Academic Policies and Guidelines

MAINTAINING ACTIVE STATUS

A graduate student who does not enroll in classes for a period of one (1) year will be listed as inactive.  The student must contact the program office to resume coursework.  Enrollment status is reviewed in August, January, and May each year.

A graduate student who does not enroll in classes for a period of two (2) years will be administratively withdrawn from their academic program.  Once withdrawn, students may reapply for admission; all admission and degree requirements will be evaluated at the time of the request for readmission.  Readmissions are subject to approval by the program director.  Enrollment status is reviewed in August, January, and May each year.

GRADING SCALE, GRADE REPORTS, AND TRANSCRIPTS

Courses are graded based on the following scale:

Grades and unofficial transcripts are available to view through the student planning system in Access LVC.

Official Transcripts are available for order through the Registrar’s office.  More information can be found at: http://www.lvc.edu/offices-directions/registrar/general-services/transcript-request/ Links to an external site..

LVC COLLEGE CATALOG

 A full listing of academic policies and current program requirements is available in the current college catalog:  http://www.lvc.edu/academics/academic-resources/college-catalogue/ Links to an external site.. 

Several key policies are summarized below; please refer to the current college catalog for more information and a full listing of policies.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular attendance and participation in all courses is essential to academic success.  Students are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions and, if online, participate in all activities throughout the course.  Specific attendance policies are determined by individual faculty members. 

For accelerated courses (those meeting fewer than 15 weeks), initial attendance and/or participation is required.  Students who fail to attend or participate in the first week of an accelerated course will be contacted to determine their intentions.  If then student fails to participate in the second week, they may be removed from the course.

CHANGE OF REGISTRATION – COURSE ADD/DROPS, WITHDRAWALS

Students may add courses until the day a course begins.  To add a course after the start date, students must have the permission of the MBA office and the course instructor. 

Students may drop a course, with no penalty, within 7 days of the course start date (ie. for courses starting on a Monday the drop request must be received, in writing, before Sunday at 11:59pm). 

Students may withdraw from a course after the drop period and up thru the first two-thirds of the course. In such cases, a “W” will be noted on the academic transcript in place of a grade and tuition will be refunded according to the College’s tuition refund schedule.  The tuition refund schedule can be found at: http://www.lvc.edu/offices-directories/business-office/graduate-professional-studies/refunds/ Links to an external site..

Any student who wishes to drop or withdraw from courses after the start date MUST do so through the Music Office. The effective date of the drop/withdrawal is the date which the student notifies the Music Office and remits a written request.  Failure to give notice of withdrawal will result in a failing grade.  Notifying the instructor does not constitute as an official drop/withdrawal.  

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Every student’s academic progress shall be reviewed at the end of each academic period. 

Students are allowed a maximum of two C's in the program.  Students who fail a course required for the degree must successfully repeat the course in a subsequent term and a grade of C or higher must be earned to receive credit for the course.  A student may repeat a maximum of two graduate courses with any given course being repeated only once.

The maximum time for completion of a graduate program is seven (7) years  and two (2) years for a certificate program from the date of admission. Students who have not earned the graduate degree after seven years will be subject to an academic review and may need to meet additional requirements in order to graduate.

Any student who fails to meet minimum academic standards will be placed on academic warning/probation and may be required to retake courses or correct other academic deficiencies.

Other Considerations:  Please be aware of the consequences of poor academic performance on your employer reimbursement, financial aid, and loan eligibility.

ACADEMIC PROBATION POLICY

Academic Warning: When a student falls between 3.000 and 3.250 cumulative GPA or earns a C or F in one course, they will receive an Academic Warning. Academic Warning constitutes notification that a student’s academic performance is of concern. Students receiving Academic Warning are cautioned of the parameters that constitute being placed on Academic Probation and are advised of resources that could aid in their success as well as the course repeat policies of their program.

Students earning an F in a graduate program core/required course will be required to successfully repeat the course. Students earning an F in an elective course will have the option to repeat the failed course or, if applicable, select a suitable alternative.

Students should be aware of the consequences of poor academic performance on their employer reimbursement and loan eligibility.  The Financial Aid office has established guidelines for maintaining satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as it pertains to federal financial aid.

Academic Probation: Students who fall below a 3.000 cumulative GPA or who earn a C or F grade a second time (whether in consecutive or nonconsecutive semesters, excluding repeated courses in which a grade higher than a C was earned) are placed on Academic Probation. Students on Academic Probation must work with their advisor and/or the program director to review their program requirements, develop a course plan for the upcoming semester, and identify resources that can aid in their success. The program director or advisor reserves the right to restrict the number of credits a student may enroll in while on probation and/or may require additional prerequisite work.

Through this advisement, the student must submit, in writing, a mutually agreed upon academic plan that clearly outlines the steps and actions necessary to return to good academic standing, including a projected timeline. If the student is unable to take courses due to extenuating circumstances, the student must communicate any changes to the agreed upon academic plan with their advisor and/or program director to allow for a scheduled hiatus. 

Once placed on Academic Probation, the student must return to good academic standing within two semesters (in which the student is actively enrolled in one or more courses).

If, at the end of two semesters, the student has not returned to good academic standing but has made significant progress toward good standing within the parameters of their mutually agreed upon academic plan, the student may request, in writing, a one-time probation extension. Extension requests will only be granted to students who have the support of the advisor and/or program director and have a high likelihood of successful program completion. Extension requests must be approved by the program director and will be submitted to the Registrar’s Office to be retained in the students’ academic file along with the approved academic plan. The extension request must include a realistic timeline for returning to good standing that is endorsed by the adviser and/or program director.

Dismissal: Students will be dismissed from the program when either (1) they fail to return to good academic standing after two semesters (in which the student is actively enrolled in one or more courses) or within the timeline agreed upon within an approved one-time probation extension; or (2) they have earned more than two C or F grades (excluding repeated courses in which a grade higher than a C was earned) and have exhausted all options to repeat courses within the course repeat policy.

Appeals Process: A student may appeal a dismissal decision to the associate dean of academic affairs. No later than ten (10) business days following the date of the letter informing the student that they have been dismissed, the student may appeal the decision. Failure to appeal within the limited time period constitutes a waiver of the student’s right to appeal. The appeal must be made in writing. An appeal will be granted if severe mitigating circumstances sufficiently documented by an authority contributed to the student’s poor academic performance. The associate dean of academic affairs will assemble an appeals committee, consisting of a member of the Academic Affairs Council, a full-time faculty member, and the graduate program director. The associate dean of academic affairs will serve as the chair of the appeals committee. The appeals committee has the authority to affirm or reverse the decision to suspend the student. The decision of the appeals committee is final.

An academic dismissal is recorded on a student’s academic transcript.

Reinstatement: After a period of 1 year, a student may request reinstatement following a dismissal by submitting a written application for re-enrollment to the appropriate program director. The student must provide evidence that they are prepared for the rigors of graduate education and have addressed whatever difficulties contributed to a poor academic performance. This may include letters of recommendation from employers, counselors, or medical professionals. The application for re-enrollment must be received with sufficient time to allow a student to complete the program within the maximum time frame indicated in the Time Restriction policy. After reinstatement to a graduate program following a dismissal, the dismissal will be removed from the student's academic transcript.  The student will be reinstated on Academic Probation and must follow the guidelines outlined above in order to return to good academic standing.

A student who is dismissed a second time will not be eligible for reinstatement.

WITHDRAWING FROM LVC

To voluntarily withdraw from a graduate program at Lebanon Valley College, students must submit a written request.  Once withdrawn, a student must apply for readmission to a program in order to return and will be subject to the admission criteria, curriculum and degree requirements in place at the time of their readmission.

 GRADUATION AND COMMENCEMENT

Candidates for the MME degree must complete a minimum of 33 credits, of which 24 must be earned at Lebanon Valley College (no more than nine (9) credits may be transferred from another institution, no more than six (6) transferred toward the required core).  A candidate must achieve at least a 3.00 cumulative average with a maximum of two C's within the 33 graduate credits to be certified for graduation.

Candidates for the Modern Band Certificate must complete a minimum of 12 credits from the degree requirements.

GRADUATION PLANS: Graduation Plan forms MUST be submitted to our office prior to graduation.  Graduation plans are due at least 1 semester (6 months) before the intended graduation date.  Graduation forms are available from the Music office and on the Registrar’s web page; the Music office will send reminders and assist with this process.

COMMENCEMENT: Lebanon Valley College holds one graduation ceremony per year, in May.  All graduates at the undergraduate and graduate level are invited, and encouraged, to participate.  Students finishing in May, the preceding December, and the following August may walk in the May ceremony.  Commencement information will be posted on the College website and sent directly to graduating students. 

DIPLOMAS:  May graduates attending commencement will receive their diploma during the ceremony.  May graduates not attending commencement can expect to receive their diploma, mailed to their home address, approximately 2-4 weeks after the graduation date.  August and December graduates will receive their diplomas, in the mail, at their home address approximately 4-6 weeks after the graduation date.

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