Academic Advising

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Academic Policies

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is a necessity in a learning community. It makes coherent discourse possible and is a necessary condition for all sharing, dialogue and evaluation. All forms of academic dishonesty including cheating, fabricating, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism are violations of the Social Contract. Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in any academic exercise. Fabrication is defined as faking data, footnotes or other evidence. Plagiarism is defined as representing the works or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise. It includes, but is not limited to, copying materials directly, failure to cite sources of arguments and data and failure to explicitly acknowledge joint work or authorship of assignments.

Your academic program often forms a covenant which will set out the roles and responsibilities of the members of your learning community. It may include possible penalties and procedures for appeal to the deans. Penalties for violation of the standards of academic honesty may be severe, such as expulsion from programs.

Who to contact: Contact program faculty concerning the terms of a program covenant. Consult the Social Contract or contact the Vice President for Student Affairs for other issues relating to academic honesty.

Academic Standing

The academic standing of each Evergreen student is carefully monitored to ensure the full development of academic potential. Any student not making satisfactory progress as defined below is informed of her or his standing in the college and is advised accordingly.

Faculty evaluation of a student's achievement formally occurs at the conclusion of programs, contracts, courses and internships. In addition, any student in danger of receiving less than full credit is notified in writing at mid-quarter by the program faculty.

A student making unsatisfactory academic progress will receive an academic warning and may be required to take a leave of absence.

Academic Warning

A student who earns fewer than three-fourths the number of registered credits in two successive quarters will receive an academic warning issued by the dean of Enrollment Services . A student registered for six credits or more who receives no credit in any quarter will also receive an academic warning. Such warning will urge the student to seek academic advice or personal counseling from a member of the faculty or appropriate staff in Student Affairs. A student will be removed from academic warning status upon receiving at least three-fourths of the credit for which she or he is registered in two successive quarters.

Please note that if you are receiving financial aid, there is a separate criteria for academic progress that you must also meet. You are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

A student who has received an academic warning and while in warning status receives either an incomplete or fewer than three-fourths of the credit for which she or he is registered will be required to take a leave of absence, normally for one full year. A waiver of the required leave of absence can be granted only by the academic dean responsible for academic standing upon the student's presentation of evidence of extenuating circumstances.

A student returning from required leave of absence will enter on academic warning and will be expected to make satisfactory progress toward a bachelor degree. Failure to earn at least three-fourths credit at the first evaluation period after returning from the required leave of absence will result in dismissal from the college.

Who to contact: Contact your program faculty first if you have concerns about receiving full credit in a program. The Academic Deans handle issues of academic warning and required leave of absence.

Confidentiality of Student Records

The Evergreen State College complies fully with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This law is designed to protect the privacy of students' educational records; to establish the rights of students to inspect their educational records: and to provide institutional guidelines to correct inaccurate information. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the law. Evergreen's policy appears in detail in the college's Policies and Procedures Manual. Copies of this policy may be obtained from the Office of Registration and Records or the Office of the Dean of Enrollment Services.

Who to contact: Questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Dean of Enrollment Services.

If you wish to authorize a specific release of information, please download this release form.

Credit Options

Evergreen now allows up to 20 credits per quarter. Please refer to the policy.

Graduation Requirements

Evergreen offers two undergraduate degrees: the bachelor of arts and the bachelor of science. Both degrees require a minimum of 180 quarter-hour college credits. Of the 180, 45 of the last 90 credits must be earned at Evergreen. The bachelor of science requires that 72 of the 180 credits must be credit equivalencies in the subject areas of science, computer science, or mathematics. Furthermore, 48 of those 72 credits must be upper-division work.

Students pursuing either degree plan their own course of study in consultation with faculty and advisors. They may design their own area of academic concentration, proceed on an established academic pathway or explore a diverse array of liberal arts offerings.

Who to contact: the Registration and Records Office is the keeper of your official transcript and permanent academic records. Contact them to apply for a bachelor of science or dual degree, to confirm credit awarded and to apply for graduation. Academic Advising and Career Development can assist you with planning a program of study to suit your needs.

Incompletes

Under exceptional circumstances, a student may request an "incomplete," which is an agreement between a student and faculty member that the student may complete academic work after the ending date of a program or course. An "incomplete" agreement is given at the discretion of the faculty member, and usually a policy regarding "incompletes" is specified in the program covenant.

The "incomplete" is a written document specifying a schedule of dates and terms of the agreement and is completed, signed by both parties and filed with the Office of Registration and Records. Usually, work must be completed within one quarter or less excluding summer quarter. The amount of time allowed may be negotiated, but the final decision is up to the faculty member. An unresolved "incomplete" may remain on a student's record for up to one calendar year, after which time it will automatically convert to "no credit" if no action has been taken to resolve the situation.

Students receiving financial aid will not be eligible to receive aid while an "incomplete" remains on their record. "Incompletes" may also result in irretrievable loss of future financial aid. Students may wish to make an appointment with a financial aid counselor to discuss timelines for completion of an "incomplete" in order to salvage some financial aid.

Can I take a leave of absence?

Yes, if you have successfully completed one quarter of coursework. If you have to leave your academic career for a limited period of time, please notify the Registration and Records Office at (360) 867 6180. You are entitled to up to one year of leave. If you're gone for more than a year you will have to re-apply to the college.