Academic Policy

ACADEMIC POLICIES AND REGULATIONS 

Definition of Credit Hours 

For all Reformed University degree programs and courses bearing academic credit, the “credit hour” is defined as “the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than: 

  1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or 
  2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in #1 for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practicum, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.” 

A credit hour is assumed to be a fifty-minute (not sixty-minute) period. In courses, a credit hour may be measured by an equivalent amount of work, as demonstrated by student achievement. 

Semester System 

For GNPEC authorized programs of undergraduate and graduate degrees, Reformed University operates on the semester system. The academic year consists of a fall and a spring semester, and a summer term. Each semester constitutes a minimum of fifteen weeks of classes, including the final exam week. In accordance with the decision of each school’s faculty, term papers may be submitted in place of exams. Course examinations or assessments are given at least twice a semester (mid-term and finals) in addition to occasional quizzes and term papers. A student whose class attendance is less than two-thirds of all the classes held is not eligible for taking the final exam. Those who have missed any final exams due to circumstances beyond their control are entitled to take make-up exams. 

Special Summer & Winter Terms 

During these special terms, carefully selected and scheduled continuing education courses are offered for community education, in addition to regular courses. Students may enroll in these terms for the purpose of making up lost credits or adjusting Grade Point Averages. Schedules for these terms may vary per term. Students can access special term schedule information by emailing registrar@runiv.edu or dean@runiv.edu and by looking in other published material like the student handbook or current catalog. 

Independent Study 

Students who are enrolled in or registering for their final year of coursework at Reformed University may apply for independent study (thereafter “IS”) courses in order to pursue topics of special interest, based on certain conditions:  

  • Undergraduate student applicants must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 over their entire enrollment at Reformed University. Graduate student applicants must have a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 over their entire enrollment at Reformed University 
  • Students must obtain permission from the proposed course instructor and the school Program Director. Independent study application forms are available in the Academic Affairs Office. 
  • Applicants should speak to their proposed instructor BEFORE applying for an IS course and should come to an agreement with the instructor as to the content and requirements of the course. Applicants must also take into account the fact that they are asking a faculty member to perform work that is outside of the normal requirements of their job and should make their applications accordingly. 
  • Students will also be required to sign a learning contract with the instructor of the course. 
  • Students must also be able to justify the IS proposal. Justifications judged insufficiently will not be approved. 
  • IS courses may NOT be used as substitutes for required courses. IS courses cannot replace courses that are regularly taught (i.e. at least every other semester). 
  • Students will be allowed to take only one IS course (three credit hours) per semester and cannot take more than two IS courses (six credit hours) during any single degree completion. 
  • A student’s last course in their enrolled program can NOT be an IS course.
  • Approval of IS course applications rests solely with the proposed instructor, the student’s faculty advisor, and the school Program Director. Any of these may reject an IS course application for any reason. Such decisions are final and may not be appealed. 
  • International (F-1 visa) students may apply for IS courses following the same criteria as resident students. 
  • Special exceptions to any or all of the above criteria MAY be granted in exceptional cases, upon approval of the Program Director and the Office of Academic Affairs, who may choose to add other individual requirements for a particular student. 

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE (ONCE ADMITTED and APPROVED)

Self-Registration Steps

  1. Login into the academic portal (Populi), go to “My Profile“, and then “Registration” page.
  2. Select your “Department” to browse classes in your degree program. 
  3. “General Studies” applies to all programs.  
  4. Add the desired courses to your semester schedule and “Save“

*Please Note:

  • See the instructional video to assist you through the process: (SELF-REGISTRATION)
  • Make sure that before your enrollment is finalized, your self-registration choices will be reviewed by an advisor. You will be notified of any changes via your school email. 
  • Registration is complete only after payment has been made 

Making Tuition Payments

  1. When you register for classes, you will have a billing statement (Tuition & Fees) posted on your student account.
  2. All billing information will be located in your Populi student portal under the My Profile tab. 
  3. You can pay online with a debit or credit card through Populi. Go to My Profile > Financial > Make a Payment. 
  4. If you wish to pay with check or money order, stop by our finance office.

Class Delivery Formats 

Each individual class will be delivered in one of the following formats:

  • ON-CAMPUS 
    Courses are held in a traditional classroom setting. Course meetings are assigned a time and classroom in the course schedule.   
  • ON-CAMPUS(VIRTUAL)
    The instructor facilitates live lectures and discussions in real-time via Google Meet at the days and times listed on the class schedule.
  • ONLINE CLASS
    No online lectures or discussions will be held in real-time. Students will work independently and must pay close attention to class deadlines for submitting assignments, tests, and other work. Classes are 100% online.