Hartwick college

Students at Hartwick are expected to familiarize themselves with the graduation criteria, major requirements and other applicable academic guidelines as they plan their programs. Failure to read and comply with policies and procedures will not exempt a student from whatever penalties he or she may incur.

A complete listing of academic policies and procedures is found in the Current College Catalog, located on the College Catalogs web site.

Click on a link below to view a policy:

Academic Honesty

Click here to read the academic honesty policy.

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Full- and Part-Time Matriculated Student Status

A matriculated student is one accepted by the College to work full- or part-time toward a degree. A full-time matriculated student is expected to complete at least 24 credits per year. All matriculated students must abide by the regulations established by the faculty and enforced by the Chief Academic Officer and the Committee on Academic Standards. Since Hartwick is designed primarily as a residential institution for full-time students, exceptions to the full-time status will be granted only in cases falling within the following categories: 

• Students admitted as part-time matriculated students because of an unusual need. An example would be a student who, for financial reasons, cannot afford full-time status. Students in these or similar circumstances may be admitted as part-time students at the discretion of the Director of Admissions and Registrar.
• Full-time students who wish to change to part-time matriculated status for one or more terms after enrollment at the College for the following reasons:
  • Continuation of study at the College past the normal four-year period.
  • Enrollment in a final term requiring only part-time load to complete all degree requirements.
  • Special, validated health problems permitting part-time, not full-time, study.
  • Unforeseeable financial emergency.

Students meeting any of the above criteria must request approval for part-time status from the Registrar. 

Full time students who wish to change to part-time matriculated status for reasons not listed above must petition the Committee on Academic Standards for approval.

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Visiting Students at Hartwick

Hartwick also admits visiting students. These are matriculated students in good standing at other campuses who wish to pursue coursework at Hartwick that is uniquely relevant to their educational programs. Visiting students may enroll in a normal course load at Hartwick, so long as they have explicit permission from their home colleges. Such students must submit an official statement documenting their status in good standing and the approval of the Dean or other designated authority from the student's home institution to the Registrar. No other application information is required. If a visiting student subsequently applies for regular admission to Hartwick, full admissions documentation must be presented.

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Special Students (Non-Degree Seeking, Part Time Students)

In special cases students who are not matriculated at Hartwick or other institutions may be admitted as part-time students (taking no more than 8 credits in the fall and spring terms, and 4 credits in January term). The standards for admission for special students are comparable to those that govern those who apply for matriculated status.

Students with no Hartwick affiliation desiring special student status must contact the Admissions Office for an application. High school students wishing to enroll must contact the Office of Academic Affairs for an application. Students with a Hartwick affiliation (spouse, parent, etc.) desiring special student status must contact the Office of Advising & Registration for an application. Special students will be required to provide official collegiate transcripts and may be requested to provide official secondary school transcripts with test scores prior to admission. Upon acceptance, students may register in classes on a space-available basis, with instructor approval, assuming they have satisfied course prerequisites.

Tuition and fees for Special Students are found on the Student Accounts web site.

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Classification of Students

• Freshman-fewer than 30 academic credits completed
• Sophomore-30 through 59 academic credits completed
• Junior-60 through 89 academic credits completed
• Senior-minimum of 90 academic credits completed

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Athletic Eligibility

Hartwick College maintains NCAA membership in both Division I (men's soccer and women's water polo) and Division III (other sports). Student-athletes must comply with the appropriate divisional eligibility requirements necessary to establish and maintain continuous athletics eligibility for practice and/or competition. Eligibility records are maintained in the Athletics Compliance Office located in the Binder Physical Education Center, Room 103. Any student-athlete who falls below a 2.0 term or cumulative GPA and/or is enrolled in less than a minimum full-time course load (12 semester hours per term) must make an appointment with the College's Athletics Compliance Officer regarding their athletics eligibility status for practice and/or competition.

In order for Division III student-athletes to maintain continuous athletic eligibility beyond the first year, a student athlete must register for and pass a minimum of 24 credits prior to the beginning of each academic year or have passed 24 credits during the two terms previous to competition.

January Term courses and approved courses taken during summer sessions may be counted toward the compilation of courses needed to fulfill this requirement. A student athlete must remain a full-time student (must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits for the Fall and Spring terms). Repeating a course for which a passing grade was issued does not count toward the required number of credits for that term or for the academic year. Incomplete courses do not apply toward the required number of credits for that term or for the academic year until all course work has been completed and a passing grade issued.

Student-athletes participating in either of the College's NCAA Division I sports (men's soccer and women's water polo) must meet NCAA Division I minimum term and academic year eligibility requirements for practice and/or competition. Questions regarding initial eligibility (academic and amateur certification through the NCAA Eligibility Center required) and maintaining continuous athletic s eligibility at the Division I level should be directed to the College's Athletics Compliance Officer.

All student-athletes must also maintain good academic standing. The Committee on  Academic Standards may curtail or suspend athletic participation for student-athletes with a cumulative GPA below 2.0. Student-athletes are held accountable for meeting all institutional (Academic Standards of Progress) and NCAA requirements relative to academic and athletics eligibility. Dismissal or suspension from the College for academic or disciplinary reasons may result in an interruption of continuous athletic eligibility per institutional and NCAA regulations.

NCAA eligibility requirements are subject to change. The above statements are intended as a general guide. All specific questions should be directed to the College's Athletics Compliance Officer.

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Standards of NYS Student Aid Eligibility

Academic Eligibility for NYS Student Aid (including scholarships and TAP): The following academic eligibility requirements apply for the granting of New York State student aid:

Enrollment Requirements
Awards are granted only to full-time matriculated students. According to state guidelines, full-time students must enroll for a minimum of 12 credits for the Fall Term and 12 credits for the January/Spring terms. Repeating a course does not count toward the required number of courses for that term. The State Education Department permits the January Term to be used with the Spring Term only and it cannot be used to make up a Fall Term deficiency. Every recipient must have a major declared or an ISP approved by the end of the sophomore year. Failure to meet enrollment requirements results in loss of the award for that term.

Program Pursuit

Satisfactory program pursuit is defined as receiving a passing or failing grade in a certain percentage of afull-time course load in each term for which an award is received. The percentage increases from 50 percent of the minimum full-time course load in each term of study in the first year for which an award is received, to 75 percent of the minimum full-time course load in each term of study in the second year for which an award is received, to 100 percent of the minimum full-time course load in each term thereafter.

Students must complete (with a grade of A, B, C, D or F) a minimum number of courses each term as follows:

• 6 credits per term in the first year an award is received;
• 9 credits per term in the second year an award is received;
• 12 credits per term each term thereafter.

Incompletes are permitted if the course is finished prior to the end of the next term.

In addition, a certain number of credits must be accrued (successfully completed with grades of A, B, C or D) and a minimum cumulative GPA attained each term as follows:

For Students first receiving aid in 2010-11 and thereafter.

Failure to meet program pursuit or satisfactory academic progress requirements results in the loss of the award for the subsequent term. A student may request a waiver of the above standards ONLY ONE TIME as an undergraduate. Request will be considered on an individual basis and granted only for exceptional or extraordinary circumstances relating to death of a close relative, serious personal illness or injury, or other personal extenuating circumstances. The request for waiver will be reviewed and determined by the certifying officer and the Registrar.

For information regarding New York State Awards, contact the Higher Education Services Corporation, Office of Grants and Awards, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12255, www.hesc.org, or your high school guidance counselor.

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Grades

Grades are due 48 hours after the last exam or meeting time and are awarded according to the following scale:

A: indicates original or independent thinking, a command of the interrelationships within the subject, the ability to apply the principles learned, a mastery of the subject matter and clarity of expression. Grade points per credit: A = 4.0, A- = 3.7.

B: indicates a mastery of the subject matter, an understanding of the fundamentals and their interrelationships, the ability to apply that knowledge and to express it clearly. Grade points per credit: B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- = 2.7.

C: indicates an acceptable knowledge of the course content, an understanding of the fundamental principles and a reasonable ability to apply them. Grade points per credit: C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- = 1.7.

D: indicates minimal knowledge and understanding of the course content, with a limited ability to apply the principles learned. Grade points per credit: D+ = 1.3, D = 1.0, D- = 0.7.

F: indicates that the work was not satisfactorily completed. Grade points per credit: F = 0.0.

I: at the discretion of the instructor, a grade of incomplete may be issued. An incomplete grade indicates that the coursework was incomplete at the end of the term and that the instructor granted additional time to complete the work or additional time was required for grading practices. It should be understood that incompletes are issued for a number of reasons and do not necessarily indicate negligence on the part of the student and are issued at the discretion of the instructor. For the student to receive credit for the course, all work must be completed by one of the following dates, or by an earlier date as set by the instructor: Spring and Summer term courses-October 30. Fall and January term courses-March 30. If a grade is not submitted by the appropriate date, a grade of "F" will be recorded.

P: Pass. Indicates that the work was satisfactorily completed.

N: Not-Pass. Indicates that the work was not satisfactority completed.

Physical education and Dialogues courses are graded on a Passed (P), Not Passed (N) basis and do not count toward the 120 academic credits required for a degree.

Additional grades:

X: indicates non-attendance in a course. The student must show to the satisfaction of the Committee on Academic Standards that he or she never attended the course or stopped attending the course and failed to withdraw with proper administrative processing. "X" does not count in the total credits attempted and does not factor in to the grade point average.

W: indicates that the student withdrew from the course by the end of the ninth week of the term for a Fall or Spring term course or by the end of the third week for a January Term course. Each instructor must provide every student with an evaluation of progress in the course so that the student may evaluate his or her status prior to the deadline for withdrawal. Withdrawals after the deadline are not permitted unless approved by the Committee on Academic Standards. "W" does not count in the total of credits attempted and does not factor in to the grade point average.

PND: used when no grade has been submitted by the instructor. The grade is pending. PND grades are used sparingly and only when extenuating circumstances prevent the instructor from issuing a final grade. A letter grade must be submitted by the instructor within one week of being issued or the PND grade will convert to an F.

AU: indicates a student has audited a course.

In addition to the grades and quality points referred to above, a faculty member may write a commentary concerning the student's work in a class. Such statements must be submitted to the Office of Advising & Registration in writing; only then will they be incorporated as part of the transcript. Grades receiving comment are indicated with a '*' on the transcript.

Final grades are reported electronically at the end of each term. Hartwick College does not mail official grade reports to a student's permanent home address unless instructed, in writing, by the student. Such requests must be made to the Office of Advising and Registration.

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Change of Grades, Grade Appeal and Protection Against Prejudicial or Capricious Grading

Once a student's final grade has been submitted to and verified by the Office of Advising & Registration, it cannot be changed without authorization by the Committee on Academic Standards (CAS). Students are expected to initiate grade changes with instructors within a 15-day period following grade verification. If a grade change is warranted, it is an instructor's responsibility to submit a Grade Change Petition to the Office of Advising and Registration for consideration. If the grade change is approved by the CAS, notice will be sent to the student and instructor and the grade will be changed on the student's record. If the grade is not approved notice will also be sent to the student and instructor.

A student should have protection against prejudicial and capricious grading. The following policy is established for reviewing complaints about end-of-term grades: the student shall first consult the professor and Department Chair; if no agreement is reached, the student may then bring the case to the Committee on Academic Standards. The Committee shall serve as a review board and, if a change seems justified, the Committee shall be empowered to recommend a change of grade to the professor.

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Auditing Courses

A student in good academic standing and with the permission of the instructor may audit a course. The student and the instructor must agree in advance on what the auditor is expected to do. At the end of the course, the instructor shall certify that the student met these obligations by issuing a grade of 'AU'. If the obligations are not met, the student will be dropped from the course roster and the course will be removed from the student's record. A decision to change from credit to audit must be made by the end of the first week of the term in which the course is given. Not all courses are available for audits: studio art courses, music performance courses, physical education courses, computer laboratory courses, and off-campus programs are excluded. It is the student's responsibility to notify the Office of Advising & Registration in writing before the end of the first week of the term in which the study will commence when auditing a course.

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Repeating of Courses

A student may retake any course for the purpose of gaining additional knowledge and improving the grade. Retaking a course for which the student has credit (the course was passed) will not add to the student's total number of credits completed for graduation. For courses repeated at Hartwick, the higher grade will be used to calculate the grade point average. For courses repeated elsewhere, if the course is allowed to transfer in, and if the Hartwick grade in the earlier attempt was C- or lower, the Hartwick grade will not be included in the student's grade point average. The transfer grade will not be used in the grade point average either; the student will just have credit for the transfer course rather than the Hartwick course.

Repeating a course in which a student earned a letter grade other than 'F' may impact a student's state and/or federal aid. A student repeating a course should check with the Office of Student Accounts or Financial Aid before choosing to repeat a course.

It is the student's responsibility to notify the Office of Advising & Registration in writing when a course is being repeated.

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Deletion of Courses from Final Grade Point Average

In order to meet the minimum 2.00 cumulative and major grade point averages required for graduation, a senior may elect during his or her final term to exclude from the final cumulative grade point average any course not needed to meet graduation requirements (including total number of academic credits). Such grades will still be shown on the transcript but will not be calculated within the final cumulative grade point average. Such requests must be submitted, in writing, to the Registrar. If a student does not meet the minimum grade point average for a major, he or she must make arrangements with the Chair of his or her department to achieve a 2.000 and must communicate the arrangement, in writing, to the Registrar.

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Waiver of Academic Requirements

Requests for waivers of academic requirements must be addressed to the Committee on Academic Standards, which includes faculty and student members. Petitions should be addressed to the committee and submitted to the Office of Advising & Registration. Requests for waiver of Liberal Arts in Practice general education requirements should be addressed to the Dean of Academic Affairs.

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A student who wishes to leave Hartwick and has no plans to return must complete and submit an official withdrawal form to the Office of Advising & Registration. Students may officially withdraw from the College up to the last day of classes for the term; however, to receive a course grade of "W", a Course Add/Drop Form must be submitted to the Office of Advising & Registration by the regular term deadline for withdrawal with a "W." Students who withdraw after the regular term deadline for course withdrawal with a "W" may be subject to course grades of "F" for the term in which the withdrawal is being submitted. Students who officially withdraw will have the notation of Official Withdrawal on their record. Students who leave the College without submitting a completed official withdrawal form will be considered to have unofficially withdrawn and will have such a notation posted on their academic record. See the policy on Unofficial Withdrawal for more information. If a student officially withdraws and later wishes to resume study, an Application for Readmission must be made to the Office of Advising & Registration.

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Students are unofficially withdrawn by the college if (1) they have not registered for classes by the end of the add/drop period of Fall and Spring terms, (2) they have not returned to the College when the approved period of a leave of absence has expired and have not requested an extension of the leave of absence, (3) they have not returned at the time specified after academic or social conduct suspension and the period of suspension has not been extended. If a student is unofficially withdrawn and later wishes to resume study, an Application for Readmission must be made to the Office of Advising & Registration.

Notice of unofficial withdrawal is posted on a student's academic record. The posted date of an unofficial withdrawal is at the discretion of the College and usually reflects the last date of attendance.

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General Leave of Absence

General leaves are granted to students who need to take time away from their studies for financial, personal, or family reasons. A student desiring a general leave must consult with his or her advisor and file a leave of absence request with the Office of Advising & Registration. A student returning from a general leave must notify the Office of Advising & Registration at least one month prior to the beginning of the term in which he or she wishes to return.

Unless exceptional circumstances dictate otherwise, a general leave of absence will not exceed one academic year. For extension of a general leave past the originally specified leave period, the student must contact the Office of Advising & Registration.

A student may file a general leave of absence up to the last day of classes in a term; however, to receive a grade of ‘W' in registered but not completed courses, the leave must be filed by the regular term deadline for withdrawal with a grade of 'W'. Students who file a general leave after the regular term deadline for withdrawal with a ‘W' are subject to grades of 'F' in registered but not completed courses for the term in which the leave is being filed.

Courses completed by a student on a general leave of absence must be pre-approved and must adhere to transfer credit policies mentioned elsewhere in this section.

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Military Leave of Absence

Any student who receives orders to report for active military duty should contact the Office of Advising and Registration and present a copy of military orders (if a copy of military orders is not available, the student may begin the leave process by submitting a personally signed request indicating times and dates of intended call-up). The Office of Advising and Registration will enter a grade of 'W' for all registered but not completed courses in the current term. If the leave occurs late in the semester, the student may arrange for a final graded evaluation of his/her course work or take Incompletes for all remaining coursework.

Upon completion of active military duty, the student will be automatically readmitted to the College by notifying the Office of Advising and Registration in writing of his/her intent to resume academic study at Hartwick.

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Academic Leave of Absence

Academic leaves are granted to students who wish to study at another college for a specified period of time generally not exceeding one academic year. Academic leaves are normally issued when a student participates in an affiliated off-campus program of study. A student desiring an academic leave should contact the off-campus programs office for approval of the leave. The student will be notified of approval in writing. Grades received for courses completed as part of an affiliated off-campus program of study are applied to a student's academic record and count towards GPA and credit completion requirements. Students participating in non-affiliated programs of study are not eligible for an academic leave of absence and must file a general leave of absence to participate.

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Medical Leave of Absence

Two categories of medical leaves are granted:

1. For those students whose physical conditions require a more intensive form of treatment than thewellness center can reasonably provide; or
2. For those students whose emotional or psychological well-being would be better served bytaking a term or more away from Hartwick for a more intensive form of treatment than theCounseling Center staff can reasonably provide.

Both categories of medical leave are granted upon approval of the Hartwick College Medical Director. A student in the first category should contact the Wellness Center to help him or her determine if a medical leave is appropriate. A letter from an attending healthcare provider documenting the student's condition will be required prior to the issuance of a medical leave in this category. Students seeking a medical leave in the second category must have a therapeutic relationship with a member of the College Counseling Center staff and/or a documented history of contact with a mental health professional(s) in which acute psychological distress has objectively been identified in order to receive consideration.

A student wishing to return from a medical leave must have his or her attending healthcare provider or mental health professional write a letter attesting to the appropriateness of returning and any follow-up treatment that will be required once reinstated. See the Wellness Center or Counseling Center staff for further information.

A student may file a medical leave of absence up to the last day of classes in a term. Students filing a medical leave are not subject to the same grading policies established for other leaves.  Students who file a medical leave are eligible to receive a grade of ‘W' in registered but not completed courses through the last day of classes. Additionally, a student filing a medical leave may be eligible for a grade of incomplete in a registered but not completed course if the student and the instructor agree that an incomplete grade is warranted and any incomplete work can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

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Commencement Participation

Students may participate in the May commencement ceremony if they are registered in Spring Term of their senior year for an approved program of studies which, if completed with suitable grades, will fulfill all degree requirements. Students graduating in December or February of a given academic year may participate in the May ceremony of that academic year but must notify the Registrar in writing of their intent to do so. A student may only participate in one commencement ceremony. A student that is ineligible to participate in commencement because he or she does not meet the aformentioned requirements may petition the Committee on Academic Standards for permission to walk.

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Honors at Commencement

College Honors

To complete the Honors Program, and to be recommended by the Honors Program Committee for College Honors upon graduation, a student must be admitted to the program and successfully complete all Honors Program requirements. Each student must graduate with at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average to receive College Honors.

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Overall Average Honors - Laude

Senior students at Commencement are awarded degrees with honor as follows:

• Summa cum laude-3.85 or higher cumulative grade point average
• Magna cum laude-3.65 or higher cumulative grade point average
• Cum laude-3.4 or higher cumulative grade point average

A student who has transferred academic credit to Hartwick College is eligible to graduate with honors only if the grade point average for the student's entire college career, including grades received for transfer courses, falls into one of the categories above.

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Departmental Distinction

Students are awarded Departmental Distinction if they have met all of the following requirements:

1. Earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3;
2. Earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 in the major;
3. Completed a departmental capstone with a grade of at least A-;
4. Met any other requirements as specified in the Hartwick College Catalog by individual
   departments.

Each department will indicate in the College Catalog which courses either within or outside the department count toward requirement two above.

Notice of Departmental Distinction is entered on a student's permanent record.

Individual Student Program Distinction

A student who, at the time of graduation, has met the following standards may be awarded a degree with Individual Student Program Distinction upon recommendation of the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee and with the approval of the Committee on Academic Standards:

1. Has the approval of the Program Advisor and Advisory Committee;
2. Has earned an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher in the courses constituting the area of concentration;
3. Completed a senior project with a grade of at least A-; and
4. Has earned a cumulative average of at least 3.0.

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Dean's List

To be eligible for a Fall Term or Spring Term Dean's List, a student must complete within that term at least 12 academic credits, earning a term grade point average of at least 3.5. Any student with a grade of Incomplete in any course in that term other than Senior Project/Thesis is not eligible for Dean's List. Dean's List is issued only at the end of Fall and Spring terms (not for summer sessions or January Term). Dean's List is generated by the Office of Academic Affairs.

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Course Load

Full time coarse load is defined as 12 credits in Fall and Spring terms and 3 credits in January term. However, a normal course load for a regular full-time student is 30 academic credits per year, normally distributed as: 13-14 credits in the Fall Term, 3-4 credits in the January Term, 13-14 credits in the Spring Term. This excludes physical education skill courses and music performance credit courses. With the advisor's approval, students who have no outstanding incompletes may enroll for up to 20 credits during either Fall or Spring term. These rules will be waived if a specific departmental program dictates overloads as part of the total planned student program.

Regular full-time matriculated students are expected to complete at least a 24-credit load for the academic year as they work toward the total of 120 academic credits required for graduation. Students that fail to meet credit completion requirements established by the Academic Standard of Progress policy are subject to academic dismissal.

Students enrolled in the Three Year Bachelor's Degree Program are expected to complete at least 40 academic credits per year to graduate with 120 academic credits in three years.

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Course Overload

A student with a current cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher & no outstanding incompletes may pre-register for up to 20 credits in Spring term and 4 credits in January Term with his or her advisor's approval .

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Account Holds

A hold may be placed on a student's account preventing course registration changes and release of official transcripts and other credentials if a student has an outstanding obligation with a specific administrative office at the College. For example, a hold may be placed if a student has an oustanding financial balance or is missing a high school transcript. Course registration changes and release of transcripts of other credentials are not permitted until a hold has been cleared.

Additionally, if an enrolled student does not address a hold prior to the start of a term or within the first two weeks of a term, he or she may be withdrawn from the institution. Specifically, a student who has one or more holds on his or her account and is not attempting to resolve the hold(s) by 5 p.m. on Thursday of the first week of fall or spring terms will have his or her WICKit account frozen the next day (Friday) by 9 a.m. A student whose account has been frozen and has not resolved or attempted to resolve a hold on his or her account by 5 p.m. the following Tuesday will be dropped from his or her courses and placed on a leave of absence for the remainder of the term or withdrawn from the institution completely.

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Adding and Dropping Courses

Classes may not be added after the beginning of the second class meeting of any course unless the instructor grants permission. Courses meeting the full term must be registered by the end of the second week of Fall or Spring term. Courses meeting for less than the full term must be registered by the end of the first week of that course's meetings.

Senior projects/theses and internships must be registered by the end of the second week of Fall and Spring terms, and the end of the first week of January Term. Independent or directed studies for 3 or 4 credits must be registered by the end of the second week of Fall or Spring terms. Independent or directed studies for 2 semester hours must be registered by the end of the eighth week of Fall or Spring terms, and independent/directed studies for 1 semester hour must be registered by the end of the 11^th week of Fall or Spring terms. Independent/directed studies must be registered by the end of the first week of January Term, regardless of offering credit.

Forms on which to add or drop courses may be obtained in the Office of Advising & Registration (and online) and must be approved by the student's advisor.

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Withdrawal from Courses

A student may withdraw from a course through the 9^th week of fall and spring term and the third week of January term. A grade of 'W' is issued for all course withdrawals. Provision may be made for a student to withdraw at any time without penalty in the event of serious illness or emergency. A student who withdraws from one or more courses may have to repay any state financial aid received. See "Standards of NYS Student Aid Eligibility" under Educational Policies and Procedures. A student who wishes to withdraw from a course must process an add/drop form with the Office of Advising & Registration.

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Independent and Directed Studies
Students wishing to engage in a study for which no course exists but in an area in which an instructor is qualified, may pursue either an independent or directed study pursuant to the following restrictions. Credit for an independent or directed study may be 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits.

Independent Studies permit junior and senior students with a GPA of 2.3 or higher to examine specialized topics with minimal supervision. To qualify for an independent study, a student must have prior academic experience (either a completed course or directed study with at least a C for each course) in the general field or fields in which the study is to be undertaken. Departmental approval shall come only after a formal departmental review and concurrence that the proposal has sound academic merit. To assist in this process, the student must provide a list of the courses that qualify the student for pursuing such a project, a detailed explanation of the goals of the project, and a detailed listing of available resources. Justified exceptions to this policy can be brought to the Committee on Academic Standards for decision.

The following course numbers will be used to indicate independent studies:
398 for Junior Independent Studies
498 for Senior Independent Studies

Directed Studies are open to all students above the freshman level and in good academic standing. In such projects the student works closely with the instructor on an individual basis. The instructor will provide evaluations and guidance at least one hour per week during the tenure of the project. Departmental approval shall follow the same formula as that for independent studies.

The following course numbers will be used to indicate directed studies:
299 for Sophomore Directed Studies
399 for Junior Directed Studies
499 for Senior Directed Studies

A student may take no more than two independent and four directed studies during a four-year career and no more than two independent and two directed studies during a two-year career. No more than four studies of any combination with the above guidelines may be taken with the same instructor unless the Committee on Academic Standards grants special permission.

Independent or directed studies for 3 or 4 credits must be registered by the end of the second week of Fall or Spring terms. Independent or directed studies for 2 semester hours must be registered by the end of the eighth week of Fall or Spring terms, and independent/directed studies for 1 semester hour must be registered by the end of the 11th week of Fall or Spring terms. Independent/directed studies must be registered by the end of the first week of January Term, regardless of offering credit. Registration forms are available from the Office of Advising & Registration. Completed forms, including departmental approval, must be on file in the Office of Advising & Registration.

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Internships

Internships are academic experiences supervised primarily by a Hartwick faculty member in cooperation with an on-site work supervisor. They are open to all students, although some departments limit them to juniors and seniors. Each department retains its own specific requirements for students wishing to undertake internships. However, the following requirements govern overall:

1. After conferring with his or her academic advisor, each student (except as indicated in point 4 below) shall write an Internship Agreement in consultation with a faculty supervisor and work supervisor. The Agreement: a) provides the student with a sound foundation for pursuing the on-site experience, b) articulates the educational merit of the internship as it enriches and expands the student's knowledge and/or skills in a specific field, c) reflects the relationship between the student's goals and objectives for the internship and his or her total academic program, d) establishes how often and by what means the faculty supervisor will communicate with the work supervisor and the student during the internship, e) outlines the basis upon which the intern will be evaluated and graded by the faculty supervisor. 
2. The Internship Agreement requires the approval of the faculty supervisor, department chair, work supervisor, and internship coordinator. 
3. The signed Internship Agreement must be submitted to the coordinator on or before a specified date during the semester preceding the proposed internship. The internship coordinator will send a copy of the agreement to the Office of Advising & Registration, whereupon the student will be officially registered for the internship. In addition, a copy will be sent to the student, the faculty supervisor and the work supervisor. 
4. The only exceptions to the use of the Internship Agreement will be for those students officially registered in the following Hartwick-affiliated internship programs: The Washington Center and American University in Washington, DC, the Philadelphia Center (GLCA), The Boston Semester, Educational Programmes Abroad, and the Nursing Department's senior independent study during January. 
5. A one-month January internship shall receive no more than four semester hours of credit. With the exception of internships arranged through affiliated internship programs listed above, internships outside of the January Term normally receive two to six semester hours of credit.
   6 The maximum limit for internship credit over a student's four-year academic program is 12 credits.

The following course numbers are used for internships:
195 Freshman
295 Sophomore
395 Junior
495 Senior

Registration for an internship establishes the same commitment as registering for a course. Withdrawals must be initiated by the end of the ninth week for Fall or Spring terms, the end of the third week of January Term, and by July 25 for summer or summer-for-fall registrations.

Courses Taken for Transfer Credit

Transfer credit from accredited colleges is given for courses similar to those offered at Hartwick College, and must be completed with a grade of C or higher. Credit for Math courses below the PreCalculus level are not eligible for transfer and transfer credit cannot be used to satisfy the Writing Requirement. A Hartwick student may request permission from the Registrar to complete coursework at another accredited college or university. Request for Course Approval forms are available in the Office of Advising & Registration and online. No more than 8 credits in courses at a two-year college are permitted after two years' work (60 credits or more) unless specific permission has been granted as part of an Individual Student Program. A student who has completed 90 semester hours must petition the Committee on Academic Standards for a waiver of the academic residency requirement prior to seeking course approval.

Grades for transfer courses are included when determining a student's eligibility for honors at Commencement but do not otherwise count towards a student's cumulative grade point average. Quarter Credit hours convert to semester hours (credits) as follows: 3 quarter hours = 2 credits, 4 quarter hours = 2.66666 credits, 5 quarter hours = 3.33333 credits.

A student wishing to transfer in courses to satisfy specific major requirements must obtain Department Chair approval prior to submitting a Request for Course Approval form to the Office of Advising & Registration for final approval.

Courses taken elsewhere as part of a study abroad or affiliated program must be approved by the Director of Off-Campus Programs and the Registrar. Grades and credit for courses taken as part of an affiliated program are applied to a student's academic record.

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Advanced Placement Credit

Hartwick College offers advanced placement credit for most scores of three or better on the Advanced Placement Tests of the College Board. Several Advanced Placement tests have been designated by academic programs as equivalent to one or more Hartwick courses. If an Advanced Placement test is not designated equivalent to a Hartwick course or courses, credits toward the general education curriculum or elective credit may still be offered.

Some students choose this option in order to accelerate their progress toward a degree, reduce costs, or enrich their normal degree program with additional coursework. AP scores must be submitted to the Office of Advising and Registration so that credit and/or placement may be awarded.

A current list of credit awarded for Advanced Placement tests, with appropriate scores, is found online.

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Credit for Prior Experiential Learning

Prior experiential learning is learning acquired outside of a formal academic setting. It provides knowledge, understanding, or intellectual skills expected of students who pursue a baccalaureate degree at a liberal arts and sciences college and takes place prior to admission. Prior experiential learning usually results from independent reading or study from employment, from serving an internship or from some other related activity. To obtain credit for prior experiential learning, students must be able to articulate in some acceptable way what they have learned and must be able to demonstrate that it is equivalent to the academic work done by college students. Credit will only be granted for experiences occurring after the completion of high school.

Students who have been accepted for admission by the College and who desire credit for prior experiential learning shall submit an application (available in the Office of Advising & Registration) to the Chair of the department in which credit is being sought. The Department Chair shall evaluate the application or submit it to other academic departments or to the appropriate faculty committee for further evaluation. The evaluation will include a personal interview and whatever form of demonstration is necessary to determine whether academic credit (without grades) should be awarded. If the application is approved, it is then forwarded to the Office of Advising & Registration for final approval by the Registrar and processing. If approved, the experiential credit is added to the student's record with a grade of ‘CR'. Further details of this procedure and the fee charged for processing and assessing applications are available through the Office of Advising & Registration.

No more than 30 credits for prior experiential learning may be included in credits required for graduation. No more than 60 credits earned through the combination of transfer credit, equivalency examinations and prior experiential learning may be applied toward a Hartwick degree.

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Academic Residency Requirement

A student must complete the last 30 semester hours of the courses required for graduation while in residence at Hartwick. Residence means enrollment in programs conducted by the College on or off campus. Any student wishing to complete courses elsewhere while in residence must petition the Committee on Academic Standards for a waiver of residency.

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Attendance/Class Absences Policy

Click here to read about this policy on the Academic Affairs web site.

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Access to and Release of Educational Records
Hartwick College complies with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-380, as amended), which provides for the confidentiality of student records unless released by the student and the openness of records to the student concerned, with an opportunity to correct mistakes in such records.

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 students are permitted access to their educational records upon request to the Office of Advising & Registration. The College will not release personally identifiable information from a student's education record without the student's prior written consent. Exceptions include: access by "college officials" who the institution has determined to have a "legitimate educational interest"; access by school officials at other schools where the student seeks to enroll; access for the purpose of awarding financial aid and subpoenas. The complete statement of the College policy may be found here.

If the student believes that any part of the information on his or her educational record is inaccurate or misleading or violates the student's privacy or other rights, a request may be made for correction of the record by the Registrar. If, in the Registrar's opinion, the student has proved his/her case, the record will be corrected and the student notified. If the Registrar refuses to change the record, appeal may be made by the student to the Committee on Academic Standards, whose decision will be based upon evidence presented at the hearing. Decision will include a summary of the evidence and the reasons for the decision. If desired, the student may be assisted or represented by an individual of the student's choice, including an attorney at the student's own expense.

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A permanent transcript for each student is maintained by the Office of Advising & Registration. Each student is entitled to one certified transcript of college credits without cost upon graduation. A fee is charged for each additional transcript. The Office of Advising and Registration does not issue 'unofficial' transcripts to students.

No transcript of a student's permanent record will be issued without written authorization from the student. No telephone or third-party requests will be honored. Members of the faculty or administration may have access to the records if they have a legitimate interest in and demonstrate a need for the information.

College policy permits the withholding of a transcript until a student's debts, including library and traffic fines, have been paid.

Hartwick does not release unofficial transcripts. A current student can access his or her unofficial transcript through WebAdvisor.

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Academic Standards of Progress
Effective July 1, 2009

Important documents for academically dismissed students are located at the bottom of this page.

The maintenance of good academic standing requires students to meet minimum standards for cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA), term GPA*, and total credits as defined below. Failure to meet these standards results in academic dismissal (AD) or academic probation (AP).

Standards for Cumulative GPA and Total Credits

Standards for Term GPA

Any student who has a cumulative GPA above 2.0 but has one term with a term GPA below 2.0 may be subject to academic probation.

Any student who has a cumulative GPA above 2.0 but two consecutive terms with a term GPA below 2.0 is subject to AD.

Any student with a term and cumulative GPA below 2.0 will be subject to the cumulative GPA guidelines in the cumulative GPA section above.

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Academic Dismissals

Any student who has been academically dismissed from the College has the right to petition the Committee on Academic Standards to reconsider its decision. Such a request must contain all pertinent information and the information must have a bearing on the student’s poor academic performance. The petition should be directed to the Chair of the Committee on Academic Standards, setting forth clearly all arguments for reconsideration and must be submitted within ten calendar days after the date of the Committee’s written notification of dismissal. Decisions on such appeals by the Committee on Academic Standards shall be considered final.

If a student believes that the aforementioned procedure has not been followed or if the student’s Hartwick College academic record has materially changed since the Committee made its final decision, then the student may address his/her concerns to the Dean of Academic Affairs, who may then refer the case back to the Committee for reconsideration. Any student who successfully appeals and is retained from an academic dismissal will automatically be placed on close scrutiny probation.**

After a period of one year a student who has been academically dismissed is eligible to apply for readmission through the Office of Advising & Registration with acceptance decisions subject to approval by CAS. Should an academically dismissed student successfully complete a minimum of nine credit hours at a regionally accredited college or university, and have a GPA of at least 2.5, and have no grade below a C, that student may apply for early readmission with acceptance decisions subject to approval by CAS.

Students who have been dismissed and readmitted will be academically dismissed and no longer be eligible for any further readmission should they fall below minimum academic standards a second time.

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January Term Suspension
Any student who has been academically dismissed at the end of fall term will be academically suspended for the subsequent January term, even if a student petitions the Committee on Academic Standards for an appeal of the academic dismissal. If a student does not petition the Committee on Academic Standards for an appeal of an academic dismissal or if an appeal is denied, he or she will not be suspended; instead, the academic dismissal will be issued after the last date of the fall term in which the academic dismissal was rendered. Even if a student successfully petitions the Committee on Academic Standards for an appeal of an academic dismissal, he or she will be suspended for January term and will be allowed to resume study at Hartwick College the subsequent spring term.

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Academic Probation

Students on probation are required to sign an agreement with the Committee on Academic Standards and with the Director of Advising & Registration that demonstrates their seriousness of purpose and provides a specific plan for repairing their deficiencies in a mutually agreeable time. Failure to comply with the terms of the probation agreement may result in dismissal.

As part of academic probation, the Committee may require a student to meet special conditions to continue at the College. Some of the conditions that may be recommended include the following:

1. Student must complete a full load of credits with specified minimum GPA or student must restrict the number of credits to be taken and plan on taking more than the normal time to complete a degree.
2. A change of major.
3. Student must consult or report to specified advisors, mentors, and counselors weekly and/or attend programs or workshops.
4. Student must give up or reduce time-consuming activities such as athletics, fraternity or sorority offices, Hilltops, jobs off campus, theatre, or other co-curricular activities.

Probation programs are administered by the Office of Advising & Registration.

A student on close scrutiny probation may be academically dismissed at any time during the term in which the student is on probation if there is evidence to show that he or she is not progressing academically. The Committee on Academic Standards will consider adherence to conditions of probation in its evaluation of a student’s academic progress.

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*By term, we mean either fall or spring semester. J Term credits are included in the Spring Term credit calculations but not the Spring Term GPA.

**By close scrutiny probation we mean an organized and systematic set of programs specifically targeted at providing remediation as well as social and emotional support to assist the student in succeeding at Hartwick College.

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Readmission from Withdrawal or Academic Dismissal

Any student who has withdrawn or been academically dismissed from the institition is eligible to apply for readmission. A student applying for readmission must submit a readmission application at least one week prior to the start of a term.

To be considered for readmission, a student must complete the following steps prior to the desired term of reentry:

1. Complete and submit the Application for Readmission form to the Office of Advising and Registration.
2. Request that official transcripts from colleges or universities attended while away from Hartwick College to be sent to the Office of Advising and Registration at least one week prior to the start of the desired reentry term.
3. Complete a readmission interview (for students academically dismissed only).

The readmission review process begins when all application materials have been received.

Please note: A student who was academically dismissed is eligible to apply readmission through the Office of Advising & Registration with acceptance decisions subject to approval by CAS. Should an academically dismissed student successfully complete a minimum of nine credit hours at a regionally accredited college or university, and have a GPA of at least 2.5, and have no grade below a C, that student may apply for early readmission with acceptance decisions subject to approval by CAS.

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Suspension/Fresh Start

A first time, first year student in his or her first term may be subject to suspension at the discretion of the First Year Experience Director and Director of the Office of Advising and Registration if the student has met one or more of the following criteria:

1. Is failing all courses as of the mid-term grade deadline; and
2. Is unable to successfully acclimate and/or transition to college after repeated intervention and outreach attempts.

Any student falling in to the above categories will be required to meet with the FYE and OAR directors to determine if a suspension is warranted. If suspended, the student will received 'W' grades for all courses currently registered and not be allowed to return to Hartwick for one academic year.

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