ACADEMIC CREDIT HOUR POLICY

AUS implements a credit-centric pedagogical schema, rigorously calibrated per the Academic Credit Hour Policy. This schema apportions credits to academic offerings, a process nuanced by educational stratum. Specifically, credits at the graduate level are denoted as AUS Graduate-level Semester Credit Hours (GSCH), and at the undergraduate level as AUS Undergraduate-level Semester Credit Hours (USCH). Determination of academic hour equivalence per credit hour is methodically anchored to the instructional paradigm employed.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT (CEU) POLICY

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU), pursuant to the Continuing Education Unit Policy, serves as a definitive, standardized gauge for assessing the requisite engagement duration in professional advancement programs. Varied sectors prescribe specific continuous learning or training intensities, with each CEU, equivalent to ten instructional hours, facilitating this assessment. Defined instructional activities for CEU accreditation include direct educator interaction, asynchronous discussion participation, and the execution of designated assignments, exercises, homework, as well as engagement with specified videos and readings. Activities falling outside mandatory coursework, including optional and supplementary efforts, are excluded from CEU consideration. The CEU's valuation is derived from a calculated consensus among instructors on the anticipated average time commitment for essential course engagements. Achievement of all stipulated program criteria entitles the participant to an AUS-issued credential, affirming programmatic completion.

CREDIT TRANSFER POLICY

Before initiating course enrollment, individuals aiming for credit accumulation must ensure course eligibility for transfer, adhering to the established Credit Transfer Policy. Courses identified with the 5-AGSCS marker are ordinarily accredited with 10.0 ECTS in the European context and 25.0 credits in the United Kingdom, reflecting divergent academic valuation standards. Notably, criteria for credit recognition exhibit substantial variability across institutions and geographical boundaries. The acquisition of a digital transcript and testamur from certified sources constitutes a prerequisite for the formalization of credit transfer engagements.

ACADEMIC HONESTY AND INTEGRITY

Affirmation of academic honesty and integrity constitutes a cornerstone of AUS's educational ethos. The institution mandates unequivocally that each scholarly submission emanate exclusively from the student, categorically denouncing plagiarism. Defined as the unauthorized appropriation of another’s intellectual output, presented deceitfully as the student’s original work without appropriate citation, plagiarism breaches academic conduct irrespective of the material’s origin or the original author’s consent. Such infractions, irrespective of intent, trigger disciplinary responses ranging from the nullification of the implicated work to potential course failure, with recurrent malpractices risking expulsion. The AUS Policies and Procedures document articulates a comprehensive taxonomy of academic integrity violations and attendant disciplinary measures.

Prior to final submission, academic works are scrutinized through Turnitin, a software designed to detect similarities between the student’s submission and existing texts across various databases, including scholarly articles, digital content, and other students’ compositions from different institutions. This generates a similarity report, accessible in the drafting phase, which quantifies textual parallels, enabling students to ensure compliance with established similarity benchmarks.

Responsibilities vested in students include:

• Mastery of plagiarism’s definition and implications.

• Diligent modification of their work to align with the stipulated similarity limits before submission deadlines. Post-deadline, should a submission exhibit a similarity index exceeding the course-specific allowance, the instructor will assess the presence of plagiarism and determine the appropriate academic consequence.

STUDENT CONDUCT AND ETIQUETTE

Membership in the AUS community obligates students to personify and uphold a code of conduct that promotes scholastic distinction, behavioral integrity, and an enriching academic environment. This encompasses an expectation for all students to conduct themselves with professionalism, responsibility, and maturity at all times. The University Policies and Procedures codify these behavioral expectations, emphasizing that the enumeration of specific behaviors is not exhaustive. Actions deemed antithetical to the ethos or objectives of AUS, even if not explicitly listed, may incur disciplinary sanctions ranging from admonition to expulsion, underscoring the institution’s commitment to maintaining a conducive learning atmosphere.