Academic Policies and Requirements
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These policies and requirements help to ensure the quality of every student’s academic experience. They support the investment our graduates make in their education, and help to preserve the value and integrity of GIA’s certificates and diplomas. These policies and requirements apply to all courses and programs, unless otherwise noted. Exceptions may be made for good cause at the sole discretion of GIA.

Orientation

All new on campus students are required to attend a general orientation session. Gemology students are also required to attend a classroom orientation session. Students who have already attended classes on campus may be excused from the general orientation session if they receive a waiver from the School Director or the Dean of Students. Students returning to campus for Gemology programs who are excused from the general orientation session are still required to attend the special classroom orientation session. Direct any questions on this subject to the School Director or the Dean of Students.

Attendance Policy

Attendance and punctuality are two keys to success at GIA. The curriculum is intense, and students are strongly encouraged not to miss any lectures or laboratory time. Students who exceed the maximum allowable absences or tardiness as defined in this policy are withdrawn from their course or program. There are no excused absences or tardies.

Students enrolled in the online business courses are expected to participate actively in online discussions, chat sessions, and other online activities. Instructors will review the archived discussions and chat logs to measure the contributions students make.

Classes begin promptly at their scheduled starting time. Students who are not in the classroom at that time are marked tardy or absent. Students may not leave the classroom without advising their instructor, other than at regularly scheduled break times.

Tardiness is defined as being absent from the classroom for a total of less than one hour during the daily scheduled class hours, without the instructor’s permission, except during scheduled breaks.

Absence is defined as being out of class for a total of more than one hour during the daily scheduled class hours, without the instructor’s permission, except during scheduled breaks. Absences are recorded in half-day and full-day increments.

For students who accumulate the maximum number of tardies, each additional tardy will be charged as one half-day absence, up to the maximum allowed. Students who accumulate more than the maximum number of tardies and absences will be dismissed.

Students are responsible for being aware of how many times they have been tardy and absent. Students can ask their instructor for an update on their attendance record at any time. Students who approach the maximum limit may be given a courtesy warning by their instructor. Students who accumulate one day less than the maximum limit are placed on Attendance Probation by the School Director or the Dean of Students. On campus students who exceed the maximum are withdrawn from their course or program, and may be given the option to repeat class time in another class on a space-available basis (not applicable to School of Business). Additional fees are charged for repeated time. (See Supplemental Fee Schedule in Schedule of Student Charges on page 100.)

Students who are withdrawn from their class and who decide to repeat a portion of the course or program will enter the new class with an adjusted number of accumulated tardies and absences. This adjustment is based on either a pro-rated calculation according to the length of the program, or the student’s actual previous attendance record, whichever is to the benefit of the student.

For students who are enrolled in a combination program of more than one course or program such as the Graduate Gemologist Program, the attendance policy is applied individually to each component reflected in their respective course syllabi.

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE ABSENCES AND TARDIES

* School of Business tardiness policies are established by individual instructors and are reflected in their respective course syllabi.