Graduate Catalog 2010-2011

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Enrollment Status :: Participation and Contribution Policy :: Course Load :: Grading System:: Student Status Change :: Leave of Absence :: Withdrawal :: Re-Admission :: Academic Credit :: Academic Probation :: Academic Dismissal :: Academic Integrity :: Academic Dishonesty :: Academic Advising :: Grade of Incomplete ::Audit :: Independent Study :: Graduation :: Time limit :: Access to Student Records :: Withdrawal from Classes :: Academic Appeals :: Online Orientation

Students are responsible for knowing the academic requirements, policies and procedures presented in the Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies Catalog.

NEW STUDENTS entering Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies will be expected to meet the degree requirements in effect upon their initial course enrollment. For the CONTINUING STUDENT in Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies, this edition of the catalog replaces earlier catalogs for policies and procedures. Student's should retain the copy of the catalog that lists the degree requirements at the time of their initial course enrollment. These are the requirements that the student will need to meet for graduation. Degree requirements may change during a student’s time.

The Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies Graduate Catalog will be updated online annually during the Summer semester. Stephens College reserves the right to change the curriculum, any provision, policy, procedure, requirement, regulation or fee at its own discretion subsequent to the publication of this catalog. Every effort will be made to keep the student informed of these changes.

Enrollment Status
Students are expected to enroll in a minimum of one course per semester (Fall, Spring and Summer) to maintain active student status. Students who do not enroll in courses for three successive semesters or one calendar year will be administratively withdrawn from the program. If necessary, students may arrange to take an official leave of absence .

Leaves of absence are strongly encouraged since it ensures that the student continues in the catalog which they entered.

Participation and Contribution Policy
Stephens College emphasizes the importance of active participation in courses. Students must establish contact with the course instructor on the course start date. If the student does not submit assignments as directed, the instructor has the right to require the student to drop the course, or be awarded a failing grade at the end of the course unless an approved withdrawal is granted by the instructor.

Students are expected to regularly participate as directed by the instructor. Lack of participation from class for any reason does not exempt a student from completion of all work required for a course.

Instructors determine the participation and contribution policy for their classes. It is permissible to use participation and contribution as a factor in determining a student's grade and to lower the amount of credit awarded for a course.

Course Load
A graduate student may enroll in a maximum of 12 credit hours for Fall and Spring semesters and 9 credit hours for summer semester. Full time equivalency is equal to 6 credit hours. A student can be enrolled in no more than 2 session courses concurrently. Students may request to enroll in additional credit hours by submitting a formal request (written letter) to the Director of Advising & Student Services, Graduate & Continuing Studies. Approval will be at the discretion of the Director of Advising & Student Services.

Grading System

Grades and grade points are assigned on the following basis:

Grades in the A range denote excellent achievement, the B range denotes above average achievement, the C range denotes average achievement, the D range denotes below average achievement (D- is the lowest passing mark), and U/F denotes unacceptable (failing) work.

A Withdraw (W) indicates a late drop with permission. The W carries no academic penalty.

The number of grade points earned for a class is computed by multiplying the credit (3 semester hours, etc.) by the point value of the letter grade. Semester and cumulative averages are computed by dividing the number of grade points earned by the amount of semester hours carried (not amount earned), excluding courses in which "NC" or "S" grades are assigned.

When a course is repeated to improve a grade, the grade and points earned the second time nullify the previous record.

Instructors are expected to discuss their grading system at the beginning of each course and include their policy in the course outline or syllabus each student receives. Students should not hesitate to ask an instructor to explain the grading system employed in that class.

Student Status Change
Students who have withdrawn, dropped from a course/s or taken a leave of absence for more than one year may be required to meet degree requirements in effect at the time of readmission to Graduate & Continuing Studies. A student whose tuition account is in arrears more than three months may lose the right to continue in the program. If the student is readmitted, he or she may be required to meet new degree requirements, regardless of the amount of time the student was inactive. Students who are withdrawn from the program because their tuition account was sent to a collection agency may be required to meet new degree requirements upon re-entry, regardless of the amount of time the student was inactive.

Leave of Absence
Students may request a leave of absence (LOA) for up to one calendar year. The request must be sent to the Director Advising & Student Services. All courses currently in progress must be completed or dropped prior to the start of the LOA and payments on outstanding account balances with Stephens College must be continued. Leaves of absence are strongly encouraged since it ensures that the student continues in the catalog which they entered. Students may not enroll in Stephens College courses while on LOA. At the end of the leave of absence, the student should work with their academic advisor to enroll in classes.

Withdrawal from College
Students may withdraw from Graduate & Continuing Studies by declaring this intention in writing to the Director Advising & Student Services and submitting the appropriate drop form for any courses in progress. At that time, the student is withdrawn from all academic work in progress. Tuition refund policies apply as outlined in the catalog. Students who have withdrawn may re-gain active status by following the procedures stated in "Readmission" below.

Students may be administratively withdrawn from the program for the following reasons:

1. Lack of current mailing and e-mail address
2. Lack of course registration to maintain active status
3. Lack of academic progress (See Maintaining Active Student Status and Academic Probation)
4. No communication from the student for more than one year
5. Failure to arrange payment of fees with the Accounting office or failure to make regular monthly payments on tuition and student charges. Students who fail to make monthly payments will be turned over to a collection agency. The student will be withdrawn from all academic work in progress at the time they are dropped from the program. All fees will remain in effect.

A student who has been withdrawn may become active by following the readmission procedures stated below. A student who has been withdrawn from the program because of financial difficulties with the College must pay their account in full prior to re-entry. A student whose tuition account is in arrears more than three months may lose the right to continue in the program. If the student is readmitted, the student may be required to meet degree requirements outlined in that current year’s catalog. If a student is withdrawn from the program because their tuition account was sent to a collection agency, the student may be readmitted upon full payment of the delinquent account.

Re-admission
Students wishing to re-enter into active student status after withdrawal must submit a written request to the Director of Recruitment, Graduate & Continuing Studies. Students must pay a $50 readmission fee, complete the application for readmission, order all transcripts from institutions attended since last enrolled at Stephens College, and submit an essay explaining the reasons why they are prepared to continue their degree. They must enroll in a minimum of 3 credit hours for the next academic semester. Students who are readmitted must enter the College and program under the academic requirements in effect at that time . All student applications for re-admission will be reviewed by the Dean Graduate & Continuing Studies, and students may be denied re-entry into the Graduate & Continuing Studies program. Persons applying for re-admission will be informed of their status in writing.

Academic Credit
Academic credit will be awarded only for grades of 2.0 (“C”) or better. Students who earn a grade below 2.0 must repeat the class to receive credit towards their degree.

Academic Probation
Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 (“B” average) cumulative GPA while in a graduate program at Stephens College. Any student who fails to do so will receive written notice from the Registrar indicating that he or she is on academic probation. Once placed on academic probation, a student has two terms in which to bring his or her cumulative GPA to 3.0. Otherwise, the student may be dismissed from the program.

In addition, graduate students must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA in order to enroll in the final six to nine hours of graduate coursework. See the specific graduate program for more details.

Academic Dismissal
Students who do not meet criteria to be removed from academic probation may be dismissed from the program.

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Academic Integrity
As a community of scholars committed to truth, Stephens College espouses the belief that any type of academic dishonesty violates an important code of ethics. Therefore, Stephens has adopted an academic honesty policy that imposes penalties for students who fail to disclose previous enrollment at another college or university; who are dishonest in examinations, assignments or any other academic activity; who plagiarize; who falsify College forms or records; or who willfully aid other students in an act of academic dishonesty. The severity of a penalty will depend upon the nature, extent and frequency of the violation and may range from receiving a failing grade on an assignment to degree revocation. A full policy statement is outlined below.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty refers to behaviors that violate the academic standards of the College. It includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Engaging in dishonest behavior on examinations, assignments or in any other academic activity.
2. Committing plagiarism. This includes using another person's phrases, sentences or paragraphs without quotation marks; using someone else's design, choreography, ideas or compositional structure without properly crediting the author, artist or composer; paraphrasing without introducing or documenting the source; and using someone else's design/art project, speech or composition and presenting it as one's own (i.e. buying a paper from any source).
3. Using copyrighted material or paraphrasing it as though it were one's own. This includes works of all kinds, whether literary, musical, motion picture or other audio-visual productions, or works of art such as graphic arrangements, photographs, paintings, choreography, logotypes and trademarks. One must credit the owner or author for any use of copyrighted material.
4. Willfully aiding another student in any act of academic dishonesty.
5. Falsifying College records, including the lack of declaration of all transfer credit.

Course-related Instances of Dishonesty
Faculty members should inform students of policies that apply to incidents of dishonesty in their classes. The general procedures that will be followed are outlined below.

1. A faculty member suspecting dishonesty on an assignment or an examination will first confer with the student.

• If the teacher is convinced the student is innocent, the matter will be dropped.
• If the apparently unethical behavior was unintentional, the teacher will help the student to understand what was wrong and how to avoid a future recurrence. No penalty will be imposed, but the faculty member will notify the Academic Standing Committee.
• If the student admits guilt to the act of dishonesty, the faculty member may impose a penalty previously mentioned in the course syllabus, class announcement or some other form of advance notification. If the faculty member has a stated policy, the penalty will be imposed according to the policy. If the faculty member does not have a stated policy, sanctions as listed below may apply. The Academic Standing Committee will be notified of the incident.

2. If the faculty member and the student cannot agree on a settlement of the situation, or if either the faculty member or the student desires a formal hearing of the case, the faculty member will withhold credit for the work in question and the grieving party shall notify the Academic Standing Committee through the Registrar’s Office. If the student requests a hearing, the student will write a statement explaining why the request is being made. All documentation/evidence shall be forwarded to the Registrar who shall convene the Review Committee of the Academic Standing Committee as soon as possible to hear the case. In such a hearing, all due process rights of the student will be protected and appropriate judicial procedures will be followed.

Sanctions

1. In situations where the faculty member and the student agree on the events of the incident and agree that the student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, the following sanctions may be imposed:
1. For the first offense in any one course, the faculty member will determine whether the student should receive an “F” on the work in question or an “F” in the course.
2. For a second offense in the same course, the faculty member will give the student an “F” in the course. The Academic Standing Committee also will review the case and may add additional sanctions that could include suspension from the College for a minimum of one semester.
2. In situations where the Academic Standing Committee is asked to hear the case and the student is found guilty of committing an act of academic dishonesty, the following sanctions will be imposed:
1. For the first offense, the Academic Standing Committee may recommend to the faculty member that the student receive an “F” on the work in question or an “F” in the course.
2. For a second offense in the same course, the Academic Standing Committee may recommend an “F” in the course in question and may also recommend that the student be placed on disciplinary probation or be suspended from the College for a minimum of one semester.
3. If a third offense occurs, the Academic Standing Committee may recommend suspension or immediate expulsion from the College with no possibility of return.
3. In situations where the Academic Standing Committee reviews instances of two or more violations that may have occurred during the student's college career and involved two or more courses, the following sanctions may be imposed:
1. If the student is guilty of two separate instances of academic dishonesty, in addition to the penalties assessed by the individual faculty members, the Review Committee of the Academic Standing Committee may recommend disciplinary probation or suspension from the College for a minimum of one semester.
2. In the event of a third instance of dishonesty, in addition to the penalties assessed by the individual faculty member, the Academic Standing Committee may recommend suspension or immediate expulsion from the College with no possibility of return.
4. Grade adjustments will be reported to the Office of the Registrar with appropriate explanations.
5. A student may appeal the decision of a faculty member to the Academic Standing Committee within seven days of the decision. The appeal must be in writing and submitted to the Registrar.
6. The only appeal of decisions made by the Academic Standing Committee is to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Falsification of College Records

1. Falsification of college records, such as transcripts and other official documents, is illegal and is a very serious form of dishonesty that the College will not tolerate.
2. Failure to declare college credit attempted or earned prior to or during enrollment at Stephens is considered falsification of records.
3. Cases of falsification of records will be reported to the Academic Standing Committee and hearings will be held. All judicial procedures will be followed.

Sanctions

1. Students found guilty of falsification of college records will be subject to probation, suspension or expulsion from the College.
2. Failure to declare previously attempted or earned college credit will be grounds for non-admission or suspension if this information is discovered after admission.

Revocation of a Degree

A degree granted on the basis of fraudulent information knowingly furnished by the student, or any other person pertaining to the student's academic performance, is subject to revocation on the basis of academic dishonesty. The following procedures will be followed if charges are made:

1. The charge will be reviewed by the Academic Standing Committee according to the guidelines published for allegations of academic dishonesty.
2. If the allegations are not well founded, the Academic Standing Committee will dismiss the charge.
3. If probable cause is found, the Academic Standing Committee will interview and prepare reports from all persons directly involved.
4. The student will be notified in writing of the allegations and given a fair opportunity to present a personal position in writing. The student will have the right to a formal hearing if requested. The notification sent to the student will include the range of sanctions or penalties that apply to allegations of academic dishonesty, including the possible revocation of a degree, assuming completion of degree requirements is brought into question by the charge.
5. The Academic Standing Committee will review all information brought to bear on the case. If the allegations are found to be true, the Academic Standing Committee will determine the appropriate sanction or penalty according to the degree of academic dishonesty. If the penalty does not involve the possible revocation of a degree, the Academic Standing Committee will notify the student of the outcome of the case and any penalties assessed.
6. If the penalty involves the possible revocation of a degree, the Academic Standing Committee will make that recommendation to the President of the College and the Board of Trustees.
7. The President of the College and the Board of Trustees will review the recommendation and determine the appropriate sanction or penalty, including degree revocation.
8. The student will be notified in writing of all final decisions. The letter will notify the student if the student is to be dismissed from the College on the grounds of academic dishonesty or if the student will be given the opportunity, under stated conditions, to complete degree requirements.
9. If the student is allowed to complete degree requirements, the Academic Standing Committee will confer with appropriate faculty and administrators to establish the conditions that allow completion of degree requirements within a future degree-training period.

Academic Advising
A Graduate & Continuing Studies staff person shall be assigned to advise each degree-seeking student upon admission.

Grade of Incomplete
A student who completes most of the work in a course at a passing level, but is unable to complete the work on time due to extenuating circumstances, may speak with the instructor to see if receiving an Incomplete (I) mark is warranted. When an instructor grants an incomplete, one semester is allowed to complete the coursework, unless the instructor sets an earlier deadline. If the work is not submitted by the deadline, the grade automatically becomes an F. If unusual circumstances indicate the need, the instructor may grant one additional semester to complete the course. An incomplete does not affect the GPA in the semester it is assigned. Students who receive incompletes are ineligible for a dean’s list that semester .

Audit
Students may be asked to audit a course to refresh their knowledge and learn current trends if they completed a required course more than 5 years ago. Students who audit the course will not register or pay for the course. Students who are auditing are expected to:

1)     Attend all class meetings and participate in discussions

2)     Complete reading assignments

3)     Complete minimal writing assignments to demonstrate understanding of the course material

Students who are auditing are not expected to take exams or complete large assignments. No grade will be assigned for students who audit, however, the instructor will confer with the Program Director regarding the students understanding of the course material.

Independent Study
Policy
The first priority of the Stephens College graduate programs is to assure overall student success and the integrity of these programs. Graduate students are expected to complete their coursework in a certain sequential manner in order to graduate on time. Courses are offered each semester that allow the graduate student to meet this graduation deadline.

Independent studies are defined as studies undertaken in a manner by which the student receives a project and readings, or other stated goals to complete, and works independently under the guidance of an instructor. Independent studies are considered exceptions to the plan of study offered at the graduate level. Independent studies will only be offered as an alternative if, through no fault of their own, there is no other way a graduate student can complete his or her work in a timely manner. A maximum of two independent studies will be granted to a graduate student during his/her program.

Procedure
Students must first obtain permission from the instructor of the course they wish to take. They then must submit their request to the Graduate Program Director, along with a rationale for taking the course as an independent study. Finally the request must be approved by the Dean Graduate & Continuing Studies. The request can be denied for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: insufficient evidence of an emergency situation, poor performance by the student in other classes, and instructor workload.

There are two categories of independent study that apply to graduate programs: reading and projects. A course delivered in either of the two formats must be accompanied by two copies of the syllabus (one for the Registrar and one for the Graduate & Continuing Studies office) that describes exactly what the student must accomplish to complete the course requirements.

       Reading category is defined as "(those) which are available for topics not offered in the regular curriculum. The study      includes assigned readings and at least one major research paper." These courses are numbered 598G Title of Course (e.g. 598G: Family and Community: Partners in Education).

      Projects category is defined as "(those) which are available to document learning that takes place in study that culminates in a project. Readings and a paper may be required." These courses are numbered 599G: Title of Course (e.g. 599G: Managerial Economics). 

Graduation
The approved master's degree candidacy form, with the appropriate signatures must be on file with the Graduate & Continuing Studies office prior to graduation. A calendar of deadlines and a schedule of fees are available from the Graduate & Continuing Studies website. Commencement is held twice a year in May and December.

Time Limit

All degree requirements must be met within seven (7) years following the date of enrollment in the first course of the graduate degree program. Stephens College urges students to complete their graduate program in a timely manner. A lack of satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree, as determined by the student's graduate program, can be considered grounds for dismissal.

Access to Student Records
The Office of the Registrar maintains an official folder of academic information for all current students. A permanent academic record card that shows credit attempted and the resulting grade point average is on file. Students may review their academic records by showing appropriate identification.

Other records open to students include those maintained by the Office of Financial Aid and by the academic adviser. Students may not review financial information submitted by parents or confidential letters associated with admission, employment or job placement, nor may they see any material for which they waived the right to review. Any student who believes that inaccurate, misleading or otherwise inappropriate information may be in one of his or her record files may request a hearing with the Dean of Graduate & Continuing Studies.

Information about a student, other than directory information allowed by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (as amended), will not be released without the student's written consent. A copy of the FERPA 1974 is available for review in the Graduate & Continuing Studies office.

The following directory-type information may be released about a student: name, e-mail address, home address, classification, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees earned and honors received. A student who wishes to prevent the release of directory-type information must make the request in writing to the Director Advising & Student Services, Graduate & Continuing Studies, by September 15 each year.

Only college personnel who have a direct educational interest in the student, or identified representatives of local, state and national governmental law agencies have access to non-directory information. Efforts will be made to notify the student when information is requested to comply with a judicial order or any lawful subpoena.

Upon written request and payment of necessary fees, the Registrar's Office will issue statements of academic standing and official transcripts for students in good financial standing. If a fee is required, the student will bear the costs.

Withdrawal from Classes
A graduate student may withdraw from a course according to the academic calendar posted on the website. The student must submit a drop form electronically via the Stephens College website. Students should refer to the current academic calendar for deadlines to receive refunds and/or a "W" on their transcript.

A student who does not give official notice of withdrawal will receive a grade of “F” that shall be recorded on the permanent record. The Graduate & Continuing Studies office will notify the instructor when a student withdraws officially.

Failure to begin or continue to attend classes does not constitute official notice of withdrawal.

Academic Appeals
Grade Appeals
Only final course grades may be appealed. A student who believes a final grade has been assigned incorrectly must correspond in writing with the instructor within two weeks after the receipt of the grade. Within one week of receiving this correspondence the instructor will set up a meeting with the student. The instructor may agree that a grade change is appropriate. If so, the instructor shall complete and sign a Change of Grade form, which will be signed by the Program Director and filed with the Registrar. The matter is then closed.

If a dispute about a grade cannot be resolved between the student and the instructor, then the student may appeal. The appeal procedure is as follows:

• Within one week of meeting with the instructor the student will submit the appeal in writing to the Program Director. In support of the appeal the student must provide objective evidence that the grade was assigned incorrectly. This evidence may take the form of the course syllabus, assignments, rubrics, photocopies of graded papers, quizzes, tests, and other work performed in the course. The Program Director will establish a time to meet with the student. The Program Director cannot change the grade but will discuss the student’s concerns and, failing resolution, will advise the student on further steps in the appeal procedure.
• Within one week of meeting with the Program Director, the student may write to the Dean of Graduate & Continuing Studies to pursue the appeal. The student must submit to the Dean objective evidence that the grade was assigned incorrectly. The Dean of Graduate & Continuing Studies shall convene an appeal panel of 3 members of the Graduate Council who are not faculty in the same program as the instructor involved in the appeal. The panel will examine the evidence provided and conclude its review within ten working days of its first meeting.
• The panel will submit its recommendation in writing to the student, instructor, Program Director and Dean of Graduate & Continuing Studies. The panel may:
• Recommend that the instructor change the grade
• Recommend that the instructor review the grade according to the criteria specified by the panel, or
• Dismiss the appeal

At this point the panel’s responsibilities are concluded. The panel is not empowered to change the grade. The grade that the course instructor assigned cannot be changed by anyone but that instructor.

• If, after considering the panel’s recommendation, the instructor wishes to change the grade, the instructor will complete and sign a Change of Grade form, which will be signed by the Program Director and filed with the Registrar. The Program Director will advise the student of a change in grade, if any. This will conclude the appeal procedure; no further review is available.
• The grade appeal will be considered confidential, and only those directly involved in the appeal procedure will be provided with information concerning the appeal.
• If the student chooses to make the appeal panel’s written recommendation a part of her/his permanent file, the student should instruct the Dean of Graduate & Continuing Studies (or her/his designee) to convey the panel’s recommendation to the Registrar.

Suspension or Expulsion

If the student is suspended or expelled and wishes to appeal, the student may consult with the Registrar and submit a written appeal to the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council shall review the appeal letter and contact the student if necessary. The Graduate Council shall rule on this appeal and its decision shall be provided to the student in writing. This decision is final.

Waive of Academic/Degree Requirement

A student who believes that a degree requirement should be waived in his or her case has the right to make this request to the Program Director. The Program Director’s decision is final.

Online Orientation Session
Flexibility and quality are the hallmarks of the Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies program.  In an effort to stand by our mission and to assist new students in making a successful transition into college, Stephens requires that all new students complete a one hour online orientation during the first four weeks of classes. 

As part of the orientation, students will complete comprehensive assignments designed to familiarize them with all aspects of Blackboard as well as Stephens College policies and procedures as outlined in the graduate catalog.

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