Union Graduate College has adopted the Union College trimester system, approved by the New York State Department of Education in 1966.  Under this system, each course equates to 3 1/3 semester hours.  A full-course load is considered two (2) courses per term or six (6) courses per year.  It is expected that students will spend from 2.5 to 3.0 hours outside of class for each hour spent in class.

 

GRADING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

Course Numbering System

Union Graduate College uses a course numbering system with two levels. Courses numbered below 500 are prerequisite courses for which no credit is given. Courses numbered 500-699 are graduate level courses.

 

Academic credit is computed using a system which counts the number of course units completed. Most courses are for full credit (1 course unit) which is equivalent to 3 1/3 semester credit hours or five quarter hours. All courses listed in this catalog are full credit courses unless designated otherwise.

 

Grading

Grades are awarded according to the following system:

A         4.0       B+       3.3       C+       2.3

A-        3.7       B         3.0       C         2.0

                        B-        2.7       F          0.0

 

A student who receives a grade of “F” (assuming dismissal is not final; see “Dismissal” section) may petition the Academic Committee for approval to repeat the course. If permission is granted, both the “F” and the new grade appear on the transcript and are included in the cumulative index. Please refer to the Academic Standing paragraph of this section below.

 

All grades are mailed to students and are not released over the phone or via email.

 

Incompletes

Incomplete grades will only be assigned in extenuating circumstances. A grade of incomplete may be requested before the submission of grades, but only on the grounds of circumstances beyond the control of the student.

 

1. The incomplete request must include the student’s signature, the instructor’s signature, and the signed approval of the Dean or Director of the program. The form must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Registration.
2. All work must be completed at the end of the following term and a grade turned in to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Registrar.
3. For cases in which it is not possible to complete the work within the deadline because of circumstances beyond the control of the student, a petition for an extension of incomplete may be submitted in writing to the Academic Committee through the Registrar’s office.

 

Withdrawal from a Course

1. With the advisor’s signature, and with proper notice (Add/Drop form) to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Registrar a student may withdraw from a course (i.e. with a grade of W) at any time in the first six (6) weeks of a term (or first three during summer). (In accordance with federal immigration regulations, international students F-1 and J-1 visa holders, must consult their Foreign Student Advisor/Designated School Official, as well as their academic advisor for approval to withdraw from a course). The student is also responsible to notify the professor of the course.
2. Dropping a course after the sixth (6th) week date will result in a grade of “F”, unless the advisor and the Dean of the graduate school of which the student is a member, agree that there are extraordinary personal circumstances that justify altering this procedure.
3. If proper notice of withdrawal from a course is not given to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Registrar, a grade of “F” will be posted to the record.

 

Please note: Students will not be permitted to withdraw if there is an outstanding balance on their bill, and they will receive an “F” for the course.

 

Pass/Fail Grades

If a graduate thesis, internship, or project is two-part, the first part is graded with a pass/fail grade. A grade of “Pass” will not be calculated in the cumulative index; a grade of “Fail” however, will count as a failing grade. After completion of the second part, a final grade is assigned.

 

End-of-Term Grade Changes

Grades are assessments, as fair and objective as possible, of the student’s work at the end of the term. Fairness demands that all students be held to the same reasonable standards. All instructors are expected to make fair and careful appraisal of each student’s work, and to submit grades to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Registrar no later than the due date specified by that office for the final exam period.

 

Grades, once submitted, come within the protective domain of the College. Grade changes (other than clerical error) must be made in writing to and approved by the Dean/Director of the program and the Academic Committee. The Dean/Director will present the request to the Academic Committee.

 

A faculty member must request in writing to change a grade for substantive reasons. This request must be approved by the Dean/Director of the program and the Academic Committee. The Dean/Director will present the request to the Academic Committee.

 

The Academic Committee will not accept a request without a full explanation supported with detail. Faculty may not allow a student to submit late or additional work in order to improve the grade, unless an official grade of incomplete has been assigned.

 

Student Grade Appeal

The Academic Committee will grant a grade change appeal by a student only under extraordinary circumstances, namely when it can be demonstrated that the grade was inequitably awarded.

1. A student wishing to appeal a grade in a course should do so no later than the end of the second week of the subsequent term.
2. The student should first confer with the faculty member who assigned the grade (if this faculty member is not available then the student should meet directly with the Dean of that program). The student should inform the instructor of concerns and seek to fully understand the grounds and procedures the instructor has used in determining the grade. The aim of this conference is to attempt to reach a mutual understanding about the grade and the process by which it was assigned.
3. If upon meeting with the faculty member as outlined above, the matter is not resolved within 2 weeks, the student may make a formal written complaint to the Dean/Director.
4. If the issue is not yet resolved within a second two (2)-week period, the matter may be forwarded to the Academic Committee.
1. If upon review, the Dean/Director finds sufficient grounds of an inequitable award of the grade to warrant an official hearing, the Dean/Director will consult the Academic Committee.
2. The Academic Committee will consider the student’s letter of appeal, and any other relevant materials provided by the Dean/Director, and make a determination regarding the appeal. In no case will Academic Committee substitute its judgment on the merits of a student’s work for the bona fide judgment of a faculty member. The decision of the Academic Committee is final.

 

Repeat Policy

Students who repeat a course they have previously failed will have both grades listed on the transcript. All credits attempted and total quality points earned will be used in calculating the cumulative grade point average. Students who repeat a course they have previously passed (with a grade of “C” or better) will have both grades listed on the transcript, but neither the quality points associated with the second grade nor the credits attempted or earned will be factored into their GPA.

 

 

 

ACADEMIC STANDING

 

Good Academic Standing

Union Graduate College regards a student as “in good standing” academically if he or she satisfies two conditions: (1) satisfactory progress toward the degree and (2) maintenance of a minimum GPA of 3.0.

 

Satisfactory Progress for Full-Time Students

Satisfactory progress means a sufficient accumulation of course credits toward a degree.  In order to achieve the minimum satisfactory academic progress, students must complete six (6) courses per academic year.  Students failing to achieve these academic year standards may be placed on academic warning and forfeit their access to Federal Student Aid Funds until minimum standards are met.  These minimum standards are in addition to the minimum GPA standards described below.  The New York Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) has stricter requirements.

 

Satisfactory Progress for Part-Time Students

Satisfactory progress means a sufficient accumulation of course credits toward the degree.  In order to achieve the minimum satisfactory academic progress, students must complete their degree within six (6) years of matriculation.  These minimum standards are in addition to the minimum GPA standards described below.  The New York Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) has stricter requirements.

 

Minimum GPA Standards

A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is necessary for graduation.  Students with a cumulative or term GPA below 3.0 will be sent an academic warning letter.  The student must raise his/her grade average to “B”.  Failure to do so will lead to placement on academic probation and possible termination of graduate status.

 

While students are studying at the Graduate College towards their degree, a grade of “F” in one course or a grade of “C” or “C+” in two (2) graduate level School of Engineering/Computer Science, Bioethics/Clinical Leadership or School of Education courses or three (3) School of Management courses may indicate that the student is not of graduate caliber and will be dismissed from their program.  For students in a School of Management Certificate program, two grades of C or C+ (or one grade of F) or Students in a Bioethics Certificate program with one grade of C, C+ or F will result in dismissal from the program. Matriculated students may petition for readmission, in writing to the Dean/Director of their program.  The Dean/Director will refer the request to the Academic committee.  Please note that a grade of B- is considered substandard performance for a graduate level course.

 

The Academic Committee

The Academic Committee consists of nine voting members: the Dean and one faculty member from the School of Management; the Dean and one faculty member from the School of Education; the Dean and one faculty member from the School of Engineering and Computer Science; one student member, the Registrar, and the Vice President of Enrollment are voting members.  A vote of five of the voting members of the Academic Committee shall be necessary to constitute a decision of the Academic Committee.  The Coordinator of Institutional Studies may attend all sessions and deliberations of the Academic Committee.

 

A student placed on academic warning due to the non-attainment of minimum cumulative GPA standards but permitted to remain at the College, as an enrolled student shall be considered in “good standing” where questions of eligibility for Federal Student Aid Funds are concerned.

 

The Dean/Directors may review the status of any student in their program whose cumulative GPA or other considerations suggest questions of satisfactory progress toward graduation.  If, after such a review, the student’s record is deemed unacceptable by the Dean/Director, they may adopt one of the following actions with the approval of the Academic Committee:

 

Academic Warning:  The student may remain in college, but unless the record improves, the student will be subject to subsequent action.

 

Suspension:  When, in the judgment of the Dean/Director, a student’s record makes it inadvisable to continue in college, he or she may be suspended, normally for not less than two terms.

 

Dismissal:  In certain cases, the Dean/Director may dismiss a student.

 

The Dean/Director needs to notify the Registrar in writing of the decision including the reasons for the decision within three (3) business days of the decision.  The Registrar will then notify the student in writing by certified mail within three (3) business days of receiving the decision to the student’s mailing address.

 

Appeals of decisions of the Dean/Director should be directed to the Academic Committee in writing within two (2) weeks of receiving the decision.   The decision of the Academic Committee will be given in writing to the student in person or by mail to the student’s mailing address no later than five (5) business days after the decision is rendered.  The decision of the Academic Committee is final.

                 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS   

 

To qualify for a degree a student must:

 

1.      Complete satisfactorily the requirements in the degree program, including the major field examination and/or thesis, or internship as applicable;

2.      Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 overall.

 

In addition, a student also must have paid all sums due the Office of Graduate Admissions and Registrar, must have made satisfactory provision for payment of any other financial obligations assumed while in the Graduate College, and must have returned all books borrowed from the Library.

 

Students are solely responsible for assuring that the program presented for graduation fulfills all requirements, both in general and in specialized study.  The Office of Graduate Admissions and Registrar should be consulted when questions arise about the satisfaction of graduation requirements.

 

Notice of intent to graduate must be sent to The Office of Graduate Admissions and Registrar no later than December 1 prior to their June graduation.

Waivers of Graduation Requirements

Request for waivers of graduation requirements must be made in writing to the Graduate College Registrar.  The registrar will present the request to the Academic Committee for consideration.  The ruling of the academic Committee is final.  The student will be notified in writing by the registrar of the Academic Committee decision within five (5) business days of the rendering of the decision.

 

TRANSCRIPTS

Official transcripts from Union Graduate College must be requested in writing with a signature. They cannot be sent to students, but will be mailed to other educational institutions, certification boards, employers and prospective employers. This insures the privacy of the student’s academic records. Unofficial transcripts, without the college seal, are available for the student’s personal records. A financial hold on a student account will prevent the release of transcripts.  There are no fees for transcripts, but if there is a special service required to deliver the transcript the cost is the students/alumnae’s responsibility.

 

DIPLOMAS

Diplomas will not be released to anyone who has a financial obligation or grades of “I” incomplete and “Y” delayed.

 

Replacement Diplomas

Diplomas that have been lost, damaged or destroyed can be reordered.  The replacement diploma will be an original diploma; the Registrar’s Office does not maintain duplicate copies.  Processing of replacement diplomas takes approximately 4 – 6 weeks. The fee for a replacement diploma is $40.00 (payable to Union Graduate College), and must accompany the request for replacement.

 

To order a replacement diploma, print out the Replacement Diploma Order Form found on the college website (www.uniongraduatecollege.edu ). Mail completed form, along with fee, to Union Graduate College / Registrar’s Office, Room 102 / Lamont House / 807 Union Street / Schenectady, NY  12308.