Academic Regulations and Procedures

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Academic Appeals Policy

The purpose of the Academic Appeals Policy is to provide a process for the equitable resolution of formal complaints made by a student, over academic issues including grade disputes and the application of academic policies. Separate appeals policies exist for violations of academic integrity and academic dismissal grievances. The following steps constitute the process; before proceeding to a higher-level step, all lower-level steps must first be completed and documented in writing. The College continues to recommend and encourage the informal resolution of complaints, believing that effective communication is also part of the educational process. To the extent that a faculty member, academic unit head or dean are unavailable, a designee may be appointed for purposes of resolving such issues in a timely manner.

Step One: Faculty

Within two weeks after the end of the semester, term, or quarter (the “academic period”) in which the disputed matter occurred, the student and faculty member must discuss the grade issue via student’s college email, in person, or by phone. After the discussion, the faculty member must make a decision within one week and communicate it in writing to the student. A copy of this decision must also be sent to the academic unit head. If the student is dissatisfied with the outcome of this decision, a formal written appeal must be submitted by the student to the relevant academic unit head within  one week after receipt of the faculty member’s decision. If the faculty member does not respond to the student request within the referenced time frame, then the student should proceed to Step Two and contact the Academic Unit Head.

Step Two: Academic Unit Head(s)

Within one week after receipt of the formal written appeal, the academic unit head will, depending on the situation, meet separately or jointly with the student and faculty member involved. Meetings may be in person or via telephone. During these meetings each party will submit all information and supporting documentation to the Academic Unit Head who will review all of the relevant documentation. A written decision shall be sent to both parties within one week after the meeting. A copy of this written communication must also be sent to the School Dean. If the faculty member involved is also the academic unit head, the parties may agree to allow another faculty member in the department to review the appeal or proceed directly to Step Three.

Step Three: School Dean

Within one week after the decision in Step Two, an appeal may be made in writing by the student to the relevant school dean. The school dean will meet separately or jointly with the student and faculty member, and/or the academic unit head involved within two weeks of receipt of the formal written appeal. Meetings should be in person, to the extent practicable. The school dean will review the written appeal and previous actions on the appeal, along with any additional information and substantiation submitted by each party, and will render a decision in writing to all parties within one week after the meeting. A copy of this written communication must also be sent to the Office of the Provost.

Step Four: Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee

In the event that the issue has not been satisfactorily resolved in Steps One, Two or Three, a final appeal may be made to the Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee. Such appeal must be made in writing to the Committee, to the attention of the Provost, within one week after the decision by the school dean. Appeals should be accompanied by any substantiating documentation. The Academic Appeals Committee will hold a meeting within two weeks after receipt of the appeal, and
shall render a decision in writing to the dean and student within one week of the conclusion of the meeting.

The Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee consists of the Associate Provost (chair) and up to three faculty members, two administrators, and four students (as needed on a case-by-case basis).

All parties to the appeal will be permitted to participate and are permitted to submit any documentation they believe is necessary, including written statements and documentary evidence in the meeting with the Committee. The student may be accompanied by one person who is not professional legal counsel who may observe but not actively participate. The Committee will hear from both parties and may call on any witnesses to the matter and review any supplementary documentation. The Committee may ask questions throughout the meeting and may, if necessary, adjourn the meeting to obtain additional information. The Committee does not have the authority to make a grade change; rather, the Committee will review whether it appears the original grade was fairly awarded, however the committee may make other recommendations as it deems appropriate

The decision rendered by the Undergraduate Academic Appeals Committee is final; no additional appeals will be permitted.

Academic Eligibility for Financial Aid

In order to maintain their eligibility for financial aid, all students who receive financial aid from the federal and/or state government are required to meet specific standards of academic progress (total number of credits passed and the student’s GPA in a specific semester). The Office of Enrollment Services maintains current records on all students receiving financial aid and thereby monitors their ongoing eligibility for such aid. More detailed information about these standards is included in the financial aid section of the catalogue and is available through the Office of Enrollment Services.

Academic Information and Policies

The official source of all information concerning academic policies and regulations is the Undergraduate Catalog. While the Undergraduate Catalog is updated regularly, changes in requirements or policies may occur which are not immediately listed in this Catalog. All students should take note of official bulletins and announcements issued by the Registrar and the Office of the Provost or of information specific to a particular Mercy College undergraduate program.

Academic Integrity Policy

Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an honest, truthful and responsible manner. Students are required to be honest and ethical in carrying out all aspects of their academic work and responsibilities.

Dishonest acts in a student’s academic pursuits will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty undermines the College’s educational mission as well as the student’s personal and intellectual growth. In cases where academic dishonesty is uncovered, the College imposes sanctions that range from failure of an assignment to suspension and expulsion from the College, depending on the severity and reoccurrence of the case(s).

Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents.

Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices, or communication during an academic exercise. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:

• Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work
• Providing assistance to acts of academic misconduct
• Unauthorized collaboration on a take-home assignment or examination
• Using notes during a closed book examination
• Submitting another’s work as your own
• Unauthorized use during an examination of any electronic device, such as cell phones, computers, or internet access to retrieve or send information
• Allowing others to research or write assigned papers for you or to complete your assigned projects

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s idea, research or writings as your own. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:

• Copying another person’s actual words or images without the use of quotation marks and citations attributing the words to their source
• Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the source
• Engaging in plagiarism, via the Internet or other web-based or electronic sources, which includes (but is not limited to) downloading term papers or other assignments and then submitting that work as one’s own, or copying or extracting information and then pasting that information into an assignment without citing the source, or without providing proper attribution.

Obtaining unfair advantage is any action taken by a student that gives that student an unfair advantage, or through which the students attempts to gain an unfair advantage in his/her academic work over another student. Examples of obtaining an unfair advantage include, but are not limited to:

• Gaining advance access to examination materials by stealing or reproducing those materials
• Retaining or using examination materials which clearly indicate the need to return such materials at the end of the examination
• Intentionally obstructing or interfering with another student’s work

Falsification of Records and Official Documents include, but are not limited to, acts of forging authorized signatures, or falsifying information on an official academic record.

Academic Sanctions

If a faculty member believes that the appropriate sanction is academic in nature (e.g., a reduced grade) and the student does not contest either his/her guilt or the particular reduced grade that the faculty member has chosen, then the student shall be given the reduced grade, unless the Dean decides to seek a disciplinary sanction. The reduced grade may apply to the particular assignment where the violation occurred or to the course grade, at the faculty member’s discretion. A reduced grade may be an “F”, or another grade that is lower than the grade that the student would have earned but for the violation. If a faculty member determines that a student has committed an act of cheating or plagiarism, and the student withdraws from the course, that student will receive an “FW” for the course regardless of the time of withdrawal. The faculty member shall inform the Dean of the resolution via email and the Dean shall update the applicable Student Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy Form to reflect that resolution.

In a case where a student admits to the alleged academic dishonesty but contests the academic sanction imposed by the faculty member, or in a case where a student denies the academic dishonesty, the student may appeal to the College’s Undergraduate or Graduate Academic Appeals Committee.

Appeal of Academic Dismissal

A student who has been academically dismissed from the College for the first time has the right to make a formal appeal to the Committee on Academic Standing. If the student is readmitted, he/she is placed on one-semester probation during which time he/she must meet the conditions specified by the Committee or be subject to final dismissal. Students dismissed from an accredited program should refer to their School’s Program Dismissal Review Policy for details on the appeal process.

Appeals

Appeals to the Undergraduate or Graduate Academic Appeals Committee shall be made within 7 business days of receipt of notice of the academic or judicial sanction. All parties will be permitted to participate and are permitted to submit any documentation they believe is necessary including written statements and documentary evidence. The Undergraduate or Graduate Academic Appeals Committee shall convene within two weeks of the filing of the appeal submission. The Undergraduate or Graduate Academic Appeals Committee shall issue a written decision of its finding within 7 business days of convening and shall send copies of its decision to the accused student, the faculty member and the appropriate Dean for archiving in the student’s confidential academic integrity file.

If the Undergraduate or Graduate Academic Appeals Committee finds that no violation occurred, the Dean shall remove all material relating to that incident from the student’s confidential academic integrity file and destroy the material.

This policy applies to all course delivery modalities including online courses.

Attendance Policy

Excessive absence interferes with the successful completion of a course of study and diminishes the quality of group interaction in class. To encourage students to accept their obligation to attend class the following policy is established: Class attendance is a matter between the instructor and the student. Instructors are obliged to announce and interpret specific attendance policies to their classes at the beginning of the term and include the policy in the course syllabus. Any student who has been excessively absent from a course and does not present adequate documentation to the instructor and fails to officially withdraw from the course before the last day for course withdrawal may receive the grade of FW (fail-withdrawal), which is computed as an F for GPA purposes.

Auditing a Course

Students may enroll in a course on an audit basis. The audit fee is 50 percent of the current per credit tuition rate. A student does not receive a grade or credit for the course he/she audits. Students must complete an Audit Form available in the Office of Enrollment Services at any campus within the first two weeks of a semester, term or session.

Change of Grade Policy

A change of grade after the close of any grading period, other than to rectify a grade of Incomplete, is approved only if a mistake was made in determining the final grade.

Any grade change, other than for an incomplete, must be approved by both the program director and the school dean.

Consequences for Policy Violation

A student who is found to be dishonest in submission of his or her academic assignments or other work, or in carrying out his or her academic responsibilities may, at minimum, receive a zero for the submitted assignment, may receive a failing grade for the course, or may be subject to further suspension or expulsion from the College depending on the severity of the offense(s). Regardless, all incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Unit Head and School Dean, and may be retained by the College in the student’s records.

Core Courses

NYS regulations require that a student must take a minimum of one three-or-more credit course at the campus at which the degree program is approved by the state education department. Each program has detailed a core course within the major, which is only offered at the program’s ‘home’ campus, for this purpose. Students may take other core requirements and electives at other campuses, but they must complete the core course at the home campus in order to complete their degree. Core courses are designated throughout the catalog with the superscript (cc); the list of programs by approved campus is set out in the Registered Programs (by campus) section of this Catalog.

Course Load

Matriculated students may normally register for no more than a total of five courses (not to exceed 16 credits) in a given semester. Permission to register for a total of up to 18 credits must be obtained from the Registrar. Guidelines for up to 18 credits include a minimum 3.4 GPA in the previous two full-time terms at Mercy College. Permission to register for up to 21 credits in any combination of terms must be obtained in writing from the Associate Dean in the school in which the course is offered in consultation with the respective Academic Unit Head. Guidelines for approval for up to 21 credits include the following: minimum GPA of 3.8, successful completion of 18 credits in one term (no withdrawals, F’s, or D’s), an assessment by the Associate Dean in the school in which the course is offered. Non-matriculated students may not register for more than 15 credits in any given semester. A student may register for fewer than 15 credits, and some students may be recommended or required to take a reduced program in cases of academic deficiency. In summer term, no student may register for more than 12 credits.

Credit by Examination

Mercy College will accept up to 30 credits worth of credits by examination, 18 of which may be earned through general examinations. Testing credits will be included in the maximum number of allowable transfer credits accepted by the College. Credits by examination that are not deemed equivalent to a Mercy College course can be used as open or liberal art elective credit.

Students interested in credits by examination should consult with a PACT or COP mentor. For further information, contact the Mercy College testing office at 914-674-7358.

Credit for Life Achievement

Many adults, although they have not attended college, or at least have not completed the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, have held positions or engaged in activities that, as educational achievements, may be considered comparable in value to some of the academic experiences that a college affords. Consequently, Mercy College has established a policy of granting college credit for such achievements, subject to the following conditions:

Up to 30 credits may be granted learning achievements, which the College judges to be of such quality as to be comparable to educational achievement at the College level. Professional and paraprofessional work, political activity, volunteer work, and other employment that can be related to academic disciplines are among the kinds of experience that may have this quality. Applicants are judged on both the quality and length of their achievement, and must have spent usually at least five years in the employment of activities for which credit is sought to be eligible to receive the full 30 credits. Life Achievement credit is given only in the category of Open Electives; it does not count toward the residency requirement at the College and may not replace general education or major level course work. The applicant must register for the Life Achievement e-Portfolio course.

A student who meets all of the following criteria is eligible to apply for credit for life achievement: (A) matriculated at Mercy College; (B) at least 25 years old; (C) completed at least 30 academic credits at Mercy College before submitting the portfolio; (D) successfully completed ENGL 112 either at the College or in transfer; (E) a minimum of one year’s relevant experiences to receive the minimum credit for life achievement (three open elective academic credits); and (F) a minimum of five years’ relevant experiences to receive the maximum credit for life achievement (30 open elective academic credits).

Any student interested in applying for life achievement credit should consult their COP or PACT mentor.

Credit Hours

Mercy College’s policy on assignment of credit hours is modeled after the Carnegie unit system and applies to all graduate and undergraduate courses in all schools, regardless of modality of instruction. Under this policy, there is a standard meeting time of 50 minutes per credit hour per week. Standard meeting patterns are established at either one meeting per week or two meetings per week. Standard academic terms span either 15 weeks (for semester and trimester-based programs) or 10 weeks (for quarter-based programs). It is recommended that Mercy College students are assigned two-hours of homework for every hour of in-class instruction. At the time of course creation and approval, credit hours are assigned (at the school level by the appropriate academic unit head and endorsed by the Registrar) based on the accrediting body credit hour requirements and/or NYSED regulation. Online courses are subject to an approval process similar to that of traditional in-person courses to ensure credit hour criteria are met.

Dean’s List

A student whose semester GPA is 3.7 or above is eligible for inclusion on the Dean’s List. The student must be matriculated and carrying a full program of studies (12 credits or more per semester).

Evaluation

Students are evaluated in the majority of their courses by the commonly used grading system in which:

Students who have at least sophomore standing and a C average or better may have the option of taking courses ordinarily graded with the conventional system, under the P/NC system with the following restrictions:

1. A course taken optionally for P/NC grading may not be used to fulfill any major or minor requirements, or any general education requirement except under the heading Open Elective.
2. No student may take more than one course graded P/NC optionally during the time period of any given semester and total credits taken with the P/NC option may not exceed 24 credits.
3. Students must make formal application on forms provided for this purpose in the Office of Enrollment Services. The application must be signed by the student’s OES, PACT or COP mentor and the course instructor, and must be submitted to the Office of Enrollment Services prior to the end of the add/drop period for the term in which the course is scheduled. Once submitted, the request stands and the student may not petition for a change to a letter grade in the course. Some courses are offered, by way of an exception to general practice, for only a P/NC grade. Such courses are not subject to the restrictions described above.

The final grade in a course is the instructor’s estimate of the student’s achievement; it is based upon quality of performance in addition to regularity of attendance and class participation.

Instructors are required to keep a complete grade record of each class for one full year after the end of the semester or term in which the course was taught. Questions regarding a grade received in a course must be addressed within this time frame and should be addressed first with the instructor. The school dean, in turn, may be consulted by either party to ensure fairness.

Exception to Registration and Refund Policies

Mercy College is committed to providing motivated students with the opportunity to succeed in the classroom. The College recognizes that there may be extraordinary circumstances under which attendance in class is rendered impossible, or which severely hinder a student’s ability to successfully meet the requirements of their course of study. For these reasons, the College has instituted the following Exception Policy, in that students with the following extraordinary circumstances may be eligible to request an exception to the registration and refund policies:

Active Military Service – This applies to any student required to discontinue attendance of classes due to military service. The student must fill out the Special Considerations Form, and provide a copy of the orders to report to active duty to the Vice President of Enrollment Services, or her/his designee. A decision regarding an exception to the registration and/or refund policy will be provided to the student within five business days.

Health Related - This applies to a student who has a serious physical or mental health condition which affects her or his ability to successfully meet the requirements of their course of study.

In order for a request for partial or full refund and/or exception to the withdrawal policy to be considered due to health-related reasons, the following steps must be taken:

The student (or someone authorized on behalf of the student) must submit a request to the student’s PACT, COP or Enrollment Services mentor within two weeks of when the health related incident occurred or prior to the end of the semester for which the student is requesting a refund/exception to the withdrawal policy, whichever is earlier. The request shall include the following documents:

1. A completed Special Considerations Form, which can be found on Mercy Connect under the student, faculty and advisor tabs or at the Office of Enrollment Services;
2. A letter explaining the health related issues; and
3. Medical Records, as well as any other relevant documentation.

After submission of all required documents, the PACT, COP or Enrollment Services mentor shall forward the completed package as soon as practicable to the Vice President of Enrollment Services, who will forward to the package to the Committee for Special Consideration. The Committee for Special Consideration, which shall be comprised of a member of the Offices of the Provost, Student Affairs and Health and Wellness, shall review the case and make a recommendation within ten (10) business days of submission of all required documentation to the Vice President for Enrollment Services or her/his designee, who shall render a decision on the matter within five business days. The decision of the Vice President for Enrollment Services or her/his designee shall be final.

Note that requests pursuant to the Exception to the Registration and Refund Policies are not routinely granted, and that the expectation of a low or failing grade is not an acceptable reason for the Committee and/or Vice President for Enrollment Services to consider a withdrawal from a course. The instructor will be asked by the Committee to indicate on a Course Withdrawal Evaluation Form what the student’s level of performance in the course has been up to their last date of attendance.

If a refund or registration exception is granted for health-related reasons, the student shall not return to the College until medical clearance is provided by a treating physician, which shall be evaluated by the College’s Director of Health and Wellness. The Director will then make a recommendation to the Vice President for Enrollment Services, or her/his designee, for the determination whether the student is fit to return, which determination shall be final.

If a student is granted an exception for tuition for any of the reasons above, the student will not receive a refund, but will be able to apply these funds towards future terms of study at Mercy College. The student will be credited an amount deemed appropriate by the Vice President for Enrollment Services and shall be for tuition only; fees are non-creditable, non-refundable and non-negotiable. Room and Board charges do not qualify under this policy. Please see the policy for housing refund outlined in the student’s Housing Contract or contact the Dean of Student Affairs. Cases where a student has federal and/or state financial aid or grants will be dealt with as appropriate by the Vice President for Enrollment Services within the mandates of the respective authority.

For registration requests, the Vice President for Enrollment Services (in consultation with the relevant College personnel) will determine the appropriate exception that will be granted on behalf of a student depending on the student’s particular circumstances.

Grade Suppression

If a student repeats a course, the lower grade will be suppressed from his/her GPA. The original course and the repeated course must be taken at Mercy College. The lower grade will remain on the transcript but will not count in the overall GPA. Students receiving financial aid should check with their Office of Enrollment Services advisor to understand how repeating a course may affect their aid.

Incomplete Grade

The grade of Incomplete is given when, due to illness or other circumstances such as personal emergency beyond the student’s control, a student has been unable to complete the required course work. An Incomplete grade is only a temporary grade that indicates a student has not completed the course requirements but there is a good chance the student will pass the course when the work is completed. It is not appropriate for students who have missed a lot of classes (since it is not possible to make up classes), for situations where it is not possible the student will receive a passing grade, or for students who wish to do additional post-semester work in order to improve a grade. Instructors are under no obligation to grant the option of an Incomplete.

Courses with incomplete grades are included as cumulative attempted credits. However, these courses cannot be used as credits earned toward the degree since successful completion is the criterion for positive credit accumulation. Incomplete grades are initially counted as a W grade when calculating a student’s cumulative GPA for the purpose of determining whether a student has maintained the qualitative standards of satisfactory academic progress. After 30 calendar days, if the student has not fulfilled the incomplete requirements, the grade of F is posted and calculated into the student’s GPA.

In order to be considered for a grade of Incomplete, the student must:

1. Complete the Request for a Grade of Incomplete form (located on Mercy Connect under the faculty and student tabs) and submit it to the instructor of the class for which the incomplete is being requested.
2. Have attended the scheduled course sessions with minimal absences.
3. Have completed the majority of the course assignments in the courses for which an ‘Incomplete” is being requested (e.g., only one or two assignments need completion).
4. Be able to complete the remaining work within 30 calendar days, with minimal assistance from the instructor.
5. Provide documentation of the extenuating circumstances (personal emergency, illness, etc.) warranting the incomplete.

NOTE: Students cannot progress to courses for which the course with an incomplete grade is a pre-requisite, unless the I grade is resolved and converted to a passing grade prior to the start of the term. Some Schools may have additional policies – please check the catalog.

Independent Study Projects

An independent study project is an original course of study planned by the student in conjunction with a faculty member for the purpose of covering material not offered as a regular course. The student must be at least a junior and have a cumulative GPA of no less than 3.0. To initiate the independent study, a student must fill out the required form, attach to it a written proposal for the course of study to be undertaken, and obtain the approval of the department Chairperson or Academic Unit Head and the school Dean or Associate Dean. The school Dean or Associate Dean will send the form to the Registrar for processing. A student may take no more than nine credits in independent study in his/her major area and no more than a total of 12 credits toward his/her degree. No more than one independent study may be taken in any semester.

Judicial Sanctions

In a case where the allegation of cheating or plagiarism is severe, or where the student has a history of violations of the Academic Integrity Policy which conduct warrants suspension or expulsion from the College, the school Dean shall impose a sanction in addition to or in lieu of academic sanctions, as he/she deems is warranted under the circumstances. If the student contests the judicial sanction imposed, he/she may appeal to the Undergraduate or Graduate Academic Appeals Committee.

Late Registration or Late Add

Registration for courses will end the day before the start of a new semester, term or session. Students may register late during the first week of the new term, session, or semester. Any student who wishes to register after that time, and has made the appropriate payment or payment arrangement, must show written permission signed and dated on the registration form by the Academic Unit Head, the appropriate school Dean (or Associate Dean) and an academic advisor. If the student has missed more than one meeting of the class, the student must also get written permission from the instructor of that course or written proof that the student has been attending the class before the academic advisor may give approval to register. If the class is closed, the student must get a permit from the school dean before the academic advisor may sign the late registration form. No registration will be allowed after the class has met more than once.

Late Withdrawal

It is important to note that all withdrawals are based upon tuition commitments for the full semester in accordance with the published refund schedule. The effective date of withdrawal is the date when the student withdrew using Mercy Connect or the date the withdrawal was processed by the Office of Enrollment Services. Failure to attend classes does not constitute an official withdrawal.

Leave of Absence

A student in good standing may request a leave of absence from the College, for a maximum of three consecutive semesters, terms or sessions, excluding summer for non-cohort programs, without prejudice to his/her standing. If the student does not return for the third semester, he/she must re-apply to the College for admission and follow the rules and regulations of that catalog year. A leave of absence may be obtained by written request from an OES, PACT or COP mentor at the campus where the student is taking courses or online via Mercy Connect under School Resources under of the academic advising tab.

Maintenance of Good Academic Standing

In order to be in good academic standing a student must meet minimum satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of a degree. The minimum standard per cumulative credits total varies for an associate’s degree candidate and a bachelor’s degree candidate. In both cases, a cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation; however, minimum GPA standards for the first two years of study are somewhat lower in recognition of the transition into college-level work.

The following minimum GPA must be attained based upon the number of credit hours attempted (not necessarily achieved) for a candidate’s degree:

At the end of each semester, the Committee on Academic Standing reviews the records of all matriculated students whose GPA is below 2.0. A student who did not attain the minimum GPA for the range of credits he/she has attempted as stated in the above charts are placed on academic probation. To show satisfactory academic progress, the student who is placed on academic probation must achieve the minimum GPA as stated above for the number of attempted credits for the following term of enrollment. If the term GPA is below that minimum, the student will be dismissed.

Those students who have made acceptable progress during their first semester on probation will be permitted to continue on probation for one additional semester until the cumulative GPA for their range of credits, as stated in the above charts, is achieved. If the cumulative GPA for the student’s range of credits is not achieved by the end of this second semester, the student will be dismissed.

Students receiving funds from TAP and Title IV must follow the Guidelines for Academic Progress stated in the Financial Aid  section of this catalog.

Matriculation and Credit

A student may register for courses without being matriculated, but in the event of subsequent matriculation, the student may not apply any degree requirements from catalogs issued previous to his/her matriculation. Interruption of study for more than two semesters, not including Summer, other than Leave of Absence, will result in loss of matriculation and require reapplication and readmission to the College.

Prerequisites

Some courses in the catalog require prerequisite courses. Permission to take a course without indicated prerequisites must be obtained from the Academic Unit Head of the department offering the course.

Registration

The regular registration periods are designated precisely for each semester, term, and session. Additional times are designated as periods for late registration. It is preferable, both for students and the College, to have students register early in order to avoid being closed out of courses. Students may register for courses each semester, term or session via connect.mercy.edu. Registration is subject to academic procedures published by the Registrar and billing procedures published by the Office of Student Accounts. All program changes and late registrations are contingent upon approval from the student’s College Opportunity Program (COP), Office of Enrollment Services (OES) or (Personal Achievement Contract) PACT advisor. Policy of some academic departments may preclude a student from entering a course after its first meeting.

Reporting

A faculty member who suspects that a student has committed a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy shall review with the student the facts and Imagecircumstances of the suspected violation whenever feasible. Thereafter, a faculty member who concludes that there has been an incident of academic dishonesty sufficient to affect the student’s final course grade shall report such incident on the Student Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy Form (located on Mercy Connect under the faculty tab) and submit it to the Dean of the appropriate School. The Dean shall update the Student Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy Form after a suspected incident has been resolved to reflect that resolution. Unless the resolution exonerates the student, the Student Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy Form shall be placed in a confidential academic integrity file created for the purposes of identifying repeat violations, gathering data, and assessing and reviewing policies.

Scheduling Options

Mercy College offers a wide range of flexible course options. Web registration is available to all students, via connect.mercy.edu, and encouraged. A complete listing of course offerings for each location is available on the College website via the fall, spring and summer course bulletins. Day classes are offered at all campuses in a traditional 15-week semester. Evening classes are offered at all campuses with 15-week semesters and eight-week terms. Weekend classes are offered at the Bronx, Dobbs Ferry and Manhattan campus in either a 15-week semester/trimester or a 10-week quarter term. Summer classes are available at the main and branch campuses offering five and 10-week terms, as well as several additional specialized terms. Courses may require a student to complete online components to satisfy the course requirements.

Scholastic Index

The scholastic index shows the average grade attained in a set of completed courses. The scholastic index for a given set of courses is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned in those courses by the total number of credits that would be conferred by the successful completion of those courses. The number of quality points earned through completion of a given course is determined by multiplying the number of academic credits the course may confer by the coefficient corresponding to the grade received. The scale of coefficients is as follows:

Example: If a student completes five courses, each conferring three credits, grades A, B+, C+, C, he/she can compute his/her scholastic index as follows:

Scholastic index = 41.97 / 15 = 2.798

Courses taken under the Pass/No Credit system, courses for which a student has received a W, and courses taken at other colleges do not affect the student’s scholastic index.

Transcripts and Grade Reports

Students who do not have a hold on their account may obtain their grades via Mercy Connect.

Transcripts are only processed and printed by the Office of Enrollment Services. Transcript requests may be made online or at any campus for pick-up at a later date. No transcript is issued for a student whose financial account is not settled.

Transfer of Credit from Other Institutions

Students who are matriculated at Mercy College are encouraged to complete their programs at the College. Students who, for extenuating reasons, need to take courses at other colleges with the intention of transferring the courses to Mercy College must obtain written approval from the appropriate school dean. Students must obtain the permission to transfer credit form through the Office of Enrollment Services / PACT or from the dean of the school. Students must obtain approval prior to enrolling in a course at another institution to ensure that the course is equivalent in content to the comparable course at Mercy College. If written preapproval is not obtained the course may not be accepted in transfer. Students must complete the course with a grade of C (2.0) or higher. Courses transferred to Mercy College are not applied towards the College or program residency requirements. Transferring courses to Mercy College can in some cases make the student ineligible for graduation honors. Students should check the section on Graduation Honors for further information.

For a full explanation of transfer procedures, see Admissions Requirements .

Tutorial Courses

A tutorial course is a substitute for a regular course offering. The tutorial will ordinarily be given in the student’s senior year and only if the required course will not be offered during that year and the course is needed to complete his/her requirements for graduation. In a rare circumstance, a tutorial course may be offered to permit progression in a student’s program. It is not meant to be used as a scheduling convenience, but, rather, as a last resort after all other scheduling alternatives have been exhausted. The tutorial will always be worth the same number of credits as the catalog course. The student must obtain the approval of an instructor, who will submit to the department Chairperson or Academic Unit Head an approval form, course syllabus, course outline, and a procedure for assessing the student’s performance. The plan must then be submitted to the school Dean or Associate Dean for final approval. A tutorial may be taken to fulfill a program’s core course requirement only in extraordinary circumstances with the approval of the school Dean or Associate Dean and the Office of the Provost.

Withdrawal from a Course

A student who has decided that he/she will be unable to complete the work of a course satisfactorily may withdraw from the course up to the 9th week of a 15-week term and up to the 4th week of an 8-week term. Course withdrawals may be processed online via MercyConnect, or in person at the Office of Enrollment Services at campus of choice. It is wise to consult your COP or PACT mentor. The student is advised to meet with an Enrollment Services Counselor regarding refund policies and the effect of the withdrawal on continuing eligibility for federal, state and institutional financial aid. Withdrawal from a course is indicated on a student’s transcript by W.

Please note that a student who stops attending a class but does not officially withdraw by completing a withdrawal process, either in person or online before the withdrawal deadline, will receive a FW grade. The FW grade will be calculated in the same manner as an earned F in the GPA.