Online Course Delivery
Students are required to post essays several times a week in response to instructor questions. These essays should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the week's topic(s) and should be written in proper APA style including citations from primary and secondary sources. Additionally, students are required to respond to the posts of other students in the classroom, providing additional information to their writing or possibly challenging the student's position in a professional and scholarly manner. Points will be applied to these weekly posts as part of the instructor's grading rubric. Points are also assigned for individual projects, group projects, research or project papers, and participation in real time teleconferences if they are a part of the course syllabus.

Academic Residency Courses
These face-to-face courses and workshops are graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Attendance, participation, and appropriate and ethical conduct in the hands-on work are the criteria for this grading system.

Externships and Field Projects
These courses are graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Attendance, participation, and appropriate and ethical conduct in the hands-on work are the criteria for this grading system. In some cases, a written research or project paper or report may also be required by the syllabus and would then be a part of the grade for the course.

College Grading Rubric:

Methods for assessment for each course are determined by individual instructors under the college grading system criteria. This includes tests, projects, papers, and reports. The final course grade is based on several criteria as described in each syllabus. Final grades are posted in each student's online classroom grade book at the end of each semester and are calculated by the total number of points earned for each course. These grades become part of the permanent academic record and transcript and are not subject to change except on authorization of the instructor or appropriate dean. The university does not release grades prior to the posting of final grades. Grades and academic standing are not released over the telephone.

The following scale will determine the total grade earned: View: Grading Conversion Chart to convert your GPA
A = 90 - 100%
B = 80 - 89%
C = 70 - 79%
F = 69% and below
I = Incomplete

1. A grade of "A" (4.0 = superior) is for work that is superior when compared to other students. This means that all participation requirements have been met, exam grades are of an A status, all on-line assignments completed on time, and a research paper of superior quality has been submitted.

2. A grade of "B" (3.0 = satisfactory) is assigned to students who meet all course requirements in a manner that reflects high quality thinking, all participation requirements have been met, exam grades are of a B status, and who submit a paper that is considered average in quality for a student.

3. A grade of "C" (2.0 = marginal) is assigned to students who meet the majority of participation requirements, exam grades are of a C status, and submit a research paper that meets the requirements of the instructor. However, the overall quality of the work submitted is below the average of that usually expected of a student.

4. A grade of "F" (0 = unsatisfactory) is assigned to those students who do not meet the criteria specified for a "C" grade.

5. A grade of "I" (incomplete) is assigned to students who negotiate the "I" with the course instructor. The Incomplete must be requested by e-mail prior to the date established by the instructor but no later than the 15th day of the last month of the quarter. The following minimum conditions must be met:

(a) all on-line participation requirements have been met, (b) any and all on-line writing assignments were submitted on time, and (c) a draft of the research paper was submitted on time.

All required coursework must be submitted to the instructor no later than the first day of the third month of the quarter following the one in which the "I" was awarded. No student will be allowed to proceed to the following term with an incomplete grade. Failure to complete the required work for a given course within a specified time will result in a grade of "F". All required courses must be successfully completed in order to graduate.

Minimum Requirement for an Award
A student must meet all of the requirements of the course syllabus in order to be awarded a certificate of completion, diploma, or degree from ACAS. The standards for progress are the same as the grading policy. No formal report is issued to the student until completion of each course. The student will receive ongoing, on-line feedback from the instructor as she/he submits her/his work.

Termination
Once suspended, a student will have no more than one year to return to the school, and meet the school's standards to successfully complete their course or program. Students who fail to do so, will be dismissed and their enrollments terminated. If a student is terminated from a Course or Program, a pro rata refund will be calculated in accordance with the school's published refund policy.

Termination Date: The termination date for refund computation purposes is the last date of actual attendance by the student unless earlier written notice is received.

In the case of prolonged illness, accident, death in the family or other mitigating circumstances that would make it impossible for the student to complete the course, the student and school will negotiate a reasonable settlement. The last date of actual attendance by the student will be considered the termination date unless earlier written notice is received. Refunds are made directly to the student within thirty (30) business days.