Admissions Info

Admissions Info

Admission Procedure

Admission to CapStone University is based on evidence of a student's ability to benefit from its educational program. Such evidence may include any or all of the following: student's academic record in other institutions, professional experience, motivation and educational objectives.

The Admissions Officer receives and processes all applications and evaluates them, for completeness. Applicants will be notified in writing as the status of their application.

Student Enrollment Agreement

The student is required to sign the Student Enrollment Agreement Form upon acceptance to the University and is to retain a copy in his/her files.

Enrollment Period

The enrollment period for students enrolled in the Bachelors and Master's programs is no more than thirty-six months. The enrollment period for the DBA program is no more than sixty months. It is expected that all students will complete their programs in that time. Students who do not expect to complete their program in the enrollment period may contact the Academic Dean to explain their extenuating circumstances and request an extension.

Provisional Admission

Applicants who do not meet all admission requirements may be considered for acceptance on a provisional basis. Students on provisional status may matriculate into a degree program but must satisfy all provisional requirements by the end of the second quarter of enrollment. Students who do not satisfy provisional requirements will not be permitted to continue taking classes.

Continuous Enrollment

Enrollment is continuous. Students need not wait for a new quarter to begin the program.

Faculty Advisors

Students are advised and counseled by Faculty Advisors and are individually guided through independent study by faculty members through e-mail, the mail, telephone, or fax.

Student Records/Retention of Student Records

A file is maintained in the Office of the Registrar for each student and contains information pertaining to application, catalog, finances and transcripts. These files are maintained a minimum of five years and are available at the primary administrative location in Riverside, California. Student transcripts are retained for fifty years.

Student Rights under FERPA

From time to time employers, parents, and others request information from the University about a particular student. With few exceptions, Federal law (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA) prevents the school from disclosing academic records, student disciplinary matters, student finances, and other personally identifiable educational records without the student's express written permission. Students also have the following rights under FERPA.

The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar or Academic Dean written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The University official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

The right to request the amendment of the student's education records the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. The student should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record he or she wants changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided at that time.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is defined as a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the University discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning, alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20202-4605

In accordance with Section 99.37 of the FERPA regulations, the University reserves the right to publish directory information about students, including the student's name, local address and phone number, and academic program (including major, minor, and concentration).

Nullification of Application

An applicant's file remains open for six (6) months. If an application is not complete within six (6) months of submission of the application form, the application will be nullified. To be reconsidered, the applicant must then reapply for admission, pay the application fee in effect at the time of the reapplication, and submit all transcripts of any academic work completed at another institution subsequent to the original applicant date, together with transcripts from the original submission, letters of reference, and a new Statement of Academic Intent, if required.

Course Completion time requirements: CSU operates on a twelve (12) week per quarter basis and requires that all course work be completed in the quarter of enrollment. Normally students enroll for three courses per quarter. Each course is designed for completion within a four-week period of time and it is expected that students, working with responsible diligence will complete each course within this time period. In the event of hardship, students may apply for an extension of completion time. These requests will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Academic Discipline

You must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 (undergraduate) or 3.0 (graduate) in order to graduate. You must demonstrate your ability to progress toward graduation by achieving at least this minimum level of performance each quarter.

Academic Probation

If your cumulative GPA drops below the minimum for your program (2.0 for undergraduates, 3.0 for graduate students), or if your semester GPA is below the minimum for two consecutive semesters, you will be placed on Academic Probation. At the discretion of the Academic Dean you may be limited to a class load of five (5) quarter hours. You may also be required to participate in supervised study.

If you are placed on Academic Probation you have one quarter in which to raise your cumulative GPA above the minimum for your program.

Academic Alert

If you are on Academic Probation and you raise your cumulative GPA significantly at the end of the first quarter on probation, yet you have not reached a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (3.0 for graduate students), then the Academic Dean may place you on Academic Alert. If, at the end of the quarter on Academic Alert, you are able to bring your cumulative GPA to the required program minimum GPA, then the Academic Alert classification will be lifted. If your cumulative GPA still does not reach the minimum, you will face Academic Dismissal.

Academic Dismissal

If your cumulative GPA has not significantly improved at the end of your first quarter on Academic Probation, or if you have a third quarter with a semester GPA below the required minimum, then you will be Academically Dismissed and may not continue taking courses for credit.

When Academic Dismissal occurs, you must wait at least one quarter before applying for re-admission to the college.

Honesty

Cheating is a violation of professional integrity and cannot be tolerated. Examples of cheating include copying from another student's paper or test, receiving information from a student who has already taken a test, giving a student information about a test, and falsifying a report. Another form of cheating is plagiarism, which involves using someone else's ideas or words without giving credit. If you quote material, you must use quotation marks and an appropriate citation. If you paraphrase material, then you must use an appropriate citation.

A student found cheating will receive a "0" for the assignment or test and will be reported to the Academic Dean for discipline. Such discipline may include a Restorative Action Plan or dismissal, as determined by the Academic Dean. If you are aware of cheating or plagiarism, you should report it to the professor immediately.

Non-academic Discipline

As enrolled students, students are members of the CSU community, and serve as representatives of the University. They may be subject to discipline if they violate the standards of personal conduct listed in Appendix B: Student Code of Conduct.

Student Right to Appeal

If you have been subjected to academic discipline, yet you believe that your academic problems were due to extenuating circumstances unknown to the University administration, you may submit a written statement to the Academic Dean. In your statement, you should indicate:

Specific reasons for the unsatisfactory progress; and

Specific plans for improving grades in the immediate future.

The Dean will consult with the President and faculty in arriving at a decision. If the appeal is granted, the student may return for one quarter under Academic Probation.

Withdrawals / Cancellation and Refund Policy

A student has the right to cancel the Enrollment Agreement, withdraw from the University and receive the proper refund (see pg. 23) at anytime by providing a written notice to:

Registrar, CapStone University
1550 Elizabeth St., Suite M11
Pasadena, CA 91114
Phone (626) 768-3333
Fax (626) 768-3398
email csu@university.edu

Withdrawal

Unforeseen circumstances may require a student to withdraw from the university. If this seems to be your case, you should talk with the Academic Dean. If the situation does indeed warrant withdrawal and there are no other acceptable options, you will be directed to the Registrar's Office to initiate the formal withdrawal process.

Withdrawal involves submitting, in writing, your reason for withdrawing, settling all financial accounts, and taking care of any other school business pertinent to the student. If refunds are due, they will be paid only if proper withdrawal procedures are followed.

A student who follows proper withdrawal procedures and whose reason for withdrawal is approved by the administration will receive W/P on his/her transcript for all courses the student is passing. Otherwise, W/F will be assigned. The administration will seek to work in the best interest of the student when approving or disapproving a withdrawal. A student who is suspended or dismissed from the university for disciplinary reasons will receive W/F for each course in which he or she is enrolled.

Attendance/Drop-out/Leave of Absence Policy

Attendance

Students in the correspondence mode of education have no attendance requirements; students involved in any "in class" courses will be required to attend a minimum of 70% of their classroom activities for each course. (This attendance requirement may be higher for some classes; see the syllabus for course-specific requirements.)

Dropout

If we have not heard from a student (no course work, nor any correspondence for a period of time representing 150% of the normal allocated time for each course) the student is considered to have dropped out of the program. Most courses are designed for completion in a month; thus a lack of correspondence for 45 days would have a student considered as a dropout. A student may petition for reinstatement by sending a written request explaining the circumstance. (A reinstatement fee of $100 may be administered.)

Leave of Absence Policy

A leave of absence must be requested; the request needs to be submitted to the Registrar's office. Acceptance or rejection as well as conditions will be resolved and defined within seven (7) days of receipt of the request.

Academic Freedom

We regard academic freedom as a trust that encourages the scholarly pursuit of truth in each academic discipline. All faculty members are encouraged to seek wisdom and understanding, acquire knowledge and teach others. Therefore, faculty need not fear where their pursuit of knowledge and wisdom may lead, but rather be guided by their conscience and judgment.

Academic freedom is entrusted to every faculty member. Academic freedom is always found within a context of standards or norms. Therefore, CapStone University defines academic freedom within the following context of standards or norms for its faculty members:

Academic freedom functions within CSU's mission statement. Specifically, within the mission statement, the faculty member takes the role of being a leader in order to model leadership to students. Academic freedom serves to make the University a center of scholarly thought and social action. CSU's mission "to offer lifelong learning opportunities to a diverse population of adult learners" can be achieved only if faculty members demonstrate traditionally accepted ethical principles of life and living in the classroom.

"The teacher is a citizen, a member of a learned profession and an officer of an educational institution" ("Academic Freedom and Tenure, 1940 Statement of Principles and Interpretive Comments," American Association of College Professors). What faculty say or do as private citizens outside their own area of professional competence cannot be justified on the grounds of academic freedom. The public will judge the University by the faculty's utterances. Consequently, accuracy, proper restraint and respect for the rights of others to express their opinions shall be exercised by faculty speaking in public as private citizens. These considerations are not meant to restrict the faculty's ability to make public utterances on topics outside of their discipline, but to encourage faculty to use wisdom and discretion.

The University does not restrict faculty as private citizens from speaking out politically, or from addressing the wrongs in society. Faculty members are free to hold public office so long as holding that office does not interfere with fulfillment of contractual duties.

Exercising academic freedom requires responsibility and propriety in the pursuit of truth, as well as complete honesty and loyalty to the college's mission statement.

Academic freedom at CSU is framed by the context of the college's mission statement and is consistent with the standards and norms stated in this academic freedom policy. Faculty members are free to pursue truth within their discipline by research, discussion and other forms of inquiry. This freedom carries a responsibility to truth, to scholarly integrity and to one's students.

Faculty members may not use their position or classroom as a platform to demand adherence by students to a personal viewpoint, political preference or social agenda. If an individual believes that a faculty member has violated the University's mission statement, he or she should confront that faculty member with the charges. If the issue is not resolved, these two individuals should meet with the Academic Dean. At this point, documentary evidence must be presented.

The Academic Dean may dismiss the matter or refer it to the standing Hearing Committee if he or she determines that there may be a violation of academic freedom. The committee conducts their hearing consistent with policies outlined in the Contract Termination policy and makes a recommendation regarding the disposition of the matter to the president. The president makes a final decision.

This statement is consistent with the recommendations of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) in general (http://www.aaup.org/com-a/index.htm) and with the AAUP's 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure (http://www.aaup.org/statements/Redbook/1940stat.htm). Note that CSU does not intend, by adopting this policy, to institute a tenure system.




Enrollment Agreement Enrollment Period Provisional Admission Continuous Enrollment Faculty Advisors Student Records Student Rights under FERPA Nullification of Application Academic Discipline Right to Appeal Withdrawals and Cancellation Attendance Dropout Leave of Absence Academic Freedom

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