Academic Information
Medaille offers unique programs and services to accommodate the special needs of students with diverse educational backgrounds and rich life and career experiences.
Class Times
Times for class meetings, day evening and weekend, are varied and scheduled to meet the needs of individual programs and their students. The number of class meetings varies according to the length of the course and credits earned. Refer to the Master Schedule for specific class times and meeting locations. All programs provide eligibility for financial aid benefits. Students who need additional information or who need specific questions answered should contact the Financial Aid Office.
Unit of Academic Credit
Generally, one credit represents the equivalent of one hour of lecture or recitation or at least two hours of laboratory work each week and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments for one semester term or its equivalent. A full-time graduate student is one who carries a minimum of 18 credit hours per academic year.
Class Load
Students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher in order to carry more than 9 hours during one semester or more than six hours during one module. For most programs, a student is not allowed to carry more than 15 credits in any one semester.
Pre-Graduation Review
A pre-graduation review listing outstanding requirements will be completed by the Registrar’s Office once the student has applied for graduation. Students should apply for graduation the semester prior to the completion of their program.
General Requirements for College Degrees
Graduation from the College with the award of the appropriate degree will be granted upon fulfillment of the following general requirements:
1. The student must complete all prescribed courses in a specific program and sufficient elective credits to make up the minimum total required credit hours with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.
2. The student must earn his/her final 15 credits at Medaille if enrolled in the master's degree program.
3. All College property on loan to the student must be returned in satisfactory condition to the College and all financial obligations to the College must be met prior to degree conferral and transcript release.
Note: Each graduate program may have specific requirements; therefore, check the individual program in this catalog.
Any person who wishes to participate in the annual commencement, held during the month of May each year, must complete all academic requirements for graduation in order to participate, except for (1) those students in the process of completing requirements in the semester during which commencement takes place and (2) those students lacking one to six credit hours who, prior to the ceremony, register to take those outstanding credits during their next term of study.
Course Substitution
Deviation from a prescribed curriculum will be permitted only under extraordinary circumstances. A course substitution must be approved by the student's Program Director, department chairperson, the Registrar, and Dean of the School of Adult and Graduate Education. No student should begin attendance in a requested substitution unless a copy of the approved Course Substitution Form has been received by the student. No course substitution will be granted retroactively. Students graduating in May must have course substitutions approved by December 1 of the preceding year.
Policy Waiver
Deviation from a prescribed policy will be permitted only under extraordinary circumstances. An academic policy waiver must be approved by the student's Program Director, department chairperson, the Registrar, and the Dean of the School of Adult and Graduate Education. If the waiver is approved, the student will receive a copy of the completed Policy Waiver Form. No policy waiver will be granted retroactively.
Directed Study
Directed Study is individualized instruction identical in regard to the title, course objectives, course content, and evaluative criteria of the course.
Directed study is made available only under the most extraordinary circumstances and is implemented to fulfill a graduation requirement that is not otherwise available to the student. GPAs of 3.0 are required of students who wish to undertake Directed Study. The faculty and College do not guarantee that this is available during any particular semester.
Students may not take a Directed Study to replace a course in which a failing grade was earned.
Before completing an application, a student should discuss the matter with the Program Director and the appropriate instructor. The instructor should be aware of what the student intends to accomplish and be willing to direct the study. The student and the instructor must agree on the time that will be devoted to supervision and the manner in which the instructor will evaluate the study.
Servicemember's Opportunity College
Medaille College has been identified as a Servicemember's Opportunity College (SOC) providing educational assistance to active duty servicemembers. An SOC institution offers the following benefits for servicemembers:
1. Use of admissions procedures which ensure access to higher education for academically qualified military personnel;
2. Evaluation of learning gained through military experiences and academic credit awarded where applicable to the servicemember's program of study;
3. Evaluation of non-traditional learning and awarding of academic credit for such learning where applicable to the servicemember's program of study;
4. Evaluation of request for inter-institutional transfer of credits and acceptance of such credits whenever they are appropriate to the servicemember's program and are consistent with the College's curriculum;
5. Flexibility to servicemembers in satisfying residence requirements by making adjustments for military students who transfer when there are other assurances of program balance;
6. Designation of personnel with appropriate academic qualifications and experience to administer and supervise SOC-related activities and to develop policies and procedures appropriate to the scope of their voluntary education programs;
7. Educational services for veterans.
The Grading System and What It Means
Graduate programs require that students maintain at least a B (3.0) average for all courses taken in fulfillment of degree requirements at Medaille. The following system of grading has been adopted by the College:
Quality Grades Points
|
Grades |
Quality Points |
High distinction, an exceptionally high achievement |
A |
4.0 |
|
A- |
3.7 |
High achievement |
B+ |
3.3 |
Average, average achievement |
B |
3.0 |
Pass, below average achievement |
B- |
2.7 |
|
C+ |
2.3 |
|
C |
2.0 |
Failure, unsatisfactory grade |
F |
0.0 |
Official withdrawal |
W |
|
Incomplete |
I |
|
Audit |
AU |
|
(GPA) Grade Point Average
Grades received earn quality points as indicated on the preceding table. A grade point average is computed by dividing the number of quality points earned by the total number of credit hours for which you were registered. Grade point averages may be computed for one semester's courses or on a cumulative basis. To compute a semester grade point average, multiply the number of quality points earned for the grade (see preceding table) by the number of credits awarded for the course; add the quality points and divide by the number of quality credits for the semester.
Cumulative Average
The cumulative average is computed for all of the courses you have taken at Medaille. It changes whenever a new semester's grades are calculated and is a reflection of how a student is doing in all of his/her work. In cases of repeated courses, only the last grade earned is utilized in the cumulative GPA calculations.
(W) Course Withdrawal
In order to withdraw from a course after the drop/add period, a student must obtain a Course Withdrawal Form from the Office of the Registrar. The signature of the advisor should be obtained. If the student's advisor is not available, however, the student must write on the Withdrawal Form that he/she takes full responsibility for withdrawing from the course, sign and date it. The completed form is returned to the Registrar's Office.
A student may withdraw from a course during the first two-thirds of a semester or module. See the Academic Calendar for specific dates. A grade of "W" appears on the transcript for an official withdrawal. No withdrawal is permitted after the deadline. Depending upon the withdrawal date and the number of credits a student is carrying during a particular semester, course withdrawal may affect tuition. (see Tuition Liability policy). There is the possibility of reduced financial aid if withdrawing from a course means the student would carry fewer than 12 credits.
Please note: Discontinuance of attendance in one or all classes does not constitute an official withdrawal. A student who does not follow the proper procedure and/or stops attending class (an unofficial withdrawal) will receive from the instructor the grade earned according to the student's performance.
(I) Incomplete
Incompletes may be assigned if a student is unable (for valid reasons) to complete the course work, has a passing grade average and a well-defined plan to complete the remaining course work. Requests for an Incomplete must be made in writing to the course instructor no later than two weeks prior to the ending date of the course and, if granted, the Incomplete must be made up by the end of the following academic term. If the course work is not completed by the end of the following term, the grade becomes the designated alternate grade assigned by the course instructor or an "F".
Students are allowed to request a total of two (2) Incompletes during the course of their graduate study at Medaille College.
(AU) Audit
A student desiring to audit a course must receive the approval of the appropriate instructor and complete the normal registration process. Only officially audited classes will appear on the transcript. Students who audit are expected to attend classes but their work is not subject to review by the instructor and they will receive no grade at the completion of the class.
Repeating a Course
In cases of repeated courses only the last grade earned, whether higher or lower, is used in calculating the grade point average. All grades earned for courses taken at Medaille, however, remain a part of the student's permanent record.
Students must complete and submit the appropriate form at the time of registration. Students should take note that if the repetition is not required by the College, New York State will not allow the credit hours for the course to be counted in determining the minimum course load required for financial aid purposes.
Students may not take a Directed Study or have a course transferred from another college to replace a course in which a failing grade was earned.
Academic Warnings
Students who are in danger of failing to show good progress in a course or in their program of study receive an academic warning from their Instructor. Students who receive a warning should immediately contact the Program Director to find out how the grade can be improved.
Academic Standards: Probation, Suspension, Dismissal
Continuation in graduate studies requires satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree. Evidence of such progress includes maintenance of a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average each term. The progress of each student is reviewed each term by the Graduate Academic Standards Committee. Failure to maintain the minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average will result in placement on probation. Any student on probation must not only achieve a 3.0 cumulative average within two successive terms following the term in which the deficiency occurred, but must also maintain at least a 3.0 term average in any term in which he or she is on probation. Failure to meet either of these requirements will result in dismissal from graduate studies at Medaille.
Graduate students must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in order to graduate. The computation of academic standing is based on hours earned each term.
Students placed on academic suspension may, upon signing a Probationary Contract with the Program Director, continue studies after the lapse of one regular (fall, spring) semester; those who have been dismissed may apply for readmission after the lapse of two regular semesters. Such students who then again are placed on probation must earn removal by the end of one semester or be subject to suspension or dismissal.
If a student wishes to appeal an academic standards decision, he/she may do so by appeal through the Academic Affairs Office. The initial appeal must be in writing within 14 calendar days of notification or by the end of the first week of the next semester (whichever comes first) and state, in specific terms, the student's case for appeal.
Attendance
Regular attendance is expected at all classes and academic activities related to a course (for example, field work) unless otherwise specified. Medaille College subscribes to the "Guidelines on Students and Religious Observance" adopted by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities. Absence does not excuse a student from course work and responsibility. Excessive absence is detrimental and it may affect a student’s grade and certain types of financial aid. Discontinuance of attendance does not constitute an official withdrawal.
Course Syllabi Policy
At the beginning of every course, the instructor distributes a written course syllabus to all students taking the course. The course syllabus describes the objectives and content for the course and the method by which students' work will be evaluated for grades. Students’ should keep all of your course syllabi so that you may refer to them throughout the semester.
The Evaluation of Students' Work
An evaluation system is required for each course. Examinations, papers and projects ordinarily part of the evaluation system, but alternative methods of overall evaluation may be employed. At the first class period of the semester or module, the instructor will inform students through the course disclosure of the type of evaluation system that will be used for that course throughout the semester.
Academic Decorum
Medaille College does not tolerate sexual or racial harassment of students or employees by College faculty, staff, or students. Students are legally protected from such activity by both state and federal legislation and are asked to report any occurrence to the Academic Affairs Office without fear of recrimination.
The College does not tolerate immature or abusive behavior in the classroom setting. Students are expected to follow the Instructor’s expectation of appropriate classroom behavior. Failure to do so may result in expulsion from the course.
Upon receipt of a written complaint about a student from the instructor, the Dean of the School of the Adult and Graduate Education may immediately remove the student from the class. The Dean will review the situation and evidence and render a final decision within 30 days.
Academic Dishonesty
Medaille College expects students to fulfill academic assignments independently and honestly. Any cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty at Medaille College will be penalized, with sanctions ranging from an “F” on a specific assignment to expulsion from the College.
1. Cheating refers to the use of unauthorized assistance on academic assignments. Unauthorized aid may include, but is not limited to, the use of printed material, equipment, personal notes or other people. Students should assume that assistance should not be used unless it has been expressly permitted. It is the students’ responsibility to know the limits of assistance, if any, permitted on any assignment.
2. The faculty of Medaille College abide by the definitions of plagiarism offered by James D. Lester in Writing Research Papers, 4th ed., pages 95-96 (Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company). The following is reprinted with permission of Scott, Foresman and Company:
“Fundamentally, plagiarism is the offering of words or ideas of another person as one’s own. While the most blatant violation is the use of other students’ work, the most common is the unintentional misuse of your reference sources. An obvious form of plagiarism is copying direct quotations from your source material without crediting the source. A more subtle form, but equally improper, is the paraphrasing of material or use of an original idea that is not properly introduced and documented. Your use of source materials requires you to conform to a few rules of conduct:
- Acknowledge borrowed materials within your text by introducing the quotation or paraphrase with the name of the authority from whom it was taken. This practice serves to indicate where the borrowed materials began.
- Enclose within quotation marks all quoted materials.
- Make certain that paraphrased material is rewritten in your own style and language. The simple rearrangement of sentence patterns is unacceptable.
- Provide specific documentation for each borrowed item.
- Provide an entry in [bibliography] for every book or journal [or internet site] that is referred to in your paper.” *
3. Other possible examples of academic dishonesty include:
- falsely claiming to have done work or obtained data;
- misrepresenting reasons for not completing assignments or taking examinations as scheduled;
- submitting the same work in different courses without the prior approval of the instructor;
- forging a signature on any college document;
- damaging or stealing college documents and/or equipment from the library, computer center, classrooms, or other academic resources areas; and
- cheating on a test or other in class assignments.
Student Charged with Academic Dishonesty—First Offense
1. An instructor who discovers evidence of cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty will meet with the student and orally inform the student of the suspected violation and evidence upon which it is based as soon as possible after the offense is discovered.
This meeting affords the student an opportunity to present an explanation or defense and possibly resolve to the instructor’s satisfaction what may be a simple misunderstanding. After talking with the student, the instructor may choose not to pursue the matter or invoke any penalty. No formal charge may be filed against the student or a penalty imposed until the faculty member has met with the student (or made a reasonable effort to do so).
In situations where the suspected transgression is not discovered until after the close of a semester, the instructor should submit a grade of “Incomplete” and make a reasonable effort to contact the student as soon as possible either by phone or letter to discuss his/her suspicion of academic dishonesty. If for some reason the student cannot be reached, or fails to respond within two weeks, an instructor may proceed to levy formal charges and impose course-related sanctions without having met with the student.
2. If still convinced that a violation of academic honesty has occurred, the faculty member will charge the student with academic dishonesty in a written statement that (a) details the specifics of the violation and (b) clearly states the course penalty (ies) to be imposed. The penalty may include an “F” for the specific assignment in question, an “F” for the entire course, or other course-related sanction deemed appropriate by the instructor. The instructor must report the action in writing to the appropriate department chair and the appropriate Dean.
The appropriate Dean will function as the college’s records manager for cases of acknowledged and/or proven academic dishonesty. Each case of alleged academic dishonesty will be handled confidentially, with information shared on a limited, need-to-know basis. All records will be placed in the student’s permanent official records file in the Registrar’s Office.
Student Appeal Process
1. A student may accept an instructor’s charge of academic dishonesty and the imposed course penalty (ies) or appeal the decision. In sequence, appeals may be made to the faculty member’s department chair, the Graduate Academic Standards Committee and, finally, to the Dean of the School of Adult and Graduate Education. In cases where a department chairperson is the faculty member levying the charge of academic dishonesty, a student should appeal directly to the Graduate Academic Standards Committee through the Dean (as described below). At any stage of the appeal, the department chair, the Graduate Academic Standards Committee or the Dean may dismiss or reaffirm the charge based on interviews with all relevant parties and a thorough review of the evidence.
If the charges against the student are dismissed at any stage of the process, all the parties involved in the decision will be informed in writing. All parties have the right to appeal any decision except for the Dean, which is final.
2. To appeal an instructor’s decision, the student must send a letter of appeal to the faculty member’s department chairperson within five working days of receiving the instructor’s written charge of academic dishonesty. After interviewing the student and instructor (and other relevant persons as needed) and reviewing the evidence, the chairperson will render a decision in writing within five working days of receiving the student’s appeal letter. A copy of this letter will also be placed in the student’s permanent, official file in the Registrar’s Office.
The student’s letter of appeal should contain:
- the course name, number, and section;
- the instructor’s name;
- the nature of the violation;
- reasons why the student believes academic dishonesty did not occur or a rationale explaining why the penalty imposed is too severe; and
- supporting documentation.
A student intending to file an appeal is advised to consult with a faculty or staff member for assistance in composing an appeal letter.
3. To appeal a chairperson’s decision, the student should notify the appropriate Dean of his/her intent to appeal in writing within five working days of receiving the department chair’s written decision. The Dean will review the case evidence, meet with the student and decide whether or not to convene the Graduate Academic Standards Committee.
If the Dean determines the student has presented an insufficient basis for further appeal, he/she will notify the student in writing of his/her decision to uphold the charge of academic dishonesty within five working days of meeting with the student. The faculty member levying the original charge and the department chairperson involved will receive copies of the Dean’s letter. A copy of this letter will also be placed in the student’s permanent, official record file in the Registrar’s office.
With cases determined to warrant further consideration, the Dean will convene the Graduate Academic Standards Committee within ten working days after receiving the student’s appeal. After conducting a thorough hearing and review of the evidence (not to exceed two weeks time), the Graduate Academic Standards Committee will render its decision in writing and communicate it to the Dean who will inform the student in writing of the Committee’s decision within five working days after its receipt, with copies sent to the appropriate faculty member, department chairperson and the Registrar’s Office.
At a Graduate Academic Standards Committee hearing on academic dishonesty, the student may be accompanied by anyone serving in an advisory capacity, and has the right to call witnesses. However, during the hearing, no party may be represented by legal counsel.
Documentation in Student Records
1. A final, official letter documenting a violation of the College’s academic honesty policy will be placed in the student’s confidential file in the Registrar’s office in all instances of proven and/or acknowledged academic misconduct.
2. If a student is exonerated of a charge of academic dishonesty, the incident will not be documented as part of his/her permanent academic record, and all communication pertaining to the case will be destroyed.
Note on Sanctions
An individual instructor’s sanctions for a specific case of academic dishonesty are limited to course-related penalties; however if a student’s violation is determined to be extremely serious, an instructor may request that the appropriate Dean’s Office review the case and send it to the Graduate Academic Standards Committee for recommendations on further sanctions, including expulsion from the College.
Repeat Offenses
As described in detail below, the process for handling cases of alleged academic dishonesty involving previous offenders omits the involvement of department chairperson, although they will be informed of the matter. All alleged repeat offenses and student appeals, if any, go directly to the Graduate Academic Standards Committee for a full hearing.
1. When the Dean, as the institution’s records manager for cases of academic misconduct, becomes aware of a second (or more) reported charge of alleged academic dishonesty, he/she will immediately contact both the student charged and the faculty member bringing the charge and inform them of the date and time of a mandatory Graduate Academic Standards Committee hearing to adjudicate the current charge of academic misconduct. The Dean will convene the Graduate Academic Standards Committee within ten working days after receipt of the most recent charge.
2. The Graduate Academic Standards committee will conduct a hearing to review the case and hear the student’s appeal, if any, of the charges and course-related sanctions imposed already by the instructor. The student may be accompanied by anyone serving in an advisory capacity, and has the right to call witnesses. However, during the hearing no party may be represented by legal counsel.
If the Graduate Academic Standards Committee dismisses the charge, the student and the faculty member bringing the charge will be informed in writing. The faculty member has the right to appeal the Committee’s decision. If the Graduate Academic Standards Committee finds the student guilty, it may either simply affirm the instructor’s course-related sanctions, impose an additional penalty or it may recommend that the Vice President for Academic Affairs dismiss the student from the College.
The Graduate Academic Standards Committee will render its recommendation in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs within five working days after completing its hearing. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will communicate his/her decision about penalties in writing within ten working days of the Graduate Academic Standards Committee hearing, with copies sent to the appropriate faculty member, department chairperson, and the Registrar’s Office.
3. A final, official letter documenting a second or additional act of acknowledged or proven academic dishonesty will be placed in the student’s confidential file in the Registrar’s Office.
4. A student dismissed for academic dishonesty may appeal for reinstatement to Medaille College through the Vice President for Academic Affairs after a period no less than one full academic year after the time of dismissal. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will consult with the Graduate Academic Standards Committee before making a decision on reinstatement.
Academic Grievance Procedure
Should a student wish to resolve an academically related conflict with an instructor, the Academic Grievance Procedure should be followed. The student should attempt to resolve the conflict directly with the instructor, if possible. If the conflict cannot be resolved between student and instructor, the student should bring the problem to the department chairperson. If still not resolved, the Vice President for Academic Affairs should be contacted in writing. If still lacking a resolution to the problem, the final step would be to approach the President with the conflict.
Grade Appeal
Students wishing to appeal a final grade in a course must do so in writing within 60 days of the semester's grade report. This written appeal should be directed to the instructor of the course in question. Next, the instructor's department chairperson and, thereafter, the Dean of the School of Adult and Graduate Education.
Course Prerequisites
Students may not register for a course without the required prerequisite(s) or written approval from the department chairperson.
Placement
The following are overall placement results from the graduating class of 2003 (based on responses from 68% of the 2003 graduates):
Graduates employed 95%
Graduates enrolled in further schooling 14%
Total overall placement 97%
Information regarding completion rates and other student data is available upon request from Medaille College's Office of Institutional Research and Planning.
