The Academic and Course Grade Appeal Process exists for students to request an equitable and orderly process to resolve academic dissatisfaction at the college. This may include final grades, instructional procedures, attendance, instructional quality and situations related to academic issues (available at: 2.62 – Academic and Course Grade Appeal).
Students returning to Ozarks Tech after an absence of three consecutive years or longer, with a cumulative OTC GPA of less than 2.0, may apply for Academic Fresh Start in order to recover from a deficient GPA. Ozarks Tech limits this opportunity to those cases in which the student’s prior record does not reflect their current maturity with respect to motivation, attitude and ability. For more information, see Policy 5.31-Academic Fresh Start.
Ozarks Tech expects students to act as responsible members of the college community and to be honest and ethical in all academic work. Students are responsible for the content and integrity of the work they submit.
Violations of academic integrity may result in consequences including lowered or failing grades, assignment penalties, or expulsion for serious or repeated offenses. See Policy 2.22 – Academic Integrity).
What is Academic Integrity?
Academic integrity means:
- Doing your own work and submitting only your own work, unless otherwise permitted
- Following all instructor and college instructions for assignments and assessments
- Using proper citation and acknowledging sources
- Adhering to course requirements outlined in the syllabus
What are Academic Integrity Violations?
Violations include, but are not limited to:
- Plagiarism – Using another’s words, ideas, or work without proper acknowledgment
- Cheating – Using unauthorized materials or misrepresenting your knowledge
- Fabrication – Falsifying or inventing information or data
- Collusion – Assisting or allowing another to commit academic dishonesty
- Academic Misconduct – Violating college policies, such as tampering with grades or misrepresenting identity
Some violations may also have legal or professional consequences.
Your Responsibilities as a Student:
As a student, you are expected to:
- Act honestly and ethically in all coursework
- Submit only your own work
- Understand your course syllabus and academic integrity expectations
- Ask your instructor if you are unsure about citations or collaboration
What Happens If a Violation Occurs?
If your instructor believes you have committed an academic integrity violation, they have the authority to:
- Require you to reattempt the assignment or assessment
- Require completion of an alternative assignment or assessment
- Lower your score on the assignment or assessment
- Assign a zero for the assignment or assessment
If one of these actions is taken, your instructor will notify you via your Ozarks Tech email. This communication will include:
- The specific charge
- The evidence supporting the charge
- Information about the appeal process
When Additional Review is Required
If your instructor recommends consequences beyond those listed above, or in cases of serious or repeated violations, the situation will be formally reviewed by:
- The appropriate Department Chair or Program Director
- The appropriate Division Dean (and location Dean/Director, if applicable)
- The Dean of Students
After review, a final decision will be made. The Dean of Students will communicate that decision to you via Ozarks Tech email.
Appeals
If you wish to challenge the accusation or outcome, you must follow the Academic Course Grade Appeal process outlined in Policy 2.62.
Students seeking accommodation to address a barrier to access in their college courses should contact Access & Accommodation Resources (AAR). Visit the AAR webpage for more information and to Apply for Services – Access and Accommodation. Ozarks Tech’s Student Disability Accommodation Policy.
The college expects students to regularly attend classes and labs. For more information, see Policy 2.61 Attendance Requirements.
Lack of attendance may result in a student being administratively withdrawn from a course, which may have an effect on a student’s financial aid. For more information, see Policy 2.64 Administrative Withdrawal From a Course.
When the published last date to drop/withdraw has passed, a late withdrawal may be considered for a student who experiences non-academic emergencies which interfere or prevent the completion of their coursework. Typically, circumstances (non-academic emergencies) that warrant an approval fall into one of three categories: medical, personal or financial. Late withdrawals are not granted unless there is a compelling reason for such requests. Students requesting a late withdrawal will need to clearly explain in writing how and/or why their non-academic emergency impacted their studies and why they could not drop before the published last date to drop/withdraw.
For more information about the Late Withdrawal process, including the Petition for Late Withdrawal, please visit Late Withdrawal.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records, including the right to access those records within forty-five (45) days of a request to do so and the right to not have personally identifiable information contained in student records disclosed without prior written consent (unless FERPA authorizes such a disclosure). For more information, see Policy 5.14 – Student Records – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or visit FERPA (Rights to Privacy).