The Nichols International Studies Program encompasses two different approaches to foreign travel for students. The first approach is offered through the Study Travel Course Program. The basic form of the Study Travel course is a single course with a short component spent in a foreign country. The second is a Semester Abroad Program, which assists Lyon Students in spending an extended period of time in a foreign university as a student enrolled in classes there.

Qualified juniors and seniors may join in one of several international Study Travel courses offered by the College. Financial assistance is made available by a grant called a Nichols Fellowship.

To qualify initially, a student must have been enrolled full-time at Lyon College for four semesters. At the end of the fourth semester, students who have accumulated at least 60 hours of credit and are in good academic and financial standing are determined eligible for a Nichols Fellowship. At this time Nichols-eligible students may pre-register for one of the Nichols Study Travel Courses offered in the following year. The fellowship may be granted for use in the fifth semester or at any time thereafter, provided the student is enrolled full-time in the semester immediately preceding the travel course and still maintains appropriate academic and financial standing. Students who are not in appropriate academic standing during the semester in which they are eligible to pre-register for a Study Travel course will not be awarded a fellowship and will be charged for any costs the College has incurred on their behalf. The Registrar and the Business Office will determine eligibility of the student at the time of registration for a Study Travel course.

To be eligible to enroll in a Study Travel course, a student must be in good financial standing with the College. To be in good financial standing a student must not have any unpaid student account balance from a previous semester. In addition, students must have settled satisfactorily their accounts with the Business Office by the last day of the semester in which they are enrolled. Students who have not settled their accounts by this date will not be allowed to go on the Study Travel course in which they are enrolled and will be charged for any costs the College has incurred on their behalf.

All Study Travel courses are taught by Lyon College faculty and include about two weeks in a foreign country. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. Some prerequisites may be imposed. A course fee will be due and payable upon final registration.

Students who do not qualify for a Nichols Travel Fellowship may enroll for a Study Travel course at their own expense, with the permission of the instructor; however, Nichols Fellows will receive priority on class rosters when numbers are limited.

Nichols Fellowships may be applied towards the cost of study or research abroad by those eligible for a Study Travel course, but may only be used once, and in an accepted program in a specific discipline.

These Study Travel courses are scheduled for 1998-99:

NTR 250/SPN 250/301 MADRID & CASTILLE: THE ESSENCE OF SPANISH CULTURE / 3 credits, Fall 1998*, Dr. Lewis. A study of Spanish history and culture through in-class readings and visits in Spain to Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, and El Escorial — exploring contrasts between historic and contemporary Spain with an emphasis on art, current events, and Spain’s rich past. Course Fee: $250†. Prerequisite for NTR/SPN 250: SPN 102 or permission of the instructor. Prerequisite for SPN 301: SPN 201

NTR/MUS 291 TOPICS IN MUSIC HISTORY: BACH’S GERMANY / 3 credits, Fall 1998*, Dr. Stinson. A study of the life and music of J. S. Bach within the historical, cultural, and religious context of Germany in the early 18th century. Course Fee: $300†. Prerequisite: None.

NTR/ANT 281 PREHISTORY AND HISTORY OF YUCATÁN / 1 credit, Fall 1998*, Dr. Lankford. The Yucatán Peninsula has been the home of the Maya, the Toltec, and the Spanish; today it bears the remnants and synthesis of all three in a modern context. Students will tour important archeological and historical sites in the Yucatán, thus completing the study of the Maya story and the history of Yucatán introduced in the course’s classroom. Course Fee: $250†. Corequisite, NTR/ANT 280. Prerequisite: ANT 101. Preference will be given to those who have taken multiple anthropology courses.

NTR/ENG/HIS 293 ENGLAND IN LITERATURE, HISTORY, AND LEGEND / 1 credit, Spring 1999**, Dr. Robbins. In this course, students will hike through the actual settings of episodes from English literature, history, and legend that they’ve studied in ENG 290-291 and HIS 401-402 — visiting the Brontës moors, Hadrian’s wall, and Arthurian castles. Course Fee: $300†. Prerequisite: one or more of the following: ENG 290, 291, HIS 401, 402, or permission of instructor.

NTR/HIS 368 SCOTTISH ROOTS OF SOUTHERN CULTURE / 1 credit, Spring 1999**, Dr. Stricklin. In this field course, students will travel to Scotland to examine the theory that American Southern culture derives in part from traditions rooted in the Celtic past. Students will have studied this mythic notion of Southern history, known as the “Celtic thesis,” in the classroom portion of the course, NTR/HIS 367. Course Fee: $300†. Corequisite: NTR/HIS 367.

* The travel portion of Fall 1998 courses will take place in January 1999.

** The travel portion of Spring 1999 courses will take place in May 1999.

† These fees are approximations, based on previous trips. Actual fees may be higher.

All students, in consultation with their advisers, may develop a plan for a semester’s or a full year’s study in a foreign country during their junior year. Preparation for such a study program must begin in the sophomore year and should include consultation with the director of the Nichols International Studies Program. Students should have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA to be approved for this program.

Lyon has exchange agreements with the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), Queen’s University (Northern Ireland), the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland), the University of Poitiers (France), and the University of Scarborough (England). Students may also select other foreign universities for their study abroad.

Help with that choice may be found in the International Studies Office together with information on housing, travel, financing, and background information on the proposed country in which the student intends to study. Currently students who qualify for a Study Travel course may use the grant they would have received for that course and apply it to a junior-year or junior-semester study abroad program. Other financial aid may also be available. Details may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office or the International Studies Office.

In past years, students have done either a full year’s or semester’s study in such countries as Scotland, England, France, Spain, Italy, Israel, Japan, and Australia. Students will need preparation in the language of the country in which they will study, particularly if English is not the language of instruction. That generally means the equivalent of two years of college level language instruction, particularly at the conversational level. Although internships and paying jobs are sometimes available, students should not expect to support themselves, even in part, by funds earned through working abroad. Funds for a year’s or semester’s study should have been secured before leaving the country.

All international study programs are administered through the Nichols International Studies Office and must be approved by the director of that office before students will be allowed to study in an international setting.

Academic Rules and Regulations

To graduate with a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from Lyon College, students must successfully complete the Core Curriculum, the requirements of at least one major, and at least 120 semester credits. They must also earn at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average for all work taken at Lyon College and a 2.00 cumulative grade point average in their major discipline.

Candidates for a degree must spend at least two semesters in residence as full-time students; attendance during summer terms alone is not sufficient. The senior year must be spent in residence at Lyon College, and at least 24 of the final 30 credits must be taken at Lyon College.

All candidates for a degree must be present at graduation exercises. The Dean of the Faculty may exempt from this requirement any student who has completed graduation requirements prior to the beginning of the spring semester, who resides outside the state of Arkansas, and who requests such exemption in writing not later than April 1 of the year in which the student expects to graduate.

Students earning degrees are normally expected to complete their course of study at Lyon College within four years. When this is not possible, students operate under the degree requirements of any catalog under which they were enrolled during the 10-year period previous to their graduation. However, a student who allows four years to lapse before re-enrollment must re-enroll under the current catalog.

Students who have done exceptionally well in high school, taken college preparatory courses or gained knowledge in some other way, may receive college credit, if they can demonstrate their knowledge and ability by examination. Students who have taken college courses at other accredited institutions of higher learning may also enter Lyon College with advanced standing.

I. Advanced Standing by Examination

Up to 33 semester credits may be earned by any combination of the following programs:

A. Advanced Placement Examinations

Students may receive credit for courses administered by the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. Students scoring a 4 or above on an AP exam in any discipline offered by the College will be given academic credit. Students scoring a 3 may be given credit, subject to a verification examination administered by the College faculty in the appropriate discipline. The determination of the exact course equivalence for AP credit will also be made by the College faculty in the appropriate discipline.

B. Credit by Division Examination

Students with a strong academic background may petition the Curriculum Committee to take any course by examination. The student’s petition must have the approval of the student’s adviser, the faculty member who teaches the course, and the division chair in whose division the course is located. The grade earned on the exam will be recorded on the student’s transcript. Academic credit for the course will be granted for a grade of D or better.

II. Transfer Credit

Lyon College will transfer all courses from accredited two-year and four-year institutions of higher learning, provided the courses are in areas of instruction offered by the College and the grade earned was a C or better. (Pass/Fail courses will transfer if the student can demonstrate that the grade earned would have been a C or better.)

Transferred grades will appear on the student’s transcript, but will not be figured into the Lyon College GPA.

Students who have left college under probation or suspension will be admitted to Lyon College on probation. Students academically dismissed from other institutions must wait at least one semester before being admitted to Lyon College.

Transfer students are required to take a physical education course at Lyon College for each year of full-time enrollment (or its equivalent) at Lyon College. All students must take Physical Fitness (PED 101) and one PED activity course or equivalent courses at other institutions. Participation in the military will be awarded Core physical education credit if it occurs while the student is enrolled at Lyon College.

Students currently enrolled at Lyon College must obtain permission to take academic work at other institutions if they wish to transfer the credit earned to Lyon College. All Core proficiency courses must be verified before credit is awarded.

Lyon College reserves the right to determine course equivalence for transfer credit. Transcripts will be evaluated by the Registrar upon admission to the College, and students will be notified of their standing through their advisers.

III. Advanced Standing for Military Service

The College grants academic credit for learning acquired in the military in accordance with the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. The one exception to this is that the College will not accept military service as physical education credit unless it is taken concurrently with the student’s enrollment at the College.

The Lyon College calendar is divided into two 14-week semesters. The fall semester begins in late August and ends with the final examination period before the Christmas holidays. The spring semester begins in mid-January and concludes in early May.

The College also offers courses between semesters (January and May) and in the summer. The summer session is not considered as part of the normal academic year.

The unit of measure at Lyon College is the “semester credit.” One hundred and twenty (120) semester credits are required for graduation. Therefore, a total of 30 credits during the academic year is considered a normal load.

For the fall and spring semesters, the minimum course load for a full-time student is 12 semester credits.

The maximum course load is 18 credits per semester. Students wishing to take more than 15 credits per semester must have maintained the following grade point averages (GPA) in the preceding semester: for 16 credits, a 2.50 GPA; for 17 credits, a 3.00 GPA; and for 18 credits, a 3.50 GPA. Exceptions may be granted by the Dean of the Faculty. There will be an additional charge for credits beyond 34 per year.

Veterans, athletes, and students receiving financial aid are required to take a minimum of 12 credits during the fall term and 12 in the spring semester to be eligible for the benefits accorded full-time students.

Six credits is considered a full time load for summer session. Ten credits is the maximum load.

Students are responsible for accurate registration; credit can be received only in those courses for which a student is properly registered. Students are also held responsible for every course for which they register unless they officially withdraw within the stated deadlines. A student who is registered for a course at the end of the registration period (final day to enroll for a course) is considered to have “attempted” the course.

Registration is not complete or official until fees are paid or arrangements for payments have been made with the College Business Office.

Ordinarily, permission to add courses will not be granted after the end of the eighth day of each term. To add or drop a course a student must obtain a petition form from the Registrar’s Office. If a course is dropped before four weeks of the term are completed, no grade will be recorded. After four weeks, a failing grade will be recorded on the student’s transcript unless the student withdraws from the College. A student may not withdraw from the College after mid-term grades are due, except for medical reasons. A schedule may not be changed without the consent of the student’s adviser. During their first year, all first-time, full-time freshmen are allowed one “free” drop at any point up to seven class days after mid-term grades are due, except for Core courses where continuous enrollment is required (See p. 16). No record of this course will be made on the transcript, and the drop will not affect the student’s financial aid or full-time standing.

If students are unable to complete their academic work, they may withdraw from the College prior to mid-term. To initiate the withdrawal process they must see the Associate Dean of Students and obtain permission and clearance for their withdrawal from their adviser, the Academic Dean or the Dean of Students, the Business Office, and the Director of Financial Aid. Their transcripts will indicate that their current courses were incomplete by recording either a WP or WF for each course. Failure to complete the withdrawal process within one week after initiation will cause a grade of F to be recorded for every course in which they are enrolled. Students who have withdrawn from the College must be reviewed by the Admission and Financial Aid Committee before being readmitted. A student may not withdraw from the College after mid-term grades are due, except for medical reasons.

A student who fails to attend class for three consecutive weeks during the fall or spring semester may be administratively withdrawn from the course with a grade of F. Failure to attend all classes for a period of 3 weeks may cause a student to be withdrawn from the College with failing grades.

A student may be withdrawn from a single course or from all courses under several other conditions. The College may dismiss a student following procedures stated in the current Student Handbook, which is available to every student from the Student Life Office. If students fail to meet the stated requirements of a course, the faculty member may request that the Dean of the Faculty dismiss them from the course in question. Before administering the dismissal the Dean will warn students that they are in jeopardy. Any student may be administratively withdrawn from the College for social or academic irresponsibility. The dismissal will be issued by the Dean of the Faculty or the Dean of Students, and, where possible, preceded by a written warning.

Students who complete the withdrawal process (see above) or who wish to leave the College at the successful completion of any term, have the option of requesting a leave of absence. To be granted a leave of absence, a student must be in good academic standing and receive the permission of the Dean of Students and the office of Academic Services. The leave of absence will include a specified date of return and, where appropriate, any conditions for return, both to be negotiated when the leave is granted. Students who have been granted a leave of absence may be readmitted without re-application and without coming before the Admission and Financial Aid Committee.

A student may enroll in a course of study not listed in the Lyon College Catalog, pursue independent research, and/or work on a list of readings. For this, a student needs a full-time faculty member to supervise the independent study. The course number prefix will conform to the appropriate division. Variable credit is allowed up to a total of six semester credits. Students are urged to complete the independent study within the semester and must complete the independent study by the end of the following semester. The student must file a statement with the Registrar giving the course title and a brief description of the material to be covered in the independent study, signed by the full-time faculty member serving as supervisor and by the Chair of the Division, before enrolling in the course.

A student may enroll in a course, listed in the Lyon College Catalog, as a directed study under the direction of a full-time faculty member in the division under which the course is listed. The normal course title and number will be listed on the student’s transcript followed by the letters “D.S.” or “Directed Study.” The student must complete the course by the end of the semester as though it were a normal class. Ordinarily, a student will be permitted to take a course through directed study only if it is required for graduation and has not been offered or is not offered at a time the student is able to attend. The division is not under any obligation to offer a course through directed study. The student must make arrangements for the directed study with the appropriate faculty member and division chair and submit the signed Course Approval Form to the Registrar.

Classification lists will be compiled at the beginning of each term and will be based on the number of credits successfully completed.

To be classified as a sophomore, a student must have completed at least 30 semester credits.

A junior must have completed 60 credits.

A senior must have completed 90 credits.

Students are expected to be present at every scheduled meeting of a class or laboratory. They should confer with individual professors concerning absences incurred due to sickness, personal emergency, or College business. Failure to attend class for three weeks may result in students’ dismissal from the class with a failing grade. Students who are administratively withdrawn from a Core proficiency course will be placed on academic probation for one semester. Students who are withdrawn from two courses in a single semester will be suspended from the College. A second administrative withdrawal in any subsequent semester will result in probation; a third withdrawal will result in suspension.

Grades in courses for the term are indicated as follows: A, meaning excellent; B, good; C, satisfactory; D, poor, but passing; I, incomplete; F, failure; P, passing; W, withdrawal; IP, in progress; FL, failure, not included in GPA; WP, withdrawal passing, not included in GPA; WF, withdrawal failing, not included in GPA; and WR, administrative withdrawal.

After gaining sophomore standing, any student may enroll for one elective each academic year on a Pass/Fail basis, provided that it is not a Core requirement or part of the student’s major, concentration, or minor. This includes supporting courses in other majors, unless specifically excluded by the student’s division chair (student teaching is an exception). Students must notify the Registrar within two weeks after the term begins if they wish to be graded on the pass/fail basis. Such courses are not included in determining grade point average, and do not qualify for veteran’s benefits.

Grades of C or above in ENG 101 and 102 are necessary for mastery of these courses; therefore there are no D grades.

When a student repeats a course, the grade for each attempt remains on the student’s transcript. However, the most recent grade will be used in calculation of the student’s grade point average.

The grade point is the evaluation of each course according to the grade received on a four point scale. “A” carries four points, “B” three, “C” two, “D” one, and “F” zero.

The grade point average is simply the total number of grade points divided by the total number of credits attempted. Courses dropped before the last day to drop a course are not counted as part of the total number of courses attempted for the purpose of computing the grade point average. Transferred grades are not calculated into the Lyon College GPA.

The following is an example of how the grade point average is computed for a semester:

COURSE SEMESTER CREDIT GRADE GRADE

CREDIT POINTS

RPH 200 3 B 3 times 3 = 9

CHM 224 4 B 4 times 3 = 12

HIS 201 3 C 3 times 2 = 6

ENG 201 3 A 3 times 4 = 12

TOTALS 13 = 39

Grade Point Average = 39 divided by 13 = 3.00

In cases where students are not able to complete the requirements of a course due to circumstances beyond their control, a grade of incomplete is reported. The student is required to complete the work before the date in the following semester specified in the Catalog. If the incomplete is not removed, the grade becomes an F.

If a student is unable to complete a course labeled “directed study” or “independent study” then a grade of IP (in progress) is reported. The IP must also be removed before the date in the following semester specified in the Catalog.

Mid-term grades will be issued for students enrolled for courses in the fall term and spring semesters. Unless a student requests otherwise, mid-term reports will be mailed to parents.

Students receive fall and spring mid-term grades from their adviser. Final grades for the fall and spring semesters are mailed to the students at their home.

Those full-time students who earn a semester GPA of 3.75 or better will receive designation as a Dean’s List Scholar at the close of each semester. Students with incomplete grades at the end of the semester will be eligible for the Dean’s List designation if they complete their work by the date for removal of incomplete grades and meet the above criteria. Those full-time students who earn a semester GPA of 4.0 will receive designation as a Provost’s Scholar as well as a Dean’s List Scholar. Students must earn 12 credits exclusive of any elective Pass/Fail credits to be eligible for either designation.

Grade point averages required for graduation with honor are: Summa Cum Laude, 3.90; Magna Cum Laude, 3.75; Cum Laude, 3.50.

A student will be placed on “academic probation” if any one of the following conditions occurs:

CONDITION 1: If a student’s grade point average falls below 1.50 in any semester;

CONDITION 2: If a student’s cumulative grade point average fails to meet the minimum for his/her class (freshman 1.75, sophomore 1.90, junior 2.00, and senior, 2.00);

CONDITION 3: If a student is administratively withdrawn for non-attendance from a Core proficiency course or from two other courses; or

CONDITION 4: If a student fails a Core proficiency course twice.

A student will be allowed to remain on probation for one semester only. By the end of that semester both the semester grade point average and cumulative grade point average must be raised to the minimum level required for that student’s class (See Condition 2 above).

A student will be suspended for at least one semester if any one of the following conditions occurs:

CONDITION 1: If a student does not remove himself/herself from probation by the end of the semester following the imposition of probation (summer semester is not included);

CONDITION 2: If a student is administratively withdrawn from two courses for non-attendance in a single semester or from three courses while enrolled at Lyon; or

CONDITION 3: If a student fails a Core proficiency course three times.

While under suspension a student may take one course at the College during a regular semester or two courses (6 credits) during summer school. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Admission and Financial Aid Committee.

In order to return to Lyon as a regular student after a period of suspension, a student must either (1) have the stated GPA (freshman, 1.75; sophomore, 1.90; junior, 2.00; and senior, 2.00); or (2) apply for re-admission to the Admission and Financial Aid Committee.

Lyon College has established the following policy in order to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

Any student or parent of a dependent student (a dependent student is defined as one who is claimed by a parent as a dependent for income tax purposes), has the right to inspect and review all personal records which meet the Privacy Act’s definition of “education records.”

These data consist of all records maintained by the College about the student with exception of:

1. personal notes of College faculty and staff;

2. employment records;

3. medical and counseling records used solely for treatment;

4. law enforcement records kept by the Dean of Students;

5. financial records of parents, and;

6. confidential letters and statements of recommendations placed in records after January 1, 1975, for which one has waived the right to inspect and review.

Under no condition may any student be required to waive her or his rights under this Act before receiving College services or benefits.

A copy of the full policy statement is available in the Office of the Registrar.

Unless otherwise specified, exceptions to the above academic policies may be granted by the Curriculum Committee upon petition.

Students with physical, neurological, emotional, or learning disabilities which affect their academic performance may request reasonable accommodations for such disabilities. To do so, a student must inform the Office of Academic Services, in writing, of his/her disability and the nature of its effect on academic performance, and provide additional information as specified in the College’s guidelines. The guidelines are available in the Office of Academic Services.

Students may request a copy of their transcript from the Office of the Registrar. There is a fee of $3 for each transcript requested. A transcript will not be released until all financial and/or administrative obligations to the College have been satisfied.