Registar's Office

Academic Policies 

Academic Honesty

Honesty - A college is a community of students and faculty interested in the search for knowledge and understanding.  Essential to that search is a commitment to honesty and integrity.  Honesty on the part of every college student has and always shall be an integral part of the plan of higher education at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.  Acts of dishonesty conflict with the work and purpose of the entire College and are not merely a private matter between student and instructor.

Violations of academic honesty include but are not limited to:

• submitting the work of others as one's own 
• plagiarism (as defined below)
• communication during an examination
• using crib notes in an exam, except as allowed by the instructor
• obtaining prior knowledge of examination questions
• substitution of another student in an examination
• altering College academic records
• knowingly using false statements for academic benefit
• collaborating on material after being directed not to collaborate
• forging a signature of a College official or faculty member
• soliciting an official signature under false pretense

Plagiarism - The academic departments of the College have varying requirements for reporting the use of sources, but certain fundamental principles for the acknowledgment of sources apply to all fields and levels of work.  The use of source materials of any kind and the preparation of essays or laboratory reports must be fully and properly acknowledged.  In papers or laboratory reports, students are expected to acknowledge any expression or idea that is not their own.  Students submitting papers are implying that the form and content of the essays or reports, in whole and in part, represent their own work, except where clear and specific reference is made to other sources.  Even if there is no conscious intention to deceive, the failure to make appropriate acknowledgment may constitute plagiarism. Any quotation - even of a phrase - must be placed in quotation marks and the precise source stated in a note or in the text; any material that is paraphrased or summarized and any ideas that are borrowed must be specifically acknowledged.  A thorough reordering or rearrangement of an author's text does not release the student from these responsibilities.  All sources that have been consulted in the preparation of the essay or report should be listed in the bibliography. 

Upon an occurrence of alleged academic dishonesty instructors may exercise their discretion in imposing a sanction.  Instructors may further file charges with the Academic Appeals Committee against students if they believe that additional sanctions would be appropriate.  Instructors shall notify the Registrar in writing of any occurrence of academic dishonesty whenever they have imposed sanctions.  Such notification shall include the student's name, course title, date of occurrence, type of dishonesty, sanction(s) being imposed, and any further action requested. This notification shall be effected within fourteen days after discovery of the incident.  A copy of said notice shall be sent to the student involved, including the charges made against the student and the grounds, if proven, that would justify failure or other academic sanction. If the student involved wishes to appeal the sanction imposed by the instructor, the student must initiate an appeal within two weeks after receipt of this notification. The Academic Appeals Committee shall consider as a basis for a hearing that:  a) the student claims not to have been academically dishonest; b) the student claims the instructor imposed an inappropriate sanction; c) the nature of the offense merits further action. In academic dishonesty cases the Committee may receive requests for hearings from students, from individual faculty and staff members, and from the Registrar.   The Academic Appeals Committee reserves the right not to hear any appeal in any case where data is not sufficient, the necessary steps have not been followed, and when the committee jurisdiction is not clear.

Further information regarding instructor and student rights and responsibilities and appropriate procedures to be followed in applying this policy may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Academic Affairs or the Registrar.

Add/Drop/Withdrawl from Courses

Add/Drop Form

Addition of Courses
Students may add courses during the first seven academic days of each semester. 

Dropping of a Course

Students have seven academic days to drop from a full semester course with no academic penalty and no notation that they were enrolled in the course on their records.  Courses running less than an entire semester will have varying drop dates based on the length of the course. 

Withdrawing From Courses
Students who withdraw after the drop period ends and prior to the 50% completion point of the course will incur no penalty as far as the quality point average is concerned but will have a notation of "W" on their permanent record.  No student may withdraw from a course after the 50% completion point of the course.   Any student not attending a course and not officially withdrawing will be issued a grade of "F" on his/her record.  The "F" grade will be used in computing the student's grade point average. 

Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend all of their classes.  They must also be aware of course requirements. Whenever possible, students should notify their instructors prior to an absence from class and make up missed work within a reasonable length of time after their absence. Students who expect to be absent from classes for three days or longer should contact the Center for Student Success and Engagement for help notifying their instructors.

Eligible Absences
Absences of students from scheduled classes will be considered excused for the following listed reasons.

• Participation as a representative of the College in a scheduled intercollegiate athletic event.  It will be the responsibility of the athletic department to notify instructors of the student's participation and absence in advance of the anticipated absence.
• Participation as a representative of the College in a scheduled intercollegiate club competition or professional/academic conferences, travel courses, or field trips scheduled as part of a course.  The club must be a recognized campus club.  It will be the responsibility of the club advisor or the sponsoring academic/administrative department to notify the student's instructors of the student's participation and absence in advance of such absence.
• Health and/or disability-related absences for which a valid reason is presented.  Judgment of the validity of the excuse is left to the instructor.
• Any student of the College who is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study or work requirement shall be excused from any such examination or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to make up such examination, study or work requirement, provided that it shall not create an unreasonable burden upon the College.

Accommodations for Eligible Absences

• Each instructor will develop an excused absence policy, which follows the statement of eligibility above.  In lieu of such individual policy, a department may choose to develop a departmental policy.
• The absence policy shall be made a part of the course syllabus and shall be made available in print to all enrolled students within the first two weeks of the semester.
• No student having an excused absence shall be penalized for such absence on account solely of being absent.  Nothing in this policy is intended to excuse a student from the responsibility to make up  missed work within a reasonable length of time.
• A student with excused absences due to participation as a representative of the College (see 1 and 2 under Eligible Absences) may be held to deadlines for submitting class work provided that such deadlines are a part of the course syllabus and were available to the student within the first two weeks of the semester.
• Students anticipating absence because of participation in an eligible event shall make arrangements  prior to their absence to make up any missed work. 

Policy on Attendance at Out-of-Class Events

In providing a rich cultural education, MCLA recognizes that a total college experience extends beyond regularly scheduled instruction in a formal classroom or laboratory setting.  There are a number of educational events or activities that occur outside these settings (e.g., concerts, plays, field trips, etc.) which are an important part of the student's liberal arts education.  Attendance at out-of-class events may present hardship for some college students, especially those with jobs and families.  Therefore, reasonable accommodations shall be made for all students with respect to such events, with the following provisions:

• Instructors may schedule out-of-class experiences as they deem necessary to achieve the purposes and goals of the course for which the event is scheduled.  Students should be given the option of attending the out-of-class experience or their regularly scheduled classes.
• Insofar as possible, all out-of-class events at which student attendance is expected are to be included on the course syllabus.  In any event, reasonable advance notice of such expected attendance must be given.
• If the out-of-class event is an exam, the student may opt to take the exam at another time.  This other time shall be mutually agreeable to the instructor and the student and must be arranged prior to the original exam date.
• Students for whom attendance at any such event will constitute a hardship with scheduled classes and/or family or employment responsibilities, shall be granted an opportunity to complete an equivalent alternative assignment to meet the course requirements without penalty.

Audit Policy

Audit Form

A student may audit a course with the approval of the chairperson of the department and the consent of the instructor.  Auditors are subject to any conditions established by the department or the instructor.  No credit is awarded for audited courses.  Such courses are officially reported on the student's transcript with the notation "AU" (Audit-No Credit) when all course conditions are met.  Auditor status cannot be changed.

Students register for audit during the first week after the Add Period.  A student who wishes to attend class before audit registration may do so with the consent of the instructor.  Students are responsible for all course fees when auditing a course.  Students who have registered for a grade have enrollment preference over auditing students.

Class Status
Matriculated students are assigned class status according to the total number of earned credits at the conclusion of each semester.

Course Load
Fifteen (15) credit hours is the normal academic course load at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.  Students may enroll for up to eighteen (18) credit hours without special permission.  Students wishing to enroll for more than eighteen (18) credit hours must secure the permission of their advisors.  The Dean of Academic Affairs must approve any request above 20 credits.  

Course Repeat Policy/Off Campus Study Approval

Course Repeat Form

A course may be repeated.  If the course is required and the student received an F, the course must be repeated.  The grade earned in a repeated course replaces the original grade in the student's quality point average even if the repeated grade is lower.  (The grade earned each time the student took the course remains on the student's transcript, but the course is marked "RX", and the originally attempted credit is not calculated into the quality point average.) 

Students must complete a Repeat Course Form for each course they repeat. Repeat course work taken off campus must be approved prior to the course being taken.

Declaring a Minor
Declaration of Minor Form
Students who are completing the requirements of a minor program must complete a Declaration of Minor form.  

Declaring/Changing of Major
Change of Major Form
Students wishing to change their major must secure a Change of Major form from CSSE/Advising.  This form requires the approval of the chairperson of the new department and must be filed with the Registrar's Office before the change of major takes effect.

Grade Appeal

Undergraduate Grade Appeal Form

In cases involving appeals of a course grade, a student has one month into the following semester to initiate an appeal relating to grades earned in the regular Fall or Spring semester.  In all other cases (e.g. summer) the student has one month after receipt of the grade to initiate an appeal.  No grade appeals can be made after these deadlines.

Leave of Absence
A student whose personal, family, or medical circumstances require a temporary interruption of college study may apply for a leave of absence for up to two semesters.  To apply for a leave of absence a student must complete an application through CSSE/Advising.  Recommendations regarding requests will be made by Advising Services to the Dean of Academic Affairs.  The Dean will make the final decision on the request.

A leave of absence may only be granted to students who are matriculated and in good academic and financial standing.  All students returning from a leave of absence must contact the Registrar's Office no later than December 1 for reactivation in the spring semester and August 1 for reactivation for the fall semester.  Students who are granted a leave of absence before the end of the drop/add period will have no notation on their record for that semester.  Students granted a leave after the add/drop period and through the last day of classes will have a grade of "WX" on their record for that semester.

*Students are advised to contact Student Accounts and Financial Aid regarding refunds, loan deferment/repayment and eligibility for further aid.

Off-Campus Study for Currently Enrolled Students
Off Campus Study Form
Matriculated students who wish to enroll in coursework at another accredited institution while still enrolled at MCLA must receive approval from MCLA prior to enrolling in such courses.  Approval is granted through the Registrar's Office in consultation with the department chair.  Coursework in which the student received a grade of C- or above is transferable, provided that the student's overall grade point average is a 2.0 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale) at the other institution.

Probation/Suspension
Academic Standing at MCLA - A student's cumulative MCLA GPA, combined with credits earned, will determine the academic standing category at the end of each semester according to the following standards:

Earned credits    GOOD STANDING     PROBATION       SUSPENSION   

0 - 30                  2.000 or above      1.500 -1.999       under 1.500
31-75                  2.000 or above      1.750 - 1.999      under 1.750
76 and above     2.000 or above       no probation      under 2.000

Earned credits include transfer credits and MCLA credits (at the 100 level and higher) in which a passing grade was earned.

Students who are suspended and successfully appeal their suspension will be so designated by a separate category of academic standing that reflects academic probation following a successful appeal of an academic suspension.  The following designations reflect MCLA's Policy on Academic Standing in accordance with a student's cumulative MCLA GPA:

  Academic Good Standing - cumulative GPA of 2.00  
  Academic Probation - student on academic probation
  Academic Probation following Appeal - appeal of suspension approved
  Academic Suspension - student academically suspended
  Academic Dismissal - student dismissed (permanently) from MCLA

Academic Warning
A student with a semester GPA less than 2.0 but a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater will be issued an Academic Warning.  A letter of Academic Warning will be sent to the student and copied to the student's advisor explaining the potential consequences of poor academic performance (including successive semesters of Academic Warning or future Academic Probation or Academic Suspension).  For each semester in which an Academic Warning is received, the student must meet with his or her academic advisor and complete an Academic Success Plan, which will be submitted to CSSE/Advising for review and appropriate referrals.

Academic Probation
A student who fails to achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA, while achieving a GPA higher than the Academic Suspension cutoff will be placed on Academic Probation.  A student on Academic Probation or Academic Probation Following Appeal must adhere to certain conditions designed to promote academic success.  These conditions may include: (1) course load of not more than 15 credits; (2) academic schedule changes to allow repeat courses; (3) meetings with an academic advisor, learning services, and/or advising services to complete an Academic Success Plan that will monitor student progress;(4) attendance at academic success workshops (e.g. study skills, time management, etc.); and (5) restrictions on certain extracurricular activities as determined by the Office of Academic Affairs or its designate (for the first semester on Academic Probation, a student will remain eligible for participation in extracurricular activities unless individual departments or activities have higher standards).

Academic Suspension

Students suspended under this policy may appeal their suspension.  The Registrar notifies students of their suspension and of their right of recourse to the appeal process.  Suspended students may not enroll at the College for one semester.  They may then apply to the Admissions Office for readmission.  The College requires that they complete a minimum of 6 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.0 at another institution before reapplication.     Students must complete an off-campus readmission form available from the Registrar. Approval is  required prior to enrollment in courses.  Students re-applying after sitting out one semester on suspension will be evaluated on an individual basis based on the entire Massachusetts College academic experience and coursework completed at another college.  Students suspended at the end of the spring term may not take courses at MCLA in the summer or fall, and must re-apply through admissions.

Withdrawal from College
Students leaving the College must complete a Withdrawal from College form obtained from CSSE/Advising.  Students officially withdrawing before the first day of final examinations will receive a notation of WX in all courses.  After this time students will receive a final grade in all courses.

Note: A student is not officially withdrawn from the College until the appropriate form has been completed and has been validated by the Registrar's Office.