Student Handbook
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Signum Student Handbook SECTION 1: INTRODUCING SIGNUM UNIVERSITY 3 A. Mission 3 B. Core Values 3 C. History 4 SECTION 2: LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AT SIGNUM’S GRADUATE SCHOOL 5 A. Master of Arts in Language and Literature 5 Credit Transfer Policy 6 B. Certificate Programs 6 C. Auditing Options 6 SECTION 3: GETTING STARTED AS A CREDIT STUDENT AT SIGNUM 7 A. Application 7 Application Requirements 7 Application Process 7 B. Registration 7 C. Enrollment Agreement 8 D. Financial Information 8 Tuition 8 Books and Required Materials 9 Payment Plan 9 Financial Assistance 9 SECTION 4: TAKING CLASSES AT SIGNUM 10 A. How Our Courses Work 10 Lectures in Live Courses and Flex Courses 10 Discussion Sessions 10 B. Signum’s Online Learning Environment 11 Updated 8/20/18 1 Live Lectures 11 Faculty-Student Interaction 11 Student Support and Resources 12 Course Pages 12 Discussion Sessions 12 C. Class Attendance 12 D. Assignments and Examinations 13 E. Grades 14 F. Withdrawal and Incomplete Policy 14 Withdrawals 14 Refunds 15 Incompletes 15 G. Thesis 15 H. Academic Honesty 16 I. Student Privacy and Rights 16 Student Rights under FERPA 16 Release of Academic Information 17 Access to Records without Written Consent 17 Request to Restrict Information 18 Information by Email 18 J. Accessibility 18 K. Student Evaluations 18 SECTION 5: STUDENT SERVICES AT SIGNUM 18 A. Student Support 18 B. Communications and Questions 18 C. Complaints and Resolutions 19 Filing a Complaint 19 D. Transcript Requests 20 E. Library 20 F. Writer’s Forge 20 G. Community Hearth 21 Updated 8/20/18 2 H. Work-Study Program 21 Work-Study Eligibility 22 SECTION 7: SIGNUM’S CODE OF CONDUCT 22 SECTION 1: INTRODUCING SIGNUM UNIVERSITY A. Mission Signum University believes that education should be accessible, dynamic, and affordable. Signum University establishes a completely digital campus that promotes a vibrant academic community for our students and faculty, provides career-growth enrichment for our staff, and pushes the frontiers of online education. B. Core Values Signum’s mission is accomplished through the application of the University’s core values. Education is interactive and informative. Signum University believes a strong learning community is one in which students and professors can grow together in a context of high-quality academics. The University’s virtual campus is designed to make that community a reality, delivering both the relational and academic components of a true liberal arts education. Online education is valuable. Signum University embraces the flexibility and richness of online education. Its learning environment incorporates both traditional and state-of-the-art educational models to provide a dynamic platform that is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. The University continuously invests in this campus to develop Signum’s innovative academic opportunities. Excellent education is affordable. Signum University offers affordable education. It believes everyone who desires to learn should afford to invest in their education. With this belief in mind, the University matches its accessible platform with attainable tuition so that more people might benefit from continued, and even lifelong, education. Updated 8/20/18 3 Rewarding education is accomplished through teamwork. Signum University fosters an amicable and productive relationship between faculty and staff to the enrichment of all. Its philosophy requires that faculty and staff work together with students, using a team-oriented approach focusing on individual responsibility and gifts, to create an exceptional learning experience. Signum also believes that, given this approach, staff and faculty should be rewarded in full for the work they accomplish. Lasting education is thorough. Signum University helps its students pursue their chosen area of study through online education. As part of this vision, the University teaches students how to interact with academics, personalize their curricula, and communicate meaningfully with peers and colleagues, all with the goal of contributing to their fields of research now and in the future. C. History When he was working as a tenured literature professor, Dr. Corey Olsen decided to experiment with sharing his classroom lectures on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien through a podcast called The Tolkien Professor. The podcast quickly surpassed a million downloads, and its success prompted Dr. Olsen to experiment further by bringing in listeners to discuss Tolkien’s legendarium at length through a seminar-style series on The Silmarillion. As The Tolkien Professor’s audience grew, Dr. Olsen discovered more and more people who had a desire to study speculative literature: fantasy, science fiction, mythology, fairy tales, and so forth. While some colleges and universities offered electives in such subjects, no dedicated programs existed to fulfill the demand. Thus, in 2011, Dr. Olsen offered his first online, graduate-level, for-credit course on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien while continuing to engage audiences through free programs such as “Riddles in the Dark” on The Tolkien Professor podcast and the Mythgard Academy lecture series. To better accommodate the growing number of students seeking a Master of Arts in Language and Literature, Dr. Olsen created Signum University in 2012. Today, the Graduate School at Signum University continues to blaze a trail in online learning through innovative program design and digital campus technologies, with a focus on keeping costs extremely low compared to both traditional universities and other online learning programs. There are now four concentrations, certificate programs, and auditing options in addition to the M. A. degree at the heart of Signum’s Graduate School. Meanwhile, Mythgard Institute remains a separate branch of the Updated 8/20/18 4 University focused on producing free, inventive educational programming for people of all ages through the ongoing Tolkien Professor podcast, Mythgard Academy book discussions, the Mythgard Movie Club, and forays into the virtual world of Middle-earth through Lord of the Rings Online. SECTION 2: LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AT SIGNUM’S GRADUATE SCHOOL A. Master of Arts in Language and Literature Students who wish to earn their Master of Arts in Language and Literature must successfully complete a total of 36 credit hours at Signum University’s Graduate School. We offer a flexible timeframe to complete these requirements: you are granted a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 7 years to finish your degree program. During that time, you are welcome to take most courses at the pace that best suits you. To receive an M.A. in Language and Literature, you must complete: ● 3 credit hours of Research Methods (taken as one of your first 4 courses) ● 6 credit hours of language (two courses) ● 6 credit hours of literature (two courses) ● 15 credit hours of language and/or literature courses in combination ● 6 credit hours of thesis planning and writing (after completing the above requirements): o LITZ 6398: Thesis Planning o LITZ 6399: Master’s Thesis Upon successfully completing the required courses and presenting a thesis project, you will be awarded their M.A. in Language and Literature. M.A. students may choose to specialize in one of four concentrations: ● Tolkien Studies, which focuses on the life, creative writings, and academic studies of J.R.R. Tolkien ● Imaginative Literature, which includes fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction, popular culture and other imaginative stories from myths and legends and pre-Tolkienian fantasy tales to modern sagas with sprawling worlds and technology-filled accounts of future and far-off societies ● Germanic Philology, which emphasizes the relationship between language and literature, and it explores the development of English language and Updated 8/20/18 5 literature from the earliest stories, such as Beowulf, through Chaucer’s work and beyond ● Classic Literature, which focuses on Classical (Greek and Latin) languages and literature, Middle English, Medieval literature, the Renaissance and the Early Modern period (including Shakespeare). Waivers and adjustments to academic requirements can be formally requested. Students are advised to discuss their concerns with their Signum Advisor for guidance in these matters. Credit Transfer Policy The Graduate School is happy to work with students to accept transfer credits from previous studies at a nationally or regionally accredited higher education institutions, especially those that are equivalent or similar to courses within the M.A. program, pending approval from the Department Chair. However, the number of transfer credits may not exceed at any time one half of the number of credits required for the degree. B. Certificate Programs Signum University understands that there are many people who enjoy learning what they love, but who do not necessarily want or need a graduate degree. For those people, we have created a program that allows them to take our graduate-level courses to earn credit towards a certificate in one of several concentrations. The courses and course requirements for the certificate program are exactly the same as those taken for M.A. credit. The only difference is that for a certificate program, you will take only five credit classes (15 credit hours) and do not need to complete a thesis. C. Auditing Options Students who wish to audit Signum classes for personal interest have three options. 1. As a Premiere auditor, you may participate in live lectures during the first run of a new course; you also have access to recorded lectures, class materials, and a discussion forum. Updated 8/20/18 6 2. As a Discussion auditor, you receive full access to current courses, including the ability to attend weekly live discussion sessions led by a Preceptor. 3. As an Anytime auditor, you learn at your own pace with access to recorded lectures, class materials, and a discussion forum. SECTION 3: GETTING STARTED AS A CREDIT STUDENT AT SIGNUM A. Application The Graduate School application, which is required for the M.A. and certificate programs, is conveniently located online at http://signumuniversity.org/admissions/apply/.