Graduate Catalog
 Academic Policies and Procedures

Advisement

Upon acceptance to the College of Staten Island, graduate students are assigned an academic adviser. Before registration each semester students must meet with their advisers 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 the Schedule of Classes. 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 12 or more credits. Graduate students are also eligible for “Certified Full-Time” status from the Registrar even though they are not enrolled in 12 credits of coursework, if they are engaged in such activities as individual research on a degree-related project, teaching in the College, serving as a research assistant, or doing thesis research. Such certification must be in writing from the graduate program coordinator and must define the activity in terms of credit hours.

Attendance Policies

Instructors are required to keep an official record of class attendance. 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.

1. 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.

2. 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.)

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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 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.

7. Grade Point Average for Graduation
Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B) in graduate-level courses in their program to graduate.

8. 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, excepting summer session, 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.

9. Academic Dismissal
Students whose academic performance falls below the minimum requirements may be dismissed from the College upon review by the Graduate Studies Committee.

10. 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 Schedule of Classes. There is no fee for this application. Application for graduation may be submitted on line at www.csi.cuny.edu/registrar or in person at the Hub, North Administration Building 2A, Room 106.

Grading Symbols and GPA equivalents

Grading symbols used are: A (4.0), A- (3.7), B+ (3.3), B (3.0), B- (2.7), C+ (2.3), C (2.0), F (0), INC (incomplete), FIN (failure due to incomplete), W (withdrew), WA (administrative withdrawal), WU (withdrew unofficially), and PEN (for thesis courses).

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 Medical Office 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.

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.

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 and Grade Reports

Grade reports are issued at the end of each semester. Students may request that their transcript be sent to other institutions (see Fee Schedule). Official transcripts are 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.

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 (see Undergraduate Catalog, appendix ii). 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.

I.D. Cards

A validated I.D. card, issued by the Office of Public Safety, must be carried by a student on campus at all times.