Catholic International University’s policies are designed to uphold academic integrity, ensure fairness, and support student success in a diverse educational environment. Covering areas such as academic conduct, grading, intellectual property, attendance, and student rights, these policies provide clear guidelines on academic expectations, student behavior, accommodations, and equity.
Program Students
Undergraduate students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 to continue in good standing in the program and to be awarded an undergraduate degree or certificate.
Graduate students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to continue in good standing in the program and to be awarded a graduate degree or certificate.
Any students whose cumulative GPA drops below the required minimum will be placed on academic probation and referred to the department chair. Moreover, any student, graduate or undergraduate, who earns less than a 1.0 GPA in a given term may be subject to dismissal. Students placed on academic probation will receive a Notice of Academic Probation that must be signed and returned to the registrar. If the notice is not signed and returned within one week, the student will be prevented from registering for future courses.
Any student on academic probation will have one academic term to raise his or her cumulative GPA to the minimum or better. Catholic International reserves the right to limit the number of courses in which a student who is provisionally accepted or on academic probation can enroll. At the conclusion of one academic term on probation, should the student’s cumulative GPA be at or above the required minimum, he or she will be removed from academic probation. The student will remain on academic probation until he or she restores the GPA to at least the minimum, or until the department chair determines that he or she is making the necessary progress to achieve the minimum GPA by graduation. Should the cumulative GPA and the term GPA not be at the minimum at the conclusion of one academic term, the student may be subject to suspension.
Students may appeal the academic probation by submitting a letter to the department chair requesting further consideration.
Any student who has been suspended must wait two academic terms before reapplying to the university. He or she must submit a letter of appeal for readmission to the department chair. If reinstated, the student will be immediately placed on academic probation. If the student fails to meet the minimum term GPA in his or her first term upon return to the university, he or she will be subject to dismissal at the end of the term. Any student who has been dismissed may not apply for readmission.
Non-program Students
Any non-program student, graduate or undergraduate, who earns less than a 1.0 in a term will be placed on probation and may be subject to a term suspension. Multiple suspensions may result in dismissal from the university.
Courses
Students will be permitted to add courses through 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Friday of the first week of each term, and they will be permitted to drop courses (with no W on transcript) through 11:59 pm Eastern time on Friday of the second week of each term.
Students should refer to the university calendar posted on the Catholic International website and in the Student Life area of the online campus. It is ultimately each student’s responsibility to request an official drop or withdrawal of a course. Students who do not request a drop or withdrawal by the appropriate deadline will receive an “F” for the course. Students who stop participating in a course without officially dropping or withdrawing may receive an “F” for the course.
Official Withdrawal from the University
In order for a student to be considered an official withdrawal from the university, the student must provide official notification of the intent to withdraw from Catholic International University. A student may terminate enrollment in an individual course or withdraw from a program at any time by notifying the university. Withdrawal requests should be emailed to the registrar at registrar@catholiciu.edu or mailed to the Registrar’s Office at 300 South George St., Charles Town, WV 25414.
The withdrawal date for an official withdrawal is defined as the date the student begins the official withdrawal process or provides written notice of their intent to withdraw. Students who do not provide to the university official notification to the intent to withdraw are considered unofficial withdrawals. If a student ceases attendance without providing official notification due to circumstances beyond his or her control, the withdrawal date is the date the school determines is related to that circumstance. For students who do not return from an approved leave of absence, the withdrawal date is the last date of attendance of an academically related activity. In all other instances where a student withdraws without providing official notification, the withdrawal date is the mid-point of the payment period or the last documented date of attendance at an academic event, whichever is later. The date of determination for students who are considered unofficial withdrawals is the latter of the student’s official withdrawal date, or the date of notification. For students who do not officially withdraw, the date of determination is no later than 30 days after the end of the earlier of the:
Asynchronous Courses
Catholic International requires students to actively and substantively participate each week in the courses in which they are enrolled. That participation may take the form of posting to discussion forums, submitting written assignments, or completing quizzes or exams. Merely viewing course pages does not qualify as participation. Any student who cannot participate weekly should contact his or her faculty member immediately.
Synchronous Courses
For any course with synchronous sessions at which students’ presence is required, meeting times will be clearly indicated in the syllabus. Students are advised to review all syllabi when they register for courses. Attendance will be taken, and synchronous sessions will be recorded. Any student who is unable to attend a synchronous session should view the recording and contact his or her instructor as soon as possible.
Administrative Drops
Catholic International may administratively drop students seven calendar days after the start of the course if they fail to meet the active participation requirement during the first week of the term and fail to contact the faculty member during the first week of class regarding their inability to meet the participation requirement.
Federal Financial Aid Attendance
Catholic International is a non-attendance-taking institution. However, for purposes of managing financial aid, the federal financial aid officer will check student participation at the following specified times during each semester:
Each academic credit comprises 45 contact/engagement hours — 15 hours of engagement and 30 hours of preparation/study.
Each academic credit comprises 45 contact/engagement hours — 15 hours of engagement and 30 hours of preparation/study.
Under some circumstances, copying information from websites, downloading music or video from or uploading it to a peer-to peer application, or even mere photocopying, faxing, or cutting and pasting substantial portions of copyrighted materials may constitute infringement. Catholic International students are expressly prohibited from using the Catholic International online campus or LMS to access peer-to-peer sites that permit unauthorized copying of copyrighted music, photographs, video, or other legally protected materials. Such activities will be treated as violations of the Student Electronic Information Policy.
Certain limited copying of published materials without permission may be allowed under the “Fair Use” doctrine. Catholic International students and associates are required to comply with the copyright laws. Failure to do so may be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, and may subject the infringer to significant legal consequences. As summarized by the United States Department of Education, penalties for copyright infringement may include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorney’s fees. For details, see Title 17 United States Code, Sections 504, 505. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.
For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at copyright.gov especially their FAQ section.
Grading Scale
Catholic International uses a numerical system of grading, and corresponding letter grades appear on official transcripts. The following chart details conversions:
Numerical Grade | Letter Grade | Quality Point |
|---|---|---|
96 – 100 | A | 4.0 |
90 – 95 | A- | 3.75 |
87 – 89 | B+ | 3.5 |
83 – 86 | B | 3.0 |
80 – 82 | B- | 2.75 |
77 – 79 | C+ | 2.5 |
73 – 76 | C | 2.0 |
70 – 72 | C- | 1.75 |
65 – 69 | D | 1.0 |
Below 65 | F | 0 |
The following notations are also used on official transcripts:
Term | Description |
|---|---|
W | Withdrawn after the 5 day period initiated by student: some assignments turned in |
P | Pass |
NP | Not Pass |
Au | Audit |
FS | Failure due to stopped attending |
Minimum Grades for Academic Credit and Graduation
To receive academic credit at the undergraduate level, students must earn a 2.0 (C) or better in each course. Students in undergraduate programs must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better in order to graduate.
To receive academic credit at the graduate level, students must earn a 2.0 (C) or better in each course. Students in graduate programs must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in order to graduate.
Any student who receives a C- or below in any course may re-enroll in the course in a later term. If he or she subsequently receives a higher grade, the lower grade will be expunged, and only the higher grade will appear on the transcript and be factored into the GPA calculation. Once a student earns a passing grade, he or she is no longer permitted to re-enroll in the course.
Grading Disputes
Occasionally disputes may arise regarding assignment and course grades. In any such case, the student must attempt to resolve the dispute with the faculty member. If a resolution is impossible, the student may appeal the issue to the department chair. If the involvement of the chair fails to resolve the issue, the student may request a review of the grade by the provost. The provost’s decision is final.
Late Assignments
All course assignments are due on the dates specified by the instructor unless the instructor grants an extension in advance of the original due date. It is the student’s responsibility to approach the instructor to request an extension and explain the reason why it is justified. The instructor may impose penalties for late submission of work.
Catholic International recognizes that learning styles vary, and learning differences exist among students capable of doing college work. Any Catholic International student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should follow the process to request and obtain reasonable accommodations detailed here.
Catholic International will review all requests for accommodation and will determine if the accommodations can be met reasonably and feasibly. Catholic International’s ADA coordinator will discuss a plan for accommodations with the student if accommodations are possible. The student is then responsible for informing the instructor at the beginning of each course of any need for accommodation according to the plan. While Catholic International strives to assist all students, certain services are not feasible. For example, Catholic International is not able to provide personal tutors, coaches, or assistive technology, and cannot compromise its academic standards or course components. Students may appeal any ruling regarding accommodations by writing to the provost.
Catholic International has trade-marked its name, the initials, “Catholic International,” and its university seal with the US Patent Office. Catholic International has a disclaimer on its website stating that it is not a part of The Catholic University of America.
For serious reasons, a student may apply for a leave of absence not to exceed 180 days. During this leave, elapsed time does not accrue toward the maximum completion time allowed for finishing the program. A letter requesting leave should be addressed to the department chair. For active service members, the LOA for a course or program can be extended beyond 180 days for military service operations. Appropriate documentation should be submitted to the registrar at registrar@catholiciu.edu.
While taking online proctored exams, students are responsible for meeting this policy’s requirements. Failure to meet the requirements outlined in this policy could result in penalties as severe as no credit for the exam or suspension from the program. All university faculty and staff involved with online testing with proctoring services are responsible for enforcing this policy.
New students are encouraged to review Steps for Taking a Proctored Exam. These helpful steps/reminders will guide you through what is necessary to do in order to fulfill the requirements in this policy.
Requirements
Exam Extensions
Requests to complete exams outside the exam period window must be submitted no later than noon ET on the final day of the exam period. Exam extensions will not be granted in cases of improper planning or time management and will be considered only under the following exceptional circumstances:
It is the responsibility of the student and the instructor to agree on a deadline for a short-term exam extension. The registrar must then be contacted, again no later than noon ET on the final day of the exam period, to confirm and document the extension.
Credits earned at educational institutions accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be substituted for credits earned at Catholic International University in the programs below. Acceptance of transfer credit is at the discretion of the department chair.Credits for transfer must be from courses at the 100 level or higher. Certain requirements must be met, and the number of credits that may be considered for transfer vary by program.
Catholic International University does not guarantee acceptance of transfer credit at another institution. Students should check with the receiving institution prior to registering for courses to ensure that credits earned at Catholic International University will be accepted.
Credit by Exam
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Following the recommendation of the American Council on Education (ACE), credit will be awarded for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores of 50 or above on any CLEP exam that aligns with program requirements. A score of 50 or above on any of the exams constitutes 3 academic credits to fulfill program requirements. CLEP score recipient code: 8086
Advanced Placement (AP)
Following the recommendation of the American Council on Education (ACE), credit will be awarded for Advanced Placement (AP) scores of 3 or above on any Advanced Placement Exam that aligns with program requirements. A score of 3 or above on any AP exam constitutes 3 academic credits to fulfill program requirements. College Board number: 9188
Students may partially fulfill the undergraduate language requirement by obtaining either a score of 62 or above in the Level II CLEP exam or an AP exam score of 4 or above in any foreign language. Each exam will count as one 3-credit course.
DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
Following the recommendation of the American Council on Education (ACE), credit will be awarded for DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) scores of 400 or above on any DSST Exam that aligns with program requirements. A score of 400 or above on any DSST exam constitutes 3 academic credits to fulfill program requirements.
A maximum combination of 30 credits from CLEP, Advanced Placement, DANTES and/or International Baccalaureate exams will be accepted toward the BA degree; 15 credits will be accepted toward the AA degree. These credits by examination count toward the maximum total number of allowable transfer credits a student brings from other institutions.
The registrar and department chair will review transfer credits to determine their alignment with the program requirements.
Catholic International University expects all students to conduct themselves in accord with the Christian principles of justice and charity. Likewise, the university strives to treat students with the same principles of justice and charity based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, from which it derives its mission and to which it bears witness.
Catholic International defines academic misconduct to include the following actions:
Procedures for Reporting and Processing Violations of Academic Integrity
Addendum: Use of AI Tools*
Catholic International University is committed to scholarly rigor, intellectual integrity, and educational excellence. The university acknowledges that the implementation of generative AI poses unique challenges to academic integrity, while also offering possibilities that may enhance teaching and student engagement. To ensure responsible use of generative AI in courses, the university has established the following guidelines:
In accordance with the spirit and vision of Catholic International University as well as the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (34 CFR Part 85), Catholic International University administrative buildings are considered a drug-free and alcohol-free university and workplace. Catholic International University is a completely online institution, and there is no physical campus. Students and employees are prohibited from the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance or alcohol anywhere on the property belonging to the University including but not limited to grounds, parking areas, or anywhere within the building. Students or employees who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action including termination of enrollment and/or employment. For more information visit The U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention website at www.edc.org. Catholic International University will impose sanctions on students or employees consistent with federal and state law and the guidelines in this policy. Details of federal sanctions can be found at the U.S. Department of Justice. Details of the state of West Virginia sanctions can be found at the Legis State for West Virginia.
Students and employees must abide by the terms of this policy or Catholic International University will take one or more of the following actions within 30 days of violation of this policy by:
Catholic International University will make its best effort to maintain a drug and alcohol-free university through implementation of the policy and will establish and maintain a drug-free and alcohol awareness program.
This policy is readily available to students and employees at all times through the catalog located on the website, the student handbook available on the online campus and in the employee handbook. New students/employees will receive a copy of the Catholic International University Drug Free Schools and Workplace policy as part of acceptance/orientation process.
Because Catholic International is a completely online institution, it is unable to provide onsite counseling or treatment. The following information is provided as a resource for those who need assistance with avoiding or recovering from alcohol or drug abuse.
We encourage any student, staff, or faculty member who needs information related to alcohol or drug abuse to use directory information, online searches, the telephone book, or referrals from friends and/or professionals.
The following is a list of national organizations dedicated to providing information and suggestions:
National Institute on Drug Abuse – General Link/Address: www.nida.nih.gov
Specific Link/Address on Club Drugs: www.clubdrugs.org
1-310-443-1124
Drug Violations and Federal Financial Aid
The Higher Education Act states that students convicted for a drug offense that occurred during a period of enrollment while they were receiving federal financial aid may lose eligibility for federal aid. Federal Financial Aid at Catholic International University includes Federal Pell, Federal Direct Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, and Graduate PLUS Loans. Students could also be denied other federal benefits, disability, retirement, health, welfare, and Social Security.
Drugs and alcohol are highly addictive and can cause harmful effects to virtually every aspect of a person’s life, e.g., relationships, family, job, school, physical, and emotional health. More details on these harmful effects can be found at National Institute on drug abuse.
There are danger signals that could indicate when someone is in trouble with drugs or alcohol:
We recommend that any person observing any of the above changes utilize the resources listed above and notify the Director of Student Life.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2)
Speaking all things in charity is a fundamental principle of Christianity. This principle extends to interactions on social media.
Here are some additional principles to keep in mind:
Students
Catholic International students may be expelled for repeated offenses or for one-time flagrant violations of university policy such as cheating on an examination, falsifying application records, falsifying medical or other documentation submitted for appeals or accommodations, or using harassing and/or abusive language when interacting with other students, faculty, or Catholic International staff. Other instances of student misconduct may include but are not limited to the following:
Any student who commits a personal conduct offense that is deemed not to merit expulsion on its own may be sent a letter of student misconduct from the provost. This letter will be placed in the student’s record and may be included in any future background investigation request. .
Two instances of student misconduct will count as multiple offenses as long as counseling has occurred prior to the subsequent incident. If a second instance of student misconduct occurs after a student has received a letter of student misconduct, he or she may be placed on suspension pending review of the case for possible expulsion.
Any student who disagrees with the decision of the provost may appeal in writing to the president.
All Members of the University Community
Any member of the student body, faculty, or staff may bring an allegation of serious or continued abusive behavior to the attention of the disciplinary committee. Such allegations must be made in writing.
The disciplinary committee will determine whether the alleged conduct is appropriate for investigation. If the committee considers the allegation to be sufficiently serious to warrant examination, they will gather evidence and take testimony from both the person reporting the misconduct and the individual accused of misconduct.
Both sides will have two weeks in which to present evidence regarding the case. The disciplinary committee will render a decision within one week of having received all evidence, and will send written notification of its decision to all concerned parties. It will also determine appropriate penalties, which may range from a period of probation to expulsion from the university.
A final appeal may be made to the university president within one week of the disciplinary committee’s decision. The determination of the president will be final and binding.
For any student who discontinues studies during the enrollment period, Catholic International University has established the following cancellation and refund policy. To request a refund, please contact Student Accounts at studentaccounts@catholiciu.edu or by phone at (304) 825-7538. Refunds will be processed within 30 days of request.
Enrollment Termination: A student may terminate an enrollment at any time during the enrollment period by notifying Catholic International, preferably in writing.
Cooling-off Period: An applicant requesting cancellation in whatever manner within five calendar days (a minimum of three business days), after midnight of the day on which the enrollment agreement is accepted will be given a refund of all money paid to Catholic International. Please note: The application fee is nonrefundable.
Refundable tuition: Refundable tuition is the total course cost including tuition and associated course fees (technology, proctoring, and shipping).
Nonrefundable Fees: The following fees are nonrefundable after the cooling-off period.
If a student is registered for a course for more than 6 months, he or she is not eligible for a tuition refund.
Once the course begins, the following schedules will be used to calculate refunds:
I. Online for-credit, practicum, or any fixed-length academic degree course of 16 weeks or less:
Length of the Course | Portion of the Refundable Tuition Returned to the Student |
|---|---|
1-6 Weeks | 1st week = 70%
2nd week = 40% 3rd week = 20% 4th week = 0% |
7-10 Weeks | 1st week = 80%
2nd week = 60% 3rd week = 40% 4th week = 20% 5th week = 0% |
11-16 Weeks | 1st week = 80%
2nd week = 70% 3rd week = 60% 4th week = 50% 5th week = 40% 6th week = 30% 7th week = 20% 8th week = 10% 9th week = 0% |
Sample Refund Calculation: Student registered for a 3 credit undergraduate course in a 12 week term with a final exam and drops the course in week 3 of the term. The refund calculation is as follows:
Course Charges:
Description | Cost |
|---|---|
Tuition (3 credits undergraduate) | $960.00 |
Technology Fee (3 credits) | $150.00 |
Total Course Cost | $1110.00 |
Per the table above, dropping during week 3, for a 12-week course the student is entitled to a 60% refund after registration fee.
Description | Cost |
|---|---|
Refundable Tuition | $1110.00 |
Tuition refunded to student (60% of $1110) | $666.00 |
II. Paper courses and other courses longer than 16 weeks:
When a student cancels after completing at least one graded assignment but less than 50% of the graded assignments, the institution may retain a percentage of all costs paid by the student in accordance with the following schedule:
Percentage Completed by the Student | Percentage of the Refundable Tuition Returned to the Student |
|---|---|
Up to 10% | 90% |
>10% – 25% | 75% |
>25% – 50% | 50% |
>50% – 100% | 0% |
Sample Refund Calculation: Student registered for a 3-credit undergraduate paper course. The student drops the course after completing 3 of the 12 lessons The refund calculation is as follows:
Course Charges:
Description | Cost |
|---|---|
Tuition (3 credits undergraduate) | $960.00 |
Shipping Fee (per course) | $100.00 |
Total Course Cost | $1060.00 |
Per the table above, dropping after completing 3 of 12 assignments, the course is 25% complete and the student is entitled to a 75% refund after registration fee.
Description | Cost |
|---|---|
Refundable Tuition | $1060.00 |
Tuition refunded to student (75% of $1060) | $795.00 |
Catholic International will issue a full refund, less the cost of any completed coursework, to any student who cancels his or her continuing education registration within 72 hours of receiving access to a program, course, or seminar. After 72 hours, Catholic International will not issue refunds. Students receive automatic access to independent study courses at the time of registration and payment. Students receive access to seminars on the first day of the seminar. To obtain a refund for a dropped course, the student must email the Continuing Education support team at continuingeducation@catholiciu.edu within three days of receiving access to the course. Refunds will be processed within 30 days of request.
General standards for the acceptable use of Catholic International systems require responsible behavior with respect to the electronic information environment at all times.
All users will maintain compliance with all applicable local, state, federal, and international laws and regulations.
All users will maintain truthfulness and honesty in personal and computer identification.
All users shall respect the rights and property of others, including intellectual property rights and copyright laws.
All Catholic International usernames are the property of Catholic International and as such Catholic International retains exclusive rights to the creation, assignment, revocation, usage, and content management of all Catholic International usernames.
The following activities and behaviors are prohibited. Violations are grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the university:
All academic students currently enrolled at Catholic International University (Catholic International) are assigned an @catholiciu.edu email address, which is the official means of email communication between the university and the student. Students are expected to check this email account regularly for announcements and email communication from the University, much of which may be time critical. Faculty should assume that students’ official email and Canvas messages are being monitored regularly and use the official email, Canvas chats, and discussion boards to communicate with their classes accordingly.
Failure to check for messages and to receive messages due to full mailboxes or auto-forwarded email are not acceptable excuses for missing official University communications. Students may auto-forward email to an outside email client at their own risk. The university IT staff and Help Desk do not support auto-forwarding of email and are unable to assist in troubleshooting problems with outside email clients or forwarded email.
In Christian charity, any student who has concerns about interactions with a member of the faculty or staff should attempt to resolve the problem privately and in an informal manner by conferring first with the individual to discuss the issue.
If the student still does not think his or her concern has been resolved, graduate and undergraduate students should contact the registrar. Continuing education students should contact the Continuing education support person.
If these initiatives are unsuccessful, then the student should contact, in writing, the president, who will investigate the complaint and render a decision about a final course of action.
The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission encourages students first to seek informal resolution of any concern or issue. If the issue cannot be resolved informally, the student should follow the institution’s formal complaint or grievance procedure. If, after exhausting the institution’s internal grievance procedures, the institution has not responded to the student’s satisfaction or a satisfactory remedy has not been found, the student may contact the Commission for further investigation into the issue. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Commission may conduct an investigation or refer the issue to another agency that is authorized to address the issue. The Commission may contact institution officials to discuss a possible resolution. Instructions for filing a complaint with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission can be found at Student Complaint Process..
Students will not be subject to adverse actions by the university as a result of filing a complaint.
Students may also choose to file a complaint with Catholic International’s accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, or by following the SARA complaint process.
Copyright
Original “works of expression,” such as writings, graphics, photographs, and music, may be protected from unauthorized use by the federal copyright laws. Copyright laws govern whether – and to what extent – students are permitted to copy, upload, download, transmit, or distribute such works, or to create new works derived from them without first receiving permission from the holder of the copyright (often the author or publisher of the original). The copyright laws are complex. In the file-sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority may constitute infringement. In the academic context, copying or paraphrasing parts of a copyrighted work as one’s own constitutes infringement. Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, unauthorized downloading and unattributed copying, is expressly forbidden, and may subject violators to civil and criminal liabilities.
Under some circumstances, copying information from websites, downloading music or video from or uploading it to a peer-to-peer application, or even mere photocopying, faxing, or cutting and pasting substantial portions of copyrighted materials may constitute infringement. Catholic International students are expressly prohibited from using the Catholic International online campus or LMS to access peer-to-peer sites that permit unauthorized copying of copyrighted music, photographs, video, or other legally protected materials. Such activities will be treated as violations of the Student Electronic Information Policy.
Certain limited copying of published materials without permission may be allowed under the “Fair Use” doctrine. Catholic International students and associates are required to comply with the copyright laws. Failure to do so may be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, and may subject the infringer to significant legal consequences. As summarized by the United States Department of Education, penalties for copyright infringement may include civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or “statutory” damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For “willful” infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorney’s fees. For details, see Title 17 United States Code, Sections 504, 505. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.
For more information, please see the website of the U.S. Copyright Office at copyright.gov especially their FAQ section.
Intellectual Property
While Catholic International uses a learning platform as an open source licensee, the content of the courses and classroom pedagogy are proprietary. Each faculty contract requires an agreement to respect and maintain the terms of the licensed software as well as the confidentiality of classroom design, and pedagogy specific to Catholic International. Faculty agree not to share or copy such proprietary knowledge for use with other persons or entities outside of Catholic International. Catholic International’s copyright includes all its courses and programs as well as their design. Faculty may use their own content for other scholarly purposes in other venues, such as publishing a book, but may not present their content in Catholic International’s format or design. Staff members are required to sign an Intellectual Property and Confidentiality Agreement at the time of employment. Board members and outside contractors who work for Catholic International are also required to sign a similar document.
Catholic International follows the letter and spirit of pertinent federal and state laws and adheres to guidelines published by the Accrediting Commission of the Higher Learning Commission.
From time to time issues of disclosure of personal information about students arise. Catholic International faculty are required to be aware of and follow the guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution.) These rights include:
A school official is:
A legitimate educational interest is defined as:
FERPA permits the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from students’ education records without consent of the student if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in § 99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to school officials as described above, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information (see below), and disclosures to the student, §99.32 of FERPA regulations requires the institution to record the disclosure. Eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures.
A postsecondary institution may disclose PII from the education records without obtaining prior written consent of the student in the following situations (please note further limits on disclosures listed below are contained in 34 CFR § 99.1, et seq.):
The following data is considered to be directory information and may be given to an inquirer, either in person, by mail or by telephone, and may be otherwise made public: name of student, address (both local, including e-mail address and permanent), photograph, dates of registered attendance, enrollment status (e.g. full-time or part-time), school or division of enrollment, major field of study, nature and dates of degrees and awards received, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of members of athletic teams.
Students may withhold directory information by emailing their request to the registrar at registrar@catholiciu.edu.
Students may complete a FERPA release form to allow staff to discuss their account or academic records with other individuals. The form should be submitted to the registrar at registrar@catholiciu.edu.
Effective learning requires a safe environment. Catholic International University complies with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 1965 and the Safe and Drug Free Colleges and Communities Act and Amendments of 1989. As an educational institution offering 100% of our programs online, Catholic International University is exempt from the Clery Act compliance obligations, including the annual ASR.
Catholic International follows the letter and spirit of pertinent federal and state laws. Catholic International adheres to guidelines published by the Accrediting Commission of the HLC and takes seriously the responsibility to provide high-quality education. In turn, students are expected to demonstrate personal and intellectual honesty and to conform to all university rules and regulations.
Catholic International complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. No one outside the university shall have access to, nor will the university disclose any information from student records without the written consent of the student except to appropriate personnel within the university, to officials of other institutions at the student’s request, to accrediting agencies carrying out accrediting functions, or to persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or others. Only members of the university staff acting in the student’s educational interest are allowed access to student records.
At its discretion the university may provide directory information in accordance with the provisions of the Act to include: student name, address, telephone, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent educational institutions attended by the student, and participation in officially recognized activities. Students may withhold directory information by emailing their request to the registrar (registrar@catholiciu.edu).
Click here to download the Consent for Release of Information form.
