POLICY 2.44: Grading Scale

Policy

To establish and maintain standards of academic excellence, the following grading scale is used at VFMC for all classes and by all faculty/instructors.

*Grades of P (Pass) and NP (No Pass) are only earned in ESL.

The P/NP grade is calculated into the credits attempted and earned (for financial aid purposes), but not included in the term or cumulative GPA calculations.

Credits earned in ESL courses do not count toward graduation requirements.

Policy Owner(s)

– Provost
– Registrar

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog
– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2012
– Updated: 2017
– Updated: 2019
– Evaluated and Reaffirmed: 2022

POLICY 2.45: Course Repeat/Grade Replacement

Policy

A student may repeat a course in which their original grade was a grade of “D” or lower. However, a student may not repeat a course after completing the next course in a sequence. For example, a student may not repeat EN101 after completing EN102.

Only the repeated grade will be calculated into the cumulative GPA and be reflected on the transcript with “R” indicating the course was repeated.

Procedure

– N/A

Policy Owner(s)

– Provost
– Registrar

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog
– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2012
– Evaluated and Reaffirmed: 2022

POLICY 3.03: Grade Appeal and Student Academic Grievance Procedure

Policy

A student may not appeal a grade assigned by faculty during the academic semester, but may speak with the faculty member and the Provost, if necessary, about their concerns regarding grading and faculty academic conduct. The faculty member (and Provost, if involved) will work with the student to find a solution during the semester. If a student believes their concerns were not addressed, once a final grade has been assigned for a course by the Office of the Registrar, the student has the right to appeal. A student may appeal final grades which they can clearly demonstrate were assigned arbitrarily, capriciously, and/or because of prejudice or clerical error by the faculty member of the course. No other reason for a grade change will be accepted. The process for appealing a grade is delineated in this policy.

Procedure

1. The student contacts the faculty member and attempts to settle any disputes within one week after the beginning of the following semester (summer excluded). If the faculty member agrees, he/she must submit a Grade Change Form to the Provost.

2. If the faculty member does not agree, the student may submit a Grade Appeal Request Form directly to the Provost within one week of the meeting with the faculty member . The written letter of appeal must contain the following information:

a. Reason for grade change request:

i. Any information regarding an arbitrary grade awarded inconsistently with the published grading scale in the course syllabus;

ii. Any information regarding a capricious grade awarded with no basis on actual work performance or submission in the course;

iii. Any information regarding a prejudicial grade awarded based on race, religion, nationality or gender; and

iv. Any information regarding a clerical error found in grade computation; for example, mathematical errors, processing paperwork, etc.

b. Evidence to support the claim of an error by the faculty member.

The faculty member must submit a detailed explanation of the criteria and calculation for the student’s grade on the Grade Appeal Response Form⠀

3. The Provost will make a determination after reviewing the student’s claim and the faculty member’s response. The Provost will sanction the grade change, if evidence is shown to support one of the four reasons listed above. If evidence is not submitted or another reason is presented, the request will be denied. A written response of the decision will be sent to the student and the faculty member. This correspondence will be forwarded via the Appeal Decision Form.

4. A grade appeal must be resolved by the end of the following semester, summer session excluded.

5. In the event that an appeal is submitted regarding a grade assigned by an faculty member no longer employed at VFMC, the appeal should be made directly to the Provost. The Provost will gather as much grade evidence as possible to make a determination if an appeal should be approved or rejected and make the determination on that evidence.

6. If the appeal results in a grade change, the faculty member will then need to complete a Grade Change Form and forward it to the Registrar for processing.

7. Grade appeal decisions made by the Provost may only be challenged, if the student can clearly demonstrate that the appeal was denied arbitrarily, capriciously, or with prejudice by the Provost. In such cases, the student may request the Dean of College Services to review the file as part of a formal grievance process.

8. Upon review of the appeal, the Dean of College Services can either dismiss the grievance, follow the grievance policy, or take the matter directly to the President for review.

Policy Owner(s)

– Provost
– Dean of College Services

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog
– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2020
– Revised: 2021
– Revised: 2022

POLICY 2.10: Program for Academic Student Success (PASS)

Policy

This Program for Academic Student Success (PASS) is designed to allow for the early identification of students who may be at risk for successful academic completion of the term and to create a plan of action to support students to achieve academic success.

The PASS plan is a four-part process that spans the course of each academic term. The process includes early detection of struggling students, gathering updates on grades throughout the semester, and conducting intervention with students for the creation of a plan of action.

Procedure

1. Early Detection: Information is compiled by the Enrollment Manager based on placement scores, high school preparation, and information from the admissions process. Those students identified as those in need of academic support or those readmitted under Academic Probation or those placed on Academic Warning will be directed to meet with the Director of Academic Success to develop a plan including, but not limited to, tutoring, academic coaching, developmental coursework, and supplemental instruction.

2. Quarter Grade Updates: At the 1st and 3rd quarter of each term, students who have earned below a C in a course, or who are recognized as struggling by the faculty, should be reported to the Registrar, who will keep a list of those students in need of support. The Registrar will report struggling students to the Director of Academic Success who will contact those students and develop a plan of action.

3. Mid-Term Reporting: At mid-term, grades will be posted for each course resulting in a mid-term GPA. A mid-term PASS Report will be generated by the Registrar and passed to the Director of Academic Success for follow up. The Registrar will also notify students on the PASS List of their status and direct them to the Director of the Academic Success Center.

4. Final Grade Reporting: At the end of each semester, grades will be posted for each course resulting in a final GPA for the semester. The final PASS List will be generated by the Registrar and passed to the Director of the Academic Success Center for follow up. The Registrar will also notify students of status as part of the Academic Warning and Academic Probation process. The Director of the Academic Success Center will engage students (per Early Detection section of this policy).

Policy Owner(s)

– Provost
– Registrar

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2021
– Evaluated and reaffirmed: 2022

POLICY 2.20: Evaluation of Transfer Credit

Policy

Valley Forge Military College accepts transfer credits from accredited colleges and universities under the following conditions:

• The cadet has earned a C or higher in the course
• The course can be equated to a VFMC course and count toward a VFMC Associates Degree
• The content of the course has at least a 70% match with the content of a VFMC course (OR) may be considered a free elective
• The course must be a 100 or 200 level course
• The GPA of coursework completed outside of VFMC will not be counted in a cadets cumulative GPA with the exception of coursework completed at Cabrini College, Rosemont College, and Eastern University

VFMC also accepts Advanced Placement (AP) scores with proof. The proof must be in the form of the official College Board score report. A cadet must earn the following in order have the AP scores transfer to VFMC and receive college credit:

• 3, 4 or 5 scored on the Advanced Placement Exam

VFMC also awards credits based on Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) based on a review of these activities by the Chief Academic Officer.

VFMC also awards credits based on the completion of massive open online courses (MOOCs) available on such websites as edX and Coursera.  To earn credit in this fashion the student must meet the following conditions:

• The student must complete a course or sequence of courses equaling at least 42 hours of coursework.
• The student must submit evidence of knowledge assessment and course completion (i.e. grades and official documentation).
• The course and evidence must be vetted and approved by the Chief Academic Officer before the credits can be accepted.

***The italicized area of this policy is an interim amendment to govern this issue until it can be reviewed by the Faculty Senate during the 2022-23 AY.

Procedure

1. New incoming students wishing to transfer college level credits to VFMC must supply official transcripts and advanced placement (AP) scores during the admissions process.

2. Returning students wishing to transfer college level credits to VFMC must supply official transcripts to the Registrar for evaluation.

3. All requests for the transfer of college level credits to VFMC will be evaluated by the Registrar and/or the Provost.

4. Students may be requested to supply additional information about their coursework including a syllabus and/ or course description.

Policy Owner(s)

– Registrar

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog
– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2019
– Evaluated and reaffirmed: 2022

POLICY 2.03: Add/Drop 

Policy

After the initial registration period, a student who wishes to add or drop a course must so on or before the second Friday of the semester. Any dropped course(s) shall not be recorded on the student’s permanent record (transcript). A student wishing to drop a course after the end of the add/drop period will receive a “W” for withdrawal on their transcript.

No students may add a course after the end of the add/drop period.

Procedure

A student wishing to add or drop a course may contact the Academic Advisor before the end of the drop/add period. A student may also directly work with the Registrar to add or drop a course. After review, the Academic Advisor may allow the student to proceed via the online registration system.

Policy Owner(s)

– Registrar

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog
– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2012
– Evaluated and updated: 2019
– Evaluated and reaffirmed: 2020
– Evaluated and updated: 2022 (modifications made to clarify policy language)

POLICY 2.13: Withdrawal Policy

Policy 

A student may withdraw from a course after the end of the Add/Drop period until two weeks prior to final exams.

Procedure

1. A student may withdraw from a course after the Add/Drop period until two weeks prior to final exams.

2. A student must complete a Withdrawal Form, have it signed by the course faculty member, their Academic Advisor, and Office of Financial Aid.

3. A student must present the completed Withdrawal Form to the Registrar in person.

4. The course withdrawal becomes official once the Registrar processes the form.

5. The course will appear on the student’s permanent academic record (transcript) with a grade of “W”.

6. No withdrawals will be processed during the last two weeks prior to final exams.

Policy Owner(s)

– Faculty
– Registrar

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog
– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2012
– Evaluated and reaffirmed: 2019
– Evaluated and reaffirmed: 2022

POLICY 2.12: Student Attendance 

Policy

Attendance in all classes is mandatory at VFMC.   All absences are to be recorded, but may be excused due to medical reasons, ROTC obligations, and obligations with the Corps of Cadets.

Procedure

1. Faculty will take attendance at each class meeting.

2. Each week, faculty will report absences (excused and unexcused) to the Registrar.

3. Faculty will notify the Registrar of excessive student absences within 10 days.

Policy Owner(s)

– Registrar

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog
– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: Unknown
– Evaluated and reaffirmed: 2022 (modifications made to clarify policy language)

POLICY 2.12.001: Week One Attendance

Policy

In accord with Title IV funding guidelines, faculty must record attendance within the first week of class.

In an online environment, attendance is defined by demonstrating that a student has participated in a face-to-face class activity or was otherwise engaged in an academically-related online activity during the first week of the class.

Procedure

– N/A

Policy Owner(s)

– Registrar

Policy Access and Publication

– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2018
– Evaluated and reaffirmed: 2020
– Evaluated and reaffirmed: 2022

POLICY 3.01: Accommodations for Students with Special Needs

Policy

It is the policy of VFMC to provide equal opportunity for academic success to all students. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008, VFMC seeks to provide equal access to its programs and services for people with disabilities.

Procedure

The Director of Academic Success serves as the coordinator at the College for students with disabilities. The Director of Academic Success identifies the education-related needs of students with diagnosed and documented disabilities and determines services and accommodations to be provided to those students to ensure optimal participation in their academic curriculum.

At the college-level, an adult student is not required to disclose his/her disability; however, if a student wants to receive reasonable accommodations, he/she must disclose that he/she has a disability, provide documentation of the disability and the need for accommodation, and specifically request the provision of such accommodations.

Students with documented learning disabilities (based on testing within the past two years) who are requesting accommodations must contact the Director of Academic Success prior to the start of the academic year or as early in the semester as possible (preferably within the first week) in order to allow for reasonable prior notice to determine eligibility and to make arrangements for accommodations, if warranted. All discussions will remain confidential.

Policy Owners

– Director of Academic Success

Policy Access and Publication

– Course Catalog
– Policy Manual

Policy Adoption and Revision History

– Adopted: 2020
– Revised: 2021
– Revised: 2022

 College Academics

 2022-2023 Course Catalog

 Academic Policies

 Academic Credit Hour Policy

 Retention: 2015 to 2022

 Graduation Rates 2015 to 2022

 Articulation Agreements

 Release of Information Policy and Procedures

 Annual FERPA Notification / FERPA Online

 Financial Aid – College

 Tuition and Fees – College For more information please refer to pages 15-18 in the Course Catalog.

 Sources of Financial Aid – Middle States For more information please refer to pages 18-23 in the Course Catalog.

 Net Price Calculator

 Immunizations

 VFMC Annual Safety & Security Report

Academic and Leadership Scholarships at Valley Forge Military College

VFMC has provided millions of dollars throughout our history to cadets to recognize them for their academic achievements and service contributions to their communities.  The College has made the financial commitment to assist our applicants with institutional awards to recognize these achievements and provide assistance to offset the financial cost of a valuable college education.  The scholarships listed below are awarded in order to a maximum of $17,000 per student per year.  Early Commissioning Program students, Prepsters, and graduates of VFMA are not eligible for these scholarships (see below for scholarships they are eligible for).  International students are eligible for these scholarships.

1. Merit ScholarshipThis scholarship is awarded for exemplary academic achievement at the secondary level.  Students applying to VFMC with a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 and a combined SAT score of 1100 or 22 on the ACT will be awarded $10,000.  Applicants who hold a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 and a combined SAT score of 1000 or ACT of 19 will be awarded $8,000.  Those applicants with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and a combined SAT score of 950 or ACT of 17 will be awarded $5,000. Cadets must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by college policies to retain their scholarship for a second year.
2. Service Award ScholarshipThis scholarship is awarded to students or dependents of active members of the U.S. military, U.S. military veterans, police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and other first responders. Other “service related” positions may be considered. Students must have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5, combined SAT of 1000 or ACT 19. Students must provide verifiable proof of qualifications. If qualified, students will be eligible for a scholarship of up to $2,500.
3. Drill Team ScholarshipAwarded to applicants who participated for at least one year in a secondary school drill unit, this scholarship is worth up to $2,000 and is renewable for a second year of study at VFMC.  Applicants must provide a letter of recommendation from their drill team advisor and make a commitment to participate in the VFMC Drill Team for the year in which the scholarship is awarded.   Cadets must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by college policies in order to retain their scholarship for a second year.
4. Regimental Band ScholarshipAwarded to applicants who participated for at least one year in a secondary school band or who have a portfolio of performances documenting a similar commitment of time to their musical craft.  This scholarship is worth up to $2,000 and is renewable for a second year of study at VFMC.  Applicants must provide a letter of a recommendation from their high school band director, and successfully complete an audition for the Valley Forge Regimental Band Director. This scholarship is renewable for one year of study at VFMC.  Cadets must maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by college policies in order to retain their scholarship for a second year.
5. Cornerstone Leadership ScholarshipThis scholarship is awarded to any applicant with a demonstrated commitment to the ideals of Valley Forge Military College and a desire to foster those ideals on campus.  Students must apply for this scholarship through the Enrollment Manager, by providing two letters of recommendation from non-family members familiar with their leadership abilities or potential, and they must complete a 1,000-word essay to be reviewed by the scholarship committee regarding how they live the ideals of Valley Forge’s Five Cornerstones of academic excellence, character development, personal motivation, physical development, and leadership.  This scholarship is worth up to between $2,000 and $7,000 per year.

Prepster Scholarship to Valley Forge Military College

The Prepster Program at VFMC is a special program available to applicants with the stated aim of attending one of the five national service academies or one of the eleven senior military colleges.  Those cadets participating in this program are awarded a full room and board scholarship, and a grant to cover the additional training that comes with the program.

Applicants to the program must hold a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 and a combined SAT score of 1000 or ACT of 19.  They must test into Precalculus and be ready for introductory English class.  These cadets must sign a written commitment to apply to a service academy or senior military college by the end of their first year at VFMC and they must submit their application on time for consideration.  They must agree to meet with the Prepster Program Director and Advisor and participate in the enhanced training that is part of this program.

Hard Charger Scholarship for Graduates of Valley Forge Military Academy

This scholarship is awarded to any graduate of Valley Forge Military Academy who chooses to attend VFMC in the year after their graduation from the Academy.  This scholarship covers room and board expenses and provides a merit scholarship of $1,500 for those with a GPA of over 2.0.  Awardees must have spent a minimum of one year at the Academy.

US Army Early Commissioning ROTC Program Scholarship

Interested students must apply through the Valley Forge ROTC office.  The scholarship covers full tuition and some fees.  VFMC provides all ECP awardees with a full room and board scholarship.  Eligibility for this program includes a cumulative 2.5 GPA, combined SAT score of 920 or 19 on the ACT, passing of the DOD medical exam, as well as other citizenship, age, and character requirements.

Title IX Policy and Reporting Form

• Title IX Grievance Procedures
• Title IX Training Slides (Downloadable .ppt Presentation Slides)
• Title IX Student Grievance Form

Non-Title IX Student Grievance Policies and Forms

⠀
The Student Grievance Form for all non-Title IX matters can be completed here.
⠀

• Grade Appeal and Student Academic Grievance Procedure
• Non Academic Grievance Procedure

Agency Contact Information for Student Complaints

Policy

Valley Forge Military College provides students and prospective students with contact
information for filing complaints with the institution’s accrediting agency (Middle States Commission on Higher Education) and its state education agency (Pennsylvania Department of Education). Please see below for more information.

• • Middle States Commission on Higher Education
    
    > Website: https://www.msche.org/complaints
    > Email: complaints@msche.org
    > Complaint form: https://www.tfaforms.com/forms/view/3
    > Address: 3624 Market Street, Suite 2 West, Philadelphia, PA 19104
    • Note: MSCHE requires all complaints to be submitted online using the
      agency’s complaint form. Nevertheless, we provide MSCHE’s mailing
      address above.
• • Pennsylvania Department of Education (Division of Higher Education, Access and
    Equity)
    
    > Website: https://www.education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/CollegeCareer/Pages/default.aspx
    > Email: Ra-highereducation@pa.gov
    > Complaint form: Go to form.
    > Address: 333 Market Street, 12th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

Procedures

– N/A

Policy Owner(s)

– Dean of College Services

Policy Access and Publication

– Cadet Regulations (Blue Book)