Tuition and Financial Aid

Participation and Substantive Interaction

(Effective with term beginning June 6, 2012)

Grantham University is committed to ensuring students take personal responsibility for achieving the learning objectives outlined within each course. To assist students in meeting that goal, the University requires students to participate by regularly logging into their course(s), substantively interacting with fellow students and instructors through group discussions and submitting all coursework in a timely fashion.

Late Submissions

The Learning Management System (LMS) used by Grantham University is based on Eastern Time (ET). All submitted assignments are time stamped by the LMS. Assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on the due date. Anything submitted after this is considered “late.” Students should carefully review each course syllabus for the instructor’s late policy.

First-Week Participation Requirements

Students are required to establish participation by logging into each course within seven days of the term start date and either submitting a Week 1 assignment or substantively interacting (See Guidelines for Substantive Interaction, below) with fellow students and/or the course instructor. Students who have not logged into the course(s) and who do not meet the participation requirement within the first seven days of the term will be administratively dropped from the course(s). Tuition will be refunded per the Institutional Refund Policy published in Section 1.10 of the Grantham University Catalog

Students are encouraged to begin substantively interacting with classmates and/or the instructor using the Discussion Forum as soon as possible during the first week of the term. Substantive interaction promotes a deeper understanding of the topics and themes discussed in courses, which will enrich the educational experience. In addition, it opens up the lines of communication with fellow classmates and instructors.

Participation and Substantive Interaction Requirements throughout the Term

Participation and substantive interaction will be tracked on a weekly basis. Throughout the term, students must participate in such a way as to ensure successful completion of the course by the end of the term, i.e., submit assignments and continue to substantively interact with other students and/or the course instructor. Students are expected to abide by the participation and substantive interaction requirements according to the criteria outlined in each course syllabus. If the course instructor determines that a student has not met the participation and substantive interaction requirements, the instructor will administratively withdraw the student with a grade of W recorded on the student’s academic transcript. Tuition will be refunded per the Institutional Refund Policy published in Section 1.10 of the Grantham University Catalog.

 Guidelines for Substantive Interaction

Substantive interaction involves a sustained, interactive communication usually of three or more posts to the course Discussion Forum, consisting of one initial post to a question(s) in the course content and two posts to fellow students and/or the course instructor. It is a written answer to a discussion question/response that contains a central idea, independent response or personal opinion that is presented or communicated in a meaningful way. The purpose of substantive interaction on the Discussion Forum is to promote understanding of a topic and its relevant themes to all participants. The posts are, therefore, a collective conversation of linked words, phrases and ideas. A post may include an opinion that applies ideas relevant to the course content. It may compare and contrast the posts of others. Experience of facts and distinctions may vary based on the perceptions of each student. In some cases, the pros and cons of a decision may be explored. At other times, the conversations may be directed back to an earlier post.

The usual length of a post is 75 to 150 words, but may go longer, depending on the topic. Only if a passage is quoted within the student’s own written response will APA be required.