IAU policies for students applying through NIU

ADMISSION POLICIES
ACADEMIC POLICIES
FINANCIAL POLICIES
DAMAGE POLICIES
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIOR HONOR CODE

ADMISSION POLICIES

Admission deadlines

*Late applications may be reviewed on a space available basis but MUST be accompanied by the application fee AND a $500 non-refundable deposit (to be applied towards tuition) before they will be considered. In addition, late applicants should understand that they:

• run a greater risk of not receiving their student visa in time
• may be enrolled in fewer of their preferred courses
• may have fewer of their housing preferences met

Course Load
The normal course load is five courses per academic term (15 credits) and two courses in the summer term (6 credits).

Credits
IAU recommends transfer credit with appropriate grades on the basis of three units per semester course (45 class hours or equivalent).

The Institute for American Universities issues an official, traditional American transcript with letter grades. Institute courses have been accepted for academic credit by over 700 North American institutions of higher learning since its founding in 1957.

Drop/Add
Assuming the proper pre-approval has been done with their host institutions, students may change their course selection in consultation with the Academic Director during the first week of the semester. No courses may be dropped or new ones added after that period.

Pass/Fail
Students taking fifteen semester hours on a graded basis may elect to take one course on a pass/fail basis (assuming that the home institution approves). Such a choice must be declared no later than the drop/add period and may not be changed after that date. For purposes of pass/fail grading, “pass” is considered a grade of C or above. Students must obtain their home institution's approval for this option.

Withdrawal - Pass/Fail
From the end of the drop/add period to the end of the eighth week of classes, a student may withdraw from a course with the consent of the Academic Director. Students who withdraw during this period will receive a grade of WP or WF (Withdrawal Pass or Fail) which will appear on the official Institute transcript. Please check the academic calendar for specific dates.

Auditing Classes
Students may audit a class in addition to the normal course load, with the permission of the Academic Director and instructor. Attendance must be on a regular basis throughout the semester. Auditing a course does not entail any reduction in regular tuition. 

Students in Avignon may also enroll in one course for credit at the local French university.  Please go here for more information. 

Students in Aix may enroll in courses for credit at the local French university. Please email the Aix center director for more information.

No grades may be awarded for audited courses. However, notation of the audit may be entered on the student’s transcript.

Attendance
Since the Institute believes that a student has an obligation to participate in class, regular attendance is expected of all students. Class attendance is a factor in the final assessment of a student’s academic performance and includes her/his presence on all excursions related to a course syllabus.

Incompletes
The last day for a student to request an Incomplete (“I”) grade for a course is no later than the last day of regularly-scheduled classes. The instructor grants or denies this request and informs the Academic Director in writing of the decision. The Academic Director reviews this decision and determines the final result.

An Incomplete may only be granted for reasons of documented illness, death in the immediate family, or other extraordinary circumstances. Failure to complete assigned work in a timely fashion does not justify the granting of an Incomplete.

Unfinished work must be completed satisfactorily within the regular semester immediately following the semester in which the Incomplete was granted, or the course grade will become a permanent grade of “F”. 

Grading
Grades are assigned by the instructor of the course. No grade may normally be changed except for reason of material or clerical error. A student with a grade of “D” or “F” may retake a course once in order to improve the grade and obtain credit. The original grade “D” or “F” remains on the student’s transcript.

Students withdrawing from a course after the official drop/add period should see the paragraph above on “withdrawal”.

Academic Honors
Qualified students are recommended for induction into the National French Honor Society, Pi Delta Phi.

FINANCIAL POLICIES

Costs
Costs vary by program so we encourage you to visit the respective center websites for the most up-to-date programs costs:

Le Centre d'Aix
The Marchutz School of Art
The Center for Art and Culture
Le Centre d'Avignon

Payments
All payments must be clearly marked with the student's name and program.

Students who expect to receive financial aid should notify the IAU Admissions Office immediately and provide disbursement dates and amounts. Those interested in a payment plan must submit a copy of their payment plan proposal to IAU's Director of Administration as soon as possible. You can expect to receive a confirmation of the final decision regarding the proposed payment plan within one week of its submission.

Refunds
In case of cancellation, refunds may be granted only if email notice of withdrawal, sent by student or sponsoring institution, is received by IAU’s Registrar according to the schedule below:

Fall semester students

• Prior to August 1: full refund of all fees paid (excluding enrollment deposit)
• Between August 1 and the end of the first week of the semester:  20% tuition, 75% of housing
• After the first week of the semester: no tuition or housing refunds

Spring semester students

• Prior to December 1: full refund of all fees paid (excluding enrollment deposit)
• Between December 1 and the end of the first week of the semester:  20% tuition, 75% of housing
• After the first week of the semester: no tuition or housing refunds

Summer term students

• Prior to May 1: full refund of all fees paid (excluding enrollment deposit)
• Between May 1 and the end of the first week of the term: no tuition refund, 90% of housing
• After the first week of the term: no tuition or housing refunds

Financial Assistance
Other than the scholarship program listed below, IAU does not provide direct financial assistance to students. However, many government grants and loans and a number of other sources of financial assistance available to students on their home campuses may be applied to study abroad. For details students should consult with their Financial Assistance Offices.

Also, there are many third-party study abroad scholarships available through reputable organizations including the Gilman International Scholarship Program. We encourage you to use the vast resources of the Internet to help locate additional funding options.

Institute Scholarships
A number of awards for semester or full-year students are made on the basis of academic achievement and/or financial need. They normally take the form of tuition grants ranging from $300-$1,000. Students are encouraged to apply using IAU's Scholarship Application AFTER they have been accepted to IAU.

DAMAGE POLICIES

Students are financially responsible for any damage they cause to Institute property or that of their host. Invoices for damage will be mailed to the student's permanent address on record. The Institute retains the right to withold a student's transcript in the event of an unpaid damage invoice.

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIOR HONOR CODE

Registration at IAU requires adherence to the Institute’s standards of academic integrity and behavior. Students are expected to approach their academic work with dedication and integrity, understanding that they are responsible for enhancing their own learning through personal effort. Students agree to be fully prepared for each class session.  Students also agree not to violate the Academic and Behavior Honor Code by their involvement in any of the prohibited behaviors listed below.  Students should note that this list is not exhaustive and merely represents a sampling of prohibited offenses.  Violation of these or any other acts that is deemed unsuitable and which reflects poorly on the student, their classmates, and/or the IAU, is grounds for dismissal from the program without refund.

ACADEMIC
Plagiarism: Submitting material that in part or whole is not entirely one's own work without attributing those same portions to their correct source.

Cheating: Using unauthorized notes, study aids, or information on an examination; altering a graded work after it has been returned, then submitting the work for re-grading; allowing another person to do one's work and submitting that work under one's own name; submitting identical or similar papers for credit in more than one course without prior permission from the course instructors. Persons who assist cheating by sharing their work are also guilty of cheating.

Fabrication: Falsifying or inventing any information, data, or citation; presenting data that were not gathered in accordance with standard guidelines defining the appropriate methods for collecting or generating data, and failing to include an accurate account of the method by which the data were gathered or collected.

Obtaining an unfair advantage: (a) Stealing, reproducing, circulating, or otherwise gaining access to examination materials prior to the time authorized by the instructor; (b) stealing, destroying, defacing, or concealing library materials with the purpose of depriving others of their use; (c) unauthorized collaborating on an academic assignment; (d) retaining, possessing, using or circulating previously given examination materials, where those materials clearly indicate that they are to be returned to the instructor at the conclusion of the examination; (e) intentionally obstructing or interfering with another student's academic work; (f) otherwise undertaking activity with the purpose of creating or obtaining an unfair academic advantage over other students' academic work.

Falsification of record and official documents: Altering documents affecting academic records; forging signatures of authorization or falsifying information on an official academic document, grade, report, letter of permission, petition, drop/add form, ID card, or any other official Institute document.

Unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems: Viewing or altering computer records, modifying computer programs or systems, releasing or dispensing information gained via unauthorized access, or interfering with the use or availability of computer systems or information.

 BEHAVIOR
Alcohol and Drugs Policies

Students should know that behavior that may be common at college campuses in the US is unacceptable in Europe. Binge drinking in particular, or drinking to get drunk, is culturally inappropriate. Alcohol may be consumed, within reasonable limits, by students who are of legal age in France. Students who choose to consume alcohol do so with the knowledge that they remain responsible for their actions at all times and are expected to drink responsibly. IAU prohibits the illegal distribution of alcohol to students who are not of legal drinking age. Further, excessive and irresponsible drinking leading to intoxication and behavior that interferes with the program or the rights of others is subject to immediate disciplinary action, and may result in dismissal from the program without refund or credit.  

Students are prohibited from selling, using, or possessing any drugs that are considered by host country law to be illicit or illegal. Students are cautioned that the possession of drugs is often dealt with harshly by host country law enforcement. NOTE: Any drug infraction will be considered a grave violation of policy and will result in immediate disciplinary action, including possible dismissal from the program without refund.

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