Identity Verification
North Idaho College complies with the United States Federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) concerning the verification of student identity in distance education.
All credit-bearing courses and programs offered through distance education methods must verify that the student who registers for a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives academic credit. According to the HEOA, one or more of the following methods must be used:
a) An individual secure login and password
b) Proctored examinations, and/or
c) Other technologies or practices that are effective in verifying student identification.
All methods for verifying student identity in distance learning must protect the privacy of student information. If any fees associated with the verification of student identity will be charged to students, they will be indicated on the "Tuition and Fees" website.
Compliance
Secure Login and Password: Every NIC student is assigned a unique student ID, username, and password to access NIC's learning management system. Students are responsible for providing accurate and true identity information in the application process and adhering to the policies and procedures as listed in the Academic Integrity Policy #5.06.01.
Proctored Examinations: Exams use Respondus Lockdown Browser at NIC approved Testing Centers and require picture ID for testing.
Complaint and Appeals Resolution Process
(The following information can be found in North Idaho College's current academic year's catalog).
Academic Appeals/Instructional Petitions
Students should follow the guidelines below to address concerns about an instructor, change of grade, course substitutions, academic sanctions, or other instructional matters.
NOTE: There are specific program appeal processes and procedures that must also be followed in fields such as Health Professions and Nursing. If you are enrolled in one of these programs, please check with an advisor about any such standards and their relationship to the college procedures.
Step 1: Admissions and Academic Standards
Petition the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee for consideration of late withdrawal from all college courses within a term or reinstatement to college following disqualification or suspension. Petitions for late withdrawal must be submitted within two years from the semester in which the late withdrawal is being requested. Students who wish to appeal should complete an Admissions and Academic Standards Appeal form.
Note: For requests for a late withdrawal from an individual course, refer to the Withdrawing from Individual Courses section.
Step 2: Office of Instruction
Students may also appeal decisions rendered by the Admission and Academic Standards Committee or any academic sanctions imposed as a result of violation of academic integrity (appeal process for academic sanctions is detailed in the Student Code of Conduct and NIC Policy 5.06.01 and takes precedent over any process outlined herein). Students who wish to appeal should complete an Instructional Petition Form and prepare a written Statement of Appeal. Submit the documents to the Office of Instruction within seven working days of the decision being appealed.
The Statement of Appeal must contain the following information:
- Student’s name, local address, and telephone number.
- A statement of concerns regarding the original decision.
- Arguments supporting the student’s position.
- A statement of the requested solution.
- All relevant supporting documentation.
The provost or designee will then conduct inquiries as deemed appropriate and provide a written decision to the appellant within 15 working days. The Office of Instruction's decision is final.
Complaint Process for Idaho Approved Sara Institutions
Student grievances must exhaust institution’s dispute resolution process. All complaints regarding student grades or conduct violations are governed by the institution and the laws of the institution’s home state.
If an NC-SARA student is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process, or if the issue is not resolved at the institutional level, the student may appeal to the Office of the State Board of Education. Appeals must be submitted no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the student receives the institution’s final decision on matter.
For more information, visit the Idaho State Board of Education Complaint Procedures.
Incompletes
An incomplete is assigned only if the student has been in attendance and has done satisfactory work to within three weeks of the end of the semester (or proportional length of time for a course of less than a semester in length). Incompletes are issued only in cases of extenuating circumstances, such as severe illness or injury. Incompletes are not issued in cases in which the student is simply unable to complete his/her work within the specified semester or session. If a final grade of I is recorded, the instructor will indicate in writing to the registrar what the student must do to make up the deficiency. The instructor will indicate in the written statement what permanent grade should be entered if the incomplete is not removed by the deadline.
All incomplete grades must be removed within six weeks after the first class day of the following term, excluding the summer session. If the incomplete is not removed by that date, the grade reverts to the grade indicated by the instructor’s written statement authorizing the incomplete. Incompletes may affect financial aid eligibility and will prevent certificates or degrees from being awarded.
Repeating a Course
Students may repeat any course to raise a grade, provided they have not completed a more advanced course for which the first is a prerequisite. While all grades received remain on the record, only the grade received for the most recent enrollment in the course is counted in computing grade point average. Note: Repeating a course may affect financial aid funding and may not be permitted if the course has already been used to earn a degree.
Academic Renewal
In conformity with the principle of encouraging and rewarding determination, self-discipline, and achievement, North Idaho College will allow a student to petition the registrar, under certain circumstances, for academic renewal. This means previous poor academic work at NIC would be eliminated from the computation of credits and grade points in the student’s academic record as well as for academic standing and eligibility for graduation. Eligibility for academic renewal will be subject to the following conditions:
- At the time the petition is filed, a minimum of five years will have elapsed since the most recent course work to be disregarded was completed.
- Before the petition may be filed, the student must complete at least 30 semester hours of course work at North Idaho College with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50. These courses must be completed following the disregarded semester(s).
- Renewal will not be granted for individual courses within a term.
- Students holding an associate’s or bachelor’s degree are not eligible for academic renewal.
The student may have a maximum of two consecutive semesters (Summer Session excluded, unless it is one of the two disregarded semesters) of course work disregarded in all calculations regarding the computations of credits and grade points, academic standing, and eligibility for graduation. The petition to be filed by the student will specify the semester(s) or terms(s) to be disregarded.
If the petition qualifies under this policy, the student’s permanent academic record will be suitably annotated to indicate that no work taken during the disregarded semester(s), even if satisfactory, may apply toward the computation of credits and grade points, academic standing, and graduation requirements. However, all work will remain on the records, ensuring a true and accurate academic history.
Since this is already a policy of exception, no exceptions will be made to the aforestated conditions. Students should be aware that this policy might not be accepted at transfer institutions.
Student Privacy-FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (1974) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records and is enforced by the Family Policy Compliance Office of the U.S. Department of Education (FPCO). Essentially, the act states that 1) "students" must be permitted to inspect their own "education records" and 2) "school officials" may not disclose personally identifiable information about a students without written permission from the student. Additional information on FERPA can be found on NIC's FERPA website.
Student Handbook
The most up-to-date information on student policies and information can be found in NIC's official student handbook: https://www.nic.edu/studenthandbook/
