Individualized Study
The School is committed to the idea that people learn more effectively when their experience and goals converge. To this end, the University actively fosters the participation of students in the planning of their educational programs. Students are also expected to individualize their cluster group work through directed independent research. Upon enrolling in the School, each student is assigned a faculty advisor who helps the student plan and coordinate a program of study from entry through degree completion.
In addition to assisting students in the design of their programs of study, the faculty advisor acts as a mentor, provides a source of continuity to students’ ongoing academic experience, and evaluates the overall quality of their work. In regularly scheduled conferences, the faculty advisor monitors student progress by reviewing course work and by providing feedback on projects.
Full-Time Accelerated Pace
The School of Accelerated Degree Programs' academic year consists of four, 12-week terms with 13 cluster meetings per term. Students enroll in one cluster per term, earning nine credit hours in most degree programs. New students may be admitted at the beginning of each term, and they may pursue a full-time academic program by attending all four terms during the year.
In this manner, students make rapid progress toward degree completion while still fulfilling professional and personal responsibilities. Students are not permitted to take more than one cluster per quarter. The accelerated format employing clusters is based on the assumption that highly motivated students are entirely focused on the content of their clusters during the quarter.
The one cluster limit maximizes the likelihood of a quality effort resulting in a quality learning experience. Limiting a student’s course load is intended to protect the academic integrity of the program and its degree offerings. Students are permitted to take one three-credit-hour course in the same quarter in which they are enrolled in a cluster. Normally, a maximum of 12 credit hours per quarter is allowed. In rare situations, a student is permitted to take additional coursework in the day semester program. In this instance, a student is permitted to take a combined (day semester and evening quarter) total of twenty four hours. Students wishing to take hours in excess of 13 semester hours are required to complete a “Petition for Policy Exemption.”
Cluster Attendance Policy
The School of Accelerated Degree Programs is an accelerated program designed for motivated learners who take responsibility for their education. It is assumed that a student will not miss any classes. However, recognizing that students are working adults, one absence can be compensated for (at the instructor’s discretion) through additional assigned work. Two absences will result in a grade drop in one, two, or all three of the cluster courses, depending on the class format and the instructor’s judgment. Three absences are unacceptable as that represents one-fourth of the class periods. A student who has missed or will miss three cluster meetings will receive failing grades in the cluster. The first class (Saturday for new undergraduate students and the first week of classes for all other students) and the thirteenth class (arranged by the instructor) are both considered part of the scheduled coursework and attendance will be counted accordingly.
In addition, the attendance policy is structured so that it incorporates tardiness and early departure from class as part of overall attendance reporting. Students are expected to arrive for the beginning of class periods and remain until the instructor terminates the class meeting. Instructors will monitor and record the names of students who arrive late for class meetings or who leave class early. Tardy or early departure absences are cumulative and counted according to the School's absence reporting policy. Students who accumulate four hours of tardy or early departure penalties will be assessed one evening’s absence. This policy shall be strictly enforced and in no cases shall exceptions be allowed.
Cluster Textbook Policy
All students must have their textbooks by the first cluster meeting. Students also have the responsibility of making sure they purchase the correct textbooks for each cluster or class. This is especially true when students choose to purchase textbooks from sources other than the Book-X-Change, Lindenwood’s affiliated bookstore. It is the responsibility of the student to purchase the correct textbooks for the cluster in which he or she is enrolled. Lindenwood University will not accept responsibility for any textbooks that were not purchased from the Book-X-Change.
Textbook Ordering
Textbooks for all clusters and courses are available through the Book-X-Change, Lindenwood's affiliated bookstore. To order texts, students should go to the Lindenwood University website and access the Book-X-Change through a direct link (LUTextbooks.com) to the company. Students will need to know the number of each course within the cluster and be prepared to use a credit card to order books. Students are strongly encouraged to order books at least two weeks before the beginning of the quarter and have them shipped directly to their home addresses if they do not live in close proximity to the St. Charles campus.
The Culminating Project
Some students may complete a culminating project. A culminating project is an integral part of the student’s program and is equivalent to an extended paper or honors thesis. Under the supervision of the Faculty Advisor, the student will design a culminating project and complete it during the last quarter of study. Students will enroll in ICU 48900, Culminating Project, at the same time that they register for their last coursework or cluster. Students who do not finish their project within their last term must register for a culminating project extension (ECU 48900) for each term that the project is not completed. The culminating project is an opportunity for a student to synthesize his or her major areas of study and to demonstrate mastery of basic written and oral skills and concepts.
The project may be a thesis, a demonstration, or a creative work. It may involve a combination of media. If the project is a film, video, computer program, etc., it must still include written analytical documentation. The culminating project, designated on the student transcript as ICU 48900, carries one semester hour of academic credit.
A grade of “C” or above is necessary to pass the culminating project. The culminating project is NOT an option for students majoring in business administration, criminal justice, health management, human resource management, gerontology or information technology.
The Capstone Course
The capstone course is required for students majoring in business administration, communications, criminal justice, health management, human resource management, gerontology, and information technology. Students who take the capstone course must have completed all of their required core clusters in their areas of emphasis or enroll in the capstone course concurrently with the final core cluster. The course will emphasize the theories and concepts of the major from an academic viewpoint as well as their practical applications in the professional setting. The course requires a mastery of the concepts within the major and integrates academic studies with issues faced by practicing professionals in their area of employment. Consequently, students should expect midterm and final examinations, case analyses, and at least one major research paper during the term of enrollment. A grade of “C” or above is necessary to pass this course.