1. education
2. graduate school

Resource Manual
___________
Graduate Program Directors
July 2012
GRADUATE SCHOOL OFFICE STAFF
NAME
POSITION
PHONE / E-MAIL
Amy T. McCandless
Dean of the Graduate School
953-1436 / [email protected]
David Wm. Owens
Associate Dean
953-5626 / [email protected]
Niki DeWeese
Director of Information
and Recruitment
953-1435 / [email protected]
Regan Fantry
Director of Student Records
953-5594 / [email protected]
Susan Hallatt
Director of Graduate
Admissions
953-7354 / [email protected]
Regina Semko
Assistant to the Dean
953-5748 / [email protected]
RESOURCE MANUAL FOR GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTORS
I.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM DIRECTOR - JOB DESCRIPTION
II. RECRUITING STUDENTS
A. Marketing and Recruitment
B. Residency Issues
III. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, ASSISTANTSHIPS
A. Graduate Scholars Award
B. Universite de Versailles – Saint Quentin Research / Teaching
Fellowship
C. Young Alumni Scholarship
D. Program Specific Awards
E. Assistantships
F. Hiring Graduate Non-work Study Students
IV. ADMISSIONS, ORIENTATION AND GRADUATION
A. Admissions
B. Orientation
C. Graduation
V. REGISTRATION AND COURSE LISTING
A. Registration Procedures
B. Student Record Holds
C. Procedures for Students Called for Military Duty
D. Listing Courses on CougarTrail
VI. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
A. Grading System
B. Academic Probation and Dismissal
C. Transfer Credit
D. Time Limit Requirements
E. Full-Time / Part-Time Status and Continuous Enrollment
VII. GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
A. Responsible Conduct of Research
B. Graduate Student Research and Presentation Grants
C. Graduate Student Research Poster Session
VIII. GRADUATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
A. General Outline of Governance Process
B. Graduate Curriculum Proposals, Program and Course Changes, CrossListing
C. New Program Approval Policies, Process and Flow Chart
D. Policies and Procedures for Graduate Certificate Programs
E. Joint Program Policies – College of Charleston / The Citadel
F. Planning and Assessment
G. Graduate Program Self Study Process and Schedule
IX. THE GRADUATE OFFICE REPORTS
I. THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Purpose
There are a number of departmental and interdisciplinary academic programs at the
undergraduate and graduate level that are sufficiently complex to require part-time
administrators. At times, some of these part-time administrators have been given the title of
coordinator and some the title of director. This policy has been developed to clarify the
reporting lines, process of evaluation, and responsibilities of these part-time administrators.
[Note: The title of director is also appropriate for those administering institutes, bureaus, and
centers. Directors of those units typically will have different or additional duties and
responsibilities that have been detailed in their letters of appointment and individual job
descriptions.]
Duties of an Academic Program Director
The title of Program Director is used to describe part-time administrative appointments of faculty
to leadership positions in various academic programs. Directors normally have all or some of the
following responsibilities:
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Coordination: ensure effective communication and cooperation with faculty, staff,
students, chairs, and deans as necessary to assure the effective administration of the
program.
Curriculum development: lead program faculty in the development of the curriculum and
manage the processes of curricular change and review. Chair the program faculty
curriculum committee.
Staffing: schedule program classes and coordinate with chairs the assignment of faculty
to teach and advise in programs.
Evaluation of faculty: participate in the evaluation of program faculty in consultation
with department chairs on an annual basis.
Advising: advise students in the program and coordinate the advising done by other
program faculty.
Planning: prepare planning documents (goals and objectives) for the program.
Assessment and program review: develop an assessment plan, coordinate assessment
activities, prepare for internal and external (e.g. CHE) program reviews.
Annual report: prepare and submit an annual program report to the chair and dean.
Budgeting: prepare annual budget request for the program and administer program
budget accounts (where appropriate and in conjunction with chairs and deans).
Program directors may also be assigned additional duties related to program administration by
chairs and deans as appropriate (e.g. special role in recruitment of new students).
Department Based Programs
Within an academic department an individual who has been assigned administrative
responsibilities for a disciplinary based degree program (undergraduate or graduate) or a
disciplinary minor may be given the title of director of that program (e.g. Director of the Marine
Biology Graduate Program in the Department of Biology; Director of the Religious Studies
Program in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies; Director of the Italian Studies
Minor in the Department of Spanish and Italian).
These directors are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the chairs, subject to the approval of
the deans, provost, and president. Typically, these directors are appointed for a fixed term
(renewable) not to exceed five years. After the fifth year of service (or in at least the last year of
service of a shorter term) the director will be given a performance review and will be evaluated
by appropriate members of the faculty, by the supervising administrator (usually the department
chair), and by other persons who may be selected by the director’s supervisor. These evaluations
will be forwarded to the dean and the provost and, with their respective recommendations, to the
president for action. Directors are evaluated annually as faculty members by their department
chair. In addition, they are evaluated by the chair and the appropriate school dean (and the Dean
of the Graduate School in the case of graduate program directors) on their performance as
program directors. Each program director submits an annual program report in June to the
department chair, school dean (and the Dean of the Graduate School in the case of graduate
program directors). The school dean will receive the chair’s evaluation of the program director
and in consultation with the Dean of the Graduate School when appropriate, will provide an
overall annual evaluation of the program director. The chairs and deans may request input from
faculty and staff as deemed appropriate in this annual evaluation process. Input should be
obtained from the program faculty in some form (e.g. written or oral) on an annual basis.
Interdisciplinary Programs
Directors of interdisciplinary programs (minors, major, graduate programs) normally report to
the dean of the school where the program is housed rather than to their department chair. In
those cases where more than one school is involved in the program, the dean of the school
housing the program will assume responsibility for involving the other deans in the oversight of
the program director. While the duties of the directors of interdisciplinary programs are virtually
the same as those of the disciplinary based program director, there is often more need for
coordination with other departmental units. In individual cases, the duties of these program
directors may specify the authority that the interdisciplinary program director has in dealing with
departments and other programs.
Compensation of Program Directors
The amount of release time from teaching, research, and other service duties given to a program
director will vary. Each program director will receive an appointment letter that specifies the
workload. Similarly, the determination of whether a stipend is paid for administrative work
performed in the summer months will be made on a case by case basis. Comparable duties and
assignments for program directors should result in comparable workloads and stipends. The
size, complexity, and range of administrative responsibilities will determine the total
compensation of the program director.
[Note: This description comes verbatim from the Academic Affairs policy manual. Only the
formatting has been changed in order to conform to the Program Director’s Manual.]
Source: Academic Affairs Policy 11
The program director of a graduate program has the additional duties of serving on the Graduate
Council and representing their program(s) at Graduate Commencement ceremonies.
II. RECRUITING STUDENTS
II.A. MARKETING & RECRUITMENT
1. MARKETING
a. Branding
Beginning in October 2006, College of Charleston faculty, staff and students
formed the Marketing Task Force. Results of this effort include a new
wordmark, website and image campaign for College of Charleston. In
September 2008, Executive Vice President Haskins released the Brand
Manual to the campus. In his email to the college, he states, “College of
Charleston employees are expected to follow the guidelines and standards in
this manual when producing marketing and communications materials. For
more information, please consult the “How to Use This Manual” and
“Frequently Asked Questions” sections of the manual, or send an e-mail to
[email protected].” An electronic copy of the brand manual can be
found online at http://www.cofc.edu/brandmanual.
b. Publications
Each summer, the Graduate School Office (GSO) works diligently with
Marketing and Communications (MAC) to produce literature for the
following academic year. Literature includes the Graduate Student Catalog,
the Graduate School Information Book, and information pieces for each
graduate program. These products are financed by MAC, and are
distributed to program directors and chairs. If programs determine more
products are necessary for individual projects, that department is responsible
for the additional production cost.
The GSO works closely with MAC and program directors to ensure the
most appropriate message is conveyed to programs’ constituents. It is
imperative that program directors respond in a timely fashion during the
editing phase, otherwise each piece will go to print with what the GSO and
MAC deem as appropriate verbiage and images. Any editions the
department and/or program director desires after the editing phase has
closed and the literature has gone to print will be the financial responsibility
of said department.
i. Catalog
1. With the new website (expected to be released late 2008/early
2009), the Graduate Catalog will be a living document on the
website. Program directors are responsible for reviewing their
section(s) of the Catalog including:
a. Degree title
b. Program title
c. Contact information including the website, emails and
phone numbers for each program
d. Program description
e. Minimum admission requirements
f. Degree requirements
g. Course titles, numbers and descriptions
h. Faculty listing
2. Remember that the Catalog is not a recruitment tool. It provides
(prospective) students with a general description of your program’s
current curricula, offerings and requirements.
ii. Graduate School Information Book
1. This book is a great resource for individuals interested in graduate
education, but don’t know what they don’t know. Topics covered
in the book include: whether a graduate degree is essential for
career growth in the readers’ industry, what steps are necessary to
take prior to completing an application, options for financial
opportunities, and basic information on the entrance exam. The
book includes a listing of College of Charleston’s graduate
programs, but does not go into detail about any individual
program. The Information Pieces are written in detail about each
program for promotional purposes.
iii. Information Pieces/Fliers
1. The Information Pieces serve as programs’ talking piece to
distribute to prospective applicants. These pieces have been
redesigned each year to better promote each program. The
essential questions each piece must answer include:
a. Why should a prospect seriously consider your program?
How is your program different, more competitive, than
others?
b. What are the admission requirements?
c. How long will it take to complete the degree?
d. How can I get more information?
2. As mentioned previously, the Information Pieces are revised each
summer. Some program directors find it easiest to edit the current
information piece throughout the year and to provide their notes to
the GSO prior to Spring graduation.
3. If a program wishes to have more copies of the Information Piece
than what was provided by the GSO, that program is financially
responsible for the reprint of such material. The same
responsibility is in effect if the program wishes to revise and
reprint the Information Piece after the final edition has been
submitted to MAC for print.
c. Website
i. Redesign
In 2009, the College of Charleston will release its new website. The
website will be web-based, and will no longer use management
software such as Dreamweaver. The website will be based on a
Content Management System and will provide all users with a
template. Each webpage that currently resides under the College of
Charleston website will be required to adhere to the new template. For
questions about your redesign, contact your department’s Marketing
Task Force contact (http://www.cofc.edu/marketing/taskforce.html) or
Niki DeWeese in the Graduate School Office.
According to Wikipedia, a Website Content Management
System is content management system (CMS) software,
usually implemented as a Web application, for creating and
managing HTML content. It is used to manage and control a
large, dynamic collection of Web material (HTML documents
and their associated images). A WCMS facilitates content
creation, content control, editing, and many essential Web
maintenance functions.
ii. GSO Website
1. The GSO is consistently updating its website for usability by all
constituents (prospects, students, graduates, faculty and staff.) If
you find that the website should be updated in any fashion (contact
information for a program, deadlines or requirements, or even recategorizing a form), please send your suggestion to the GSO.
2. The GSO has a blog! This blog is the new source for all
information concerning the graduate school, and even provides
additional information for its constituents such as grant
opportunities and events. Find it online at
http://blogs.cofc.edu/gradschool/. We also have a Facebook page
and Twitter account, which can be found on our website or through
the blog.
d. Advertising
The GSO has no advertising budget. If you or your department have access
to funds for and are interested in an advertising campaign, please contact the
GSO. You will have the opportunity to discuss your desire for an ad
campaign with the GSO and MAC. Please be aware, however, that a
successful advertising campaign includes a series of ads (not just an
individual ad which is featured only once.) The success of your campaign
will be discussed in detail with the GSO and MAC.
e. New Programs
The promotion of new graduate programs is subject to the rules and
regulations of the College of Charleston, Council of Higher Education
(CHE), and other accrediting bodies. Promotion of a new program can only
begin after the approval by the college’s Faculty Senate. Promotion may
begin while the proposal is awaiting CHE approval, but only if the
promotion includes the statement, “Pending Council of Higher Education
(and other accrediting bodies’) Approval.”
II.A. MARKETING & RECRUITMENT
2. RECRUITMENT
a. Fall Recruiting Circuit
i. Each year, the GSO focuses its recruiting efforts on the Fall Recruiting
Circuit. This typically happens between mid-September and midNovember. The schedule is influenced by:
1. Historical application data
2. Evaluations of previous years’ graduate and professional school
fairs
3. Projected success of meetings with faculty and staff at regional
colleges
ii. The GSO maximizes its resources during the fall recruiting circuit to
obtain the highest yield possible from its resources. This often requires
the GSO recruiter to visit many colleges with minimal trips back to the
office. While students and program directors are encouraged to participate
during the fall circuit, travel with the recruiter might not always be an
option. If interested in traveling to various schools, contact the recruiter to
discuss meeting and finance options.
b. Destination Charleston
i. Each Spring, the GSO hosts an open house for underrepresented students
from regional schools. Typically, said students attend Historically Black
Colleges and Universities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
This open house is hosted on a week day, typically from 11:00 a.m.
through mid-afternoon and strategically introduces our guests to graduate
education and to the graduate programs offered at the College of
Charleston.
ii. Typical Format:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Check-In
Lunch
Presentation on graduate school (what you need to know that you probably
haven’t been told yet.)
Campus Tour
Presentation or Tour of Avery Center
Discussion on College of Charleston’s graduate programs
One-on-one time with program directors and graduate students
Review, evaluation, and closing
iii. All program directors are highly encouraged to attend this event, as well
as graduate students from each program. Previous evaluations of this
event have included soaring praises of our students, faculty and staff.
c. Recruiting Graduate Assistants
Several graduate programs have lines for recruiting graduate assistants.
These students are essential to the growth of The Graduate School, and
should work closely with the program director to define and assume the
responsibilities of promoting the program. Program directors with
recruiting graduate assistants can further synergize their recruiting efforts
with the collaboration with the GSO’s recruiter. It’s best to contact the
recruiter to establish meetings as soon as a student has been hired for this
position.
d. Prospect Communication
i. Currently all prospects that contact the GSO, LGC, and if forwarded on by
program directors, are entered into the GSO’s access database of
prospects. As SIS is not programmed to store historical information, we
do not have information on prospects that have applied prior to 2007. The
GSO’s access database now keeps track of all prospect communication,
including when the prospect submitted an application. The GSO actively
trades prospect information with program directors and coordinators, as
well as communicates regularly with prospects. Beginning in Summer
2009, new Enrollment Management software will be introduced as part of
the new Banner system. Program representatives will have the
opportunity to review the new system with the Director of Information and
Recruitment. The communication structure below may change as a result
of the new system.
ii. Communication Structure
1. As each prospect is entered into our database, we respond with a
letter detailing information about the Graduate School, the
program of interest, the Graduate Student Association, as well as
any student association affiliated with the program of interest.
Also included in this packet are the information piece(s) for the
program(s) of interest, any newsletters affiliated with the
program(s) of interest, and the Graduate School Information book.
2. About two to four weeks after the initial mailing, an email or letter
is sent to the prospect detailing the tuition & fee structure as well
as any financial assistance opportunities for the program(s) of
interest.
3. Program directors have found success in turning prospects to
applicants the more often they communicate with the prospect.
4. Any news regarding the Graduate School, the program(s) of
interest, or developments in the affiliated industries, are also
forwarded to prospects as well as posted on our blog.
II. RECRUITING STUDENTS
II.B. RESIDENCY ISSUES
The State of South Carolina requires that all students applying to South Carolina public
institutions declare their residency status. In the new online application, we request that
the applicant supply their SC Driver’s license number and the date issued. If the date
issued is less than one year from the first day of classes for the semester in which they are
applying, the GSO sends a letter, which takes exception to the resident indicator on the
application. The student then must furnish proof of residency to the Legal Residency
office. Please note: The date of issue is changed every time a driver’s license is renewed;
applicants can provide information from the South Carolina DMV website to the Legal
Residency office as proof of residency.
1. Definition of Residency (and categories eligible for in-state tuition)
The official definition of residency for students is as follows:
No person is eligible for in-state status unless she/he is domiciled within South
Carolina. A person does not acquire a domicile in South Carolina until she/he
has been a resident of the state for twelve consecutive months immediately
preceding registration for the term for which in-state status is claimed or meets
state requirements for domicile. Information on South Carolina residency
requirements may be obtained by contacting the Legal Residency Office at (843)
953-7311 or via email at legalresidency.cofc.edu.
State Residency for Tuition Purposes:
Under South Carolina law, there are several categories of people who may receive instate tuition. The following is not an exhaustive list, and the GSO refers all such matter
to the Residency Office for final determination of residency status.
Some of the categories are:
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Military personnel
Those employed full-time by a company in South Carolina
Immediate family of those employed by a state agency
Those who have lived in the state for at least twelve months and who have fulfilled other
criteria such as having had a SC driver’s license for at least 12 months, have paid taxes,
etc.
As mentioned above, the Residency office will make the final decision based on the kind
and appropriateness of the criteria submitted regarding residency status
2. Tuition Abatement Policies for Non-Residents
Under South Carolina law, the Graduate School of the College of Charleston has elected
that students who are non-residents may have the non-resident portion of their fees abated
as long as funds are available (per term) if:
1.
2.
They have received an assistantship.
They have received a fellowship or scholarship of $250 or more.
III. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, ASSISTANTSHIPS
III.A. GRADUATE SCHOLARS AWARD
PURPOSE
The Graduate Scholars Awards (GSA) have been established to enhance the geographical
diversity of applicants to the University. In the belief that the education of people is not confined
to the classroom, the University encourages individuals from diverse backgrounds to meet and
exchange idea and experiences in the collegiate environment.
CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must:
1. Be fully admitted, first year, degree seeking graduate students at The Graduate School of
the College of Charleston.
2. Have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 = A.
3. Not have received any award from the College resulting in a fee abatement or waiver
(e.g. an assistantship, other fellowship, etc.)
4. Be enrolled full-time (at least nine [9] semester hours).
5. Maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average at the College.
6. Submit a letter of recommendation from their graduate program directors.
LIMITATIONS
1. Individuals are eligible for the GSA for one (1) calendar year only, beginning with their
initial enrollment as a graduate student (non-resident applicants are encouraged to apply
for South Carolina residency at the first opportunity after one calendar year. Information
on residency requirements is available from the Residency Office in the Treasurer’s
Office on Calhoun Street).
2. Students who have been awarded graduate scholarships or other fellowships or
scholarships are not eligible for the GSA.
3. The maximum amount which can be awarded to individuals is $250 per semester or a
total of $500 in one calendar year.
4. Students who have received an award for their first term and who remain eligible for the
next term under the criteria and limitation listed above will automatically be considered
for a subsequent award.
APLICATION DEADLINES
Applications must be received by the Graduate School Office (Suite 310 Randolph Hall, 66
George Street, Charleston, SC 29424; Phone: 843-953-5614; FAX: 843-953-1434) by the
following dates:
July 1 for Fall Semester
November 1 for Spring Semester
April 1 for Summer Semester(s)
APPLICATION FOR A GRADUATE SCHOLARS AWARD
1. Name
CWID
2. Address
4. FAX
3. Phone
5. Email
6. Please indicate your academic program below:
Master of Arts
Bilingual Legal Interpreting
Communication
English
History
Master of Science
Accountancy
Marine Biology
Computer & Information Sciences
Mathematics
Environmental Studies
Master of Arts in Teaching
Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Performing Arts
Special Education
Master of Education
Science & Mathematics for Teachers
Languages
7.
Are you a legal resident of South Carolina?
8.
Are you a citizen of the United States?
9.
Term applying for:
Fall
Master of Public Administration
Yes
Yes
No
No
Spring _____ Summer session (please specify)
10. Year of term :
11. Assuming continued eligibility, do you wish to be considered for an award in the term following your application
term?
Yes
No
12. Have you been awarded or offered a graduate assistantship or other award/scholarship/fellowship?
Yes
No
If "Yes", please describe.
Signature of Applicant
Rev. 07-08
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Date
GRADUATE SCHOLARS AWARD
PURPOSE
The Graduate Scholars Award program (GSA) has been established to enhance the geographical diversity of applicants to
the Graduate School of the College of Charleston. In the belief that the education of people is not confined to the
classroom, the university encourages individuals from diverse backgrounds to meet and exchange ideas and experiences
in the collegiate environment.
CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY
Applicant must:
1. Be a fully admitted, first year, degree seeking graduate student at The Graduate School of the College of Charleston.
(Note: Second year students may be considered for this award dependent upon availability of funds.)
2. Have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 = A;
3. Not have received any award from the College resulting in a fee abatement or waiver (e.g. an assistantship, other
fellowship, etc.)
4. Be enrolled full-time (at least nine {9} semester hours of graduate coursework) or three (3)
hours for the summer.
5. Maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average at the College, and
6. Submit a letter of recommendation from his or her graduate program director.
LIMITATIONS
1. Individuals are eligible for the GSA for one (1) academic year. Funding for summer is available based on availability
of funds.
2. Students who have been awarded graduate assistantships, or other fellowships or scholarships are not eligible for the
GSA.
3. The maximum amount which can be awarded to individuals is $500 per semester, or a total of $1000 in one academic
year.
4. Students who have received an award for their first term and who remain eligible for the next term under the criteria
and limitations listed above, will automatically be considered for a subsequent award.
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Applications must be received by the Graduate School Office (Suite 310 Randolph Hall, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC
29424; Phone: 843-953-5614; FAX: 843-953-1434), by the following dates:
April 1 for one Summer Session
July 1 for Fall Semester
November 1 for Spring Semester
NOTIFICATION OF AWARD
Students who have been awarded a scholarship will be notified by the Graduate School Office.
Rev. 07-08
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III. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, ASSISTANTSHIPS
III.B. UNIVERSITE DE VERSAILLES / SAINT QUENTIN RESEARCH / TEACHING
FELLOWSHIP
The Graduate School of the College of Charleston has a student exchange agreement with the
Université de Versailles/ Saint Quentin that affords an opportunity for graduate students to teach
English and do research at the Université, located in the southeast suburbs of Paris. Entrance to
the program is competitive, usually with one student being chosen per academic year. Graduate
students at the College of Charleston may apply in the fall/early winter of each academic year for
the program. Application forms are available in the Graduate School Office. The application
deadline is February 1. Applicants must be currently enrolled, degree-seeking master’s level
students in an established graduate program at the College and must have excellent academic
standing. The stipend for students is approximately $17,000 paid by Versailles, but the amount
may vary given currency exchange rates and stipend levels at Versailles.
NOTE: While students will operate in an English-speaking environment, fellowship recipients
will be expected to have good reading knowledge and speaking ability in French. A lack of
French language ability can be corrected through intensive language courses and should not deter
interested students from applying for this fellowship. Call 843-953-5930 for more information.
III.C. YOUNG ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP
The Young Alumni Scholarship is awarded to a member of the Young Alumni Association who,
as a recent graduate of the College of Charleston, is presently a student in a master’s program at
the Graduate School of the College of Charleston. The award is given in recognition of his or
her academic achievements, extracurricular contributions both on and off campus, and any post
graduate involvement which reflects positively on the College of Charleston. Please contact the
Graduate School Office at 843-953-5614 for further information and deadlines.
III. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, ASSISTANTSHIPS
III.D. PROGRAM SPECIFIC AWARDS
1. Education
The Aline Smith Bulwinkle Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a graduate
student in the Department of Education and Early Childhood Education who meets the
scholarship criteria. The deserving student will be awarded $1200 per academic year and
can be the scholarship recipient for two years.
The Miles Early Childhood Internship will be awarded each semester to a graduate
student in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education. The deserving
student will be appointed as the Miles Early Childhood Graduate Assistant. This award
will pay $3550 a semester toward employment in the Early Childhood Development
Center. Education majors receiving a Federal Perkins Loan may be eligible for loan
cancellation by teaching in an eligible school with a high concentration of low income
families.
The Mary A. Lee Endowed Fellowship in Special Education is a one-time nonrenewable award to a special education student in either the Master of Education or the
Master of Arts in Teaching degree program. The tuition award is made in July for fall
and spring semesters. Applicants should meet specified guidelines (full-time status,
admitted to a degree program in special education, and taking at least nine hours) and
complete the application available in the Graduate School Office. Applicants may or
may not have a graduate assistantship. The deadline is July 15.
The South Carolina Teach Loan Program offers SC residents low interest loans if they
are students in the teaching profession. These loans can be cancelled by teaching in
South Carolina public schools in an area of critical need. Contact SC Student Loan
Corporation at 803-798-0916 to request an application.
Teaching Certification: Students who have already received a bachelor’s degree and are
pursuing a teaching certificate are eligible for financial assistance in the form of student
loans. Students receiving teaching certification are eligible for student loans for up to
two years. For information, contact The Graduate School of the College of Charleston’s
School of Education about acceptance in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program
or the Master of Education (MEd) program.
2. Environmental Studies
Barbara Lindstedt Trust Award and the Environmental Protection Agency
Fellowship: These scholarships, offered by the Master of Environmental Studies
Program (MES), are awarded competitively, based on academic record and a responsive
essay. Applicants must either be accepted into or matriculated in the MES program and
should be in excellent academic standing. All applicants must submit a typed, twohundred and fifty word essay describing what they hope to accomplish in the
environmental field once they have completed their degree. All submissions must be in
the MES program office no later than June 1.
NOAA, SCDNR, NIST, HML Research Assistantships: Students awarded an
assistantship are required to carry at least the minimal course load required of a full-time
graduate student at the College (nine hours of graduate course work per semester) and
must maintain a satisfactory grade point average of at least a 3.0 at the Graduate School.
A student must be admitted as a degree-seeking student in order to be considered for an
assistantship. Out-of-state students on assistantships may apply for an abatement of the
out-of-state portion of tuition, enabling them to pay in-state rates. These awards vary
from $12,400 to $25,000/year.
3. Public Administration
Holland and Sizemore Scholarships are endowed in the memory of Max Holland and
Mitch Sizemore, long-time city managers and proponents of professional public
administration. Students actively enrolled in the MPA programs at the University of
South Carolina, College of Charleston, and Clemson University are eligible to apply.
Each scholarship is for $1000. To apply, students should send the following information:
a letter of application; three letters of reference; a statement of career intent; work
history, and undergraduate and current graduate GPA’s. The application deadline is
November 8.
4. Marine Biology
The Joanna Foundation Graduate Fellowship in Marine Biology is a competitive
fellowship, provided by the Joanna Foundation, to outstanding graduate students allowing
full attention to course work and to development of his/her thesis research. The award
amount may vary, however it is approximately $3362.
Marine Genomics Award: these fellowships were funded directly by the State of South
Carolina legislature to enhance the new field of marine genomics in South Carolina.
Applicants are selected competitively by the admissions committee and the program
director from the regular applications for the MS degree in marine biology. An
outstanding undergraduate record and particular experience and strength in genetics,
genomics or molecular biology are required. The award is $20,000/year plus out-of-state
tuition abatement.
Presidential Summer Research Awards in Marine Biology are used to recruit topranking applicants to the program. The recipients will be selected by the admissions
committee. This award may be granted for a second summer if the student has completed
a total of at least 12 graduate hours of coursework in the two terms preceding the summer
of the second award and has maintained good academic standing. The award is
$3750/summer.
NOAA, SCDNR, NIST, HML Research Assistantships: Students awarded an
assistantship are required to carry at least the minimal course load required of a full-time
graduate student at the College (nine hours of graduate course work per semester) and
must maintain a satisfactory grade point average of at least a 3.0 at the Graduate School.
A student must be admitted as a degree-seeking student in order to be considered for an
assistantship. Out-of-state students on assistantships may apply for an abatement of the
out-of-state portion of tuition, enabling them to pay in-state rates. These awards vary
from $12,400 to $25,000/year.
III.E. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND ASSISTANTSHIPS
III.E.1. ASSISTANTSHIPS - POLICIES
a. Purpose
The College of Charleston, in support of the graduate programs at the Graduate School of
the College of Charleston, provides graduate assistantships to students enrolled in those
programs. The purpose of this document is to define the types of available graduate
assistantships and state the approved academic and financial policies and procedures that
govern those assistantships.
b. Definitions and Conditions
The Graduate School at the College of Charleston recognizes student employment as an
assistantship only under the definitions, conditions, and categories below. Student
employment outside of these parameters will not be deemed assistantships. Non-resident
graduate students employed as graduate assistants (half time or more) are eligible for an
abatement of the non-resident portion of their tuition during the terms in which they hold
an assistantship, pending the availability of abatement funds.
Eligibility: Only students fully admitted to degree seeking status in a master’s program at
the Graduate School at the College of Charleston are eligible to receive a graduate
assistantship. Such students will remain eligible for an assistantship as long as they
maintain a 3.0 GPA in their graduate programs, are enrolled in the appropriate number of
credit hours for their category of assistantship (see Section II below), and remain a
student in good standing at the College. Graduate assistants who become ineligible will
be removed from their assistantships and may not be reinstated until all eligibility criteria
have been satisfied.
Types of Graduate Assistantships:
 Graduate Assistantships (GA) are general assistantships which provide project
and other support either in the students’ program office or in other offices at the
College.
 Research Assistantships (RA), usually funded under a grant, research
assistantships focus on supporting and engaging in the research of an established
College professor or researcher affiliated with the college.
 Teaching Assistantships (TA) are teaching positions that place graduate students
in an undergraduate class or lab setting. SACS criteria, which must be met,
require that each TA must be under the direct supervision of a faculty member
experience in the teaching discipline, receive regular in-service training, and be
evaluated regularly. In addition, graduate teaching assistants who have primary
responsibility for teaching a course or lab for credit and/or for assigning final
grades for such a course must have earned at least 18 normally not be the
“instructor-of-record” for any course or lab. Exceptions must be approved by the
appropriate school dean, who will forward written approval to the Graduate
School Office.
NOTE: Graduate program directors are responsible for insuring that teaching
assistants in their programs comply with these criteria.
Graduate Assistantship Workload:

Full-Time Assistantship: A full-time graduate assistantship is based on a
workload of 20 hours per week, for which the student receives the appropriate
full-time stipend, depending on the length of the contract.

Less Than Full-Time Assistantships: The Graduate School recognizes halftime and three-quarter time graduate assistantships. Half-time assistantships
are based on a workload of 10 hours per week, and three-quarter time
assistantships are based on a workload of 15 hours per week. Both are
prorated based on the full-time stipend.
Length of Contract: The length of contract is the period of time during which a graduate
assistant is required to work. Assistantship contracts are for a semester (fall/spring and
summer, with summer being considered one semester), an academic year or fiscal year,
except as noted for summer assistantships in section 2.5. Normally, the fall semester
contracts begin August 16 and end no later than the end of the final exam period, and
spring contracts begin the Monday before spring semester classes begin. These end no
later than spring commencement. An academic year is the period of time from the
beginning of August to the end of school in May, which encompasses the fall and spring
semesters.
Length of Service as a Graduate Assistant
Students serving as a Category A graduate assistant during the academic year will
complete at least eighteen credit hours towards their degree each academic year, and no
degree program requires more than 48 hours of coursework. Hence, no student should
hold a category A graduate assistantship more than three years. Students who qualify for
a Category B assistantship are eligible for such an assistantship for no more than one
year.
Summer Assistantships
Continuing students are not required to be enrolled in summer terms in order to qualify
for a summer assistantship.
Summer assistantships must be divided between fiscal years (May 15-June 30; July 1August 15). As stated above, the summer as a whole is considered one semester.
However, because summer contracts must be split between fiscal years, the assistantship
stipend must be prorated accordingly. A full-time assistantship lasting the entire summer
could encompass a time period of May 15 through June 30 in one contract document for
half the full time stipend and July 1 to August 15 for the other half of the full-time
stipend.
The length of service for summer assistantships can vary, but the stipend must be
prorated using the definition of the entire summer as one semester and the full-time
stipend as a baseline. Where warranted by a special need, a student may hold a time and
half assistantship during the summer, requiring a 30-hour work week. These special
assistantships have prorated stipends using the full-time assistantship stipends as a
baseline.
Non-resident students who hold at least a half-time assistantship during any part of the
summer are eligible for an abatement of the non-resident portion of their fees during each
summer term in which they hold an assistantship.
c. Categories of Graduate Assistants
Candidates for an assistantship must meet the eligibility requirements of either a
Category A or Category B assistantship, as described below.

Category A Assistantships: Assistantships awarded to fully admitted (not
provisionally admitted), qualified, degree-seeking graduate students who must be
enrolled in nine (9) semester hours of graduate coursework per semester and who
maintain a satisfactory GPA of at least 3.0.

Category B Assistantships: Assistantships awarded to qualified degree-seeking
graduate students who have completed all required coursework for their degree
with the exception of thesis/research credits and who maintain a satisfactory GPA
of at least 3.0. These students must enroll in three (3) graduate hours per semester
to maintain their assistantships for a period of one academic year only.
Exceptions to this policy may be granted by the Dean of the Graduate School for
those students who have completed all coursework but who must take required
courses not offered within the time frame stated above. In this case the time
frame may be extended by one academic year only. Students wishing to qualify
under Category B must complete an “Application for Approval of a Category B
Graduate Assistantship” form available from the Graduate School office.
d. Stipends
All stipend levels are in effect as of Fall 2005 but may change annually. Please
contact the Graduate School Office for updated information concerning stipends.


Graduate Assistantships (GA) Stipend: $12,400 per academic year for a full-time
assistantship. May change annually.
Research Assistantship (RA) Stipend: A minimum stipend per academic year for
a full-time assistantship equal to the full-time academic year stipend for a
Graduate Assistantship (GA) but may change annually. It is understood that
since research assistantships are funded from grant monies, the upper level of
these awards to students will vary, sometimes considerably. This variance may be
attributed to the level of knowledge and/or expertise needed for student assistants
in different fields of research and for specific projects. In addition some funding
agencies require a minimum stipend level for students working under a specific

grant. Widely divergent stipends for students working in similar areas of research
and within the same program and/or research entity, however are not acceptable.
When the RA stipend exceeds the TA and GA stipend, a statement justifying the
variance must be attached to the Graduate Assistantship Employment Approval
Form. Graduate program directors, principle investigators, and research
administrators are cautioned to maintain oversight of equity issues which may
arise surrounding differing stipends for grant funded research assistantships.
Teaching Assistantships (TA) Stipend: $13,300 per academic year for full-time
assistantship. May change annually.
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
College of Charleston
Academic Affairs
General Policy Manual
Policy #14
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
CONTENTS
Purpose
Definitions and Conditions
Categories of Graduate Assistantships
Stipends
Graduate Assistants (GAs) and the Fair Labor and Standards Act
Review
1.0
PURPOSE
The College of Charleston, in support of the graduate programs at the Graduate School of the College of
Charleston, provides graduate assistantships to students enrolled in those programs. The purpose of this
document is to define the types of available graduate assistantships and state the approved academic and
financial policies and procedures that govern those assistantships.
2.0
DEFINITIONS AND CONDITIONS
The Graduate School at the College of Charleston recognizes student employment as an assistantship only
under the definitions, conditions and categories below. Student employment outside these parameters will
not be deemed assistantships. Non-resident graduate students employed as graduate assistants, (half-time or
more), are eligible for an abatement of the non-resident portion of their tuition during the terms in which
they hold an assistantship. However, all abatements must be approved by the Dean of Graduate
Studies, and are not granted automatically.
2.1
Eligibility
Only students fully admitted to degree seeking status in a master’s program at the Graduate School
at the College of Charleston are eligible to receive a graduate assistantship (NOTE: Provisional
students are not considered to be fully admitted, and therefore do not qualify for assistantships).
Such students will remain eligible for an assistantship as long as they maintain a 3.0 grade point
average in their graduate programs, are enrolled in the appropriate number of credit hours for their
category of assistantship (see Section 3.0 below), and remain a student in good standing at the
College. Graduate Assistants who become ineligible will be removed from their assistantships, and
may not be reinstated until all eligibility criteria have been satisfied.
2.2
Types of Graduate Assistantships
2.2.1
Graduate Assistantships (GA)
Graduate Assistantships (GA) are general assistantships which provide project and other
support either in the students’ program office or in other offices at the College. Due to
the Fair Labor Standard Act’s Fair Pay Rule, students with a GA position must have their
weekly time monitored by their employing department. A record of time worked must be
kept in-house in the student’s file by the department. (Please see section 5.0 for full
details.)
2.2.2
Research Assistantships (RA)
Usually funded under a grant, research assistantships (RA) focus on supporting and
engaging in the research of an established College professor or researcher affiliated with
the College.
Page 1 of 4
2.2.3
Teaching Assistantship (TA)
Teaching assistantships are teaching positions, which place graduate students in an
undergraduate class or lab setting. SACS criteria which must be met require that each TA
must be under the direct supervision of a faculty member experienced in the teaching
discipline, receive regular in-service training and be evaluated regularly. In addition,
graduate teaching assistants who have primary responsibility for teaching a course or lab
for credit and/or for assigning final grades for such a course must have earned at least 18
graduate semester hours in their teaching discipline. Graduate teaching assistants will
normally not be the “instructor-of-record” for any course or lab. Exceptions must be
approved by the appropriate school dean, who will forward written approval to the
Graduate School Office.
NOTE: Graduate program directors are responsible for insuring that teaching assistants in
their programs comply with these criteria.
2.3
2.4
Graduate Assistantship Workload
2.3.1
Full-Time Assistantship – A full-time graduate assistantship is based on a workload of 20
hours per week for which the student receives the appropriate full-time stipend,
depending on the length of the contract.
2.3.2
Less Than Full-Time Assistantships – The Graduate School recognizes half-time and
three-quarter time graduate assistantships. Half-time assistantships are based on a
workload of 10 hours per week and three-quarter time assistantships are based on a
workload of 15 hours per week. Both are prorated based on the full-time stipend.
Length of Contract
The length of contract is the period of time during which a graduate assistantship is required to
work. Assistantship contracts are for a semester, (Fall, Spring and summer, with summer being
considered one semester), an academic year or fiscal year, except as noted for summer
assistantships in section 2.5. Normally the fall semester contracts begin August 16 and end no later
than the end of the final exam period and spring contracts begin the Monday before spring
semester classes begin and end no later than spring commencement. An academic year is the
period of time from the beginning in August to the end of school in May which encompasses the
fall and spring semesters.
2.5
Length of Service as a Graduate Assistant
Students serving as Category A graduate assistants (see section 3.1.1) during the academic year
will complete at least eighteen credit hours towards their degree each academic year and no degree
program requires more than 60 hours of coursework. No student should hold a Category A
graduate assistantships more than three years. Students who qualify for a Category B assistantship
(see section 3.1.2) are normally eligible for such an assistantship for at most one academic year.
2.6
Summer Assistantships
2.6.1
Continuing students are not required to be enrolled in summer terms in order to qualify
for a summer assistantship.
2.6.2
Summer assistantships must be divided between fiscal years (May 15-June30; July 1August 15). As stated above, the summer as a whole is considered one semester.
However, because summer contracts must be split between fiscal years, the assistantship
stipend must be prorated accordingly. A full-time assistantship lasting the entire summer
could encompass a time period of May 15 through June 30 in one contract document for
½ the full time stipend, and July 1-August 15 for the other half of the full-time stipend.
Page 2 of 4
3.0
The length of service for summer assistantships can vary, but the stipend must be
prorated using the definition of the entire summer as one semester and the full-time
stipend as a baseline. Where warranted by a special need, a student may hold a time and a
half assistantship during the summer, requiring a 30 hour work week. These special
assistantships would have prorated stipends using the full-time assistantship stipends as a
baseline.
2.6.4
Non-resident students who hold at least a half-time assistantship during any part of the
summer are eligible for an abatement of the non-resident portion of their fees during each
summer term in which they hold an assistantship. However, all abatements must be
approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies and are not granted automatically.
CATEGORIES OF GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
3.1
4.0
2.6.3
Candidates for an assistantship must meet the eligibility requirements of either a Category A or
Category B assistantship, as describe below.
3.1.1
Category A Assistantships – Assistantships awarded to fully admitted (not provisionally
admitted), qualified, degree seeking graduate students who must be enrolled in nine (9)
semester hours of graduate coursework per semester, and who maintain a satisfactory
grade point average of at least 3.0. (See Section 2.1).
3.1.2
Category B Assistantships- Assistantships awarded to qualified, degree seeking graduate
students who have completed all required coursework for their degree with the exception
of thesis/research credits, and who maintain a satisfactory grade point average of at least
a 3.0. These students are expected to enroll in at least three (3) graduate hours per
semester, to maintain their assistantships for a period of one academic year only. If a
student has completed all coursework and thesis hours, but has not completed the thesis,
the Dean of Graduate Studies may approve a Category B assistantship for one (1) hour of
Continuous Research Enrollment. Exceptions to the one year limit on the Category B
policy may be granted by the Dean of the Graduate School in exceptional cases. Students
wishing to qualify under Category B must complete an “Application for Approval of a
Category B Graduate Assistantship” form available from the Graduate School Office.
STIPENDS
4.1
All stipend levels are in effect at the date of this policy, but are subject to change.
4.2
Graduate Assistantships (GA) Stipend - $12,400 per academic year for a full-time assistantship.
4.3
Research Assistantship (RA) Stipend – A minimum stipend per academic year for a full-time
assistantship equal to the full-time academic year stipend for a Graduate Assistantship (GA). It is understood
that since research assistantships are funded from grant monies, the upper level of these awards to students
will vary, sometimes considerably. This variance may be attributed to the level of knowledge and/or
expertise needed for student assistants in different fields of research and for specific projects. In addition
some funding agencies require a minimum stipend level for students working under a specific grant. Widely
divergent stipends for student working in similar areas of research and within the same program and/or
research entity, however, are not acceptable. When the RA stipend exceeds the TA and GA stipend, a
statement justifying the variance must be attached to the Graduate Assistantship Employment Approval
Form. Graduate program directors, principle investigators and research administrators are cautioned to
maintain oversight of equity issues which may arise surrounding differing stipends for grant funded research
assistantships.
4.4
5.0
Teaching Assistantships (TA) Stipend - $13,300 per academic year for a full-time assistantship.
GRADUATE ASSISTANTS (GAs) AND THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT
All employers of graduate assistants (GA’s only) are required to follow the reporting and hiring
requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act as outlined below (taken directly from the College
of Charleston Career Services website - http://www.cofc.edu/~career/fairlaborreport.pdf) :
Page 3 of 4
s
Graduate Assistants & the Fair Labor Standards Act
I. Fair Pay Rule
Ruling to insure that:
1. employees are paid at or above state/Federal minimum wage, and
2. employees are being paid for actual hours worked
Ruling effective August 23, 2004
II. Graduate Assistants & Number of Hours Worked/Semester
$6200/semester = 240-340 hours/semester*
Determining Total Number of Hours/Semester:
# hours to work/week x # weeks to work/semester = Total # of Allowable Hours/Semester
Example: Sally Student is contracted to work the regular 20 hours/week required for an
assistantship. Her start date is January 10, end date is April 29. She isn’t working spring break
week. How many hours may she work during this time?
20 hours x 15 weeks = 300 hours
*Cannot exceed 340 hours/semester on $6200 stipend
III. Internal Timesheets – Effective January 1, 2005
1. Must be downloaded, printed and completed for every Graduate Assistant every
week of work.
2. Must be stored in the student’s personnel file for 3 years past termination date of employment.
3. Total hours worked/week must be less than or equal to 40 to avoid overtime pay.
4. Documents to be audited at least 1 time/year by internal or external auditor.
IV. Helpful Web Resources
Internal Timesheet – www.cofc.edu/~career.
Go to Quick Links and scroll down to Student Employment Forms
Department of Labor – www.dol.gov
6.0
Review
Sponsors:
Recommendations:
Review:
Review:
Review:
Approved:
Final Approval:
Revision Approval:
Dr. W. Hugh Haynsworth; Laura Hines
Deans
Graduate Committee
Deans
Graduate Council
VP Financial Affairs
Provost
Provost
Page 4 of 4
Date:
Date:
Date:
Date:
Date:
Date:
Date:
Date:
August 6, 1999
August 17, 1999
September 10, 1999
September 20, 1999
September 24, 1999
May 31, 2000
June 1, 2000
April 15, 2006
III. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, ASSISTANTSHIPS
III.E.2 STEPS FOR COMPLETING THE GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP HIRE FORMS
1. Complete the GAEAF (Graduate Assistant Employment Approval Form) making certain
that all appropriate information is included on the form:
a. Remember to check whether the contract is a “hire”, “change”, or “termination” at
the top of the page.
b. All “demographic” information should be completed in the first section.
c. Complete the information about employing dept., etc. The “Dept. Contact” line
usually has the name of the person working directly with the student. There are
three “Classifications” for assistantships: 8005 – Graduate Assistant; 8015 –
Research Assistant; 8025 – Teaching Assistant.
d. All of the “boxes” on the form should contain information appropriate to the
contract (e.g. kind of assistantship, hours worked per week, salary, inclusive dates
of the contract, numbers with object codes, etc.). Please remember that if the
inclusive dates of the contract cross fiscal year boundaries (July 1-June 30),
you will have to decide the assistantship into two contracts (For example: If
you hire a graduate assistant in January and you wish the contract to continue
through the following August, you will have to do one contract for Jan-June 3o
and another for July 1-August 31. This means apportioning the overall stipend
accordingly).
e. The signature lines are the purposes of budget and process controls. The line for
“Dept. Chair” should be signed by the person controlling the budget; the line for
“Program Director” should be signed by the head of the graduate program,
whether that is a program director or department chair.
f. Please indicate if the student is a resident or non-resident. If the student is a nonresident, please fill out the Abatement Approval Form. (Form follows)
2. Complete and have the student sign a contract letter. (Sample follows)
3. I-9 and W-4 Forms. Students must complete an IRS withholding for (W-4) and an I-9
form (from the Immigration and Naturalization Service). The completed GAEAF, the
signed contract letter, and the completed W-4 and I-9 forms are forwarded to the
Graduate School Office for further posting. (Current W-4 and I-9 forms can be
downloaded at http://careercenter.cofc.edu/, student employment forms link)
4. All GA hire forms must be sent to the Graduate School Office in one complete packet.
Incomplete or unsigned forms will be returned to the hiring department (see checklist).
5. Direct Deposit: Students who wish to have their payroll checks directly deposited into
their bank accounts may get a form from the Career Center (Lightsey Center, Rm. 216).
Once the form is completed, it must be returned to the Career Center for processing.
Graduate Assistantship Employment Approval Form
Checklist
Please complete and attach this form to the Graduate Assistantship Employment Approval Form
prior to sending it to the Graduate School Office.
Student Name ____________________________
_____1. All Signatures
_____2. Award Letter (Signed by both department and student)
_____3. I-9
_____4. W-4
_____5. Copies of Driver’s License, SSN Card, Visa/Resident Information
(if applicable)
_____6. Category B Assistantship Form (If applicable)
_____7. Abatement Approval Form (If applicable)
Note: Please include this completed checklist in the GAEAF packet.
RESIDENCY : R or N
(please circle one)
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP EMPLOYMENT APPROVAL FORM (GAEAF)
NOTE: ABATEMENT APPROVAL FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AND SIGNED FOR NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS
CHECK ONE:
_____HIRE
______CHANGE:
NAME ____
_____
__________________________
TERMINATION
SSN:
_____
_____________________________________________________________________
PERMANENT ADDRESS:
LOCAL MAILING ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________________
LOCAL PHONE: ______________________________
EMAIL:
________________________________________________
CITIZENSHIP INFORMATION: ARE YOU A U.S. CITIZEN? _____ YES



VISA: F1 or J1
EXPIRATION DATE:
_____NO (IF NO, CHOOSE YOUR STATUS BELOW)
PASSPORT #
PERMANENT RESIDENT
EXPIRATION DATE:
A#
RESIDENT ALIEN
EXPIRATION DATE:
A#
EMPLOYING DEPT. NAME:
________________
PHONE: _________________
CONTACT: ____________
MAJOR: ____________________________
STUDENT’S ACADEMIC PROGRAM: Degree (e.g. MA, MS, etc.) _____
GRADUATE ASSISTANT (8005)
EMPLOYMENT BEGIN DATE:
_________
TEACHING ASSISTANT (8025)
EMPLOYMENT END DATE*:
________
RESEARCH ASSISTANT (8015)
HOURS/WEEK
TOTAL EARNINGS
*Contracts may not run past June 30th of the given calendar year.
6-DIGIT ACCOUNT #
FUNDING AGENCY
PERCENT
ABATEMENT INFORMATION (for Non-Resident Students)
TERM / YEAR
FALL /
SPRING /
SUMMER I /
SUMMER II /
Expected hours of graduate
enrollment
POSITION CODE (BAF Office)
Has Graduate School Office approved the abatement? ___yes ___no
If, yes, on what date?__________
BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT ALL INFORMATION ON THIS CONTRACT IS CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
NOTIFYING THE STUDENT EMPLOYMENT COORDINATOR OF TERMINATIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER ENSURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CORRECT PAY.
By signing and submitting this form, I agree to record my Graduate Assistant's (8005) work hours using an internal timesheet. I understand that these timesheets are subject
to both internal and external audit.
DEPARTMENTAL CONTACT:
DATE:
PROGRAM DIRECTOR:
DATE:
GRADUATE DEAN:
DATE:
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT COORD.:
DATE:
III. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND ASSISTANTSHIPS
III.E.3 SAMPLE ASSISTANTSHIP CONTRACT LETTER
(DATE)
(NAME
STREET ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP)
Dear (NAME):
It is a pleasure to inform you that you have been awarded a graduate assistantship in (NAME
OF PROGRAM) at the Graduate School of the College of Charleston for the (SEMESTER
OR ACADEMIC YEAR), beginning (INCLUSIVE DATES OF CONTRACT). A stipend
of (AMOUNT OF STIPEND) will be paid for twenty hours of work per week under the
direction of (SUPERVISOR’S NAME). As a graduate assistant your duties will be……....
Students who are awarded assistantships are required to do the following:
1. Carry the minimal course load required of a regular degree (nine hours of graduate
coursework per semester for full-time students), and maintain good academic standing
with a GPA of at least 3.0.
2. Complete an Employee Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) and an Internal Revenue
Service W-4 form (for withholding). You may choose which identification documents
you wish to submit for the I-9 form from a list on the back of the form, by you must
complete all three sections on the front of the I-9 form. Please see (NAME OF THE
PERSON IN DEPARTMENT HOLDING I-9 FORMS) in the (THIS SHOULD
BE THE NAME OF THE OFFICE OF THE PROGRAM WHERE THE
STUDENT WILL ACTUALLY BE EMPLOYED) in order to complete the form.
The W-4 form is enclosed.
You may indicate your acceptance of this offer by signing this letter and immediately
returning it along with the completed W-4 form to (ORIGINATOR OR ORIGINATOR’S
OFFICE).
Sincerely,
PERSON WHO HAS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUNDS SUPPORTING
THE ASSISTANTSHIP
Enclosure
Accepted as above: _________________________________Date:________________
Form W-4 (2009)
Purpose. Complete Form W-4 so that your
employer can withhold the correct federal income
tax from your pay. Consider completing a new
Form W-4 each year and when your personal or
financial situation changes.
Exemption from withholding. If you are
exempt, complete only lines 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7
and sign the form to validate it. Your exemption
for 2009 expires February 16, 2010. See
Pub. 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax.
Note. You cannot claim exemption from
withholding if (a) your income exceeds $950
and includes more than $300 of unearned
income (for example, interest and dividends)
and (b) another person can claim you as a
dependent on their tax return.
Basic instructions. If you are not exempt,
complete the Personal Allowances Worksheet
below. The worksheets on page 2 further adjust
your withholding allowances based on itemized
deductions, certain credits, adjustments to
income, or two-earner/multiple job situations.
Complete all worksheets that apply. However, you
may claim fewer (or zero) allowances. For regular
wages, withholding must be based on allowances
you claimed and may not be a flat amount or
percentage of wages.
Head of household. Generally, you may claim
head of household filing status on your tax
return only if you are unmarried and pay more
than 50% of the costs of keeping up a home
for yourself and your dependent(s) or other
qualifying individuals. See Pub. 501,
Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing
Information, for information.
Tax credits. You can take projected tax
credits into account in figuring your allowable
number of withholding allowances. Credits for
child or dependent care expenses and the
child tax credit may be claimed using the
Personal Allowances Worksheet below. See
Pub. 919, How Do I Adjust My Tax
Withholding, for information on converting
your other credits into withholding allowances.
Nonwage income. If you have a large amount
of nonwage income, such as interest or
dividends, consider making estimated tax
payments using Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax
for Individuals. Otherwise, you may owe
additional tax. If you have pension or annuity
income, see Pub. 919 to find out if you should
adjust your withholding on Form W-4 or W-4P.
Two earners or multiple jobs. If you have a
working spouse or more than one job, figure
the total number of allowances you are entitled
to claim on all jobs using worksheets from only
one Form W-4. Your withholding usually will
be most accurate when all allowances are
claimed on the Form W-4 for the highest
paying job and zero allowances are claimed on
the others. See Pub. 919 for details.
Nonresident alien. If you are a nonresident
alien, see the Instructions for Form 8233
before completing this Form W-4.
Check your withholding. After your Form W-4
takes effect, use Pub. 919 to see how the
amount you are having withheld compares to
your projected total tax for 2009. See Pub.
919, especially if your earnings exceed
$130,000 (Single) or $180,000 (Married).
Personal Allowances Worksheet (Keep for your records.)
A
Enter “1” for yourself if no one else can claim you as a dependent
● You are single and have only one job; or
B Enter “1” if:
● You are married, have only one job, and your spouse does not work; or
● Your wages from a second job or your spouse’s wages (or the total of both) are $1,500 or less.
$
A
%
B
C Enter “1” for your spouse. But, you may choose to enter “-0-” if you are married and have either a working spouse or
C
more than one job. (Entering “-0-” may help you avoid having too little tax withheld.)
D
D Enter number of dependents (other than your spouse or yourself) you will claim on your tax return
E
E Enter “1” if you will file as head of household on your tax return (see conditions under Head of household above)
F
F Enter “1” if you have at least $1,800 of child or dependent care expenses for which you plan to claim a credit
(Note. Do not include child support payments. See Pub. 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses, for details.)
G Child Tax Credit (including additional child tax credit). See Pub. 972, Child Tax Credit, for more information.
● If your total income will be less than $61,000 ($90,000 if married), enter “2” for each eligible child; then less “1” if you have three or more eligible children.
● If your total income will be between $61,000 and $84,000 ($90,000 and $119,000 if married), enter “1” for each eligible
G
child plus “1” additional if you have six or more eligible children.
H Add lines A through G and enter total here. (Note. This may be different from the number of exemptions you claim on your tax return.) © H
● If you plan to itemize or claim adjustments to income and want to reduce your withholding, see the Deductions
For accuracy,
and Adjustments Worksheet on page 2.
complete all
worksheets
● If you have more than one job or are married and you and your spouse both work and the combined earnings from all jobs exceed
$40,000 ($25,000 if married), see the Two-Earners/Multiple Jobs Worksheet on page 2 to avoid having too little tax withheld.
that apply.
● If neither of the above situations applies, stop here and enter the number from line H on line 5 of Form W-4 below.
$
Cut here and give Form W-4 to your employer. Keep the top part for your records.
Form
W-4
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
1
5
6
7
OMB No. 1545-0074
Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate
©
Whether you are entitled to claim a certain number of allowances or exemption from withholding is
subject to review by the IRS. Your employer may be required to send a copy of this form to the IRS.
Type or print your first name and middle initial.
Last name
2
2009
Your social security number
Home address (number and street or rural route)
3
City or town, state, and ZIP code
4 If your last name differs from that shown on your social security card,
check here. You must call 1-800-772-1213 for a replacement card. ©
Single
Married
Married, but withhold at higher Single rate.
Note. If married, but legally separated, or spouse is a nonresident alien, check the “Single” box.
5
Total number of allowances you are claiming (from line H above or from the applicable worksheet on page 2)
6
Additional amount, if any, you want withheld from each paycheck
I claim exemption from withholding for 2009, and I certify that I meet both of the following conditions for exemption.
● Last year I had a right to a refund of all federal income tax withheld because I had no tax liability and
● This year I expect a refund of all federal income tax withheld because I expect to have no tax liability.
©
If you meet both conditions, write “Exempt” here
7
$
Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this certificate and to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is true, correct, and complete.
Employee’s signature
(Form is not valid unless you sign it.)
8
©
Employer’s name and address (Employer: Complete lines 8 and 10 only if sending to the IRS.)
For Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see page 2.
Date
9 Office code (optional) 10
Cat. No. 10220Q
©
Employer identification number (EIN)
Form
W-4
(2009)
Form W-4 (2009)
Page
2
Deductions and Adjustments Worksheet
Note. Use this worksheet only if you plan to itemize deductions, claim certain credits, adjustments to income, or an additional standard deduction.
1 Enter an estimate of your 2009 itemized deductions. These include qualifying home mortgage interest,
charitable contributions, state and local taxes, medical expenses in excess of 7.5% of your income, and
miscellaneous deductions. (For 2009, you may have to reduce your itemized deductions if your income
is over $166,800 ($83,400 if married filing separately). See Worksheet 2 in Pub. 919 for details.)
1 $
$11,400 if married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er)
2 Enter:
$ 8,350 if head of household
2 $
$ 5,700 if single or married filing separately
3 Subtract line 2 from line 1. If zero or less, enter “-0-”
3 $
4 Enter an estimate of your 2009 adjustments to income and any additional standard deduction. (Pub. 919)
4 $
5 Add lines 3 and 4 and enter the total. (Include any amount for credits from Worksheet 8 in Pub. 919.)
5 $
6 Enter an estimate of your 2009 nonwage income (such as dividends or interest)
6 $
7 Subtract line 6 from line 5. If zero or less, enter “-0-”
7 $
8 Divide the amount on line 7 by $3,500 and enter the result here. Drop any fraction
8
9 Enter the number from the Personal Allowances Worksheet, line H, page 1
9
10 Add lines 8 and 9 and enter the total here. If you plan to use the Two-Earners/Multiple Jobs Worksheet,
also enter this total on line 1 below. Otherwise, stop here and enter this total on Form W-4, line 5, page 1 10
$
%
Two-Earners/Multiple Jobs Worksheet (See Two earners or multiple jobs on page 1.)
Note. Use this worksheet only if the instructions under line H on page 1 direct you here.
1 Enter the number from line H, page 1 (or from line 10 above if you used the Deductions and Adjustments Worksheet)
2 Find the number in Table 1 below that applies to the LOWEST paying job and enter it here. However, if
you are married filing jointly and wages from the highest paying job are $50,000 or less, do not enter more
than “3.”
1
2
3 If line 1 is more than or equal to line 2, subtract line 2 from line 1. Enter the result here (if zero, enter
“-0-”) and on Form W-4, line 5, page 1. Do not use the rest of this worksheet
3
Note. If line 1 is less than line 2, enter “-0-” on Form W-4, line 5, page 1. Complete lines 4–9 below to calculate the additional
withholding amount necessary to avoid a year-end tax bill.
4
5
6
7
8
9
Enter the number from line 2 of this worksheet
4
Enter the number from line 1 of this worksheet
5
Subtract line 5 from line 4
Find the amount in Table 2 below that applies to the HIGHEST paying job and enter it here
Multiply line 7 by line 6 and enter the result here. This is the additional annual withholding needed
Divide line 8 by the number of pay periods remaining in 2009. For example, divide by 26 if you are paid
every two weeks and you complete this form in December 2008. Enter the result here and on Form W-4,
line 6, page 1. This is the additional amount to be withheld from each paycheck
Table 1
Married Filing Jointly
If wages from LOWEST
paying job are—
$0 - $4,500
4,501 - 9,000
9,001 - 18,000
18,001 - 22,000
22,001 - 26,000
26,001 - 32,000
32,001 - 38,000
38,001 - 46,000
46,001 - 55,000
55,001 - 60,000
60,001 - 65,000
65,001 - 75,000
75,001 - 95,000
95,001 - 105,000
105,001 - 120,000
120,001 and over
Enter on
line 2 above
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
$
$
9
$
Table 2
All Others
If wages from LOWEST
paying job are—
$0
6,001
12,001
19,001
26,001
35,001
50,001
65,001
80,001
90,001
120,001
6
7
8
- $6,000
- 12,000
- 19,000
- 26,000
- 35,000
- 50,000
- 65,000
- 80,000
- 90,000
- 120,000
and over
Married Filing Jointly
Enter on
line 2 above
If wages from HIGHEST
paying job are—
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
$0 - $65,000
65,001 - 120,000
120,001 - 185,000
185,001 - 330,000
330,001 and over
Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We ask for the information on
this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. The Internal
Revenue Code requires this information under sections 3402(f)(2)(A) and 6109 and
their regulations. Failure to provide a properly completed form will result in your
being treated as a single person who claims no withholding allowances; providing
fraudulent information may also subject you to penalties. Routine uses of this
information include giving it to the Department of Justice for civil and criminal
litigation, to cities, states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and
possessions for use in administering their tax laws, and using it in the National
Directory of New Hires. We may also disclose this information to other countries
under a tax treaty, to federal and state agencies to enforce federal nontax criminal
laws, or to federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat terrorism.
All Others
If wages from HIGHEST
Enter on
line 7 above paying job are—
$550
910
1,020
1,200
1,280
$0 - $35,000
35,001 90,000
90,001 - 165,000
165,001 - 370,000
370,001 and over
Enter on
line 7 above
$550
910
1,020
1,200
1,280
You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB
control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be
retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of
any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax returns and return information are
confidential, as required by Code section 6103.
The average time and expenses required to complete and file this form will vary
depending on individual circumstances. For estimated averages, see the
instructions for your income tax return.
If you have suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear
from you. See the instructions for your income tax return.
APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF
A CATEGORY B GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP
(3-8 hour enrollment)
NOTE: ABATEMENT APPROVAL FORM MUST BE COMPLETED, SIGNED AND ATTACHED FOR
NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS
Student Name
Application Term:
CWID
Fall
year
Spring
year
GRADUATE PROGRAM:
Degree (M.A.; M.Ed. etc.)
Major: (History, Marine Biology, etc.)
Total hours required to complete degree _____
Number of hours already earned toward degree_____
Please list all courses remaining in order to complete degree: (Include all remaining course and thesis hours not yet
completed.)
COURSE / No. Hours of Credit
(e.g. BIOL 650 - Seminar / 1)
_______________________________________
EXPECTED TERM
OF COMPLETION
(e.g. Fall, 2007)
_____________________________
_______________________________________
_____________________________
_______________________________________
_____________________________
ABATEMENT INFORMATION (for Non-Resident Students)
TERM / YEAR
Expected hours of graduate enrollment
FALL /
SPRING /
POSITION CODE (BAF Office)
Has Graduate School Office approved the abatement? ___yes ___no If, yes, on what date?__________
I certify that the information on the above student is accurate and complete.
Program Director Date:
Print Name / Signature
Graduate School Office Only:
_________Student approved for three (3) hour course load for a period ending
_________Student is NOT approved for three (3) course load. Student must enroll as a full-time, nine (9) hour student.
Signature
Dean, Graduate School
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\Cat.B Assistantship.doc
Rev. 07-08
Date:
ABATEMENT APPROVAL FORM
Must be completed before a student can receive an abatement of non-resident fees.
STUDENT INFORMATION
_________________
__________________
_______________
Last Name
First Name
Middle Name
____________________
Student ID Number
_______________________
Program
_______________
Residency Status
ABATEMENT INFORMATION
TERM 1 (indicate term):
TERM 2 (indicate term):
Funding Type / Position
(i.e. GA, TA, RA, Scholarship Name):
Funding Type / Position
(i.e. GA, TA, RA, Scholarship Name):
Estimated Enrollment – Graduate Credit Hours:
Estimated Enrollment – Graduate Credit Hours:
APPROVAL:
APPROVAL:
_____Student approved for an abatement of
______________ hours of graduate enrollment
_____Student approved for an abatement of
______________ hours of graduate enrollment
_____Student NOT approved for an abatement
_____Student NOT approved for an abatement
Signature Dean of the Graduate School:
Signature Dean of the Graduate School
DATE:
DATE:
GSO STAFF ONLY
Actual Enrollment – Graduate Credit Hours:
GSO STAFF ONLY
Actual Enrollment – Graduate Credit Hours:
Date:
Date:
III. FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND ASSISTANTSHIPS
III.F. HIRING GRADUATE NON-WORKSTUDY STUDENTS
When a graduate program office desires to hire a graduate student who has exhausted the criteria
for being hired as a graduate assistant, the student may be hired as a Graduate Non-Work
Study student employee. In this kind of hire, the program will use a SEAF (Student
Employment Approval Form) rather than the GAEAF (Graduate Assistant Employment
Approval Form).
Note: The program office will coordinate this type of hire directly with the student
employment officer in Career Center. At this writing, that person is Kristine Barry (9535692). The Graduate School Office plays no role in processing the SEAF forms.
It is possible that the program would wish to hire the student for the same amount of
compensation that is given to graduate assistantships. In this case, the form in completed as
indicated, but a note is written in the block designated for salary to the effect that the student
needs to be paid in equal installments. In this way the student will not have to complete a
timesheet as an hourly employee. However, graduate students and employers alike in this type
of hire at this level of compensation are obliged to follow the basic rules of a 20 hours work
week for the student.
If the employer does not wish to compensate the student at the assistantship level, then an hourly
wage can be determined, and the student will complete a timesheet as an hourly employee.
Completing an SEAF or GAEAF does not constitute a contract. It merely requests
permission to hire a student. If a contract arrangement that outlines student duties and
responsibilities is desired, then a contract letter with a line to be signed by the student
could be developed by the hiring entity.
Non-resident graduate students hired in this category are not eligible for an abatement of
out-of-state fees.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT APPROVAL FORM
CHECK ONE:
__X __HIRE
NAME:
Jane Doe
____CHANGE:
SSN:
PERMANENT ADDRESS:
435 Happy Trails Court, Lexington, KY 34897
LOCAL MAILING ADDRESS:
001 CofC Complex, Charleston, SC 29424
LOCAL PHONE: 555-1212
ˆ
ˆ
ˆ
123-45-6789
EMAIL:
CITIZENSHIP INFORMATION: ARE YOU A U.S. CITIZEN?
TERMINATION
__
__X__YES
[email protected]
____NO (IF NO, CHOOSE YOUR STATUS BELOW)
VISA: F1 or J1
EXPIRATION DATE:
PASSPORT #
PERMANENT RESIDENT
EXPIRATION DATE:
A#
RESIDENT ALIEN
EXPIRATION DATE:
A#
IMPORTANT! THE INFORMATION BELOW IS TO BE COMPLETED, IN FULL, BY THE EMPLOYER. FORMS RECEIVED WITH INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION WILL BE
RETURNED TO THE EMPLOYER RESULTING IN A PROCESSING DELAY.
EMPLOYING DEPT. NAME:
CONTACT:
Career Services
CLASSIFICATION #:
Amy Hunt
8033
EMAIL: [email protected]
JOB CLASSIFICATION
HOURLY RATE:
$6.00
10-12
____
FEDERAL WORK STUDY (FWS) - S
HOURS/WEEK:
__x__
NON-WORK STUDY (NWS) - T
ESTIMATED EARNINGS:
$4000
EFFECTIVE DATE (FWS ONLY):
FOR BAF OFFICE USE ONLY
POSITION #
BEGIN DATE:
7/1/02
END DATE:
6/30/03
6 DIGIT ACCOUNT #
4 DIGIT LABOR OBJECT CODE
ESTIMATED EARNINGS
PERCENT
123456
1302
$4000
100%
BY SIGNING AND SUBMITTING THIS FORM, I CERTIFY THAT ALL INFORMATION ON THIS CONTRACT IS CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. I ACCEPT
FULL RESPONSIBILITY OF MONITORING THIS STUDENT’S EARNINGS AND THE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THE APPROPRIATE PERCENTAGE OF THIS
STUDENT’S EARNINGS.
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
DATE:
DEPARTMENT CHAIR (IF NEEDED):
DATE:
GRANT PI (IF
DATE:
PAYING FROM GRANT):
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT:
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:
_ DATE:
SSII
F
S
M
SSI
IV. ADMISSIONS, ORIENTATION AND GRADUATION
IV.A. ADMISSIONS
1. General Process
Note: The general graduate admissions process applicable to all graduate student programs
is given below, followed by program specific variations and then the international student
process.
a. The Application Form
The present application packed for graduate students can be obtained in several ways as
follows:
 A prospective student can request a packet be sent via regular mail. Paper
applications are strongly discouraged. The fee for filing a paper application is $75.
 Applicants may complete the application online via CollegeNet, also available
through the Graduate School’s website. Fee for online applications is $45.
The application itself has three pages with a fourth page required of Bilingual Interpreting
applicants. Transcript order forms and Recommendation forms are available online. There
are also a grid of admission requirements, deadlines, and individual admissions requirements
checklists available online that assist the applicant in determining each program’s entrance
criteria.
b. Application Fees
All application fees are presently $75 for paper applications and $45 for an online application
($50 for Bilingual Interpreting applicants, plus a $100 Language Aptitude Test fee and a $75
Language Competency Interview fee), which must be paid at the time the application is
submitted. For those who submit an online application, the fee can be made via the secure
Internet site. Applications will not be processed until the fee is paid. Fee Waivers: fee
waivers are only given to present employees of the College of Charleston and to recent
Masters level graduates seeking additional coursework after graduation. Other fee waivers
may be offered by the Graduate School Office only on a case-by-case basis.
c. Admissions Process
The Graduate School Office (GSO) processes all applications by entering application and
decision data into SIS-Plus, making application files, communicating with applicants during
the application process and after a decision has been made. Graduate Admissions also keeps
an Excel spreadsheet for each semester of each program’s applicants and their status. For
details on each program’s admissions process from this point, please see below.
Policy on Waiving the GRE Requirement: A graduate program director may waive the
GRE Test requirement when an applicant to the program already holds a graduate degree
in any discipline from an accredited college or university. However, the attached
justification form must be completed and sent for approval to the Dean of the
Graduate School before the waiver can be entered on the student’s record.
d. Decision Letters
All decision letters, regardless of who sends them, are accompanied by an Acceptance-of-Offer
form and a Health/Immunization form. Until the applicant returns the Offer form, he/she
cannot formally be matriculated into the program or register for classes. Please note that the
acceptance of offer form has individual formats for degree-seeking, provisional and
certificate. If you do not have copies of each of these where applicable, please contact the GSO
and we will provide copies to you.
The process variations are noted below. Otherwise the Graduate School Office sends the letter.
Marine Biology: The GSO scans all materials as they arrive in the office into FRED and
notifies the MBIO program director and the coordinator. Once a decision has been made, the
program director will forward a decision form and a copy of the decision letter to the GSO. The
decision form will outline all the information necessary for the GSO to enter all application
requirements into SIS. If the applicant is accepted, the letter will be accompanied by an
Acceptance-of-Offer form and a Health/Immunization form. The decision form and letter are
scanned into FRED and filed to await the return of the acceptance of offer form. The acceptance
packet is then also forwarded via email to the applicant by the GSO.
Public Administration: The program office emulates the process above for the Marine Biology
Program.
Arts Management: The completed files for this PUBA certificate are sent electronically to the
certificate’s program director for an initial decision. If admittance is advised, the certificate
director forwards the electronic file and their decision to the PUBA program director for a final
decision.
Urban and Regional Planning: The processes for this PUBA certificate are the same as Arts
Management
Accountancy: When a file is complete, the GSO forwards the completed file to ACCY. The
ACCY program director keeps all completed files. Once a decision has been made, he/she
forwards the decision form and a copy of the letter to the GSO, where the decision is scanned
and processed. The GSO forwards the letter, along with an Acceptance of Offer form and a
Health/Immunization form via email, to the applicant.
Environmental Studies: When an application is complete, the file is routed to the program
office for a decision. The program office keeps the file. A copy of the decision letter and the
original decision form are returned to the GSO. The GSO processes the decision and scans the
materials into FRED. An electronic acceptance packet will also be sent to the successful
applicant.
Bilingual Interpreting: As soon as an application is downloaded a copy of the application (and
any materials available on that day) are forwarded electronically via PDF file to the program
director. This is so that the director may arrange both the Language Competency Interview and
then the Interpreting Aptitude Exam. When the program director has the results of the IAE, those
results are forwarded to the GSO. Once an application is complete, the GSO will forward an
electronic copy of the entire file to the program director for a decision. Once a decision is
returned to the GSO, the appropriate letter is sent to the applicant. Acceptances are also
forwarded via email. Files are kept in the GSO.
Mathematics: Once an application is complete, it is sent to the program director. Files are kept
in the program office. The decision form is then returned to the GSO; a letter is generated based
on the decision and forwarded to the applicant. Successful applicants will also receive a copy of
their acceptance packet via email.
Statistics: This Mathematics certificate program follows the same process as Mathematics.
Communication: This program emulates the Mathematics process.
Organizational and Corporate Communication: This Communication certificate program
uses the same process as Communication.
Computer and Information Science: This program emulates the Mathematics process.
English: The program emulates the Mathematics process. However, while the program office
retains degree-seeking files, non-degree files are returned to the GSO for storage.
History: When the program director is based on the College of Charleston’s campus, the process
is as described for the Mathematics program. However, when the acceptance letters are sent
from the Citadel, the GSO sends a memo to the accepted CofC students along with an
Acceptance of Offer form and a Health/Immunization form. The program office retains degreeseeking files, while the GSO holds non-degree files.
MAT in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education: These programs are currently
under one program director. Their process is the same as Mathematics, except that all files are
kept in the GSO.
MEd in Languages: This program emulates the other education programs, including housing
the files in the GSO.
MEd in Science and Math for Teachers: This program emulates the other education programs,
including housing the files in the GSO.
MAT in Performing Arts: This program currently has a program director from both Education
and Music. As soon as an application is downloaded an electronic copy is sent to both program
directors. They will schedule an audition for the candidate, the results of which are then
communicated to the GSO. As soon as all materials for the application are received, the
completed file is forwarded to BOTH program directors for a decision. The decision is then
returned to the GSO for processing. All files are kept in the GSO.
2. International Students
International students are held to the same individual program application and admissions
processes as domestic students with the following additional criteria:
a. An international applicant must present copies of their current visa documents, if held.
These must be notarized copies.
b. The applicant must have received a “Certificate of Finance” form during his or her initial
inquiry stage. The “Certificate of Finance” form must be completed in order to process
the applicant’s request for a student visa and also eventually to be admitted to the
program. Appropriate and adequate financing must be shown from a responsible source
(see form following this section).
c. The Credential Evaluation of all foreign transcripts is very important since all foreign
students must have these reviewed by one of several suggested agencies with expertise in
this sort of endeavor. Unfortunately, at present, the College does not have the personnel
in-house.
d. If the student’s primary language is not English, he/she will also have to take the TOEFL.
Official scores must be received as follows:
Writing = 20
Speaking = 23
Listening = 17
Reading = 21
The minimal total score accepted for admission is 81. This requirement can be waived,
using the same form as the GRE waiver. It may be waived if the student has received
his/her undergraduate degree in the US, or in some cases, for compelling reasons.
e. If the student is accepted, the GSO then issues a request to the International Office for an
I-20, along with the acceptance letter and the certificate of finance. That office will then
proceed with paperwork, which will enable the student to go to the American Embassy in
his or her country to apply for a student visa. Sometimes these are granted and
sometimes they are not.
JUSTIFICATION FOR WAIVING THE GRE, GMAT OR TOEFL
ENTRANCE EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS
(To be completed by the program director)
This request concerns the waiver of the ____ GRE ____ GMAT ____ TOEFL requirement
Applicant Name ______________________________________________________________
Applicant CWID _____________________________________________________________
Program applying to:
Degree _________________________________
Major __________________________________
Justification for the request:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Program Director, please sign below, return this form to the Dean of the Graduate School for
further processing. Thank you.
___________________________________________________________
Program Director
___________________________________________________________
Signature
FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL USE ONLY
______ Approved ______ Not Approved
______________________________________________ Date: ______________________
\\Drayton\data\Graduate Office\Forms\Test waiver request form.pub
Last updated September 2009
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
of the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
A CCEPTANCE
OF
O FFER F ORM
NAME__________________________________________________________________________
(Last)
(First)
(MI)
I accept the offer of admission as a degree-seeking student of The Graduate School of the College of
Charleston, for the term ______________________, and in doing so, I agree to subscribe to and support all rules and regulations of The Graduate School and the ________________________________
program (please check one):
□
I accept this offer as an in-state resident
□
I accept this offer as an out-of-state resident
□
I will not be attending The Graduate School for the following reason(s):
Upon accepting this offer and signing below, a $50 non-refundable matriculation fee will be
charged to your account. It is not necessary to remit payment at this time, your student account will
be charged. Understand that you are bound to abide by the honor system and are bound to report
violations of that code. Upon attending an orientation session you will be given complete information in the Student Handbook as a guide to “Civil and Honorable Conduct.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
(Signature)
(Date)
_________________________
(Social Security Number)
Please return this form to:
The Graduate School – College of Charleston
Graduate School Office
Randolph Hall, Suite 310
Charleston, SC 29424-0001
For GSO Use Only: Forward one copy to
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
of the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
A CCEPTANCE
OF
O FFER F ORM
NAME__________________________________________________________________________
(Last)
(First)
(MI)
I accept the offer of admission as a Master’s Certificate student of The Graduate School of the College
of Charleston, for the term ______________________, and in doing so, I agree to subscribe to and
support all rules and regulations of The Graduate School and the ________________________ program (please check one):
□
I accept this offer as an in-state resident
□
I accept this offer as an out-of-state resident
□
I will not be attending The Graduate School for the following reason(s):
Upon accepting this offer and signing below, you are bound to abide by the honor system and are
bound to report violations of that code. A guide to “Civil and Honorable Conduct.” can be found in
the Student Handbook on the Student Affairs website, http://www.cofc.edu/studentaffairs/
general_info/studenthandbook.html
__________________________________________________________________________________
(Signature)
(Date)
_________________________
(Social Security Number)
Please return this form to:
The Graduate School – College of Charleston
Graduate School Office
Randolph Hall, Suite 310
Charleston, SC 29424-0001
For GSO Use Only: Forward one copy to
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
of the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
A CCEPTANCE
OF
O FFER F ORM
NAME__________________________________________________________________________
(Last)
(First)
(MI)
I accept the offer of admission as a provisional degree-seeking student of The Graduate School of the
College of Charleston, for the term ______________________, and in doing so, I agree to subscribe
to and support all rules and regulations of The Graduate School and the ________________________
program (please check one):
□
I accept this offer as an in-state resident
□
I accept this offer as an out-of-state resident
□
I will not be attending The Graduate School for the following reason(s):
Upon accepting this offer and signing below, a $50 non-refundable matriculation fee will be
charged to your account. It is not necessary to remit payment at this time, your student account will
be charged. Understand that you are bound to abide by the honor system and are bound to report
violations of that code. Upon attending an orientation session you will be given complete information in the Student Handbook as a guide to “Civil and Honorable Conduct.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
(Signature)
(Date)
_________________________
(Social Security Number)
Please return this form to:
The Graduate School – College of Charleston
Graduate School Office
Randolph Hall, Suite 310
Charleston, SC 29424-0001
For GSO Use Only: Forward one copy to
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT
INFORMATION PACKET
ACADEMIC YEAR 09-10
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT
INFORMATION PACKET
MEMORANDUM
TO:
International Applicants
FROM:
Susan L. Hallatt, Director of Graduate Admissions
RE:
Application Requirements
Thank you for your interest in the Graduate School of the College of Charleston.
Since you are an international applicant, there are some additional requirements you must fulfill in order
to complete your degree-seeking application.
The following original documents (or notarized copies in the case of visa documents) must be received by
the Graduate School Office before your application file will be sent for review to your chosen Program’s
Admission Committee:
1)
Credential evaluation (course by course) of all non-U.S. college or university transcripts
2)
Completed Certificate of Finance
3)
Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
4)
Information about your current visa (see next page for details)
Please see the Graduate Catalog, available online at http://www.cofc.edu/gradschool/catalog, for additional information regarding these requirements and the admissions criteria for your program of interest.
When we have received the materials listed above, along with all regular application criteria outlined in
the Catalog, your file will be routed to the admissions committee for a decision. If you are admitted to the
program, you will be sent an acceptance package including an Acceptance of Offer form. When you return this form to the Graduate Office confirming your intentions to enroll, we will send an I-20 Request
Form to the Office of International Education on your behalf. That office will then take the necessary
steps to issue your I-20 form to you so that you may obtain a student visa.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at (843) 953-5614 or [email protected] with any questions regarding
the admissions criteria or the application process. If you have any questions regarding the student visa
application process, please contact Gerhard Mack in the Center for International Education at
[email protected] or visit their website at http://www.cofc.edu/international/. Best wishes for success with
your application.
Deadlines for International Applicants:
April 1st for Fall admission
August 1st for Spring admission
January 1st for Summer admission
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT
INFORMATION PACKET
US VISA INFORMATION
If you are a foreign national and are seeking to further your education in the United States, you
will require a visa for your stay. This process can be complex and sometimes confusing. Our Center for International Education has a brilliant website (International Education and Programs,
http://www.cofc.edu/international/) which can address many of your questions about obtaining
a visa to come to our University to study. For more direct information, please contact Dr.
Gerhard Mack, Associate Director of International Education, at (843) 953-7822,
[email protected].
As an international applicant, we will require the following information from you:

If you already have a visa, you must provide to us a notarized copy of it and any pertinent
documents relating to your visa with your application. Be sure to complete that section of the application for international students with this information as well!

If you will be applying for your student visa through our university, you must bring your visa
to our office once it is issued so that we may make copies of it to place in your file.
If you have any questions about the above instructions, please contact Director of Graduate Admissions Susan Hallatt at [email protected].
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT
INFORMATION PACKET
CREDENTIAL EVALUATION SERVICES
What the College of Charleston Requires
International applicants to a graduate program at the Graduate School of the College of Charleston
are required to have their official university transcripts showing coursework, degrees received, marks,
etc. sent to one of the credential evaluation services listed on the next page as soon as possible.
Some of the information needed by the Graduate School, College of Charleston from the evaluation service includes:

An assessment of the degree you earned in relation to its equivalency to a U.S. degree such a baccalaureate, master's etc.

An assessment of your grade point average in relation to the U.S. grading system of A = 4.0,
B=3.0, etc.

A statement of the main course of study (major) which you undertook.

A course-by-course evaluation of your undergraduate career.
International applicants are encouraged to contact the evaluation services listed by telephone or
email, or visit their website for information on fees and kinds of services.
What the Credentialing Service Requires
You must provide the following to the evaluators:

Clear and legible, original OR certified/notarized (attested) photocopies of all "original" educational documents.

All foreign language (non-English) documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation. These translations MUST be complete, literal, word-for-word, and in the same format as
the original document. Names of degrees, diplomas, and/or certificates should appear in the
"native language" and not be translated into U.S. terms such as B.A., M.S., etc.
When submitting to one of the evaluators listed, be sure to use that service’s guidelines (available on their websites) when preparing your documents.
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT
INFORMATION PACKET
CREDENTIAL EVALUATION SERVICES
Global Credential Evaluators, Inc.
World Education Services, Inc.
http://www.gceus.com
512-528-9293 – fax
http://www.wes.org
GCE Southwest
P. O. Box 9203
College Station, TX 77842-9203 USA
(800) 707-0979 voice mail
(512) 528-9293 fax
GCE Mid-Atlantic
PO Box 36
Richmond Virginia 23173
GCE Southeast
P. O. Box 1904
Ocean Springs, MS 39566-4487 USA
(228) 818-4487
Main
Tel: 212-966-6311
Fax: 212-739-6100
E-mail: [email protected]
Bowling Green Station
PO Box 5087
New York, NY 10274-5087
Courier Address
(accepts DHL, FedEx, UPS)
64 Beaver St.
New York, NY 10004
San Francisco
(415) 677-9378
Lisano International
http://www.lisano-intl.com
E-mail: [email protected]
P. O. Box 407
Auburn, AL 36831-0407 USA
Tel: 334-745-0425
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT
INFORMATION PACKET
Certification of Finances for International Graduate Students
A complete and correct certificate is required for admission. An I-20 FORM cannot be issued until you have completed this certificate, returned it by the
appropriate date, and have been admitted to the College of Charleston.
Your Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Last (Family)
Permanent Mailing Address
First
Middle
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
E-mail Address
________________________________________________
Date of Birth ______/______/______
Month
Day
Country of Birth ________________________________________
Year
Country of Citizenship ___________________________________________________________________________
Expected Date of Enrollment __________________________________ Academic Major _____________________
Expected length of study at the College of Charleston:
(circle one)
1
2
3
4
years
You are required to certify that you can meet the cost of your first year of study. Estimated expenses you will incur for the 2009-2010 academic year are as
follows: (see next page for an explanation of each cost estimate)
A B Tuition and Fees $24,069 $24,069 Books and Supplies $1,755 $1,355 Rent/Utilities (12 Months) $9,300 $7,200 Food (12 Months) $4,980 $3,720 Health Insurance (12 Month) $1,069 $1,069 Total $41,173 $37,413 If an applicant is awarded a graduate assistantship, those
monies may be used to offset the totals listed left. In some
instances, an abatement to in-state tuition may also be
awarded; however, that reduction cannot be used in the
certificate of finance as it will not be awarded until after
the deadline for fall admission. It is highly unlikely that
spring and summer international applicants will receive
abatements, as the funding is most often gone by August 1.
To the above, you must add the transportation costs for round trip fare to the United States from your home
country.
How will you pay for your ROUND TRIP transportation to and from the United States?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT
INFORMATION PACKET
Certification of Finances for International Graduate Students
A B Tuition and Fees $24,069 $24,069 Books and Supplies $1,755 $1,355 Rent/Utilities (12 Months) $9,300 $7,200 Food (12 Months) $4,980 $3,720 Health Insurance (12 Month) $1,069 $1,069 Total $41,173 $37,413 A
Estimates for tuition and fees are based on full-time, out-of-state tuition and fees for Fall, Spring and Summer semesters through Summer 2010.
Books and supplies based on purchase of 2 new books for $85 each per course, 6 books per semester Fall & Spring, 4
for Summer plus $55 per semester for supplies
Rent & Utilities are based on $620/month rent for 12 months and $155/month utilities for same period
Food is based on expenditure of $415/month for 12 months.
Health insurance is based on the August 2009 - August 2010 annual rate posted for Student/Annual through the
Student Health Services website.
B
Estimates for tuition and fees are based on full-time, out-of-state tuition and fees for Fall, Spring and Summer semesters through Summer 2010.
Books and supplies based on purchase of 2 used books for $65 each per course, 6 books per semester Fall & Spring,
4 for Summer plus $55 per semester for supplies
Rent & Utilities are based on $515/month rent for 12 months and $85/month utilities for same period
Food is based on expenditure of $310/month for 12 months.
Health insurance is based on the August 2009 - August 2010 annual rate posted for Student/Annual through the
Student Health Services website.
If an applicant is awarded a graduate assistantship, those monies may be used to offset the totals listed left. In some
instances, an abatement to in-state tuition may also be awarded; however, that reduction cannot be used in the certificate of finance as it will not be awarded until after the deadline for fall admission. It is highly unlikely that spring
and summer international applicants will receive abatements, as the funding is most often gone by August 1.
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
Support Amounts in U.S. Dollars ($)
1st Year
(Assured)
Sources of Funds
Personal or Family savings (A bank official’s signature is required
on the certificate below)
2nd Year
(Projected)
3rd Year
(Projected)
4th Year
(Projected)
$
$
$
$
Parents and/or Spouse
Print name(s) below:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
(A parent/sponsor signature is required below)
$
$
$
$
Your government – Print name of agency:
____________________________________________________
(Enclose original signed copy of letter of award)
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
The Graduate School of the College of Charleston- Fellowship/
Assistantship/Scholarship (Circle one)
Other – Please specify:
____________________________________________________
(Enclose signed affidavit from authorized person)
TOTALS
(Each of these totals should equal the estimate of costs on the first page)
Official Certification of Sources of Funds and Amounts
This is to certify I have read the information on this form and that
it is true.
This is to certify I have read the information on this form and that
it is true.
____________________________________________________
Bank Official’s Signature
Date
____________________________________________________
Parent/Sponsor’s Signature
Date
____________________________________________________
Title
____________________________________________________
Address
____________________________________________________
Bank
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Address
____________________________________________________
Relationship to Applicant
I certify that the information on this form is correct and complete.
STUDENT’S SIGNATURE _________________________________________ DATE __________________
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT
INFORMATION PACKET
TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Who Must Take the TOEFL®?

If English is not your native language then you must take the TOEFL® (Test of English as a
Foreign Language).
Who MAY BE Considered to be Exempt from Taking the TOEFL®?

Foreign nationals who have acquired an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or
university in the United States.
Where do I find out about Taking the TOEFL®?
You can find out more about taking the TOEFL® by visiting the Educational Testing Service
website at http://www.ets.org and clicking on the TOEFL® link.
What Scores Must I Achieve when Taking the TOEFL®?
The Graduate School of the College of Charleston requires MINIMUM scores for each section of
the TOEFL® as follows:





Writing = 20
Speaking = 23
Listening = 17
Reading = 21.
The minimum total score accepted for admission is 81.
How Soon Should I Take the TOEFL®?

You should take the TOEFL® no later than 12 weeks prior to the deadline for the program
in which you are interested at the Graduate School of the College of Charleston.
Drayton/Graduate Office/Admissions/
International Student Forms/International Info Packet09-10;
Revised July 2009
IV. ADMISSIONS, ORIENTATION AND GRADUATION
IV.B. ORIENTATION
1. The Graduate School Office provides three Orientation sessions annually: January,
May and August. Each session is held within a week prior to the first day of classes
for both Spring and Fall semester. May’s orientation is held just prior to the first day
of Summer I or May Evening classes, whichever comes first.
2. The Director of Information & Recruitment organizes each orientation. As new
students register, program directors will be notified if students in their program have
registered to attend. Program directors are encouraged to promote Orientation to their
students, and to attend the session if their students register.
3. Orientation begins with registration and a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by the
presentation which begins at 6:00 p.m. The reception is a chance for program
directors and students to meet each other and encourage interdisciplinary
collaboration. Program directors may leave after they are introduced at the beginning
of the presentation, which is typically no later than 6:15 p.m.
IV. ADMISSIONS, ORIENTATION AND GRADUATION
IV.C.1 GRADUATION INTRODUCTION
The College of Charleston allows students to receive degrees posted to transcripts at the end of
the fall, spring, summer I, and summer II terms. Commencement ceremonies, however, only
occur in December and May. Although the December commencement is a combined graduate /
undergraduate ceremony, the May ceremony has traditionally been separate and held on a Friday
at 5:30 PM.
Eligibility for graduation is based on the number of hours the student has earned; however, there
are many other mitigating factors around whether or not a student is ready to graduate. These
include completion of comprehensive examinations, language exams, internships, theses, and
other degree requirements appropriate to each program. Students work closely with their
advisors and program directors to determine the timetable for completing all degree
requirements. For those students completing a master’s thesis, the policy requires that the thesis
be submitted online. A thesis release form must be submitted to the Graduate School Office
(GSO) by the published deadline before these students can graduate. Please see section IV.C.2
of this manual for a general discussion of the thesis requirements and the thesis manual.
It is the responsibility of the student to apply for graduation in the Graduate School Office by the
deadline published on the Graduate School website.
Once a student has applied for graduation, the Director of Student Records in the GSO begins a
degree check, which encompasses not only the coursework and grade requirements but also
includes a determination of whether or not the student has completed other degree requirements
as mentioned above. At the beginning of the degree check, the student is notified of any
outstanding issues that could cause delay in the graduate process.
It is imperative that each program send a plan of study for each student at the beginning of
the student’s coursework and informs the GSO of any changes in the plan as the student
progresses in the program. Not having a plan of study on file in the Graduate School Office
will delay a student’s degree check.
The GSO will inform the candidates for graduation on cost of regalia, etc. and will help plan the
ceremonies with the Faculty Marshal. Graduate students who have not completed their degrees
are sometimes asked to be student marshals and ushers at the ceremonies.
The College publishes a Commencement Guide for the two commencements each year. It
contains important and helpful information to the master’s candidates and their families.
IV. ADMISSIONS, ORIENTATION AND GRADUATION
IV.C.2. THE THESIS MANUAL
Thesis Manual
A Guide for Graduate Students
(updated March 2009)
Graduate School Office
College of Charleston
Charleston, SC 29424
Contents
The Thesis Option ................................................................................................... 3
General Timeline for Master’s Thesis Development .............................................. 4
Common Regulations Governing Theses in All Programs ..................................... 5
Formatting Instructions for the Thesis Title Page.................................................... 6
Formatting Instructions for the Thesis Abstract Page.............................................. 7
Sample Title Page…………………………………………………….…….………8
Sample Title Page For Electronic Submission Copy…...…………….…….………9
Sample Title Page with Scientific Name…………………………………………..10
Sample Abstract Page ............................................................................................ 11
Online Submission of the Thesis
General Information…………….……………………………………...……….… 12
Program Submission Requirements……………………………………...……….. 15
Forms (to be used by all programs)
Thesis Release …..................................................................................................... 16
The Thesis Option
A thesis is a permanent record of information gained through extensive study and research. It is the
culmination of the student’s efforts, coupled with those of his or her advisor and thesis committee. The
thesis reflects upon the credibility of all parties involved: the student, the advisor and committee, the
School in which the student is enrolled, and the College of Charleston.
Coursework and Committees
Students enroll in thesis preparation as a formal course or courses during their programs of study. Each
master’s degree program within the Graduate School of the College of Charleston specifies the
coursework, sequence, and requirements for completion of those hours. Individual program guidelines
also specify the appointment of the thesis committee and its precise role in guiding the proposal and
thesis process. It is the student’s responsibility to make certain the committee has been established and
all necessary steps completed before beginning the thesis.
Institutional Committees for Human and Animal Research
The Board of Trustees of the College of Charleston and the Office of Research and Grants
Administration have established policies, procedures and oversight to ensure the rights and welfare of
human subjects and the health and safety of vertebrate animals used in any research undertaking at the
College. Some projects may require approval from the Institutional Review Board in the case of
research involving human subjects, and others may require approval from the Institutional Animal Care
and Use Committee. Approvals from these committees must be obtained in advance for any research
undertaken with human subjects or vertebrate animals. For detailed information on these two policies
please visit the website for the Office of Research and Grants Administration at www.orga.cofc.edu.
The Thesis Document
Because a thesis is a public document, archived in the College of Charleston library and available to the
public as well as to scholars worldwide, a high degree of consistency is necessary. Regulations common
to all programs include margins, fonts, and electronic submission procedures. Documentation, length,
and other matters that are discipline-dependent will differ from field to field.
Using the Thesis Manual
The Thesis Manual contains both general regulations pertaining to all programs (e.g., submission
deadlines, required forms, and IRB/IACUC requirements) and specific guidelines for individual
programs. In cases where no individual guidelines exist, the Thesis Manual’s general guidelines will
suffice; in cases where the individual guidelines are exceptionally long and detailed, you will be
referred to those guidelines for additional information.
Recommended Timeline for Master’s Thesis Development
First Year in Program
Begin to investigate thesis topics and identify thesis
advisor/director.
Refine thesis topic and initiate research plan with the thesis
advisor/director. Identify thesis committee members.
Formulate a formal thesis proposal. The topic must be approved
by the program director and others as appropriate.
Second Year and Beyond
Research and outline chapters. Begin writing. Maintain close
collaboration with the thesis advisor.
Complete initial draft and after approval from thesis advisor
submit draft to the thesis committee.
Make changes to the draft as suggested by the committee.
Schedule an oral defense of thesis.
Oral Defense
Thesis Changes
During the last semester of the student’s program, the oral
defense will be no later than 30 days before the end of classes.
In the summer, students must consult with their thesis
advisor/director about the schedule for the defense.
All changes and refinements to the thesis as indicated by the
committee must be completed. A copy of the thesis
incorporating the changes must be approved by the thesis
advisor/director.
The thesis director must approve all revisions to the thesis
before it is electronically submitted to the Graduate School
Office for binding. The Thesis Release Form must also be
completed and signed by the thesis director.
Deadlines for Submission
of Thesis
Thesis title page with all original signatures is submitted to the
Graduate School Office. The electronic copy of the thesis title
page should not have signatures or signature lines on it. A
completed “Thesis Release” form must be submitted with the
signature page. Submission deadlines are usually early
December for the fall and early May for the spring. However,
students should consult the academic calendar online
(http://www.cofc.edu/gradschool) or in the Graduate Catalog
for specific submission dates.
Note: This timetable for initiating and completing a thesis is purposefully broad and is meant as
a guide to help students develop their plan of action regarding the thesis process. Plans should
be amended given individual program time-to-completion of degree requirements.
Common Regulations Governing Theses in All Programs
Because a master’s level thesis is a public document, archived in the College of Charleston library
(beginning in 2008 these archives will be electronic) and available to the public as well as to scholars
worldwide, a high degree of consistency is necessary. Regulations common to all programs include
margins, fonts, and electronic submission of copies. Documentation, length, and other matters that
are discipline-dependent will differ from field to field; these are covered in the individual program
thesis guides available from graduate program directors.
MARGINS
With one exception, the entire thesis -- including appendices, works cited, preliminary matter, etc. -should have a margin of an inch and a half on the left side (for binding) and an inch elsewhere (top,
bottom, and right). The single exception is that there should be a two-inch margin for the top of the first
page of each new chapter.
The right margin should not be justified.
FONT
Use one of the “Roman” fonts, such as Times New Roman, in either an 11-point or a 12-point size.
Thesis Title Page
Note: A copy of the Thesis Title Page must be turned in by the thesis submission deadline to
the Graduate School Office with original signatures. In the electronically submitted copy, the
names of the thesis committee members must be present without the signatures, or the
signature lines.
Scientific Names in the Thesis Title
If your thesis title is going to include a scientific name, the first letter of the genus name should
be capitalized with the rest of the scientific name in lowercase letters. The genus and species
portion of the name should be italicized as well. Keep the font bold.
Formatting Instructions for the Thesis Title Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Margins for the title page are 1.5 inches on the left and 1 inch on the right, top and bottom.
The font should be a “Roman” font such as Times New Roman, and either an 11-point or a 12point size – all bold.
The THESIS TITLE should be in all caps and in bold.
Two spaces down from the title, the phrase “A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree” should be written in bold upper and lower case.
Two spaces down from the phrase in #4 above, place the title of the degree (e.g. MASTER OF
SCIENCE) in all caps, bold.
Two spaces down from the name of the degree write the word “in” in bold.
Two spaces down from the word “in” write the name of the program (e.g. MARINE
BIOLOGY) in all caps, bold.
Two spaces down from the program title write the word “by” in bold.
Two spaces down from the word “by” write the full name of the thesis author, all caps, bold.
One space down from the author’s name, write the month and year of the submission (e.g.,
APRIL 2008) with the month in all caps, bold.
Two spaces down from the date write “at ” in bold.
Two spaces down from the word “at ” write THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, in all caps, bold. Note: if the degree was in a joint
program the name of the other school must appear below the College’s name in all caps as
well. (See sample title page.)
The “Approved by” lines should have a line for a signature in which the name each of the thesis
committee member and the Dean of the Graduate School entered below the line in 8-point type
and signatures above the line.
There should be two lines between the typed name of the committee member and the next
signature line. The words “Approved by” should be in bold.
An example of a thesis title page follows these instructions on page 9.
Formatting Instructions for the Thesis Abstract
A thesis abstract is a succinct and precise statement of the main focus of the study, the research
methods used, the major findings (key results) and conclusions. It can also state the implications of the
research to the field of study. It is important that the abstract maintain its focus on the study itself in
order to aid future researchers who may review the abstract as a resource for their own study. The
abstract should be between 100-300 words and should be well organized so that that it will easily guide
a reader in the essentials of the work undertaken. The abstract follows immediately after the title page
of the thesis.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Margins and paper for the abstract page are the same as for all pages of the thesis.
The font should be a “Roman” font such as Times New Roman, and either an 11-point or a 12point size for the title and other headers, but can be 10-point for the abstract text if needed.
The word “ABSTRACT” (all caps and bold) should appear two lines down from the margin
and centered on the page.
Two spaces down from the word “Abstract” the Title of the thesis should appear in bold/all caps
– single space the title if it is longer than one line. Center the title.
One space down from the title the phrase “A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree” should be written in bold upper and lower case and centered.
Two spaces down from the phrase in #5 above, place the title of the degree (e.g. MASTER OF
SCIENCE) in all caps, bold, and centered.
Two space down from the name of the degree write the word “in” in bold and centered.
Two space down from the word “in” write the name of the program (e.g. MARINE
BIOLOGY) in all caps, bold, and centered.
Two space down from the program title write the word “by” in bold and centered.
Two space down from the word “by” write the full name of the thesis author, all caps, bold and
centered.
One space down from the author’s name, write the month and year of the submission (e.g.,
APRIL 2008) with the month in all caps, bold and centered.
Two spaces down from the date write “at ” in bold and centered.
Two spaces down from the word “at ” write THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, in all caps, bold. Note: if the degree was in a joint
program the name of the other school must appear below the College’s name in all caps as
well. (See sample title page.)
Begin the abstract itself two spaces down from the school name. There should be 1.5 spaces
between text lines, and be contained on one page; as previously stated between 100-300 words,
and be a 10-point Roman font if needed. Otherwise use 11-point or 12-point Roman font.
An example follows these instructions on page 11.
SAMPLE THESIS TITLE PAGE
(note: all College of Charleston graduate students must use this format)
AN ANALYSIS OF LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
MARINE BIOLOGY
by
AARON SMITH
AUGUST 2008
at
THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON AND
THE CITADEL (or other institution of degree program if it is a joint program)
Approved by:
___________________________________________________
Dr. Susan Twillinger, Thesis Advisor
___________________________________________________
Dr. Lindeke Mills
___________________________________________________
Dr. Craig Plante
___________________________________________________
Dr. David Owens
___________________________________________________
Dr. Amy T. McCandless, Dean of the Graduate School
SAMPLE THESIS TITLE PAGE FOR ELECTRONIC
SUBMISSION COPY
(note: all College of Charleston graduate students must use this format)
AN ANALYSIS OF LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLES
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
MARINE BIOLOGY
by
AARON SMITH
AUGUST 2008
at
THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON AND
THE CITADEL (or other institution of degree program if it is a joint program)
Approved by:
Dr. Susan Twillinger, Thesis Advisor
Dr. Lindeke Mills
Dr. Craig Plante
Dr. David Owens
Dr. Amy T. McCandless, Dean of the Graduate School
SAMPLE THESIS TITLE PAGE WITH SCIENTIFIC NAME
(note: all College of Charleston graduate students must use this format)
AN ANALYSIS OF LOGGERHEAD (Caretta caretta) SEA TURTLES
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
MARINE BIOLOGY
by
AARON SMITH
AUGUST 2008
at
THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON AND
THE CITADEL (or other institution of degree program if it is a joint program)
Approved by:
___________________________________________________
Dr. Susan Twillinger, Thesis Advisor
___________________________________________________
Dr. Lindeke Mills
___________________________________________________
Dr. Craig Plante
___________________________________________________
Dr. David Owens
___________________________________________________
Dr. Amy T. McCandless, Dean of the Graduate School
SAMPLE ABSTRACT PAGE
(This format must be used by students in all graduate programs)
ABSTRACT
THESIS TITLE (single space if more than one line)
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
MASTER OF ……
in
DEGREE PROGRAM
By
STUDENT NAME
DATE
At
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
AND THE CITADEL (or name of the other school if it is a joint program)
The Preservation Services division of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, charged with preserving the
historic resources of Illinois, can more effectively and efficiently make day-to-day decisions regarding historic
properties by using a Geographic Information System (GIS). A prototype GIS, named NRGIS, was developed to
demonstrate how staff can access data, photographs, and National Register applications in PDF. The NRGIS
prototype, created in ArcView, gave staff an opportunity to explore basic GIS functionality; additional
functionality specific to Preservation Services needs was added over the course of this project to make tasks in the
application easier and make staff more productive. The data for NRGIS came primarily from the online National
Park Service database of National Register properties. Other State Historic Preservation Offices could utilize this
prototype as a model to quickly and inexpensively create a GIS for National Register properties in their state.
(Note: This example is taken from a thesis abstract by Martha L. Benner published online by the University of
Illinois-Springfield.)
Submitting Your Thesis Online
Please see http://www.etdadmin.com/cgi-bin/school?siteId=15 to begin the online submission
process.
Proquest has created a step by step process for submitting your thesis online. This website is
your starting platform.
There is also an extremely useful FAQ link to guide you through the submission process.
Please see this FAQ section before contacting the Graduate School at [email protected] for
general questions. The FAQ section can be found at http://www.etdadmin.com/cgibin/main/faq?siteId=15 .
If at any time you encounter problems of a more technical nature, contact information for
customer service is available on the online submission webpage.
Converting Your Thesis Document to PDF
In order to submit your thesis online, you will have to convert your thesis file to PDF. Do not
worry if you do not have Adobe, or are not sure of how to do it. On the online submission
webpage, there is a Word-to-PDF converter information section available to you at
http://www.etdadmin.com/cgi-bin/main/createpdf#pdf1 . It is extremely easy to use. Make
sure you save a copy to your computer/file storage, so that you can continue with the
submission process. You cannot continue with the submission process until you have a PDF
document version of your thesis.
A Brief Explanation of Different Publishing Options for Online Submission
When you submit your thesis online, you will be asked to choose a publishing option. This
determines whether or not people searching for your thesis outside of the College of Charleston
community will have to pay to view and order a copy of your thesis, as well as when your
thesis will be available to be searched for online. You can request that Proquest “embargo”
your thesis, meaning that they will wait a certain length of time before posting your thesis
online. This may be a recommended course of action for students in the process of submitting
their thesis for publication in a professional publication.
If you want your entire thesis to be viewable and obtainable for free, you will want to choose
the Open Access option when submitting your thesis.
If you want to receive copy sales and royalty payments (i.e., have people pay to view and
obtain your thesis), you will want to choose the Traditional Publishing option. Searchers will
only be able to view your abstract for free.
Both options allow the author to defer publication for a certain length of time. The amount of
time can be changed after submission if necessary by contacting Proquest.
When submitting your thesis, you will also have the option of having your thesis copyrighted.
For both publishing and copyright advice, speak to your program director or thesis advisor
regarding the nature of your work and future plans for publishing.
Abstract
The purpose of abstract section of the online thesis submission is slightly different than the
purpose of the abstract in your actual thesis document. This abstract is what will be displayed
as the abstract to your thesis to parties searching online for your thesis. You do not need to
format your abstract in the same way for the online submission as you did for your thesis
document. Simply use the paragraph from the abstract for your thesis document. Note: It is
not recommended that you use cut and paste, due to the fact that the online abstract
submission area uses html code for formatting, and this could conflict with how your abstract is
formatted for your thesis document.
Supplemental File Submission
In the event that you have extremely large image, music, data files, etc. as part of your thesis,
you may need to submit them separately from your thesis. If your converted PDF is too large,
try submitting your large image files this way. The best format to use is JPG or TIFF.
Advisor and other Committee Members
Be sure to begin your list of Committee members with your primary thesis advisor. All of the
names on your thesis title page should be present in this list of committee members. Do not
forget to include the Dean of the Graduate School as a committee member.
Subject Categories and Keywords
When you are submitting your thesis, you will be asked to choose a subject category for your
thesis. The keywords and categories are what help determine how and when your thesis will
show up on online searches. Do not be alarmed if your actual program’s name is not available
as a subject selection. Simply choose the one that most closely resembles it. Use the subcategory and keyword options to help narrow down and clarify exactly what your thesis is
about.
Fees
Each student will have to pay a $55 submission fee to submit their thesis online.
Choosing the Open Access publishing option will add $150 to your total.
Choosing the Copyright option will add $65 to your total.
When you complete the online submission, you will have the option of ordering copies of your
thesis. The prices for each type of binding option will be displayed on Proquest’s submission
website.
Using Copyrighted Material in your Thesis
Proquest supplies a guide in their FAQ regarding copyright infringement information, and a
sample letter to request the use of copyrighted material in your thesis.
Thesis Title Page
Note: A copy of the Thesis Title Page must be turned in by the thesis submission deadline to
the Graduate School Office with original signatures. In the electronically submitted copy, the
names of the thesis committee members must be present without the signatures or the signature
lines.
Program Submission Requirements
Each program has its own guidelines regarding what publishing options you should choose
when submitting your thesis online. Additionally, each program also may require you to order
a copy of your thesis for your program or committee.
PROGRAM
PUBLISHING
OPTION
REQUIREMENTS
REQUIRED NUMBER
OF COPIES TO
ORDER
Education
English
Mathematics
Marine Biology
Environmental Studies
History
Communication
Other Programs
optional
optional
optional
optional
optional
optional
optional
See Program Director
optional
optional
optional
2
1
optional
optional
See Program Director
THESIS RELEASE
Student Name ___________________________________________
SSN ____________________________
Program (degree and major) __________________________
THESIS DEFENSE
Thesis successfully defended on ______________________________
Date Thesis released to student to make changes _______________________
Thesis Director ____________________________________
REQUIRED CHANGES TO THESIS COMPLETED
REQUIRED CHANGES TO THESIS COMPLETED
Changes to thesis have been successfully completed and accepted by the thesis committee.
Date _______________________________
Signature of Thesis Director ___________________________
Student Signature _____________________________________
Date ________________________________
IV. ADMISSIONS, ORIENTATION AND GRADUATION
IV.C.3. GRADUATION INFORMATION FOR MASTER’S CANDIDATES
(Taken from the Graduate School Website) http://www.cofc.edu/gradschool/current/graduation.php
Graduate students who believe they will have met all of their degree requirements (e.g. courses,
thesis, and/or comprehensive exams) at the end of the semester should complete a graduation
application online via CougarTrail. The graduation fee is $25 which must be paid at the same
time as the application is submitted.
Students who apply after the deadline must pay an additional $25 late fee (for a total fee of $50)
and apply in person at the Graduate School Office (GSO), 310 Randolph Hall. Payments for late
graduation applications in the GSO can only be made by check. Payments of the $50 combined
application and late fee by cash or credit card must be paid at the Treasurer’s Office located at
166 Calhoun Street. The GSO will need a copy of the receipt in order to process the late
graduation application.
Completing the Degree Check:
1. Make sure that the GSO has a copy of the Program of Study
2. Transfer credit that has been approved by the program will need to be manually applied to the
student’s record. Official copies of transcripts (for transfer credit) must be ordered and sent to the
GSO (for students in Education programs) or to the graduate program office (for all other
programs). These should be requested well in advance of graduation to allow for processing.
3. Theses must be completed, successfully defended, and submitted online by the deadline
published on the GSO website.
4. Comprehensive exams (if required for the program) must be taken on the scheduled dates.
The Financial Aid Interview:
An online exit interview must be completed by all students who have paid for any part of their
graduate education with loans. The student’s pin number is the same as the FAFSA pin number.
FAFSA must be contacted for forgotten pin numbers.
Graduation Regalia:
Academic regalia is purchased from the College Bookstore. Details, prices, and the deadline for
ordering are found on the website at
http://gradschool.cofc.edu/currentstudents/comingandgoing/graduation.php.
Diplomas:
Students are encouraged to pick up diplomas in the GSO. Information on specific pick-up dates
and times will be sent to those graduating by email to their Edisto account. Remaining diplomas
will be mailed (after the pick-up deadline) to each student’s permanent address. Students must
notify the GSO to have their diploma mailed to an address different from the permanent address.
Completion of a Certificate Program:
Upon completion of a certificate program, the student should complete a Certificate Completion
Application and submit it to the GSO along with a check in the amount of $25.
V. REGISTRATION AND COURSE LISTING / REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
V.A.1. COUGARTRAIL AND WEBCT PROCEDURES – AN INTRODUCTION
The CougarTrail system is a web-based information and interactive mechanism for students,
faculty, and staff. Students can register, drop/add, and withdraw from their classes; view their
bills; see their official transcript and much more. Faculty can post and confirm their grades on
the system, as well as review their teaching schedules and other vital information. Staff
members can use CougarTrail to view their leave summaries, look at retirement and other
information, etc. The web address is CougarTrail.cofc.edu. To access the system, one must
enter a Student ID number and a PIN, which has been assigned to that user only. The first time a
new user logs onto the system, he/she must use his/her six-digit birthdate (e.g. 6-11-70) and then
create a PIN.
For those needing a tutorial about CougarTrail and its uses, please log on to
http://www.cofc.edu/~register/cougartrail_orientation/CT-Web-Orientation1_files/frame.htm.
WebCT is a mechanism for faculty to utilize when wishing another interactive mechanism for
instruction in a virtual classroom environment. Faculty wishing to use WebCT can go to
http://www.cofc.edu/%7Ewebct/faculty/getting_started_guide_ce_4_1.pdf for a tutorial on how
to use the software.
We encourage faculty to visit the website for up to date instruction on the uses of CougarTrail
and WebCT. An informative slide show on CougarTrail on the Web can be found at:
http://www.cofc.edu/registrar/cougartrail_orientation/CT-Web-Orientation1_files/frame.htm
V. REGISTRATION AND COURSE LISTING / REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
V.A.2. CONSORTIUM/ CROSS-REGISTRATION PROCESS
The Graduate School has significantly changed the nature of its participation in the Charleston
Area Higher Education Consortium Cross-Registration Process.
Note: The Consortium arrangement is a cooperative agreement among the state assisted
universities in Charleston, plus Charleston Southern University. It is intended as a resource for
degree-seeking students who wish to take a necessary course for their programs of study but who
cannot take the course at their home institutions because it is not offered in a timely manner or is
a specially approved course outside of an individual student’s program. Students may not take
the course at a host institution if it is being offered at their home institutions.
NEW Registration Process – Incoming Consortium Students
Incoming consortium students must submit a cross-registration form to the Graduate School
Office. Payment information for participating schools is included on the cross-registration form.
Consortium students are registered by the Graduate School Office on the first day that nondegree students are permitted to register for classes.
Registration Process – CofC Graduate Students
If a College of Charleston master’s degree student wishes to take a course at a consortium
school, he/she must use the cross-registration form. This form must be completed with the
correct course name and number of the host institution and the signature of the Director of
Student Records or the Dean (s) of the Graduate School of the home institution.
CONSORTIUM GRADUATE STUDENT CROSS REGISTRATION FORM
For Degree-Seeking Graduate Students at Charleston Southern University, the College of Charleston and
The Medical University of South Carolina
(Over for a policy statement)
HOME INSTITUTION______________________________
TERM / YEAR REQUESTED (e.g. Fall 2010)
HOST INSTITUTION
STUDENT’S GRADUATE PROGRAM
PERSONAL DATA
1. Name (please print)
2. Date of Birth
3. Social Security #
4. Mailing Address
5. Telephone #_____________________
6. Gender: M____
F____
7. Ethnicity (check one) White ____ American Indian/Alaskan Native_____
Asian ____
Pacific Islander____
Black____
Cuban____ Mexican ____ Puerto Rican____ Other Hispanic____ Other not listed____ Prefer not to
answer
9. Country of Citizenship______
TITLES OF REQUESTED
COURSES
Example: Human Growth & Dev
10. SC Legal Resident? Y___N___
HOST DEPARTMENT
EDFS
COURSE #
654
SECTION#
001
If yes, what county
CREDIT HRS
HOME CAMPUS
DEPT. APPROVAL
3
1.
2.
CERTIFICATION OF STUDENT – Must be completed at the student’s home institution’s graduate office or registrar
I certify that the student named above is a current degree-seeking graduate student in good academic standing at the
home institution identified above.
Certified by:
/
Date
Print Name
Signature
Position Title:
STUDENT – READ THE POLICY STATEMENT ON THE REVERSE OF THIS FORM CAREFULLY BEFORE SIGNING
I have read and understood the policy statement on the reverse of this form and the information furnished on this form by me is true.
Student Sign Here
Date
Host institution staff:
_______Student not allowed to take the requested class. Reason:
Host institution staff member:
/
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\CROSS-REGISTRATION\Cross-Reg Form-REVISION-Jan 07.doc
Date
September 19, 2006
Revised January 18, 2007
Revised October, 2007
Revised July 25, 2008
CONSORTIUM CROSS REGISTRATION POLICIES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
For Degree-Seeking Graduate Students at Charleston Southern University, the College of Charleston
and the Medical University of South Carolina
The key elements of the cross-registration process for graduate students in a school within the Charleston consortium, is as
follows:
I. Registration
II.
1.
The student must be an active, degree-seeking graduate student in good standing (at least a 3.0 overall Grade Point
Average) at his or her home institution.
2.
The student must complete the official Consortium Cross Registration form and have an official of the home
institution certify on the form that the student is in good standing.
3.
Host schools do not guarantee that they will have room in the class for a visiting student.
Students will be registered in classes at the host institution in whatever timeframe the host school dictates, but
this timeframe should be consistent across terms and should be conveyed to students. No student should be
registered later than one week before the beginning of a term.
4.
Consortium students are limited to an overall, career maximum of 12 hours of coursework at a host school. These
hours may not constitute a body study such as a graduate certificate. Students must be formally accepted into such
programs.
5.
Consortium students may not enroll in any independent study, tutorial, internship, or practicum courses at a host
institution.
6.
Students will be bound by the host school’s drop/add and withdrawal dates, and will be responsible for attending
class according to the host school’s academic calendar. Students should familiarize themselves with the host
school’s academic calendar in terms of term start dates, holidays and exam dates.
Tuition and Fees
7.
Students must pay the host institution directly for all laboratory fees and undergraduate course tuition. State
supported institutions will not charge tuition to students taking graduate level courses from other state supported
schools in the consortium during the regular academic year. However, during summer school, visiting students
must pay tuition and fees to the host institution. Graduate students from CSU (private institution) will pay
tuition when attending the other consortium schools. Likewise, CSU will charge regular tuition to students from the
other consortium schools.
III. Course Requirements
8.
Consortium students must meet the prerequisite requirements of the host school’s course, and must be able to
provide proof of this to the instructor upon request.
9.
Any home institution approval for taking a course(s) at a host school will be an internal matter between the student
and the student’s home institution.
IV. Transfer of Student Records
10. At the end of a term, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Registrar at the host school to have a transcript
sent to the home institution if one is needed by the home school. The transcript will be sent to the home school free
of charge. Any other requests for transcripts will be filled by the host school’s regular policy regarding the sending
of transcripts.
V. Grievances
11. Any grievance entered into by a visiting student, or by a host school regarding a visiting student
will follow the host school’s judicial processes.
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\CROSS-REGISTRATION\Cross-Reg Form-REVISION-Jan 07.doc
September 19, 2006
Revised January 18, 2007
Revised October, 2007
Revised July 25, 2008
V. REGISTRATION AND COURSE LISTING / REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
V.A.3. REGISTRATION FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY, THESIS, AND TUTORIALS
Graduate students who wish to explore a subject in more depth than is afforded through regular
coursework may wish to consult with their advisors about arranging an independent study.
There are also other types of individual study opportunities, such as tutorials for students who
wish to arrange such an opportunity. In order for these situations to be approved, the student,
faculty project advisor, and program director, among others, must sign an Individual Enrollment
Form (appended to this section). This form outlines the project, the timeline for completion, the
resources being employed, the number of hours of credit the student will receive, as well as other
information.
The completed form is then sent to the Graduate School Office for the Dean’s signature and
further processing. Students who are registering for their thesis hours should also complete the
form, but it does not have to be as extensive a description of the project as other forms of
enrollment require. The thesis requirements are thoroughly outlined with the student by the
thesis advisor and other committee members.
Please note that these forms must now be received by the Graduate School Office by the
beginning of the term that the student wishes to enroll in these classes. The Graduate School
Office can no longer add people to classes after the drop/add period has ended.
APPLICATION FOR AN INDIVIDUAL GRADUATE ENROLLMENT PROJECT
(Please indicate below the type of project in which the student will be enrolled.)
Independent Study
Tutorial
Research
Note:
Internship
Thesis
This form should be completed for students who need to be enrolled in individual sections of a course. The form must
be completed in consultation with the faculty supervisor and must have the agreement of the
graduate program director and the department chair.
(Return completed forms to the Graduate School Office.)
STUDENT INFORMATION
Name
CWID
Address
Street
Work Phone
City / State
Home Phone
Zip Code
Graduate Program
COURSE/ENROLLMENT INFORMATION
Course ID (e.g. HIST 770)
Term (e.g. Sp 07)
No. Credits
Project Title
Faculty Supervisor
Project Date of Completion
Description of Project (attach another sheet if needed)
Research Requirements ( including bibliography, materials, equipment – attach another sheet if needed)
Evaluation Criteria and Procedures
PROJECT AGREEMENT SIGNATURES
Student
Date
Faculty Supervisor
Date
Graduate Program Dir
Date
Department Chair
Date
(Revised 07-08)
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\Independent Study Form.doc
V. REGISTRATION AND COURSE LISTING / REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
V.A.4. CONTINUOUS RESEARCH ENROLLMENT (CRE)
Students who are nearing the end of their coursework for their degree and who have begun work
on their master’s thesis may need to utilize the Continuous Research Enrollment course (e.g.
BIOL 900, EVSS 900, etc.) in order to maintain a suitable level of enrollment for their programs.
CRE is linked directly to students’ research on thesis topics and must be considered as a progress
report toward the end when graded by thesis advisors. The course will be graded on a pass/fail
basis and will not contribute toward earned hours for the degree.
Students may not enroll in the course until a special approval form has been completed and all
appropriate signatures have been applied. The special approval form is then submitted to the
Graduate School Office for further processing.
CRE hours cannot be used as part of a program of study towards a degree. These hours may not
be taken in lieu of thesis hours but may be taken in combination with thesis hours if no additional
thesis hours are available.
Please note that the continuous enrollment paperwork must now be received by the Graduate
School Office by the end of drop/add. The Graduate School Office can no longer add people to
classes after the drop/add period has ended.
CONTINUOUS RESEARCH ENROLLMENT REGISTRATION FORM
(e.g. BIOL 900; EVSS 900; EDEE 900; etc.)
TO BE USED ONLY FOR
CONTINUOUS RESEARCH ENROLLMENT REGISTRATION
TERM (circle one and add year): FALL SPRING SUMMER I SUMMER II YEAR
1.
-
-
CWID
2.
Last Name
First Name
Middle / Maiden Name
Apartment / Street
City
State / Zip Code
County of Residence
Home Phone Number
Business Phone Number
3.
4.
DEPT. *
NO.
SECTION**
THESIS ADVISOR
CREDITS
(no more than
4 hours)
COURSE
CONTINUOUS
RESEARCH
ENROLLMENT
900
* Use the acronym for courses in the your major - e.g. ACCT; BIOL; CSIS; EDEE; HIST; ENGL; EVSS
** Graduate Office will assign a section.
/
Student Signature
Print Name
Date
Print Name
Date
Print Name
Date
/
Program Director Signature
/
Thesis Advisor Signature
Dean of Graduate Studies Signature
GSO STAFF ONLY:
Term in which student began program___________
Number of 900 level hours completed_____________
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\Cont Res Enrol reg form.DOC
Rev. 7/25/08
Date
V. REGISTRATION AND COURSE LISTING
V.B. STUDENT RECORD HOLDS
There are several types of holds on a graduate student’s record that range from a comment to
more serious holds, such as registration or transcript holds.
a. The Graduate School Office sometimes places a registration hold on a student’s record
so that the student cannot register for classes beyond a defined term. These holds are
often linked to provisionally accepted students who have a GPA requirement after a
specific number of hours of coursework. In this way, the student cannot register for
classes before his/her record is reviewed. There are other sorts of reasons for registration
holds, including prerequisite requirements for a course, academic dismissal, etc.
b. Transcript holds are usually placed on a student’s record by the Treasurer’s when a
student has failed to pay for coursework or has failed to satisfy some aspect of a loan
requirement.
Students who have a hold on their records that prohibits them from continuing their studies will
need to contact the office that has issued the hold on their record.
V. REGISTRATION AND COURSE LISTING
V.C. PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS CALLED FOR MILITARY DUTY
The Graduate School Office will assist students who are members of the National Guard or
Reserves, as well as military personnel currently on duty who are ordered away for an extended
tour, who are ordered to serve in active military service. The following policy is designed to
provide clarification of the process to these students before they leave on active duty and upon
their return. The University wants to offer every opportunity to these students to resume their
academic pursuits. If courses were underway at the time of call-up, then the College would like
students to be able to complete them if enough coursework has been completed to make this
feasible. Our sincere intention is to ensure that active military duty in now way impedes the
student’s academic record or costs the student financially.
Students who are called for active military service must provide a copy of their orders to the
Graduate School Office and complete a Leave of Absence form. Once a copy of the orders has
been receive, the Graduate School Office will:
1. Process an immediate withdrawal from all classes for the current semester
2. Grant an automatic Leave of Absence (LOA) for the student
a. Students who are in good academic standing will automatically be granted a
Leave of Absence for up to three years—the time spent in military service will not
count towards the student’s time-limit-to-degree requirement.
b. Students who are on probation will automatically be granted a Leave of Absence
for up to one year but must meet with their program directors about their
academic status and their academic plans upon return from active duty.
3. Note in the student’s record that the LOA is for active military service.
4. Request the following contact information from the student: Correct mailing address,
correct e-mail address, and name and relationship of a contact person.
5. Notify Business Affairs of withdrawal because of military service, providing student
name and student identification number. Business Affairs, based on the LOA and
supporting documents, will credit the student account for the full amount of tuition and
fees if the student withdraws from coursework. This may result in a credit balance, or for
those students who have not paid the account in full, it may result in an offset to the
balance owed. Any credit balance will be refunded in accordance with financial aid
policies where applicable.
6. Notify the Office of Financial Assistance of withdrawal because of military service,
providing student name and student identification number.
7. Instruct any students who have received Financial Assistance (loans, grants, scholarships,
etc.) that they should contact the Office of Financial Assistance for up to date
clarification regarding financial aid.
8. Emphasize that students granted an LOA based on military duty are expected to return to
graduate school as soon as circumstances allow after release from duty and are
encouraged to meet with their program directors immediately upon returning to school.
The Graduate School will extend this policy to students who may need to withdraw from classes
or from the College because his/her spouse is called for active military duty. A statement
regarding the necessity of such an action by the spouse will be required for the student’s record.
REQUEST FOR ACTIVE MILITARY DUTY LEAVE OF ABSENCE (LOA)
Student Signature
1. Date of Request:
2. Name (Please Print)
3. Current Mailing Address (Street Address, City, State, Zip):
Other(Specify):
4. Phone (Area Code plus Number) (Home):
5. Current E-Mail Address:
Major (e.g. Math)
6. Degree (e.g. MS)
7.
8.
I am called to active duty.
Note: Please attach a copy of your military orders.
My (specify relationship)
is called to active duty necessitating my withdrawal from
classes. Note: Please attach a copy of the military orders and a statement about how this affects your ability to continue
your graduate work at the present time.
9. (Check one):
I am currently enrolled in classes
Term:
[Go to # 10]
I am not currently enrolled in classes
10. (Check one):
I wish to withdraw from all courses this term
I do not wish to withdraw from all coursework – I will notify the GSO in writing of the courses
from which I need to be withdrawn.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
GSO OFFICE USE ONLY
Student’s current GPA
Approval of Graduate Dean
Last term attended classes
Date
Signature
Comments:
GSO Staff - Send this form and all accompanying documentation to:
Business Affairs
Financial Assistance
September 28, 2001
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE REQUEST
FOR
MILITARY DUTY LEAVE OF ABSENCE (LOA)
The Graduate School Office will assist students who are members of the National Guard or Reserves ordered
to serve in active military service, as well as military personnel currently on duty who are ordered away for an
extended tour. (The Graduate School will extend this policy to students who may need to withdraw from
classes or from the College because their spouse is called for active military duty. A statement regarding the
necessity of such an action by the spouse will be required for the spouse’s student record.)
The University wants to offer every opportunity to these students to resume their academic pursuits. If courses
were underway at the time of the call-up, then the College would like students to be able to complete them if
enough of the coursework has been completed to make this feasible. Our sincere intention is to ensure that
active military duty in no way impedes the student's academic record or costs the student financially.
Students who are called for active military service must provide a copy of their orders to the Graduate School
Office, Suite 310 Randolph Hall, and complete a Leave of Absence form (attached). Once a copy of the orders
is received, the Graduate School Office will:
1) Process an immediate withdrawal from all classes for the current semester if the student indicates this
course of action on the LOA form
2) Grant an automatic Leave of Absence (LOA) for the student.
a. Students who are in good academic standing will automatically be granted a Leave of Absence for
up to three years – the time spent in military service will not count toward the student’s time-limitto-degree requirement.
b. Students who are on probation will automatically be granted a Leave of Absence for up to one year,
but must meet with the their program directors about their academic status and their academic
plans upon return from active duty.
3) Notify Business Affairs of withdrawal because of military service. Business Affairs, based on the LOA
and supporting documents, will credit the student account for the full amount of tuition and fees if
the student withdraws from coursework. This may result in a credit balance, or for those students
who have not paid the account in full, it may result in an offset to the balance owed. Any credit
balance will be refunded in accordance with financial aid policies where applicable.
4) Notify the Office of Financial Assistance of withdrawal because of military service.
Student Responsibilities:
1) Students must contact the Office of Financial Assistance immediately for clarification of their status if
they have received financial assistance of any kind (loans, grants, scholarships, etc).
2) Students are expected to return to graduate school as soon as circumstances allow after release from
duty, and they are encouraged to meet with their program director immediately upon returning to
school.
September 28, 2001
V. REGISTRATION AND COURSE LISTING
V.D. LISTING COURSES ON COUGARTRAIL
The College of Charleston begins planning courses for future terms almost a year in advance of
that term. Usually, each department has a key resource staff person who is allowed to enter
upcoming courses directly into the SIS system. Graduate program directors need to follow the
process closely so that they are kept informed of the schedule for developing the future courses.
AS the future term approaches, it would be appropriate for program directors to review all course
listings in their program. This can be done through the web at Cougartrail.cofc.edu. In some
cases department chairs have the responsibility for making certain all coursework in a
department is entered. The admonition for the program director to check all the data still holds,
however.
It is the responsibility of the Registrar’s Office to begin the course listing process; thus, program
directors with questions about their program’s listings should initially check with the
departmental staff person responsibly for the data entry and then talk with the appropriate staff
person in the RO.
VI. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
VI.A. GRADING SYSTEM
Grading Scale for Graduate Programs
Students receive letter grades for every course in which they enroll. Each letter grade and its
equivalent numerical quality point value are listed below:
A
B+
B
C+
C
F
I
W
P
S
U
XF
Superior.......................................... 4.00
Very Good.......................................3.50
Good................................................3.00
Fair...................................................2.50
Acceptable.......................................2.00
Failure...................................................0
Incomplete............................................0
Withdrawal...........................................0
Pass.......................................................0
Satisfactory...........................................0
Unsatisfactory.......................................0
Failure due to academic dishonesty…..0
“W” Grades
The grade of “W” (withdrawal) is recorded if a student withdraws voluntarily from a course
before the published date each semester. The grade of “W” may not be awarded after this date
except by special permission of the Graduate School Office, and only in those cases when
continued enrollment in the course be detrimental to the students health or has been made
impossible by circumstances beyond the student’s control. Students wishing to withdraw after
the regular withdrawal period must complete a special form in the Graduate School Office.
“I” Grades
The grade “I” indicates that only a small part of the semester’s work remains to be done, that the
student is otherwise doing satisfactory work in the course, and that an extension of time is
warranted to complete the work. The grade of “I” also signifies that an agreement has been
established between professor and student as to the quantity of work remaining to be done, the
deadlines established for its completion, and a schedule of meeting times. This agreement must
be made in writing with the professor, student, and program director, using the Incomplete
Course Agreement Form, and each party having a copy. This form must be sent to the
Associate Dean of the Graduate School. All work for completion of the course requirements
as well as an official Change of Grade Form must be submitted by the end of exams in the next
major term (fall or spring). One additional extension may be granted to the student using the
Course Requirement Completion Extension form with signatures of approval by both the
professor and Dean of the Graduate School. If the student does not complete the work within the
prescribed time period, the “I” is changed to an “F,” and the student will be withdrawn from the
Graduate School without the option to reapply to his or her program or to enroll in any graduate
coursework continuing toward any graduate degree or graduate certificate at the College of
Charleston for one calendar year.
NOTE: Graduate School students in joint programs with The Citadel who receive a grade of “I”
in a course taken at The Citadel have only one semester to complete the course before the “I”
becomes an “F.”
“XF” Grades
The grade of XF means failure due to academic dishonesty. If a student is found responsible for
an act of academic dishonesty, the professor for that course must assign an XF. The XF remains
on the student’s official transcript for a minimum of two years. After the two years, the student
can petition the Honor Board for the removal of the X. The F will remain.
At the Graduate Council meeting of April 21, 2006, Council proposed and passed a change to the
Grade of XF as a distinction for graduate students as follows: “We move that the Graduate
School adopt the Honor Code as approved. When an XF is awarded to a student in a graduate
program, the grade will carry a GPA of 0.0. However, dismissal is not automatic. Rather, the
student’s status in the program (e.g., continuation with sanctions and probation, suspension or
expulsion) will be determined pursuant to the College of Charleston Honor Code. The form used
by the professor to report a suspected Class 1 or Class 2 violation to the Honor Board will have a
place for the professor to check whether, based on the offense, he/she recommends Class 1
(sanction 1 or sanction 2) or Class 2 (sanction 1 or sanction 2).”
Auditing Courses
Permission to audit a regular academic course must be received from the instructor teaching the
course. This authorization will be given after late registration has been completed and only if
there is a seat available in the class. An audit must be declared no later than the end of the
drop/add period; a student may switch from grade to audit status or audit to grade status only
within the drop/add period. Students cannot receive financial aid for the hours of audit.
An audit will be recorded on a student’s permanent record at the Graduate School. Faculty may
set attendance and/or other requirements for audit students; an audit may be revoked if the
student does not comply with these requirements. Auditing forms are available from the
Graduate School Office.
Withdrawing From Courses of a Program
It is extremely important that any student withdrawing from a course procure a course
withdrawal form from the Graduate School Office. The importance of formally withdrawing
from a course cannot be overstressed. Students who withdraw from classes without notifying
the Graduate School Office will receive the grade of “F” from their instructors.
Students who wish to withdraw from the Graduate School must complete a program withdrawal
form. These forms may be obtained from the Graduate School Office or on the Graduate School
website, student forms section.
Drop for Non-Payment of Fees
Students must pay for their classes by the due date set by the Treasurer’s Office. Students are
notified of outstanding bills and due dates by the Treasurer’s Office via their Edisto email
accounts. If a student does not pay their bill by the due date, they will be dropped from their
classes. If a student is dropped, the Graduate School Office cannot re-enroll the student in a
course that has reached its enrollment limit without written permission for an override from the
professor teaching the course. If the student has been dropped from classes and the drop/add
period has passed, the student must pay for all of their classes in person at the Treasurer’s Office
and bring the receipt in person to the Graduate School Office in order to be put back in their
classes. The Graduate School Office will not override the student into a full class without the
professor’s written permission.
COURSE COMPLETION AGREEMENT BETWEEN GRADUATE STUDENT
AND COURSE INSTRUCTOR (CC-1)
To be completed by the student and the instructor of the graduate course in
which the student will be receiving a grade of “I” (incomplete). The agreement acts
as a contract between the instructor and the student outlining the work remaining
to be done and the timetable to completion. A copy of this signed agreement must
be sent to the Graduate School Office for the Student’s file. In the cause of School
of Education Students, Graduate Office staff will forward a copy to the appropriate
program director and department chair.
** NOTE: Course requirements must be completed by the date indicated below in
#7, but no more than 1 semester is allowed for a student to complete the course.
1. Student Name_________________________________ CWID__________________
2. Student’s Graduate Program (e.g. MS in Marine Biology)____________________
3. Course Number/Section and Title_____________/___________________________
4. Instructor’s Name (please print)_________________________________________
5. Enrollment Term (e.g. Spring, 2008)______________________________________
6. Remaining course work to be completed and submitted to the instructor:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Work must be completed by the student and submitted by:___________________
***Requests for an extension for completing course requirements must be made at
least two weeks in advance of the date indicated in #7 above and require the
completion of the Extension Request Form (CC – 2)
We agree to the aforementioned conditions:
Student Signature___________________________________________ Date___________________
Instructor Signature_________________________________________ Date___________________
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\Forms\COURSE COMPLETION AGREEMENT BETWEEN GRADUATE STUDENT AND
COURSE INSTRUCTOR.doc Rev 08-09
REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME LIMIT TO COMPLETE COURSE
REQUIREMENTS (CC-2)
This form must be completed by students who wish an extension, not to
exceed one semester, to complete a grade of “I”. Before this form can be acted on,
the Gradate School Office must have the original “Course Completion Agreement
Form (CC-1)” on record which details what work was needed for the student to
complete the course. Only one extension may be requested. If the student does not
complete the work by the date in #7 below, the “I” will be changed to an “F” and the
student will be withdrawn from the Graduate School. The student then will not be
allowed to reapply to his or her program or to enroll in any graduate coursework
counting toward any graduate degree or graduate certificate at the College of
Charleston for one calendar year.
1. Student Name___________________________________ CWID_______________
2. Student’s Graduate Program (e.g. MS in Marine Biology)____________________
3. Course Number/Section and Title_____________/___________________________
4. Instructor’s Name (please print)_________________________________________
5. Original Enrollment Term (e.g. Spring, 2008)______________________________
6. Original Completion Date_______________________________________________
7. Requested New Completion Date_________________________________________
8: Rationale for the Requested Extension____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
We agree on the requested extension date:
Student Signature___________________________________________ Date___________________
Instructor Signature_________________________________________ Date___________________
Approved / Not Approved:
Dean of the Graduate School___________________________________ Date__________________
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\Forms\Request for an extension of time limit to complete course requirements.doc Rev 08/09
Please change the grade of
to
for
Student’s Name
who was enrolled in
Student’s Identification Number
during
semester of the year
Course and Section
.
Reason for making change:
Note:
THE TIME LIMIT TO CHANGE AN “INCOMPLETE” TO A GRADE IS ONE
SEMESTER. ALL SIGNATURES ARE REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES FOR ALL
GRADE CHANGES.
Instructor’s Signature
Date
Graduate Program Director’s Signature
(or Dept. Chair for School of Education)
Date
Dean of the Graduate School Signature
Date
PERMISSION TO AUDIT
Student Name ___________________________________ CWID ___________________
TERM:
Fall 20_____ Spring 20_____
Summer I Day 20____
DEPT.
COURSE
NUMBER
SECTION
Maymester 20_____ May Evening 20____
Summer Evening 20____
Summer II Day 20___
COURSE TITLE
Student’s Signature: _______________________________________ Date: _______________
Professor’s Signature: _____________________________________ Date: ________________
Initial of GSO staff who forwards a copy of this form to the Registrar’s Office after
class has been entered in the computer: __________ Date: _________________
(Revised 7-25-08)
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\Audit.doc
GRADUATE PROGRAM WITHDRAWAL FORM
NAME: __________________________________ CWID: ______-______-_______
Graduate Program*
____ M.Ed. Early Childhood Educ
____ M.A.T. Early Childhood Educ.
____ M.A. History
____ M.Ed. Elementary Educ.
____ M.A.T. Elementary Educ.
____ M.S. Mathematics
____ M.Ed. Special Educ.
____ M.A.T. Special Educ.
____ M.S. Marine Biology
____ M.Ed. Science and Math
____ M.A.T. Performing Arts
____ M.S. Accountancy
____ M.Ed. Languages
____ M.A. Bilingual Legal Interpreting
____ M.S. Computer Science
____ Master of Public Administration
____ M.A. Communication
____ M.S. Environmental Studies
____ M.A. English
I, _________________________________, would like to withdraw from the graduate program
(checked above) at the College of Charleston.
Reasons for request to withdraw from the program: ________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
I understand that if I am currently enrolled in classes, I must officially withdraw from those
classes through Cougartrail during the regular withdrawal period. If the withdrawal from
classes takes place after the regular withdrawal period, I must complete a “Petition for
Withdrawal from Graduate Course(s) After the Official Deadline” form in the Graduate School
Office.
Student Signature: _____________________________________ Date: _________________
Program Director Signature: _____________________________ Date: _________________
Graduate Dean Signature: _______________________________ Date: _________________
GSO Staff initial and date after change has been made in the computer _____ Date___________
CC: Graduate School
CC: Program
Rev. 07-08
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\ARCHIVE\Program Withdrawal 06.doc
CC: Student
PETITION FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM A GRADUATE COURSE(S)
AFTER OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE
NAME________________________________________ EFFECTIVE DATE_________________ CWID___________________
Last
First
Middle
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL’S POLICY FOR WITHDRAWING FROM COURSES AFTER THE WITHDRAWAL
DATE STATES THE FOLLOWING:
After the official withdrawal date of the semester, a student may withdraw from a course with a grade of “W” only after being given special
permission by the Dean of the Graduate School and the Professor. This permission will only be granted if continued enrollment in the course
would be detrimental to the student’s health or if extenuating circumstances prevent the student’s continued enrollment.
Note: Student must be passing the course(s) in order to petition for a withdrawal. Students should also be aware that withdrawal from
all courses may affect their financial aid.
The following conditions shall not be considered extenuating circumstances:
1.
Actual failing, fear of failing, or fear of receiving a grade lower than desired;
2.
Initially enrolling for greater than nine semester hours of course work while knowingly being employed full-time
or attempting to work two part-time jobs;
3.
Failure to take advantage of the extensive formal drop and withdrawal periods at the beginning of each semester; and/or
4.
A decision to change a major or to transfer to another institution, thus eliminating the need for the course.
Class(es) From Which You Are Petitioning A Release:
Course Number and Section
___________________________
Professor
____________________________________
Term
_______
___________________________
____________________________________
_______
___________________________
____________________________________
_______
Reasons for requesting a late withdrawal:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Student’s Signature____________________________________________________ Date_____________________
Instructors’ Signatures_________________________________________________ Date_____________________
_________________________________________________ Date_____________________
_________________________________________________ Date_____________________
For Graduate Office Use Only
________________Approved
________________Not Approved
Graduate Dean’s Signature_____________________________________________________________ Date________________________
Processed By_________________________________________________________________________ Date________________________
Rev. 07-08
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\PETITION FOR WITHDRAWAL AFTER OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE second draft.doc
VI. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
VI.B. ACADEMIC PROBATION AND DISMISSAL
Academic Probation
Graduate students at the Graduate School are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a
scale of A=4.0. A regular degree candidates whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on
academic probation. Students who are on probation must raise their averages to a satisfactory
level upon attempting three additional courses or within 1.5 calendar years—whichever comes
first. During the probationary period, students must also demonstrate that they are making
progress by maintaining or improving their GPA.
Students whose average remains below 3.0 after attempting three additional courses or within 1.5
calendar years will be withdrawn from their program. Students who do not maintain or improve
upon their average during probation will be deemed to be making unsatisfactory progress toward
their degree and will be withdrawn from the Graduate School without being allowed to reapply
to their program or to enroll in any graduate coursework counting toward any graduate degree or
certificate at the College of Charleston for one calendar year.
Academic Dismissal
Maintaining an adequate GPA is only one criterion for satisfactory academic progress. Students
receiving three grades below the grade of “B” or one grade of “F” in their program will be
withdrawn from the Graduate School and will not be allowed to reapply for their program or
enroll in any graduate coursework counting toward any graduate degree or certificate at the
College of Charleston for one calendar year.
NOTE: Administrative “Fs” will be reviewed before action is taken under this policy.
Other criteria, such as progress toward completing a thesis or requests for extensions of program
of study, etc., may be established by individual programs. Students who fail to meet the
standards of their programs for satisfactory academic progress may be withdrawn from their
programs.
Appeals
Students who have been removed from their graduate program because of failure to resolve GPA
or satisfactory progress issues may appeal these decisions in writing to the Dean of the Graduate
School. Written appeals should contain all information pertinent to the issues with special
circumstances clearly outlined. The graduate Dean, in consultation with the program director,
will decide on appeal and will inform students of decisions. Decisions of the Dean are final.
Readmission
Students who have been removed from their graduate programs because of failure to resolve
GPA or satisfactory progress issues may reapply for their graduate programs after one calendar
year from the date of their having been withdrawn from their programs. Students must meet all
criteria for admissions in effect at the time of application for readmission.
VI. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
VI.C. TRANSFER CREDIT
Transfer of Credit
Graduate credit work at another institution is not transferred and entered on The Graduate School
of the College of Charleston transcripts except in degree programs. Students may transfer
graduate credit from an accredited graduate school under the following conditions:
 The institution transferring the credit is accredited by a cognizant regional accrediting
association to offer graduate degree programs.
 The credit is fully acceptable to that institution in satisfaction of its advanced degree
requirements.
 The credit is applicable in terms of content to the student’s program of study, and it has
been approved by the graduate program director.
Programs may include no more than twelve semester hours of transfer credit. However, up to
twelve hours, the number of transfer credits allowed may vary by program. Credit earned at The
Citadel of the Medical University of South Carolina is not considered transfer credit, provided
that the student registers for the coursework using cross-registration procedures of the course is
part of a joint graduate program. The student assumes responsibility for initiating the request for
transfer graduate credit in a program of study. An official transcript containing the requested
transfer work must be on file in the Graduate School Office. If such work is shown on the
transcripts provided in support of the original admission to the Graduate School, a new record is
not needed. Courses considered for transfer credit must carry a minimum grade of “B.” Transfer
credit that is accepted must have been in courses started six years or less before the semester in
which the degree work is completed. Work done in professional development courses may not
be credited toward the degree.
VI.D. TIME LIMIT REQUIREMENTS
All work credited toward the M.Ed. and M.A.T. degrees in education must be completed within
six years from the date of a student’s initial enrollment in graduate courses at the Graduate
School of the College of Charleston, regardless of classification at the time of initial enrollment.
The M.A. in communication, English, bilingual interpreting, history; M.P.A. in public
administration; M.S. in accountancy, computer and information sciences, environmental studies,
and mathematics degree programs must be completed within five years. The M.S. in marine
biology must be completed within four years. The M.S. in historic preservation does not have a
time limit. The time period begins the term for which the student was accepted. Students who
for whatever reason decide to interrupt their studies are still bound by the original time period.
Extensions beyond the five or six year time period must be approved in writing by the program
director and the Dean of the Graduate School.
VI. ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
VI.E. FULL-TIME/PART-TIME STATUS AND CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT
Full-Time/Part-Time Status
A full-time academic course load consists of nine enrolled graduate level hours; a part-time
academic course load consists of less than nine enrolled graduate level hours, and a half-time
course load consists of three enrolled graduate level hours.
Continuous Enrollment
A student who in the progress of completing a research or thesis project or is using library and
laboratory facilities and consulting with College of Charleston faculty must maintain continuous
enrollment in the program. Continuous enrollment can be maintained by enrollment in a
minimum of one hour of graduate credit per semester, excluding Maymester and summer school.
The continuous enrollment will entitle the graduate student to a valid ID card, full access to the
Addlestone Library and such support from faculty and facilities of the Graduate School as the
student’s program of study necessitates.
The course will be graded on a pass/fail basis. Students may not enroll in the course until a
special approval form has been completed and all appropriate signatures have been applied. The
special approval form is then submitted to the Graduate School Office for further processing. A
student may not enroll in more than three credit hours of continuous enrollment per semester.
Continuous Research Enrollment hours cannot be used as part of a program of study towards a
degree, nor may they be taken in lieu of thesis hours but may be taken in combination with thesis
hours if no additional hours are available.
CONTINUOUS RESEARCH ENROLLMENT REGISTRATION FORM
(e.g. BIOL 900; EVSS 900; EDEE 900; etc.)
TO BE USED ONLY FOR
CONTINUOUS RESEARCH ENROLLMENT REGISTRATION
TERM (circle one and add year): FALL SPRING SUMMER I SUMMER II YEAR
1.
-
-
CWID
2.
Last Name
First Name
Middle / Maiden Name
Apartment / Street
City
State / Zip Code
County of Residence
Home Phone Number
Business Phone Number
3.
4.
DEPT. *
NO.
SECTION**
THESIS ADVISOR
CREDITS
(no more than
4 hours)
COURSE
CONTINUOUS
RESEARCH
ENROLLMENT
900
* Use the acronym for courses in the your major - e.g. ACCT; BIOL; CSIS; EDEE; HIST; ENGL; EVSS
** Graduate Office will assign a section.
/
Student Signature
Print Name
Date
Print Name
Date
Print Name
Date
/
Program Director Signature
/
Thesis Advisor Signature
Dean of Graduate Studies Signature
GSO STAFF ONLY:
Term in which student began program___________
Number of 900 level hours completed_____________
\\drayton\Data\Graduate Office\Forms\Cont Res Enrol reg form.DOC
Rev. 7/25/08
Date
VII. GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Research is an important component of the graduate experience. The following materials are
designed to assist the program director in mentoring graduate student research.
VII.A. RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training, recommended for all graduate students by the
Council of Graduate Schools, is mandatory for all graduate students at the College of Charleston.
Policy on the Responsible Conduct of Research
BACKGROUND
The College of Charleston is dedicated to truth in pursuit of knowledge through research and to
the transmission of knowledge through teaching. A spirit of mutual respect and a broad trust that
all faculty members, students and staff share this dedication to the truth is essential to the
functioning of the College.
All members of the research community, including faculty, research staff, students, adjunct
faculty, and visiting researchers, are expected to adhere to the highest ethical and professional
standards as they pursue research activities, complying with all legal, regulatory, and ethical
requirements established by the College, regulatory bodies, funding sources and professional
organizations. The Code of Professional Conduct and Statement of Professional Ethics (Faculty
and Administration Manual) prescribes standards of work performance and ethical conduct
expected of all persons engaged in teaching and research.
While expectations of ethical conduct are high, education in the responsible conduct of research
has historically been uneven at best. Many researchers have received little to no training in
conducting and mentoring research beyond those specific to their own disciplines. In contrast,
the risks of research misconduct can be both personally and institutionally great.
The Office of Research Integrity, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, encourages
researchers to make a special effort to understand, discuss, and teach others about the responsible
conduct of research. It is understood that responsible conduct of research can be taught and
learned in many ways and that the standards can vary from discipline to discipline. Therefore,
this policy represents the College of Charleston’s commitment to promoting and fostering the
responsible conduct of research through educational opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
POLICY
Recognizing that responsible conduct of research is essential for promoting public trust in
research and in the College, programs and materials that will increase the knowledge of and
facilitate the practice of responsible research will be made available to the College community.
Following the Office of Research Integrity’s recommended instructional areas, the following
topics will be covered in educational programs and guidance materials provided through the
Graduate School Office and the Office of Research and Grants Administration with sensitivity to
variations in practices within particular disciplines.
1. Data Acquisition, Management, Sharing and Ownership – proper and ethical collection,
representation, and retention of data; communicating clearly, honestly, and respectfully with all
members of the research community.
2. Conflicts of Interest and Commitment - appropriately disclosing any relationships, financial or
personal, that might be perceived to compromise one's scholarly judgment
3. Publication Practices and Responsible Authorship - appropriate credit and acknowledgments,
citations, co-authorship, description of methods, representing accurately and honestly the actual
observations and findings in whatever medium they are presented; using statistics and other
methods of data analysis and evaluation in an appropriate and responsible manner
4. Mentor/Trainee Responsibilities - facilitating the training and development of students and other
junior members of the community, insuring that they have the opportunity to achieve their full
potential; demonstrating respect, protecting their rights and welfare, and fulfilling the spirit and
intent of requirements of all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines
5. Peer Review - treating all members of the research community with impartiality, respect and
fairness, disclosing real or perceived conflicts of interest, and maintaining confidentiality
6. Collaborative Research - facilitating the exchange of knowledge among researchers at all levels
of experience by encouraging a climate of intellectual collaboration and trust; communicating
clearly
7. Research with Human Participants -demonstrating respect for all people engaged in research as
participants by protecting their rights and welfare and fulfilling the spirit and intent of
requirements of all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines
8. Research with Animal Subjects - treating animals used in research and instruction with attention
to their welfare and in compliance with all applicable laboratory animal care laws, regulations,
policies, and guidelines
9. Research Misconduct - understanding consequences of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism
and responsibilities and protections for reporting
10. Fiscal Responsibility and Stewardship of Resources - demonstrating stewardship of resources by
appropriate use of research funds, care and maintenance of equipment and other research
materials, and compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines for the
use and disposal of hazardous substances
July 28, 2008
http://www.orga.cofc.edu/pub/pol-proc_responsible_conduct_research.shtml
VII. GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
VII.B. GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AND PRESENTATION GRANTS
Graduate Student Research and Presentation Grants are awarded by The Graduate School of the
College of Charleston to graduate students doing research or creative projects in collaboration
with faculty associated with their program (limiting the awards to students will allow faculty
from partner institutions to be mentors.)
There are two types of awards:
1.
2.
Research Grants: Up to $500 per student per semester*
Research Presentation Grants: Up to $500 per student per semester **
* May and Summer School sessions will be counted as a single semester.
** Students who apply for both types of awards are limited to a total of $500 per semester. Normally, no student can
receive more than $1,000 in a two-year period. The funds for Graduate Research and Presentation Grants are
limited and will be awarded on a competitive basis by the Dean of the Graduate School upon the recommendation of
faculty reviewers.
Criteria
Student applicants must be degree-seeking students in good standing in a College of Charleston
graduate program (this includes joint programs, as long as the student is registered through the
College).
For research grants, applications must include a project description (maximum length 1,000
words) containing a project abstract, a statement of project objectives and methodology, and a
discussion of the project's significance and plans for future dissemination. A separate budget
indicating how the money will be used must also be attached. Students should indicate if they
have applied for or been awarded support from any other source(s). Recipients will be
encouraged to present their research results at a Graduate Research Seminar or Poster Session.
For research presentation grants, applications must include a presentation description (maximum
length 500 words) containing a project abstract, an explanation of the presentation format (e.g.,
poster session, panel presentation), a description of the presentation venue (e.g., international
conference, annual meeting), and a confirmation that the presentation has been accepted (or
submitted.) A separate budget, breaking down costs for transportation, food, accommodation,
and registration fees should be attached. Students should also indicate if they have applied for or
been awarded support from any other source(s).
Applicants for both awards must submit an Application Cover Page for Internal Support
from Graduate School with their application. Applicants with projects involving animal or
human participants must also complete the required protocol applications for the Institutional
Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUCJ). Students
who receive grant awards must also complete a final report upon completion of the project.
Please see details at http://gradschool.cofc.edu/paying/grants.php
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
APPLICATION COVER PAGE FOR INTERNAL SUPPORT FROM GRADUATE SCOOL
(In addition to the application, this printed and signed cover page must be submitted to the Program Director.)
PROPOSAL TITLE:
RESEARCH SUPERVISOR(S): (Name, CofC email address, and Program):
GRADUATE APPLICANT(S): (Name, CofC email address, and Program):
REQUESTED DATES OF PROJECT SUPPORT: From _______________ to ___________________
Award Type Requested (Check one)
____ Research Grant
Total Amount requested:
____ Presentation Grant
$________________
Additional Information
1. Does the proposal involve research on human subjects?
Yes
No
2. If yes, status of the IRB request (no funds can be awarded until IRB is approved)
Submitted
Approved
3. Does the proposal involve research with live vertebrate animal subjects?
Yes
No
4. If yes, Status of the IACUC request (no funds can be awarded until IACUC is approved)
Submitted
Approved
5. Have student applicants received URCA support for this or any other project in the past year?
Yes
No
6. Does the project involve biohazards or other safety issues?
Yes
No
7. Does this project have potential for copyright or invention?
Yes
No
Signatures (Required for All participants): Signatures below indicate awareness of and intention to follow appropriate
Program, Departmental, School, College and State rules and regulation for conducting projects, travel, and expenditure of
funds.
SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT & DATE: _________________________________________________________
SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH SUPERVISOR & DATE: ______________________________________________
Program Director: Funds for successful proposals will be transferred into the program or departmental R & D account.
SIGNATURE OF PROGRAM DIRECTOR & DATE: ________________________________________________
Please include your project proposal description and anticipated budget with this cover
sheet. You must submit a final report upon completion of your project.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AND PRESENTATION GRANT
FINAL REPORT COVER SHEET
(DUE WITHIN SIX WEEKS OF THE END OF THE PROJECT FUNDING PERIOD)
PLEASE SUBMIT THE FINAL REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF THE GRADUATE
SCHOOL AND ONE COPY TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
NAME: __________________________________________________ Email: __________________________
GRADUATE PROGRAM: __________________________________________________________________
Amount Funded:
______________
Dates of Project Support: _______________________
INSTRUCTIONS:
Describe the status of your project, addressing each of the areas below. Normally, final reports are between 250 – 500 words.
I. A Financial Report. Include your final budget based on the approved budget for the graduate student research
and presentation grant and please note any additional expenses or sources of support.
II. Benefits Derived from the Project. Discuss how the grant activities have affected your development as a
scholar. List any publications that may have resulted from the grant.
III. Plans for Continued Work. Provide a brief statement about plans for continued work on this project.
SIGNATURE, Recipient__________________________________________ Date____________
VII. GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
VII.C. GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH POSTER SESSION
The Graduate Student Research Poster Session is held each spring during the visit to the College
by the Board of Trustees. Graduate students currently doing research or working on creative
projects are invited to present their research/project at the poster session. Students who have
been awarded with a Graduate Student Research and/or Presentation Grant in the past year are
encouraged to participate.
Poster Session Criteria:




What: Fifty 4’ x 6’ posters (two per cork poster board) highlighting graduate research
from the master’s programs carried out during the prior calendar year
When: January, during the BOT visit, 4:00 – 6:00 pm (student presentation of research);
posters can be set up between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 pm
Where: Stern Student Center Ballroom
Why: Graduate program research is one of the hidden “gems in the crown” of the College
of Charleston. The poster session will provide an introduction to the impressive research
activities currently taking place in our graduate programs. The project abstracts will also
recognize the ongoing contributions of graduate students, faculty, and alumni to the
betterment of our local, state, and global communities.
Review process:







Student should submit electronically an application including names of poster author(s),
poster presenter(s), and supervising faculty; title of project; and project abstract to
graduate program director by November 15.
Graduate program directors will coordinate the selection of up to five projects and
forward these to Graduate School by November 22.
Ad hoc committee on Graduate Research and Funding will select the 50 posters to be
displayed, trying to ensure representation from a wide range of programs and projects by
December 1.
Graduate School will notify students (and their supervising faculty) whose 50 posters
have been selected by December 8.
Graduate students must have their poster completed and printed by December 20 or by
January 15, if the student is enrolled in spring classes.
Deans will select the best entry from each School and the best overall poster on the day
of the Poster Session in January.
Poster winners will be announced and prizes awarded by 6:30 pm on the day of the Poster
Session.
Poster Session Follow-Up:



Electronic copies of the posters will be posted on the Graduate Research and Creative
Activities website, maintained by the Graduate School and linked to program websites.
Photos of the overall winners will also be posted on the website.
A booklet may be produced to use for publicity and recruitment containing
 poster abstracts and photos of session participants
 synopses of ongoing research activities in each program
 summary of jobs, careers, local positions held by alumni and their contributions to
the community
Information on the Graduate Student Poster Session and past winners can be found on The
Graduate School website at http://gradschool.cofc.edu/currentstudents/research/research.php
VIII. GRADUATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
VIII.A. GENERAL OUTLINE OF GOVERNANCE PROCESS
The Graduate School of the College of Charleston is governed by the following process when
developing new courses, changing or deleting existing courses, or developing new programs.
1. The Faculty Committee on Graduate, Continuing Education and Special Programs
is selected from the general faculty and consists of five members. The group is the first
to review and study all initial proposals for new, changed, or deleted courses; new
programs; program changes, etc. The committee meets once a month. The official
membership is augmented by the requirement that the Dean of the Graduate School and
the Registrar attend as non-voting members.
2. The Graduate Council consists of all graduate program directors, the Associate Dean of
the Graduate School, and an appointed faculty representative from each school offering
graduate programs. The Dean of the Graduate School is chair of the Council. The
Associate Dean serves as interim-Chair in the absence of the Dean. This body reviews all
issues considered by the Faculty Committee on Graduate, Continuing and Special
Programs as well as acting on the policy issues governing the Graduate School. The
Graduate Council bylaws follow this section.
3. The Faculty Senate is the final arbiter of whether or not a new course, program, etc.
becomes part of the formal graduate structure. The Senate meetings are led by the
Speaker of the Faculty.
By-Laws of the Graduate Council of College of Charleston
ARTICLE I
The name of this organization shall be the Graduate Council.
ARTICLE II
Purpose
Section 1. The Graduate Council is the body that recommends academic policies and
procedures for graduate study at the College of Charleston.
Section 2. In particular, the Graduate Council shall advise the Dean of The Graduate School,
the Associate Dean, and the Faculty Senate with regard to business of the Graduate School:
a. Setting policy for operation of and priorities for the growth of graduate programs,
b. Approving all graduate programs offered by the Graduate School,
c. Authorizing all graduate degrees conferred by the Graduate School,
d. Setting minimum standards for admission to and graduation from graduate programs,
and approval of departmental additions thereto, and
e. Pursuing means by which graduate programs can be strengthened.
ARTICLE III
Graduate Council
Section 1. Responsibilities
a. The Graduate Council shall advise on all graduate school matters. The mission of the
Graduate Council shall include recommendation of new graduate degree proposals;
supervision of approval of new graduate courses; participation in periodic evaluation of
graduate programs; periodic review of academic and admissions policies and
procedures; assistance in setting directions for research; and assistance in other
matters as requested by the College.
b. The Graduate Council shall inform graduate faculty of recommendations which will
alter the direction of, or will significantly affect the quality of graduate programs. This
may be done via mail, email or by meeting.
c. The duties of the Chairperson of the Graduate Council shall include:
i. Calling meetings of the Graduate Council,
ii. Presiding at meetings of the Graduate Council,
iii. Overseeing conduct of all mail ballots distributed among Graduate Council
members,
iv. Performing additional duties delineated hereafter,
v. Overseeing the taking and maintaining of minutes of Graduate Council
meetings, and
vi. Casting a vote on Graduate Council decisions in cases of a tie.
d. Normally, meetings will be held at 3 pm on the second Friday of each month during
the academic year (September – May) at a location to be determined.
Section 2. Membership
a. Only members of the graduate faculty are eligible for membership on the Graduate
Council.
b. The Dean of The Graduate School shall serve as Chairperson of the Graduate
Council. In the absence of the Dean, the Associate Dean shall serve as interim
Chairperson of the Graduate Council. The chair will have the responsibility of ensuring
that graduate faculty decisions are coordinated with the overall College of Charleston
policies and procedures. In the dean’s absence, the dean’s designee will serve as chair.
c. Membership in the Graduate Council shall consist of the Dean of The Graduate
School, the Associate Dean, the directors of all graduate programs, and one at-large
faculty representative from each of the schools in which graduate programs reside.
d. Ex-officio membership in the Graduate Council shall consist of the Provost or his/her
designee. A member of the Faculty Committee on Graduate Education, Continuing
Education, and Special Programs shall serve ex-officio as a liaison with the Faculty
Senate. A member of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) shall serve as ex-officio
member as a liaison with the GSA.
e. The at-large membership shall be elected to the Graduate Council based on the
procedures of each participating school. This procedure shall be initiated by the chair
during the spring semester in order to fill vacancies occurring on the Graduate Council
the following year.
f. At-large members serve a term of two years beginning July 1 and ending June 30,
unless circumstances require a shorter term. At-large members may succeed
themselves if re-elected. Program directors shall serve on Graduate Council during
their term as director. If the program director is unable to attend Graduate Council
meetings, the department chair, responsible dean, or designee will assume the
responsibilities until the program director is replaced.
g. In the event that an at-large member of the Graduate Council should vacate his or
her position prematurely, the respective program director shall appoint another member
of the program’s graduate faculty for the balance of the term.
Section 3. Business and Voting Procedures
a.
Business of the Graduate Council shall follow modified Robert’s Rules of Order as
interpreted by the Chair of the Graduate Council.
b.
A quorum of 50% of the Graduate Council membership must be present for
discussion of business.
c.
Passage of an action by the Graduate Council requires a plurality of greater than
50% of the voting members present. Passage of amendments to the by-laws
requires a plurality of 67% of the voting members present.
d. Ad-hoc committees to the Graduate Council will be formed by the Dean as needed.
e. Amendments to the By-Laws of the Graduate Council
i.
Any member of the Graduate Council may submit a proposed
amendment to the By-Laws of the Graduate Council to the chair. The
proposal must be submitted so that copies can be disseminated to
Graduate Council members at least one week before the next regularly
scheduled meeting.
ii.
The proposal will be discussed and voted on at the next scheduled
meeting of the Graduate Council.
iii.
A vote to change the by-laws requires 67% of the membership present
at the Graduate Council at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
iv.
Any amendment proposal approved by the Graduate Council must be
approved in writing by the President of the College before inclusion in
the standing by-laws.
ARTICLE IV
Adoption and Implementation
Upon recommendation of the Graduate Council, these by-laws will be forwarded to the
President and the Provost of the College for approval, at which time they will take effect.
Approved by Graduate Council, April 21, 2006.
Approved by President Leo I. Higdon, Jr., May 25, 2006
Effective, July 1, 2006
Revised October 2008
Approved by Graduate Council, November 21, 2008.
Approved by President George Benson, January 5, 2009
Effective January 5, 2009
VIII. GRADUATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
VIII.B. GRADUATE CURRICULUM PROPOSALS - PROGRAM CHANGES, COURSE
CHANGES, AND CROSS-LISTING
Curriculum proposals for graduate courses and programs are submitted to the Graduate School
liaison for the committee by the program director and/or the department chair. Proposals should
be submitted using the forms on the Graduate School website. A complete proposal includes all
signatures (program director, department chair(s), school dean(s), provost, and budget director,
as indicated on the form).
The Graduate School liaison checks proposals for completeness and sends proposals to the Chair
of the Faculty Committee on Graduate, Continuing Education and Special Programs for
distribution to the committee. The Committee reviews and discusses proposals during scheduled
committee meetings. In rare cases, additional meetings may be scheduled. A representative of the
program (e.g., the program director or department chair) should attend the committee meeting to
answer questions. The Committee votes on each proposal with the Committee Secretary
documenting recommendations. The Committee may vote to approve, approve with changes,
table, send back for revisions, or not approve proposals. The program director and/or department
chair is notified of the Committee’s decision(s) and any necessary changes. It is the
responsibility of the program director and/or department chair to make any required revisions
before the proposal due date of the Graduate Council.
General Guidelines for Graduate Course Proposals:
1. Complete the new or revised graduate course form.
2. For new or significantly revised courses, attach a syllabus in the department or school format.
3. Required:
a. Course title, name, number (from registrar), and number of credit hours
b. Course description (for catalog), limited to 50 words.
c. Course objectives that reflect graduate-level requirements
d. Course location(s) (campus, off-campus, alternative delivery)
e. Connection to standards of accreditation body (if required)
f. Accurate grading scale (that matches the level of the student, undergraduate or graduate*)
g. Accurate course schedule (topic outline over 14 weeks of class)
h. Course assignments and readings that reflect graduate-level expectations and course objectives
4. Programs that submit a number of new or significantly revised courses will be expected to
demonstrate that the program of study has not changed or submit a program revision proposal.
*The graduate student grading scale includes A, B+, B, C+, C, and F (and I, W, P, S, U, XF in those
circumstances).
The forms for program changes; new, changed, or deleted courses; and the permission to crosslist follow, and may be found at:
http://gradschool.cofc.edu/facultystaff/curriculumforms/index.php
FACULTY COMMITTEE ON GRADUATE EDUCATION, CONTINUING EDUCATION
AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS
CHANGE/DELETE GRADUATE PROGRAM PROPOSAL FORM
Contact Name:
Email:
Department and School Name:
Phone:
Name and Acronym of Graduate Program:
Date (Semester/Year) changed/deleted program will take effect:
I. CATEGORY OF REVIEW (Check all that apply)
Change Request (attach details):
Add existing course or courses to requirements or electives
Add new course(s) to requirements or electives (complete and attach COURSE FORM for each)
Delete courses from requirements or electives
Add new emphasis (check one):
concentration
track
Total # of hours:
(note: any emphasis involving more than 18 credit hours will also require CHE approval)
Terminate Program (check one):
Degree
(if checked, skip section II, IV, V, and VII below)
Certificate
Emphasis (concentration/track)
Are students currently enrolled in the program?
Yes
No
If yes, what semester will students complete the program?
If the program termination includes deleting courses from the inventory, a COURSE FORM must be included
with this form for each course deletion.
Interdisciplinary (attach evidence of acknowledgement from relevant departments)
II. DESCRIPTION OF CHANGES: If a changed program—please explain changes below; if a new
emphasis—please provide the details below.
September 2011
Page 1
III. RATIONALE or JUSTIFICATION
For changes or termination, please provide a detailed justification. For a new emphasis, briefly address the
goals/objectives for the new emphasis, provide evidence of student interest (i.e., has the program offered special
topics courses in this area? has the program interviewed student focus groups as part of an internal
assessment? etc.), and explain how the emphasis supports the liberal arts tradition and the mission of the
institution.
IV. CURRICULUM
Provide the COMPLETE curriculum for the changed program and/or new emphasis distinguishing between
required and elective courses. Note pre-requisite courses where appropriate. Note any sequencing of courses or
requirements in the program, listed exactly as it should appear in the catalog.
Attach the completed COURSE FORM and a sample syllabus for each new course.
Is a syllabus for each new course attached?
September 2011
Yes
No
Page 2
V. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES and ASSESSMENT
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Method and Performance Expected
What will students know and be able to do when they complete
the program/emphasis? Attach Curriculum Map.
How will each outcome be measured? Who will be assessed,
when, and how often? How well should students be able to do on
the assessment?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Additional Outcomes or Comments:
VI. IMPACT ON EXISTING PROGRAMS and COURSES Please briefly document the impact of this
changed/deleted program or new emphasis on other programs and courses; if changing/deleting a program—
list all programs that will be impacted (and how); if adding a new emphasis—explain any overlap with existing
programs or courses in the same or different departments.
Is this changed/deleted program used by others?
Yes
If yes, please provide a letter of support in each case.
No
VII. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTION REQUESTED List all of the new costs or cost savings,
(including new faculty/staff requests, library or equipment, etc.) associated with the action requested.
September 2011
Page 3
VIII. APPROVAL and SIGNATURES
Signature of Program Director:
________________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature of Department Chair:
________________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature of School Dean:
________________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature of the Provost:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Return form to the Graduate School Office for Further Processing
Signature of Chair of the Faculty Committee on Graduate Education, Continuing Education & Special Programs:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Signature of Chair of the Graduate Council:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Signature of Faculty Senate Secretary:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Date Approved by Faculty Senate: __________________________________
September 2011
Page 4
FACULTY COMMITTEE ON GRADUATE EDUCATION, CONTINUING EDUCATION
AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS
GRADUATE COURSE PROPOSAL FORM
Contact Name:
Department Name:
Email:
Phone:
Graduate Program name:
Course Prefix, Number, and Title:
I. CATEGORY OF REVIEW (Check all that apply)
NEW COURSE
New Course
(attach syllabus*)
CHANGE COURSE
DELETE COURSE_____
-----(Complete all sections below that apply including those indicated)----Change Number (IV, VII, VIII, IX)
Delete Course (IV, VII, IX)
Change Title (IV, VII, VIII, IX)
Change Credits/Contact hours (II, IV, VII, IX)
Prerequisite Change (IV, VII, VIII, IX)
Edit Description (III, IV, VII, VIII, IX)
Approve for Cross-listing (attach Graduate Permission to Cross-list Form)
Date (Semester/Year) the course will first be offered, course changes or deletion will go into effect:
NEW COURSE:
*ATTACH THE SYLLABUS FOR A NEW GRADUATE COURSE to include:
Course description and objectives
Method of teaching (e.g., lecture, seminar, on-line, hybrid)
Required and optional texts and materials
Graduate School Grading Scale
Assignments, student learning outcomes and assessment components
Policies to include attendance, Honor Code, American Disabilities Act statement
Tentative course schedule with specific topics
September 2011
Page 1
List prerequisites and / or other restrictions below
Will this course be added to the Degree Requirements?
a)
Yes
No
b) If yes, explain
II. NUMBER OF CREDITS and CONTACT HOURS per week
Lecture
Lab
Seminar
Ind. Study
A. Contact Hours
_______________________________________________________________________
B. Credit Hours
Is this course repeatable?
yes
no If so, how many credit hours may the student earn in this course?
III. CATALOG DESCRIPTION Limit to 50 words EXACTLY as you want it to appear in the catalog; include
prerequisites, co-requisites, and other restrictions. If changing course description, please include both old and new
course descriptions.
September 2011
Page 2
IV. RATIONALE / JUSTIFICATION: If course change – please indicate the course change details. If
course change or deletion—please provide reasons for change(s) to or deletion of a course. If a new course—
briefly address the goals/objectives for the course and the relationship to the strategic plan.
V. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES and ASSESSMENT
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Method and Performance Expected
What will students know and be able to do when they complete
the course?
How will each outcome be measured? Who will be assessed,
when, and how often? How well should students be able to do on
the assessment?
1.
2.
3.
4.
How does this course align with the student learning outcomes articulated for the major, program, or general education? What
program-level outcome or outcomes does it support? Is the content or skill introduced, reinforced, or demonstrated in this course?
September 2011
Page 3
VII. IMPACT ON EXISTING PROGRAMS and COURSES: Please briefly document the impact and
expected changes of this new/changed/deleted course on other departments, programs and courses; if deleting
a course—list all departments and programs that include the course; if adding/changing a course—explain any
overlap with existing courses in the same or different departments; if adding or deleting a course that will be
part of a joint program identify the partner institution.
VIII. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTION REQUESTED: List all of the new costs or cost
savings, (including new faculty/staff requests, library or equipment, etc.) associated with the action requested.
New courses requiring additional resources will need special justification.
September 2011
Page 4
IX. APPROVAL AND SIGNATURES
Signature of Program Director:
________________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature of Department Chair:
________________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature of Additional Chair*:
________________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature of Schools’ Dean:
________________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature of Additional Schools’ Dean*:
________________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature of the Provost:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Signature of Budget Director/Business Affairs Office:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
*For interdisciplinary courses
Return form to the Graduate School Office for Further Processing
Signature of Chair of the Faculty Committee on Graduate Education, Continuing Education & Special Programs:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Signature of Chair of the Graduate Council:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Signature of Faculty Senate Secretary:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Date Approved by Faculty Senate: __________________________________
September 2011
Page 5
FACULTY COMMITTEE ON GRADUATE EDUCATION, CONTINUING
EDUCATION AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS
GRADUATE PERMISSION TO CROSS-LIST FORM
This form must ALWAYS be accompanied by a graduate COURSE FORM.
Contact Name:
Email:
Department and School Name:
Phone:
Name and Acronym of Graduate Program:
Date (Semester/Year) cross-listing will take effect:
I. CATEGORY OF REVIEW (Check all that apply)
New Course -- Course Number/Title
Existing Course -- Course Number/Title
Special Topic Course -- Course Number/Title
This course will be cross-listed with an
undergraduate course (complete sections II, III, and IV below)
existing graduate course (complete section IV below)
II. CURRICULUM DIFFERENCES –UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE LEVELS
Please submit separate syllabi for both graduate and undergraduate courses
Syllabi for both undergraduate and graduate courses are attached
YES
NO
Explain the differences between the syllabi in terms of requirements, learning objectives and course
content
September 2011
Page 1
III. APPROVAL SECTION – GRADUATE COURSE WITH UNDERGRADUATE COURSE
Undergraduate Course Number / Title
Names and Signatures:
Name of Department Chair of the Graduate Course
Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Department Chair of the Undergraduate Course
Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Graduate Program Director
Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Provost
Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________________
IV. APPROVAL SECTION – GRADUATE COURSE WITH EXISTING GRADUATE COURSE
Graduate Course Number / Title of Existing Graduate Course
Program(s) of Existing Graduate Course
Names and Signatures:
“Host” Program Director
Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________________
“Requesting” Program Director
Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Provost
Signature ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Return form to the Graduate School Office for Further Processing
September 2011
Page 2
Signature of Chair of the Faculty Committee on Graduate Education, Continuing Education & Special
Programs:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Signature of Chair of the Graduate Council:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Signature of Faculty Senate Secretary:
_________________________________________Date: ________________
Date Approved by Faculty Senate: __________________________________
September 2011
Page 3
Special Topics Course Submission Form
1. Department:
2. Course Number Section Number:
3.Title:
4. Course Description:
5. Instructor Name:
6. Course will be first offered: Term: Year:
RETURN FORM TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OFFICE FOR FURTHER PROCESSING
Please save and submit by e-mail via attachment to Regina Semko at [email protected] and cc:
Regan Fantry at [email protected] or print and send by campus mail.
VIII. GRADUATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
VIII.C. NEW PROGRAM APPROVAL POLICIES, PROCESS AND FLOW CHART
New Program Proposals
Majors and new degrees require CHE approval; minors do not require CHE approval. Graduate
Certificates, options, concentrations, specializations, emphases, cognates or tracks within a major
totaling more than eighteen hours require CHE approval, however if they are eighteen hours or
less, they require CHE notification only.
Purpose
The Commission on Higher Education (CHE) has approved a revision of the policies and
procedures governing the submission of new academic program proposals (Revised: July 2008).
It can be found on the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education website at:
http://www.che.sc.gov/AcademicAffairs/Revised_Guidelines_for_New_Prog_Approv.pdf The Board of
Trustees and the general administration of the College of Charleston require internal review and
approval of new academic programs. College of Charleston Policy #6, New Program Proposals,
outlines the format, the calendar, and the approval requirements for new program proposals.
Definitions
New Programs: offerings which lead to the conferral of a degree of the establishment of any
administrative unit, such as an institute or research center engaged in research, public service, or
instruction.
Program Planning Summary: the Program Planning Summary is submitted to the CHE at the
beginning of the institutional planning process. The purpose of a Program Planning Summary is
to inform the College community and the CHE of the possibility of developing a new academic
program proposal and submitting it to internal College review and approval, as well as CHE
review and approval.
New Program Proposal: whether describing a degree program or an academic unit, the Program
Proposal is submitted to the CHE once the internal College Review and approval process
(including Board of Trustees approval) has been completed.
Program Modifications: the CHE expects to review program modifications such as the
extension or transfer of a program to another site, the addition of new concentrations within a
major, the elimination of majors or concentrations, consolidation of majors and substantive
modifications of majors or concentrations.
To view the South Carolina Commission
on Higher Education Guidelines for New
Academic ProgramApproval please click here:
http://www.che.sc.gov/AcademicAffairs/Revised_Guidelines_for_New_Prog_Approv.pdf
College of Charleston
Academic Affairs
Policy # 6
General Policy Manual
( Revised 8/09/08)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------New Program Proposals
(an addendum follows this policy for items not requiring CHE approval)
Majors and new degrees require CHE approval.; minors do not require CHE approval. Minors,
options, concentrations, specializations, emphases, cognates or tracks within a major totaling
more than 18 hours require CHE approval but if they are 18 hours or less they require
notification only. Contact the CHE Academic Liaison through the Office of Academic Affairs
(through Clara Hodges, 953-4983) for questions and notification follow up.
0.0 CONTENTS
1.0 Purpose
2.0 Definitions
3.0 Internal Development, Review and Approval of the Program Planning Summary
4.0 Internal Development, Review and Approval of the Program Proposal
5.0 Calendar For Internal Review and Approval
6.0 Commission on Higher Education Approval Process
1.0 PURPOSE
The Commission on Higher Education (CHE) has approved a revision of the policies and
procedures governing the submission of new academic program proposals (July 2008).
The Board of Trustees and the general administration of the College of Charleston require
internal review and approval of new academic programs. This policy outlines the format, the
calendar and the approval requirements for new program proposals.
The CHE approves new programs using the following procedures: submission of a Program
Planning Summary, optional review by an advisor at CHE offices in Columbia, then submission
of a Full Program Proposal. The Planning Summary must be approved by ACAP. The final
proposal must be approved by ACAP*, CAAL*, then the full commission. (All College of
Charleston programs must go through the Academic Liaison to CHE through the Office of
Academic Affairs.)
* ACAP is the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs; CAAL is the Committee on
Academic Affairs and Licensing.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
2.1 New Programs --- offerings which lead to the conferral of a degree or the establishment
of any administrative unit such as an institute or research center engaged in research,
public service or instruction. (FOR FULL DEFINITIONS, SEE CHE POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES, PAGES 3-5.)
2.2. Program Planning Summary --- the Program Planning Summary, three pages or less, is
submitted to the CHE at the beginning of the institutional planning process. The purpose of a
Program Planning Summary is to inform the College community and the CHE of the possibility
of developing a new academic program proposal and submitting it to internal, College
review and approval as well as CHE review and approval. (SEE CHE POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES, PAGE 14, FOR REQUIRED FORMAT.)
2.3 New Program Proposal --- whether describing a degree program or an academic unit,
the Program Proposal is submitted to the CHE once the internal College review and
approval process (including Board of Trustees approval) has been completed. (SEE CHE
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, APPENDIX A FOR REQUIRED FORMAT. )
2.4 Program Modifications --- After Board of Trustees approval, the CHE expects to review
program modifications such as the extension or transfer of a program to another site, the addition
of new concentrations within a major, the elimination of majors or concentrations, consolidation
of majors and substantive modifications of majors or concentrations. (SEE CHE POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES, APPENDIX A FOR REQUIRED FORMAT.)
3.0 INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PROGRAM
PLANNING SUMMARY (SEE NOTES UNDER 2.2 ABOVE REGARDING FORMAT.)
3.1 The Program Planning Summary should contain: justification of the proposed program;
anticipated program demand and productivity; assessment of possible duplication with
other programs; relationship to other College programs; relationship to other programs at
other institutions; information about faculty credentials; costs broken down into new cost
vs. redirected cost summaries; total cost summaries. A cover letter for the proposal from the
President of the College to the executive director of the CHE is prepared by Academic Affairs
after review of the planning summary.
3.2 Deans and department chairs should notify the Provost of their intention to develop a
Program Planning Summary well in advance of submitting the letters for internal review
and approval. Once the Program Planning Summary has been written, the department
chair and/or dean of the school where the program resides submits the Letter to the
Provost for review and approval no less than six weeks prior to date the Letter will be
submitted to the CHE. The Program Planning Summary should include statements of
support from the relevant academic dean(s) and the Graduate Dean (as appropriate). The
Provost may reject a Program Planning Summary. The Provost will submit the cover
letter to the President of the College for final review and signature. Submission of a
Program Planning Summary to the CHE in no way commits the College to the new
program but simply signals the intention of the College to develop a new program, within three
years. Full administrative and faculty review and approval must take place prior to the
implementation of any new academic program (see below).
4 INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE PROGRAM
PROPOSAL
4.4 It is the responsibility of the department chair or the Dean in the area where the new program
will reside to develop a Program Proposal. The draft covers the following elements: cover
page, classification, justification, enrollment projections, curriculum, faculty, physical plant,
equipment, library resources, accreditation, estimated costs. The CHE requires a specific
format for a Program Proposal which appears in Appendix A of its Manual (see
http://www.che.sc.gov/AcademicAffairs/Revised_Guidelines_for_New_Prog_Approv.pdf
4.5 Chairs and Deans developing proposals should review them with the Provost (for
undergraduate proposals) and the Dean of Graduate Programs (for graduate proposals) prior
to beginning the internal review and approval process (below). They should also contact the CHE
Academic Liaison in the Office of Academic Affairs for information on the CHE process and
possible examples of proposals from other units in the school and from other institutions in South
Carolina. They will send the proposals for informal review by the CHE staff. They will assure
that the proposals are in the appropriate format with all the required elements. APPROPRIATE
ASSISTANCE WILL REQUIRE A MINIMUM OF SIX WEEKS PRIOR TO THE
SUBMISSION OF THE DOCUMENTS TO CHE.
4.6 Each department participating in the proposed program should review and approve the
proposal. The dean of each school where a proposal resides should review and approve the
proposal.
4.7 Proposals for graduate programs should be reviewed by the Faculty Committee on Graduate
and Continuing Education and approved by the Graduate Council. Proposals for undergraduate
programs should be reviewed by the Faculty Curriculum Committee. Review by the Faculty
Senate and their approval is required for all proposals. The Senate Budget
Committee must review the costs of proposals for new College programs and initiatives and
inform the Senate, before these proposals are put to a vote, of the Committee’s evaluation of
their potential budget impact.
4.8 Once the faculty review process has been completed, review by and approval of the Provost,
the President and the Board of Trustees is required. Each proposal should have a signature sheet
for noting the appropriate approvals as identified in steps 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5. THIS MUST BE
ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE DOCUMENTS CAN BE SENT TO CHE.
5.0 Calendar for Internal Review and Approval
The CHE approval process requires a minimum of one year from the time of submission of a
Program Concept Letter until approval of a new program by the Commission. The CHE has two
deadlines, November 1 and May 1, annually for receipt of Program Planning Summaries and
Program Proposals.
5.1 Program Planning Summary
Draft Program Planning Summaries must be submitted to the Provost no later than six
weeks prior to the deadlines for submission to the CHE. (See CHE Policies and Procedures, page
18.)
5.2 Program Proposal
The table below contains a schedule for internal review for New Program Proposals. The
schedule represents the minimum time required for review/approval. New program
development requires ongoing consultation among all parties and therefore often takes a
great deal of time.
CHE Submission Deadline
May 1
November 1
Departmental development*
Summer, early Fall Fall, early Spring
Academic deans review*
early Fall
early Spring
Graduate Dean review*
(graduate prgm. proposals only)
early Fall
early Spring
Draft proposal sent to CHE for staff
early Fall
early Spring
review (optional but encouraged and done through Academic Affairs at the request
of the proposer)
Curriculum Committee reviews*
(undergrad. prgm. proposals only)
Fall
Spring
Faculty Cmte. on Graduate & Cont.
Ed. (grad. prgm. proposals only)*
Fall
Spring
Graduate Council*
(graduate prgm proposals only)
Fall
Spring
Faculty Senate approves*
Last mtg. Fall
Last mtg. Spring
or lst mtg. Spring semester
March
Summer
Provost approves *
President approves*
March
Trustees approve*
April
President approves &(Delete approves &) submits
May 1
Summer
First Fall mtg.
November 1
*Signatures and dates will be required in Academic Affairs to verify approval at
these various levels.
6.0 Commission Approval Process (SEE PAGE 18 OF CHE POLICY AND PROCEDURES
MANUAL. )
A Program Planning Summary in the hands of the Commission by November 1 will be reviewed
by its Advisory Committee on Academic Programs the following January. A final Proposal based
on this Program Planning Summary and in the hands of the Commission by May 1 will be
reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs the following July. It will be
reviewed by the Committee on Academic Affairs in October and the full Commission in
November (a minimum of one year after the initial Program Planning Summary was submitted).
A Program Planning Summary in the hands of the Commission by May 1 will be reviewed by its
Advisory Committee on Academic Programs the following July. A final Proposal based on this
Program Planning Summary and in the hands of the Commission by November 1 will be
reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs the following January. It will be
reviewed by the Committee on Academic Affairs in April and the full Commission in May (a
minimum of one year after the initial Program Planning Summary was submitted).
Please notify Clara Hodges in the Academic Affairs Office at the completion of each step at
[email protected].
Drafted:
L. Hines, D. Cohen
11/29/95
Reviewed:
Deans
12/11/95
Reviewed:
Deans, Directors
2/15/96
Approved:
Provost
4/5/96
Revised:
S. Morrison, A. McCandless
7/26/01
(revision includes notes to notify Academic Affairs at completion of each step and the addendum
on procedures for items not requiring CHE approval)
Revised:
S. Powers, C. Hodges
8/08/08
Reviewed and Approved
E. Jorgens, Deans
August, Sept 2008
Addendum for Items Not Requiring CHE Approval
Many items not requiring CHE approval still require Senate approval, such as minors and
graduate certificates. In other cases, like name changes, the curriculum committee reviews the
item and forwards it to the Senate as FYI.
Process for these items:
Department Chair Approval
Dean Approval
Provost / Associate Provost Notification (who will determine what further steps are required)
Possible further steps:
Review / approval by Curriculum Committee
Review / approval by Graduate Council
Review and recommendation by Senate Budget Committee
Review / approval by Faculty Senate
Provost Review / approval
Presidential Approval
Board of Trustees Approval
NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAM APPROVAL PROCESS
The development of new academic majors, major program modifications (18 credit hours or more), new
concentrations, and new centers or institutes from conception to full implantation requires a lengthy
process of extensive internal and external review. In planning new programs, faculty should anticipate
anywhere from 18-24 months from start to finish. Most internal and external due dates are published well
in advance, but are subject to change. All communications with the South Carolina Commission on
Higher Education (CHE) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) require
transmittal letters from the President and/or Provost.
Developing the Program Concept and CHE Planning Summary
Faculty/Departments develop the new academic program concept and
consult early with relevant colleagues, departments, dean(s), and Academic Affairs.
(contact: Associate Provost for Curriculum).
Faculty create DRAFT Program Planning Summary following
CHE Guidelines, Format, and Page Limits.
Faculty review SACS policy on substantive change and in consultation with the AVP for Institutional
Effectiveness and Planning, determine the type of SACS notification and approval required.
(contact: AVP for Institutional Effectiveness and Planning).
Dean(s) discuss the DRAFT Program Proposal including requirements for new resources
with the Provost at a regular monthly meeting.
Dean(s) present DRAFT Program Planning Summary to the Academic Council/Planning and Priorities
Committee for feedback; Simultaneous submission to Academic Planning Committee for feedback.
Revised and final Planning Summary submitted to Academic Affairs.
(contact: Associate Provost for Curriculum)
Academic Affairs prepares transmittal material, obtains President’s signature, and submits the
Planning Summary to CHE by one of the deadlines: February 1, May 1, August 1, November 1.
Planning Summary is reviewed by ACAP in March, July, October, or January. If approved, faculty
may begin the process below.
Following CHE approval of the Planning Summary1:
Faculty/Department prepares NEW MAJOR PROGRAM form following
CHE Guidelines and SACS policies, prepares relevant COURSE forms for new courses, gathers
approval signatures (chair, dean), and submits complete package to Academic Affairs according to
published schedule. (contact: Associate Provost for Curriculum).
Academic Affairs reviews, signs, scans, and submits to Faculty Curriculum Committee,
Academic Planning Committee and Budget Committee for full review and action. Graduate proposals
are submitted to the Graduate and Continuing Education Committee and to the Graduate Council.
Committees forward New Program Proposal and Committee Reports to Faculty Senate.
Faculty Senate Consideration (Approval or Rejection)
Academic Affairs prepares summary of proposal and documentation for Board of Trustee
consideration (January, April, August, October). Faculty/Department should begin work with AVP for
Institutional Effectiveness and Planning on the documents required for SACS notification and request
for approval.
Full Proposal Sent to CAAL (September, December, February, April)
Full Proposal Sent to CHE (October, January, March, May)
Notification of SACS (if required) and request for approval (may take up to 6-12 months for approval)
Academic Affairs notifies Registrar of CHE final approval. Department prepares relevant catalog
changes; programs approved in October and January will appear in the catalog and be implemented
beginning in August of the next academic year. Programs receiving final CHE approval in March and
May will appear in the catalog and be implemented in August of the following academic year (e.g.
May 2011/August 2013).
1
A Planning Summary expires three years from date of ACAP approval. After that time, proposals must be updated
and resubmitted.
Date
Completed
CofC Program Approval Process
Conceptual Phase
1. Codify concept
2. Communicate concept broadly
Planning Summary Phase
1. Formalize Concept
2. Incorporate feedback
CHE Review
Required?
Yes
No
Proposal Phase
Proposal Phase
1. Proposals bound for CHE
2. Proposal reviewed internally
Implementation Phase
Page 1 of 7
Last Revised: 11/19/2007
CofC Program Approval Process
START
Form Concept
Share Concept
Procedural
Checkpoint
1
Page 2 of 7
Last Revised: 11/19/2007
CofC Program Approval Process
1
Stage required only for programs requiring CHE approval
Proposals bound for CHE
Proposals reviewed internally
Originator writes
Planning Summary
Department / Chair
reviews and approves
summary
Dean reviews and
approves Summary
Copy
Academic
Planning
Academic Affairs
reviews and approves
Summary
President reviews and
approves Summary
CHE reviews and
approves Summary
2
Page 3 of 7
Substantive Change
SACS reviews and
approves
Summary
3
Last Revised: 11/19/2007
CofC Program Approval Process
2
Proposals bound for CHE
Write Full Proposal
Department / Chair
reviews and
approves proposal
Dean reviews and
approves proposal
Program Level
Checkpoint
Undergraduate
Level
Faculty Senate
Budget
Committee
Undergraduate
Curriculum
Committee
Graduate Level
Faculty Senate
Academic
Planning
Committee
Faculty Senate
Budget
Committee
Graduate
Education
Committee
Faculty Senate
Academic
Planning
Committee
Graduate
Council
Senate
Provost
4
Page 4 of 7
Last Revised: 11/19/2007
CofC Program Approval Process
3
Proposals reviewed internally
Prepare Internal
Forms
Department /
Chair reviews and
approves proposal
Dean reviews and
approves proposal
Program Level
Checkpoint
Undergraduate
Level
Graduate Level
Graduate
Education
Committee
Faculty Senate
Budget
Committee
Undergraduate
Curriculum
Committee
Faculty Senate
Academic
Planning
Committee
Graduate
Council
Senate
5
Page 5 of 7
Last Revised: 11/19/2007
CofC Program Approval Process
4
Proposals bound for CHE
Academic Affairs
President
Board
Academic Affairs
submits to CHE
Academic Affairs
distributes Letter
from CHE
Registrar
END
Page 6 of 7
Last Revised: 11/19/2007
CofC Program Approval Process
5
Proposals reviewed internally
Registrar
END
Page 7 of 7
Last Revised: 11/19/2007
Conceptual Phase:
Form Concept: The originator of the idea begins the development of a concept, alone or
with colleagues.
Share Concept: The concept is shared with the department chair by the originator(s).
The chair shares with the Dean of the School who brings it for discussion at the
Academic Council. The originator and department chair insure that they advise the
Academic Planning Committee.
Procedural Checkpoint: If there are no unresolved issues, the concept is shared by the
originator with the Academic Liaison of the Office of Academic Affairs as well as the
Office of Accountability, Accreditation, Assessment and Planning. The Academic
Liaison will help the originator to determine whether the concept will require CHE
approval or simply CHE notification. For programs requiring CHE involvement, the
Academic Liaison will provide the necessary information and forms. The Office of
Accountability, Accreditation, Assessment and Planning will help the originator with
respect to the issues of SACS compliance.
Planning Summary Phase:
Programs Requiring CHE approval
Originator writes Planning Summary:
Links to internal forms:
Undergraduate
Graduate
Link to CHE deadlines and guidelines:
Department / Chair reviews and approves summary: The originator asks for
department input and review of planning summary. After revisions, signatures on internal
forms are obtained through all departments participating in program. It is important that
such reviews occur in a timely manner.
Dean reviews and approves summary: The Dean(s) of Schools having program
participation review and approve summary, signing internal form. It is important that
these reviews occur in a timely manner.
Academic Planning: The originator sends a copy of the program summary with
signatures obtained at the stage to the Faculty Committee on Academic Planning. It is
incumbent on the Academic Planning Committee to review and comment as required in a
timely manner.
Academic Affairs reviews and approves Summary: The program summary is given to
the Office of Academic Affairs (Academic Liaison) for review and processing. The
Academic Liaison arranges for preparation of cover letter, and gives to Provost for
review.
President reviews and approves Summary: The Provost forwards the documents to
the President for review and signature. Documents are returned to Academic Affairs
where they are forwarded to CHE.
CHE reviews and approves Summary: Program summaries go through the CHE
process. This involves review by the CHE Staff; review by ACAP (Provost’s of SC State
Higher Education Institutions); review by CAAL (Subcommittee of CHE for Academic
Affairs); and the CHE (full committee). Calendars for these committees are available.
When receipt of approval is received in Academic Affairs, the Academic Liaison will
notify the originator who can proceed with the full proposal.
SACS reviews and approves Summary: The originator forwards the proposal to the
Office of Accountability, Accreditation, Assessment and Planning for review relative to
SACS guidelines on substantive change.
Proposal Phase:
Write Full Proposal: The originator writes the full proposal. See CHE guidelines and
internal signature document.
Link to: Undergraduate form
Graduate form
See Academic Affairs if sample approved programs would be helpful.
Department / Chair reviews and approves proposal: The originator seeks input and
approval from the department chair. The department chair signs the internal approval
form.
Dean reviews and approves proposal: The originator seeks input and approval from
the Dean of the School. A signature is obtained from each Dean for all Schools
participating in the program.
Program Level Checkpoint: The process for Graduate and Undergraduate Programs
differs.
Undergraduate:
Faculty Senate Budget Committee: The originator provides a copy of the program
proposal to the Budget Committee of the faculty for signature.
Curriculum Committee: The Curriculum Committee of the Faculty approves the
program proposal.
Faculty Senate Academic Planning Committee:
Graduate:
Faculty Senate Budget Committee: The originator provides a copy of the program
proposal to the Budget Committee of the faculty for signature.
Graduate Education Committee: The Graduate Education Committee of the Faculty
reviews the program information. Questions should be directed to the Graduate School.
Faculty Senate Academic Planning Committee:
Graduate Council: The Graduate Education Committee of the Faculty forwards the
program information to the Graduate Council.
Senate: The program proposal and all the signatures are forwarded to the Faculty Senate
after approval by the Curriculum Committee of the Faculty. The Senate votes on the
program proposal.
Provost: The originator provides a copy of the program proposal to the Office of
Academic Affairs.
Implementation Phase:
Academic Affairs: The originator provides the final, Senate approved, proposal to
Academic Affairs. The Academic Liaison reviews the document and prepares the cover
letter for review by the Provost.
President: The Provost reviews the program proposal and cover letter. The Provost
presents the documents to the President for signature. If approved, the material is then
forwarded to the Board of Trustees.
Board: The Provost or President takes the information to the Board of Trustees for
approval. See Board calendar.
Academic Affairs submits to CHE: The Office of Academic Affairs forwards the
proposal to the CHE after approval by the Board of Trustees. Programs are then reviewed
by the CHE Staff, the ACAP (Provost’s of SC State Higher Education Institutions);
CAAL (Subcommittee of CHE for Academic Affairs); and the CHE (full committee).
Academic Affairs Distributes Letter from CHE: When receipt of approval is received
from CHE in Academic Affairs, the Academic Liaison will notify the originator, the
department chair(s), and the relevant Dens of Schools, as well as the Graduate Dean as
needed. The Academic Liaison will ensure that pertinent information is scanned to the
server for archival purposes.
Registrar: The Academic Liaison in the Office of Academic Affairs will forward the
program information to the Registrar. The Registrar will notify all relevant College of
Charleston offices for program implementation.
End of Programs requiring CHE approval
Proposals reviewed internally:
Proposal Phase:
Prepare Internal Forms: Program proposal is prepared for Curriculum Committee.
Department / Chair reviews and approves proposal: The originator seeks input and
approval from the department chair. The department chair signs the internal approval
form.
Dean reviews and approves proposal: The originator seeks input and approval from
the Dean of the School. A signature is obtained from each Dean for all Schools
participating in the program.
Program Level Checkpoint: The process for Graduate and Undergraduate Programs
differs.
Undergraduate:
Faculty Senate Budget Committee: The originator provides a copy of the program
proposal to the Budget Committee of the faculty for signature.
Curriculum Committee: The Curriculum Committee of the Faculty reviews the
program information. See curriculum committee forms and timelines.
Faculty Senate Academic Planning Committee
Graduate:
Graduate Education Committee: The Graduate Education Committee of the Faculty
reviews the program information. Questions should be directed to the Graduate School.
Graduate Council: The Graduate Education Committee of the Faculty forwards the
program information to the Graduate Council.
Faculty Senate Academic Planning Committee
Senate: The program proposal and all the signatures are forwarded to the Faculty Senate
after approval by the Curriculum Committee of the Faculty. The Senate votes on the
program proposal.
Implementation Phase:
Registrar: The Academic Liaison in the Office of Academic Affairs will forward the
program information to the Registrar. The Registrar will notify all relevant College of
Charleston offices for program implementation.
End of proposals reviewed internally
VIII. GRADUATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
VIII.D POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR GRADUATE CERTIFICATE
PROGRAMS
Policies and Procedures for Graduate Certificate Programs
Graduate School of the College of Charleston, SC Policy on Graduate Certificate
Programs
a. Introduction
Graduate certificate programs may be created within the structure of the Graduate School.
Students may be awarded these certificates upon completion of a well-defined program of
coursework. The graduate certificate is not defined as a degree by the Graduate School,
rather, it is a focused collection of courses that, when completed, affords the student some
record of coherent academic accomplishment in a given discipline or set of related
disciplines. Moreover, the graduate certificate is not viewed as a guaranteed means of entry
into a graduate degree program. While the courses comprising a graduate certificate may be
used as evidence in support of a student's application for admission to a graduate degree
program, the certificate itself is not considered to be a prerequisite. The didactic material
encompassed within a graduate certificate program may represent a more practice-oriented
subset of an existing graduate discipline. The tide of any graduate certificate program may or
may not contain the word certificate, depending on the tradition in the discipline proposing
the program.
b. Process of Approval for New Graduate Certificate Programs
Proposals for new graduate certificate programs are created and submitted by constituent
graduate faculty. They must be accompanied by endorsement from the department heads
and deans of the schools in which the contributing coursework is housed, as well as from
those academic units whose students or programs could be impacted by the creation of the
new graduate certificate. New graduate certificate programs in areas where joint graduate
programs are conducted with other universities will normally be endorsed by the
collaborating departments at the other institution. The Graduate Council considers all
graduate certificate program proposals for academic merit. Those meeting the criteria set
forth by the Graduate School are then recommended to the Faculty Senate and the Provost
for approval. Upon approval of a graduate certificate program, the constituent graduate
faculty must contact the Director of Graduate Admissions to develop an Internal
Announcement of Approval. This document outlines the major acronym, requirement rules,
IPEDS code, and other details that are necessary for input into SIS. It also provides the
timeline for addition of the certificate program to the on-line application process.
c. Criteria for Approval
The overarching principles applied to the assessment of the academic quality of proposals
for new graduate certificate programs include
1.
The proposed sequence of coursework must offer a clear and appropriate
educational objective at the post-baccalaureate level.
Page 1
2.
The proposed program will achieve its educational objective in an efficient and welldefined manner.
3.
A demonstrated need for such a program must exist. This provision may be defined
in terms of either external markets (i.e., external demand for the skills associated
with such a certificate) or internal academic needs (i.e., the need for a critical mass
of students in a given discipline).
4.
The number of graduate credits may not be fewer than 12 and no more than 18
credits.
d. Student Eligibility and Admission Criteria
The prerequisites and general criteria of eligibility for admission to any graduate certificate
program include:
1.
An earned baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or
university is required.
2.
Each program sets the minimum grade point average, minimum TOEFL scores,
standardized test scores, whether or not certificate courses may be counted towards
the related master's degree program, and other similar criteria as part of the
application. Greater flexibility than that found in graduate degree admission
requirements is intentionally built into graduate certificate programs so that the
needs of the target student population may be met, if it is appropriate to do so.
3.
A maximum of 6 credit hours towards any certificate program may be accepted as
transfer credit.
4.
Graduate students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program of study leading
to a degree, and who wish to pursue a simultaneous graduate certificate within the
Graduate School must apply to the certificate program before the last semester of
their degree program. The Dean of the Graduate School, upon request by the
certificate program coordinator, may grant exceptions to this policy. The application
fee will be waived by the Graduate School for currently enrolled students.
5.
Certificate-seeking graduate students who are not currently enrolled in a master's
program will be admitted into a separate classification within the Graduate School,
as "Certificate Graduate" students, as defined by the Graduate Council. This
separate classification will permit keeping of University-wide statistical and
enrollment data for certificate programs, and will allow inclusion of such efforts in
the annual reports and academic planning. The Graduate School will note successful
completion of a certificate program on the student's transcript upon completion.
N.B.: The rationale for requiring formal enrollment in graduate certificate programs is
based on the need for proper allocation of instructional resources and the desire to afford
the certificate students equal access to the desired graduate courses. Departments and
programs are better able to plan offerings of the appropriate graduate courses if they are
aware of the upcoming demand for such courses. This demand can best be gauged by
knowledge of the number of students in the program. By registering as graduate students,
Page 2
the certificate-seeking students will have timely access to graduate courses offered by
departments and schools.
6.
Students currently in a certificate program who wish to change their status to
degree-seeking must apply to their program of choice. If they are currently-enrolled
certificate students at the time of their application, they may request an application
fee waiver based on their status as a current student. Materials required by the
certificate application process may be included in the master’s application package;
the certificate student must supply any additional materials required by the degreeseeking program.
7.
Graduate alumni interested in obtaining a certificate that includes components of
their master’s program should contact their program director for specifics.
8.
Students pursuing a graduate certificate will be required to meet the same academic
requirements as those defined for degree-seeking students.
9.
A Certificate Graduate student may enroll on either a part-time or a full-time basis,
as determined by the certificate program coordinator. Students enrolled on a fulltime basis will have access to many of the same campus services as other full-time
graduate students.
10.
Master’s certificate students will not be eligible for federal financial aid, internal
scholarships or internal grant support. There are private or alternative options.
Information is available in the financial aid office.
e. Certificate Program Review
All graduate certificate programs will be reviewed within the course of regular graduate
program assessment and review, as defined by the Graduate Council.
f. Application Procedure for a New Certificate Program
For consideration by the Graduate School, proposed new graduate certificate programs must
contain the following information:
1.
A statement of the educational objectives of the program;
2.
A statement of the proposed course sequence associated with the certificate,
including tides and course descriptions both for existing courses and any new
courses that may be developed;
3.
A statement of how the proposed course sequences associated with the certificate
will meet the stated educational objectives;
4.
A statement of the need for the proposed program and the basis for such a need,
supported by either externally or internally derived data;
Page 3
5.
The names of the faculty associated with or contributing to the certificate program,
either by teaching one or more of' the courses associated with the program or
participating in the design of the course sequence. Adjunct faculty associated with
the program should also include up-to-date curriculum vitae;
6.
The name and curriculum vita of the faculty member who will be designated as the
coordinator of the program, for purposes of communication with the Graduate
School.
7.
If the proposed graduate certificate program contains no new courses, no new
faculty, no additional costs, and maintains the admissions and academic standing
requirements of a related degree program, the proposal will be given expedited
review in the approval process.
Page 4
VIII. GRADUATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
VIII.E. JOINT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON/CITADEL PROGRAM POLICIES
Registration
Class Rolls
Formal class rolls are not generated by the Citadel (CIT) and the College of Charleston (CofC)
graduate offices until well after the beginning of the semester. Now that instructors at the
Citadel are allowed access through the CofC’s CougarTrail web system to the CofC students
enrolled in their courses, it will be easier for them to see who has enrolled from the CofC in their
courses.
POLICY: The 107 class enrollment screens are faxed between the two schools on a regular basis
at the beginning of each semester as needed. This will be done by the student records managers
in both graduate offices. The 107’s which are copies will be for those students registered for
classes in the host institution – that is CIT course section number 98 and CofC course section
numbers 900.
Drop/Add and Withdrawal Notifications
Students will drop and withdraw at their home institutions; however, students taking courses at a
host institution must observe the drop/add and withdrawal dates at the host institution. Those
dates will be published for both schools in both the CIT and CofC published “Schedule of
Courses”. Since the actual drop/adds and withdrawals will take place at the student’s home
institution, CofC and CIT will inform each other on a regular basis of drops and withdrawals.
Both the Citadel and College of Charleston will publish each other’s drop/add schedules.
CIT will eliminate instructor’s signature on withdrawal forms.
Since the two graduate offices will be exchanging printouts of 107 screens at the beginning of
the semester until official class rolls are produced, it was decided that 107 screen information
will be exchanged on a monthly basis until the end of the semester if needed. Each office will
add this function to their operations calendars. This will continue until grade rolls are produced
at the end of the semester.
Registration of Independent Study, Tutorial, or Other Individual Enrollment at a Host
School
POLICY: Students who wish to enroll in an independent study, tutorial or other individual
enrollment course with a professor from the host school must register directly at the host
institution, using the proper independent study forms for that school and pay the course fees
directly to the host institution. The host school will send a copy of the independent study
form to the student’s home institution in order for the student to be registered for the
course there. (Note: Because the student is paying the fees for the independent study
course at the host school, the home school will have to enter the registration for the course
and zero-out the financial hours so that the student won’t be billed by both schools.)
Grading / Course Rolls / Course Evaluations
The Citadel now has their “I’s” turn to “F’s” rather than “W’s”, however, the time frame in
which this happens is not always uniform. Graduate students at the College of Charleston
(CofC) and at the Citadel each have one semester in which to make-up an “I”.
Grade Rolls
Each professor teaching a joint program class will receive two grade rolls.
POLICY: At the CofC courses taught at the Citadel will have a “900” section number. At the
Citadel courses taught at the CofC will have a “98” section number. The Registrar at the CofC
will insure that all joint program instructors will have access to the CougarTrail system so that
their grades can be entered electronically.
Changes of Grade
POLICY: Each school will note the matriculation of students when a “Change of Grade” form is
being processed for students in either ENGL, HIST, or CSIS programs, and will send a copy of
the form to the appropriate office of the student’s home institution.
Course Schedules: The summer schedule
POLICY: All program directors will meet to plan the program’s schedule a year in advance.
Course Cancellations
POLICY: Before a course in ENGL, HIST, or CSIS is cancelled on either campus, consultation
with the co-program director at the opposite campus should occur so that adequate measures can
be taken for students enrolled in the course or for a substitute course to be developed. It will be
noted in both the Citadel and CofC schedules of courses, that students must be aware that
summer courses are particularly vulnerable to last minute cancellations and that they should
check to make certain their course is viable.
Treatment of Non-Resident Students for Billing Purposes
Presently, the Citadel bills and collects non-resident fees for all non-resident students. The
College of Charleston has several state-approved categories of students for whom there is an
abatement of the non-resident portion of their fees. (The categories include those with
assistantships, scholarships, military status, full employment with a SC company, etc.)
VIII. GRADUATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
VIII.F. PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT
Program Assessment
Assessment is the means whereby program directors are given the opportunity to set goals and
objectives for their programs, review efficacy of their program offerings, the design of their
programs, non-coursework program offerings (internships, etc.), application and admission
criteria, and develop special objectives for the short-term.
The graduate program assessment process has four main elements:
1. Internal assessment is based on the development of goals and objectives within a
three-year cycle. This process is guided by the Office of Accountability,
Accreditation, Planning and Assessment which produces a helpful booklet with the
assessment cycle calendar, sample reports, planning assumptions, the College’s
mission statement, etc. It can be found on their website at:
http://www.cofc.edu/~oap/assessment.html
Each assessment cycle is three years duration, the first year being a planning year, the
second year being a research year, with the third year being the reporting year.
2. Annual Reports are required of each program director by the Dean of the Graduate
School and are included in the Graduate School Annual Report.
3. External Assessment is accomplished by recognized accrediting bodies such as
NCATE, NASPAA, AACSB, etc. There is also an institution-wide accreditation
cycle with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The College
will undergo its re-accreditation in 2017, with a smaller five year review in 2012.
The Graduate School Office and the Office of Accountability, Accreditation,
Planning and Assessment closely follow the SACS criteria so that required processes
and procedures are continuously in practice in all aspects of College administration
and academics.
VIII. GRADUATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE
VIII.G. GRADUATE PROGRAM SELF STUDY PROCESS
PROGRAMS WITHOUT SPECIALIZED ACCREDATION
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS
The following are essential components of a programmatic self-study that graduate
programs at the College of Charleston without specialized accreditation must complete. While
this is by no means a comprehensive list, it covers the major areas that should be addressed in the
self-study document. When specific data are requested, the program should display data for the
most recent five-year period, unless otherwise noted.
I.
Program Purpose, Goals, and Objectives
Each program should supply a clear, concise statement of purpose that is related to
the mission of the program, the supporting unit(s), and the institution. Goals and objectives
should be measurable and the time frame for their achievement should be reasonable. Also, it
may be helpful to differentiate between short-term and long-term goals.
II.
Organizational Chart
Each program should prepare a chart showing the reporting lines and any linkages the
program maintains with the rest of the institution. This section should also contain a brief
description of the processes used by the program in making budgetary, curricular, and faculty
selection decisions.
III. Size of the Supporting Unit(s)
Each program should provide, in tabular form, current information related to the size of
the department or other supporting unit (or units in the case of interdisciplinary programs),
including at least the following: graduate faculty FTE and headcount; support staff FTE and
headcount; master's and doctoral student FTE and headcount; degrees awarded annually;
instructional and general expense budget of the organizational unit supporting the program; the
portion of the program budget used for graduate programs; externally funded research; and other
externally generated funds. (The data for this section for faculty, staff, and students may be
different from that of the program reported in the student data section in that the "unit" housing
the program may include other degree programs and/or levels of degrees.)
IV. Program Faculty
Each program should provide faculty information according to the outline below.
Except as noted, narrative and statistical tables should cover the last five years.
A. Profile of Program Faculty:
1. Total number, FTE and headcount, of faculty teaching, differentiating between full-time,
part-time, and teaching assistantships.
2. Number of faculty advising in the program.
3. Number and percent of faculty in each rank displayed by tenure, rank, gender, and race
4. Description of the retention/turnover of full-time program faculty for the past five years
5. Individual listing of current faculty showing rank, credentials, and areas of specialization
B. Faculty Involvement in Program/Department (3 years):
1. Student / faculty ratio
2. Average course load
3. Additional instructional responsibilities including special topics seminars, thesis/dissertation,
advising, independent study, student research, etc.
4. Process for teaching evaluation
5. Role of adjunct faculty in program
C. Campus and Public Service: Provide a summary of campus and public service activity.
D. Current Faculty Research: Provide a summary of scholarship, creative activity, and
additional faculty research activity.
V.
Students
Each program should supply information on students in the program according to the
outline below. Narrative and statistical tables should cover the last five years, except as noted.
A. Graduate Student Profile:
1. Average age; sex; ethnicity; citizenship
2. FTE credit hour production
3. Headcount enrollments by full-time/part-time
4. Degrees awarded
B. Admissions Information:
1. Current admissions criteria
2. Number applied, accepted, and enrolled (3 years)
C. Student Achievements (3 years):
1. Awards
2. Publications
3. Exhibitions
4. Professional presentations
5. Applied Research Projects
D. Financial support of Graduate Students:
1. Departmental and institutional funds
2. Percent of students on financial aid
3. Average level of support
4. Ratio of grant-to-loan funds
5. Number of teaching and research assistantships
6. Selection process for financial awards
VI. Curriculum
Each program should outline the program structure and degree requirements, list
the required courses, and indicate the frequency of course offerings. The institution should
also comment, as appropriate, regarding any curriculum changes over the last five years
and the reasons for these changes.
VII. Programmatic Climate
Each program should discuss the following topics, providing data as needed: student /
faculty satisfaction with the scholarly community; quality of academic advisement; activities to
promote esprit de corps; critical mass of faculty and student; activities related to promoting
diversity among student and faculty; special lectures, seminars, or other program enhancements;
collaborative arrangements with other departments, industry, government, or higher education
institutions.
VIII. Facilities and Equipment
Each program should discuss the adequacy of classroom, research, laboratory, library,
and office space available to the program. The program should also include, in this section, a
discussion of instructional equipment and library and computer resources used to complement
classroom instruction.
IX. Program Assessment
Each program should describe the process by which it assesses itself; the qualitative
and quantitative information it has collected (e.g. portfolios, exit interviews, degree
completion ratio, average time to completion, percent of graduates employed in their field,
results of program assessment, standardized or licensing examinations, alumni satisfaction
with program); and the specific way that this information has been used for program
improvement.
X.
Conclusions
Each program should discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the program as well as
projected changes or initiatives for improvement.
PEER REVIEW AND SITE VISITS
Site visits play a critical role in the program review process. Site visits are designed
to provide an opportunity for external peer reviewers (out-of-state academics in the field
under review) to confirm, expand, or elaborate on facts and figures submitted by the
program in its self-study.
Site visits provide opportunities for peer reviewers to meet with administrators, faculty, and
students, as well as to tour facilities (e.g., classrooms, libraries, etc.), in order to complement and
help place in context written materials already provided.
The peer review team's report will include data collected from and recommendations about
the program reviewed. The peer review team may also comment on the future direction of the
field in general and on the status of the program relative to this overall direction.
THE FOUR STAGES OF A REVIEW CYCLE
1. The Self-Study
2. Peer Review and Report
3. Response to the Peer Review Report findings with an action plan and timetable
4. One -year follow-up report on action taken based on review findings, repeated annually until
complete
GRADUATE PROGRAM REVIEW SCHEDULE
GRADUATE PROGRAM
Program Start Date
Review Date
Review Date
Review Date
Master of Arts in Teaching ‐‐
Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Middle Grades Education
Performing Arts
Special Education
1985
1985
2011
2007
1985
2003‐2004* 2010‐2011**
2003‐2004* 2010‐2011**
2010‐2011**
2010‐2011**
2003‐2004* 2010‐2011**
2017‐2018**
2017‐2018**
2017‐2018**
2017‐2018**
2017‐2018**
Master of Education
Languages
Science and Mathematics
Teaching, Learning and Advocacy
2003
1998
2009
2003‐2004* 2010‐2011**
2003‐2004* 2010‐2011**
2010‐2011**
2017‐2018**
2017‐2018**
2017‐2018**
Master of Arts
Communication
English
History
2006
1993
1990
Master of Business Administration
2010
Master of Public Administration
1978
2006‐2007^
2013‐2014^
2020‐2021^
Master of Science
Accountancy
Computer and Information Sciences
Environmental Studies
Historic Preservation
Marine Biology
Mathematics
1994
2001
1994
2004
1973
1991
2004‐2005°
2005‐2006
2004‐2005
2009‐2010°
2012‐2013
2011‐2012
2011‐2012
2013‐2014
2009‐2010
2014‐2015°
2019‐2020
2018‐2019
2018‐2019
2020‐2021
2016‐2017
2007
2002
2010
2006‐2007^ 2013‐2014^
2003‐2004* 2010‐2011**
2010‐2011**
Graduate Certificates
Arts Management
English to Speakers of Other Languages
Gifted and Talented Education
Operations Research
Service Oriented Computing
Special Education
Statistics
Urban and Regional Planning
2007‐2008
2005‐2006
2011‐2012
2014‐2015
2012‐2013
2018‐2019
2021‐2022
2019‐2020
2014‐2015°°
2006‐2007
2000‐2001
Proposed
2009
2009
2000
2008
2012‐2013
2010‐2011**
2009‐2010
2013‐2014^
2020‐2021^
2017‐2018**
2017‐2018**
2016‐2017
2019‐2020
2017‐2018**
2016‐2017
2020‐2021^
*Reviewed by accrediting body or CHE, Fall 2003; NCATE unit review, Fall 2004, repeating every seven years
**Reviewed by accrediting body or CHE, Fall 2010; NCATE unit review, Fall 2011, repeating every seven years
^ NASPA reaccredited 1998‐1999; data collection 2005‐2006; NASPA site visit 2006‐2007, repeating every seven years thereafter. Note that data collection begins in the fiscal year prior to the site visit.
°AACSB reaccredited 1999‐2000; AACSB interim report submitted, Fall 2004; AACSB site visit 2009‐2010 and every five years thereafter °°AACSB reaccreditation every five years
August 2011
GRADUATE PROGRAM REVIEW SCHEDULE
Number of master’s and graduate certificate reviews by year:
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2016-2017
2017-2018
2018-2019
2019-2020
2020-2021
9
2
2
3
1
6
12
3
3
4
3
3
12
3
3
4
MAT & MED / ESOL Certificates
ACCY & EVSS
HIST & CSIS
MBIO, PUBA / ARTM Certificate
ENGL
ACCY, INTR / INTR Certificates, MATH / MATH Certificate
MAT, MED / ESOL, EDSP, EDGT Certificates
EVSS, HSPV, COMM
HIST & CSIS / CSIS Certificate
MBIO, PUBA /ARTM & URBP Certificates
ACCY, MBAD, ENGL
MATH / MATH Certificates
MAT, MED / ESOL, EDSP, EDGT Certificates
EVSS, HSPV, COMM
HIST & CSIS / CSIS Certificate
MBIO, PUBA /ARTM & URBP Certificates
Beginning in 2010-2011, assumes a seven year review cycle for all programs, except Accountancy and
Business Administration which have a mandated five year review cycle.
IX. THE GRADUATE OFFICE REPORTS
The Graduate School Office, for its own internal use, develops statistical reports which aid in
the planning and assessment of graduate programs. These reports have been created over the
years in cooperation with both the Office of Institutional Research and the Administrative
Computing Department. The Graduate Office also utilizes an in-house Access Database—
GRADS. Data is extracted from SIS and downloaded daily into this database.
From this database, the GSO staff can create ad hoc reports as needed to analyze application
and enrollment trends, as well as a host of other informal and formal reports for the Dean and
the Director. At times, the GSO distributes these reports (e.g. monthly application report) to
graduate program directors and other entities on campus; however, program directors are
encouraged to utilize the IRP index of reports in order to have as direct access to the
statistical reports that fit their individual needs as possible. This can be done through
established reports from the IRP or through the development of special program reports,
either in concert with that office or ACTS.
All statistical reporting must be done by or reviewed by the IRP in order to make certain that
it conforms to official reporting data. This is especially true for external reporting for
planning purposes.
Monthly Application Reports
Each month, the Graduate Admissions Director puts together an admissions report for the
upcoming semester. This report includes a snapshot of admissions data for that particular
day. It is presented program-by-program, showing totals based on applications received and
their status. Demographic and residency statistics are also included, as well as a comparison
report based on the past four years for each program.
Newly Admitted MAT students
This monthly report is sent to the Education Department, along with electronic copies of each
new student’s file.