We expect students to maintain standards of honesty and integrity
in all aspects of their academic careers. Academic dishonesty
violates the very nature of our academy. Its scope includes
plagiarism, lying, tampering and falsifying reference materials,
and theft. Plagiarism and cheating consist of any attempt
by a student to represent the work of someone else as his
or her own. It includes, but is not limited to submitting,
copying, or substantially restating the work of another person
or persons in an oral or written work without citing the appropriate
source; collaborating with someone else in an academic endeavor
without acknowledging that contribution; and copying the answers
of another student in an examination. Worcester State College
will not tolerate plagiarism or cheating in the classroom
in any fashion. The penalties for academic deceit are severe
and unawareness is not an acceptable justification. The instructor
may fail the student or enforce another appropriate penalty
concerning academic dishonesty. The official policies and
procedures of the College's response to academic dishonesty
are outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook, in the section
"Worcester State College Student Code of Conduct and
the Judicial System."Matriculated vs Non-Matriculated
Status: A matriculated student is one who has been accepted
into and is enrolled in a degree/licensure program at the
College.
Back to top
Non-Matriculated status indicates that a student has registered
for and is taking a course(s) at the College without being
formally accepted into a program. A graduate applicant is
allowed to take courses prior to being accepted into a graduate
degree program, but no more than 4 courses will be permitted
to apply toward the master’s degree.
Residency: All candidates for the master’s degree must
complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of credit, all of
which must be earned exclusively in graduate-level courses.
Back to top
Only credits for which students have earned a grade of “B-”
or higher within a two-year period immediately prior to the
effective term of admission are transferable from an accredited
institution, including credits earned at Worcester State College.
A maximum of 12 such graduate credits may be accepted. Acceptance
of transfer credits is the responsibility of the full-time
faculty in the relevant discipline in conjunction with the
Graduate Education Council. In all instances, no more than
12 semester hours of credit may be earned at any institution
other than Worcester State College.
Back to top
All requirements for a graduate program must be completed
within six years of the effective term of admission to a program.
Candidates eligible for graduation must signify their intention
by completing and submitting an Intent-To-Graduate form and
include a check for the $15.00 Commencement fee. The fee covers
the cost of the diploma, invitations and other expenses associated
with graduation. Deadlines for filing are: March 15 for a
May graduation, June 15 for an August graduation, and October
15 for a December graduation. If candidates plan to participate
in the May Commencement, they will need to complete a regalia
order form and pay the cost of the cap, gown and hood. Both
forms are available in the Graduate Office or candidates may
request to have them mailed to them.
Back to top
To receive a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology,
or Master of Education degree with a concentration in Health,
History or English, a candidate is required to pass an oral
or written comprehensive examination in his or her field of
concentration. Refer to program descriptions in this catalog
for additional information.
Back to top
Matriculated students will be dismissed from their graduate
program if they do not maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, or
if they receive two grades of C+ or lower. In addition, grades
below a B- are not acceptable for degree credit. Dismissal
requires absence from the College for one semester, pending
action on an appeal, if submitted.
Back to top
No more than three semester hours of credit in independent
study may be applied to the satisfaction of requirements of
any graduate degree program. Independent study contracts,
available in the Office of Graduate Studies, must be completed
and filed with the Registrar by the last day of registration
for a semester. Independent studies are granted only in extenuating
circumstances.
Back to top
Because each class meeting constitutes a substantial portion
of the work in an evening or summer course, students are expected
to attend all scheduled class meetings. If absent for any
valid reason, the student should inform the instructor and
arrange to make up classwork and assignments.
Back to top
Matriculated students may request a leave of absence for up
to one year by completing a leave of absence request form
available in the Office of Graduate Studies. In extenuating
circumstances, at the discretion of the Dean of Graduate and
Continuing Education, a student may be granted an extension.
Approved leave time is not counted against allowable program
length.
Back to top
Official transcripts of course work taken at Worcester
State College may be obtained by eligible students from the
Office of the Registrar with the completion of a form available
for that purpose, or by writing the request. Requests must
include name while attending, current name if different, Social
Security number and/or student ID number, last date of attendance
and whether or not the student was officially accepted into
a program. Transcripts are $2.00 per copy; “rush”
transcripts are $4.00 per copy. Payment must accompany the
request in the form of a check made payable to Worcester State
College.
Back to top
The grading system for graduate studies employs the letter
grades A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, E (failure),
W (withdrawn), and I (incomplete).
Back to top
When circumstances prevent a student from completing a course
on time (e.g., illness), the student is responsible for requesting
an “incomplete.” The professor may grant an incomplete
provided the student had completed a substantial portion of
the course requirements. The student must make arrangements
with the professor to complete the course within six weeks
of the beginning of the next semester. The official calendar
for the year indicates the date to resolve incompletes from
the previous term. If the requirements are not met within
the appropriate period, the incomplete will automatically
become an “E,” and is so recorded on the student’s
permanent record. An extension of an incomplete for one semester
may be granted if circumstances still prevent the student
from completing the course. In such cases, the student is
responsible for obtaining the approval of the professor who
must notify the Registrar in writing of his/her approval prior
to the end of the initial six week period. With regard to
the extension of an incomplete grade, the required course
work must be completed by the student prior to the beginning
of the final examination period of the semester immediately
following the one in which the incomplete was originally issued.
The instructor will then have five working days within which
to submit a final grade to the Registrar.
Back to top
Official notice of withdrawal from a course must be made on
a form available at the Registrar’s Office. The official
date of withdrawal is that on which the completed form is
received by the Registrar’s Office. The deadline for
withdrawal from a course is indicated in the official calendar.
A grade of “W” will be recorded in each case of
a withdrawal from a course. Failure to attend class meetings
does not constitute official withdrawal from a course, and
a student who merely ceases attending will receive the grade
of “E.”
Back to top
Students who wish to repeat a course must file a course repeat
form. These forms are available in the Graduate Studies Office
(G105). Only the higher of the two grades is computed in the
cumulative GPA. A course may be repeated only once. Both the
old and the new grade will appear on the transcript.
Back to top
Once a grade has been posted to a student’s transcript,
that grade may be changed if, and only if, an error has been
made in the calculation or transcription of the original grade.
Under no circumstances will a change in grade for a student
be allowed because of the submission of additional work after
the course has ended. No grade change may be made after the
conclusion of the semester following the semester in which
the grade was originally submitted.
Back to top
Audit grades for graduate courses will satisfy the needs of
the following students:
• Professionals interested in
taking courses to learn the latest information in the field,
and who are not interested in graduate credit or a graduate
degree.
• Students who wish to test the likelihood of continuing
in a particular field of study.
• Teachers and other professionals who are interested
in re-certification or in meeting licensing requirements and
wish Professional Development Points(PDPs) or Continuing Education
Units (CEUs) and not graduate credit. The following rules
apply:
• The cost of an audited course will be the same as the
cost of a credit bearing course.
• Students will have to declare at registration that
audit is their choice; they will not be able to switch to
credit-bearing status after registration.
• Similarly, students cannot switch from credit-bearing
to audit status after registration.
• Audit will not be possible in practicum or internship
courses, or in any courses where the instructor deems participation,
such as group or team work, essential for the success of the
course.
• Students who audit a course are governed by the same
attendance policies as apply to the enrolled students in that
course.
• Students may repeat any course for credit they have
audited.
Back to top
Although the Pass/Fail grade for graduate courses is not normally
an option, there are three cases in which the option will
be available:
1. For professionals returning for
current information and not a degree, but who wish credit
for personal or professional reasons.
2. At the discretion of the academic department, in courses
such as practica or internships for which a supervising professional
oversees the educational experience.
3. Courses offered with the Professional Development (PD)
identifier are offered on a Pass/Fail basis and may not be
used towards graduate degrees at Worcester State College.
A student who has elected the pass/fail option under one of
the above three conditions may not at a later time convert
the pass/fail grade to a specific letter grade.
Back to top
Prior to invoking the use of the graduate grade appeal procedure,
individuals should exhaust all informal means available to
resolve questions concerning specific grades.
The graduate grade appeal procedure
is designed to resolve questions regarding student grades
when one or more of the following is at issue:
1) there is reason to believe that
a mechanical error in calculating a grade has occurred;
2) there is reason to believe that a grade has been calculated
in a manner which is inconsistent with the stated grading
policy.
The appeal procedure may not be used
to challenge a grade which results from a faculty member exercising
usual and customary professional judgment in the evaluation
of student work.
Step 1
Within ten working days of the availability of the grade in
question, the student shall request in writing a meeting with
the instructor. In the case of an end-of-semester grade, the
student shall request such a meeting no later than ten working
days after the beginning of the next semester. The instructor
shall arrange to meet with the student within ten working
days of the receipt of the request.
Step 2
If the matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student
at Step 1, then, within ten working days of the meeting in
Step 1, the student shall file a written request to review
the matter with the appropriate Department Chair.
Step 3
If, within ten working days of the receipt of the request
in Step 2, the Department Chair is unable to resolve the matter
to the satisfaction of all parties, then either party may,
within ten working days, file a written request to review
the matter with the Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education.
Step 4
If, within ten working days of the receipt of the request
in Step 3, the Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education is
unable to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of all parties,
then either party may, within ten working days, file a written
request to review the matter with the Academic Vice President.
Step 5
Within ten working days of the receipt of the request in Step
4, the Academic Vice President shall inform the student, faculty
member, Department Chair, and Dean of Graduate and Continuing
Education of the results of the Vice President’s review.
The appeal process ends at this point.
Back to top
If dismissed for academic deficiency, students may appeal
for reinstatement. Appeals must be made in writing to the
Chair of the Graduate Education Council, and must be submitted
within ten working days following notification of dismissal.
Students will be notified in writing of the decision of the
Council.
1. A student’s written appeal
to the Council must include: the student‘s name/Identification
Number/program; a discussion of the circumstances contributing
to the academic deficiency; and permission for Graduate Education
Council to review academic records.
2. The Graduate Council will
consider the appeal at its next schedule meeting.
3. In its written response to the student, the Council will
outline the conditions rationale of its action:
a) if the appeal is granted, Council will
outline conditions of reinstatement and time frame for program
continuation/ completion
b) if the appeal is denied, the student
is administratively withdrawn from the program; he/she may
not re-apply to the same program; and cannot apply for re-admission
to another program for l2 months.
4. A second dismissal for academic deficiency is not subject
to appeal.
5. Evaluation of academic standing will take place after each
semester/session
Back to top
After the Dean has sent the decision of the Graduate School
as to dismissal for non-academic reasons, the student may
appeal using the following process.
A student dismissed for non-academic
reasons may appeal the decision of the Graduate School to
the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This appeal must:
a) Be in writing,
b) Be submitted within 10 business days of receiving the Graduate
School’s decision,
c) The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs
is final.
Address appeal to:
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Worcester State College
486 Chandler Street
Worcester, MA 01602
Back to top
|
