Student Information

Eligibility to Enroll in Online Courses

Distance education is valuable for those students who find it inconvenient to travel to the college campus as a result of competing responsibilities and/or distance from the campus. Online courses offer the greatest convenience for those students who live off campus and must travel considerable distance to the college; who have work schedules that prevent attending classes at a regular time; and who can work independently, have certain minimum technological access and possess the ability to use technology.

While online courses will be made available to traditional undergraduate students in some circumstances, the best interactive experience with peers and faculty will occur in the traditional classroom. Students are encouraged to enroll in online courses during the summer and January Term when they are away from the campus. There may also be occasions when the student’s only option is to take an online format course.

Online Course Enrollment during the Fall and Spring Semesters

Traditional residential undergraduate students will be permitted to enroll in one online course each during the fall and spring semesters. If a student must enroll in more than one online course, she or he must complete the online course request form, which must include the online courses, reason to complete the courses in this format, and the signatures of both the student and academic adviser.

Online Course Enrollment during the January-Term and Summer Terms

Online course enrollment is not limited for any student during J-term and the summer terms. Students must follow the course load limitations outlined for each term (J-term: one course credit and summer terms [in any combination]: four course credits).

Online Course Expectations

As with any course, regardless of the format, the syllabus will state specific requirements and expectations for the course. The following are general guidelines:

• Students should expect to devote at least 12 to 18 hours per week for each course.
• Some courses may contain online group work and projects.
• Students should check the course homepage and related pages, as well as their email several times per week.
• Since class participation is critical, students are expected to regularly participate in discussion forums.
• Students are expected to meet the deadlines outlined in the syllabus, including reading and writing assignments, projects, tests/quizzes, etc.
• Students are expected to practice “Netiquette:”
• Be respectful of others in all communications.
• Use proper grammar and correct spelling.
• Be vigilant regarding the tone of your communications. As it is difficult to interpret tone in written communications, avoid common mistakes such as capitalizing all letters. Carefully check your responses before sending them.
• All online students should expect to have access to both online and on-site College resources. These include:
• Online Library Databases
• Online Writing Lab
• Academic Support Center
• Career Development

Keys to Success

• Online courses are not easier or less time consuming than on-site classes. Here are some keys to success:
• Set aside a specific time of the day for the course – whatever best fits your schedule.
• Don’t procrastinate. Be sure to post regularly and engage in class discussions.
• Communicate frequently if you have questions or need clarification.

Instructor Expectations

Faculty will include all instructional policies on the course syllabus (academic honesty, Academic Support Center, office hours, etc.). Faculty will:

• Ensure that the course meets all Section 504 standards for access.
• Provide learning objectives for the course and for each individual lesson.
• Establish clear grading criteria on the syllabus and for each assignment.
• Return graded work within a week of submission.
• Provide contact information (phone and email).
• Be expected to be available to students either by virtual office hours or by appointment.
• Respond to email within 24 hours.
• Read discussion forums and check online content at least daily.

Exceptions to Major Requirements

Any exception to a requirement in a major area must have the approval of the department chair of the major area, who will submit the approval in writing to the registrar.

*Leaves of Absence

A leave of absence is a period of time approved by the College during which the student is not in attendance but is considered a student of record.

A leave of absence may be granted to a matriculated Wilson College student on completion of the leave of absence form available in the registrar’s office. A leave of absence for an undergraduate student may not exceed two years. A leave of absence for a graduate student may not exceed one year. When a student returns from a leave of absence, the student returns under the catalog she/he followed before leaving.

A leave of absence is terminated in one of the following ways:

• Return to the College – The student must notify the registrar’s office to register for courses.
• Withdrawal from the College – The student must notify the College of the intent to withdraw. After two years, the student is automatically withdrawn from the College and will need to reapply in order to return.

A leave of absence is not granted for the purpose of taking a course for transfer credit from another institution. A student, working with an academic adviser, must get prior approval from the academic dean for any course from another institution if it is to apply toward Wilson College’s graduation requirements. The student must complete the off-campus study form available in the registrar’s office.

Students may take a leave of absence, provided they complete a leave of absence form that includes all the appropriate signatures and return it to the registrar’s office by the last day of class in the semester. Students who complete this process will receive a “W” for each course that semester. After this date, students may take a leave of absence without academic penalty only for reasons of illness, family crisis or other problems outside of the student’s control and only with prior approval of the Committee on Academic Policy and Procedures.

The official date of the leave of absence will be the date the completed form is returned to the College, not the date the student stopped attending classes. Students who stop attending classes and fail to officially take a leave of absence or withdraw from their course(s) will be assigned the grade of F (failure) for all courses in which they were registered.

Note: Regulations for financial aid may differ from academic regulations. A student should meet with a financial aid counselor to determine the impact of a leave of absence.

*Short-Term Student Absences

Policies relating to short-term student absences (i.e., funerals, illnesses, medical treatments, pregnancies, etc.) will be determined by individual faculty members.

Student-Athletes: Missed Work

The college has a strong commitment to our NCAA-affiliated athletic program. While academics must take precedence over athletics, we recognize the importance of athletics in the education of Wilson students.

Generally, an absence for scheduled athletic events will be considered an excused absence, permitting the student to make up the work. However, for appropriate academic reasons, a faculty member may refuse to grant an excused absence. As mandated by the NCAA, the College must have a faculty athletics representative whose duties are listed in this section.

Responsibilities of the athletic director and/or the assistant athletic director/academic support staff in athletics:

• Inform the faculty, the student-athlete and the associate dean of academic advising of the athletic schedules as soon as they are available so that scheduling conflicts can be addressed as soon as possible.
• Provide the faculty with team rosters as soon as they are available.
• Provide the registrar, faculty athletics representative and the associate dean of academic advising with team rosters to confirm the academic standing of student-athletes.
• Monitor attendance of student-athletes during their sport’s season.
• Monitor study hours of freshman athletes and athletes on academic probation.
• Meet weekly with athletes on academic probation and with any athlete appearing to have academic difficulties until no longer deemed necessary by the athletic director or assistant athletic director.

Responsibilities of the faculty:

• Grant excused absences to student-athletes for dates of competition whenever possible.
• Inform the student of any dates where attendance is mandatory before the final withdrawal date for the course. Ideally, these dates should appear on the Course Synopsis Form or on the course syllabus.
• Attempt to resolve any conflict without imposing an academic penalty on the student.
• Communicate student-athlete attendance concerns with the athletic director or the assistant athletic director/academic support staff in athletics.

Responsibilities of the student-athlete:

• Attend all classes regularly and complete all assignments in a timely manner.
• Provide faculty with the Academic Conflict Form to inform them of absences necessitated by scheduled athletic events as soon as possible to avert any conflicts.
• If conflicts exist, the student must resolve the differences with the faculty member.
• Make up all work due to athletics-related absences.
• Recognize that academics take priority over athletics.

Description and responsibilities of the faculty athletics representative:

The position of faculty athletics representative is a requirement for membership in the NCAA. As stated by the NCAA, the primary duties of the faculty athletics representative are to:

• Maintain the academic integrity of the athletics program.
• Monitor performance of student-athletes in conjunction with the registrar.
• Monitor and facilitate the delivery of academic services to student-athletes.
• Serve as an ombudsman in the resolution of conflicts relevant to the academic affairs of the student-athlete.

Summer Coursework

Courses taken over the summer must be approved by the student’s academic adviser. No more than 16 semester hours may be taken over the summer months (end of spring semester to beginning of fall semester).

*Waitlist Policy During Priority Registration/Open Registration Period

During the priority registration period, students who are interested in taking a closed class should place themselves on the course waitlist. The computer automatically ranks waitlisted students in the order they are added to the waitlist.

When priority registration closes, the registrar and the vice president for academic affairs will review all closed courses with waitlists. When appropriate, and with faculty consultation, waitlisted students may be added to existing courses or additional sections may be added.

If it is not possible or reasonable to make accommodations for waitlisted students, the students will remain on the waitlist until the first day of class. If there are drops in a waitlisted course, students will be accommodated in order of their standing on the waitlist.

In cases of extreme circumstances – those circumstances completely beyond a student’s control (e.g., severe illness, hospitalization, death in the immediate family, etc.) – the registrar or the vice president for academic affairs may accommodate a student who is a junior or senior, regardless of her/his priority on the waitlist. Please note that failure to register during the appropriate priority period or procrastination does not constitute extreme circumstances.

*Waitlist Policy During Add/Drop Period

During the add/drop period, each faculty member will determine who will be added to her/his courses. Priority ranking on the waitlist does not apply during the add/drop period. Students who had been waitlisted for a course should contact the instructor directly to inquire about adding the course.

*Withdrawal From a Course

Withdrawal from a course requires approval by the adviser and the instructor. Students may withdraw from a course through the 10th week of the semester with the designation of W (withdrawn). It is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from any course scheduled, whether or not they have ever attended. If the student does not attend and does not withdraw, the name will remain on the class list and a grade of F will be recorded for the course. A student who wishes to receive the designation of W for medical reasons must submit such evidence to the dean of the College.

*Withdrawal from the College

A student who withdraws from the College plans to leave the College and does not intend to return. If a student is contemplating withdrawing from the College, an appointment should be made with the registrar for advice concerning procedures to be followed. Because such a decision has numerous and broad implications for the student, she/he is advised to discuss the matter with her/his academic adviser, family and the appropriate faculty and staff members.

Students may officially withdraw from the College provided they complete a Withdrawal Form that includes all the appropriate signatures and return it to the registrar’s office by the last day of class in the semester. Students who complete this process will receive a W for each course that semester. After this date, students may withdraw from the College without academic penalty only for reasons of illness, family crises or other problems outside of the student’s control, and only with prior approval of the Committee on Academic Procedures.

The official date of the withdrawal will be the date the completed form is returned to the College, not the date the student stopped attending classes. Students who stop attending classes and fail to officially withdraw from the College will be assigned the grade of F (failure) for all courses in which they were registered.

In order to re-enroll in the College, a student must reapply and follow all the appropriate admissions procedures. When a student is readmitted to the College, she/he must follow the current catalog.

Note: Regulations for financial aid may differ from academic regulations. A student should meet with a financial aid counselor to determine the impact of withdrawing from the College.