Robert Gardner, Director; Jeanne Mizher, Secretary
In keeping with the Christian mission and academic goals of the University, the purpose of the Adult Degree Program is to give a broad spectrum of students an opportunity to learn and to earn college credit through distance education. Distance education is focused on the delivery of a select number of programs and courses. The courses are taught by the same faculty who teach on-campus programs and content, objectives, and outcomes are the same. Southwestern Adventist University faculty and staff are committed to helping distance education students complete their programs successfully.
The Adult Degree Program offers distance education to individuals who often have commitments to family, work, and community that make it impossible to attend classes on campus on a regular basis. Mature and motivated students will find the flexibility of a distance education study program helpful in their pursuit of various higher-education opportunities. The Adult Degree Program has been offered since 1980 and hundreds of students have successfully completed degree and certification requirements in this manner.
The objectives of the Adult Degree Program are:
Admission to the Adult Degree Program falls under the transfer student admission policies described on page 7 of this Bulletin. In addition, the program has set minimum requirements to ensure that the adult orientation of the program is maintained.
Eligible students:
Adult degree applicants must:
The Office of Admissions and Records is responsible for transfer credit evaluation. Transcripts are reviewed to determine which academic credits will transfer and their applicability to degree requirements. Course credits earned from regionally accredited colleges and universities will be accepted as transfer credit subject to the following guidelines:
Students who do not meet the requirements for regular admission may be conditionally admitted for one term. Criteria for regular admission must be met prior to registering for a second term. Students younger than 25 years of age may be granted an exception by the Adult Degree Committee.
Admission requirements for international students are different from the requirements for U.S. citizens. International students who apply to the Adult Degree Program must comply with the academic admission policies on page 7 of this Bulletin. General information related to the on-campus residence of international students does not apply.
Former Adult Degree Program students are encouraged to apply for readmission by submitting an updated application. Application for readmission is required for a student who has not registered for three or more consecutive semesters. Transcripts of subsequent work taken at other colleges or universities will need to be submitted. New degree audits will be prepared and reviewed with readmitted students and their faculty advisors. The degree requirements in effect at the time of readmission will be applicable. Students not maintaining active enrollment will be withdrawn from the program.
Adult Degree Program students can take advantage of the following alternatives for acquiring college credit:
The tuition rate for students in the Adult Degree Program is $556 per semester credit hour. There are no scholarship or payment plans for this program. All charges must be covered at the time of registration. Students are eligible for many financial aid plans and are encouraged to contact the Student Financial Services office at the time they apply for admission. Students will be issued an ID card and those who are able to come on campus are welcome to use the library and other facilities like the gymnasium.
Students must meet the graduation requirements described on page 51 of this Bulletin. A minimum of 32 hours for the bachelor's degree and 24 hours for the associate degree must be taken in residence. Alternatives for acquiring credit do not apply to the residency requirement. The final 12 credits taken prior to graduation must be completed in residence.
The academic policies of the University described from page 39 to page 60 of this Bulletin apply to students in the Adult Degree Program. Since most ADP students have additional responsibilities of employment and family, a normal course load is considered to be two courses per term (6-8 credits). Students may take up to 13 credits per term without petitioning for an overload. Petitions for an overload are filed with the Adult Degree Program office and approved by the Academic Standards and Practices Committee.
A student may realize early in the semester that he or she cannot complete a course in a timely manner. The policy for withdrawing from a course is described on page 41 of this Bulletin. Students wishing to drop a course need to notify the Adult Degree Program office prior to the last day to withdraw from a class. This date is listed in the Academic Calendar on the inside cover of the Bulletin. The Adult Degree Program office will regularly inform students of the dates for dropping a class. Refunds to students withdrawing from a course are made on a prorated basis. Students will be informed of the eligible refund at the time they request a withdrawal from a course. Withdrawing from a class may also affect financial aid eligibility. The student should check with the Adult Degree Program office to understand the financial impact of reducing course enrollment.
It is expected that students will complete all academic work for a course during the dates designated for the semester of registration. The policy on Incomplete Grades is on page 43 of this Bulletin. After first seeking the approval of the instructor, the student files a request with the Adult Degree Program office for an incomplete grade and an extension of time to complete the requirements of the course. The Adult Degree Program office will review the request and forward it to the Vice President for Academic Administration for official action. Incomplete grades may adversely affect the assessment of satisfactory academic progress used to determine eligibility for continuing financial aid.
Distance education courses are available to a wide spectrum of university students. The Adult Degree Program office is available to provide assistance to students in these other programs. The university uses Desire2Learn (D2L) as the on-line course management system. All courses require the student to have access to the Internet and e-mail. Some courses have video lectures which are played on a computer. Other programs which currently use distance educaiton courses are described below.
Distance education courses offered by Southwestern Adventist University are available for traditional, on-campus, undergraduate students during the summer. The Summer Distance Education course schedule is available for students prior to the beginning of summer registration. Students interested in this option should contact the Adult Degree Program office for access to the course on D2L. Summer students must first obtain registration approval from the Registrar, his or her academic advisor and receive clearance from the Student Finance office. Adult Degree Program tuition rates apply to courses taken in this program.
For a number of years, the Adult Degree Program has offered the Teacher Education Program through distance education. Post-baccalaureate students interested in completing the requirements for teacher certification must apply for admission to the University and to the Teacher Education Program. See page 136 of this Bulletin for further information or contact the Department of Education by telephone at (817) 645-3921 extension 6256 or on-line at http://www.swau.edu/ academics/education.asp. A special distance education teacher certification program for teachers in the Seventh-day Adventist Southwestern Union Conference is also available. Teachers interested in this program should contact the Southwestern Union Department of Education. The e-mail address is education@swuc.org or telephone (817) 295-0476.