Upon acceptance to the College of Staten Island, graduate students are assigned an academic advisor. Before registration, each semester students must meet with their advisors to plan their programs.

Registration

Students must register each semester. Registration materials are sent by the Office of the Registrar prior to registration to all current, readmitted, and newly admitted students. Registration is not complete until all financial obligations have been satisfied. Programs may be changed and courses dropped or added until the end of the first week of classes. A detailed set of instructions for registration is published each semester in Semester Information Students who do not register each semester must maintain their matriculation or apply for readmission (see section under Admissions).

Full-Time Classification

Graduate students are classified as full-time if they are taking nine or more credits.

Attendance Policies

Students are expected to attend all sessions. A student who is absent in excess of 15 percent of the class hours in one semester is assigned a grade of WU (withdrew unofficially), subject to the discretion of the instructor.

Graduate Program Policies

The following academic policies apply to all of the graduate degree programs in the College. Please refer to the program description for any specific policies.

Transfer Credits. Graduate courses taken within the last five years at an accredited college or university may be accepted at the discretion of the coordinator of the graduate program. A maximum of 12 graduate credits in graduate courses, with a minimum grade of 3.0 (B) in each course, may be applied toward a graduate degree from the College of Staten Island. For specific requirements, please see the program description.
Undergraduate Courses. Graduate students may not enroll in undergraduate courses for graduate credit. Graduate students may, however, enroll in undergraduate courses in order to remedy deficiencies in their preparation for graduate study. Such courses will not be credited toward the requirements of the graduate degree. Non-matriculated students who are completing undergraduate coursework to qualify for matriculated status must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be considered for matriculation. (See also specific requirements for remedying deficiencies in the description of the degree program.)
Credits as a Non-Matriculated Student. Not more than 12 credits of graduate courses may be taken as a non-matriculated student, unless the student already holds another master’s degree.
Independent Study. Graduate students may take a maximum of two independent study courses. Approval of the graduate program coordinator and the dean of the division is required.
Five-Year Time Limit. All credits for a graduate degree must be completed within five years. Extensions may be granted only with the written permission of the program coordinator.
Grade Point Average for Retention. Students must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) to be retained in a graduate program. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 are on probationary status. While they are on probationary status, their registration forms must be signed by the coordinator of their program. Students may raise their GPA only through enrollment in graduate courses approved by their program coordinator.
Students on academic probation will not be dismissed but will be automatically continued on probation as long as they achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or better each year until they have reached the required minimum grade point average. Students who fail to achieve the minimum 3.5 grade point average for any year while on probation will be dismissed.
Grade Point Average for Graduation. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B) in graduate-level courses in their program to graduate.
Grade Appeals. Students wishing to appeal a grade other than WU (withdrew unofficially) or FIN (F from incomplete) must do so within 60 school days following the end of the semester*. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the chairperson of the department in which the course was offered. Upon receipt of the appeal, the chairperson shall direct the student to discuss the issue with the instructor who assigned the grade. If the issue remains unresolved, the student may request a review by the Department Committee on Grade Appeals, composed of three faculty members. The committee shall review all information presented by the student and the instructor and render a decision within 30 days after the student requested the grade review. If the committee upholds the appeal by a vote of 3-0, the chairperson shall change the grade to reflect the decision of the committee. If the committee does not uphold the student, there is no further appeal within the College.
In all deliberations on grade appeals, the burden shall be on the student to prove that a violation of the College’s regulations occurred or that the instructor’s own stated criteria for grading, which shall have been enunciated at the beginning of the semester, have not been followed. Students needing advice on the procedure may consult a counselor.

Students wishing to appeal a WU or a FIN grade must file a written petition supported by documentation to the Graduate Studies Committee.

*Summer and winter session months are not included in the 60 day appeal deadline.
Academic Dismissal. Students whose academic performance falls below the minimum requirements may be dismissed from the College upon review by the Graduate Studies Committee.
Graduation. Students who believe they will have fulfilled the degree requirements must file for graduation by the date specified in the College calendar in the Semester Information. There is no fee for this application. Application for graduation may be submitted online at www.csi.cuny.edu/registrar or in person at The Hub, North Administration Building (2A), Room 106.

Grading Symbols and GPA Equivalents

The following grading symbols are used:


Grade	Identification	Quality Points per Credit
A	Excellent		4.0
A-			3.7
B+			3.3
B	Good		3.0
B-			2.7
C+			2.3
C	Satisfactory		2.0
F	Failing/unsuccessful completion of course		0.0
INC	Incomplete (temporary grade)		-
FIN	Failure (changed from Incomplete)		0.0
W	Withdrew with no penalty		-
WA	Administrative Withdrawal		-
WN	Never Attended (counts as failure)		0.0
*WN	Never Attended (Effective Fall 2009)		-
Z	No grade submitted by instructor		-
PEN	Grade Pending (for thesis courses)		-

A brief explanation of the grades receiving no quality points follows:

F	Graduate courses in which a student has received an F grade may be repeated; however, the grade of F will continue to be calculated in determining the GPA. Students should refer to the requirements of the program for any specific policy regarding F grades.
INC	The grade INC is a temporary grade assigned when, in the instructor’s judgment, course requirements are not completed for valid reasons. Recipients of INC are required to complete all assignments before the end of classes during the succeeding semester. Students should not register a second time for a course in which an INC is given. Rather, arrangements should be made with the instructor to complete the remaining work. If a student registers again for a course in which an INC was awarded, the INC will become a FIN and the course will appear a second time on the student’s transcript with the grade earned.
FIN	If a grade of INC is not changed before the last day of classes of the succeeding semester, it will automatically be changed to a grade of FIN. If the required work is not completed for continuing valid reasons, the course instructor may grant an extension. Such extensions shall not exceed a period of more than two years beyond the original due date of the uncompleted work.
W	Students may withdraw without academic penalty from any course up to the end of the ninth week of the semester (see College calendar for deadline to withdraw); a grade of W will be assigned. After that date, students may petition the instructor and the chairperson for permission to withdraw until the last day of classes. Consult the Office of the Registrar for the procedures to be followed when withdrawing from a course. If these procedures are not followed, students may receive a penalty grade of WU. In cases of illness, students may apply to the Health Center for a medical withdrawal. Under no circumstances will a W be assigned after the last day of classes without positive action by the Graduate Studies Committee or its designee.
WA	Students not in compliance with the New York State immunization requirement receive the grade of WA. This grade carries no academic penalty.
WN	An unofficial withdrawal due to non-attendance in a course. No credit is received for a course in which this grade is assigned; it is equivalent to a grade of F.
*WN	Never Attended. This grade carries no academic penalty. Effective Fall 2009.
WU	An unofficial withdrawal results in a grade of WU. No credit is received for a course in which this grade is assigned; it is equivalent to a grade of F.
Z	An administrative symbol assigned when no grade has been submitted by the instructor.
PEN	An administrative symbol assigned for thesis courses.

Graduate Studies Committee

The Graduate Studies Committee reviews student records and considers student appeals related to admission, readmission, and graduation. Students can petition the Committee through a counselor in the Division of Student Affairs.

The “Grandfather” Clause

Requirements in this Catalog were approved effective September 1, 2005. The “Grandfather” clause is designed for students who matriculated in a program, major, or curriculum prior to that date. This provides that students may meet degree requirements in effect the year of their matriculation in a particular program, curriculum, or major provided the student has not had an interruption in matriculation exceeding four consecutive fall and spring semesters.

Students changing major or curriculum are subject to the requirements in effect the year of the change.

Transcripts

Students may access their transcript records and review semester grades in eSIMS via the CUNY Portal (www.cuny.edu). Email notification is sent to students each semester when grades are available in eSIMS.

Students may request copies of their transcripts online at www.csi.cuny.edu/registrar/transcript.html (see Fee Schedule). To be official, transcripts must be signed and sealed by the Registrar.

Library Submission of the Master’s Thesis

A finished master’s thesis is a scholarly work that is the product of extensive research and related preparation. The Library will make theses publicly available to students, faculty, and outside researchers. For purposes of preservation, and to prepare them for bindery, theses must adhere to uniform standards of format and construction. The guidelines for submission to the CSI Library are in Appendix i.

Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, and Cheating

Integrity is fundamental to the academic enterprise. It is violated by such acts as borrowing or purchasing assignments (including, but not limited to term papers, essays, and reports) and other written assignments, using concealed notes or crib sheets during examinations, copying the work of others and submitting it as one’s own, and misappropriating the knowledge of others. The sources from which one derives one’s ideas, statements, terms, and data, including Internet sources, must be fully and specifically acknowledged in the appropriate form; failure to do so, intentionally or unintentionally, constitutes plagiarism.

Violations of academic integrity may result in a lower grade or failure in a course and in disciplinary actions with penalties such as suspension or dismissal from the College. More information on the CUNY policy on Academic Integrity can be found in Appendix ii.

Academic Freedom

The City University of New York subscribes to the American Association of University Professors 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom, and the College of Staten Island respects academic freedom for faculty and students as well as freedom in their personal lives for all individuals in the campus community.

Computer User Responsibilities

The computer resources of The City University of New York and the College of Staten Island must be used in a manner that is consistent with the University's educational purposes and environment. All users of computer resources are expected to act in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, and to adhere to the regulations for their use set forth in this document. As a user of CUNY computer resources:

You are required to have a valid authorized account to use computer resources that require one and may use only those computer resources that are specifically authorized. You may use your account only in accordance with its authorized purposes and may not use an unauthorized account for any purpose.
You are responsible for the safeguarding of your computer account. For a mainframe computer account, you should change your password frequently and should not disclose it to anyone. You should take all necessary precautions in protecting the account, no matter what type of computer resource is being used.
You may not circumvent system protection facilities.
You may not knowingly use any system to produce system failure or degraded performance.
You may not engage in unauthorized duplication, alteration or destruction of data, programs or software. You may not transmit or disclose data, programs or software belonging to others and may not copy material protected by copyright.
You may not engage in abusive or improper use of computer hardware. This includes, but is not limited to, tampering with equipment, unauthorized attempts at repairing equipment and unauthorized removal of equipment components.
You may not use computer resources for private purposes, including, but not limited to, the use of computer resources for profit-making or illegal purposes.
You may not use computer resources to engage in abuse of computer personnel or other uses. Such abuse includes the sending of abusive or obscene messages within CUNY or beyond via network facilities.
The use of college computer resources may be subject to college regulations, and you are expected to be familiar with those regulations.
These regulations and college regulations are subject to revision. You are expected to be familiar with any revisions in the regulations.

The University reserves the right to monitor, under appropriate conditions, all data contained in the system to protect the integrity of the system and to ensure compliance with regulations.

Any user who is found to be in violation of these rules is subject to the following:

Suspension and/or termination of computer privileges;
Disciplinary action by appropriate college and/or University officials;
Referral to law enforcement authorities for criminal prosecution;
Other legal action, including action to recover civil damages and penalties.

"Computer Resources" is an inclusive term referring to any and all computing/information technology: hardware, software, and access. Hardware includes, but is not limited to, terminals, personal computers, workstations, printers, wires, monitors, cabling, peripheral devices. Software includes, but is not limited to, mainframe shared software, networked software, and stand-alone software residing on personal computers. Access includes, but is not limited to, accounts on timesharing systems as well as access to stand-alone personal computing systems and other relevant technology.

I.D. Cards

Each student will be provided with a photo identification card. Each semester the I.D. cards are validated upon completion of registration. Validated I.D. cards must be carried by a student on campus at all times. Duplicate I.D. cards are available at a cost of $5.

Admission of Sex Offenders

The College reserves the right to deny admission to any student if, in its judgment, the presence of that student on campus poses an undue risk to the safety or security of the College community. That judgment will be based on an individualized determination taking into account any information the College has about a student's criminal record and the particular circumstances of the College, including the presence of a child care center, a public school or public school students on the campus.