/Institutions/Wilson-college/json/2019-2020/Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Wilson-college/json/2019-2020/Catalog.json

Student Information

Enrollment in Online Courses

Wilson College offers a variety of online courses/programs as outlined in the course catalog and on the course schedule used for registration. Online courses are open to all eligible students provided they meet pre-requisite requirements as outlined in the course catalog. Students should consult with their academic advisor to discuss the feasibility of online courses as part of their program of study.

Wilson College’s online courses require a commitment from both students and faculty to ensure a successful learning experience. Prior to registration, students, in conjunction with their advisors, should review the types of online courses being offered and the time commitment involved. All online courses require regular log in to e-mail as well as Wilson College’s LMS or a College approved online platform.

The Registrar will send out detailed log-in information 5 days prior the start of the course.
 

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)

Wilson College participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) that establishes comparable standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. The State of Pennsylvania is a member of SARA. Further information can be found here.

Complaints under SARA policies go first through Wilson’s own procedures for resolution of grievances. Complaints regarding student grades or student conduct violations are governed entirely by institutional policy and the laws of Pennsylvania. If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed within two years of the incident to the SARA Portal Entity in Pennsylvania. Complaints may be filed by students from any state with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The form and process can be found here.

 

Online Course Expectations

The Faculty/Course Instructor will have a syllabus available to students one week prior to the first day of the course. The syllabus will outline specific course expectations, assignments, and other requirements relative to the course. Below are general guidelines for ALL online courses.

• Students should expect to devote the same amount of time to an online class as they would for a face-to-face class.
• Some courses may contain online group work and projects
• Students should check course LMS/approved platform site as well as their e-mail several times a week for course related information
• Class participation is critical. Students should expect to participate in discussions, interactive projects/assignments, and other activities as indicated on the course syllabus and by the type of course as indicated by the definitions above.
• Logging on the course LMS/approved platform on or after the first day of the semester is considered attending class. Logging in without submitting assignments is also counted as attending the course.
• Students are expected to meet deadlines outlined on the syllabus as well as on the LMS/approved platform page. These include, but are not limited to, reading/writing assignments, discussion forums, tests/quizzes, projects, etc.
• Students are expected to practice Netiquette. Guidelines for Netiquette are posted on the LMS page and/or syllabus for every online course.
• Be respectful of others in all communications
• Use proper grammar and correct spelling in all communications. Use appropriate citations where needed.
• Be vigilant regarding the tone of your communications. It is difficult to interpret tone in written communications. As such, avoid common mistakes such as capitalizing all letters, using bold, emojis, etc. to make your point. Carefully check your responses prior to sending them.
• All online students have access to and should utilize the following on-line and on site Wilson College resources:

• Online Library Databases
• Online Writing Lab
• Academic Support Center
• Career Development Center

Keys to Success

• Set aside a specific time of the day for the course, based on your schedule.
• Don’t procrastinate!
• Be mindful of posted deadlines for assignments, discussion boards, projects, etc.
• Communicate with your instructors in a timely manner with questions or when clarification is needed.
• When web-conferencing, a headset will decrease background noise and improve sound quality. It is advisable to use one.

Instructor Expectations

Faculty/Instructors will include all instructional policies on the course syllabus (academic honesty, Academic Support Center, office hours, etc.). Additionally, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Ensure course materials meet requirements for students with disabilities. Information will be provided by the Academic Support Center regarding specific students enrolled in your course.
• Provide learning objectives for the course and each lesson.
• Establish clear grading criteria each assignment. Information will be posted in one or more of the following: course syllabus, assignment sheet or with individual assignments on the LMS or approved platform page at the discretion of the faculty/instructor.
• Provide due dates for all assignments that are clearly posted.
• Return graded work within a week of submission.
• Provide Faculty/Instructor contact information for students.
• Be available to students via virtual office hours and/or by appointment.
• Respond to e-mail in a timely manner. Communication expectations will be clearly outlined in the course syllabus.
• Read discussion posts regularly, and respond as appropriate.
• Check online content regularly.

• Syllabus will be published on the LMS or approved online platform 1 week prior to the first day of the semester.

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.

*Students Called to Active Duty

Students enrolled in the U.S. military who are called into active duty may be eligible to withdraw from classes without penalty and receive a refund of tuition and fees and room charges and a prorated refund of unused board. A copy of the military orders must be provided to the Registrar’s Office and a leave of absence/withdrawal form must be completed. If the orders are not available until after a student leaves for active duty, s/he should submit a copy to the Registrar's Office when they become available. Filling out the form requires exit meetings with staff in several offices, including Financial Aid, who can provide advice about available options. In accordance with federal regulations, students who receive financial aid benefits may be required to repay a portion of the financial aid received depending upon the point in the semester when the student withdraws. The student would be informed of any repayment obligations during the exit interview with Financial Aid. Students are responsible for all charges made to the College Store. Students may receive some credit at the Virtual Bookstore depending on the condition of the textbooks and submission of the receipt.

Students who are able to complete most of the semester before they report for active duty may be able to complete the semester rather than withdrawing from their courses. In this case, arrangements for incompletes must be made with their instructors. Permission to take additional time to complete courses beyond the six weeks allowed through the Academic Regulations may be granted, depending upon the circumstances.

*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.