information for you.
Online Study Policies and Procedures
NGU Online Information and Resources
Read policies, guidelines, and requirements for our online programs. Use the links below to navigate the page.
Visit here to learn about our Refund Policy (opens in a new page).
Technology Requirements
For additional resources and information, visit our IT page.
Minimum Hardware Requirements
- Processor: Intel Core i5 / Ryzen 5 / Apple M1*
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 / Apple MacOS 10+
- Memory: 8 GB of Ram
- Storage: 512 GB of internal storage
- Monitor: 14” LCD display, 1600×900 resolution or higher
- Network adapter: 802.11 G or N 2.4/5 GHz wireless adapter
Operating System and Web Browser Compatibility
It is important that you have a modern operating system and web browser to access Blackboard and other NGU-related sites. Supported operating systems are Windows 10 and MacOS 10+. The latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and/or Apple Safari will be needed to get access to campus resources. Google Chrome is recommended for highest compatibly for Blackboard access. Allow third party cookies and turn off pop-up and content/ad blockers when using Blackboard or provide an exception for NGU’s Blackboard website address.
Connection Speed
High speed Internet is recommended due to some courses being substantially enriched with multimedia content. Online courses may require you to download/upload large files and often include streaming audio and video, both of which require fast connections.
Browser Plug-Ins
On occasion, you may need additional software to view and listen to instructional content uploaded by your Instructor within your Blackboard course. Some files may be in a format that require a third-party tool to be viewed.
Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures for NGU
Plagiarism: using the intellectual property (e.g., books, articles, artwork, musical compositions, movies, drawings, ideas, and photos) of others without proper citation thereby giving the impression that it is the student’s own work.
Minor Plagiarism means doing any of the following without attributing it to a source:
- Unintentional plagiarism,
- Using the source’s idea or logic,
- Inserting verbatim phrases of five or more words (but less than two sentences) without quotation marks or using minimal content from an audiovisual source,
- Revising the source’s work by inserting a few synonyms in one original sentence,
- Revising the sentence by reordering the phrases but not changing any words.
Major Plagiarism means doing any of the following without attributing it to a source:
- Repeatedly committing minor plagiarism in one or more papers in one or more courses,
- Using verbatim two or more sentences from a source without quotation marks or using substantial content from an audiovisual work,
- Revising the source’s work by inserting a few synonyms, and/or minimal paraphrasing, in one or more paragraphs.
Complete Plagiarism means doing any of the following:
- Submitting a paper or other work obtained from a Website or other source;
- Submitting another person’s work for an assignment;
- Obtaining a score of 70 or more on a SafeAssign® assessment after the removal of quoted material.
Dishonesty
This lack of integrity is exhibited through lying, cheating, defrauding, or deceiving. Examples of dishonesty include:
- copying from the examination paper of another,
- allowing one’s own examination paper to be copied,
- reading without the instructor’s consent a copy of the examination prior to the date it is given,
- giving or receiving unauthorized aids,
- submitting the same work product in more than one course without the express permission of the instructor(s),
- disclosing or accepting information about test questions or answers if one takes a test at a different time than other students in the same course.
Procedural Trail (for Minor Plagiarism or Dishonesty Instances):
Faculty addresses student.
- Recommends Plagiarism Workshop or Instruction on Classroom Etiquette.
- May Recommend Assignment rewrite with any syllabus stated penalties.
- Faculty documents meeting.
- Use Retention page on Faculty Portal.
- College keeps documentation in Deans office.
- Student Engagement also has access to student records through copies or portal attribution.
Procedural Trail (for Major or Complete Plagiarism or repeated offenses of either Plagiarism or Dishonesty):
Faculty checks student file and confirms completion of step 1-3 (Procedural Trail for Minor Plagiarism or Dishonesty Instances). If not completed, then step 1 and 2 (Procedural Trail for Minor Plagiarism or Dishonesty Instances) must be implemented for first offenses. If step 1-3 (Procedural Trail for Minor Plagiarism or Dishonesty Instances) was completed and after consultation with the student, then,
- Faculty assigns a F grade to assignment, or
- Faculty assigns a F grade to course.
- Faculty documents meeting and decision and inserts Academic Integrity form in College’s student file, and, if a graduate student, with the Office of Graduate Studies.
Procedural Trail for Student Appeals (Only for decisions from the completion of Procedural Trail (for Major or Complete Plagiarism or repeated offenses of either Plagiarism or Dishonesty):
Appeals will follow the Academic organizational structure. If there is not a person at a level the appeal will proceed to the next level. The levels could include:
- Department Chair or Associate Dean
- Dean
- Admissions, Financial Aid, and Academic Standing Committee
- The Committee decision is final unless there is an appeal based on the sanctions.
- The appeal would go to the appropriate Associate Provost.
- Associate Provost
- The Associate Provost’s decision on sanctions is final.
When the appeal reaches the end then the final decision is recorded with the appropriate Academic offices and with the Office of Student Engagement.
The two offices of Academics and Student Engagement will communicate with each other when a student has three recorded violations of Academic Integrity on file.
If a student reaches three documented violations, a three-member panel will review the student file and recommend these sanctions (the student will be given a chance to address the panel):
- Probation and academic monitoring for the current and subsequent semester
- Suspension from the current semester with a chance to return the subsequent semester
- Suspension from the current and subsequent semester with a chance to apply for readmission
- Expulsion from the University with no chance to return
- The three-member panel will consist of one Associate Provost, the Vice President of Student Engagement or an Assistant VP from Student Engagement, and an at-large member from either Academics or Student Engagement.
Online Etiquette
Netiquette rules are put in place to guide proper communication. This includes etiquette, manners, and rules for proper online interaction. Netiquette is important to define because the online environment lacks gestures, facial expressions, vocal tone, body language, and other forms of non-verbal communication that inform interactions in face-to-face settings. The netiquette rules outlined below will help to ensure a polite and safe online environment within the NGU academic setting and beyond.
Netiquette Rules
- Never give your password to another individual (in person or online). NGU’s IT Help Desk staff will never ask for your password via email.
- Use proper capitalization, grammar, and spelling for professional communication. Avoid texting jargon and abbreviations.
- Remember that your tone of voice cannot be heard online. Sarcasm and humor are hard to convey. Be mindful of this.
- Online dialogues, blogs, wikis, journals, and emails are for the internal academic use only. Do not forward or quote them to outside parties.
- Use NGU email for all communications.
- Refrain from sending emails that do not have a specific purpose. This includes forwarding emails that you may find inspiring or humorous, but may clog up communications for others.
- Pay attention to “Reply” vs. “Reply All.” Only use “Reply All” if the entire group needs to receive your response.
- Be respectful when communicating in online discussions and emails. Address the person by name at the beginning and sign it at the end.
- Remember, you are communicating with real people and not merely a computer screen. Do not say anything online that you would not be comfortable saying in person.
Attendance Policy
The Department of Education definition of “attendance” as it applies to NGU Online is:
Participation
- Participation in an online class is based on submission evidence in the course on a weekly basis. Participation in a specific online class includes:
- Submitting an assignment.
- Posting in a threaded discussion.
- Completing a test or quiz.
- Participating in a synchronous meeting (such as Collaborate, Google Hangouts, etc.)
- Presence at a course held on a campus (such as a blended course):
- Attendance recorded on the day of class.
- Student participation online (see definition above) in a blended course will count as attendance as well.
- Withdrawal policy: A student failing to participate for more than three (3) weeks will be withdrawn from the course.
- After missing one week of timely work submission, a student receives an automatic notification of the first official absence.
- After missing a second week of timely work submission, a student receives a withdrawal warning that also marks the second official absence.
- After missing a third week of timely submission, a student receives a Withdraw with Passing Grade [WP] (when 75% of course work is completed) or Withdraw with Failing Grade [WF] (when less than 75% of course work is completed) on his/her transcript and is automatically dropped from the course with no refund.
Course Scheduling
Students should contact their Advisor at least one month or more in advance of any Term to determine their schedule.
- Normal Term load is 2 courses (6 credit hours), which qualifies as full-time enrollment. This impacts financial aid eligibility.
- Students normally have an option to increase their load to 3 courses if they have maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher, and receive the Advisor’s approval.
- Students are encouraged to register for both Spring Terms 1 and 2 at the same time as well as Fall Terms 1 and 2 at the same time, since this affects the student’s ability to qualify for financial aid.
Late Assignment Policy
The Late Assignment Policy is established to provide a grace period for students who cannot submit their work in a timely manner due to unforeseen circumstances. This policy allows late submissions to receive partial credit on the following schedule*:
- 1 day after the deadline a submission receives 5% deduction
- 2 days after the deadline a submission receives 10% deduction
- 3 days after the deadline a submission receives 15% deduction
- 4 days after the deadline a submission receives 20% deduction
- 5 days after the deadline a submission receives 25% deduction
- 6 days after the deadline a submission receives 30% deduction
- 1 week (7 days) after the deadline a submission receives “0” grade.
- No submissions made after the course end date will be accepted or graded.
Students should communicate with the Instructor(s) in the case of extenuating circumstances (such as hospitalization, childbirth, major accident, injury, or bereavement) in a timely manner. Only upon provision of applicable documentation and the Program Coordinator’s approval when necessary, the Instructor(s) may use their discretion and adjust the late penalty.
*The Group Dialogue Grading Rubric has the late submission penalty built-in. Due to its collaborative nature, this assignment will not be accepted for credit after the weekly deadline.