Academic Affairs oversees and provides leadership for all academic programs and functions at United Tribes Technical College (UTTC). The Academic Affairs division has the lead responsibility for academic planning and academic budget administration, academic personnel decisions, curricular requirements, degree program development, assessment of student learning, and academic accreditation - with the overarching goal of increasing student success.

Student Success

Student success at UTTC extends beyond academic achievement to leadership development. Successful student leaders develop positive campus community relationships and display strong work habits, confidence, resilience, and belief in self.

UTTC students identified this definition of student success for cultural, educated, and healthy leaders:

1. Student leaders perceive themselves as contributing members of the campus community.
2. Student leaders are prepared to learn, regularly attend class, complete assignments on time, and demonstrate other positive work habits that contribute to achieving career pathway goals.
3. Student leaders are confident and able to work through life challenges through effective planning and prioritizing.
4. Student leaders believe in their ability to accomplish challenging tasks and that with effort, their ability can grow.

Attendance Policy & Withdrawal

Students at UTTC are expected to actively engage in all of their class sessions. Expectations for attendance are shared by the faculty members at the beginning of each semester and included in course syllabi. Instructors set up the grade book in their courses in My.UTTC.edu to report absences as “hourly”, which is the standard at UTTC for tracking attendance. Students can track and monitor their own attendance, per class, on the Learning Management System (LMS) found at My.UTTC.edu.

It is the student’s responsibility to communicate with their instructors regarding any emergencies that cause them to miss class. Regardless of the circumstances, the student is responsible for obtaining any information missed because of the absence and completing any outstanding assignments. The student may refer to the course assignments in My.UTTC.edu, contact another student enrolled in the course, or meet with the course instructor during office hours to get the missing information.

Instructors enter student attendance into My.UTTC.edu on a daily basis during census period (the first two weeks of fall and spring semesters, and the first week of summer semester) and on a weekly basis throughout the academic semester. Attendance is entered as “Present”, “Absent-Unexcused”, or “Excused” (college-sanctioned absences).

“Absent-Unexcused” Absences

All absences, with the exception of those referred to as college-sanctioned, are reported in the Jenzabar system (My.UTTC. edu) as “Absent-Unexcused”. Students are still able to obtain information about any missed assignments and complete those assignments according to the criteria for late assignments that is detailed in the course syllabi.

“Excused”: College-Sanctioned Absences

College-sanctioned absences are reported as “Excused”. College-sanctioned absences include mandatory military obligation, cultural events, religious observances, mandatory court appearances, and participation in college activities at the request of college authorities, such as academic and athletic events. Instructors may request third party documentation and may consult with the Vice President of Academic Affairs regarding what constitutes college- sanctioned events.

Students are responsible for notifying their instructors of expected college-sanctioned absences prior to the event. If the student does not notify the instructor in advance, the absence will be reported as “Absent- Unexcused”.

Thunder Alert

Instructors will initiate an Thunder Alert, beginning with Level 1 and progressing to Level 3 (see Thunder Alert System Resource Guide for more information):

Thunder Alert: Level 1

The student misses one or more of the following:

1. The first week of class
2. One full calendar week of consecutive classes
3. Three (3) consecutive sessions in one course
4. Two (2) consecutive lab sessions in one course
5. One (1) block class session (HEO, CVO, Welding, Automotive, Sustainable Ag)
   or the student has less than 60% as a grade in one course.

At this first level of Thunder Alert intervention, the instructor submitting the alert will connect with the student. Issues and factors related to academic performance and absenteeism will be identified and discussed during this visit with the student. The student will be provided with resources for improvement, as well as the consequences if the behavior continues. If the instructor feels the issue has been resolved after visiting with the student, the instructor closes the alert. If after 3 days, the instructor does not get a response from the student, and the behavior continues, the instructor submits a Level 2 alert and closes the Level 1 alert. If a different issue arises at a later date, the instructor will submit another Level 1 alert to address the new issue and follow the same process.

Thunder Alert: Level 2

The student misses one or more of the following:

• Four (4) or more consecutive sessions in one course
• Three (3) or more lab consecutive sessions in one course
• Two (2) or more consecutive block class sessions (HEO, CVO, Welding, Automotive, Sustainable Agriculture)
  or the student has less than 60% as a grade in two courses.

At this second level of Thunder Alert intervention, the student will be scheduled for a meeting with the primary academic advisor to establish an academic contract to identify specific actions that need to be met for the student’s academic success. The academic advisor will utilize current Thunder Alert data when preparing the contract to determine if there are additional attendance and/or satisfactory academic progress concerns in other courses.

This written contract is signed by the student as acknowledgment and understanding of the problem areas and potential steps for improvement. The student will be informed at this meeting that continued absenteeism and poor academic progress will jeopardize the student’s academic standing and result in the student being put on probation or being suspended from college.

Thunder Alert: Level 3

The following circumstances may initiate a college-initiated (involuntary) withdrawal from the institution:

• If a student is registered and has not attended any of his or her classes within the Census period, which is the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester and the first week of the summer semester.
• A student who misses two consecutive weeks of all current courses without any communication with the academic advisor or Wellness Counselor.
  or the student has less than 60% as a grade in all courses.

In the case of a college-initiated withdrawal due to excessive absences and unsatisfactory academic progress, the primary academic advisor will consult with the Wellness Counselor. The primary academic advisor will sign the Official Institutional Withdrawal Form indicating a college-initiated withdrawal for the student, then send the form to the Wellness Counselor who will submit it for processing. The last date the student attended class must be indicated on the withdrawal form.

The Wellness Counselor is responsible for notifying the student’s academic advisor about the withdrawal action, as well as Financial Aid, Registrar’s Office, Housing, Safety and Security, Student Accounts, and others as necessary. The academic advisor contacts the student and lets them know they have been withdrawn. The student is informed of the right to appeal the withdrawal as part of the notification process.

Appeal Process

The student has the right to appeal the withdrawal action within three (3) business days following the date on the Official Institutional Withdrawal form. Appeals for withdrawals due to excessive absences and lack of academic progress are submitted to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA). Any information that may support the student’s appeal should be included in the email, such as circumstances outside of the student’s control. The VPAA will respond to the student’s email within two (2) business days.

If the appeal is successful, the VPAA will notify the student, the primary academic advisor, Wellness Counselor, Financial Aid, the Registrar’s Office, Housing and Vice President of Campus Services. If the appeal is not supported, the VPAA will notify the same parties and the Registrar’s Office will record the official institutional withdrawal on the student’s official record.

The student submitting the appeal assumes all responsibility for filing appropriate documentation in a timely manner. The decision by the VPAA is final.

Assignment Deadlines

UTTC supports and fosters the student’s responsibility for completing and submitting assignments on or before scheduled due dates and times. If an assignment is due, the student should make every effort to submit the assignment on time. Occasionally, a student may experience an unexpected life event that results in the submission of late work. Communication is the key. Instructors are more than willing to work with students in the event of an emergency if the student communicates with them before the date and time the assignment is due to make other arrangements.

Late assignment deadlines will vary among departments but will not exceed more than five (5) business days after which the assignment was initially due. Assignment due dates, late assignment deadlines, and late assignment penalties are outlined in course syllabi. Assignments not submitted by the initial deadline date will be reflected in the course gradebook as a zero (0) until the assignment has been submitted.

Missed Tests, Exams and Quizzes (Formal Assessments)

Students may not make up a missed test, exam or quiz without a valid reason for their absence (illness, family emergency). It is the student’s responsibility to contact their instructors before the absence, or within 24 hours after missing the formal assessment. The instructor will review the reason the student missed and determine if the circumstance justifies the student being allowed to take the formal assessment.

Approved make-up assessments must be taken outside of the student’s regular class schedule and during a time and location agreed upon between the student and instructor. Students are not to miss another class in order to make-up an assessment for another course.

If the student fails to show on the date and time of the makeup assessment, the student will not be permitted to reschedule the makeup and the assessment will earn a 0% grade.

Student Behavior in the Classroom

UTTC students will conduct themselves in a responsible and respectful manner in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct (SCC) in the physical classroom, traditional online courses, and on campus. A student’s behavior that interferes with the learning of their peers will not be tolerated in the physical or virtual classroom. This behavior includes chronic tardiness, threatening confrontations, intoxication, inappropriate physical contact, lewd or disrespectful language or gestures directed at the instructor or at fellow students, bullying, direct or indirect intimidation, refusal to turn on their video camera, refusal to be visible via their video camera, or distractions in Zoom sessions. Inappropriate conversations concerning student behavior may be those that are face-to-face, through email, on the telephone or through the use of text messages.

Faculty members are expected to maintain professional management of classroom activities at all times in accordance with the Faculty and Employee Handbooks. As such, if a student demonstrates behavior that disrupts or interferes with other students, instructors reserve the right to ask the student to leave the classroom, contact Campus Security, request mediation by the Academic Department Chair or a Wellness Counselor, or file a formal complaint subject to a student disciplinary hearing. This applies to campus- based and online students. The complete Student Code of Conduct can be found in the UTTC Student Handbook.

Background Checks

All students are required to self- disclose their criminal history on their UTTC admission application. Some programs, such as Elementary Education, Criminal Justice, Commercial Vehicle Operations, and Social Work, also require students to complete a criminal background consent form. Acceptance into any one of these three programs is contingent on the results of the student’s criminal background; however, not all convictions will prohibit a student from pursuing one of these degrees. For more information about these three programs, contact the department chair.

Note: If the background check for the Elementary Education teacher candidate reveals a conviction, that record must be submitted to the school district in which the candidate intends to student teach. Based on the nature of the conviction, the College and/or the school district can refuse to have the candidate placed as a student teacher in that school district. As a result, the candidate will not complete the requirements for an Elementary Education bachelors degree.

Student Organizations (Clubs)

Each degree program offered at UTTC is represented by as student organization club. In addition to the clubs, UTTC sponsors a Student Government organization that represents student government. For more information about Student Government, visit the UTTC website at www.uttc.edu. Clubs are pre-professional student organizations or clubs that provide a unique program of career and leadership development, motivation, and recognition for postsecondary students enrolled in a career and technical education program.

Clubs meet on a monthly basis and consist of elected representatives who govern the organization and a faculty/staff member serving as an advisor. The faculty/staff advisor collects minutes from the monthly meetings and summaries of club functions and activities. These minutes and summaries are housed in a folder on the share drive.

Student Academic Honesty Policy

Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism; cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using course materials without faculty permission; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; altering, forging, misrepresenting, or misusing an academic record; or fabricating or falsifying data, research procedures, or data analysis.

Plagiarism is representing the words, creative work, or ideas of another person as one’s own without providing proper documentation of source. Examples incudes, but are not limited to:

• Copying information word for word from a source without using quotation marks and giving proper acknowledgement by way of footnote, endnote, or in-text citation;
• Representing the words, ideas, or data of another person as one’s own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, in- text citation, or footnote;
• Producing without proper attribution, any form of work originated by another person such as a musical phrase, a proof, a speech, an image, experimental data, laboratory report, graphic design, or computer code;
• Paraphrasing without sufficient acknowledgement, ideas taken from another person that the reader might reasonably mistake as the author’s; and
• Borrowing various words, ideas, phrases, or data from original sources and blending them with one’s own without acknowledging the sources.

It is the responsibility of all students to understand the standards and methods of proper attribution and to clarify with each instructor the standards, expectations, and reference techniques appropriate to the subject are and class requirements, including group work and internet use. Students are encouraged to seek out information about these methods from instructors and other resources (UTTC Librarian) and to apply this information in all submissions of academic work.

Academic Dishonesty Procedure

When the faculty member suspects academic dishonesty, the instructor should first confer with the student. If the student admits to the violation, the instructor should inform the student of the grade penalty and document the action taken in the Early Alert System. If it is the student’s first offense for the semester, the student will receive a failing grade (0%) on the assignment. If the student has committed the same offense more than once in the same course, the student will fail the course.

If a student is found to have violated the Student Academic Honesty Policy, the faculty member will report the student’s position in the email to the faulty’s supervisor and submit a grade of “INC” or incomplete until the matter is decided. If the student chooses to appeal the allegation of academic dishonesty, the student will submit a written statement to the Department Chair within three (3) business days of when the grade is recorded. The Dean of Instruction will conduct a fact- finding investigation and attempt to resolve the matter.

If the matter cannot be resolved then mediation will be proposed between the student, the faculty member and the Dean of Instruction. The Dean of Instruction will render a final decision within five (5) business days.

If the student fails a course due to repeated academic dishonesty violations, it will be reported on the student’s permanent academic record in the Registrar’s Office.

Cell Phone Usage

In general, cell phones will be limited to silent or vibrate mode during class time and meetings. Instructors reserve the classroom management privilege to restrict cell phone usage as specified on course syllabi and for classroom activities, guest presentation, and during tests. For parental or family emergency situations, students will consult in advance with their instructors about using personal cell phones for accommodating such situations.