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This section summarizes important information related to the academic work of the College. Students must be familiar with the information in this section. It is the responsibility of each student to be certain that the academic requirements necessary for graduation are completely fulfilled. The catalog for the year in which a student enters Longwood College governs academic regulations, program and graduation requirements. Program Coordinators may substitute major course requirements where appropriate. Under extenuating circumstances, exceptions to academic policies may be presented to the Graduate Faculty Petitions Committee. Students must contact the Office of Graduate Studies for information and deadlines for submitting an appeal. ACADMIC ADVISING Longwood’s advising program provides informed academic counseling that
makes effective use of the assessment, career planning, student development,
and software resources available. Although course selection is important,
advisors are also proficient in using the Student Information System and
are prepared to assist advisees on such matters as the following:
Newly admitted students are assigned the appropriate program advisor. The assignment of the advisor generally is not changed unless the student changes his/her degree program. Prior to registration, students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor regarding course selection and sequence, career goals, and relevant academic policies. Although the academic advisor assists students with curriculum decisions and options, the student bears full responsibility for meeting graduation requirements. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of, and to observe, all regulations and procedures required by the college. In no case will a regulation be waived or an exception granted because students plead ignorance of the regulation or assert that they were not informed of the regulation by an advisor or other authority. Students should be especially familiar with the academic regulations, the requirements for the degree that they plan to complete, and the offerings by the major department. Departments reserve the right to decide which graduate courses will be offered in any semester or summer session. The published schedule of courses does not always include all graduate courses offered; the departments, therefore, should be consulted concerning available courses. GRADUATION Only those students who have completed the degree requirements established by Longwood College will participate in commencement ceremonies. Graduating students will receive their diplomas on the day of commencement. Commencement is held once a year, in May. Students completing a degree program in August or December will receive their diplomas via the mail shortly after degree completion. They may choose to participate in the following May commencement. Students must buy from the college bookstore the caps, gowns, and hoods required for the commencement exercises. TIME LIMIT The work for a graduate degree is to be completed within five years from the term of admission to the graduate program. If extenuating circumstances prohibit a student from completing their degree requirements within this time period, an extension may be considered. To request an extension of the time limit, the student must submit a written request to the Director of Graduate Studies specifying the amount of time needed and the reason(s) an extension is necessary. The director will submit the request to the Graduate Faculty Petitions Committee and notify the student in writing of the committee's decision. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES On-Campus degree-seeking graduate students are expected to register
in person with their advisor; in person in the Office of Registration;
by mail with the Office of Registration; or by telephone during one of
the opportunities provided during the academic year:
Off-campus degree-seeking graduate students are expected to register in person or by mail at the Continuing Education Center (CEC) of Southern Virginia in South Boston or in the Office of Graduate Studies. Off-campus offerings are published by the CEC and may be obtained by contacting the CEC or the Office of Graduate Studies. The registration deadline to avoid payment of a $30.00 late registration fee is two weeks prior to the first day/night of class. The last (final) day to register for an off-campus class is one week prior to the first day/night of class. SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS-ADD/DROP PERIOD On-campus students may make schedule adjustments (adds and/or drops) until the close of business on the sixth (6) day of classes. A consultation with the advisor is encouraged for any changes made during this period. Courses dropped during this period do not appear on the transcript. DEADLINES Appropriate dates for the last day to add and/or drop, and the last day to withdraw without academic penalty for on-campus classes are included in the official college calendar and in the Master Schedule of Classes for regular semesters. Appropriate dates for last day to add and/or drop, and the last day to withdraw without academic penalty are included in the on-campus summer school class schedule and appropriate descriptive literature for off-campus offerings. All registration and add/drop transactions must be processed through appropriate procedures by the deadline to become effective. CLASS ATTENDANCE Students are expected to attend all classes. Failure to attend class
regularly impairs academic performance. Absences are disruptive to the
educational process for others. This is especially true when absences cause
interruptions for clarification of material previously covered, failure
to assume assigned responsibilities for class presentations, or failure
to adjust to changes in assigned material or due dates.
GRADES A minimum cumulative grade point average of B (3.0) is required for graduation and to remain in the graduate program. Passing grades for graduate students are A, B, and C.
QUALITY POINTS The quality of work completed by a student is recognized by the assignment
of points to various grades. Under the 4.0 system, all grades on courses
will be permanently retained in computing a student's quality point average.
Each credit hour of a grade of A is assigned 4 points; a grade of B - 3
points; a grade of C - 2 points; and a grade of F - 0 points.
ACADEMIC WARNING AND DISMISSAL POLICY At the end of each semester, the Office of Graduate Studies will review the cumulative grade point average (GPA) of all degree seeking graduate students and will identify those students whose cumulative GPA has fallen below 3.0 after a minimum of six graduate credit hours. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be sent a letter advising them that they have been placed on academic warning and have until the end of the next semester (in which they are enrolled in graduate classes at Longwood) to raise their cumulative GPA to a 3.0 or higher. Failure to raise the cumulative GPA to a 3.0 or higher will result in the student’s dismissal from the Longwood graduate program. Thereafter, any classes taken at Longwood may not count toward a degree. Under extenuating circumstances, appeals for exceptions to this academic policy may be presented to the Graduate Faculty Petitions Committee. Students must contact the Office of Graduate Studies for information and deadlines for submitting an appeal. GRADE APPEALS The faculty of Longwood College is unequivocally committed to the principle that evaluation of student work and assignment of grades is a responsibility and a prerogative to be exercised solely by the individual instructor. However, should a student feel the final course grade received was unfairly or inaccurately awarded, the student first should see the instructor involved, for an explanation of why the grade was assigned. If the student continues to feel the grade is unfair, the student may file a written appeal with the department chair giving the reasons why the grade should be changed, with any available supporting evidence. The Department Chair/Dean will forward a copy of the appeal to the faculty member and will invite the faculty member to make a written response. For grades awarded in the fall semester, the written appeal must be submitted no later than February 1; for grades awarded in the spring semester and in summer school, the appeal must be filed no later than September 15. Appeals filed later will not be considered. The Department Chair/Dean will within two weeks hold a joint consultation with the student and the faculty member awarding the grade. If the matter cannot be resolved, the Department Chair/Dean will, within one week of the joint consultation, request in writing that the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate appoint a committee to review all matters pertinent to the appeal. The committee will consist of three members of the full-time faculty in the same or related discipline(s). The Department Chair/Dean will send a copy of the request to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. When the committee has been named, the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate shall inform the Department Chair/Dean, who will forward to the committee members the student’s original written appeal, a course syllabus, any written response from the faculty member, and all other materials pertinent to the appeal. Through the Department Chair/Dean, the committee may request other materials from the student or faculty member. The committee shall decide that the grade originally assigned will remain unchanged or that it will be changed to a grade decided on by the committee. The decision of the committee is final. The committee will report its decision in a letter signed by all three members and addressed to the faculty member, the student, and the Office of Registration, who will record the grade. The review must be completed so that the grade will be final by the end of the eighth full week of classes. Should the appeal involve a grade assigned by a department chair, the Dean of the appropriate school will assume the role normally assigned the chair. Should the appeal involve a grade assigned by the Dean, the Vice President for Academic Affairs will assume the role to the Dean. Students should be aware that the review procedure may result in a grade
being raised, lowered or remaining unchanged.
FINAL EXAMINATIONS/STATEMENT OF PURPOSE At Longwood College, the evaluation of learning is considered to be an integral part of the educational experience for all students. The constructive use of evaluation measures provides not only assessments of learning outcomes, it becomes part of the learning process itself. Final examinations may be one of the most important components of the evaluation of student learning, and they may also be effective in promoting learning. Final examinations may, for example, enable students to demonstrate mastery of course content and the ability to organize what they have learned. The overarching purpose of final examinations at Longwood College, however, is to facilitate learning in a manner consistent with the pedagogy of each course, and in a way that is appropriate to the subject matter of each course. Other valid means of promoting and assessing student learning may be appropriate in some courses, including term papers, project reports, take-home research examinations, and oral presentations. Final Examination Policies I. Faculty members must require that either a final exam or some
final culminating assignment be conducted or due during the final examination
period established for the course. In courses for which an assignment other
than a final examination has been identified as the most appropriate learning
and assessment instrument, the following policies apply:
II. During regular semesters, four (4) three-hour examinations are scheduled each day. For courses held during the summer or any other non-traditional block of time, examinations are held during the regularly scheduled class period on the last day of each term. Examinations shall be held or final assignments will be due on the dates and at the hours published by the Registrar. No exceptions are permitted unless approved by the School Dean. III. The final examination schedule shall be published with the schedule of classes for each semester. One reading day will precede the examination period, except for courses held during the summer or any other non-traditional block of time. IV. Students may reschedule exams in excess of two per day with the instructor’s approval. V. The instructor or a qualified proxy, approved by the School Dean, should be available during the examination period to hand out materials, to make necessary explanations, and to take examinations up when completed. VI. Examination and semester grades are confidential and must not be posted. VII. A professor who assigns a take-home examination must inform students at the beginning of the semester. Such examinations (papers, projects, etc.) must be distributed by the beginning of the last week of classes. This will allow the students to begin preparing for their examinations. Students will not be required to submit the work before the date of the scheduled examination. VIII. Exemptions to these policies must be approved by the School Dean. IX. The statement of purpose and final examination
policies should be published each year in the Catalog and in the Undergraduate
Student Handbook.
REPEATING COURSES A student may repeat one course one time (regardless of the grade) and have the most recent grade replace the original in grade point average calculations for the course repeated. All enrollments and grades appear on the transcript. The student must complete a course repeat form in the Office of Registration
(when registering for the course the second time).
COURSE SUBSTITUTIONS A maximum of two courses can be considered for substitution. NOTE: Another course may not be substituted for a course that a student has failed that is required in their program. The student should discuss substitutions with the advisor and submit in writing the reason(s) why the substitution is necessary. The advisor will then complete the Substitution Form and forward it, along with the written request, to the program coordinator. If the program coordinator concurs with the advisor’s recommendation, he/she will sign the Substitution Form and forward copies to the Office of Registration, the Office of Graduate Studies, the student and the student’s advisor. Students may withdraw from individual classes with a grade of W until noon on the 35th day of regularly scheduled classes or, for classes held in non-traditional time frames including summer, until the mid-point of the class. After that date, withdrawals from individual classes are not permitted. A student who needs to withdraw for medical reasons from the College or from a class after the deadlines cited above must, by noon of the last class day, have a letter sent to the Director of Graduate Studies. The letter must be sent by a physician, detail the nature of the illness, and recommend withdrawal for medical reasons. In other extenuating circumstances not related to academic performance, the Director may grant a withdrawal if a written request from the student is received by noon of the last class day. If the Director approves the request, the Director will send a copy of the request or letter to the Office of Registration and the affected grade(s) for that semester will be noted as W on the student’s transcript. The Director will notify the student’s faculty members of any grade changes. If the student is withdrawing from the College, he/she should go to the Director of Graduate Studies to initiate the College withdrawal process. Special graduate students should report to the Dean of Education and Human Services. To withdraw and receive a grade of W in an off-campus class offered at the CEC, students must submit a letter of withdrawal to the Director of the Continuing Education Center of Southern Virginia in South Boston postmarked before the mid-point of the class. To withdraw and receive a grade of W in an off-campus class offered at any other location, students must submit a letter of withdrawal to the Director of Graduate Studies postmarked before the mid-point of the class. Students may not withdraw during the second half of the class except for medical or other non-academic emergencies. In these extenuating circumstances, the Director may grant a withdrawal if a written request from the student is received by noon of the last class day. Students who withdraw before the first class meeting will have no record of enrollment in this class on their academic records. All letters of withdrawal will be forwarded to the Director of Graduate Studies for final approval. The deadline to withdraw without academic penalty should not be confused with any deadline to withdraw and receive a full or partial refund of charges. Please see the “Expenses and Financial Aid – Refunds and Charges” section of this catalog for information related to refunds and charges. LONGWOOD COLLEGE POLICY ON STUDENT RECORDS AND ANNUAL NOTIFICATION Longwood College student record policies comply fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, enacted as section 438 of the General Education Provisions Act. The accumulation, processing, and maintenance of student data by the College is limited to that information, including grades, which is necessary and relevant to the purposes of the college. Personal data of students will be used only for the purpose for which it is collected. Student data, whenever possible, shall be collected directly from the student; every effort will be made to ensure its accuracy and security. It shall be the express responsibility of the student to notify the Office of the Dean of Students of any changes in status. Any student who initially or subsequently refuses to supply accurate and complete personal information, as is legally allowed, may jeopardize their current student status. Falsification of records with the intent to give untrue information is a violation of the Longwood College Honor Code. The College shall provide for the confidentiality and security of official student data and will release student information only as follows: 1. Directory information which may include the student’s name, birth date, sex, ethnicity, nationality, local address, permanent address, e-mail address, telephone number, digitized photo (as appears on student College ID), parent’s name, major field of study, classification, participation in officially- recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, most recent educational institution attended by the student, dates of field experience, and other similar information. A student may inform the Office of Registration in writing that any or all directory information may not be released without prior written consent. A student who desires to restrict directory information from the public must complete the Student Directory Information Restriction form (available in the Office of Registration) at the time of registration for the current academic year. Forms received after the last day to add a class for any semester, including summer, will not become effective until the following semester. 2. To the students themselves. 3. To parents or a financial institution where financial support of the student is in evidence as defined in Section 152 of the IRS Code of 1970. 4. To authorized College personnel (administrative officers, faculty, or their designees) who have legitimate educational interests as determined by the College, such as instruction, advising or educational research, or in performance of other duties promoting necessary functions and management of the College as approved by the records access control officer. 5. To a third-party agency as expressly designated in writing by the student. 6. As required by judicial order or court subpoena, or as may be required or permitted by law. 7. In a situation of emergency in which the knowledge of confidential student information is necessary to protect the immediate health or safety of a student or other persons. 8. Student arrest and charge information classified as public information. Under FERPA, Longwood is not required to provide prior notification to a student when responding to a Federal grand jury subpoena or other law enforcement subpoena, which specifies that the student not be informed of the existence of the subpoena. In cooperation with the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia and its efforts to support assessment, Longwood College will provide student transcripts to any public high school or community college in Virginia, which the student has previously attended, or to any agency charged with the responsibility for collecting and/or analyzing data for the purpose of educational assessment for such a unit. The receiving agency will be charged with responsibility for protecting the student's right to privacy and for appropriate disposition of the records. Eligible students are permitted to inspect and review educational records of which the student is the sole subject. College policy regarding the inspection and disclosure of educational records is in compliance with the federal statute. To obtain a copy of the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Section 438) or a copy of the college’s policy on student records, contact the Office of Registration, Longwood College, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909. Student access to all personal records shall be permitted within 45 days of a written request, during normal office hours. All records shall be available and in a form comprehensible to the student, except for: 1. Medical records which, upon written authorization, shall be submitted to a psychologist or physician designated by the student 2. Confidential financial statements and records of parents as excluded by law. 3. Third-party confidential recommendations when such access has been waived by the student. Where a waiver has been given, parents, as well as students, are excluded
from viewing such confidential information. Students may also obtain copies
of most parts of their records for a nominal fee.During normal office hours,
the College shall provide an opportunity, for a student either in person,
or by mail with proper identification, to challenge information believed
to be inaccurate, incomplete, inappropriate, or misleading. All personal
data challenged by a student shall be investigated by College officials.
Completion of an investigation shall result in the following actions: If
the College concurs with the challenge, the student’s records shall be
amended or purged as appropriate; all previous record recipients shall
be so notified by the College. If the investigation fails to resolve the
dispute, the student shall be permitted to file a statement of not more
than 200 words setting forth the student’s position.Copies of the statement
will be supplied, at the student's expense, to previous and subsequent
recipients of the record in question. If a student wishes to make an appeal
of the decision, the student may do so in writing to the President of the
College.
Inquires concerning student records should be directed to the following departments. When applicable, a schedule of fees for copies of these records are available from that office. Academic Records/Transcripts – Office of Registration, Barlow Hall
RELEASE OF TRANSCRIPTS Requests for transcripts of academic records should be directed to the
Office of Registration. Upon written request by the student, an official
transcript of the academic record will be issued to the person or institution
designated, provided that all the student’s obligations to Longwood College
The only circumstances in which a student’s transcripts are released in the absence of a written authorization are those specific exceptions stated in the preceding policy on student records. Written requests for a transcript generally require one week for processing. STATEMENT OF GENERAL TRANSFER POLICY In general, credits are accepted from institutions that are accredited by the appropriate regional accreditation agency provided such credits carry a grade of “B” or better, are comparable to courses offered at Longwood, and are no more than five years old. Internships and portfolio based experiential credits are not accepted for transfer credit. A maximum of six (6) credit hours may be transferred and applied to a graduate degree. Grades earned at other institutions will be recorded at Longwood College in terms of semester hours of credit earned. The cumulative grade point average will be calculated only on work taken at Longwood. Transfer credit accepted from other institutions will reduce the number of credits required for graduation but will not be included in the calculation of the grade point average. Acceptance of Transfer Credits If the student has completed course work prior to admission, he/she must submit a written request with the course description(s) and have an official transcript sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies. The Office of Graduate Studies will have the course(s) evaluated along with the admission application by the Program Coordinator. Written notification of the results of the evaluation will be sent with the acceptance packet. Graduate credits used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements cannot be reused for graduate credit. Approval to Take Courses Outside the Institution Any regularly enrolled graduate student, who wishes to take work at another institution to transfer to Longwood, must secure prior permission from the Office of Graduate Studies. The student should send a written request to the Office of Graduate Studies accompanied by an official course description. The request will be forwarded to the appropriate Program Coordinator for evaluation and then returned to Graduate Studies. The Office of Graduate Studies will provide the student with a written “Authorization for Transfer Credit” form if the course is transferable. Upon completion of the course, the student must have an official transcript sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies for processing to the Office of Registration. THESIS The writing of an acceptable thesis is mandatory for some programs and an option for others. Students should check the programs of study as outlined in this catalog to determine if the thesis is required. Students must enroll in three (3) or six (6) credits of thesis research and may receive the grade of Pass/Fail/Incomplete. An incomplete must be satisfied by the end of the subsequent regular semester with the grade of P or F. General Requirements (students should consult their advisors for departmental requirements for the thesis): the original copy of the thesis shall be on acid-free bond paper of 16 to 20 pound weight containing 25% or more rag content. Each page of the thesis shall have a margin of at least one and one-half inches on the left and at least one inch on the right. The top and bottom margins shall be at least one inch. The thesis must be completed and in the hands of the examining committee no later than four weeks before commencement. Some departments require an earlier deadline. After the thesis has been accepted by the examining committee and after the candidate has passed his/her oral examination, if required by the major department, the candidate prepares an original and two photocopies or three computer original copies, pays the binding fee to the Library and submits them to his/her thesis director. One copy of an abstract of not more than 400 words must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION The comprehensive examination, if required by the department, will normally be taken in the last semester of the program. Students must have completed or be enrolled to allow for completion of 30-36 semester hours of course work, depending on specific program requirements. Students must have a B average (3.0 GPA) in all courses completed before taking this examination. Students who have a thesis requirement do not take a comprehensive exam. The comprehensive examination will be administered two times a year from 9 a.m. - 12 noon on the third Saturday of October and the first Saturday of March, unless otherwise specified in the program of study. Students must register for the comprehensive examination (EDUC/ENGL/ENST/SOCL 699) no later than the last day to add a course in the semester in which they wish to take the examination. The course does not carry any credit hours but does carry a $35 course fee. This fee may be refunded through the last day to drop a course in the given semester. The comprehensive examination will usually be of the essay type, consisting of several broad question areas. It is designed to evaluate the students’ competency in written expression and the ability to reason. In addition, the students’ knowledge of and ability to apply specific theory and research relating to their area of concentration will be evaluated. The grading system for the evaluation of the examination will be pass/fail. Students who fail the examination shall be allowed one re-examination. This examination must be administered at a time set by the Director of Graduate Studies within the same semester or administered during the next scheduled exam date. A fee of $25 is required prior to administration of the re-examination. Students who fail to complete the re-examination within the time specified above must re-enroll in EDUC/ENGL/ENST/SOCL 699. Failure of the examination for a second time will be final and students will be dismissed from the graduate program. |
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