Academic Regulations

Registration

All students must register at the times indicated in the College calendar. Those who fail to register on the appointed dates will be charged a fee for late registration. Students may register for no more than eighteen credits in any one semester. Sixteen credits per semester for eight semesters (a total of 128 credits) are required for the baccalaureate degree and constitute the normal student course load. Students wishing to take more than eighteen credits in a given semester must have approval.  This approval normally requires a minimum CGPA of a 3.0, the endorsement of the student’s academic advisor or department chairperson, and the authorization of the appropriate dean in the Dean of the College’s Office. Students may not take more than 20 credits in any one semester. Academic work undertaken at other accredited collegiate institutions subsequent to enrollment at Saint Anselm must have the prior written approval of the Dean of the College or of the Registrar. Credit will be granted only for those courses which have been approved by the Registrar and for which a grade of “C” or better is earned. Students who complete fewer than sixteen credits per semester will be required to supplement their work by attendance at summer school or additional semester sessions. Unless otherwise indicated, each course is scheduled to meet the equivalent of three fifty-minute class “hours” per week.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend every class meeting of each course for which they are registered. Students are to consult the Student Handbook for the details of the class attendance policy.

Withdrawal From Classes

After the add-drop period is over, during the remainder of the first half of the semester, a student may withdraw from a course without grade penalty by completing a withdrawal form with his or her academic advisor. During the second half of the semester, until two weeks prior to the end of the semester, the student may withdraw from a course by completing a withdrawal form with his or her academic advisor. The professor teaching the course from which the student is withdrawing advises the Dean of the College on whether a “W” or “WF” is appropriate. The “WF” is transcripted as a failing grade and has a negative effect on the student’s GPA.

A student may not withdraw from a course during the last two weeks of the semester, e.g., the last two weeks of classes. Consult the Nursing Department for nursing department regulations.

Withdrawal From the College

A student desiring to withdraw from the College should consult with both the assigned academic advisor and the appropriate Dean. Students receiving financial aid must meet with a financial aid administrator to discuss their rights and responsibilities as aid recipients. The form for withdrawal from the College is available in the Office of  the Registrar or in the Office of the Dean of the College. It must be signed by the student and returned to the Office of the Dean of the College. Refund of fees or charges will be based on the date that the student last attended a class.

Readmission

Students who separate from the College, whether by formal withdrawal procedure or otherwise, and who wish to return to Saint Anselm on either a part-time or full-time basis, must apply to the Dean of the College and be accepted for readmission before they become eligible to register for additional course work at Saint Anselm. Course work undertaken without having been formally readmitted to the College will not usually be credited toward fulfillment of graduation requirements. Students who interrupt their program of studies at Saint Anselm are subject to the academic regulations and degree requirements in force at the time of their return to the College.

Leave of Absence

A student may apply to the Dean of the College, the Dean of Students, or to the Registrar for a leave of absence from the College. Students receiving financial assistance must have an exit interview with a financial aid administrator before making application for a leave and limit the time of leave to a single semester. A leave of absence for students not receiving financial assistance is granted for a specific period of time, usually not more than two semesters. Applicants for a leave must have no outstanding debts at the College. A student on leave may apply for an extension. To insure transferability of credits taken at other institutions during a leave of absence, students must obtain prior written approval of the courses from the Dean of the College or the Registrar. Courses undertaken without such approval are not transferable to Saint Anselm College. Provided that notification of the intention to resume studies at Saint Anselm has been received by the Dean of the College at least one month in advance of the semester of return, a student on leave may return to the College at the end of the leave without applying for readmission.

Grades and Notations

The designations A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, HP, LP, P, NP are employed to indicate the quality of student work. “A” indicates excellent work; “B” indicates above-average work; “C” indicates average work; “D” indicates below-average work; “F” indicates failure; the symbols “+” and “-” indicate intermediate levels; “HP” indicates High Pass; “LP” indicates Low Pass; “P” indicates Pass; “NP” indicates No Pass. The designations “HP”, “LP”, “P” and “NP” are used only in grading some internship and clinical area programs, as well as P/NP electives (see below).

Notations that may be assigned by the Office of the Dean of the College are: I, W, and WF. “I” indicates incomplete work because of illness or other serious reason reported to and accepted by the Dean of the College; “W” indicates withdrawal from a course with permission of the Dean; “WF” indicates the withdrawal from a course at a time when the student’s work is below passing quality.

Nursing students should refer to the “Nursing Class Standing and Grading Procedure” in the Nursing section of this catalogue

Pass/No Pass Electives

The goal of pass/no pass (P/NP) electives is to encourage intellectual risk taking on the part of students by permitting them to move beyond their area of familiarity without risk to their GPA. Students may take up to two electives (8 credits) as pass/no pass, and these credits may be counted toward the 128 credits required for graduation. To “pass” a pass/no pass course, a student must earn at least a C- average in the course. Credits will be awarded for the successful completion of a pass/no pass course, but the grade recorded on the student’s transcript will simply indicate “pass (P)” and will not affect the student’s GPA.  Failure to earn a C- in the course will result in a “no pass (NP)” being entered on the student’s transcript and no credit will be awarded.  The NP grade will not affect the student’s GPA. A student must complete a minimum of 24 credits before being eligible for the pass/no pass option.  No student may declare two pass/no pass courses in the same semester, and no student on academic probation is permitted to take a course as pass/no pass. Students may not exercise the pass/no pass option for their major, minor, or core requirements (including writing intensive requirements). An individual instructor may designate his or her course as pass/no pass or may designate a percentage or number of seats in the course as pass/no pass. A student must declare his or her intention to take a course pass/no pass by filing a pass/no pass option approval form with the Registrar’s Office no later than the end of the drop/add period for the semester in which the course is scheduled.  Once the drop/add period is over, no changes to students’ pass/no pass status will be permitted for any of the courses for which they are enrolled that semester.  Exceptions to this policy will be made only in extraordinary circumstances and only by formal petition to the Dean of the College.

Limits on Online Courses

Online courses offer the same rigorous challenges and learning experiences as on-ground courses. Nevertheless, because Saint Anselm College places a high value on the development of a vibrant academic community life, no more than 12 credit hours from the College’s online courses may count toward the College’s graduation requirements. Occasionally, exceptions to the 12-credit hour limit may be made at the discretion of the Dean of the College.

Grade Reports

At the end of each semester, grades are posted using the Campus Information System (CIS). Students are urged to check the grade report for accuracy. Errors should be reported to the Registrar immediately.

Appealing a Final Grade

When a student wishes to appeal a final grade assigned by an instructor, the following procedure must be initiated within ten days after the beginning of the next semester.

1. The student will confer with the instructor who assigned the grade.
2.  If the discussion with the instructor proves unsatisfactory, the student will confer with the chairperson of the department of which the instructor is a member.
3. If the discussion with the chairperson of the department proves unsatisfactory, the student may appeal the case to the Dean of the College.
4. If the appeal to the Dean of the College proves unsatisfactory, the student, as a final appeal, will request the Dean to call a meeting of the instructor, the chairperson of the department and the Dean of the College. The student may present evidence supporting the request for a change in grade. Final decision of the issue will be made by the Dean of the College.

Change of an Officially Recorded Grade

Except in the case of clerical or machine error, an officially recorded grade may be changed only by means of a written request to that effect, signed by the instructor and filed in the Office of the Dean of the College. A change of grade which is submitted later than sixty school days after the close of the semester for which the grade was given will not be honored by the Office of the Registrar

Course Repeat Policy

1. A student is allowed to repeat once up to three courses (except Nursing) in which the student has earned a grade of C- or below. When a passed course is repeated, the course will count only once toward the required credits for graduation.
2. All earned grades will appear on the student’s permanent academic record. When a course is repeated, both grades remain on the transcript, but only the higher grade is computed in the major and cumulative grade point averages.
3. Nursing students are allowed to repeat one Nursing course only. Refer to the “Class Standing and Promotion Procedures ” listed under the Nursing section.

Transcript of College Record

An official transcript of the College record will be issued by the Office of the Registrar only after receipt of a written authorization by the student. A transcript is official when it bears the impression of the seal of the College and the signature of the Registrar. Transcripts will be issued only when all financial accounts have been settled. The transcript fee is $6 per copy.  Please see the Student Handbook for further details about ordering transcripts.

Cumulative Grade Point Average

In computing a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA), numerical values are assigned to each letter grade as follows: A: 4.00; A-: 3.67; B+: 3.33; B: 3.00; B-: 2.67; C+: 2.33; C: 2.00; C-: 1.67; D+: 1.33; D: 1.00; D-: 0.67; F: 0.00; WF: 0.00.

Each letter grade’s numerical value is then multiplied by its credit value to yield a grade point value.  The cumulative grade point average is derived by totaling the grade points received in all courses, and dividing that total by the number of credits carried.

All grades, and all notations remain on the student’s permanent record and, with the exception of the P, NP, and W notations, are included in the computation of the cumulative grade point average. Grades received at other institutions are not included in the computation of the cumulative grade point average.

Dean’s List of Scholars

For the 2017-2018 academic year, students who register for and complete twelve or more credits of study at the College during a given semester and who achieve in that semester a grade point average of 3.1 are eligible for inclusion in the Dean’s List of Scholars.  In at least twelve of the student’s credits for that semester, the student must receive letter grades that compute in determining the grade point average.  All graded credits that compute in determining a student’s semester GPA shall be considered in determining a student’s eligibility for the Dean’s List of Scholars.

Note: the following changes to the Dean’s List will be phased in over the next three years: the semester grade point average for Dean’s List eligibility shall be 3.2 in the 2018-2019 academic year; 3.3 in the 2019-2020 academic year; and 3.4 in the 2020-2021 and all subsequent academic years. 

Statement on Academic Honesty

Since the assignments, papers, computer programs, tests and discussions of college course work are the core of the educational process, the College demands the strictest honesty of students in their various academic tasks. To ensure that the standards of honesty essential to meaningful accomplishment in the classroom are maintained, the College sets forth the following clarification of academic dishonesty and sanctioning procedures.

The following actions are examples of academic dishonesty and subject to sanctions:

Examinations and Assignments

1. Copying from another student’s examination paper or allowing another to copy from one’s own paper during an examination.
2. Using unpermitted material (notes, texts, calculators, etc.) during examination.
3. Revising, without the instructor’s knowledge, and resubmitting a quiz or examination for regrading.
4. Giving or receiving unpermitted aid on a take-home examination or on any academic assignment.

Plagiarism

1. Plagiarism means the presentation by a student of the work of another person as his or her own. It includes wholly or partially copying, translating, or paraphrasing without acknowledgement of the source.
2. Since the wording of a student’s paper or computer program is taken as his or her own work, paragraphs, sentences, or even key phrases clearly copied from a book, article, essay, lecture, newspaper, program, another student’s paper, notebook or program, or any other source, may be included only if presented as quotations and the source acknowledged.
3. Similarly, since the ideas expressed in a paper, report, or computer program are accepted as originating with the student, a paper or program that paraphrases ideas taken from a book, article, essay, lecture, newspaper, program, another student’s paper, notebook, or program, or any other source may not be submitted unless each paraphrased source is properly cited. Students should refer to the Geisel Library Academic Integrity Tutorial for fuller explanation of the rules and conventions governing academic integrity.
4. A student may make use of the particular skills of a proof-reader or typist, but wholesale corrections and revisions of a course paper or computer program by these individuals are not allowable. The student alone is responsible for any errors or omissions in material submitted as his or her own work.
5. No paper or computer program may be submitted for credit if it has been or is being used to fulfill the requirements of another course, in whatever department, unless permission to coordinate work has been granted by both professors.
6. No student shall allow his or her paper or program in outline or finished form to be copied and submitted as the work of another; nor shall a student prepare a written assignment or program for another student to submit as that student’s work.
7. Students should be prepared-up to one month beyond the due date of a paper or program-to submit all notes, drafts, and source information which might be requested by an instructor, chairperson, or committee investigating the authenticity of that work.

Procedures

1. If an instructor has reason to believe that a student has plagiarized, the instructor shall immediately inform the student and discuss the circumstances.
2. After such discussion, the instructor shall:

(a) decide that no further action is necessary; or

(b) require that the work be resubmitted with appropriate changes; or

(c) give the student a failing grade in the work submitted; or

(d) give the student a failing grade in the course. In this instance, the instructor will notify the department chairperson, the Dean, and the student, of the intent to fail that student in the course for which the work was done. Documentation supporting the charge is to be available upon request by the parties concerned.

Further, the Dean, having been informed of the particulars of the case, may decide to extend the sanction to include:

-suspension from the College for the remainder of the semester;

or
-suspension from the College for a period of not more than one year;

or
-expulsion from the College

The Dean shall inform the student in writing of a decision to suspend or expel.

In all cases, the instructor will submit to the Dean of the College a report concerning the violation.

3. If the instructor’s decision is that set out in 2 (a), (b), the matter shall be considered closed. If the decision is that set out in 2 (c), the student may appeal using the normal process for appealing a grade. If the decision is that set out in 2 (d), the student may appeal in writing to the Dean.
4. The student shall have ten days to appeal a decision to suspend or expel.
5. If the student elects to appeal the decision of the Dean in cases dealing with suspension or expulsion from the College, the Dean shall convene a College review board consisting of three faculty members (two of whom shall be from the department involved) and two students. The committee shall invite the student and the instructor to address it but shall deliberate in private.
6. If the College review board is convened, it shall make a written report to the Dean. The report may recommend a sanction.
7. The Dean shall make the final decision regarding sanction and shall inform the student immediately in writing of that decision.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

This act, with which the College intends to comply fully, was designated to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students have the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the act.

Questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Office of the Registrar.

In keeping with the provisions of the above act, Saint Anselm College will consider all students as “dependents” unless specifically informed to the contrary in writing and within two weeks following registration. 

Directory of Information

Directory information consists of information which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. At the College, directory information consists of: student name, address, campus email address, telephone number(s), dates of attendance, class membership/ anticipated date of graduation, full or part-time enrollment status, previous educational institutions attended, major field of study, past and present participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, date and place of birth, photographs, hometown, awards, honors (including Dean’s List), degree conferred and conferral date. Students may withhold Directory information by notifying the Office of the Registrar.

Such information may be disclosed by the College, at its discretion, for any purpose.

Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of any category of information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. To withhold disclosure, written notification must be received in the Office of the Registrar, Saint Anselm College, on or before September 15 (or not later than two weeks following an initial registration for classes in spring or summer semesters). Forms requesting the withholding of “Directory Information” are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Saint Anselm College assumes that the failure on the part of any student to request specifically the withholding of categories of “Directory Information” indicates individual approval for disclosure.

The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act

In compliance with the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act, information is made available regarding graduation rates and campus crime statistics in the following offices:

Graduation Rates - Office of Institutional Research

Graduation Rates for Student Athletes - the Athletics Office

Institutional Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics - Campus Security Office; Office of the Dean of Students

Standards of Progress

Wide opportunities are available for student advisement, both within the departments and from the Office of Academic Advisement. However, each student is solely responsible for selecting courses which satisfy departmental requirements for a major, as well as the general requirements for graduation. Both sets of requirements are set forth in subsequent pages of this catalogue. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with this information. Exemption from, or exception to, any published requirement is valid only when approved in writing by either the Registrar or the Dean of the College.

The following guidelines are used by the Office of the Dean of the College to evaluate less than satisfactory progress.  Academic warning, probation, and dismissal are based on a student’s cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and vary by the number of semesters and credits a student has attempted.

Additional reasons for academic dismissal include:

• Earning 3 failing grades in a single term.
• Earning 4 failing grades in 2 consecutive terms.
• Earning 4 D grades or lower in a single term.
• Being placed on academic probation for 2 consecutive terms.
• Being placed on academic probation for 3 non-consecutive terms.
• Repeated violations of the College’s Academic Honesty policy.

Academic warning or probation ceases at the end of the semester for which it has been imposed, provided no further action is taken by the Office of the Dean of the College.

A student who has been dismissed for academic reasons is usually not eligible for readmission to the College and may not register for additional course-work creditable toward a degree at Saint Anselm College without the written permission of the Dean of the College. Appeal of an academic dismissal may be made to the Dean of the College. The appeal must be made in writing and be received in the Office of the Dean within ten calendar days of the date of the letter of dismissal.

Students on academic probation or those who have not maintained satisfactory academic progress may not run for elective office in student organizations, participate to any degree in intercollegiate athletic contests, or represent the College at public events.

Class Standing

For sophomore standing, a student must have completed successfully at least thirty-two credits; for junior standing, a student must have completed successfully at least sixty-four credits; for senior standing, a student must have completed successfully at least ninety-six credits and be eligible for graduation at the next Spring commencement.

Policy on the Use of Electronic Devices

As a member of the learning community, each student has a responsibility to other students who are members of the community. When cell phones or pagers ring and students respond in class or leave class to respond, it disrupts the class. Therefore, the Office of the Dean prohibits the use by students of cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or similar communication devices during scheduled classes. Text messaging or accessing information on these devises is likewise forbidden. All such devices must be put in a silent (vibrate) mode and ordinarily should not be taken out during class. Given the fact that these same communication devices are an integral part of the College’s emergency notification system, an exception to this policy would occur when numerous devices activate simultaneously. When this occurs, students may consult their devices to determine if a college emergency exists. If that is not the case, the devices should be immediately put away. Other exceptions to this policy may be granted at the discretion of the instructor.