Concordia College Corporation

Catalog Contents

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Academic Program

Faculty
Academic Deans' Office
Calendar
Curriculum
Specialized Teaching Areas
Emphases Across the Curriculum
Core Curriculum
Professional Programs
Pre-Professional Programs
Office of the Registrar
Registration Information
Advanced Credit

Faculty

At the heart of any college is its academic program. The purpose and philosophy of the college determine the nature of that program. Because Concordia's purpose is to "influence the affairs of the world by sending into society thoughtful and informed men and women dedicated to the Christian life," the quality of the academic program and the caliber of instruction are taken very seriously here. Concordia strives for excellence in program and attracts highly qualified, dedicated professors who take pride in their teaching and whose teaching skills equal their command of the subject matter.

Faculty and staff at Concordia are selected on the basis of competence in their fields; an outgoing, caring personality; and a commitment to the purpose and philosophy of the college. As a result you will find that faculty at Concordia are much more than fact dispensers. They make it a point to care about you and your success, both as a student and as a person. They are accessible, and with a student-faculty ratio of 15:1, they take the time and effort to treat you as an individual, not a number.

That does not mean, however, that they will spoon-feed you. On the contrary, they will demand of you your best and will help you to become independent, responsible learners able to pursue knowledge on your own, to think critically, to reach thoughtful conclusions and to develop workable plans of action. That kind of intellectual development is worthy of your finest efforts.

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Academic Deans' Office

The academic deans' office is charged with the administration of the academic program of the college. Faculty, curriculum, academic budgets, continuing education, special programs, cultural events and institutional research are among its areas of responsibility. Students have access to both the academic dean and the associate/assistant dean, particularly with regard to commendations or concerns about faculty or courses. Questions about summer school, new courses or programs should also be directed to this office.

Statement on academic integrity: Concordia College's expectations for integrity on campus are continued in Academic Integrity at Concordia College: a Handbook for Faculty, Students, and Staff of the College. This document, adopted by both the Student and Faculty Senates of the college, discusses the need for our campus to be one of integrity, describes the nature of violations of integrity and explains the steps one must take to resolve integrity violation allegations. All members of the college community are expected to abide by these regulations and procedures.

Academic Integrity at Concordia College is too lengthy to reproduce or adequately summarize in this supplement. Copies of this document were distributed to all members of the campus community during the fall, 1995 semester. Additional copies may be secured at the Academic Dean's Office.

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Calendar

Academic year: Concordia's academic year is divided into two four-month semesters and two optional four-week summer sessions. An unusual feature of Concordia's calendar year is that it ends at the beginning of May, thus providing a four-month summer. Students may take advantage of the May Seminars Abroad program, have an edge on the summer job market, attend summer school or just enjoy a long vacation.

Summer sessions: The college conducts two four-week summer sessions each year. Summer session offerings are published tentatively with the spring class schedule and confirmed in the fall class schedule, which is distributed each spring. This bulletin may be obtained from the Office of Admissions. The dates of the sessions are given in the academic calendar found near the front of this catalog.

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Curriculum

Major and Minor Programs

Concordia's 24 academic departments offer 56 professional and 24 teaching majors. Majors and minors are available in the subject areas listed below, with concentrations within a specific major sub-listed below that program.

Accounting
Apparel and design
Art (studio)
Art (teaching)**
Art history
Biology*
Business
--Healthcare administration
--Healthcare financial management
--International business
--Long-term care administration
Business education**
Chemistry
* --ACS chemistry
Classical studies
Classics
Communication
--Advertising
--Mass media
--Organizational communication
Computer science
Earth science (minor only)
Economics
Elementary Education**
English*
Environmental studies
Food/nutrition and dietetics
French*
German*
Greek (minor only)
Health*
History
History-political science
Home economics education**
Humanities
Individual and family studies
International relations
Latin*
Literature
Mathematics*
Medical technology
Music, B.A.*
Music, B.M.-instrumental
Music, B.M.-theory
Music, B.M.-voice
Music education, B.M.**
Norwegian (minor only)
Nursing
Office administration
Philosophy
Physical education*
Physics*
Political science
Psychology
Religion
Russian studies*
Scandinavian studies
Science teacher preparation**
--Earth science
--Life science
--Physical science
--Science (middle school)
Social studies teacher preparation**
--Economics
--History
--Political science
--Sociology
Social work
Sociology
--Criminal justice
Spanish*
Speech communication and theatre art*
Theatre art
Women's studies (minor only)
Writing

* Both teaching and nonteaching majors
** Teaching major only

For further information, consult the appropriate department in the course description section of this catalog.

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Specialized Teaching Areas

Licensure may be earned at Concordia in the following specialized areas:
Family life education, parent education, occupational foods, clothing and childcare -- offered through the family life education teaching major -- see Family and Nutrition Sciences.
Coaching -- see Education and Physical Education in the course description section of the catalog.
French, German, Latin, Spanish (FLES); kindergarten; and secondary developmental reading -- see
Education in the course description section of the catalog.

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Emphases Across the Curriculum

All faculty and academic departments share interest in and responsibility for several curricular emphases. These include teaching of writing and thinking skills, computer literacy, and the expansion of students' understanding of race, gender, class and nation. As a result, students will receive instruction in one or more of these areas in many different courses throughout the curriculum. The intention is to integrate these concerns into the curriculum rather than to have them stand alone as isolated courses. It is this integration into a context that provides the liberal arts perspective and transfers these emphases into informed attitudes, judgments and useful skills.

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Core Curriculum

Every candidate for the bachelor of arts degree at Concordia is required to take 13.5 courses that comprise the Core Curriculum. These courses provide the foundation and tools for the liberal arts approach to learning. All core courses must be passed with a minimum grade of D- to satisfy the requirements. See the Core Curriculum section of the catalog, pages 69-71, for a complete description of this program.

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Professional Programs

All academic departments at Concordia offer professional majors, i.e., preparation that can lead to graduate study or immediate employment upon graduation. Some departments also offer professional training in specialized areas preparing you for employment or further study. For more information on these programs, consult the following departmental or program entries in the course section of this catalog:
Accounting: Business and Economics
Advertising, Mass Media, Organizational Communication: Communication
Church-related positions: Church Professions
Food/Nutrition and Dietetics, Individual and Family Studies, Apparel and Design: Family and Nutrition Sciences
Healthcare Administration, Healthcare Financial Management: Business and Economics
Long-Term Care Administration: Business and Economics
Office Administration: Business Education and Office Administration
Social Work: Sociology and Social Work

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Pre-Professional Programs

A broad liberal arts education provides appropriate background for many professions. Concordia offers specific pre-professional programs as well. Consult the designated departmental or program entries in the course section of this catalog for more information on the following:
Architecture: Engineering
Church-related positions: Church Professions
Criminal Justice: Sociology and Social Work
Dentistry; Medicine; Occupational, Physical and Respiratory Therapy; Optometry; Sports Medicine; Veterinary Medicine: Health Professions
Engineering: Engineering
Law: Most law schools recommend a broad four-year liberal arts program as the best preparation for the study of law. Therefore, you may choose from a variety of disciplines: business, psychology, political science, sociology, biology and English, as examples. To be considered for admission into law school, you must take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). For more information, confer with Dr. Max Richardson, political science, law school adviser at Concordia.

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Office of the Registrar

The Office of the Registrar monitors your academic progress at Concordia. Questions relating to advisers, graduation requirements, registration, grades and credits, for example, can be answered there. This office, located on the main floor of Lorentzsen Hall, is responsible for registration procedures, including summer registration, assigning advisers, and counseling students on course selection. The office evaluates the transcripts of transfer students, determines the number of credits that will transfer and the applicability toward graduation requirements.

As a junior, you will receive a check sheet from the Office of the Registrar to assist you in planning your senior-year schedule and in completing your graduation requirements.

The Office of the Registrar will also provide information on examinations, both for placement at Concordia and for graduate study, including the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

The Office of the Registrar also provides copies of your transcript at $2 per copy, should you need them.

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Registration Information

Once you have been accepted for admission to Concordia College, you will receive registration instructions from the Office of the Registrar. You will be assigned a faculty adviser, who will assist you in planning your course of study and answer your questions or direct you to the proper source of help on campus.

Freshman registration: Your first contact with an adviser will be during summer registration, an advisement program designed for freshmen. The Office of the Registrar annually schedules these sessions both on the Moorhead campus and in Minneapolis to enable new students to meet with faculty advisers and plan their schedules for classes in the fall. If you come to the Concordia campus for summer registration, you may also tour the buildings, classrooms and residence halls and talk with professors and students attending summer school. During this registration period you will take placement examinations in discourse and languages. Music interviews will be held for interested students. Summer advisement and registration are optional, but strongly recommended. Advisement and registration can also be completed the Monday and Tuesday prior to the first Thursday of classes. Summer advisement assures you of registration in consultation with a faculty adviser and gives you a chance to become acquainted with the campus before arriving in the fall.

Transfer-student registration: The registrar and advisers work individually with transfer students during the registration process. Early application is strongly urged; information on registration is mailed soon after acceptance. No transfer student is permitted to register until he or she has furnished the college with an official transcript of credits certifying good standing at each of the accredited collegiate institutions previously attended. Transfer credit must be earned with a grade of C or better, and must be from an accredited school to be transferrable. One course credit is equivalent to six quarter hours or four semester hours of credit. Misrepresentation, omission of information or failure to provide information may cause delay or be grounds for dismissal.

Advance registration: Twice a year, currently enrolled students may register in advance for the next semester. Near the end of the first semester, registration is held for the second semester; near the end of the second semester, registration is held for the first semester of the following academic year.

Late registration: Students who are unable to register at the regularly scheduled times are accommodated individually by the registrar or assistant registrar. Registrations cannot be accepted after the 10th academic day.

Maximum registration: Normally, the maximum registration per semester is four and one-quarter courses, where the word "course" is used as defined later in this section. Applications for exceptions to this rule may be made to the registrar and are considered on the basis of grade point average and anticipated date of graduation. A "normal load" is considered to be four course credits. Academic work taken off campus is considered part of a student's load.

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Changes in registration:
Adding a course -- To add a course, a drop/add slip must be obtained from the Office of the Registrar and the completed form must be returned within seven calendar days. If the form is returned within the seven-day period, the effective date of change is the date the form was obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Signatures of instructors and the adviser must be obtained on the form. A full semester course can be added through the 10th academic day and block courses may be added through the sixth academic day.

Dropping a course -- A full-semester course may be dropped through the sixth academic day after mid-semester break. A block course may be dropped through the 20th academic day of the block. A drop/add slip must be obtained from the Office of the Registrar and the completed form must be returned within seven calendar days. If the form is returned within the seven-day period, the effective date of change in registration is the date the form was obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Signatures of instructors and the adviser must be obtained on the form. A course dropped by this procedure is not reflected on the academic record. After the deadline, a full-semester course cannot be dropped.

Students with serious and prolonged illness or other serious emergencies wishing to drop a course may appeal in writing to the Academic Standards Committee for consideration. Supporting documentation from medical personnel, instructors and/or advisers is beneficial. A student who drops a course without permission receives a failing grade in that course.

Withdrawal from college: The final date for withdrawal from college is the last day of classes during the 12th week of the semester. If it is necessary to withdraw from college during the semester, the student must file an application for withdrawal for consideration to the Student Affairs Office. The withdrawal becomes effective on the date it is approved and is reflected on the academic record. Failure to file an application for withdrawal or filing an application late will result in additional charges being assessed as indicated elsewhere in this catalog. The student who stops attending classes and who does not withdraw in the prescribed manner cannot be granted honorable dismissal and will be charged as if he or she had been attending class.

The college reserves the right to involuntarily withdraw students who discontinue class attendance. The college also reserves the right to involuntarily withdraw students on academic probation who are not attending classes and who obviously are not going to meet their probation status requirements.

If a student has engaged in behavior that suggests a danger to self or others, or if a student's behavior has demonstrated that he or she is emotionally or psychologically incapable of functioning properly in the college setting, the college reserves the right to withdraw the student involuntarily from school after consulting an appropriate family member or guardian and psychiatrist or psychologist.

Leave of absence: Students in good standing may apply for an academic leave of absence, allowing them to take leave from college without having to apply for readmission. Applications must be made no later than the 10th academic day of the semester and will be reviewed by the registrar and dean of students. Leaves may be granted for a period of up to one year. Leaves can be granted for reasons of work, health problems or other study.

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Auditing courses: Anyone wishing to audit (attend a course without seeking credit) must be admitted, register for the course and pay the appropriate fees (see the financial information section). The following courses may not be audited: art laboratories, science classes with a lab, clinical experiences, word processing, speech, music lessons, physical education activities, pre-May seminars or off-campus programs. Courses with space available may be audited by obtaining consent of the instructor on the audit registration form (available in the Office of the Registrar). May Seminars with space available may be audited but the total seminar fee is assessed. May Seminars are the only summer session courses eligible for audit registration.

The audit grade of AU reflects on an academic transcript that the course was attended. If lack of attendance for an audited course is reported by the instructor to the Office of the Registrar, the registration for the course will be voided as of that date. A maximum of 5.0 course credits total may be taken on an audit basis, with a maximum of 2.0 course credits per semester.

Any change from audit to credit must be done by the last day to add a full-semester class (10th day of classes). Any change from credit to audit must be done by the last day to drop a full-semester class (eighth week of classes). Refunds for changes from credit to audit will be prorated on the same basis as refunds for withdrawals from courses taken for credit. A course completed with the grade of AU may not be changed to credit. A student may enroll to take the course for credit at a later date. An audited course does not apply to graduation requirements or the course load needed for financial aid awards. For audit fees, see the Financial Information section of this catalog. (Concordia employees are not assessed audit fees.)

Pass-fail registration option: Students take a maximum of two course credits or their equivalent (including transfer credits) on a satisfactory-unsatisfactory (S-U) basis; no more than one course credit per department can be graded on an S-U basis and a course taken for a grade of S-U cannot satisfy any of the 13.5 core course requirement. Education 439, music diction classes and other classes offered only on an S-U basis may be taken in addition to the two-course maximum. The purpose of the pass-fail option is to encourage students to try courses in fields other than their major or minor. For more information, see your adviser or the registrar.

Special Services: Students with temporary or permanent disabilities are typically eligible for special services to enable them to more easily access their educational program. For more information, please see the Academic Programs section of the catalog, pages 42-43.

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Advanced Credit

Advanced placement: Students may obtain advanced placement and credit in courses at Concordia by scoring 3, 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Program Test of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). Credit must be recorded during the student's first year at Concordia. See the registrar for more information.

Placement of transfer and part-time students: The academic level at which transfer students are placed at Concordia will depend on the work they have successfully completed elsewhere and is transferable. If a baccalaureate degree has been previously earned, Concordia will not award another degree. Students who initially enroll part time for a semester will be permitted to extend the time period in which to complete their course of study.

  Part-time student: Part-time study is defined as follows:
   Fewer than 11/2 course credits -- less than half time
   11/2-2 course credits -- half time
   More than 2 course credits but fewer than 3 -- three-quarter time

CLEP and departmental examinations: You may receive credit in some courses by successfully completing special examinations that test your knowledge of the subject matter. You must be a Concordia student to test at Concordia and have the credit indicated on your permanent record.

Two types of credit-by-examination opportunities are available at Concordia. CLEP subject examinations measure achievement in specific college courses. Other subject examinations have been developed by a number of departments at Concordia for departmental use. See the Office of the Registrar for details and fees for these options.

Veterans Affairs eligibility: Concordia College is approved for veterans education. To obtain benefits, the veteran must apply for a Certificate of Eligibility. Application forms may be obtained from the Veterans Administration Regional Office. This should be done as soon as possible after acceptance so that the Certificate of Eligibility may be obtained, if possible, before the veteran comes to the campus.

In granting credit to veterans who have pursued specialized training programs in the armed forces, the college follows the Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experiences in the Armed Services, prepared by the American Council of Education. Further information and assistance is available from the Office of the Registrar.

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