Hobart and William Smith Colleges

For more information about policies and procedures, visit the Office of the Registrar.

The faculty of Hobart and William Smith Colleges has oversight of the curriculum and the classroom experience, and insists that students undertake all academic exercises with the utmost honesty and integrity. This principle of academic integrity lies at the heart of our learning community and forms the foundation for everyone's academic efforts.

Starting with adherence to the principle of academic integrity, the individual student bears responsibility for his or her own education and must undertake all academic work with complete honesty and integrity. As well, each student must do his or her best to assure that this principle extends to all others in the community. Categories of academic work covered by the principle of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Examinations: Giving or receiving assistance during an in-class or take-home examination, quiz, or any other academic exercise, except as specifically authorized by an individual course instructor, violates this principle.
• Papers:The presentation or reproduction of ideas, words, or statements of another person as one's own, without due acknowledgment, is considered plagiarism and violates this principle.
• Library Use: Failure to sign for materials taken from the library, destruction or theft of any library materials, and similar abuses of library privileges infringe upon the rights of other students to fair and equal access and violate this principle.
• Reports and Laboratory Exercises: Giving or receiving unauthorized assistance and the fabrication of data or research results violate this principle.
• Computer Use: Any deliberate attempt to prevent other users' access to computer services, deprive them of resources, or degrade system performance violates this principle. The use of programs or files of another computer user or the use of another person's account number or password without permission also violates this principle. Failure to attribute the source for any information or writing derived from any computer source (database, website, internet, etc.) and incorporated in any academic work submitted is also a violation.
• Advising and Registration Forms: Forging an adviser's signature or altering any signed document will result in the student's de-registration. The student will not be allowed to re-register until the adviser has approved any changes. Any student suspected of forgery of any faculty or administrator signature may face disciplinary action by the student's dean or the Committee on Standards, a faculty, student, and administrative committee charged with enforcing the academic and behavioral expectations of the Colleges' community (for more information about the Committee on Standards, please review the Disciplinary Process section, Hearing Bodies of the Community Standards).

Academic dishonesty is determined in every case by the evidence presented and not by intent. Questions of intent and circumstances under which an infraction occurred may be considered in determining a sanction. For more information on plagiarism, please see "Plagiarism Defined" at the end of this chapter.

Course Load Policy

The normal course load for Hobart and William Smith students is eight full-credit courses in an academic year, evenly distributed across the two semesters. Students in good academic standing may take three, four or five courses in any particular semester. Enrollment for a fifth course must occur during the drop-add period (first week of classes) and be processed on PeopleSoft Student Self-Service. Students should be aware that 32 total credits are required for graduation, and therefore an average course load of less than four courses in any semester may lengthen the time required to complete the degree requirements and to graduate. Students who have fallen behind in credits must submit to their dean an academic recovery plan that they have created in consultation with, and approval by, their academic adviser.

Good academic standing will be defined as maintenance of a minimum GPA of 2.0 (C), while accruing seven courses passed in the First Year, 15 by the end of the Sophomore Year, 23 by the end of the Junior Year, and 32 by the end of the Senior Year.

Course withdrawals carry no penalty but do not diminish the minimum requirements for the degree. Tuition remains the same if a student takes three, four, or five full credit courses in a semester. Additional tuition will be charged for more than five full credit courses.

Credit Hour and Out of Class Supplementary Work

Hobart and William Smith Colleges are on a course unit system. Students are required to successfully complete 32 full credit units for a degree. Each full credit course carries 1.00 unit and is equivalent to 4 semester hours.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges comply with the New York State definition of semester hours. (See: http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/core-regs-task3.docx) The expectation of the Provost and Dean of Faculty is that for every hour of in-class instruction, students spend an average of 2-3 hours outside of class working on supplementary assignments. At HWS, that means that one course requires at least 45 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 90 hours of supplemental assignments.

Full-Credit Requirement

A minimum of 30 of the required 32 courses presented in satisfaction of the Colleges’ graduation requirement must be full- credit courses. At least 28 of these courses must be passed with a grade of C- or higher. No more than four half-credit courses can be counted towards the 32 courses.

Course Audit Policy

Matriculated HWS students and current faculty/staff who wish to audit a class:

• Must obtain approval from the instructor offering the class.
  
  • This approval must be granted either using the Course Audit Registration Form or an email from the instructor to the Registrar's Office.
• Can only officially register to audit a course during the add/drop period of the semester. In addition:
  
  • There is no additional tuition for matriculated students or current faculty/staff who register for a course for audit.
  • Audited classes carry no credit and do not apply toward graduation requirements, or enrollment status.
  • Matriculated students and faculty/staff auditing a course are not expected to submit any work for the course unless the instructor requires it as part of the auditing arrangement.
  • The instructor of an audited course is not expected to grade any work from an auditing student, nor track an auditing student's participation or attendance.
  • Auditors cannot change a course from an audit to a graded course (including CR/DCR/NC) at any time during the semester they are auditing the course.
  • The instructor of record reserves the right to de-register an auditor at any time.
  • Matriculated students can only audit one class in a given semester and no more than four course audits during their undergraduate career; there are not limits to the number of courses a faculty/staff member can audit.
  • A notation of "AUD" will appear on auditors' transcripts for audited courses.

NON-Matriculated HWS students who wish to audit a class:

• Must obtain approval from the instructor offering the class.
  
  • This approval must be granted either using the Course Audit Registration Form or an email from the instructor to the Registrar's Office.
• Can only register to audit a course during the add/drop period of the semester. In addition:
  
  • Audited classes carry no credit and do not apply toward graduation requirements, or enrollment status.
  • Auditors cannot change a course from an audit to a graded course (including CR/DCR/NC) at any time during the semester they are auditing the course.
  • The instructor of record reserves the right to de-register an auditor at any time.
  • Non-matriculated students auditing a course are not expected to submit any work for the course unless the instructor requires it as part of the auditing arrangement.
  • The instructor of an audited course is not expected to grade any work from an auditing student, nor track an auditing student's participation or attendance.
  • A notation of "AUD" will appear on auditors' transcripts for audited courses.

Incompletes

The incomplete, or "I", is a temporary grade indicating that a student has been granted permission by the instructor or the dean to complete work for a course after the end of the semester without penalty. A request for an incomplete must be supported with a credible account of the student's problem and with documents (a note from a physician, for example) wherever appropriate. An instructor may grant an incomplete for any part of the semester's work except the final examination; only a dean can excuse a student from a final examination.

It is understood by both the student and faculty member that when an incomplete is granted, the student is responsible for submission of work and the faculty member is responsible for submission of the final grade by the deadlines listed below. When a faculty member includes an "I" grade on the grade roster they will also be required to submit the "current" letter grade for the course, calculated including all incomplete work for the course, along with comments indicating what work is incomplete. The student's transcript will show an "I" for the course either until they complete the remaining work or until the deadline for incompletes passes. Once the completed work has been graded by the faculty member a final grade will be indicated on the transcript. If the deadline passes without an updated grade, the transcript will reflect the "current" letter grade submitted at the time of the incomplete. For fall semester incompletes, it is required that all outstanding student work be completed and submitted by the fourth week of spring semester and the final grade submitted by the faculty member to the registrar by the end of the sixth week. For spring semester incompletes, it is required that all outstanding student work be completed and submitted by the end of the fall semester drop/add period and the final grade submitted by the faculty member to the registrar by the end of the second week. In the event the student does not complete the outstanding work for the incomplete, the student's grade earned in the course will be determined by the professor, and will include zero credit for any assignments that were not completed (e.g. if the missed assignment is worth 20% of the final grade, the student would receive a zero for that assignment, and the final grade would include that zero score).

An extension in time to complete the work may be granted if a petition is submitted to the appropriate dean's office on or before the deadline. An accepted petition is an agreement between the student and faculty member that the work will be completed and graded by a specific time, and allows the grade to be changed from "I" to the grade earned. Any student who takes more than two incompletes over three consecutive semesters is reviewed by the Committee on Standards.

Course Withdrawals

There are two kinds of course withdrawals. The voluntary course withdrawal (see "a" below) and the authorized course withdrawal (see "b" below). The authorized course withdrawal is available to students only under exceptional circumstances beyond their control. All requests for retroactively withdrawing from a course, petitions for retroactive grade changes, or petitions for a retroactive change of grade status must be made within one calendar year from the last day of the semester of the course in question.

a.) Voluntary Course Withdrawal. A voluntary course withdrawal may be performed by a student at any time up to and including the last day of classes of the semester in which the student is enrolled in the course. However, Spring semester Seniors will only have until the end of the 11th week of classes to withdraw from a course so that graduation requirements can be finalized. Students will be allowed to take four (full credit) voluntary course withdrawals provided that the action would not reduce the student's net course count below -2. For a voluntary course withdrawal not allowed by the above process, the student must petition the Committee on Standards. Students will be required to obtain a signature from the Office of Financial Aid prior to any other signatures on the course withdrawal form to ensure that there are no unanticipated financial aid consequences. A course withdrawal from the Maymester or Summer Session will not count as a voluntary withdrawal or toward the total number of voluntary withdrawals. If the voluntary course withdrawal is in order, it is communicated immediately to the student's adviser and instructor. Students may not use a voluntary course withdrawal if they stand accused of a violation of the principle of academic integrity or if they have been found responsible for such a violation.

b.) Authorized Course Withdrawal. With the exception of the four voluntary course withdrawals described above, withdrawal from any course after the first five days of class, and prior to the due date for the semester's grades is granted only for serious and compelling reasons beyond the student's control. A student seeking to withdraw under such circumstances must petition the Committee on Standards (COS). COS makes its decision based on input from the student (rationale), input from the course instructor, and documentation of any extenuating circumstances, as appropriate, e.g., input from a health care provider. Approved withdrawals are communicated immediately to the student's adviser and instructor.

Course withdrawals under this policy, either voluntary or authorized, carry no penalty, do not diminish the minimum requirements for the degree, and do not reduce tuition charged for that semester.

We do not offer an unauthorized withdrawal. Students remain enrolled in and will receive a grade for any class which appears in their registration.

Students who register for a course and fail to attend for the remainder of the semester (without properly dropping or withdrawing from the course) may be issued a grade of ‘F' for non-attendance.

Grades

Students' transcripts include a record of each course taken at the Colleges.

For the purpose of calculating grade point averages, the following designates the numerical values of various grades: A+= 4.3; A = 4.0; A- = 3.7; B+ = 3.3; B = 3.0; B- = 2.7; C+ = 2.3; C=2.0; C- 1.7; D+ = 1.3; D = 1.0; D- = .7; F=0. Courses taken "CR/DCR/NC" are not calculated in the GPA. For the purpose of review, a grade of CR indicates course work was C- or better. A grade of DCR indicates course work sufficient for credit for the degree, but lower than a C-. A grade of NC indicates work lower than a D- and is not sufficient for credit towards the degree.

Change of Grading Option

Students entering HWS Fall 2018 or later:
ALL courses are to be offered as GRADED ONLY with the exception of those approved by the Committee on Academic Affairs (CoAA) to be offered as CREDIT/D-CREDIT/NO CREDIT ONLY.A full credit course may only be changed to a CR/NCR/DCR grading option after the course is completed and the instructor has submitted a final letter grade to the Registrar. Students may change from a letter grade to a CR/DCR/NCR grade anytime between when their letter grade is posted until two weeks after the deadline for Incomplete grade submissions. For courses taken in the Fall semester, students would have until the eighth week of the Spring semester to make a change. For courses taken in the Spring semester, students would have until the end of the fourth week of the Fall semester to make a change. Seniors in their final semester will be able to change their grading option up until the end of the eleventh week of the same semester they are taking the course.

A student may change a full credit course from a letter-graded option to a CR/DCR/NC graded option by submitting a form, approved by the student's adviser, to the Registrar under the timelines mentioned above. However, students may not change a full credit course from a letter-graded option to a CR/DCR/NC graded option if they stand accused of a violation of the principle of academic integrity or if they have been found responsible for such a violation. Students also may not change a course they are repeating to a CR/DCR/NC grading option, unless that course is designated as a Topics course and they are taking a different topic than the one they were previously enrolled in.

Changing a full credit course from letter-graded option to CR/DCR/NC graded option is not reversible. Once the action has been taken, the change is final and no petitions to the Committee on Standards will be allowed, unless a student is petitioning to use the course toward a major and/or minor. The Change of Grading Option policy limits the CR/DCR/NC and D grades to four total.

Students entering HWS prior to Fall 2018:
Students may choose between a letter-grade and a "CR/DCR/NC" grading option in many of the courses taken. This choice is indicated at the time of registration for the course but may be changed with the signed approval of the adviser at any point prior to the end of the 11th week of the semester. The appropriate Change of Grading Option Form must be filed by the student at the registrar's office by the end of the 11th week of the semester.

A student may change a full credit course from a letter-graded option to a CR/DCR/NC graded option by submitting a form, approved by the student's adviser, to the Registrar under the timelines mentioned above. However, students may not change a full credit course from a letter-graded option to a CR/DCR/NC graded option if they stand accused of a violation of the principle of academic integrity or if they have been found responsible for such a violation.

Changing a full credit course from letter-graded option to CR/DCR/NC graded option is not reversible. Once the action has been taken, the change is final and no petitions to the Committee on Standards will be allowed, unless a student is petitioning to use the course toward a major and/or minor. No more than four grades above F but below C- (D+, D, D-, or DCR) may be counted toward the 32 semester equivalent courses toward the degree.

*For the 2020-2021 academic year, students who entered HWS prior to Fall 2018 may instead follow the policies on Change of Grade Option for students who entered HWS after Fall 2018, as described above.

Grade Appeals
The assignment of grades remains in all cases the final responsibility and prerogative of the instructor, subject only to the Colleges' policies on authorized withdrawals and changes of grade, as described above. Disagreement with or disappointment in an instructor's evaluation of his or her work may not be considered grounds for a student's request for reconsideration of a grade. A student may petition that the grade awarded in a course be reconsidered, if the student believes that (1) a computational error exists, (2) that the instructor has not arrived at the grade in a way consistent with the evaluation of other students' work, or (3) that the instructor has deviated from the stated grading policy for the examination or course. The appeal procedure is as follows:

• A student considering such an action must first consult with his or her dean. The dean will consult with the instructor and attempt to assist in resolving the student's concern. Normally, this involves a review/reconstruction of how the student's final grade for the course was determined by the course instructor. If the dean is unable to resolve the difficulty directly with the instructor, the dean will consult the department chair or program coordinator, who will enter into dialogue with the instructor.
• In the event that the dean is unsuccessful in resolving the student's concern, that student may submit his or her request to the chair of the Committee on Standards. The chair will determine if there are grounds for a referral to the Committee for a grade appeal hearing. In the event of a grade appeal hearing, the Committee may, at its discretion and after consultation with the student's dean, instructor, and adviser, ask the instructor formally to reconsider his or her computation of the grade if it feels that adequate grounds for reconsideration may exist. If the instructor agrees to reconsideration or the Committee is convinced that the instructor has adequately met the student's concerns, the matter ends there. If the instructor declines such reconsideration, the Committee may, at its discretion, forward a formal report of the case to the dean of faculty for the dean's information.
• If the instructor does not respond to a request for information within one month or, when a case arises at the end of the semester, until the end of the fourth week of the following semester, the chairperson of the department or program can consult with the student's dean and work with the Provost to evaluate the student's work and consider revising the grade. All decisions by the Provost are final.

Grade Changes
No student is permitted to submit any academic work, examination, or revision of previously submitted work with the intent of affecting a grade change after a final grade has been entered by the instructor with the Registrar's Office. An instructor may change a grade only when a computational error exists. Such changes must be submitted to the Dean's Office for approval. Subsequent to the submission of a final grade, a grade may be changed in only two ways, both of which require appropriate documentation: (1) to an alternative grade, by an instructor and with the approval of the student's dean, when a computational error has been made; or (2) to a retroactive authorized withdrawal, in very extraordinary circumstances, by the Committee on Standards, acting in consultation with the student's instructor, adviser, and dean. Approved retroactive authorized withdrawals will be communicated immediately to the student's adviser and instructor. (Forms for the retroactive authorized withdrawals are available in the Deans offices.) All requests for retroactively withdrawing from a course, petitions for retroactive grade changes, or petitions for a retroactive change of grade status must be made within a calendar year from the last day of the semester of the course in question.

How to Calculate GPA

• Quality Points = Points that are awarded based upon grade received times the credit that each course is worth.
• Graded Course Credit = Graded course credit counted toward the GPA.
• Grade Point Average (GPA) = Total Quality Points divided by total Graded Course Credits.

Academic Standing and Progress to the Degree
Students are expected to make normal, or satisfactory, progress toward the degree. Any student whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 2.0 (C) at any point, or whose semester average falls below 1.0, or whose course count (CC) falls below the benchmark for their entering class (four courses per semester times the number of semesters the class has been enrolled), will come up for review by the Committee on Standards, with the following likely outcomes of their review:

• Academic Warning is the likely outcome when a student's semester average falls below 2.000, but above 1.000.
• Academic Probation is the likely outcome of a first review when a student's cumulative grade point average is lower than 2.0. Students placed on academic probation are expected to be in good standing (2.0 GPA) within two semesters.
• Continued Academic Probation is the likely outcome of a review when a student previously on academic probation has been successful in removing part of the deficiency, but not the entire deficiency. Students on continued academic probation are expected to be in good standing (2.0 GPA) by the end of their next semester. Suspended" Academic is the likely outcome of a review when a student earns less than a 2.0 term average while on academic probation or continued academic probation. A student may also be suspended for academic reasons when he or she fails to gain good standing (2.0 GPA) after being on continued academic probation, or if he or she has earned less than 1.0 for the semester, regardless of the student's cumulative average.
• Dismissal is the likely outcome of a second academic suspension, either for academic deficiency or social conduct or a combination of the two. Any student dismissed from the Colleges loses his or her standing as a matriculated student and may not receive a Hobart or William Smith degree.
• A student who fails a First-Year Seminar, or an approved substitute, for a second time, is reviewed by COS, with the likely outcome that the student will be permanently separated from the Colleges.

Transcript Notation Policy for Crimes of Violence

Pursuant to New York State Education Law, Article 129-B § 6444.6, if a student is found responsible through HWS' conduct process for crime(s) of violence, including, but not limited to sexual violence, defined as crimes that meet the reporting requirements pursuant to the federal Clery Act (20 U.S.C. § 1092(f)(1)(F)(i)(I)-(VIII) ("Clery crimes of violence"), the Vice President for Campus Life and/or their designee will direct that a notation be placed on the student's transcript.

Where the sanction is a suspension, the following notation will be used: "SUSPENDED AFTER A FINDING OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CODE OF CONDUCT VIOLATION."

Where the sanction is expulsion, the following notation will be used: "EXPELLED AFTER A FINDING OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CODE OF CONDUCT VIOLATION."

If a student respondent withdraws from HWS while such HWS conduct charges are pending for allegation(s) related to Clery crimes of violence, and the student declines to complete the student conduct process, the Vice President for Campus Life and/or their designee will direct that the following notation be placed on the student's transcript: "WITHDREW WITH CONDUCT CHARGES PENDING."

Students who withdraw from HWS and decline to complete the student conduct process forfeit any right to resume the conduct proceedings at any point in the future.

Conduct charges are considered "pending" once a student is informed in writing that there are allegations that the student may have violated HWS's Code of Conduct.

Further Appeals

A student whose transcript states "SUSPENDED AFTER A FINDING OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CODE OF CONDUCT VIOLATION" may appeal, in writing, to the Vice President for Campus Life to have the notation removed. Appeals may be granted if:

• One year has passed since the conclusion of the suspension;
• The student has completed the term of suspension and any conditions thereof; and
• The Vice President for Campus Life and/or their designee has determined that the student is once again "in good standing" with all applicable HWS academic and non-academic standards.
• A student whose transcript states "EXPELLED AFTER A FINDING OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CODE OF CONDUCT VIOLATION" or "WITHDREW WITH CONDUCT CHARGES PENDING" is ineligible to appeal to have the notation removed. Students who were expelled or withdrew with such notifications on their transcripts will leave HWS with the status "not in good standing" and will be ineligible for readmission to HWS, absent any vacating of a finding of responsibility.
• If a finding of responsibility is vacated for any reason, any such transcript notation shall be removed.

Leaves of Absence

Leaves of absence may be granted for personal growth or to participate in academic programs not sponsored by Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Approval of the student's dean is required. The Colleges are not obliged to accept toward the degree coursework for which prior tentative approval had not been procured.

Senior Standing

All students must have passed at least 22 courses to enter their senior year.

Academic Residency Restrictions

All requirements for the degree must be completed by the end of the student's 10th semester in residence. If requirements are not completed at that point, the Committee on Standards will review the student, with permanent separation the likely outcome.

Transfer and Course Credit for Non-HWS Learning Experiences

There are three types of credit granted for non-HWS learning experiences: credit by exam, transfer credit, and dual enrollment. First-year HWS students who are not transfer students are allowed to receive up to seven full credits for non-HWS learning experiences completed prior to beginning at HWS, including all transfer credit, credit by exam, and dual enrollment courses. Students may additionally receive transfer credit for courses taken at another institution after they have started their program at HWS, for a total of sixteen transfer credits all together. All current HWS students should obtain required departmental and faculty approvals prior to registering for non-HWS courses using the Transfer Credit Request form. Students who transfer to HWS from another school may be granted a total of sixteen credits for prior non-HWS learning experiences (transfer, credit by exam, and dual enrollment) that meet all criteria. No student will receive more than a total of sixteen credits for non-HWS learning experiences. There are additional specific limits to the numbers of credits that can be earned for each type (described below).

The courses and exams for which credit is granted must be distinct from the courses taken at HWS. That is, credit will not be granted for a learning experience that is substantively the same as a course taken while at HWS. Credit previously granted may be removed should a student subsequently take a similar course. Discretion to exclude credit on this basis belongs to the department chair.

Transfer Credits

Transfer credit may be granted for college-level courses completed at another institution prior to beginning study at HWS. Transfer students may be granted up to sixteen credits for work completed at another institution. Entering first-year students may be granted up to seven credits for courses taken elsewhere. Transfer credit may also be granted for college-level courses completed after an HWS student has begun their study at HWS. Please note that once a student is matriculated, approval from a dean and any relevant faculty department/program chairs and/or advisors must be obtained (in writing) in advance of the transfer courses being taken. To make this request, students may use the Transfer Credit Request form.

Transferred courses fulfill general elective requirements and may be counted toward the thirty-two credits required for the degree. These credits may additionally be used to satisfy major and minor requirements, but only with the expressed approval of the individual department or program. The use of transfer credits to satisfy prerequisite requirements for other parts of the curriculum, or to satisfy any of the eight goals, also requires approval by the individual departments or programs.

Courses taken at another institution through an approved HWS program, such as Global Education, are not considered transfer credits and do not require transfer approval for general credit. However, they may require departmental approval to be used to address a major or minor requirement.

Transfer credit is granted only after receipt of an official transcript from the other institution, and only courses passed with a grade of C- (1.7) or better are accepted. When transfer credit is awarded, grades for the courses do not appear on the HWS transcript and are not calculated as part of a student’s grade point average (GPA).

Please note these additional restrictions on the awarding of transfer credit:

• Courses must be taken at a regionally accredited institution and must be considered by the faculty at Hobart and William Smith to be in the liberal arts and have substantial overlap in course content with what is currently taught at HWS.
• Only letter-graded courses may be transferred. Courses taken pass/fail or credit/no credit are ineligible for transfer.
• Only courses of three or more credit hours are eligible for transfer credit. There can be no partial transfer credit or "bundling" of partial credits or credit hours toward a full credit transfer course.
• To receive transfer credit for courses taken outside the U.S. a student must submit a course-by-course evaluation by an evaluation service that is a member of either the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) or the Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE).
• HWS does not accept credit for NOLS or Semester at Sea.
• EMT courses are not generally accepted. However, if an EMT course has substantial academic content (e.g., the EMT course taken at Finger Lakes Community College), a student may submit a syllabus along with their transcript for review by the Chair of the Health Professions department.

Credit by Exam

HWS recognizes established credit by examination programs and grants general elective credits for up to seven credits for incoming first-year students as outlined below. These credits may additionally be used to satisfy major and minor requirements, but only with the expressed approval of the individual department or program. The use of credit by exam credits to satisfy prerequisite requirements for other parts of the curriculum also requires approval by the individual departments or programs. Credit by exam courses may not be used to satisfy any of the eight aspirational goals required by the curriculum. Students must request that their scores be sent from the institution administering the exams directly to the Colleges; scores cannot be taken from the student’s High School transcript or personal copy.

Advanced Placement (AP). Admitted students who have earned a score of four or five on an Advanced Placement test may receive general elective course credit toward graduation in accordance with published guidelines of The College Board. Additionally, some AP exams are considered equivalent to HWS courses and may be used toward major or minor requirements and prerequisites in the same manner as the equivalent HWS course. See the table below. Generally, each exam with a score of four or five represents a semester of work and will count for one course credit. Examinations that cover a full year’s work allow a student to earn two credits.

Exam Name	# of Course Credits	Equivalent HWS Course(s)
AP 2-D Art and Design	2	At discretion of Department
AP 3-D Art and Design	2	At discretion of Department
AP Art History	2	At discretion of Department
AP Biology	2	BIOL 167 with score of 5, General Elective for a score of 4
AP Calculus AB	1	Math 130
AP Calculus BC	2	Math 131
AP Chemistry	2	General Elective
AP Chinese History and Culture	1	General Elective
AP Comparative Government & Politics	1	General Elective
AP Computer Science A	1	General Elective
AP Computer Science Principles	2	General Elective
AP Drawing	2	At discretion of Department
AP English Language and Composition	2	General Elective
AP English Literature and Composition	2	General Elective
AP Environmental Science	1	General Elective
AP European History	2	General Elective
AP French Language and Culture	2	General Elective
AP German Language and Culture	2	General Elective
AP Human Geography	1	General Elective
AP Italian Language & Culture	1	General Elective
AP Japanese Language & Culture	1	General Elective
AP Latin	2	General Elective
AP Macroeconomics	1	General Elective
AP Microeconomics	1	General Elective
AP Music Theory	2	General Elective
AP Physics 1	2	At discretion of Department
AP Physics 2	2	At discretion of Department
AP Physics 3	2	At discretion of Department
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism	1	At discretion of Department
AP Physics C: Mechanics	1	At discretion of Department
AP Psychology	1	Psychology 100
AP Spanish Language and Culture	2	General Elective
AP Spanish Literature and Culture	2	General Elective
AP Statistics	1	General Elective
AP United States Gov and Politics	1	General Elective
AP United States History	2	General Elective
AP World History: Modern	2	General Elective

 

College Level Examination Program (CLEP). The Colleges participate in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of The College Board. CLEP is a credit by examination program which provides students with the opportunity to earn course credits by taking CLEP exams in a variety of fields corresponding to the HWS curriculum. The HWS credit-granting score is 50 or higher on a CLEP exam, as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE). Students are allowed a maximum of four CLEP course credits.

International Baccalaureate (IB). Hobart and William Smith Colleges recognize academic work taken toward the International Baccalaureate program and grants credit for specific performance levels on the exams for higher-level (HL) courses. The amount of credit is determined after an official copy of results has been received by the Dean's Office. Guidelines for the granting of credit are comparable to those for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, with scores of 5, 6, or 7 on HL exams generally receiving credit.

The Regents College Examination Program (RCE). The Colleges participate in the Regents College Examination Program which is administered by the State University of New York, State Education Department. RCE is a credit by examination program which provides students with the opportunity to earn course credits by taking exams in a variety of fields corresponding to the Colleges' curriculum. The Colleges' credit-granting scores/grades on RCE exams are as follows: for a numerical standard score, 53 or higher; for a letter grade, A or B only. The Colleges do not award course credit for RCE exams taken for a Pass/Fail grade. Students are allowed a maximum of four RCE course credits.

It is the obligation of the student to apply for the examination to the Regents College Examination Program, New York State Education Department, Albany NY, 12224.

General Certificate of Secondary Education Advanced Level (GCSE A-Level). Hobart and William Smith Colleges award two credits for each A-level exam passed at the grade of C or higher. An official copy of the results must be sent to the Colleges’ Office of the Registrar.

Dual Enrollment

Dual enrollment (DE) credit is defined as college credit earned during a student’s high school experience prior to high school graduation. Examples of dual enrollment courses are those taken through the Gemini Program of the Geneva City School District and the Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) program. Students may request credit for up to seven dual-enrollment courses toward the thirty-two credits required of the degree. DE course credits may additionally be used to satisfy major and minor requirements, but only with the expressed approval of the individual department or program. The use of DE credits to satisfy prerequisite requirements for other parts of the curriculum also requires approval by the individual departments or programs. DE course credits may not be used to satisfy any of the eight aspirational goals required for the degree.

Students may submit any dual enrollment course for review for transfer credit. Once approved for general elective credit, and possibly credit toward a major or minor, the individual course is recorded on the Dual Enrollment List of Pre-Approved Courses (below). Courses on this list may be used by subsequent students without further review. Courses not on this list can also be submitted for review.

Dual Enrollment List of Pre-Approved Courses

Finger Lakes Community College

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
CHM 121	General Chemistry I	3	CHEM 110
CHM 122	General Chemistry II	3	CHEM 120
HIS 110	Early United States History	3	General Credit
HIS 111	Modern United States History	3	General Credit
ENG 101	Composition I	3	General Credit
ENG 102	Introduction to Reading Literature	3	General Credit
PHY 118	College Physics I	4	PHYS 140
PHY 119	College Physics II	4	General Credit
MATH 271	Calculus I	4	MATH 130

 

Mohawk Valley Community College

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit	Major/Minor
HI 111	Am History 14932-1850	3	General Credit
HI 112	Am History 1850-pres	3	General Credit
FRN 201			General Credit	Concentration in French Minor
FRN 202			General Credit	Concentration in French Minor

 

Syracuse University - SUPA

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
PSY 205	Foundations Human Behavior	3	PSY 100

 

SUNY Schenectady

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
HIS 227	American History To 1877	3	General Credit
POL 123	US Government and Politics	3	POL 110

 

Tompkins Cortland Community College

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
MATH 138	Precalc Math	4	General Credit

 

University at Albany

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
ASPN 200	Intermediate Spanish I	4	SPN 201
ASPN 201	Intermediate Spanish II	4	SPN 201
AFRE 221Y	Intermed French I	4	General Credit
AFRE 222Y	Intermed French II	4	General Credit

 

Dutchess Community College

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
ENG 102	Composition II	3	General Credit

 

SUNY Oneonta

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
GEOL 120			GEO 184

 

Cayuga Community College

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
SPAN 201			SPAN 201
SPAN 202			SPAN 202

 

Framingham State University (MA)

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
ENGL 201	Mythology and Folklore	1	General Credit

 

Clinton Community College

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
MAT 204	College Algebra with Trig II	4	MATH 100
MAT 224	Calculus I	4	MATH 130

 

University of Maine at Augusta

Course No.	Course	Credits at Transfer Institution	HWS Accepted Credit
ENG 101	College Writing	3	General Credit

 

Baccalaureate Candidacy

All students must have submitted to his or her adviser an acceptable Baccalaureate Plan to be admitted to Baccalaureate Candidacy and their senior year. The Baccalaureate Plan records those educational goals and requirements the student has addressed and how the student proposes to meet those not addressed, including plans for completing all majors, minors and goals.

Commencement Exercises

Commencement exercises are held annually at the end of spring semester. Students are recommended for a degree upon completion of requirements pertaining to their class. A student who has a 2.000 GPA and who is within two courses of completing all outstanding degree requirements is allowed to participate in Commencement exercises, once voted "upon completion" by the faculty. By longstanding institutional policy, practice, and consensus, there are NO exceptions to this rule. If a student completes all remaining degree requirements prior to Oct. 1 of the current year, the student will receive his or her degree dated, May of that current year.

Transfer Students

The requirements for the degree described above apply also to transfer students. One year of the three-year residency requirement is waived if a student enters HWS with an appropriate number of approved transfer credits.

Repeatable Courses

Courses may be designated "repeatable" if they are fundamentally creative and/or experiential in nature, such that student performance is cumulative or held to a progressively higher standard of expectation across successive registrations and/or the content of student experience is substantially different with each offering of the course. Repeatable courses are identified as such in this Catalogue, subject to any published limit which may be established by the sponsoring department. Additionally, students may elect to take an Independent Study (450) without limit. Each registration of such courses carries full credit and is calculated independently in a student's grade point average.

Special Topic Courses

Courses designated as "Special Topics" registrations may vary in content by semester or by instructor. Each unique offering is considered an independent course and ordinarily carries a title extension indicating the topic in a given term. Each carries full credit and is calculated independently in a student's grade point average.

Credit Bearing Internships

Students may earn course credit for an internship experience in two ways:

1.) Half Credit Internship - Students may register for a half-credit (.50) internship INT 199. The INT 199 credit- bearing internship course registration allows students to receive half credit for an approved internship. Internships must include a minimum of 120 on-site contact hours, and students must keep a journal of their experience for submission to their faculty adviser. Students may receive financial compensation for their internship, including wages. A maximum of two INT 199 internships may count toward graduation requirements. Students should meet with their faculty adviser to discuss the internship, and to make sure all required documentation has been submitted and received. Once their adviser has approved the internship, students should bring the form to their dean for final approval. An evaluation form the site supervisor should be sent to the adviser, after the internship is completed, and the adviser will submit a CR/NC grade. Any international student doing an INT 199 must have the signature of approval from the Director of International Students Affairs.

2.) Full Credit Internship - Some programs and departments offer a 499 full credit (1.00) internship course. Students may register for that credit with the permission of their department/program chair. Full credit internships may be taken for a letter grade or for credit/no credit/D credit.

Students are advised to be in close contact with their adviser as they plan their internship experience.

Course Repeat (does not apply to "repeatable courses")

Students may repeat courses in which they have earned a grade below a C- (1.7). Courses with a grade of C- or better may not be repeated. The deans will not approve any exceptions. The student's permanent transcript records each time a course is taken, including the grade. In computing the student's GPA, the highest grade will be used. Courses repeated at other institutions and transferred to the Colleges are not included in the GPA nor are they treated as HWS course repeats. Repeated courses count only once toward the 32 courses required for graduation. Courses can only be repeated for a letter grade and not for CR/NC/DCR. The letter grade will be used when repeating a course with any instance of the course having earned a grade of NC or DCR.

 

Approved Academic Day / Class Time Periods

Class Periods	Days	Times
Period 1*	MWF	8:40AM-9:40AM
Period 1A	MW	9:20AM-10:50AM
Period 2	MWF	9:50AM-10:50AM
Period 3	MWF	11:00AM-12:00PM
Period 4	MWF	12:10PM-1:10PM
Period 5	MWF	1:20PM-2:20PM
Period 5A	MW	1:20PM-2:50PM
Period 6*	MW	3:00PM-4:30PM
Period 7*	TR	8:30AM-10:00AM
Period 8	TR	10:10AM-11:40AM
Period 9	TR	11:50AM-1:20PM
Period 10	TR	1:30PM-3:00PM
Period 11*	TR	3:10PM-4:40PM

Friday Short-Labs (90 min) only
Period 12	F	9:20AM-10:50AM
Period 13	F	1:20PM-2:50PM
Period 14	F	3:00PM-4:30PM

Seminar Periods (180 minutes)
Seminar 1	M	1:20PM-4:20PM
Seminar 2	T	1:30PM-4:30PM
Seminar 3	W	1:20PM-4:20PM
Seminar 4	R	1:30PM-4:30PM
Seminar 5	F	1:20PM-4:20PM

Lab Periods (210 minutes)
Lab 1	M	1:20PM-4:50PM
Lab 2	T	8:30AM-12:00PM
Lab 3	T	1:30PM-5:00PM
Lab 4	W	1:20PM-4:50PM
Lab 5	R	8:30AM-12:00PM
Lab 6	R	1:30PM-5:00PM
Lab 7	F	1:20PM-4:50PM

Education Seminars (60 minutes)
ED 1	MW	7:30AM-8:30AM

ARCH/ARTS classes w/dedicated studio spaces
ST 1	MW	8:55AM-11:40AM
ST 1A	MWF	8:40AM-10:10AM
ST 2	MW	1:20PM-4:05PM
ST 3	TR	8:55AM-11:40AM
ST 4	TR	1:30PM-4:15PM

Dance Technique (DAN/DAT) classes w/dedicated studio spaces (90 minutes)
DS 1	MWF	9:20AM-10:50AM
DS 2	MWF	11:00AM-12:30PM
DS 3	MWF	1:20PM-2:50PM
DS 4	MWF	3:00PM-4:30PM
DS 5	TR	3:45PM-5:45PM

**OPT-IN EVENING CLASSES MW (No evening classes, T, R, or F)
EV 1	MW	7:30PM-9:00PM
EV 2	MW	7:00PM-9:45PM (studio classes)
EV 3	M	7:00PM-10:00PM (seminars)
EV 4	M	6:30PM-10:00PM (labs)
EV 5	W	7:00PM-10:00PM (seminars)
EV 6	W	6:30PM-10:00PM (labs)

RCOL Classes
M or W	between 6:30-10:00 PM Class meets one day for 90 minutes (ex. M 6:30-8PM)

**No faculty members may be compelled to teach evening classes; this is "opt-in."
**No faculty member may teach more than one evening class per semester.
**No evening classes required for a major or minor may be offered unless a section is also offered in the daytime.
*First Year Seminar Time Slots

Registration

All students are encouraged to register on days and times specified and published by the Registrar. However, class or scheduled laboratory time may not be used for the purposes of registration. No registration is accepted after the fifth day of classes, and students who have not registered are asked to leave campus. Students who fail to meet their financial obligations to the Colleges may be denied registration or deregistered from classes. (See "General Payment Schedule" in Admissions, Expenses, and Financial Aid.)

All students are required to consult with their faculty advisers prior to registration. If a student registers for a course without meeting all prerequisites and without written approval of the adviser, his or her enrollment in the course may be canceled at any time by the instructor offering the course. Students declare their course selections via the web- registration system or by submitting a registration form signed by their faculty adviser.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges reserve the right to cancel any course without prior notice should minimum enrollment not be reached, or staffing situations necessitate it.

Deregistration

Students may be deregistered from a course prior to the first day of classes if they have already received credit for the course through advanced placement or transfer credit from another institution. Students may also be deregistered from courses prior to the first day of classes if they have not met the required financial obligations to the Colleges at that time, or made arrangements with the Student Accounts Office to do so. In the event of deregistration, re-registration is on a space available basis, and students may not be able to re-enter the courses for which they were previously enrolled. Deregistered students who have been cleared by the Student Accounts Office may attempt to reregister into their original class schedule before the first day of classes. Students are urged, therefore, to resolve all financial responsibilities within the established deadline.

Students may be deregistered from a course if they do not have the required prerequisites for course entry.

Dropping and Adding Courses

Students may drop and add a course during the first five days of class via the web-registration system or in person with an add/drop form. No signatures are necessary to make changes during the add/drop period unless the student needs permission to enroll, does not meet pre-requisites, or is being overloaded into a class. Registrations and student class schedules are finalized at the end of the five-day drop/add period. Students are accountable for all courses for which they are enrolled from that point on, and those courses are reflected on the permanent academic transcript. If a student has attended a course in which he or she was not properly registered, no credit or grade is recorded. If a student stops attending a course but fails to drop or withdraw properly, a grade of "F" may be assigned by the instructor of the course and recorded on the permanent academic transcript.

Under certain circumstances, changes may be allowed beyond the add/drop period. Half credit courses may be added/ dropped with the approval of the instructor(s). Half credit courses may be dropped until the end of the eleventh week of classes with the approval of the instructor(s). Students seeking to only add a full credit course beyond this period require the approval of their instructor for the late add. Normally any full credit course dropped beyond the add/drop period will require the student to withdrawal (voluntary or authorized- see the dean of the College) from the course. If the student receives dean's approval to swap (add/drop) beyond the add/drop period, the student will need the approval of the instructor of both the class to be added and the class to be dropped, and the adviser in addition to the dean's approval.

For a voluntary withdrawal, students only need the permission of their dean. Authorized withdrawals go through the Committee on Standards and require input from the instructor of the course and the student's dean.

Attendance

The faculty of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, recognizing the responsibility of the individual student for his or her own education, assumes class attendance to be crucial to academic success at the Colleges. This responsibility is three- fold:

The Colleges: No student shall be suspended or refused admission because he or she is unable to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement because of religious obligations and practices. The Colleges accept responsibility for making available accommodations for students who wish to observe their religious observations or participate in their religious practices. The course instructor will provide each student who is absent from class because of religious obligations and practices an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirement missed because of such absence. It is the student's responsibility to communicate to the instructor, in a timely manner, his or her intention to observe. The student must consult with the instructor regarding an alternative time and place for an examination or other academic exercise. No fees shall be charged to students for costs incurred in providing special classes, examinations, or work requirements. The deans and provost will jointly mediate any difficulties between a student and a faculty member in implementing any appropriate accommodation.

In effecting these provisions, the Colleges' administration and faculty agree to exercise the fullest measure of good faith and agree that no adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student who avails himself or herself of the Colleges' policy on religious observances.

It is not institutional policy to provide medical excuses when a student has been absent from class.

Regarding incompletes and absences from final examinations, either a student's dean or the instructor may allow an incomplete based on coursework, but only a dean can excuse a student from a final examination. Incompletes and excuses from final exams are given normally only for reasons beyond the student's control. In this instance, the dean communicates with both the student and the instructor of the course.

The Faculty: Each faculty member is responsible at the beginning of the semester for announcing in writing his or her attendance policy and the effect that absences may or will have on a student's final standing and grade in the course. Each instructor respects the time allotted other academic and extracurricular exercises by not rescheduling academic exercises for which attendance is required. Rescheduling classes at times other than those published by the registrar causes conflict with other regularly scheduled classes and activities. Should it be necessary to meet at non-regularly established times, the instructor of the class provides an alternate opportunity for making up the rescheduled meeting if a student requests it. Faculty members may require additional activities, such as individual conferences with the professor, attending symposia, films, etc. Faculty members should include a schedule of such additional activities in the syllabus at the start of the semester.

Student Responsibility: Students are expected to attend all their regularly scheduled classes, laboratory periods and other academic exercises. Should an absence from regularly scheduled academic exercises be unavoidable (beyond a student's control), it is the student's responsibility to communicate with the professor, preferably beforehand, concerning the absence. Individual faculty members have the authority to drop students from a course for non-attendance on the first class day, unless the student has made prior arrangements with the dean or has extraordinary circumstances. The Deans cannot excuse a student from class. However, at the request of the student, the student's Dean or designee may convey to the faculty information about personal emergencies, including medical illness, faced by the student when the student is unable to convey the information him or herself. Students are advised that absence from class, for whatever reason, does not excuse them from meeting course requirements and objectives. Students who register for a course and fail to attend for the remainder of the semester (without properly dropping or withdrawing from the course) may be issued a grade of ‘F' for non-attendance.

When a conflict exists between the attendance policy of an instructor and the student's planned extracurricular activities, the student must decide where his or her priorities lie before enrolling in the course. By remaining in the course, the student agrees to accept the attendance policy set by the professor.