Academic Regulations
Registration and Course Change Policies
Course Load
Normally students take four four-credit courses each semester. However, students may plan a course of study, with the approval of their advisors, that involves three courses during some semesters (which satisfies NCAA requirements) and five during others. The maximum number of four-credit courses a student may take in a single semester is five. Students may also enroll in no more than an additional two credits through any combination of one- or two-credit courses. (This includes any PED courses for which credit is granted at the end of the semester.) There are two exceptions to this rule:
- First semester first-year students are not ordinarily permitted to take more than 18 credits.
- Students on academic probation may not take more than 18 credits in any single semester.
Class Standing/Credit Hours
Normally, class standing is determined by the following credit-hour formula:
- Freshman status — fewer than 28 credits
- Sophomore status — 28-59 credits
- Junior status — 60-91 credits
- Senior status — 92 or more credits
When students have 40 credit hours, they will be sent information requesting that they declare a major.
Registration for Courses
Registration takes place each semester. First-year and transfer students register prior to the beginning of a semester. During the semester, all students register for the courses they plan to take the following term.
With the approval of the academic advisor, students may make changes in course selections without penalty from the end of the registration process through the first ten days of the following semester.
Check-In Procedures
General check-in takes place at the beginning of each semester. All students must go through general check-in and see the Business Office and the Registrar each semester even if they were enrolled in the College during the preceding semester.
Course Change: Drop/Add
At the beginning of each semester, there is a period of ten calendar days from the first day of classes in which students may change courses without penalty. Students who wish to change courses should get a "Drop/Add slip" from the Registrar's Office, have it filled out, and return it immediately to the Registrar's Office. Drop/Add slips must be used even if changing from one section of a course to another. Students changing courses without filing proper forms may lose credit for work taken. Adding a course requires the signatures of the student, advisor, and instructor; dropping a course requires the signatures of the student and advisor only.
Students registered in a course who do not attend the first class meeting and students wishing to enroll in a course at or after the first meeting shall be admitted only at the discretion of the instructor.
Course Change: Withdrawal from Courses
Students may withdraw from one or more courses, with the exception of CNW seminars (see below), at any time without penalty until the Friday following the second advising day. A "W" will be noted on the student's transcript when the withdrawal takes place after the drop/add period. Withdrawal from a course (as distinct from withdrawal from the College) shall take place only after the student has discussed the question with the advisor or, if the student prefers, with the Associate Provost. The student must present the signed withdrawal form to the Registrar no later than the Friday after the second advising day. The Registrar keeps the withdrawal form on file.
Students may not withdraw from a CNW course unless all of the following three conditions are met:
- The instructor of the course agrees that the student made a strong effort to succeed in the course.
- The student, in spite of these efforts, is in danger of failing the course.
- The advisor and instructor agree that it is in the best academic interest of the student to withdraw from the course.
Students who withdraw from a CNW course must enroll in an appropriate CNW seminar in the next possible semester. Withdrawals from CNW courses need to follow the rules for all college course withdrawals.
If the withdrawal option is exercised in any one semester, resulting in completion of fewer than four courses, the W option may not be exercised in the following two semesters if it would bring about a similar result. In special circumstances, the student, after consulting with his or her advisor, may request of the Associate Provost for Academic Services an exception to this rule. In examination of a student's progress toward graduation, the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising will take into account the number of W's on the record.
Registration Requirements for Seniors (The Eight-Course Rule)
The last eight courses taken by a senior must be at Washington College or in a Washington College-administered program.
Grading System
The following system is used to determine a student's grade point average:
| Excellent | A+ | 4.00 |
| A | 4.00 | |
| A- | 3.67 | |
| B+ | 3.33 | |
| Good | B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.67 | |
| C+ | 2.33 | |
| Fair | C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.67 | |
| D+ | 1.33 | |
| Passing | D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.67 | |
| Failing | F | 0.00 |
Other notations used on student records include:
| Withdrawal from course | W | |
| Pass, in courses where the student uses the pass/fail option | P | |
| Incomplete | I | |
| Audit | Au | |
| Credit | CR | |
| No credit | NC | |
| Replaced | R | |
Interim Grades
Instructors will report letter grades for all first-year students, students on probation, and transfer students near mid-term. Interim grades are issued several weeks into the semester only to enable students to assess their progress; they are not made a part of the permanent record. Although letter grades at interim are not required for other students, it is College policy that students are entitled to information about their progress as fully and as frequently as a particular course structure permits.
Parents of dependent students may submit written requests for grade information to the Registrar. The communication of all grades to parents is governed by procedure in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Buckley Amendment).
Failed Courses
- In case of failure in any graded course (except CNW), the department, in consultation with the Dean's Office, will decide how the student should correct the deficiency using one of the following methods:
- Reexamination: Additional preparation may be undertaken through auditing, tutoring, or through a summer session course at another campus.
- Offering for graduation a suitable course taken on another campus (see the Registrar for appropriate form). Before enrolling for a course at another college, the student must obtain approval from the chair of the Washington College department. The student will receive credit earned in the course taken at another institution. However, only the original grade will remain on the transcript and will be part of the GPA calculation.
- Repeating a failed course: See the following section on Repeating Courses below.
- Students who fail a Community/Nation course must retake a Community/Nation course in the following year and receive a passing grade. Students who fail a World course must retake a World course in the following year and receive a passing grade. Courses can only be repeated once. See the following section on the repetition of courses. Please refer to the section on CNW requirements.
Repeating Courses
Courses taken at Washington College in which a student receives a grade of C- or better may not be repeated for academic credit. Courses taken at Washington College in which a student receives a grade of D+ or lower may be repeated for academic credit if the student repeats the course at Washington College or in a Washington College-administered program and in compliance with the following guidelines.
- The student will repeat the same course.
- Substitution of another course will not be permissible.
- Special Topics courses may not be offered as substitutes.
- Independent Studies may not be substituted for courses.
- Courses may be repeated only once.
- Courses being repeated must have the approval of the student's advisor and the chair of the department in which the course is offered.
- Courses being repeated may not be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.
- Under special circumstances, a student may petition the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising to repeat a course in which a grade of C- was received.
- Not all courses may be repeated (e.g., special topic courses and courses not taught on an annual basis).
The student will receive the credit and the grade earned in the second course. The original grade will remain on the transcript but will no longer be a part of the cumulative GPA calculation, and no credit for the first course will be given.
Auditing Courses
Students may audit one or more courses without fee, with the permission of the instructors involved. If students wish the courses to appear on their transcripts, they must formally register for them. The advisor will list such courses on the program card, followed by the notation: AUDIT.
If the student wishes to change a course to audit, then the student must file an audit slip in the Registrar's Office before the end of the Drop/Add period. Instructors will enter audit notations on the student's record only if attendance is frequent enough to warrant it.
The Incomplete
If a student is prevented from completing required coursework by illness (as shown by a physician's certificate) or some other valid circumstance, the instructor may assign the temporary grade of "I" (Incomplete).
Notice of necessary absence from an examination must be given by the student, or one of the Deans, to the Registrar and to the instructor of the course before the scheduled time of the examination if at all possible.
Under no circumstances should a student be given an Incomplete as a substitute for failure. When a student, through negligence or procrastination, fails to complete this semester's work in any course on time, and where there are no extenuating circumstances, the student will receive an "F." If the mark of "I" is not removed by completion of the work before a certain fixed time after the end of the semester, it automatically becomes an "F." This date is three weeks after the opening of classes in the semester following the one in which the mark of Incomplete was recorded. Extenuating circumstances (long illness, for example) may make it necessary to grant an extension.
The student should consult with the instructor, who will notify the Registrar if an extension should be granted.
Pass/Fail Option
Of the 128 course units required for graduation, upperclass students (juniors or seniors) may designate up to four courses for Pass/Fail grading. Not more than one course may be so designated in any one semester. The following rules govern the operation of this system:
- Pass/fail courses may not be used for distribution requirements, the major field of study, major-related requirements, or the minor field of study.
- No student is obliged to take any course pass/fail.
- Any junior or senior who is not currently on probation may preregister for a pass/fail course.
- Students must indicate to the Registrar, on forms provided, which course is to be taken as pass/fail. At the end of the third week of classes, this status becomes permanent. Students may not shift from a pass/fail basis to a letter grade basis either during or upon completion of the course except as outlined below. New pass/fail forms must be filed each semester even if the student is continuing a two semester course sequence. Students are urged to keep their copy of pass/fail slips until grades are released.
- Professors will grade according to the normal procedures for their own records. The final grade will then be translated by the Registrar to a Pass ("D-" or above) or Fail ("F") and recorded as such on the student's permanent record. A failed course is computed into the grade average as would be any other grade of "F." A passed course has no effect on the grade point average.
- To change a major or minor to a field in which the student has previously taken a course for pass/fail credit, these options exist:
- The letter grade the student would otherwise have received in the course may be recorded; in the case of a minor, this conversion takes place only after all minor requirements are met.
- The student may select another course in the major department.
- Courses that were failed previously may not be retaken pass/fail.
Changing Grades
An instructor wishing to change a student's grade for valid reason, following the recording of the grade in the Registrar's Office, may do so by requesting the change in writing through the Associate Provost for Academic Services, who must approve all such changes.
The College recognizes the right of the student to appeal a grade. Appeals should first be made to the instructor involved, then the Department Chair, and finally, to the Dean of the College. The decision of the Dean, in consultation with the Chair and instructor involved, shall be final.
Students have the prerogative of knowing and having explained to them the reasons for the grade on all examinations and term papers. Even though the instructor may wish to retain the examination or paper, the educational value of the exercise cannot be achieved unless the student has the opportunity to discuss in specific detail the reasons for his or her grade.
Final examinations should be retained by the faculty at least until the middle of the semester following their administration in order to permit students to review them if they are interested in doing so.
Policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal regulations require that students receiving need-based financial aid make satisfactory academic progress in accordance with standards set by the College. Students are normally expected to complete their undergraduate degree within eight terms. Washington College is not obligated to continue aid to students who require more than eight terms to complete degree requirements. However, students are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements if they earn credits and achieve cumulative quality point averages according to the following schedule. The following requirements apply to full-time students; part-time students are expected to complete their program within ten academic years:
Minimum credits completed successfully by end of:
- 24 — 1st academic year
- 48 — 2nd academic year
- 72 — 3rd academic year
- 100 — 4th academic year
- 128 — 5th academic year
In addition, students must maintain a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 1.75 by the end of their freshman year and a minimum CGPA of 2.0 each semester thereafter. Transfer students must achieve and maintain a minimum 2.0.
Incompletes, withdrawals, and failures will not count towards the minimum number of credits earned.
Student progress will be reviewed at the end of each academic year (two consecutive semesters of enrollment). If the student fails to meet the required minimum standards, a probationary period will be allowed for one academic year (two consecutive semesters). If the student fails to meet the required minimum by the end of the probationary period, their aid will not be renewed for the following semester. Students who are not maintaining academic progress will be required to resume normal progress before additional financial aid can be awarded. That may require completion of coursework without the benefit of financial aid. Any appeals regarding satisfactory academic progress must be filed through the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee.
Appeals of Satisfactory Academic Progress decisions can be made to the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee. Conditions for an appeal will be sent to all students who did not make satisfactory academic progress after the probationary period.
Merit-Based Scholarships and Grants: Students who receive merit-based tuition scholarships are also required to maintain satisfactory academic progress. The Admissions and Financial Aid Committee will review the progress of any merit scholarship recipient with a CGPA below 3.0 and, in such a case, reserves the right to reduce or remove the student's merit-based award.
Readmision After Suspension
Students who have been suspended for academic reasons and wish to be readmitted must write a letter to the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising requesting readmission. In order to be considered for readmission a student must:
- Present evidence of further academic progress, which includes completing at least two courses with a grade of "C" or better and having a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better at the institution where the courses were taken.
- Submit to the Office of the Registrar an official transcript of all coursework taken during the period of suspension. Students are not readmitted for the semester following their suspension. Students are strongly urged to contact the Associate Provost for Academic Services before selecting courses at another institution.
Policy to Request College Transcripts
Students wishing a transcript for admission to graduate school or for transfer to another college must file written application with the Registrar's Office on the form provided. Students who are in financial arrears with an office of the College (Business Office, Library, Bookstore) will be unable to have transcripts sent out until payment or until satisfactory arrangements have been made to clear debts.
Academic Honors
Dean's List
Students who achieve outstanding academic records during the semester may be named to the Dean's List. To be eligible for the Dean's List, a student must complete a minimum of three courses in a given semester and have no D's. The minimum grade point average for Dean's List is 3.4.
College Honors at Graduation
Cumulative average, rank in class, and honors will be calculated only on academic work completed at Washington College or Washington College-approved programs.
| cumulative average | |
| Summa Cum Laude | 3.875 |
| Magna Cum Laude | 3.625 |
| Cum Laude | 3.437 |
Departmental Honors at Graduation
Departmental honors, which are appropriately noted on the student's permanent record and on the Commencement program by the statement "with honors in (major subject)," are determined by the quality of work done both in major courses and in the Senior Capstone Experience. The minimum requirements are Dean's List average in course-work and honors level work in the Senior Capstone.
Academic Standing
At the end of each semester, student academic records are reviewed by the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising. The committee reviews the grades achieved in each course and considers the semester as well as the cumulative record in evaluating a student's progress. A number of factors determine a student's academic standing. The Committee on Academic Standing and Advising does not use only points or the student's grade point average to determine academic standing. However, any student receiving two grades lower than C- in a given semester is brought to the attention of the committee. Any student who is not making adequate progress toward the degree or is achieving only minimum grades may be placed on academic warning or probation, suspended, or dismissed.
The Committee on Academic Standing and Advising considers each case individually and takes into consideration any pertinent factors in addition to the academic record itself. Faculty members are encouraged to make known to the committee any information they may have about mitigating circumstances behind poor academic performance. (Advisors are encouraged to help students explore the reasons for their difficulties with achievement.)
Students on academic probation may not take more than 18 credits in a single semester. Students who have been dismissed will not be readmitted to the College.
For graduation, students must complete 32 passed courses and 128 credit hours. Any courses failed must be made up by one of the methods prescribed (see section on "Failed Courses.") Students must attain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0, a GPA of at least 2.0 in the major, no more than a total of six D's, and no more than two D's in the major.
Faculty Office Hours and Classroom Policies
Faculty Office Hours
Information about the office hours of individual members of the faculty is available from the Dean's Office.
Attendance
It is the responsibility of students at Washington College to attend promptly each class meeting scheduled in every course in which they enroll. Students on probation must attend all classes without exception unless excused by Health Services or the Dean of the College.
Each faculty member is requested to have a clear policy regarding class attendance and to adhere to it. The instructor's policy may include failure for excessive absences. The instructor should explain the attendance policy to each class at the beginning of the semester. If instructors fail to explain it, students may ask them to do so.
Each faculty member must provide in writing to each student a statement of his or her attendance policy. A copy of that statement will be forwarded to the Dean.
Members of the faculty are under no obligation to accept any student who misses the first day of class. Students are expected to inform their instructors promptly, as a matter of courtesy, of the reasons for any absence.
Students may occasionally be excused from other College obligations if they are involved in a field trip regarded as an integral part of the work of a particular course. The Dean's Office or faculty member involved will send out to the faculty an advance listing of those students who will participate in such a field trip. Field trips should be arranged as far ahead of time as practicable.
As soon as arrangements have been completed, and in any event no less than one week before the trip, the Dean of the College should be informed of the date and inclusive hours of the trip and of the names of those students participating. If actual attendance differs from what was anticipated, a revised list of names should be sent to the Dean's Office immediately upon conclusion of the trip.
A student who is repeatedly absent, or whose attendance continues to be unsatisfactory following a warning from the instructor, will be reported by his or her instructor to either the Dean of Students or the Associate Provost for Academic Services to investigate cases of prolonged absence in which the reasons are unknown to the instructor.
When an instructor is more than ten minutes late to a class, the students may leave without penalty.
Smoking
Washington College is committed to providing a smoke-free environment for all members of the College community. Therefore, smoking will not be permitted anywhere in Washington College buildings.
Eligibility and Academic Policies for Athletes
Washington College is committed to developing students who excel in both academics and athletics. All athletes must satisfy the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Centennial Conference, and Washington College eligibility rules, which are as follows:
- Student-athletes must be enrolled for 12 or more credits in the semester of participation and must be making satisfactory progress toward the baccalaureate degree to be eligible.
- Student-athletes have 10 semesters to complete four years of athletic eligibility.
- Student-athletes who are on academic probation may be scheduled for a conference with the Athletic Director or coach and the Associate Provost to determine whether it is appropriate for the student to continue athletic participation.
- Because travel to athletic events may result in missed class time, class attendance at all other times is expected.
The student-athlete is responsible for notifying professors in advance and arranging to make up missed work if the student-athlete misses class because of regular and post-season contests. Practices, scrimmages, and off-season athletic events are not valid reasons for missing classes; studentathletes should attend the class and arrange with the coach to make up missed practice time.
To facilitate faculty awareness and cooperation with students regarding absences, the varsity sports offered at Washington College and their competitive seasons are as follows:
Fall
| Men | Women |
| Soccer | Volleyball |
| Sailing | Field Hockey |
| Soccer | |
| Sailing |
Winter
| Men | Women |
| Swimming | Swimming |
| Basketball | Basketball |
Spring
| Men | Women |
| Baseball | Softball |
| Lacrosse | Lacrosse |
| Tennis | Tennis |
| Crew | Crew |
| Sailing | Sailing |
Testing Policies
Regular Examinations
Instructors may give quizzes and tests with sufficient frequency to enable students to have a reasonably accurate measure of the level of their work in a course as the semester proceeds. This rule applies with special force to freshman and sophomore courses.
Final Examinations
Normally, examinations are given at the end of a course as well as at other points during the semester. Whether this is a traditional "Final," that is, an examination testing the entire course, or simply the last in a series of written exercises, the final examination is to be given during the week following the end of classes at the time scheduled officially by the Registrar. Examinations that conclude a series may be given during the last week or so of classes only if there is a comprehensive final during the regular exam week as well.
The rules above in no way affect the right of the instructor to give quizzes at any time he or she finds it useful to do so.
Occasionally, the final exam schedule prepared by the Registrar creates unusual difficulties for a faculty member or for individual students. Change in the established time of a course examination may be made, in very exceptional cases only, by permission of the Registrar.
Final examinations are not more than two and one half hours in duration. "Take-home" examinations may be distributed at the last class meeting for submission to the instructor during the examination period.
Final examinations will be retained by the faculty at least until the middle of the semester following their administration in order to permit students to review them if they are interested in doing so.
Making Up Work
Responsibility for handing in all announced papers, reports, and projects on time rests entirely with the student. Instructors may penalize late work.
A student who has missed an examination or test is responsible for making it up and must take the initiative in making arrangements to do so with the instructor. Instructors are not obliged to prepare make-up exams unless the student's absence was occasioned by serious and unavoidable reasons: Students who are members of varsity sports teams and who must miss an exam because of a scheduled sports event may make up exams. In such cases, responsibility for informing the professor of an absence for an exam and for scheduling a make-up exam date rests solely with the individual student.
If illness or some other emergency should prevent the completion of course work, the student's work in that course is temporarily marked "I" (Incomplete). Notice of necessary absence from an examination must be given by the student, or one of the Deans, to the Registrar and to the instructor of the course within 24 hours preceding the scheduled time of the examination.
Under no circumstances will a student be given an Incomplete as a substitute for failure. When a student, through negligence or procrastination, fails to complete the semester's work in any course on time, and when there are no extenuating circumstances, the grade of "F" may be assigned if justified in the instructor's judgment.
The mark of Incomplete must be removed from a student's record within the first three weeks of the semester immediately following. Refer to the section "The Incomplete" for additional information on grades of Incomplete.
Policies Regarding Independent Study
Students interested in pursuing a course of study not offered within the standard curriculum may undertake an independent study. Independent studies may be credit or non-credit bearing. Where a faculty member agrees to work with an individual student in a reading course (or equivalent project) for academic credit, approval must be obtained from the Department Chair before the faculty member is committed to this supervision.
Students may pursue independent, noncredit work with the permission and under the direction of the major department. Such studies are usually undertaken as a vehicle for honors work in the Senior Capstone Experience. Successful completion of a non-credit independent study project is acknowledged on the student's permanent record.
Policies Regarding Credit-Bearing Independent Internships
Internships may be part of an already existing program or they may be independent programs proposed by a student and a faculty member. The following procedures pertain to the latter:
Registration for Independent Credit-Bearing Internships
Prior to the term of the internship experience, students wishing to complete an independent credit-bearing internship should obtain the required internship forms (the Internship Proposal Form, Learning Contract, and Evaluation forms) from the Office of the Assistant Dean (Bunting Hall), or download them from the Web at http://internships.washcoll.edu.
Step 1: Students shall submit the Internship Proposal Form for review and signature to a faculty member who has agreed to serve as the internship advisor and who represents the appropriate field of study.
Step 2: The student should obtain the signatures of his/her academic advisor and the Assistant Dean for Academic Resources. The Internship Proposal form shall include the department course number, academic term, credit hours to be earned for the internship experience, and grading scale (Pass/Fail or letter grade, A-F). The faculty advisor, the student, and the Assistant Dean shall retain copies of this form.
Step 3: Establish the Learning Contract and Supervision Schedule. Together with the faculty internship supervisor and worksite supervisor, interns shall develop a learning contract outlining skills emphasized during the internship as well as corollary learning objectives incorporating active reflection of classroom theory to practice.
Assessment: Completed internship evaluation forms (Learning Contract, Student Evaluation of Worksite, Midterm, and Final Worksite Evaluations) shall be returned to the Assistant Dean's Office and then to the faculty supervisor for consideration in final grading. It is important that these documents are submitted in a timely manner upon completion of an internship.
Administrative Policies
- Credit-bearing internships shall count toward the degree. No more than four of the thirty-two courses presented for graduation can be internship credits.
- Students should not assume that they will be able to receive academic credit for internships previously undertaken and completed without first having received approval from an academic advisor/faculty member in their discipline.
- Internships may not be used to satisfy Distribution Requirements.
- Credit-bearing internships, with the approval of the chair and academic advisor, may be used to satisfy course requirements in a major or minor.
- A worksite supervisor shall be designated for each internship. The internship advisor will communicate with the worksite supervisor on a regular basis.
- The student must submit all written work to the advisor at a time specified in the learning contract.
- Credit may be awarded for either paid or unpaid internships.
- Credit-bearing internships may not be used to fulfill the Senior Capstone Experience.
When approved academic programs require that a student be off campus during his or her senior year, the College waives the residency requirement.
Policies Regarding Advanced Credit
The College may grant credit up to the equivalent of one year of work for advanced credit. Students may be awarded advanced credit toward graduation by presenting satisfactory scores on the following standardized tests:
CEEB (Advanced Placement) in certain subject areas
The Department of Mathematics requires a minimum score of "3"; other departments require a minimum score of "4." Department Chairs are asked to review the examinations. The number of credits and course placement as a result of the AP credit will be determined by the Chairs in consultation with members of their department. Advanced placement and course credit will be given to transfer students with Advanced Placement provided that documentation from the College Board is received within one semester of enrollment at Washington College.
Students entering Washington College with Advanced Placement credit may apply that credit toward distribution credit. This credit does not exempt students from CNW seminars.
CLEP (College Level Examination Program)
This test is normally used by adults who have been out of school for some time, veterans, or those who have never taken college-level work, but have acquired a solid background through their own broad experiences and efforts. A score placing the student in the 50th percentile or better will be required in the various sections of the general test.
Policies Regarding Summer School Credit
Students at Washington College may receive credit for courses taken in summer school at another college or university if they follow certain rules. The summer school course must be comparable to the kind of courses offered at Washington College. If students are attempting to accelerate their education to graduate in three or three and a half years, they must take care to accumulate the proper number of courses and credits. They should attempt to get a four-hour course at another college, the equivalent of one of ours. If this cannot be done, then two summer courses usually would equal one of ours, or three summer courses would equal two of ours. The procedure for obtaining summer school credit is as follows:
- Obtain a Summer School Permit from the Registrar.
- Consult the faculty advisor and secure approval for the proposed summer program. In some cases the advisor or the Registrar will ask the student to get the approval of a member of the department which offers similar courses at Washington College.
- Return the completed form to the Registrar.
- The Registrar will write to the summer school stating that the Washington College student is in good academic standing and has permission to take summer courses in the other institution if required.
- At the end of the summer, the Washington College Registrar must receive an official transcript of the summer program from the other institution so that proper notation may be made on the student's transcript.
Policies Regarding Transfer Students
Transfers with an A.A. degree from community colleges with whom we have a "Direct Transfer" agreement will be granted junior standing, but they will have to meet General Education and Major requirements; the Registrar determines which requirements remain to be completed. A maximum of 72 credits can be accepted in transfer. Therefore, a minimum of 56 hours of credit must be taken at Washington College. The last eight courses must be taken at Washington College or in a Washington College-administered program. Exceptions to these rules can be granted on appeal to the Committee on Academic Standing and Advising.
Transfers from colleges with whom we do not a have a "Direct Transfer" agreement, even though the students may hold an associate degree, will have their course work evaluated and will be granted appropriate standing according to total number of credit hours accepted.
The College accepts courses similar to those offered here which have been completed with a grade of "C-" or better. Credits earned by examination (CEEB or CLEP) are transferable but are listed with a Pass grade only. Advanced placement and course credit will be given to transfer students with Advanced Placement provided that documentation from the College Board is received within one semester of enrollment at Washington College.
The Registrar will send the advisor a transcript evaluation form showing the transfer credits for distribution requirements which Washington College has recognized.
Policies Concerning Credit for Study Abroad Programs
Students participating in approved study abroad programs, with institutions with whom Washington College has contractual agreements, will receive Washington College credit and grades for their coursework.
The following policies apply:
- All courses must be pre-approved by appropriate Department Chairs and by the student's faculty advisor. The required form is available in the Office for International Programs. CNW-like courses must be approved by the Associate Provost for Academic Services. Students who take CNW-like courses abroad must complete the Writing Obligation in the semester(s) immediately following completion of the study abroad program. Students should consult with the Associate Provost for Academic Services immediately upon returning to Washington College regarding ways to complete this requirement.
- When the official transcript from the foreign institution is received by the Registrar's Office, the courses are given equivalent Washington College course numbers, and all grades and credits become part of the Washington College transcript. Credits for two semesters' work cannot total more than 32.
Students participating in non-approved study abroad programs, with institutions with whom Washington College does not have agreements, are not entitled to receive transfer credit for their coursework.
The following policies apply:
- Students may seek transfer credit approval, as with courses taken at other domestic institutions. Such courses must be pre-approved by the appropriate Department Chairs and by the student's faculty advisor. Students may use the Summer School form for this purpose. Forms are available in the Registrar's Office.
- When the official transcript from the foreign or linked domestic institution is received by the Registrar's Office, the courses are given equivalent Washington College course numbers and credits. No credit will be given for any course grade below "C-." The grades will be recorded, but they WILL NOT become part of the grade average. Credits for two semesters' work cannot total more than 32.
Withdrawal from the College
Voluntary Withdrawal
Students who plan to withdraw either temporarily or permanently for reasons of transfer, employment, or personal circumstances must complete a College Withdrawal/ Leave of Absence form and schedule an exit interview with the Associate Provost for Academic Services. The purpose of this exit interview is to explore factors behind the withdrawal decision, to find out how the College can assist the student through his or her transition, and to gain feedback on the student's experiences at Washington College. A student who is planning to withdraw must also notify the academic advisor, the Dean's Office, the Registrar's Office, Business Office, Financial Aid Office, and Student Affairs to ensure that proper adjustments are made to enrollment status and student accounts.
Refund Schedule
The College must make financial commitments to its faculty, staff, and service contractors on an annual basis and, thus, depends on tuition and other dollars to meet those commitments. If a student withdraws from the College during a semester, the student will be responsible for all non-refundable amounts. When the student withdrawal results from a disciplinary action, the College makes no refund of any kind.
Tuition refunds or credits will be allowed according to the following schedule:
Before classes begin — 100%
During first two weeks of class — 75%
During third week of class — 50%
During fourth week of class — 25%
After the fourth week of class there will be no refund.
Dormitory spaces are assigned for the full semester; therefore, no refunds or credits for rooms are given for a student withdrawing after classes begin.
Board refunds or credits will be determined on the same basis as the tuition refunds except for students who officially withdraw for medical reasons.
Parents wishing to insure against the financial losses associated with non-disciplinary withdrawals after the beginning of classes may purchase insurance, which is available through the College.
Leave of Absence
Students who wish to withdraw on a temporary basis must complete a "Leave of Absence" form. These forms may be obtained from the Registrar's Office.Readmision and Merit Scholarship Renewal Information for Students Who Voluntarily Withdraw
A student who has voluntarily withdrawn from Washington College in good standing, who has not taken courses at another college or university, and who wishes to apply for readmission, may simply write a letter addressed to the Office of the Dean requesting readmission. He or she will then be readmitted.
A student who has voluntarily withdrawn in good standing and subsequently takes courses at another college or university prior to returning to Washington College, is required to complete an Application for Readmission. The readmission decision will be based on the grades received in the courses taken at the other college or university.
Students who receive merit scholarships to attend Washington College are expected to maintain full-time continuous enrollment at Washington College, and maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least a 3.00. Merit-based scholarships will not be reissued to students who withdraw from the College and subsequently reapply for admission. Students who withdraw and reapply will be considered for all appropriate need-based aid programs if they meet the College's need-based aid application deadlines.
The Advising System
Goals of the Academic Advising Program
The faculty has approved a system for academic advising and has articulated the following aims and goals of effective academic counseling:
- To enable students to take responsibility for designing their programs of study.
- To encourage and assist the student to explore and articulate interests or career goals.
- To encourage the student to take a "reasoned, contemplative approach" to the problem of designing a program of study.
- To assist the student in designing a program within the liberal arts framework that is clearly related to interests or career goals.
- To ensure that the student has been fully informed about all available options and has been encouraged to examine all options, and that the course of study is designed to meet the student's individual goals.
- To provide advisors who are willing not merely to monitor the student's academic program but also to speak personally with the student and explore his or her changing interests and goals.
- To ensure that advisors have current and detailed information about course offerings and are aware of the variety of options offered to students.
The Faculty Advisor
Each student is assigned to a faculty advisor who has been chosen especially for this task and who works with his or her advisee until the advisee declares a major, or until the end of the sophomore year. Juniors and seniors are assigned either to their major Department Chairs or to other members of the Department, if the Chair determines such an assignment appropriate. Students should be particularly careful when arranging their academic programs, for they must comply with all graduation requirements and fulfill specific prerequisites. Faculty advisors are not infallible, and students must remember that the final responsibility for meeting all of the academic requirements rests with the individual student.
Both advisors and students have a responsibility in advising. It is essential that both take the matter seriously if students are to achieve a meaningful and successful program of study. In the dialogue between advisors and students, advisors serve in two capacities: to interpret the College and its goals for students, and to encourage students to gain understanding of their potential and how it may be developed. In a very practical way, advisors are sources of information for students, explaining campus rules and customs, giving clarification about special programs and requirements, and more.
When students have questions or problems, they should feel free to see the advisor. Although the College schedules advising sessions each year, the real benefits of such an advising system can be realized only through more frequent meetings between student and advisor. It is hoped that good working relationships will develop. However, students and their advisors do not always relate well, and the student is free to meet with the Associate Provost for Academic Services to request a change of advisor.
Among the faculty, students will find friends as well as advisors, and they are urged to foster such friendships. Herein lies the great value of the small, liberal arts college and the education it provides. The benefits of personal attention and assistance under the advising system of Washington College derive from close association among students, faculty, and administrative officers, an association rarely possible at large colleges or universities. The academic advising system is under general direction of the Office of the Provost and Dean of the College. The Associate Provost, the Registrar, the faculty advisor, and the instructors are also at hand to help with advising.