Graduate Academic Policies

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Note: The printed version of the catalog is subject to change. The official catalog of Our Lady of the Lake College is the online version, which is updated as necessary and may be accessed at www.ololcollege.edu.

It is the graduate student’s responsibility to become familiar with the academic regulations and policies of the College as well as the degree and special requirements of his/her own academic program. The general requirements of the College are found throughout the catalog. Individual program requirements may be found in the section of this catalog specific to each program.

Registration

Registration involves academic advising, selection of courses and payment of fees. Before pre-registration or registration, each student should consult with his/her academic advisor on course selection, general education requirements, major requirements and other degree requirements. Advising is done in person or by proposing an on-line advising plan and then notifying the advisor. However, it is the responsibility of the graduate student, not the academic advisor, to ensure that all college graduation requirements are met. Pre-registration is held in the fall for the spring semester and in the spring for the summer and fall semesters.

During pre-registration, graduate students select courses and secure a class schedule for the upcoming semester(s). Information pertaining to registration, such as course offerings, semester calendar, tuition and fees, etc. is available on the College Web site (http://www.ololcollege.edu). The most up-to-date semester course offerings information is available through WebServices. The course schedule contains class schedules, as well as important pre-registration and registration information.

Adding and/or Dropping a Course

Graduate students who find it necessary to change their schedule by adding or dropping courses (without receiving a grade of “WS” or “WU”) must do so by obtaining and completing a Drop/Add form from the Office of the Registrar. This form must be returned to the registrar during the drop/add period as set in the Academic Calendar.

Withdrawing from a Course

From the conclusion of the drop/add period through the final date to withdraw from a course, changes in schedule constitute a withdrawal. The instructor or dean, representatives from the offices of financial aid, bursar and registrar must approve withdrawals on the appropriate form. A student who officially withdraws from a course will, at the discretion of the instructor, receive a grade of “WS” or “WU.”

A student who stops attending class or leaves the College without following the official procedures for withdrawal from a course or resignation from the College is subject to a grade of “F” posted on his/her record for each course in question, and may be denied re-entry to the College.

In certain clinical programs, there are significant penalties for accruing an unacceptable number of “WU” grades. See specific school/program policy sections for details. Failure to complete courses may also have a significant impact on a student’s financial aid status. See Financial Aid section of this Catalog for details 

Graduate students should note that any change of academic schedule is not official until it is filed in the Office of the Registrar. The date the change is received by the registrar will be the official date for the change. Graduate students should refer to the Academic Calendar for the final day to withdraw from a course.

 

Resignation from the College

Withdrawal or discontinuation of all courses in which the graduate student is enrolled requires that a student resign from the College. To resign officially from the College, a student must obtain a Student Resignation form, which must be completed by the graduate student and signed by the designated officials of the College. A graduate student who discontinues classes or leaves the college without following the official procedures is subject to receiving a grade of "F" posted on his/her OLOL College record for each course in question and may be denied re-entry to the College. Students should refer to the Academic Calendar for the final day to resign from the College. The date the completed form is received in the Office of the Registrar will be the official date for the change.

Application for readmission is required when a student who has resigned from OLOL College desires to re-enter the College. See Re-admission in the Admission section of the Catalog.

Obligations to the College

A student who has not met all obligations to the College, which include but are not limited to financial obligations, receipt of official transcripts, and immunization records, may be dropped from all courses; may not be allowed to register for courses in subsequent academic semesters or sessions; may not be allowed to receive a degree from the College or participate in commencement until all of the obligations are met. Requests for Our Lady of the Lake College transcripts will not be honored.
 

Graduate Program Enrollment Standards

The minimum enrollment for the term will vary depending on the program. Full-time enrollment for the fall and spring semesters is nine credit hours. Full-time enrollment for the summer term is six credit hours.

Credit Hour Formula

Our Lady of the Lake College graduate courses are allocated credit hours based on the following formula:

One theory hour per week	x	15 weeks	=	1 credit hour
MSN clinicals/lab practicum hours per week	=	45 contacts hours	=	1 credit hour
PA Clinical Practicum	=	90 contact hours	=	1 credit hour
Nurse Anesthesia Clinical Program	=	120 contact hours	=	1 credit hour

 

Graduate Grading System

Graduate degree credit is not granted for the grades of D, F, I, WA, WU, WS or AU. All grades are translated into the following quality points:

Grade		Meaning		Quality Points Per Credit Hour
A				4
B				3
C				2
D				1
F		Failure		0
P		Passing*		Not computed
I		Incomplete**		Not initially computed
WA		Administrative Withdrawal		Not computed
WS		Withdrawal from course – satisfactory progress		Not computed
WU		Withdrawal from course – unsatisfactory progress		Not computed
AU		Audit (no credit)		Not computed

Notes:           * Grade has no effect on the GPA; credit is awarded.

                        **See Incomplete Grades Policy

 

Incomplete Grades

1.    An incomplete or "I" grade may be submitted at the end of the semester for a course in which a student can achieve satisfactory progress but, because of circumstances beyond his/her control, he/she has failed to complete the course requirements on or before the last day to submit final grades for the semester. In such cases, the student must have at least a grade of "C" in the course and 80% attendance (excused or unexcused) up to the deadline for course withdrawal. Students who are not able to attend classes before this deadline are not eligible for "I" grades and must withdraw or resign from the course.

2.    The instructor or the student may initiate the request for an "I" grade. The instructor or student must contact the Office of the Registrar to obtain a Request for an "I" Grade form. The form must be completed and signed by the student, and approved and signed by the instructor.

3.    The form will contain the graduate student's reasons for requesting an "I," the instructor's explicit outline for resolving the "I," and the deadline by which the "I" grade must be resolved.

4.    The form must then be approved, by signature, by the dean or director of the academic program in which the graduate student is enrolled. Finally, the form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

An "I" grade that has not been resolved by the first day of class of the next semester (including summer and whether or not the graduate student intends to enroll) will be changed automatically to an "F.”

5.    When the "I" grade has been resolved, the instructor will notify the Office of the Registrar by submitting a Change of Grade form to make the necessary grade change.

In extraordinary cases, the appropriate school dean may authorize an extension of time for resolving the grade. Such authorization must be approved by signature, on the Request for an "I" Grade form. 

When the "I" grade has been resolved, the instructor will notify the Office of the Registrar to make the necessary grade change. 

Grade Change Policy

If an instructor finds that it is necessary to change a graduate student's grade, the grade change must be made on or before the first day of class of the next semester (including summer). Grades cannot be changed after this date. In the case of extraordinary circumstances, the instructor may submit to the Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs a written deadline extension request.
 

Student Grade Appeal Policy

Each school and program has specific grade appeal procedures. Final decisions on grade appeals will be made at the school level and by the appropriate dean. A dean’s decision regarding a grade appeal is final and may not be appealed further.

Grades and Reports

The College does not mail grade reports at mid term or at the end of the semester. Instead, students access their grades through WebServices. Access to WebServices is found at www.ololcollege.edu; under “Current Students,” WebServices is listed. The link for WebServices prompts users to enter a username and password.

 

Final Grades

At the end of each semester, the program faculty member responsible for the course will report final grades for all graduate students enrolled in the course.

 

Academic Dismissal

Academic dismissal from the College designates a status in which the graduate student is ineligible to continue enrollment in the College. A graduate student who has been academically dismissed from a graduate program is ineligible to continue in graduate courses and may not re-apply. Academic dismissal will be posted on the graduate student's academic record.

Dismissal for Non-Academic Reasons:

Students who commit any of the following acts may be dismissed from the College, according to the procedure for disciplinary dismissal:

·        academic dishonesty

·        plagiarism

·        falsification of information given on official school documents

·        falsification of records regarding patient care

·        unauthorized possession of an examination

·        illegal possession, use, sale or distribution of drugs

·        illegal possession of weapons

·        theft

·        commitment of any act which would result in ineligibility for licensure or certification

·        participation in cheating or lying in reference to clinical or classroom assignments

·        chemical impairment in the school/clinical setting

·        conduct which is inappropriate for either clinical or classroom environments (e.g., abusive language, threats, assault and battery, disruptive talking)

This list is not meant to be all-inclusive, but serves to identify examples of behaviors that warrant disciplinary dismissal. See Student Handbook for due process for misconduct.

Appeal Rights for Dismissals for Non-Academic Reasons

Program dismissal appeals for dismissals not due to a course grade or overall GPA will be heard by an appeals committee convened by the Office of Academic and Student Affairs. This appeal recourse is available only to students dismissed from programs for student misconduct reasons (that is, reasons exclusive of those related to grades or GPA deficits). Students must initiate this process via a letter to the Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, clearly stating the reason for the dismissal, within two weeks of the dismissal notice.
 

Repeating Courses

When a student repeats a course at Our Lady of the Lake College, all grades for that course will be used in computing the grade point average. All repeated course work must be taken at Our Lady of the Lake College.

 

Auditing Courses

A graduate student who is enrolled in a graduate program may audit a course. However, he/she must obtain written consent of the appropriate dean/program director. The grade awarded for a class taken on an audit basis is “AU.” No credit or quality points are earned and the graduate student will not be permitted to take advanced-standing examinations on such work without permission of the dean of the appropriate school. Graduate students may not audit the same course more than once. Courses previously audited may be taken later for credit. Tuition and fees for auditing a course are the same as for regular enrollment.

A graduate student who initially enrolls for a class on an audit basis may change to credit if it is admissible to the College and applicable programs, and with permission of the instructor of the course and the student's academic advisor. Students may register to take courses on an audit basis, change from audit to credit (add) or credit to audit (drop) through the drop/add period as published in the Academic Calendar.

Students who are auditing may utilize the College Library, receive course handouts and, at the discretion of the instructor, may participate in class discussion and testing, and may be allowed to observe and participate in the laboratory setting, but may not participate in the clinical component of a course. Students who are auditing are required to follow all policies of Our Lady of the Lake College.

Graduation Requirements for Graduate Program

In addition to individual graduate program requirements, to earn a degree from the College, the following requirements must be met:

1. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in graduate courses.
2. A maximum of six credit hours of "C" grades applied to the degree completion requirements.
3. Clearance of all indebtedness to the College including the return of all Library materials borrowed.
4. Submission of an Intent to Graduate form to the Office of the Registrar by the appropriate deadline.
5. Formal Board of Trustees approval for graduation.

 

Intent to Graduate

The deadline for submitting Intent to Graduate forms is three weeks prior to the last day of class in the semester proceeding the semester in which the graduate student plans to graduate (see Academic Calendar). It is strongly recommended that Intent to Graduate forms be submitted early in order to identify any issues prior to the pre-registration period of the candidate's final semester. Intent to Graduate forms are available in the Office of the Registrar or on the college Web site.

Graduation Exercises

Graduation exercises are held twice a year at the close of the fall and spring semesters. Students must have completed all graduation requirements in order to participate in graduation exercises. Students completing requirements at the end of summer participate in fall graduation exercises.