Adding Courses
A period in which a student may add a class that is available on the catalog with available seating. See academic calendar for specific dates and deadlines.
Late Add Policy
Ensign College recognizes that certain circumstances may arise where students have a genuine need to add a course after the designated add date deadline. To address such cases, the Late Add Policy allows students to submit a formal request for consideration.
Students seeking to add a course after the add date deadline must meet the following eligibility criteria:
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Be currently enrolled at Ensign College.
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Be in good academic standing.
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Demonstrate a valid reason for the late course addition, such as extenuating circumstances or time-sensitive academic necessity.
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Be current on all financial accounts with Ensign or have a payment plan in place before their request will be considered.
Students must complete and submit a Late Add Request Form to the Registrar's Office. The appropriate Program Chair or relevant faculty member will evaluate all complete requests on its merits and assess its impact on the student's academic progress, course availability, and other relevant factors.
Auditing
Students wanting to audit a class (register for and attend class as a “listener” without receiving credit or a grade) must declare this at the time of registration. Tuition and fees are the same as if the class were taken for credit. Audited courses fulfill no graduation requirements and earn no credit. Therefore, they do not count in the credit load for international students, veterans, students receiving financial aid, or other tuition support programs. Students may not challenge courses they have audited. Incomplete grade contracts may not be fulfilled by auditing a course. It is possible to change from audit status to credit status, or vice versa, from the beginning of the registration period through the last date to drop classes (see Academic Calendar).
Credit/audit changes should only be made after careful consideration of the financial aid and credit load implications and after consultation with the Financial Aid Office and a Student Success Advisor.
Dropping Courses
Drops exist to allow students the ability to adjust their class schedule at the beginning of each semester. Courses may be dropped through the date noted on the Academic Calendar.
Grading System
Grades are determined by each instructor based upon an evaluation of all assigned and completed coursework. Course participation, mastery of subject matter, and promise of continuing success in sequential courses in related fields are all criteria used to evaluate progress.
- “A” represents outstanding understanding, application, and integration of subject material and extensive evidence of original thinking, skillful use of concepts, and ability to analyze and solve complex problems. Demonstrates diligent application of Learning Model principles, including initiative in serving other students.
- “B” represents considerable/significant understanding, application, and incorporation of the material that would prepare a student to be successful in next level courses, graduate school, or employment. The student participates in the Learning Model as applied in the course.
- “C” represents sufficient understanding of subject matter. The student demonstrates minimal initiative to be prepared for class. Sequenced courses could be attempted, but mastering new materials might prove challenging. The student participates only marginally in the Learning Model.
- “D” represents poor performance and initiative to learn, understand, and apply course materials. Retaking a course or remediation may be necessary to prepare for additional instruction in this subject matter.
- “E” represents failure in the course.
- “P” represents passing the course and is not calculated into the GPA.
- “W” represents withdrawal from the class and is not calculated into the GPA.
- “I” is a conditional grade. (See Incomplete Grade)
- “CR” indicates credit given.
- “NC” indicated no credit.
- “NR” represents the grade was not reported by the instructor. A student receiving a “NR” grade should contact the instructor to request that a valid grade be submitted to Enrollment Services.
- “V” indicates a course taken for audit.
- Under some circumstances, students receiving financial aid may not be eligible to receive a grade of CR, NC, P, I, W, or V. Consult the Financial Aid Office for additional information relevant to specific situations.
- CR/NC (Credit/No Credit). Credit/No Credit courses do not count towards graduation and are not calculated into the GPA. Students must score a minimum of 70% on ALL proficiencies and 70% on other course assignments to receive credit in the following courses:
Credit Definitions
- Attempted: The total number of credits in which a student has registered in a semester or on a cumulative basis.
- Earned: The total number of credits completed with a progress grade in a semester or on a cumulative basis.
- Passed: The total number of credits earned that do not factor into a semester or cumulative GPA.
- Quality: The total number of credits earned that factor into a semester or cumulative GPA.
- Points: The total number of grade points earned in a semester or on a cumulative basis.
The following table indicates each grade variant at Ensign College with its equivalent grade points:
|
One Credit of
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Equals Grade Points
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A
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4.0
|
|
A-
|
3.7
|
|
B+
|
3.4
|
|
B
|
3.0
|
|
B-
|
2.7
|
|
C+
|
2.4
|
|
C
|
2.0
|
|
C-
|
1.7
|
|
D+
|
1.4
|
|
D
|
1.0
|
|
D-
|
0.7
|
|
E
|
0.0
|
|
P
|
*
|
|
I
|
*
|
|
IP
|
*
|
|
W
|
*
|
|
NR
|
*
|
|
CR
|
*.
|
|
NC
|
*
|
|
V
|
**
|
* Does not affect the GPA calculation, but may impact Satisfactory Academic progress.
** Does not affect the GPA calculation, does not impact Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Calculating GPA and SAP
GPA: quality points divided by quality credits
SAP: earned credits divided by attempted credits
NOTE: Student financial aid eligibility may be determined by a different GPA standard and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) percentage.
Challenge Exam Policy
Students may choose to take a challenge exam, which carries credit and a credit received (CR) grade, to fulfill the requirements for eligible courses. Students may request to earn credit through a challenge exam if they are eligible to enroll, including having an ecclesiastical endorsement.
- Students may challenge a course only one time.
- Students may not challenge a course for which they are currently registered.
- Student also may not challenge a course that they have previously failed or from which they have previously withdrawn or received credit.
- Although students may request to challenge a course for credit, individual departments determine whether an examination exists and will be offered. Departments also determine the passing score for each challenge exam.
Students wishing to appeal the grade or credit awarded for the challenge exam should follow the Grievance Policy and Procedures for Academics.
Course Credit Hours and Classroom Preparation Time
Ensign College measures academic credit in credit hours. In accordance with federal regulation, a credit hour at the College is the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than:
- For semester-length courses, an average student can expect to spend a minimum of two hours in outside preparation time for every hour in class. For example, in a 3-credit hour class, an average student can expect six hours of outside preparation time each week. This represents the average student who is appropriately prepared; more time may be required to achieve excellence.
- For 7-week block courses, an average student can expect to spend a minimum of six hours each week, between in-class time and out of class, per credit hour. For example, in a 3-credit hour class, an average student should expect to spend 18 hours per week on the course. Block courses which require less in-class time compared to a full-semester class will require an increased amount of asynchronous work to achieve the learning outcomes.
- These examples represent the average student who is appropriately prepared; more time may be required to achieve excellence.
Deferment
When a student requires their attendance to be deferred for a specific and designated time to serve a mission or is called on military duty, the student will need to submit our admission deferment form indicating the semester they will return.
All students returning from deferment will update their admissions application, submit a new Ecclesiastical Endorsement, and will be notified by admissions regarding the return from deferment.
If a student returns from deferment earlier than stated on their deferment form, they will need to contact the Admissions Office to update the expected return date.
Ensign College will readmit students following voluntary and involuntary service in the Armed Forces of the United States, including service in the National Guard or Reserve, in compliance with applicable federal and state laws. Students seeking readmission after military service must meet all admission requirements, including having a valid ecclesiastical endorsement, at the time of readmission. For more information, please visit our "Veterans" website or call the Admissions Office at 801-524-8145.
Grade Changes
After the final grade submission deadline, grades may be changed only for the following reasons:
- No grade was submitted by the deadline.
- A calculation error was made in computing the grade.
- The wrong grade was posted.
- An Incomplete grade contract was finalized.
- The previous grade was re-evaluated, but no additional work was submitted.
- A grade change should not be submitted if a student completes any additional work beyond the end of the semester. If extenuating circumstances exist, an incomplete grade may be granted if requested before the grade submission deadline.
A submitted grade typically cannot be changed to a W (Official Withdrawal). Students who had a non-academic emergency may file an Exception to Academic Policy form.
In addition to changing a student’s semester and cumulative GPAs, a grade change may also change a student’s total earned credits. A grade change may also positively or negatively impact a student’s academic standing.
Grade change requests may only be submitted by the instructor or an authorized designee via the College’s approved grade change process. Grade change requests older than one year are additionally reviewed by the Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment and typically are not approved.
Incomplete Grades
An incomplete grade (“I”) is a conditional grade and granted only when extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control occur after the semester withdrawal deadline. Incomplete grades are given only if students are passing the course and would be capable of completing the work before the end of the subsequent semester.
The instructor must receive approval from the Academic Office before issuing an “I” grade. Contracts are available from the Academic Office. A grade contract must be completed and signed by both instructor and student before the semester ends; not afterwards.
The student must be able to complete the remaining work on an individual basis with the instructor. Re-enrollment or attendance in all or part of the same course during a subsequent semester cannot be required as part of the contract. The general length of time to fulfill the requirements of an incomplete contract is one additional semester.
Instructor and student must meet to determine the extent of work/assignments to be complete and the due date(s).
Class attendance in a subsequent semester or re-registering is not permitted to make up the incomplete.
If the incomplete work has not been finished by the end of the semester after the “I” was given, the “I” will be changed by the Registrar’s Office to an “E” grade.
Maximum Credit Limits
Ensign College values academic learning. While some students may be able to manage more credits, Ensign College has identified the maximum number of credits a student may attempt for a given semester as 18 credits. Students may register for up to 18 credits per semester, no more than 9 credits in each 7-week block.
Any student wishing to register for more than 18 credits (or more than 9 credits in a block) will need to complete the Exception to Academic Policy Form. Only requests from students with a strong academic record will be considered.
International Student Registration Requirements
International students must register for both blocks prior to the start of the semester.
To maintain their status, international students, must register for and complete:
- At least 12 credits total over the semester
- At least 9 credits of in-person coursework over the semester and 50% or more of the credits in each block must be in-person