SAU and/or support letters or documentation from doctors, counselors, employers, pastors, etc. The Office of Registration and Records may deny readmission if the evidence presented does not support the expectation of future academic success. If the decision is made to readmit the student, the Office of Registration and Records may require the student to sign the Graduation Success Matrix before removing a registration holds.
Students readmitted after academic dismissal will be placed on academic probation for the first semester after readmission. University academic standards and departmental conditions must be met by the student at the end of that first semester after dismissal in order to return to good standing status and continue enrollment at Spring Arbor University. Once the student has completed the first semester after readmission, all academic status rules apply as normal.
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