Discover What Matters. and Build Your Life Around
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AURORA UNIVERSITY GRADUATE CATALOG 2014–2015 AURORA UNIVERSITY CATALOG GRADUATE Discover what matters. And build your life around it. Graduate Catalog 2014–2015 Welcome to Aurora University At Aurora University, we understand that students pursue higher education for many different reasons. Some enroll in preparation for specific careers or because they are passionate about certain academic disciplines or activities. Others come because they have discerned vocational callings and want to serve the needs of others or to advance the well-being of society as a whole. Many earn their degrees in anticipation of a new chapter in their lives or seek the skills and knowledge necessary to advance in today’s competitive work environment. Our mission is to affirm our students’ educational purposes and to champion their fulfillment. For this reason, AU students learn in a variety of different settings. Our Aurora, Illinois campus offers a traditional collegiate environment for undergraduate and graduate study, while our Wisconsin-based George Williams College campus provides a wooded, lakeside alternative for students in selected academic disciplines. AU also has a growing center in McHenry County and takes its curriculum directly into a number of workplaces throughout the region. Regardless of the reasons our students choose AU or the specific campus environment in which they earn their degrees, we are confident that the experience will be truly life-changing. This is what we mean in our mission statement, when we describe our singular dedication to “the transformative power of learning.” The benefits of this kind of an education are explicit and may be measured in terms of specific outcomes. But they are also timeless and enduring. That’s why we encourage each AU student to “discover what matters and build your life around it.” Rebecca L. Sherrick, PhD President 2014–2015 Graduate Catalog Academic Policies, Academic Programs and Course Descriptions An independent university founded in 1893 Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission; Member — North Central Association ncahlc.org 312-263-0456 Aurora University 347 S. Gladstone Ave. Aurora, IL 60506-4892 630-892-6431 (All Locations) 630-844-5294 (Center for Adult and Graduate Studies) 800-742-5281 (Admission) 630-844-6854, fax (Admission) aurora.edu [email protected] 2 Aurora University TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Welcome .......................................................inside front cover General Information About Aurora University: History...............................................................................................................4 Mission Statement ...........................................................................................5 Statement of Core Values ...............................................................................5 Vision Statement..............................................................................................5 Governance.......................................................................................................6 Accreditation ....................................................................................................6 Approved Licensure Programs.......................................................................7 Nondiscrimination Policy ...............................................................................7 Affirmative Action............................................................................................7 Campus Facilities and Sites ............................................................................8 Catalog Statements and Terms of Issue ........................................................8 Waivers and Exceptions to Academic Regulations......................................9 Graduate Programs of Study .........................................................................9 Center for Adult and Graduate Studies.......................................................10 Academic Regulations and Procedures ...................................................12 Graduate Admission ......................................................................................12 General Graduate Admission Procedures ..................................................12 Admission to Graduate Programs................................................................13 Term of Entry..................................................................................................13 International Students ..................................................................................13 Special Admission Status ..............................................................................14 Earning Multiple Degrees.............................................................................14 Transfer of Credit ...........................................................................................15 Veterans ...........................................................................................................15 Registration.....................................................................................................15 Late Registration............................................................................................16 Billing/Registration Policy............................................................................16 Adding and Dropping Courses .....................................................................17 Full- and Part-Time Enrollment...................................................................17 Attendance Policy...........................................................................................18 Application of Academic Regulations .........................................................19 Leave of Absence Regulations .....................................................................20 Financial Aid...................................................................................................21 Tuition, Fees and Other Expenses................................................................21 Academic Standards......................................................................................22 Graduate Grading System ............................................................................22 Grade Point Calculation................................................................................24 Change of Permanent Grades ......................................................................24 Code of Academic Integrity..........................................................................26 2014-2015 Graduate Catalog 3 Classroom Conduct Policy............................................................................30 Course Enrollment and Classroom Environment Policy..........................30 Time Limit for Completion of Master’s Degrees .......................................30 Requirements for Graduation ......................................................................31 Graduation Policies and Procedures............................................................31 Transcript Regulations..................................................................................33 Course Code System ......................................................................................33 Special Educational Experiences and Credit .............................................34 Student Life.............................................................................................37 Student Life Services.....................................................................................37 Disability Policy .............................................................................................38 Financial Aid Rights and Responsibilities .................................................40 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act...............................................44 Graduate Academic Programs.................................................................47 Directories .............................................................................................................219 Board of Trustees, Administration, Faculty .............................................223 Campus Map..........................................................................................................259 Academic Calendars 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 .........................................260 Index .......................................................................................................................262 4 Aurora University AURORA UNIVERSITY A Brief History of Aurora University Aurora University traces its origins to the 1893 founding of a seminary in the small town of Mendota, Illinois. Though established initially to prepare graduates for ministry, the institution soon adopted a broader mission and moved to a new campus on the western edge of the nearby community of Aurora. With this change came a different name and a growing enrollment. When World War II ended, the campus population swelled again as veterans enrolled in the college’s innovative evening degree program. The 1970s and 1980s saw an expansion of curricular offerings in a number of professional fields and the awarding of advanced degrees in selected disciplines. These changes culminated in the 1985 decision to rechris- ten the institution Aurora University. A Brief History of George Williams College The roots of George Williams College run deep in the YMCA movement of the 19th century. In 1884, leaders from America’s