Academic Policies

The Academic Program

Each student enrolled in a degree program is required to complete a major. In addition, students have the option of pursuing a second major and/or one or more minors outside their major discipline. Students also complete course work to fulfill the requirements of the Core Program, which provides a broad and liberal education.

Academic Advising

Advisors are assigned for majors, second majors, and minors. Non-degree students also are assigned advisors.

The First-Year Advising Program is designed to touch on all aspects of the first-year experience, assisting new students to better understand themselves, and to learn to use the College’s resources to meet their educational needs and aspirations.

Upperclass advisors work closely with students during the registration period for course selection for the coming semester. For those upperclass students who have declared a major, advisors in the major department also provide assistance in regard to graduate or professional school and/or career planning.

See the Student Life  section of this Catalog for more information about the First-Year Advising Program and upperclass student advising.

Student Responsibilities

Students are required to consult with their major advisor as to course selection, course sequences, graduation requirements, etc. Consultation with the second major or minor advisor is an expectation, but not a requirement.  It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all graduation requirements have been met and that other requirements, regulations and deadlines have been observed.

Degree Planners and Degree Audits

Degree Planners for academic majors and minors list the requirements for each program and can be used by students to track their progress.

In addition, electronic degree audits (aka, Grad Reports) are available 24/7 to students and their academic advisors through the College Web system, Jayweb. The degree audit matches the student’s course work against the requirements for a degree and notes which requirements are met and which still are required. The degree audit is not the same as the transcript. The degree audit is an advising tool and as such, is an unofficial document, whereas the transcript is the official record of course history and degree completion. Students are encouraged to review their degree audits and transcripts at the start/end of every semester. While the degree audit is usually accurate, at times the complicated nature of a program or the unique circumstances of a student’s course completions may lead to inaccuracies. If there are inaccuracies, students are responsible for reporting these to the Office of Registration and Records. An error in the degree audit does not change the actual requirements for graduation; in particular, unfulfilled requirements are not waived because of degree audit errors. The responsibility for understanding and meeting degree requirements rests with the student.

Declaration and Change of Major/Minor

Declarations and changes of majors and minors are initiated by the student and facilitated by Academic Advising in the Center for Student Success. When a change of major or minor occurs, a student’s advising record is transferred from one Academic Department to another.

Change of Personal Information

Any change of name, address, telephone number, or marital status must be reported to the Office of Registration and Records immediately either as a request through the College Web system or in written form. E-mailed and telephoned changes cannot be accepted. This information must be kept current so that there will be no delay in receipt of information from the College. Changes of name, gender, social security number, etc., require legal documentation.

Academic Load and Progress

Since the completion of at least 125 credits is required for a bachelor’s degree, a student who plans to graduate in four years must satisfactorily complete an average of 16 credits in each of eight semesters. However, some students wisely elect to take a lighter academic load in order to do better work and choose to complete one or more summer courses or attend a partial fifth year. Some programs require a highly sequenced set of courses and any deviations from the sequence may delay program completion. Students should review the requirements for any intended major or minor programs to ensure full understanding of program expectations.

Credit

A semester credit hour represents a unit of curricular material that normally can be taught in a minimum of 15 hours of classroom instruction plus a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work for approximately 15 weeks or the equivalent as determined by the faculty. Each of the following four requirements must be met for any equivalent learning experience activity: 

1. Be directly related to the objectives of the course/program,

2. Be measurable for grading purposes,

3. Have the direct oversight or supervision of the faculty member teaching the course, and

4. In some form be the equivalent of an activity conducted in the classroom.

Full-time/Part-time Status

An undergraduate student taking 12 or more credits per semester at Elizabethtown College is considered a full-time student and pays full tuition and fees.

An undergraduate student taking fewer than 12 credits per semester is considered part time. Part-time students pay the regular semester credit rate plus applicable fees and receive a library card and full use of the library facilities.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations stipulate that a student must carry a minimum of 12 credits per semester to be eligible for intercollegiate athletic competition.

Overload Credits

Undergraduate students may carry up to 18 credits in a semester or 12 credits in a combination of course work during May term and the online summer term. A student who achieves a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or above, or who has the approval of the Registrar, may carry up to 20 credits in a semester. An additional tuition fee is charged for credits in excess of 18 credits in a semester. A petition form for overload credit is available in the Office of Registration and Records or on the office’s website.

Class Standing

The student’s class standing is determined on the basis of the number of credits earned. After earning 30 credits, a student is considered a sophomore; with 60 credits, a junior; with 90 credits, a senior.

Transfer of Credits

Students can transfer courses from institutions that are judged by the Registrar and the appropriate Department (in the case of courses for a major/minor) to be high quality, involve active delivery methods (ongoing exchange of ideas with an instructor), and are consistent with the mission and program goals of Elizabethtown College.

A current student who wishes to transfer credits to Elizabethtown College must obtain permission in advance from the Office of Registration and Records. The College transfers credits – but not grades or quality points – for course work taken through another regionally accredited institution for which a grade of C- or better is obtained. The College does not accept courses taken Pass/No Pass (or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) at other institutions. The College is not obligated to accept course work for which written permission was not obtained prior to enrollment in the course.

Students who have achieved junior status (60 credits) either through work at Elizabethtown College or a combination of work at the College and another institution are not permitted to transfer additional credits from two-year institutions to Elizabethtown College. Such students may transfer credits from four-year institutions, but only with the prior approval of a Registrar. Students must request that the registrar’s office of the transferring institution send an official transcript to the Office of Registration and Records at Elizabethtown College. Facsimiled and student-delivered transcripts will not be accepted.

The records of transfer students from non-accredited and National/American Association Institutions are evaluated on an individual basis.

For more information regarding transcripts and course transfer, contact the Office of Registration and Records at (717) 361-1409 or visit the office’s website.

Transcripts

Transcript requests must be sent to the Office of Registration and Records and should be received at least one week prior to the date needed. Federal law requires that all requests be made in writing by the student. Telephone requests and e-mail requests cannot be honored. Transcripts also cannot be requested by parents, friends, spouses or potential employers.

No transcripts of record are furnished to students whose account is not paid in full. There is no charge for transcripts.

Transcript request forms are available in the Office of Registration and Records or by printing a copy from the office’s website. Letters are accepted instead of the form. The following information must be included in all requests: 1) name(s) and address(es) to whom the transcript should be sent, include specific names/ offices when possible; 2) dates of Elizabethtown College attendance; 3) student’s full name, including maiden name if applicable; and 4) student’s signature.

Students may print unofficial transcripts via the College web system. Unofficial transcripts might not be acceptable to other institutions or potential employers. Elizabethtown College does not send or accept facsimile copies of transcripts.

Registration

Students register for classes on those days designated on the College calendar. No registrations are accepted after the first week of a semester. Students register for the fall semester in April. Spring semester registration takes place in November. A student may register either as a degree or a non-degree student and as a full-time or part-time student. Regular students are degree candidates, and they must be in an approved major.

Many courses have prerequisites, and students are reminded of their responsibility for meeting all prerequisites and for taking courses in proper sequence.

To register for the next semester, a student must have met all financial obligations. Students who do not register during the registration period cannot be guaranteed space in the residence facilities or classes. Students must meet with their advisor prior to registration, and the advisor must remove the “advising hold” before students can register online through the College Web system.

Students are advised to review all Registration materials at the Registration and Records website - www.etown.edu/offices/registration-records.

Registration Holds

A student’s registration may be delayed as a result of unpaid account balances, incomplete academic records, disciplinary sanctions, failure to meet with the advisor, failure to provide current off-campus address information, or incomplete health records. For full-time students, the Student Health Record must include a recent physical and evidence that all required immunizations are complete.

Schedule Changes

Students who have registered may make changes to their schedule via the College Web system on a space-available basis up until the fifth class day of the semester.

Adding Courses

Students may add courses to their schedule up until 4:30 p.m. on the fifth class day of the fall or spring semester via the College Web system.

Dropping Courses

Courses dropped from a student’s schedule during the first four weeks of a semester do not appear on the student’s academic record. Drop request forms are available in the Office of Registration and Records. The completed form must be signed by the academic advisor and returned to the Office of Registration and Records. A student is not dropped or withdrawn from a class simply by discontinuing attendance or by notifying the professor. The completion of any registration change is the responsibility of the student, not the faculty member. Seniors should keep in mind that dropping or withdrawing from a course could jeopardize their graduation clearance.

Withdrawal from Classes

Students withdraw from classes through the Office of Registration and Records. The course will not appear on the permanent record if the student withdraws (i.e., drops) on or before the end of the fourth week of the semester. From this time to the end of the 11th week, a withdrawal appears on the permanent record with a grade of W. All withdrawals after the end of the 11th week of the semester receive a grade of WF unless the withdrawal is from College and is for medical reasons, in which case a W is recorded for each course. A student may not withdraw from individual courses for medical reasons. A grade of WF is calculated into the student’s average as though it were an F.

Repeating Courses

A few courses are repeatable for credit if so designated in the Catalog and provided that the content is not duplicated. Other courses may be eligible to be repeated in an attempt to improve the grade. Courses that are eligible to be repeated must be taken at Elizabethtown College and not at another institution as a transfer course. Only an alternative study registration (independent studies, directed studies, and tutorials) can only be repeated as an alternative study registration (i.e. a course cannot be repeated as a directed study unless it was originally registered as a directed study). All other course formats (e.g. traditional classroom, hybrid, and fully online) may be repeated interchangeably.

Students may repeat any course in which they earned an F or NP and may attempt failed courses as many times as needed until the course is passed. Under certain conditions, students may be able to repeat a course in which they earned a C- or a grade in the D range. To do so, the following conditions must be met:

The course to be repeated must be in their major/minor or be a course that is a prerequisite to a Core Program requirement.

The student must have the approval of their advisor and the major/minor Department Chair.

The student must file a repeat registration form in the Office of Registration and Records.

Under federal financial aid (Title IV) guidelines, a previously passed course that meets these conditions may be repeated only one time. This includes courses in which a program requires a minimum grade in the course (i.e., students who have previously passed a course have one opportunity to repeat the course for a better grade). When repeating a course to earn a different grade, the original grade remains on the transcript but is removed from calculation of the grade point average, course credits are counted only once toward degree and program requirements, and only the last (i.e., most recent) grade earned for the course is counted in the grade point average.

Auditing Courses

Students in good academic standing (2.00 or better) may elect to audit courses provided they do not preempt regularly enrolled students and they have the permission of the professor teaching the course.

The requirements for the audit are determined by the professor. Upon completion of all such requirements, the audit is posted on the student’s permanent record card. Audit courses carry neither academic credit nor grade.

Audit credits are included in the total credits to determine full-time status and overload charges. A fee is charged on a per-credit basis for part-time students who wish to audit courses. Auditors – both full-time and part-time – also must pay any additional fees for labs, studio supplies and other direct costs. Students may add a course for audit or change a course registration from audit to credit during the first week of class only. Change of course registration from credit to audit cannot be made after completion of the fourth week of the semester. Once a course has been audited, it may not be taken for credit. Likewise, a course that has been completed for credit may not be repeated and recorded as an audit course.

Class Absences

Class Attendance

Class attendance policy is determined individually by faculty members. 

Each faculty member announces his or her attendance policy at the start of each semester. A professor or the College may dismiss a student from a course for excessive absences. Such a dismissal in the first through fourth weeks of the semester results in removal of the course from the student’s record; after the fourth week, a grade of WF is recorded for the course. A student may appeal to the Academic Standing Committee for reinstatement to the course.

Students are responsible for knowing the attendance policy for each course and consulting with professors in the case of absences due to illness or other personal problems.

Long-Term Absences

A long-term absence from classes or from campus may result in mandatory withdrawal from the College. After 15 consecutive class days of absence from all classes, a student is considered to have withdrawn from the College. Students absent for verified medical reasons will be granted a Medical Withdrawal.

Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawal from College (Voluntary)

Students who withdraw from the College during a semester also withdraw from all of their classes for that semester. Full-time students withdraw from the College through the Center for Student Success; part-time students withdraw through the Office of Registration and Records. Students who withdraw during the semester are expected to leave the campus as of the effective date of their withdrawal.

For purposes of billing, room reservation, academic responsibility, etc., the effective date of withdrawal is the date on which the completed official notice is returned to the Center for Student Success or the Office of Registration and Records. A student who withdraws without notification receives no refunds and may incur the full room penalty. Failure to comply with the withdrawal procedures may result in loss of the privilege of readmission to the College and the right to the release of a transcript of credits earned. See the Institutional Refund Policy  for information about pro-rated refunds.

For more information about the voluntary withdrawal process, contact Stephanie Rankin, Associate Dean of Students.

Medical Withdrawal (Voluntary)

A medical withdrawal for a physical health or mental health reason is defined as a withdrawal from the College for at least the remainder of the semester in which it is initiated. The withdrawal may extend through subsequent semesters depending on the nature and course of the health concerns. The transcript will indicate “W” for all current courses.

A medical withdrawal for physical or mental health reasons is requested voluntarily by the student or his/her parent or guardian and may be approved if, in the judgment of a licensed medical or mental health provider, it is determined to be in the best interest of the student. A Medical Withdrawal Documentation Form must be signed by the student and completed by the student’s treatment provider. The Form must be submitted to the Director of Student Wellness who also speaks with the student, before the withdrawal can be authorized.

During a medical withdrawal, the College expects the student to participate in professional healthcare treatment with a licensed medical or mental health provider as the primary method of resolving or managing the health concerns which led to the medical withdrawal. Prior to being considered for readmission by the College, the student must have his/her treatment provider submit the Medical Withdrawal Re-Entry Documentation Form to the Director of Student Wellness. Consulting with the Director of Student Wellness is necessary as part of the readmission process following a medical withdrawal. See the Re-Entry Requirements after a Medical Withdrawal document for details on the re-entry process.  

Students are also encouraged to:

1. Contact Residence Life at (717) 361-1197 as soon as possible for information about the procedures for moving out of the Residence Hall, and to inquire about the housing registration process. Housing is guaranteed for residential students upon re-entry within the two semesters following the medical withdrawal.
2. Contact Disability Services at (717) 361-1227 to discuss accommodations during the re-entry process. It may be necessary to provide documentation from your health care provider in order to support requests for accommodations.
3. Consult with Financial Aid and the Business Office regarding implications for individual financial aid and the Institutional Refund Policy.

For more information about a voluntary medical withdrawal, contact Dr. Bruce Lynch, Director of Student Wellness.

Involuntary Withdrawal

An Involuntary Withdrawal may be imposed by the Vice President of Student Life when a student exhibits behavior that has not been appropriately resolved through the Student Conduct process or is threatening to the safety and well-being of the college community.

Each situation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis through an individualized assessment of the student’s ability to safely participate in college programs. The Vice President of Student Life will consult with the Director of Student Wellness, Director of Campus Security, Associate Dean of Students/Director of Academic Advising, Associate Dean of Students/Director of Residence Life, Director of Student Rights & Responsibilities, the Director of Disability Services, and college legal counsel as necessary to fully consider available medical knowledge and the observed, documented behavior which prompted the review in order to determine if a reasonable accommodation can be made or if a withdrawal is recommended. 

If a withdrawal is recommended, the Vice President of Student Life will confer with the student and/or parent/guardian to explain the advantages of a voluntary withdrawal or voluntary medical withdrawal and the conditions for re-entry which may include a medical clearance from a licensed physician or psychologist. If the student declines to take a voluntary withdrawal or voluntary medical withdrawal, the Dean may impose an involuntary withdrawal. The Dean will explain the implications for the student including the conditions for re-entry which may include a medical clearance from a licensed physician or psychologist. During an Involuntary Withdrawal, the student is immediately administratively withdrawn from all classes and from college housing if applicable. The transcript will indicate “W” for all currently enrolled courses. The student may be eligible for a refund according to the Institutional Refund Policy.

In an emergency situation, the College will take immediate steps to protect the health, safety, and welfare of students, employees, and the campus community including the imposition of an Interim Separation by the Vice President of Student Life. The subsequent individual assessment may result in an Involuntary Withdrawal. 

Appeal of an Involuntary Withdrawal

A decision to impose an Involuntary Withdrawal may be appealed by the student to the President  within five (5) business days of the decision. Appeals should be in writing and include specific reasons for the appeal. The President has five (5) business days to review the information presented and inform the student in writing of a final decision. The President may uphold the decision of the Vice President of Student Life, adjust the finding, refer the matter back to the Vice President of Student Life for additional consideration or reverse the decision and reinstate the student. The President’s decision is final.

Students who believe they may have been discriminated against on the basis of a disability can follow the grievance procedure at www.etown.edu/offices/disability/Grievance_Procedure.aspx.

Leave of Absence

Students in good academic standing may take a leave of absence from the College for a period of time not to extend beyond the academic year in which the leave is taken. Leaves of absence must be approved by the Director of the Center for Student Success. In order to return to the College following a leave of absence, students must submit a readmit request to the Office of Registration and Records. For more information about the Leave of Absence process, contact Stephanie Rankin, Associate Dean of Students.

Readmission

Students who leave the College in good academic standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average) gain readmission by written request to the Office of Registration and Records. Students who leave the College in academic difficulty (below 2.00 cumulative grade point average) must petition the Academic Standing Committee for readmission. A student who is readmitted to the College after an absence of five successive years may petition to have previous grades of F removed from his/her cumulative grade point average. In order to be eligible to petition for this, students must have completed 16 consecutive credits at Elizabethtown and earned a grade of C or better in each class. If the petition is approved, the old F grades remain on the transcript but are removed from the student’s overall grade point average. For further information, students should consult with the Office of Registration and Records.

For more information, please visit www.etown.edu/offices/registration-records/readmit.

Grades and Quality Points

Grades are reported as A, B, C, D, and F. Plus and minus distinctions are made. Designations of I, W, WF, P, NP, and AUD are used in appropriate situations.

Grade definitions are:

Grades submitted to the Office of Registration and Records are considered official at the time submitted. Official grades can be changed only by successful appeal under the College’s Grade Appeal Policy or by an instructor’s petition to the Dean for Academic Affairs to correct a documented grading error.

Grade appeals and evidence of grading errors must be submitted within 30 days of the date on which the grade was formally issued from the Office of Registration and Records. Exceptions to the 30-day time limit require formal petition to and approval by the Academic Standing Committee.

Incomplete Grades

A grade of Incomplete (I) may be obtained by making a formal request to the professor of the course in question. The student and the professor must sign a written agreement that specifies the nature and the quantity of work to be completed and the projected date of completion. A grade of Incomplete is assigned for extenuating circumstances only. It is not simply given to allow additional time to complete required course work or to improve a course grade. In addition, a professor may use a grade of Incomplete in cases of suspected academic dishonesty.

All incomplete grades received in the fall semester must be removed by April 1. Those received in the spring semester or summer session must be removed by October 1. Failure to do so results in a grade of F.

Quality Points

A 4.00 quality point system is used. Quality points are assigned as follows:

Grade Point Average Calculation

The grade point average is dependent upon the credits attempted and the quality points earned. To determine the quality points earned for a semester, multiply the credits for each course by the quality points for the grade earned in the course, sum the results, and divide by the total credits attempted in the semester. Courses in which a grade F or WF is received are included in the calculation. Courses in which a grade of W or I is recorded are excluded, as are Pass/No Pass and Audit courses.

The cumulative grade point average and the grade point average in majors and minors are calculated in the same manner as the semester grade point average. All courses that could fulfill a requirement for the majors or minors – whether in excess or not – are used for the grade point average calculation.

Pass/No Pass Grading

The Pass/No Pass grading option is intended to encourage students to explore areas of study beyond those of their major or minor. Courses registered on Pass/No Pass basis earn credits (for grades of P) but are not included in the calculation of the grade point average. Students may select one course per semester to be graded in this manner under these conditions:

A student currently must have junior or senior standing (60 or more credits).

The student must have a cumulative average of 2.75 or higher.

The selected course may carry no more than four credits and must be a free elective. It may not satisfy a Core Program requirement (no Core courses can be taken Pass/No Pass) and may not be a course that could fulfill a requirement for the student’s major or minor. However, if major/minor requirements are already met (i.e., completed, not in progress), then an additional course in the major/minor Department can be taken Pass/No Pass.

No more than four courses in total (excluding Physical Education activity courses) may be taken under this grading option.

All students may elect to take Physical Education courses Pass/No Pass. Pass/No Pass registration opens at the end of the second week of classes and must be completed by the end of the fourth week of the semester. Forms are available on JayWeb and in the Office of Registration and Records. Once a course is registered under the Pass/No Pass option, it may not be changed. Grades of D- or higher are recorded Pass; grades of F are recorded No Pass. Students should be aware that courses taken Pass/No Pass may not be transferrable to other institutions.

Early Warning System

Mid-term grade reports are not issued. However, an early warning system is used. Students carrying D or F grades in 100- or 200-level courses at the end of the fifth week of the semester are notified of their deficient performance. These students are encouraged to consult with their instructors and to make use of Learning Services’ resources in order to improve their performance.

Final Examination Policy

All academic courses are expected to conclude with a final examination administered during the assigned time of the examination period. Within the last three meeting days for classes (not for any individual course) prior to final examinations, no unit tests or quizzes of any type may be administered. Due to the structure of courses involving laboratory examinations/practica, a laboratory examination/practicum can be given during these final three days prior to final examinations. In addition, major papers and projects can be assigned due dates that fall within the last three meeting days for classes, providing the due dates are specified in the syllabus.

The following may or may not have final examinations, depending upon the judgment of the instructor:

• laboratory sections
• advanced seminar in which an assigned paper or project is the major activity
• a performance class in which a recital or similar artistic performance is required
• an internship
• a practicum

Any faculty member seeking an exception to the final examination rule for an academic course shall first secure the approval of the department chair and then that of the Dean for Curriculum and Honors.

Students, as well as faculty members, are expected to abide by the published examination schedule. However, students with three examinations in one day may request of a professor that one examination be rescheduled during examination period. There is no obligation on the part of the faculty member to reschedule the examination. All requests for rescheduling an examination must be made at least five class days before the start of the final examination period. Students with four examinations in one day may request that one or two of the examinations be rescheduled, following the same procedure. When a scheduling conflict cannot be resolved between faculty member(s) and student, the student may take her or his case to the Dean for Curriculum and Honors.

Academic Standing

Students in academic good standing maintain a minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average.

Academic Probation

Academic probation means that a student is in danger of being dismissed from the College for academic reasons. Students who fall into the following categories are placed on academic probation and also may be required to sign an academic contract:

Students on academic probation or contract normally should limit their academic load to three courses – or a maximum of 13 or 14 credits – in any semester in which the probation exists. The summer maximum should be two courses or eight credits.

Academic Dismissal

At any time, the College – upon recommendation of the Academic Standing Committee – may dismiss a student who is experiencing academic difficulty and/or lack of progress toward degree completion. A student should be aware that all cases are decided individually and that poor academic performance may result in dismissal at the end of any semester, whether or not a student was previously on an academic contract. Further, violations of the conditions of an academic contract may result in dismissal at any time of the semester.

A student who is in academic difficulty (below 2.00 cumulative grade point average) may be requested by the Academic Standing Committee – in consultation with the student – to enroll in a special or particular set of courses and to become involved in testing, counseling, or other developmental activities. A student’s satisfactory performance in such assignments may be interpreted by the Academic Standing Committee as satisfactory progress and may make it unnecessary to recommend dismissal.

Individual Program Adjustments

Academic Departments reserve the right to counsel any student out of a major or minor for academically related reasons. A student has the right to appeal such Department action to the Dean for Curriculum and Honors, who will direct warranted appeals to the Academic Standing Committee.

Academic Honors

Dean’s List

A full-time undergraduate student who earns a semester grade point average of 3.60 or better in 14 or more credit hours, of which at least 12 credits are letter-graded course work, is regarded by the College as having performed with distinction. The student is placed on the Dean’s List of Honor Students for the semester.

Emergent Scholars Program

Awarded to those undergraduate students who demonstrate strong academic achievement at the end of three semesters of full-time study at Elizabethtown College. Such early academic achievement is indicative of habits of mind that embody the Elizabethtown Educational Philosophy and Learning Goals. Recognition at this point in a student’s college career seeks to encourage deeper academic engagement on the path to achieving the promise of a transformative Elizabethtown College education.

Qualifying students are full-time students who have not previously attended another college or university for full-time study and have earned at least 42 credits in three consecutive semesters of study at Elizabethtown College or one of its affiliated programs (or, by petition, a non-affiliated program). Students must have attained at least a 3.75 cumulative grade point average at the end of their first three semesters. Students will be identified after their third semesters at Elizabethtown and recognized in a ceremony.

Graduation with Honors

At the time of graduation, an undergraduate student who has achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.60 is graduated cum laude; of 3.75, magna cum laude; of 3.90, summa cum laude.

A transfer student is eligible for and receives these same honors if the student earns a minimum of 60 credits at Elizabethtown College and is recommended for honors by the major Department.

Honors in the Discipline

Honors in the Discipline is awarded at graduation to outstanding undergraduates majoring in the various disciplines. To receive this designation, the student must prepare a research or creative project, and the completed project must be judged outstanding by the faculty of the Department. An invitation from the major Department and a grade point average of at least 3.50 in the major are required for a student to begin an honors project.

Honors in the Discipline is noted in the graduation program and on the academic transcript. A student may receive recognition in more than one discipline. Departments may recognize more than one graduate in a year. Each Department determines the specific criteria used to judge its students’ projects.

Scholar’s Privilege

With the permission of the instructor, a full-time undergraduate student who appeared on the Dean’s List of Honor Students for the preceding semester may attend any class at the College on a space-available basis as a scholar’s privilege without registration or credit.

Departmental Student Privilege

With the permission of the instructor, a full-time or part-time junior or senior student may attend any class within the student’s major or minor Department on a space-available basis without registration or credit.

Credit by Examination

There are three ways for regularly admitted students to receive academic credits and/or advanced placement by examination: 1) College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP); 2) College-Level Examination Program (CLEP); and 3) successful achievement on an Elizabethtown College departmental examination (Challenge Testing).

College Board’s Advanced Placement Examinations

With the approval of the Department concerned, the College grants advanced placement and credit to students who perform satisfactorily on a College Board AP Examination. A complete list of how AP exams transfer to Elizabethtown is available on the Office of Registration and Records’ website in the transfer credit section.

CLEP Examinations

Students who have completed high school (or its equivalent) prior to taking the CLEP Examinations may be awarded Elizabethtown College credits, following recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) in place when the exam was taken and with approval of the Registrar and the appropriate Academic Department. All CLEP Examinations must be completed prior to achievement of sophomore status (30 or more recorded College credits). Up to 29 credits may be awarded for CLEP exams and none of the credits may duplicate College credits completed or enrolled in at the time of the examination. In order to fulfill Elizabethtown’s Power of Language Core requirement, the CLEP English Composition exam must be taken with the essay.

Challenge Testing

Challenge Testing is a comprehensive term encompassing all tests prepared and/or administrated by Elizabethtown College faculty. The types of Challenge Tests are Tests for Academic Credit and Tests for Placement and/or Waiver.

Tests for Academic Credit are Challenge Examinations requested by a regularly admitted Elizabethtown College student in hopes of receiving credit for a particular course in the College Catalog. Requests for Challenge Examinations must be approved by the Chair of the Department in which the course is listed. Practicums, internships, research courses, and First-Year Seminar in the Core Program are excluded from Challenge Examinations.

Tests for Placement and/or Waiver are given for placement in a course sequence such as modern languages and mathematics. Credit is not awarded.

All Challenge Testing is graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. A grade of Pass indicates that the credit and/or advanced placement is to be awarded.

Challenge Tests given at the initiative of the College are administered without fee to the student. There is a per-test fee for Challenge Tests given at the request of the student. The fee is for the test itself and is charged regardless of the test results. In addition, 50 percent of the appropriate part-time tuition rate in effect at the time the test is administered is charged for academic credit awarded as a result of performance on Challenge Tests.

Placement Testing

Entering students are placed in mathematics, English writing, and modern language classes on the basis of criteria established by the relevant Academic Departments.

Students are required to complete MA 251 MA Probability and Statistics  or MA 121 MA Calculus I . All incoming students are eligible for MA 251 and MA 121, but certain majors require MA 121. Please consult the Degree Planners for more information in this regard. 

Placement in English writing courses is determined according to a combination of SAT critical reading and writing scores as well as performance in high school English courses. Most students are placed in EN 100 - PLE Writing and Language . Some students are placed in EN 150 - PLE Advanced Writing and Language , or PH 110 - PLE Logic and Critical Thinking . All satisfy the Power of Language – English requirement in the Core Program.

Students are placed into modern languages based on language background and placement test results. If you want to study Spanish, French, or German, you need to complete the ML Placement Exam for that language. You are not allowed to take the 111 level of a language if you have completed high school level 3 or higher, no matter what the placement exam results are. If you want to study Chinese, Japanese, or Latin, you MUST meet with your First Year Seminar adviser during summer orientation for instructions on how to proceed. Several ancient languages (i.e., Sanskrit, Biblical Hebrew, Classical Greek) are offered through other departments. For details, please consult with your First Year Seminar adviser during summer orientation.

Graduation

The Ceremony

Graduation from Elizabethtown College is celebrated once each year in May. The ceremony is typically held on the morning of the second or third Saturday in May, outdoors in The Dell, except in cases of severely inclement weather when the ceremony is held in Thompson Gymnasium. Students who complete all graduation requirements in the previous summer or fall or in the current spring semester are recognized at this ceremony. Undergraduate students majoring in Music Therapy who have completed all course work, except their professional internship in Music therapy may participate in the May graduation ceremony, but do not receive their diplomas until their internship is successfully completed.

Early Participation

Senior students who are not actually graduating may petition to indicate their desire to participate in Commencement and for verification of their status as a “member of the class.”

Undergraduate students, to be eligible for early participant (“EP”) status, students must have a 2.00 grade point average in both the major and overall at the time of the ceremony and have no more than eight credit hours of course work remaining, regardless of total number of credits completed. In addition, students are not eligible for Latin honors until all coursework has been completed. Students in an education program who have not yet completed their student teaching are not eligible for EP status. Honors are listed in the Commencement program only for those students who actually have graduated and those whose only remaining requirement is a non-credit clinical experience.

Graduate students, to be eligible for early participation status, must have a 3.00 grade point average at the time of the ceremony and must be enrolled in all remaining graduate level courses in the summer in which early participant status is granted. The number of outstanding credits may not exceed 6 credits, regardless of total number of credits completed. Latin honors and the Dean’s List are not awarded to Graduate Students.  

Students approved as “early participants” take part in Commencement with their class, have their name listed in the official program, and are called to the platform for recognition as members of the graduating class. They are not graduates and do not receive a diploma until they have successfully completed all requirements. Early participation applications are due to the Office of Registration and Records by February 1st and must include what, when, and where the remaining requirements will be completed. Following approval, students have two years from when they participate in commencement to complete the requirements and earn their degree and cannot change their major(s) declaration during this time from what was approved for EP status. Students not completing their degree during this grace period or as specified on the EP application will need to follow the Catalog requirements in effect during the year they complete their degree (see “Other Requirements”).

Credit Requirements

Undergraduate

To receive a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, or Bachelor of Music degree from Elizabethtown College, the student must earn a minimum of 125 credits. Some programs may require more than this minimum to complete all program requirements (See the program requirements for specific information).

No more than one bachelor’s degree is ever awarded to an individual by Elizabethtown College; however, students may complete a second major, a minor, or teacher certification subsequent to graduation.

Graduate

To receive a Master’s degree from Elizabethtown College, the student must earn a minimum of 30 credits (Undergraduate courses are not counted towards these credits). Some programs may require more than this minimum to complete all program requirements (See the program requirements for specific information).

Program Requirements

Undergraduate

Students are required to successfully complete all requirements of the major and the Core Program. The College does not guarantee graduation to any student who is unable to complete requirements of a specific program or academic major.

In addition to their major, students have the option of pursuing a second major and/or one or more minors or certificates. Second majors must include at least 16 credits not included in the first major. For each minor, the student must complete at least eight credits that are not used to fulfill the requirements of the major(s) or another minor. For each certificate, the student must complete at least four credits that are not used to fulfill the requirements of the major(s) or minor(s) programs. Certificates are embedded with a bachelor’s degree program. They are not standalone programs. Only a notation of certificate completion will appear on the student’s transcript.

Second majors and minors represent additional knowledge and interest in areas outside the first major. Therefore, second majors and minors must be selected in disciplines outside the first major, and additional minors must be selected in disciplines outside the first minor. Major and minor disciplines are determined by the predominant course prefix of the major/minor course requirements. For secondary education majors, the major subject area is considered to be the discipline of the major. Students seeking to double major in related disciplines (as defined by the predominant course prefix) would appeal to department chair(s) of the major and then the Dean for Curriculum and Honors.

Grade Point Average

Undergraduate

To be eligible for graduation, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00, with a minimum average of 2.00 in a major (and a 2.00 in a minor, if the minor is to be recorded on the student’s transcript). A student who transferred from another college to Elizabethtown College must have an average of at least 2.00 in courses pursued in residence at Elizabethtown. Any student whose primary major or overall GPA is below 2.00 will not be included on pre-graduation correspondence or lists.

Graduate

To be eligible for graduation, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00. Any student whose major or overall GPA is below 3.00 will not be included on pre-graduation correspondence or lists. 

Residency Requirement

Undergraduate

To meet graduation requirements, the student must earn on-campus credits as follows: l) a minimum of 16 credits in the major, at least eight of which are at the upper level (normally 300 and 400 level) and 2) at least 30 of the last 60 credits. To recognize completion of a minor on the transcript, a student must have completed at least eight credits of the requirements on the Elizabethtown College campus and must have earned a bachelor’s degree at Elizabethtown College.

Note: While a student is matriculated at Elizabethtown College, credits earned through the BCA Study Abroad program or another study-abroad program formally affiliated with Elizabethtown are considered on-campus credits for residency purposes.

Graduate

To meet graduation requirements, the student must complete the minimum residency requirement of 27 credit hours in the graduate program. 

Other Requirements

Graduation requirements are governed by the College Catalog dated four years prior to graduation or, for major or minor requirements, by the College Catalog in effect at the time of graduation, if the student so chooses. For most students, this means they will follow the requirements of the Catalog in effect when they begin their studies at Elizabethtown College. Students who choose to change Catalog years for their major or minor to the one in effect at the time of graduation must inform their academic advisor and the Office of Registration and Records by the end of the fall semester of their senior year. Students may not use a combination of College Catalogs to complete a major or minor. Transfer students are subject to the requirements of the College Catalog in effect when they begin studies at Elizabethtown College or, for major requirements, the one in effect at the time of graduation.

Students may not normally use a College Catalog dated more than four years prior to graduation to determine requirements for a degree. The only exception to this is for students who have been continuously enrolled for more than four years.

Elizabethtown College will graduate only those students who meet the moral and financial obligations incurred in pursuit of their studies. The completion of the required number of credits does not in itself constitute eligibility for graduation. It is the responsibility of the candidate for a degree to make formal written application for the degree to the Office of Registration and Records by the stated deadline. Only students in good academic standing may apply for candidacy for degree conferral.

The Office of the President must be notified by any student who plans to graduate in absentia.

Graduate Program

Many components of the graduate program at Elizabethtown College are facilitated the same way as the undergraduate program. Course registration, graduation clearance, and credit transfer are processed by the Office of Registration and Records in the same manner as they are for the undergraduate program.

The following policies apply only to graduate students: 1) The minimum number of credits required to be full-time is six. Students may not take more than 16 credits without following the Petition for Overload procedure and being assessed and charged per overload credit; 2) All but three courses must be taken on-campus; 3) The maximum number of courses allowed for transfer is three; 4) Pass/No Pass does not apply unless the course is offered Pass/No Pass; 5) Latin honors and the Dean’s List do not apply; and 6) Only courses graded F may be repeated.

A student must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 to remain in good academic standing in Elizabethtown College graduate programs. Students who fail to maintain the minimum cumulative GPA at the end of any semester will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation will have one semester in which they are registered to return to good academic standing. Students who fail to meet the conditions of their academic probation can expect dismissal from the program. Students who are dismissed for academic reasons must be out for two full years before they are eligible to apply to the program for readmission.

Students who have withdrawn from the College must petition the graduate program department for readmission. To be eligible for readmission, applicants must be in good standing and the academic program must have the capacity to accept additional students. Additional conditions of readmission may be imposed by the specific graduate program for which the applicant seeks readmission.

It is up to the discretion of the student’s major Department to determine if undergraduate and graduate courses may be taken concurrently. Graduate courses may count toward undergraduate programs; however, undergraduate courses may not count toward graduate programs. Undergraduate program courses taken by graduate students to complete credit deficiencies are free elective credits only and do not fulfill any major requirements. Graduate courses may not be met via Challenge Tests.

Academic Judicial System

Responsibility for judicial matters of an academic nature is assumed by the Academic Standing Committee. The Academic Standing Committee handles matters pertaining to academic dishonesty, grade appeals, academic probation, academic dismissal, readmission and deviations from the academic curriculum of the College.

Academic Due Process

At Elizabethtown College, academic due process is understood to include the following student rights:

With Regard to Grading:

To receive a specific explanation of the manner in which a course grade was determined.

To appeal a course grade if the student believes that a grade was influenced by matters other than academic performance, class attendance and punctuality in submitting assignments.

With Regard to Academic Dishonesty:

When penalized for academic dishonesty, to receive a written notification specifying the nature of the infraction and the recommended penalty.

To request a hearing before the Academic Standing Committee when found by a faculty member to be in violation of the standards of academic integrity and to receive a written statement from that board summarizing the findings of the board and its disposition of the matter.

To request a hearing before the Academic Standing Committee when recommended for academic dismissal due to cheating, plagiarism or other violations of the standards of academic integrity.

To inspect any information on file in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (or its proxy) dealing with incidents of academic dishonesty attributed to that student.

Standards of Academic Integrity

Elizabethtown College assumes that students will act honorably. Students are expected to adhere to the Pledge of Integrity adopted by both the students and the faculty in 1995 and revised in 2014:

I pledge to respect all members of the Elizabethtown College community, and to act as a responsible member of the College community. I pledge to respect the free exchange of ideas both inside and outside the classroom. I pledge to represent as my work only that which is indeed my own, refraining from all forms of lying, plagiarizing, cheating, and academic dishonesty.

As members of the Elizabethtown College community, we hold each other responsible in the maintaining of these values.

Reflecting commitment to the pledge, new students are expected to sign a pledge stating, “I pledge to be honest and to uphold integrity.”

Academic dishonesty – including cheating and plagiarism – constitutes a serious breach of academic integrity. Academic work is expected unequivocally to be the honest product of the student’s own endeavor.

Cheating is defined as the giving or receiving of unauthorized information as part of an examination or other academic exercise. What constitutes “unauthorized information” may vary depending upon the type of examination or exercise involved, and the student must be careful to understand in advance what a particular instructor considers to be “unauthorized information.” Faculty members are encouraged to make this definition clear to their students.

Plagiarism is defined as taking and using the writings or ideas of another without acknowledging the source. Plagiarism occurs most frequently in the preparation of a paper, but is found in other types of course assignments as well.

Other forms of academic dishonesty include (but are not limited to) fabrication, falsification, or invention of information when such information is not appropriate. To knowingly help or attempt to help another student to commit an act of academic dishonesty is considered to be an equivalent breach of academic integrity and is treated as such.

Cases of academic dishonesty are reviewed individually and according to the circumstances of the violation; however, students who violate the standards of academic integrity can normally expect a grade of F in the course and/or possible dismissal from the College.

Procedures for Dealing with Cases of Academic Dishonesty

Instances Involving Course Work. The following steps are to be followed when dealing with instances of academic dishonesty involving course work:

Initial Conference. When an instructor discovers evidence of academic dishonesty, an informal conference is scheduled promptly with the student or students involved. If a face-to-face meeting is not possible, this conference can take place via e-mail. If an instructor is unable to schedule a conference before grades are due, a grade of Incomplete for the course may be assigned in the interim. If the student confirms his or her academic dishonesty in the initial conference, then the procedure continues with the written notification step that follows.

Second Conference. If, in the informal conference, the student denies academic dishonesty but the instructor is satisfied that there is evidence of academic dishonesty, a second conference is scheduled with the student involved. In cases involving more than one student, either individual or group conferences may be appropriate depending on the particular circumstances of the case. This conference should include the Department Chair or another faculty member in the Department in instances involving the Chair. The student also has the right to have a faculty member, another student, or a member of the Center for Student Success present as an observer. Due to the nature of this second conference, it should be scheduled as a face-to-face meeting.

Written Notification. If, following either the first or second conference, the initiating faculty member is satisfied that there is proof of academic dishonesty, the faculty member with the approval of the Department Chair or equivalent will give the accused student(s) written notification specifying the infraction and the recommended penalty. Copies of this notification are sent to the Department Chair (or equivalent) and the Dean for Curriculum and Honors. Should the Department Chair (or equivalent) not be in agreement with the faculty member, both the faculty member and the Department Chair (or equivalent) will give written notification with rationale to the Dean for Curriculum and Honors. The Dean for Curriculum and Honors will review the matter and recommend action and will inform the student in writing of the recommended action.

Reported Cases. Cases of alleged academic dishonesty reported by a student or students or College staff and not resolved by the instructor and Department Chair (or equivalent) may also be referred to the Dean for Curriculum and Honors. The Dean for Curriculum and Honors will review the matter and recommend action and will inform the student(s) in writing of the recommended action.

Academic Standing Committee. The accused student(s) will have the alternative of (1) accepting the penalty recommended by the faculty member or the Dean for Curriculum and Honors [in the case of a difference between the faculty member and the Department Chair (or equivalent)], or (2) requesting a hearing before the Academic Standing Committee. The request for a hearing must be presented in writing to the Dean for Curriculum and Honors within five business days of receipt of the notice of information. In no case may the Academic Standing Committee impose a penalty more severe than the one imposed by the faculty member, or the Dean for Curriculum and Honors, as the case may be.

Dismissal. Beyond the penalty imposed for the individual course, the Dean for Curriculum and Honors will review each case of academic dishonesty and exercise judgment as to whether a student found to be in violation of the standards of academic integrity should be recommended for dismissal from the College. If it is the Dean for Curriculum and Honor’s judgment that academic dismissal is appropriate, the Dean for Curriculum and Honors will notify in writing both the student and the Academic Standing Committee of his or her decision and the factors that influenced that decision.

In the event of dismissal, the student will have the option of (1) accepting the Dean for Curriculum and Honors’s decision, or (2) requesting a hearing before the Academic Standing Committee. The request for a hearing must be presented in writing to the Dean for Curriculum and Honors within five business days of receipt for the Dean for Curriculum and Honor’s decision. The Academic Standing Committee’s decision is final.

Other Instances

All forms of dishonesty in academic matters are violations of the Standards of Academic Integrity and are the concern of the Academic Standing Committee. Inappropriate actions – for example, lying to College officials or forgery of an advisor’s signature – are violations equivalent to cheating and plagiarism in course work. Such dishonesty will be dealt with following the general procedures set forth above. Cases are reviewed individually and according to the circumstances of the violation; possible penalties include suspension or dismissal from the College.

Grade Appeals

Grades are considered to be official at the time they are submitted by the faculty. Questions concerning grades must be called to the attention of the instructor immediately after the official grade report is received. Formal grade appeals must be submitted within 30 working days of the date on which the grade was issued from the Office of Registration and Records. An exception to the 30-day time limit requires formal petition to and approval of the Academic Standing Committee.

Procedures for Grade Appeals

If a student believes that a final grade has been influenced by matters other than academic performance, class attendance and punctuality in submitting assignments, then the following steps are to be followed.

Initial Conference. The student may request an informal conference with the instructor to discuss the matter. If the student and the faculty member reach consensus on a grade change, then the procedure continues with the written notification step that follows.

Second Conference. If the student is unsatisfied with the outcomes of the informal conference, then the student may submit a request in writing for a meeting on the matter to the Department Chair or another faculty member in the Department in instances involving the Chair. For the meeting, the student will prepare a written statement outlining the basis for the appeal. The student also has the right to have a faculty member, another student, or a member of the Center for Student Success present as an observer. Due to the nature of this second conference, it should be scheduled as a face-to-face meeting. The decision regarding the course grade in question will be made by the faculty member in consultation with the Department Chair (or equivalent).

Written Notification. Following either the initial conference or the second conference, as appropriate, the faculty member will provide the student written notification of the decision. A copy of this notification is sent to the Department Chair (or equivalent) and the Dean for Curriculum and Honors. Should the faculty member and the Department Chair (or equivalent) not be in agreement, both the faculty member and the Department Chair (or equivalent) will give written statements to the Dean of Curriculum and Honors explaining the reasons for upholding or altering the grade. The Dean for Curriculum and Honors will then review the matter and recommend action, and will inform the student in writing of the recommended action.

Academic Standing Committee. The student will have the alternative of (1) accepting the grade recommended by the faculty member or the Dean for Curriculum and Honors [in the case of a difference between the faculty member and the Department Chair (or equivalent)], or (2) requesting a hearing before the Academic Standing Committee. The request for a hearing must be presented in writing to the Dean for Curriculum and Honors within ten business days of receipt of the notice of information. In no case may the Academic Standing Committee impose a grade lower than the one originally accorded by the faculty member or the Dean for Curriculum and Honors, as the case may be. The Academic Standing Committee’s decision is final.

Petition of Exception to Academic Policy

Students have the right to appeal to the Academic Standing Committee if they believe they have a unique set of circumstances that warrants an exception of written policy established by Faculty for Elizabethtown College students. Petition forms may be found online or for pickup in the Office of Registration and Records.

Official Electronic Correspondence

All students are provided with a college e-mail account (@etown.edu). These accounts are considered the college’s official method of electronic correspondence and students are required to check this e-mail account on a regular basis. Students will be provided with their account information (username and password) prior to matriculation. This address is used for official correspondence, so students should check their email regularly at http://mail.etown.edu.