Academic Regulations & Requirements
By enrolling for courses, students obligate themselves to abide by the policies set forth in the college catalog and in other college publications. Click on the list of links below to jump to a section, or scroll down to view all of the academic regulations and requirements in the current college catalog.
Registration
Students pursuing a bachelor's or associate's degree from Johnson State College must be formally accepted through the admissions office before they may register for courses. Continuing undergraduates are expected to pre-register for their courses in November for the following spring semester and in April for the following summer and fall semesters. Students are notified of exact dates and instructions via email one to two weeks prior to the registration period. EDP students receive registration materials well before the start of each semester. EDP students confer with their advisors, who must approve course selections and who can register the students for classes. When registering for courses at institutions outside the Vermont State Colleges, EDP students submit a tuition transfer form available from the EDP office. A late fee will be assessed for registrations after the published deadline.
Class attendance does not in itself signify registration. Students must properly register for each of their courses in order to receive academic credit for work completed.
All students must meet state immunization requirements and must be cleared by the business office (see payment procedure section for details) in order to register for classes.
New Student Registration
New student registration is required of all new, first-time and transfer students. Students will be notified by mail of available scheduled registration dates.
Dual-Enrollment Consortium Agreement
Students matriculated at Johnson State (their home institution where they have been officially accepted) and enrolled in JSC courses may simultaneously enroll in courses at two or more VSC institutions. Students follow the home institution's procedures for course selection, course add/drop/withdrawals, advising, financial aid, and billing. This agreement does not supersede existing External Degree Program arrangements; these arrangements remain unchanged by this agreement.
Non-degree students establish non-degree status at an institution by registering for a class at the institution. If that is the only institution where they are taking classes, that institution becomes their home institution. If they are taking classes at more than one VSC institution, the institution where they take the majority of credits is the home institution. If they are taking equal numbers of credits at two or more institutions, they may choose their home institution.
Class Membership
Students are classified for academic class membership and administrative purposes on the basis of semester credits earned according to the following schedule:
| Number of Credits Earned |
Academic Class |
0-29.9 |
First-year |
30-59.9 |
Sophomore |
60-89.9 |
Junior |
90 or more |
Senior |
Auditing Courses
No credit or grades are assigned for audited courses. A per-credit tuition fee of one-half of in-state rates is charged. Courses that are audited do not count toward a student's credit load and are not eligible for financial aid. Students wishing to audit a course should follow normal registration procedures, indicating AU as their grade option on the course registration form. The choice to audit a course must be made prior to the end of the add/drop period, and it does not apply to programs/courses with already reduced tuition rates (i.e. Extension).
Basic Skills
Recognizing that basic writing and mathematic skills are essential to successful completion of college-level work, and in accordance with the Vermont State Colleges' Basic Academic Skills policy, Johnson State College assesses the skill level of all new students in these two areas. On the basis of this assessment, students who do not possess college-level skills in either or both of these areas are directed into courses designed to address their skill deficiencies. These courses should be taken during the student's first year at Johnson State College.
Please note that these basic skills courses whose course number begins with a "0" (i.e., MAT-0410) do NOT count toward total credits required for graduation, although they do count in determining full-time status and semester grade point average.
Class Attendance
Students who register for a course prior to the first week of the semester or during the first day of the semester are expected to attend at least one of the first two class sessions. A faculty member may fill absent places with students wishing to enter the course and refuse entry to absent students when they appear. Faculty members may also refuse to admit a student to the class after the beginning of the semester, if they believe the student cannot complete missed work. In this case, the registered student is responsible for dropping the course from their schedule.
For EDP weekend courses, please note that attendance is MANDATORY at all Saturday and Sunday classes. Students should not register for these weekend courses if they know before the semester begins that they cannot attend all classes.
Course Add/Drop/Withdrawal
Students approved for online registration may add courses online until the start of the semester and drop courses online until the end of the second week of the semester, except for the summer semester in which case students should refer to the policies and procedures specific to that program. All students may add or drop a course until the end of the 2nd week of the semester by completing a course add/drop/withdrawal form and submitting it to the registrar's office. Second-half semester courses may be added or dropped until the end of the 2nd week of the second half of the semester. If a course is dropped, it will be removed from the student's academic record and may result in an adjustment to a student's bill and financial aid. Students are encouraged to contact the business and financial aid offices before dropping a course. After the 2nd week of the semester and until the end of the 9th week of the semester, a student may withdraw from a course by completing a course add/drop/withdrawal form and submitting it to the registrar's office. If a student withdraws from a course, the course will appear on the transcript with a "W" grade, and will not affect a student's grade point average. In most cases, a withdrawal from a course does not affect a student's bill or financial aid award. Students withdrawing or dropping all courses will be considered as departing from the college and must complete the student exit notification form. Please see Johnson State College's refund policy.
Students registered through JSC for courses at other non-VSC institutions must drop or withdraw from courses at both colleges. Students will be charged for any tuition and fees that the other institution charges JSC.
Formally Declaring a Major
Campus-Based Students
After earning 45 credit hours in a bachelor's degree program, or 12 credit hours in an associate's degree program, all students must formally declare a major by filing an approved Plan of Study with the registrar. Transfer students: Students transferring in 45 credit hours or more for a bachelor's degree, or 12 credit hours for an associate's degree program, must complete a Plan of Study within the first semester of their program.
A student may declare any major officially in existence at the time the student declares a major. The Plan of Study outlines the requirements in the student's major and describes how the student intends to meet those requirements.
Students who have accumulated sufficient credits to be required to file a Plan of Study will not be allowed to register or take a leave of absence until they have met this requirement.
EDP Students
In the first semester of their program, all EDP students must prepare a degree plan with the help of their advisor. Students may write degree plans in the following majors: business management, elementary education, general studies, liberal arts, and psychology. Other JSC programs, including secondary teaching licensure and post-baccalaureate licensure, are available with degree plans submitted and approved before the student begins his or her studies. For details on degree requirements, see the sections in this catalog on particular academic departments.
EDP students may not graduate until their degree plans have received approval by the appropriate group (EDP co-directors for general studies and liberal arts majors, departmental faculty approval for all other majors). If a student has not submitted a degree plan by the last review meeting of the second semester in the program, the program's co-directors may recommend administrative dismissal for one semester.
Discontinued Majors
The following provisions apply with regard to discontinued majors:
• Students who have previously formally declared a major may not at a later time switch into a major designated as discontinued.
• Students failing to make a formal declaration of a major by the end of their sophomore year, as is required, may not at a later time declare a discontinued major.
• Former students who are not on an approved leave of absence and have returned may not pursue a discontinued major.
Grading
Johnson State College employs letter grades as indicated below:
| Grade Points | Explanation | Grade |
A+ |
High competence |
4.00 |
A |
High competence |
4.00 |
A- |
High competence |
3.70 |
B+ |
Good competence |
3.30 |
B |
Good competence |
3.00 |
B- |
Good competence |
2.70 |
C+ |
Moderate competence |
2,30 |
C |
Moderate competence |
2.00 |
C- |
Moderate competence |
1.70 |
D+ |
Minimum competence |
1.30 |
D |
Minimum competence |
1.00 |
D- |
Minimum competence |
0.70 |
F |
Failing |
0.00 |
I |
Incomplete (See Incompletes) |
|
P or NP |
Pass/ No Pass grades |
|
NG |
No grade indicates that no grade has yet been submitted. The grade will be recorded upon course completion. |
|
TR |
Transfer credit |
|
CR |
Credit granted (non-course work) |
|
W* |
Withdrawn |
|
AU |
Audit |
* Withdrawals are recorded by the registrar's office only after an authorized course withdrawla.
In general, faculty grades are due at the registrar's office 48 hours after each course's final examination.
Pass/No Pass Option
Students may elect to be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. The Pass/No Pass option is designed to encourage students to take courses they otherwise would not take for fear of receiving low grades. For performance of D- work or better, a grade of P (Pass) is recorded on the student's record. Credit is received for P grades, but the grades do not affect the student's grade point average. Failing work is recorded as NP (No Pass). NP grades do not earn credit nor does the grade affect the student's grade point average. Students select this option by indicating P/NP as their grade option when they register.
Courses taken with a grade of P do not count toward requirements of the General Education Core Curriculum, EDP General Education requirements, or the requirements of a students major or minor. In addition, students may NOT take Basic Skills courses as Pass/No Pass.
Incompletes
The grade of Incomplete (I) may be given to work of satisfactory quality when the amount of required work has not been completed because of illness or other reasons beyond the control of the student. A grade of I is not to be used instead of the grade of F in situations involving a student's lack of ability or negligence. Grades of I will automatically revert to an F if a final grade, or alternate default grade, is not submitted to the registrar's office prior to the incomplete deadline submitted with the I grade. In general, grades of Incomplete are to be completed by the end of the 7th week of the semester immediately following the semester in which the Incomplete grade was given. Courses carried through with an I into the following semester do not count toward the student's credit load for tuition billing purposes or for additional credit toward graduation.
Not Graded Work
The grade of NG may be given for a course when an instructor has not yet assigned a grade to the course. This may happen when a course is still in progress at the semester deadline for grade submission. Coursework carried into a second semester with a grade of NG does not count toward a student's credit load for tuition billing purposes or for additional credit toward graduation in the second semester.
Repeat Course Option
Students may repeat any course they have previously taken to attempt to earn a higher grade. When a course has been repeated within the Vermont State College system (VSC), the initial grade remains on the transcript but is taken out of the student's cumulative GPA. The most recent grade will be the only one computed in the student's cumulative average. Credit in the course may be earned only once. If the credit value of the course has changed, the repeated course is worth only the new credit value.
When repeating a course at another institution outside of the VSC, the initial grade remains on the transcript but is taken out of the student's cumulative GPA. The grade from the repeated course being transferred to JSC will show as a transfer but will not be counted in the student's cumulative GPA.
Students may choose to use the Pass/No Pass option when registering for a repeat course, (see Pass/No Pass option). If a grade of NP is earned, the repeat will not count. If a course was originally taken under a prior grading system, the effect on the student's average will be determined by using the new system.
Auditing a course
No credit or grades are assigned for auditing courses. For additional information, see the registration section of the catalog.
Credit Granted (CR) for Non-Course Work
Students who are granted credit on the basis of CLEP examinations, military credit, lifetime experience portfolios, AP courses or other similar circumstances (as determined by Johnson State College) will receive a CR in the grade field. CR distinguishes the credit from TR, which is used for credits that are transferred in from another college or university.
Graduation
Application for a Degree
The responsibility for your education ultimately rests in your own hands. Likewise, the timely completion of the paperwork associated with the award of your degree is your responsibility as well. Failure to take the required steps for application for degree may delay your graduation even if all other graduation requirements have been completed. The Registrar and Associate
Registrar are available to review the academic records of seniors.
Only students who are currently matriculated may graduate. Students absent from the College and not on a Leave of Absence who are seeking to complete a degree with Johnson courses must apply for readmission. A student who anticipates completion of his/her degree requirements should file an Application for Degree with the registrar’s office early in the semester prior to his/her last semester. This may allow time for the student to pick up additional courses or complete outstanding paperwork during his/her last semester if necessary. The registrar’s office will carry out a detailed degree audit, identifying where the student stands in relation to completion of degree requirements. The results of the degree audit will be given to the student and to his/her advisor. An Application for Degree fee will be charged to the student’s account.
Conferring of Degrees
Degrees are conferred once each year in a Commencement
ceremony at the end of the spring semester. Diplomas are dated August, December, or May for students completing studies in summer, fall, or spring semesters respectively. Students will receive their diplomas in the mail once completion of all degree
requirements is verified by the registrar’s office.
Participation in Commencement
Only students who have completed all degree requirements will be allowed to participate in the Commencement ceremony. The College recognizes that there may be occasions when special circumstances arise. Under such unusual circumstances, students may petition the academic dean or his/her designee to participate in Commencement. Students must, however, be within 8 credits or a single experience (such as an internship) of completing graduation requirements. No other exceptions will be considered. The decision of the academic dean or his/her designee is final and may not be appealed to the president. Students participating in the Commencement ceremony will be required to wear a cap and gown which can be ordered and charged through the College Bookstore.
Academic Honesty
Students are expected to conform to the highest standards of academic honesty in all their academic work at Johnson State College. Academic dishonesty in any form is prohibited and unacceptable. Acts of dishonesty for which a student may be disciplined include, but are not limited to, receiving or providing unauthorized assistance on an examination and plagiarizing the work of others in writing assignments. The American Heritage Dictionary defines plagiarism in the following way: "To steal or use (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own." Students are responsible for knowing what specific acts constitute plagiarism; if students are uncertain whether a particular act constitutes plagiarism, they should consult with their instructors before turning in assigned work.
Any faculty member who suspects that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty will bring this suspicion to the attention of the student and provide the student with an opportunity to respond. Should the faculty member subsequently determine that the student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, he/she will assign a penalty for the offense, which may be a failing grade for the specific work submitted or a failing grade for the course. The student will be notified in writing of the faculty member's action, and he/she may appeal the penalty in writing to the Academic Status Committee (for campus-based students) or the Academic Review Board (for EDP students). Upon receiving any such appeal, the Academic Status Committee/EDP Academic Review Board shall meet with the student, the faculty member, and any other person with evidence to submit relative to the charge and determination, and will thereafter affirm, reverse, or modify the finding and/or penalty of the faculty member. Decisions of the Academic Status Committee/EDP Academic Review Board may be appealed, in writing, to the academic dean. Records of all incidents of academic dishonesty will be maintained in the academic dean's office. Repeated incidents of academic dishonesty will subject a student to dismissal from the College.
Academic Standing
Good Academic Standing
A student who has 30 or more earned or GPA credits, whichever is higher, and whose cumulative grade point average is 2.00 or above (1.75 for students with fewer than 30 earned or GPA credits, whichever is higher) is considered to be in good academic standing. The cumulative and semester averages are calculated by including only the graded credits (A, B, C, D, F) earned during the current and past semesters. These averages do not include courses bearing other grade designators.
Academic Warning
A student whose cumulative average is in good standing or above but whose semester average is below good standing (see above) will receive a letter of warning from the College. There are no punitive aspects to this warning status.
Academic Probation
Academic probation serves as an official warning from the College that a student's performance has been substandard. A student whose GPA falls below good standing (see above) shall be placed on academic probation. Students remain on academic probation until they raise their cumulative grade point average to good standing, or until they fall below the dismissal standard outlined below. Students on academic probation who have less than 30 earned or GPA credits, whichever is higher, must work with the academic probation counselor to create a plan for academic success. When a student voluntarily withdraws from the College while on probation status, or is academically dismissed and later readmitted, he/she will return on probation.
Academic Dismissal
Students on academic probation will be academically dismissed if:
• They fail to achieve a semester grade point average of 2.00 having 30 or more earned or GPA credits, whichever is higher (1.75 having fewer than 30 earned or GPA credits, whichever is higher), during the semester on probation.
• Any new, first-year student with no previously earned credits who fails to achieve a grade point average of at least 0.70 in the first semester will be academically dismissed.
• Students who successfully appeal academic dismissal may be placed stipulated probation and may be required to sign a contract to abide by conditions set forth by the Academic Status Committee. Failure to comply with any portion of this contract may result in immediate dismissal from Johnson State College.
• Students academically dismissed may reapply for admission generally after two regular semesters of absence. Students must follow the regular procedure for application to the College for re-admission and will remain on probation upon their return.
Incomplete Grades in Relation to GPA/Good Standing:
Calculation of a semester or cumulative grade point average does not include any Incomplete grade that a student has earned during the semester. Students who receive an Incomplete grade in one or more courses during a semester are held academically liable for the completion of the course. Students who have an Incomplete grade for a semester will not be eligible for the Dean's or President's Lists until a final grade has been submitted for that Incomplete.
Appeal Process for Academic Dismissal:
A student who has been academically dismissed may appeal his/her academic status by writing a letter to the Academic Status Committee (for campus-based students) via the registrar's office or to the EDP Academic Review Board (for EDP students). This letter of appeal should include any mitigating or extenuating circumstances that may have contributed to the poor academic performance. Decisions of the Academic Status Committee/EDP Academic Review Board may be appealed to the academic dean.
Early Warning Notification
The purpose of early warning notification is to send a clear message to students who are performing poorly in 1000- and 2000-level courses, and to do so early enough in the semester for corrective action to be taken. During the fifth week of the semester, students who are performing at a grade level of D or below in a 1000- or 2000-level course will receive an early warning notification.
Academic Forgiveness
Johnson State College recognizes that some academically able students for various reasons have poor previous academic records. A student who has been out of college for at least two (2) academic years may appeal to the academic dean at the end of the first semester of subsequent attendance in good standing (generally a 2.00, see Good Academic Standing policy above) at JSC to have a previous semester set aside.
Setting aside a previous semester is done by notation on the permanent JSC transcript, not by removing any previous course or grade. Grades of C and above, and the credits derived from those grades, will remain. Grade history will be removed from cumulative totals only, and grades cannot be ameliorated if they have already been included in calculations for awarding a degree.
Academic Honors
Matriculated (degree-seeking) students who complete 12 or more Vermont State College graded credits in a single semester and who have no Incomplete, NP, F, or blank grades are eligible for the President's and Dean's List under the following standards:
• Students who achieve a 4.00 semester average will be placed on the President's List.
• Students who achieve a 3.50 semester average or above will be placed on the Dean's List.
Graduation with Distinction
Effective for the graduating class of spring 2006, of the total credits required for graduation, at least 30 credits for a two-year degree and 60 credits for a four-year degree must be earned within the Vermont State Colleges by the end of the previous fall semester. (Credits earned before 2002 are not used in this calculation unless earned from Johnson State College.) Graduating students who have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or better through the fall semester of their graduation year will be awarded their degree "summa cum laude." Those who earn a 3.70 average will be awarded degrees "magna cum laude." Those who earn a 3.50 average will be awarded degrees "cum laude." If the above standards are obtained by the end of the spring semester of the graduating year, the appropriate distinction is recorded on the diploma and transcript but is not acknowledged at Commencement.
Graduation honors for certificate programs require final, and a cumulative GPA as follows:
Honors 3.00-3.49
High Honors 3.50 or above
 ÂHonors Convocation
Every spring, the College hosts Honors Convocation, an event in which the College and departments award prizes and scholarships to students who have distinguished themselves in the classroom, in the community, and on the playing field.
Transfer of Credit
Transfer within the Vermont State Colleges System
College-level credits earned at any VSC degree-granting institution prior to summer 2002 are fully transferable to JSC. These transfer credits do not count in a student's GPA. Credits earned at any VSC degree-granting institution during and after summer 2002 are not considered transfer credit but rather institutional credit, and, therefore, grades earned are counted in a student's GPA. Each credit taken in fulfillment of a GECC requirement at another VSC institution counts toward fulfillment of GECC requirements at JSC in appropriate categories.
Transfer of Credit from Other Institutions
In order to be eligible for the transfer of credits from other institutions, a student must be a matriculated (degree-seeking) student at Johnson State College. Matriculated students at Johnson State who wish to take courses at other institutions and have credits transferred to Johnson State must obtain prior written approval from the registrar. Transfer credits will not be accepted from non-matriculated students.
Transfer credit may be granted by Johnson State College for college-level courses completed with the equivalent of a grade C- or better at regionally accredited or officially approved institutions of higher education. Credit for a D in a course may be granted if the second semester of a two-semester, sequential course is completed with a C- or better. In addition, for transfer students holding a two-year associate's degree from an accredited institution, credits applied to that degree will be accepted as transfer credit. Credits earned in a quarter system count as two-thirds of a semester credit.
Johnson State requires that a student accumulate at least 39 credits of upper-level work in order to graduate. Transfer credits are normally accepted as lower-level credits. Students who believe that transferred credits were upper-level work should present documentation (usually in the form of a catalog from the transferring institution) to the registrar's office.
Credits accepted for transfer are not necessarily accepted as meeting requirements in a student's major. Decisions of this nature are made by the student's major department at the time the student formally declares a major by filing a plan of study. The grades attached to credits accepted in transfer are not calculated in a student's cumulative grade point average.
The registrar will evaluate credits for experiential learning and credits from unaccredited institutions to determine their applicability toward graduation requirements. An associate's degree and an R.N. diploma will be accepted as 60 credits.
Assessment of Prior Learning
Learning acquired through work or other non-college experiences may be assessed for college credit. The Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) course (see course listing below), taught through the Community College of Vermont, is designed for this purpose. Students are guided through the process of describing and documenting their experiential learning in a portfolio. This document is then reviewed for credit by an Advance Standing Committee composed of appropriate faculty and professionals. The credit awarded through the Office of External Programs may be transferred to JSC and the other Vermont State Colleges. The registrar, in consultation with faculty and staff of the appropriate departments, will evaluate these credits to determine their applicability toward graduation requirements.
| EDU-1240 | Assessment of Prior Learning | 3 credits |
(Offered through Community College of Vermont)
An opportunity for students to earn college credit for prior learning acquired either on the job or in other settings. Students explore past learning experiences and identify future educational goals. Students develop an individual portfolio describing and documenting prior learning. Upon successful completion of the course, students may submit their portfolio to the Office of External Programs for review of credit requests. Recommended prior learning: ENG-1051 College Writing or equivalent. (Before enrolling, students should consult the Academic Support Services Office at Johnson State College at 802-635-1259.)
Internships
Internship placements exist for matriculated students who wish to gain practical experience in a particular field. The internships are individually designed to meet the needs of the students. Each student is assigned a faculty member from JSC and a site supervisor to ensure successful completion of the work experience. The eligibility requirements for participation in an internship are established by the faculty in each academic department. Internships in every major, at both the lower-division and upper-division levels, are available for one through twelve credits; each credit hour represents a minimum of 40 work hours. Internships are graded on a Pass/No Pass basis only. In addition to regular per credit tuition charges, and internship fee will be assessed and charged to the students account.
Independent Study
Independent studies are more academic and research-based in nature and often replace a regular class. Each student pursuing independent study works under the direct and regular supervision of a faculty member. The goals, objectives, and performance measures for independent study are defined in a formal contract between the faculty supervisor and the student and approved by the academic dean. Instructions and deadline dates for enrolling in independent study are included in the current issue of the course bulletin. For all students, except those enrolled in the External Degree Program, a maximum of 21 credits of independent study can be taken during pursuit of a bachelor's degree.
In addition to regular per credit tuition charges, a fee of $30 per credit will be assessed for all independent study credits.
Students receiving veterans' educational benefits must comply with specific V.A. regulations with regard to independent study. (Click to see Veterans' Benefits)
Summer College
Johnson State College offers a limited schedule of courses in the summer. See course bulletins for specific course information, rates, and registration procedures.
Tuition for summer college is charged at the regular in-state rate for Vermont residents and at 150 percent of the in-state rate for all out-of-state students.
National Student Exchange
The National Student Exchange (NSE), coordinated out of the Advising & Career Center, is a network of over 175 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada. Through NSE, JSC students who meet eligibility requirements can spend a semester or a year at one or more of these institutions, earning credits toward their JSC degree. In addition, international exchange opportunities are available through participating institutions that open their study abroad programs to NSE exchange students. Following a semester or year exchange, students return to JSC to complete their degrees. Credit is earned by transfer.
Quebec/New England Exchange Program
This exchange program involves 25 colleges and universities in New England and 18 institutions in Quebec. Students accepted into the exchange program spend a year or half-year studying at the Quebec institution of their choice while remaining enrolled at Johnson State College. Credit is earned by transfer.
Continuing Education
Continuing education students are students who wish to take one or more undergraduate courses at JSC for college credit but who are not formally admitted as matriculated (degree-seeking) students. However, to be eligible to enroll in the continuing education program, students must have a high school diploma or a GED. Students who wish to enroll in continuing education should request registration information from the registrar. Continuing education students may enroll in all courses listed in the catalog, if space is available. In most cases, continuing education students are ineligible for state, federal, or college-sponsored financial aid; however, they may be eligible for the VSAC non-degree grant. (Graduate courses are generally available only to students who have completed a 4-year degree.)
Extension Courses
The College occasionally offers special courses to selected audiences at various locations. These courses are not listed in this catalog but are separately advertised or sponsored through agencies or other institutions. Extension students generally register via materials given them at their first class session.
Army ROTC
Johnson State College offers an Army ROTC program in collaboration with the University of Vermont. The program leads to an officer commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. Scholarships are available to qualified applicants. For further information, contact the Department of Military Studies at the University of Vermont, 128 University Heights, Burlington, Vermont, 05401.
Email: uvmrotc@zoo.uvm.edu.
Homepage: www.uvm.edu\uvmrotc.
Leaves of Absence and Exits
Leave of Absence (for campus-based students)
Students in good academic standing, who have an approved plan of study on file, if required, and wish to interrupt their studies for a period not to exceed two consecutive regular semesters, may request a leave of absence. Students on a leave of absence do not need to apply for re-admission and will be allowed to pre-register during the regular advance registration period.
Students may apply for a leave of absence by completing a Leave of Absence Request Form and a Student Exit Notification Form. The leave is not official until the request is approved by the registrar. A leave may be requested prior to the add/drop deadline for one or two consecutive regular semesters. In special circumstances, the leave of absence may be extended beyond the approved period with the approval of the registrar.
Leave of Absence/Stop Out (for EDP students)
EDP students must register for a minimum of three credits a semester to maintain active status in the External Degree Program. However, EDP students may take a semester or more off and re-enter the program when it is convenient, and do not need to complete a Leave of Absence Request Form. Any credits taken while out of the program that fit into their degree plan may count toward graduation but will not count as part of the required 30 credits in the program. There is no fee for re-entry. If a student has been out of the program longer than five years, he/she must reapply to the External Degree Program and submit a new degree plan for approval. Approval will be contingent, in part, on availability of courses and the student's access to them.
Exiting from the College
A student voluntarily exiting from the College during the semester must do so formally and in writing by completing a Student Exit Notification Form.
The transcripts of students exiting the College after the beginning of classes and prior to the withdrawal deadline (week nine) will show W grades for all courses enrolled in that semester. The transcripts of students exiting the College after the ninth week will show A-F grades submitted by their instructors.
Students who exit from the College may reapply by making formal application with the admissions office. The W grades received will be used in making an admission decision. For refunds on room, meal plan, and tuition charges, see the refund policy.
Requesting a Transcript
Official transcripts are available at no charge to students upon a written, signed request to the registrar's office. Transcripts for students who have bills past due or other obligations to any of the Vermont State Colleges will not be released until all bills are paid. Students requesting a transcript toward the end of any semester should indicate whether they want it sent immediately or whether it should be held until final grades are recorded. In the latter case, transcripts will not be sent out until at least the third week following the end of the semester.
Appeal of Academic Policies
Students may appeal any academic regulation or decision to the Academic Status Committee of the Faculty Assembly (for campus-based students) or the EDP Academic Review Board (for EDP students) and then to the academic dean and president of the College. Information on procedures for appeal may be obtained from the registrar's office.