The Challenges of Continuing Education: University of Minnesota

People change over time, and so do their priorities, passions, and interests. Some keep up with the changes as well as they can, forgoing new ideas and concepts for a sense of familiarity. Others seek to improve themselves in different ways to ride the tide of these new advancements, taking continuing education courses to set them apart. One university that offers multiple continuing education courses is the University of Minnesota's College of Continuing and Professional Studies (CCAPS).

CCAPS emphasizes its mission to help empower lifelong learners to achieve their educational goals. It offers six bachelor's programs, eight master's programs, and ten undergraduate and graduate certificates.

If you are on the path to change or improve your knowledge through continuing education courses, taking courses at CCAPS is a commendable step. It's not easy to make a change or start anew, but it brings much progress and positive additions to your life. Perhaps you want to upgrade your knowledge of a topic that interests you. Or maybe you are eying a promotion and know that to get considered, you need to have that extra edge. Regardless of your approach, these courses enhance your skillset and keep you integrated and in the know.

Keep in mind, however, that even if you attended college before, new changes may impact your progress and experience. The introduction of new technological, social, and health-related changes is altering how people learn and interact. With technology dominating the learning environment and new social changes happening globally, expectations and your responsibilities as a continuing education student at CCAPS are changing.

Academics

At CCAPS, continuing education students can choose from multiple programs that can help them professionally, academically, and personally. CCAPS offers bachelor's and master's programs for professionals who are returning to class. It also offers a short professional development program if you don't want to commit to the rigors of a graduate degree.

The certifications and degrees offered at CCAP include:

• Undergraduate Education: These include construction management, healthcare, IT and business, and self-designed programs. Each one of these categories also contains multiple subcategories. For example, you can pursue a bachelor's degree, a minor, or a certification program in construction management.
• Graduate Education: CCAP has many graduate program degrees that help you flourish in your career. Master's degrees include addiction counseling, applied services leadership, arts and cultural leadership, biological sciences, civic engagement, horticulture, integrated behavioral health, and sexual health. CCAP also offers certifications in human sexuality, leadership for science professionals, regulatory affairs for food professionals, sex therapy, and transgender and gender-diverse health.
• Professional Development: For professionals looking to up their game, CCAP offers professional development programs in agile and scrum, business process, HR and Talent Development, Leadership, Project Management, Technology, and Writing and Communications.
• Lifelong Learning: The OSHER lifelong learning institute is CCAP's learning community for students over 50. Students pay an annual fee of $300 and may join at any time.

CCAP expects students to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Every course has different requirements in terms of passing averages. However, to remain enrolled, you must demonstrate that you can keep up with your peers and program requirements to progress to the next phase of your degree or receive a certification.

For example, for Intensive English course scholarships, students must demonstrate a solid academic record and strong academic performance. This means that students must pass all classes with a 70% or higher grade, achieve an average attendance of 90% or higher, and follow the University of Minnesota Student Conduct Code.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Academic progress is one of the main reasons students face issues when participating in continuing education courses. If you have financial aid or scholarships, it is doubly important to keep up, or you may face penalties. According to the SAP policy at the University of Minnesota, students must maintain Satisfactory Academic progress to complete their coursework and receive financial aid.

The SAP Policy, like all federally mandated policies for universities, applies standards to monitoring student progress. Per the policy, not meeting these standards can lead to placement on financial aid warning or suspension. The following are the SAP standards for undergraduate, master's, and professional programs:

Undergraduate Student Requirements:

• Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, depending on their college.
• Students should complete their degree credits within a specific timeframe to be eligible to receive financial aid.
• A student must earn at least 67% of the credits they attempt to receive the degree.

Graduate and Professional Student Requirements

• Students must maintain a minimum of a 2.8 GPA for the entire enrollment period in the program.
• Professional students must maintain a 2.0 GPA.
• Students must earn 67% of the credits they attempt or higher.

The university reviews SAP at the end of each term for students who are in certificate or financially-eligible programs. Fortunately, if you are not performing up to par due to specific circumstances, you can appeal using the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form up to a month after receiving your final term grades. If your request receives an appeal approval, the university places you on probation for a set timeframe and creates an academic plan with you. Once the probation ends, you must submit a follow-up letter proving that you met the terms of your academic plan.

Academic Integrity and Misconduct

All students attending the University of Minnesota, including those in the CCAP, must follow the Board of Regents Student Conduct Code. The code relays the university's mission and expectations and explains the adjudication process for violations. In the segment for prohibited behaviors, the code lists the following actions to avoid:

• Scholastic Dishonesty: Includes actions such as cheating, plagiarism, using online support material without a professor's authorization, acquiring materials without permission, submitting false or incomplete records, altering or misrepresenting data, and falsification.
• University Rule Violations: Students must not engage in conduct that violates the university's regulations.
• Violation of Local, State, or Federal Laws or Ordinances: Students should refrain from engaging in conduct that violates the law.
• Persistent Violations: Students who engage in multiple violations, even seemingly minor ones, may receive a suspension or dismissal.
• Retaliation: Students may not take action against others who participated, in good faith, in exposing an issue relating to violations. For example, if a student files a complaint against a peer, the peer may not take adverse action against the student.
• Harm to Others: All students must feel safe, so the university bans students from engaging in conduct meant to hurt, harass, intimidate, endanger, or threaten others. This rule only applies to these specific violations and not other forms of assault, such as sexual assault, with a separate process.
• Discriminatory Harassment: Students may not engage in unwelcome behavior towards others based on their protected status.
• Bullying: Students must refrain from intimidating and bullying others by engaging in recurring acts of aggression towards others. Examples include threats, slander, privacy invasion, and physical or verbal attacks.
• Illegal or Unauthorized Possession or Use of Weapons: Students may not use weapons or items like firearms, explosives, or hazardous chemicals except with legal permission and with approval from the university.
• Drugs and Alcohol: Consuming drugs or alcohol illegally or buying them for minors is a serious offense at the university and the law.
• Theft and Vandalism: Students must refrain from damaging, destroying, and taking objects from the university without permission.
• Hazing: Students may not engage in hazing rituals that jeopardize a peer's well-being and cause personal shame.
• Disrupting the Academic Environment: Students who chronically hinder a professor's lesson and their fellow peers' learning experience may receive sanctions for the constant disruptions.
• Falsification: All students must avoid deliberately submitting false or misleading information to the university and falsifying information on university IDs.
• Refusal to Comply: Students must comply with university officials and identify themselves when requested.
• Unauthorized University Access: No student may access the university in an unauthorized manner and must obtain permission to access areas that require it.
• Disruptive Behavior: Engaging in disruptive behavior creates issues for professors and learners, especially when the behavior is repetitive.

The Cost of Violations

Violating the code of conduct comes with multiple repercussions. As a continuing education student, you must know how your actions may impact your progress and graduation prospects. Some of the penalties imposed on students who commit violations include:

• An academic outcome affecting your course or academic work
• The issuance of a verbal or written warning or reprimand
• Placement on probation with conditions for a specific timeframe with the potential for more severe outcomes if the student continues to engage in the prohibited behavior
• Required compliance through satisfying university requirements
• Confiscation of goods possessed through unauthorized means
• Restitution by compensating for loss, injury, or damage
• The restriction of your privileges in terms of building access or service access
• Suspension from university housing
• Expulsion from university housing
• Suspension from the university
• Permanent dismissal (expulsion)
• Withholding of a diploma or degree
• Revocation of a diploma or degree

Depending on the case details, you may attend a hearing where a panel hears the evidence against you and your statement and decides on an outcome and sanctions for the issue. If you face a hearing, call the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team for a strong defense strategy, help, and guidance on approaching the panel.

Sexual Harassment Policy

Per federal law, all universities must have a process to deal with allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination under Title IX. The University of Minnesota has taken the issue further by imposing additional requirements for students to protect against these actions.

The university justifies these extra conditions in its Title IX policy page, mentioning how it believes the current laws do not capture the full extent of what these actions may constitute. If you face issues regarding Title IX violations, never approach the issue alone. These matters may cause reputation damage even if you did not commit a violation. They may also prevent you from graduating and cause long-term and short-term issues.

With the help of the Lento Law Firm and the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team, you have a higher chance of a favorable case outcome when dealing with this sensitive issue.

Hiring an Attorney

The world is changing, and to keep up, taking continuing education courses opens the doors to many personal and professional opportunities. But whether you were in college only a few years ago or decades since you last attended, you must follow modern rules. These rules may be stricter due to the need for colleges to attract students and level the playing field for everyone.

The Education Law Team at the Lento Law Firm is your ally when a violation threatens your progress and educational trajectory. With years of experience working with continuing education students nationwide, the Education Law Team is by your side when you have to face panels, file appeals, and gather evidence to bolster your case.

Regardless of the violation, every student deserves due process and fair treatment when their degree is on the line. With their knowledge and guidance, the Education Law Team tackles all these issues with you, crafting a solid defense strategy with you involved in every step for the best possible outcome.

With their empathetic and intelligent approach to every issue or complaint, the Education Law Team at the Lento Law Firm helps prepare you to navigate the complexities of modern academic institutions like CCAP that cater to continuing education.

Venturing into the world of education after a hiatus may come with many challenges. That, and your present responsibilities, may lead to slip-ups, lapses in judgment, and mistakes that have heavy repercussions.

But whatever happens, you are never alone. If you face dismissal or issues due to alleged violations, it's time to fight back. Call the Lento Law Firm Team today at 888-535-3686 for more information on approaching your case.