Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) Policies and Procedures
Admission to Non-Credit Programs
Professional and Continuing Education students are not required to complete a formal application to Westminster University. Program admission is conferred as part of a student’s registration process (see “Registration” below).
Expenses
Each non-credit student registering at the university is charged either a flat fee or a cost per Continuing Education Unit (CEU) fee, depending on the program. The Board of Trustees of Westminster University reserves the right to change tuition and fees at any time. No additional fees are incurred, unless specifically stated in the program description.
Payment of tuition and fees is due before the starting date of a program, or students may be withdrawn by the program department. Students wishing to have an employer cover tuition and fees must coordinate with the Student Account Services office to facilitate this process.
Continuing Education Units
Non-credit courses are recorded as Continuing Education Units or CEUs. One CEU represents 10 contact hours of instruction and learning activities. CEUs are generally not transferrable to other institutions.
Registration
Registration for non-credit courses occurs through the respective program coordinator who relays that information to the university’s Registrar’s Office.
Holds
The university may place administrative holds for students with outstanding financial obligations, overdue library books, library fines, bad checks, or other obligations to the university. Once a hold has been placed, students may be prevented from registering or obtaining diplomas or official transcripts until the obligation is met.
Drop & Withdrawal
Dates for dropping courses (no permanent records or charges) or withdrawing (charges apply but final grade is W) correspond to the university’s academic calendar for term-length courses or are set by each program coordinator for courses of various duration.
Grading
Grading for non-credit courses at Westminster is as follows:
SC—Successfully Completed
NC—Not Completed
W—Withdrawn
Graduation
Students completing all requirements for certificate programs will have an application to graduate submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the program department. Upon verification of completion, the registrar’s office will record the completion on the student’s permanent records, prepare a certificate document, and deliver it to the corresponding program coordinator for distribution.
Information Services
Canvas
Canvas is Westminster’s online learning management system. It includes online tools such as syllabi, discussion boards, electronic reserves and more. Students and faculty are automatically loaded into their Canvas courses at the start of the semester. Students dropped from Canvas are not considered dropped from courses officially and are still responsible for all tuition charges.
Email Accounts
When appropriate for the program, students are provided with a Microsoft Outlook e-mail account when they are accepted . This campus e-mail system provides the e-mail address of all the students, staff, and faculty at Westminster. Students are required to check their campus e-mail frequently because important information is sent to students via e-mail, such as registration deadlines, campus events and activities, or general school announcements. Instructors also use Microsoft Outlook to contact students with specific class information. For instructions on how to check student e-mail or linking university email to an off-campus email address, please contact the Help Desk in the garden level of the Giovale Library, submit a Help Desk Request, or call the IS Support Phone at 801.832.2023.
Transcripts
Specific information for ordering official transcripts may be found on the Registrar’s Office webpage.
Academic Grievance
Students have the right to appeal or petition an academic decision. The student must make the appeal or petition, in writing, in accordance with the applicable school or program procedure. Please see the Director of Professional and Continuing Education or program director for a copy of the procedure. Written appeals must be submitted during the first four weeks into the next semester and must include documentary evidence that the student feels has a bearing upon the request.
A faculty committee from the school involved reviews the appeal. The student may be present at the hearing. The decision of the faculty appeals committee will be reported to the student within five school days of the hearing.
If the decision of the faculty committee within the school is not acceptable to the student, the student may file a written appeal to the provost within five (5) school days following notification of the faculty committee. The provost will assemble a committee, consisting of the dean of students and deans of the schools not involved to consider the appeal. All materials included in the faculty’s deliberations, including the student’s written appeal and the proceedings of the faculty hearing, are made available to this provost committee and become part of the proceedings. The hearing before the provost committee will be held within fifteen (15) school days of receipt of the written appeal. The student may be present at the provost committee hearing. The student and faculty representatives may call members of the university as supporting witnesses. The decision of the provost committee is reported to the student within five (5) school days of the date of the hearing.
Note: The individual school grievance process must happen before the grievance goes to the Provost’s office. Decisions of the Provost’s Committee are final. Students have the right to continue their enrollment and participation in academic programs until final decisions are reached. Failure of students to file appeals within specified time limits is considered acknowledgment of the action without intent to appeal.
Academic Honesty
Westminster University of Salt Lake City operates on the assumption that all academic work is the honest product of each student’s own endeavors. The faculty and staff at Westminster expect such integrity from the students, and violations are cause for disciplinary action, including suspension, probation, loss of credit, or expulsion from the university.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and furnishing false or misleading information to any faculty or staff member.
Cheating on examinations includes, but is not restricted to, copying from another student’s exam paper, using unauthorized notes during an exam, arranging for a substitute to take an examination, or giving or receiving unauthorized information prior to an exam.
Cheating on written assignments includes plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration with others or submitting the same material for more than one class without the authorization of the instructor.
Plagiarism includes borrowing information or ideas, whether directly quoted or paraphrased, from any source beyond one’s first-hand experience and not acknowledging the source. The student must give credit to the material by identifying the source, using one of the generally accepted citation methods.
Initially, sanctions are the responsibility of the class instructor. The instructor may simply reprimand the student, or may demand the work be repeated, or may give a failing grade for the assignment or exam in question, or may give a failing grade for the entire course. In each case, a short report of the incident will be filed with the appropriate academic dean.
In the case of repeated or more serious violations, the faculty member may recommend to the dean that the student be put on probation, suspended, or expelled from the university. The dean’s recommendation will then be sent to the Dean of Students.
Students may appeal such decisions to the Academic Grievance Committee. In the case of an appeal, the student has the right to be present at the hearing and refute the charges. A written copy of the decision will be distributed to all involved parties within 72 hours of the hearing.
Disclaimer: Policy issues not specifically addressed in this catalog will be addressed using the relevant policies for undergraduate students or can be referred to the Director of Professional and Continuing Education and/or the College Curriculum Committee for resolution.