Monroe College's academic policies are designed to encourage excellence in education and allow the student to develop his or her academic potential to the fullest. Students are encouraged to make the necessary commitment to their studies so that they will be successful.

The purpose of a college education is to expose students to new areas of intellectual experience which prepare them to make judgments within and beyond their field of specialization as well as provide the competencies required for success in our complex society.

Monroe College is committed to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to master written and verbal communication, understand mathematical concepts basic to their field of study, increase their awareness of the origins of their cultural and intellectual heritage, comprehend the fundamentals of business and computer technology, and avail themselves of the chance to delve into subject areas of interest by registering for electives.

The General Education Core Requirement ensures that all Monroe College graduates are prepared to enter the world of business with a comprehensive, well-rounded education necessary for success, irrespective of where their specific area of study may lead.

To qualify for graduation, students must have satisfactorily completed all stated requirements of their degree objective, maintained a satisfactory academic and attendance record and have settled all financial obligations to Monroe. Furthermore, candidates for graduation must have achieved a 2.00 cumulative grade point average both in their major-area courses and overall.

Monroe College Online Learning Program provides students with quality education available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Students have the opportunity to take individual courses or complete degree programs leading to either an associate degree in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Hospitality Management or Medical Administration or a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Criminal Justice, Hospitality Management or Health Services Administration.

Information about online courses and programs is available at the college website www.monroecollege.edu/online

Students may request College Proficiency Examinations for courses for which they believe they have mastery of the content. Student initiated College Proficiency Examinations are generally not available for noncredit, remedial courses and credit-bearing courses so-designated by an academic department. Students may apply for a College Proficiency Examination at any time during the semester unless they are currently enrolled in that course. In such an instance, the examination must be administered and graded before the end of the add/drop period.

Students who take the Monroe College Placement Examinations may not take Proficiency Examinations for courses at a lower level than the course placement based on that Placement Exam.

Application for Monroe College Proficiency Examinations must be made to the Department Chairperson or other appropriate college official.

Internships bridge the gap between theory, what is taught in the classroom, and the world of work. This program provides meaningful work experiences at a variety of organizations and businesses.

Internships enable the student to:

• Explore career options and confirm career plans

• Apply classroom learning to real work situations

• Practice and strengthen interpersonal and technical skills

The Honors Program provides opportunities for the college's most academically accomplished students to engage in advanced academic work and to participate in an enhanced shared intellectual experience with our most distinguished professors and guest lecturers.

At Monroe we value the full intellectual engagement of our students and faculty by promoting an academic environment characterized by a high level of discourse, integrity, respect and excellence. We believe that genuine excellence in college-level studies entails thorough understanding and informed appreciation of areas outside a major field of specialization, along with focused excellence within it. Hence, the Monroe College Honors Program provides challenging courses, active learning opportunities, and strong personal advisement which broaden and deepen the academic experience.

Honors students also enjoy a wide variety of special programs and services through a world of personal and scholarly opportunity available to every student who becomes part of the Program.

In addition, the Honors Program sponsors lectures, seminars and workshops for Honors Program students and faculty. By opening many of these events to Monroe faculty, staff and students, and to the public, we share the Honors experience more broadly.

Each semester, the Honors Program sponsors the Honors Colloquium, a scholarly and celebratory program, where honors students present their projects and papers to the college community.

Students may be admitted to the Honors Program as prospective students through the admissions process or as continuing students by application to the Honors Board.

As its name indicates, the EASE program is designed to ease non-native English speakers into an academic environment so that they may be successful at the college level. With a mix of intensive English courses taught both in the classroom and out and about in New York City, as well as a foundation in the liberal arts and major-specific courses, EASE provides a unique opportunity for students to earn college credit as fully matriculated students while improving their English skills.

The EASE program is an innovative pairing of Monroe College and CPLC Education Center. CPLC is a leading provider of English language training and intensive academic English preparation for college bound students. They have helped over 10,000 students in the last ten years. EASE students greatly benefit from the pooled resources of both Monroe College and CPLC because they have access to the full academic community while receiving intensive language instruction from the experts at CPLC all without leaving campus.

EASE students receive a strong foundation in listening, reading, speaking and writing. Projects and assignments aim to expand vocabulary, sharpen grammar skills, and develop college level reading and writing skills and help students to build confidence in conversing and public speaking.

Grades are used to indicate a student's progress or lack thereof. Grades and their quality point equivalents are as follows:

The following grades are not computed in the Grade Point Average:

I- A grade of "incomplete" is given to a student who for acceptable reasons has not completed the course work at the end of the semester, but who, in the estimation of the instructor, can reasonably be expected to pass the course. Completion must be accomplished within two weeks after the beginning of the next semester or the "I" will automatically be changed to an "F". Permission for additional time to complete the course requirements must be granted by the academic vice president or by the designated official at the New Rochelle campus.

R- a grade of "repeat" is strictly limited to sequential courses with departmental approval. It can be given to students who, although they may not have clearly failed the course, have demonstrated that they do not have sufficient skills and competencies to continue on to the next sequential level.

"W"

A student who is unofficially withdrawn but has given oral or written notification to his or her counselor in the Student Services or Bachelor's Division, will receive grades of "W".

"AW"

A student who is unofficially withdrawn, who has not given oral or written notification to his or her counselor in the Student Services or Bachelor's Division, will receive grades of "AW".

Official Withdrawals

A student who officially withdraws by filling out a Mid-Semester Leave in the Student Services or Bachelor's Division will receive grades of "W".

• The grades of R or W will not affect the GPA.
• Grades for noncredit courses will not affect the GPA.
• A grade of W or AW indicates that a student withdrew from a course prior to its completion.
• A grade of F will affect the GPA (if this course is repeated, the new grade will replace the F in the student's GPA.)
• A grade of AW is equivalent to an F and affects the GPA. However, if this course is repeated, the new grade will replace the AW in the student's GPA.

Students will receive a grade report after each semester. These reports will show both semester and cumulative averages.

A student's standing in each course is measured by the grades received on tests, papers, other class assignments and requirements.

Each student's academic status as it relates to satisfactory academic progress and program pursuit will appear on the grade report.

A "lecture" credit hour represents the equivalent of 15, 50-minute class meetings during a 15-week semester. A "lab" credit hour represents the equivalent of 45, 50-minute class meetings during a 15-week semester.

Graduation, honors, probation, and dismissal are determined by a student's Grade Point Average. This is obtained by multiplying the Quality Points by the number of credits assigned to a course, totaling the Grade Points (GP), and then dividing by the total number of credits.

To remain in good academic standing, students must make satisfactory progress towards completion of their degree. Satisfactory progress is measured by a qualitative standard (students must maintain a minimum GPA.)

Students must maintain a certain cumulative GPA by the completion of each semester of study. No student will be graduated with a cumulative GPA below 2.0. The prescribed minimum cumulative GPA is set forth below.

By the end of each semester listed, students must have achieved the cumulative GPA listed.

Students' academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each semester.

The college considers a minimum of 12 credits to be a semester equivalent. Because the college does not transfer letter grades, students who transfer from another institution will be placed on the qualitative chart according to the semester that corresponds to the number of their accepted transfer credits. If they do not meet the corresponding required GPA at the end of their first semester, they will be placed on probation. They will have to meet the required standard at the end of their second semester in order to remain in good academic standing.

A course with a grade of AW will be counted as a course attempted and will be calculated as an F in computing a student's GPA. A grade of W will not be considered when calculating a student's GPA. A course with a grade of I will be considered as a course attempted and will be calculated as an F for GPA purposes.

As of the end of the Spring 09 semester, a W will not count as a course attempted the first time the course is taken. All subsequent W's in that class will count as an attempted course. All F's and AW's will count as courses attempted and will be calculated as part of the student's GPA. If a student receives an F and then a W in the same class, the W will not count as a course attempted if it is the first W in that class. When a student earns a grade in the course, the best grade out of all the attempts will be counted for GPA purposes. A noncredit remedial course will not be considered when calculating a student's GP A and will not be considered as a course attempted.

All students who have cumulative GPAs below 2.0 will be placed on academic alert. This status does not affect a student's eligibility for financial aid. The academic alert status will enable the college to provide needed academic support and guidance to enable weak students to successfully complete their degree program.

A student who falls into one of the following categories will be subject to dismissal:

1.   Students who fail to achieve the qualitative (cumulative GPA) standards discussed above will be dismissed.

2.   Students who are dismissed are not eligible for financial aid.

Students have the right to appeal a dismissal to the academic office if unusual circumstances existed. Proof of such circumstances will be required.

Students who have been dismissed may return as non-matriculated students, upon approval by the appropriate office, and register for courses at their own expense. Upon the satisfactory completion of these courses and meeting the required standards of progress, they may apply for a change from non-matriculated to matriculated status.

A student in good standing may be granted a Leave of Absence for a maximum period of one semester. Requests for a Leave of Absence must be submitted in writing prior to the semester for which leave is desired. Forms for requesting a Leave of Absence may be obtained from the Office of Student Services or Bachelor's Program Office.

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must do so by the date indicated in the Academic Calendar. Withdrawal forms must be completed in the appropriate Student Services Office. Withdrawal from a course after the announced final withdrawal date, without formal permission, automatically merits a grade of F. Withdrawal from a course(s) which results in less than full-time status during the add/drop period, (week 1 and 2) will affect the student's enrollment status and financial aid.

A student who leaves the college during any semester must complete a withdrawal form, available in the appropriate Student Services Office, or officially notify the college. Students who withdraw from the college after the twelfth week of the semester will receive grades submitted by the faculty. Students who have withdrawn and who wish to return to the college in a subsequent semester must complete an application for re-admission. Students who do not attend the Spring semester are not required to complete an application for re-admission.

Students may be administratively withdrawn from a course if it is determined that the student is failing to comply with course and college requirements.

Readmission is initiated in the appropriate Student Services Office. Eligibility is determined through an evaluation of the student's prior academic performance and potential for success.

Monroe College recognizes it may be necessary to grant students a waiver of academic requirements. The appropriate academic official must approve all academic waivers.

Any semester in which a student takes less than 12-credits or equivalent hours will be considered a part-time semester. Classes taken during a part-time semester will count as credits attempted as long as they meet the above-mentioned criteria. All semesters in which a student is enrolled as a part-time student will count as one-half a semester for the purposes of moving a student forward on the standards of progress chart. Any time a student has a one-half semester completed (i.e. 2.5, 3.5, etc.), the student will be held to the lower semester requirements.

Semester Honors

Students earn semester honors during a semester in which they achieve the required grade-point average while carrying a full-time load (at least 12 credits of credit-bearing courses) with no grade lower than a "C."

Latin/Graduation Honors

Students earn "Latin Honors" at commencement based on their cumulative grade-point average according to the following schedule:

Students may have one transcript sent to any authorized individual, college or agency requiring official confirmation of their academic status at Monroe without charge. Additional requests will cost $3.00 per transcript. All requests for transcripts must be made in writing at least 10 days before they are needed. Transcripts are not released for any student who has outstanding financial obligations to Monroe.

Formal commencement exercises are held each June for students who are eligible for graduation during the academic year. Candidates must meet the program requirements in effect at the time of their matriculation into the program for which they seek a degree and earn a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00. In addition, candidates must earn at least a 2.00 cumulative average in designated major courses.

A copy of the student's high school diploma or equivalent must be on file in the Registrar's Office prior to the student being eligible to receive the Monroe College diploma.

Monroe College is an academic community. Its fundamental purpose is the pursuit of knowledge in preparation for a career and for life. Essential to the success of this educational mission is a commitment to the principles of academic integrity. Every member of the college community is responsible for upholding the highest standards of honesty at all times. Students, as members of the community, are also responsible for adhering to the principles and spirit of the following Code of Academic and Scholarly Integrity.

Activities that have the effect or intention of interfering with education, pursuit of knowledge, or fair evaluation of a student's performance are prohibited. Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to, the following definitions:

A. Cheating: Using or attempting to use unauthorized assistance, material, or study aids in examinations or other academic work or preventing, or attempting to prevent, another from using authorized assistance, material, or study aids. Example: using a cheat sheet in a quiz or exam, altering a graded exam and resubmitting it for a better grade, etc.

B. Plagiarism: Using the ideas, data, or language of another without specific or proper acknowledgment. Example: copying another person's paper, article, or computer work and submitting it for an assignment, cloning someone else's ideas without attribution, failing to use quotation marks where appropriate, etc.

C. Fabrication: Submitting contrived or altered information in any academic exercise. Example: making up data for an experiment, fudging data, citing nonexistent articles, contriving sources, etc.

D. Multiple submission: Submitting, without prior permission, any work submitted to fulfill another academic requirement at Monroe or any other institutions.

E. Misrepresentation of academic records: Misrepresenting or tampering with or attempting to tamper with any portion of a student's transcripts or academic record, either before or after coming to Monroe College. Example: forging a change of grade slip, tampering with computer records, falsifying academic information on one's resume, etc.

F. Facilitating academic dishonesty: Knowingly helping or attempting to help another violate any provision of the Code. Example: working together on a take-home exam without prior permission from the instructor, etc.

G. Unfair advantage: Attempting to gain unauthorized advantage over fellow students in an academic exercise. Example: gaining or providing unauthorized access to examination materials, obstructing or interfering with another student's efforts in an academic exercise, lying about a need for an extension for an exam or paper, continuing to write even when time is up during an exam, destroying or keeping library materials for one's own use, etc.

Students who violate the Code of Academic and Scholarly Integrity may be subject to a grade of "F" for the work submitted, an "F" in the course, written reprimands in the student's academic file, and suspension and/or dismissal from the college.

Students are expected to be fully aware of the college's requirements and expectations regarding academic honesty and scholarly integrity. If a student is unsure whether his action(s) constitute a violation of the Code of Academic and Scholarly Integrity, then it is that student's responsibility to consult with the instructor to clarify any ambiguities.