Course Completion Requirements
Course Registration
Continuing students register for courses online using WINDOW (Wheaton Information Delivered on the Web). Students obtain a new registration PIN number from their faculty advisor in each advising period preceding the registration week. Students away from the campus at these times will be contacted by the registrar and may follow different procedures for submitting their course registrations. Students not registered or improperly registered may not receive credit for their work.
Students may change course registrations without penalty or fee within the first seven days of instruction each semester by logging into WINDOW to drop or add courses. Students wishing to add a course after the seventh day of instruction may do so only with the written permission of the instructor and payment of a late fee. Students may drop courses without penalty or fee at any time before the mid-semester date, provided they maintain a normal course load (at least four credits) and have consulted a faculty advisor. No course may be dropped if it takes a student below a normal course load, or after the mid-semester deadline, without the approval of the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standing.
The basic steps for degree-seeking students to register via WINDOW are:
1. Prior to course selection week, schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to plan your program of study and obtain your REGISTRATION PIN.
2. We suggest that you complete a Registration Worksheet, including CRN Numbers, and any pertinent advising notes as well as alternate course choices. Have this worksheet with you when you log into WINDOW.
3. According to the registration schedule dates (based on class year), plan 10-15 minutes to log into WINDOW and complete the registration process. Always submit changes and print a copy of your schedule. Your printed schedule is verification that your registration was processed accurately.
4. See a staff person in the Registrar's Office about any exceptions such as enrolling in a course on an Audit or Pass/Grade/Fail grading basis, registering for an Independent Study or Individual Research course, and the like.
5. WINDOW will only be available during the publicized time period. Please plan accordingly.
6. Registrations submitted to the Registrar's Office after the last day of registration will be subject to a $15.00 late fee. Registrations submitted later than one week after the conclusion of registration will be subject to a $45 late fee.
Integrity of Academic Work
All work submitted for evaluation in a course must be completed in accordance with the standards of academic integrity in the college's Honor Code. All dependence on the ideas or language of others in a student's written work must be properly acknowledged and documented; students should consult their instructors whenever they are unsure of their responsibilities toward the Honor Code. The code also means that a student may not give or receive aid in completing laboratory assignments, computer programs or other work assigned in courses. The Honor Code also precludes a student's submitting the same assignment in two or more classes.
Examinations and quizzes are normally unproctored--completed without faculty present. Students are on their honor to refrain from giving or receiving aid during an exam or quiz, and are obliged by the Honor Code to report any allegations of academic dishonesty, either to the College Hearing Board chair or the dean of students' office. Regulations governing the administering of final examinations are available in the Registrar's Office and distributed each semester to all students taking final examinations.
Beginning Fall 2003, students will be required to acknowledge in writing the integrity of all work submitted and all exams or quizzes completed.
Class Attendance
Students are expected to attend classes regularly and are responsible for all work conducted or assigned in classes they miss. Individual instructors may set individualized attendance policies and enforce them. In certain classes, it may not be possible to pass the course once a student exceeds the number of allowed absences, no matter how valid the reasons for the absences. Accommodations for students who have missed classes, examinations or quizzes, labs, or deadlines for written work will be made only at the discretion of the instructor, who may require the student to have medical or other external confirmation that the accommodation is justified by circumstances beyond the student's control.
In addition, according to Massachusetts state law, any student whose religious beliefs prevent class attendance or participation in any examination, study or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such requirement. The student will also receive an opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirement that may have been missed because of such absence on a particular day; however, such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon the school. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making this opportunity available. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student who takes advantage of the provisions of this section.
Completing Course Work
All course assignments except for final examinations or work in lieu of final exams must be completed by the last day of classes each semester. All final examinations or work in lieu of exams must be completed by the end of the examination period. No regular course work may be submitted after the last day of classes. Failure to meet these deadlines may, under special circumstances outlined above, be accommodated by granting the grade of "I" (or Incomplete). All Incompletes must be approved by one of the associate deans of studies and require documentation of the circumstances necessitating the Incomplete.
Final Exams
Students normally complete their final exams during the week following the last week of classes. Faculty may substitute a final research paper or some other project in lieu of an examination.
Final examinations may be pre-scheduled or self-scheduled, as determined by the instructor. Pre-scheduled exams are offered by the instructor during the final examination time associated with that class, as published by the Registrar's Office each semester. Once a student's registration in a class is final, he or she should identify any pre-scheduled final exam times prior to making any end-of-semester travel arrangements. Alternatively, final examinations may be self-scheduled, allowing students to select the date and time during exam week in which they wish to take that course final. Please note: The college cannot reschedule exams to accommodate family plans or holiday travel. The exam schedule is available at the beginning of each semester. Incompletes (I) may be granted only when circumstances are confirmed to be beyond the student's control; students must receive permission from one of the associate deans of studies and work out a contract with the instructor for the completion of all work before the end of the next semester. Failure to complete work by that date shall result in instructions to the faculty member to submit a final grade, with zero points awarded for the work still outstanding or the award of a grade of "F."