Academic Information

Graduate Studies

Consistent with the mission of Newman University, the Graduate Studies Program seeks to prepare students for service to humanity, community and profession. Graduate programs build upon the foundation of undergraduate education to empower learners to achieve intellectually, ethically and professionally through programs that stress scholarship, leadership and Judaeo-Christian values.

Goals for Graduate Students

Newman University Graduate students will be able to:

Think critically and problem solve

Analyze critical issues within the context of the discipline to implement creative and effective solutions.

Communicate

Demonstrate oral and written communication skills inherent in advanced practice.

Be socially responsible

Incorporate an understanding of Judaeo-Christian values and their ethical implications within diverse settings.

Utilize research

Assimilate scholarly inquiry into decision making.

Ethics Code

Newman University students are to function as ethical citizens, which includes their work pursued in the academic community.

Integrity in the classroom is a definite expectation and is not to be violated in any manner. Violation of academic integrity includes:

1. Unauthorized or Unacknowledged Use of advanced generative AI (ChatGPT, GPT4, Bing Chat, etc.) in completing assignments, exams, or papers is a form of academic dishonesty. Faculty members set parameters for when and how the use of such technology is permissible. Students should consult the course syllabus and assignment guidelines, as policies will vary across courses, instructors, and assignments. If specific parameters are not outlined by the instructor, students should assume the use of generative AI is prohibited.

2. Cheating on examinations, written quizzes, and other written work;

3. Plagiarism, defined as:

a. the use of another’s written work without appropriate citation

b. the use of another student’s work

c. the purchase and/or use of an already prepared paper

d. the use of Intellectual Properties (ideas or materials) from an author without proper documentation

e. downloading of materials from the Internet or World Wide Web and submitting them for credit (or partial credit) as one’s own work;

4. Any violation of state or federal fair use, copyright, patent, or privacy laws;

5. Giving assistance to another person during an examination;

6. Falsification or changing of any academic record;

7. Falsification of research or clinical data;

8. Obtaining, attempting to obtain, or distributing unauthorized examinations or examination questions;

9. Use of a paper prepared for one course in another course without the evaluating professor’s knowledge and permission.

An infraction of the Newman ethical code by a student on an examination, written work, or quiz will result in an “F” for that work. An individual faculty member, if outlined in their syllabus,  may impose a more severe penalty; up to and including failure of the course. Within a professional or graduate program an academic infraction may be referred to the Dean to review such occurrences. Graduate students will follow additional guidelines as published in their specific graduate student program handbooks.

Upon assignment of the consequence(s) the faculty member will complete the Academic Infraction Form and submit it to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affair’s Office for filing. A student who believes an error in judgment has occurred regarding either the infraction or the subsequent penalty may appeal the faculty decision. The request for appeal must be submitted in writing to the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs within 30 days of receiving notice of the penalty.

Upon examination of the Academic Infraction Form and any subsequent evidence provided, the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs may request a hearing of the Academic Review Board to review a pattern of infractions. The Academic Review Board consists of the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, a school Dean, and a faculty member of the student’s choosing. The Academic Review Board may utilize a variety of penalties up to and including dismissing a student from the university for academic infractions. 

Course Evaluation and Grade Point Average

Final evaluations are required for all courses each semester.

The evaluation system emphasizes achievement of the objectives of a course recognizing degree of accomplishment. Grade point average is based on a four-point system and is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned in courses completed by the total number of resident credit hours attempted. The GPA is calculated only on work taken at Newman University.

The following four-point grading system is operative at the university:

A = 4.0

B = 3.0

C = 2.0

D = 1.0

P = 0.0 Passing
Credit earned with satisfactory achievement in courses so designated. Counted toward total hours for degree but excluded in the GPA calculation.

F = Failure

No credit earned, computed in GPA

WD = Official withdrawal

IN = Incomplete Grades

       Terminal Activity:

An incomplete grade may be given at the discretion of the instructor for field/practica courses only under extenuating circumstances, when failure to complete a course is due to no fault of the student. The course work must be completed under the same instructor within the next two semesters (excluding summer) of the original enrollment. After this time, the “IN” becomes an F and is included in the computation of the GPA.

       Didactic Activity:

An incomplete grade may be given at the discretion of the instructor for didactic courses only under extenuating circumstances, when failure to complete a course is due to no fault of the student. The course work must be completed under the same instructor of the original enrollment. Didactic courses must be completed no later than midterm of the next regular semester (excluding summer). After this time, the “IN” becomes an F and is included in the computation of the GPA.

Full-Time Status

Students enrolled for a minimum of six (6) credit hours per semester are considered full-time. Students who have financial aid may be required to carry more than 6 credit hours per semester; contact financial aid for clarification.

Withdrawals After A Grade Is Awarded or Earned 

Students may not withdraw from a course after the first day of the final exam week as published in the schedule of classes, or if a final grade has been awarded. Final grades may be awarded prior to the end of the course, typically, but not exclusively, due to academic misconduct. Students may appeal grades awarded for misconduct by following the applicable appeal policy.

FINAL GRADES - Faculty may not change a final grade after it has been submitted to the registrar, except in the case of numerical miscalculation.

Academic Standing Policy for Graduate Programs

Program Sovereignty

Individual graduate programs may require more stringent requirements than those listed below. In the absence of different requirements, however, the following thresholds apply:

Good Academic Standing 

A student is considered to be in good academic standing as long as he/she maintains a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA and adheres to the Newman code.

Academic Probation 

All students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be in good academic standing. A student will be placed on academic probation if his/her cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 at the end of any academic term or if the students term GPA is below 2.0. Students on academic probation must bring their cumulative GPA back up to at least a 3.0 by the end of the next term. The student may have the option of raising the cumulative GPA by repeating a graduate course in which they received a grade of c or below.

Academic Suspension 

• A student will be placed on academic suspension if any of the following occurs:
• The student fails to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within the next term after being placed on academic probation
• The student has two consecutive terms below a 2.0
• The student earns a term GPA of 0.0

If the student is enrolled in a course only graded as pass/fail and are mathematically unable to increase the GPA, the dean or program director will have discretion to permit the student to remain enrolled on a continued academic probationary status.

Students who have been academically suspended may reapply for admission after one term of non attendance. The application process must include a written explanation and request to the dean of the appropriate graduate program. A personal interview may also be required. Students readmitted after academic suspension will be admitted on academic probation. In addition, they must achieve a grade of b or higher in each of their classes in the next term in order to removed from academic probation, and/or meet any stipulations specified by the dean of the appropriate graduate degree program. Readmitted students who fail to meet this standard may be asked to withdraw permanently from the university. Students readmitted under this policy will be subject to the catalog requirements in effect at the time of readmission.

Application for Degree

In order to graduate, the student must be in good academic standing, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and have met the program and university requirements. Degree applications must be filed within the time limits identified in the online Schedule of Courses. These applications are automatically sent to students only in the semester in which requirements will be completed. If you have questions regarding the degree application, contact the Registrar’s Office at 316.942.4291 xt. 2121.

Appeal for Grade or Policy/Process

Graduate students interested in pursuing a grade appeal or policy appeal must consult with the Dean of their school regarding acceptable appeal situations.

Grade Change Deadline

All grade changes, except for incompletes, must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office no later than midterm of the semester following the semester in which the course was taken.

Repeating of Courses

Students may repeat any course they have taken previously. Only the result of the final course attempt will be used in the cumulative grade point average, but all grades remain on the academic transcript.

Dismissal from Academic Programs

Students will refer to guidelines published in their respective graduate program student handbooks.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. Students have the right to inspect and review their education records and to request the amendment of their records if they believe they are inaccurate or misleading. 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 Act.

Under FERPA, information other than “directory information” cannot be given to a third party without the expressed written consent of the student with the exception of Newman officials and faculty for expressed educational interest. The university routinely publishes material classified as “directory information” which is acceptable within the Act. Newman University directory information includes the following: name; address (campus, home, Newman University e-mail); telephone numbers; Student ID; class standing (first year, sophomore, etc.); major field(s) of study; course load status (full time, half time, etc.); dates of attendance; degree(s) conferred (including dates); awards; honors (including Dean’s List and graduation honors); past and present participation in officially recognized activities and sports; membership in campus organizations; physical factors (height, weight of athletes); photos of athletes; previous institution(s) attended. An individual, however, may direct that his or her name may not appear in directory information by notifying the registrar in writing at the time of his or her registration.

Questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Registrar’s Office.

Outreach Sites

Kansas

Graduate level education courses leading to licensure endorsement and or a degree are offered at numerous sites other than the Newman campus.

Veteran Benefits and Certifications

Newman University programs are approved for Veterans Educational Benefits. Veterans and their dependents and spouses may be eligible for educational benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Students who hope to receive veterans’ educational benefits at Newman University should request a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA at 1-888-GI BILL-1 or through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. The VA will determine whether or not a student is eligible for VA educational benefits. The Registrar’s Office at Newman University requires a current copy of the COE before the student’s first semester. In addition, an Enrollment Certification Request for VA Education Benefits form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office prior to the start of each semester a student plans to use VA educational benefits. These documents must be completed and submitted to the Registrar’s Office before certification can be processed.

Newman University is proud to participate in The Yellow Ribbon GI Educational Enhancement Program, which is designed for qualifying veterans and dependents who wish to attend a private university. A student’s tuition and fees costs may exceed the standard Post-9/11 GI Bill® maximum benefit rate. The Yellow Ribbon Program is an agreement with the VA to help cover the additional costs. The VA will match Newman’s additional contribution dollar-for-dollar so the student can attend Newman for little to no cost.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Veteran Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 - Section 103, Pl 115-407

Newman University does not impose any penalty, including assessment of late fees, deny access to classes, libraries or other institutional facilities, or require a Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 recipient to borrow additional funds to cover the individual’s inability to meet his/her financial obligations to Newman University due to the delayed disbursement of a payment by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This applies only if the payments are not received within 90 days of the beginning of the term.

Students are required to provide documentation to ensure they are entitled to GI Bill Benefits no later than the first day of the educational program in which they are enrolling.

The restriction on penalties would not apply in cases where the student owes additional payment to Newman University beyond the amount of the tuition and fee payment from VA to Newman.

Military TDY

Newman University is committed to working with our students who are active duty military personnel. Active duty service members may receive orders for a temporary duty station (TDY).

The policy followed at Newman University is:

1. If the TDY is more than three weeks long and the military student knows ahead of time, the student is not enrolled in the class.
2. The faculty member works with the military student going on TDY by doing the following:
   1. If the TDY falls during the beginning of the course and the faculty member does not think the student can make up the course work, the instructor can suggest the student withdraw from the course and submit a request to the Exceptions Committee to authorize a full tuition refund for the course.
   2. If the TDY falls at the end of the semester, the faculty member can either give the student an incomplete, allow completion of the coursework/test when the student returns, or allow early completion of the coursework/test.

If a student has a leave of absence longer than one calendar year due to temporary military duty or assignment, they may re-enter under the original catalog of admittance. 

Listing of Disciplines with Abbreviations

Courses numbered in the 6000s, 7000s, 8000s and 9000s indicate graduate level courses. The credit value can be found in the course description.

INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSES - Graduate level independent study is indicated by the number 799-. The course title is identified in the approved proposal and the course may be repeated for credit with change of topic.

SELECTED TOPIC COURSES - Graduate level selected topics courses carry the number 688-.These courses are listed in the schedule as offered with the particular selected topic identified in the course title and may be repeated for credit with change of topic.

WORKSHOPS/SEMINARS are identified by the 699- for graduate credit. The title identifies the course content and these courses may be repeated for credit with change of topic.

PREREQUISITES, if any, for enrolling in a course are stated in the course description. CONSENT indicates required approval by a division chairperson, program director, or school director unless stated otherwise.

A course available for registration in more than one department is printed with full description in the primary department. It is listed in the others with a CROSS REFERENCE. Students have the option to register for the course in the department with the cross reference if they so specify.

A COURSE FAILING TO GAIN A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF STUDENTS MAY BE CANCELED AND WITHDRAWN FROM THE SCHEDULE OF OFFERINGS FOR ANY SEMESTER OR SESSION.