Absence Due to Religious Beliefs:

Any student in an educational or vocational training institution, other than a religious or denominational educational or vocational training institution, who is unable, because of her/his religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such examination or study or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to makeup such examination, study, or work requirement which he/she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day; provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to said student such an opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his/her availing him/herself to the provisions of this section. (Massachusetts General Laws.)

Academic Standards:

Matriculated Continuing Education students who fail to maintain good academic standing are subject to academic probation, suspension, and dismissal regulations presently in effect for full-time matriculated Westfield students. Students whose cumulative average or semester average in Westfield State College graded course work fall below 2.0 must consult with a Continuing Education academic advisor before registering again for credit through Continuing Education. Students who experience academic difficulty are urged to contact an academic advisor for help as soon as possible. Undergraduate and graduate advisors are listed in the Academic Programs section of this catalog. A complete listing of advisors is found in the Student Handbook.

Access for Physically Disabled Students:

Physically disabled students should contact the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at 572-8020 in advance of the term in order to receive assistance in solving any problems they may have with regard to parking, entering buildings, reaching classrooms, or seating arrangements within classrooms. Access to campus buildings is noted on the Campus Map on the inside back cover of this catalog.

Attendance Policy and Class Length:

Regular attendance to classes is expected. However, the weight which attendance may have and specific attendance requirements are formulated by the instructor.

Spring semester classes generally meet once per week either from 4:00 pm.-6:30 p.m. or from 6:30 p.m.-9:15 p.m. Unscheduled absences due to inclement weather or faculty illness or emergency can occur. To make up class contact hours missed, a make-up date of May 4 or 8 has been set aside for classes that have not met the required number of hours during the semester.

Attendance Policy and Class Length:

Regular attendance to classes is expected. However, the weight which attendance may have and specific attendance requirements are formulated by the instructor.
Spring semester classes generally meet once per week either from 4:00 pm.-6:30 p.m. or from 6:30 p.m.-9:15 p.m. Unscheduled absences due to inclement weather or faculty illness or emergency can occur. To make up class contact hours missed, a make-up date of May 4 or 8 has been set aside for classes that have not met the required number of hours during the semester.

Auditing Courses:

It is possible to audit any course offered by the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education. Students who elect to audit courses have the privilege of attending classes but are not required to take any tests or examinations or turn in any written assignments. Auditors should attend all, or most, class meetings. They do not receive a grade or credit. Auditors pay a reduced amount of tuition-$25 plus $100 instructional fee per credit and a $75 registration fee. For the exact amount, consult the section on fees. Please remember that an audited course cannot later be repeated for credit.

Change of Course:

Students may change from one course to another prior to the second class meeting, providing the course they are changing into is open. A course change can be made in the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education by filling out the appropriate form. A change is not permitted after the second class meeting of the class you wish to enter.

Cancellations Due to Weather:

In the event of severe weather conditions or other emergencies, it may be necessary to cancel classes. Announcements are made on the DGCE Hotline: (413) 572-5226, and over local radio and television stations:
Radio Stations
   WHYN (Springfield)
   WNNZ (Westfield)
   WHMP (Northampton)
   WSBS (Great Barrington)
   WAQY (Springfield)
   WTIC (Hartford)
   WMAS (Springfield)
   WACE (Chicopee)
Television Stations
   WGGB (TV-40) (Springfield)
   WWLP (TV-22) (Springfield)

Cancelled Classes: Insufficient Enrollment:

Continuing Education courses are funded solely by the fees students pay. Unfortunately, each semester there are courses in which enrollments are not sufficient. These courses are cancelled at the discretion of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education. To allow students time to enroll in other courses, decisions to cancel are made as soon as possible after general registration on the basis of number of enrollments at the time. Students are urged to register early in order to give an accurate assessment of the number of students who want to enroll in each course. Those students affected by course cancellations will be notified by phone or mail. Students not wishing to enroll in an alternative course will receive a full refund as soon as it can be processed.

Change of Registration Status:

Students can make the following change of status prior to the third class meeting:

These changes can be made in the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education by filling out the appropriate form. There is no refund in the case of a change from credit to audit and the balance of the tuition must be paid in the case of a change from audit to credit.

Course Load:

Students needing assistance in determining course loads should consult their academic advisor or a DGCE Administrator. In most cases, Continuing Education students determine their own course loads. However, students in the part time graduate program are limited to two courses per term and students with full-time employment should ordinarily limit themselves to two courses. Students with PELL grants must take a minimum of two courses (6 credits) in order to receive awards. Graduate and post-baccalaureate students enrolling for 9 credits or more and undergraduates for 12 credits or more need permission of the Dean or his designee. Students are not permitted to take courses at other institutions once they have matriculated. Special permission of the Dean is required for any exceptions to this policy.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 which took effect on November 19, 1974 assures confidentiality of educational records containing information directly related to a presently enrolled student, a former student or alumnus/a.

The institution, according to the Act, may make public "Directory Information" about a student, e.g., name, address, date and place of birth, telephone listings, schools attended, degrees and awards received, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, and the most previous educational agency or institution, unless the student specifically requests in writing that his/her prior consent be obtained.

A request made by students to suppress from public distribution the above mentioned information is to be made in writing annually to the office of the Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education, no later that October 1 of the academic year for which the information is being made public. Further information on the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 may be obtained from the Student Administrative Service Center or the Vice President, Student Affairs.

Grades:

Approximately two weeks after the close of each session, course grades will be available via the College's Webpage. (See Grade Reporting System on this page.) No grades will be issued by telephone. Westfield State College uses the following grading scales: Undergraduate Courses:A,A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, F Graduate Courses:A,A-, B+, B, B-, C, F

Other notations used are 'W' for students who officially withdraw from a course; 'AU' for students who are auditing a course and 'I' for students whose work is incomplete at the end of the term. The grade of  'I' is assigned only if 80% of the course work has been completed and the instructor has agreed to allow you to complete the course after the close of the semester according to a prearranged schedule. See the Student Handbook (available in the office), for more information.

Grade Reporting System:

At the end of each semester, grades will be issued to students through the college website.

To access grades, students must:

Log onto the College's Webpage at www.wsc.ma.edu. Use the On-Line Student Services link at the top of the page. At the on-line service page, click on the Student Services and Resources link. Follow the instructions on the log-in page.To access your student records, you must use your user I.D. number, also referred to as a college-wide (CWID), and your personal identification number (PIN). Detailed instructions on how to obtain your CWID and PIN numbers, are available on the intial log-in page. Call 572-8020 if you need additional information.

Health Insurance Requirement:

Chapter 15A of the Massachusetts General Laws mandates that every full or three-quarter time student in a public or private institution of higher education shall participate in a qualifying student health insurance program. You may waive this insurance coverage if you certify on the waiver form (found on the back of the registration form) that you have comparable coverage.

The cost of the College student health insurance (Full year: $1275.00* for coverage through August 31, 2008, Half year $805 for coverage from January 1,200 - August 31, 2008) is payable upon registration for nine(9) or more credits through the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education. To waive this charge, you must submit the waiver form, properly completed before you can register for classes. Students in less than nine credits may not purchase the college insurance. Failure to submit the proper waiver from will render you liable for the state-mandated coverage provided by the college and you will be billed accourdingly.
*Subject to change.

Immunization Requirement:

All students must provide evidence of immunization to register as a full-time student; 12 or more undergraduate credits, 9 or more post-baccalaureate or graduate credits.

Mass. Law (Chapter 76-Section 15 C) requires that full time college students (12 credits undergraduate and 9 credits post-baccalaureate and graduate students, per semester) present evidence that they are immunized against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, and tetanus in order to register for classes. Tetanus/Diphtheria must be within 10 years; Measles, Mumps, Rubella, initial immunization at the age of 12 months or older and after 1968, and date must include month, day, and year to be valid. If there is a question of immunization status according to the above information, please update your immunizations.

Three doses of Hepatitis B vaccine are required for all full-time freshmen and all Health Science students, undergraduate and graduate. Westfield State College considers students matriculated in Movement Science and Criminal Justice programs, as well as students in teacher training programs, to be in the at-risk population, and requires the same immunizations as Health Science students.

Incomplete Grades:

A grade of Incomplete (I) is assigned by the instructor only if you have completed 80% of the course work and have offered a valid reason for your inability to complete the course work within the prescribed semester. You must request a grade of Incomplete before the end of the semester and arrangements for the completion of the work must be in writing with the instructor. Once you have been granted an incomplete grade, you must complete the work within the first 30 days of the next scheduled semester. If the work is not completed within that time, or if an extension is not granted, the incomplete grade automatically becomes an 'F'. In certain extraordinary circumstances, faculty may complete an Extension Form and submit it to the Division to permit a student additional time to satisfy the course requirements.

Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action Policy:

Westfield State College maintains its policy on non-discrimination and affirmative action in fulfillment of the requirements of Federal Executive Order 11246 and 11375 as amended; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972 as amended; Section 503 and 504 of the Rehibilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable state and federal statutes.

Public Safety Security Report:

Westfield State College's annual security report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings owned or controlled by Westfield State College; and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report by contacting Public Safety or by accessing the following web site: www1.wsc.ma.edu/safety/safetychronicle2.htm

Transcripts:

Official transcripts may be obtained from the Office of Continuing Education by mailing in a written request or filling out a transcript request form. Transcript request forms are available on our DGCE Webpage, as are other forms. The original signature of the student is required on the form before a transcript can be released or sent and a fee of $2.00 per transcript must be submitted with the transcript request form. Please allow a minimum of five (5) working days for our office to process the request. A fee of $5.00 is required for a transcript processed within one (1) business day. Transcripts that include the final grades of the present semester will be available approximately two weeks after the close of the term.

Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver:

In accordance with Chapter 915 of the Acts of 1977, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the WSC Continuing Education Division will waive tuition for persons over 60, provided registration, institutional fees and related expenses are borne by the student. Students must have the Waiver Form completed in advance of registration. The form is available in the Continuing Education Office. Proof of date of birth is required.

Veterans Services:

As an active duty service member or a veteran residing in Massachusetts, you may qualify for a tuition waiver or for federal benefits. The Veterans Services Office is located in Ely, Room 146 and is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 572-5446. All veterans are encouraged to contact the office prior to registration so that staff can help you with the necessary paperwork. Students using the Massachusetts Waiver of Tuition benefit must be formally admitted to a degree program at Westfield State College to use the benefit. You may use the benefit in your first semester of study with the College while awaiting an admission decision; however, formal admission is required to continue to use the benefit in subsequent semesters. All tuition waiver veterans are required to contact the office if they have not received the benefits in a prior semester.

Withdrawal from Courses:

You may withdraw from courses before the second scheduled meeting without notation on your permanent record. You must withdraw in writing. A withdrawal Form is available in the DGCE Office. If you withdraw after the second class meeting, you must obtain the signature of the faculty member. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the faculty member or an academic advisor prior to the point of withdrawal. Students may be withdrawn administratively for such reasons as non-payment of tuition and fees, lack of applicable health form information, academic failure or probation, or disciplinary action. The notation of "W" is made on the student's record for all courses dropped after the second meeting. Students who enroll for a course and fail to attend the first two classes may be withdrawn at the discretion of the professor. Professors are asked to justify such a decision at the time of the recommended withdrawal. Beginning with the third week of class, a professor may not submit a "W". If a student does not withdraw in writing by the appropriate deadline or receive permission to withdraw under the above stated circumstances, he or she will receive a grade of F on the permanent record.

Withdrawal deadline: students may withdraw up to three weeks prior to the last day of classes, see Academic Calendar.

Students are responsible for reading all policies, rules and regulations of the Division of Graduate and continuing Education