Policies specific to the Lesley University Graduate School of Education.
For information on university-wide policies, refer to the University and Academic Policies page.
Graduate School of Education Attendance Policy
To maintain the academic integrity of Lesley programs, and to meet course learning objectives for all class members, students are expected to attend and to participate fully in all class meetings. In exceptional circumstances when students need to be absent from a class, they should discuss with the faculty member, in advance, any portion of a class meeting they cannot attend.
Faculty members reserve the right, in consultation with their academic program directors, to set specific attendance requirements for their courses, which may include no absences. This applies to all models of delivery, including institutes, residencies, workshops, etc. As part of their syllabus, faculty members establish expectations regarding family or medical emergency and "milestone" circumstances that may necessitate student absence from class. Absence from class diminishes the learning community and may have an adverse effect on a student's grade.
Please note: for all programs, in addition to the stated attendance policy, the following applies: Only tuition-paying students are permitted to attend classes. This means that children, spouses, and other guests will not be allowed in class. Visiting faculty, by permission of the instructor, are the only exception to this policy. Pets will not be allowed in classrooms, and may not be left unattended outside.
In setting their attendance requirements, faculty members will be guided by the following standards:
Weekly Model:
If a student is absent for more than six (6) hours of class time, the academic consequences will be determined according to the policies of the academic program in which the student is enrolled. Missing more than nine (9) hours of weekly class meetings will result in a grade of administrative withdrawal (AW) on the student's transcript. For courses with a grade of AW, no credit and no tuition refund will be given.
Weekend Model:
When missing any class time up to the equivalent of one (1) full day over the two weekends, students are responsible for contacting the faculty member in advance (or as soon as possible afterward) to discuss the nature of the family or medical emergency or "milestone" circumstance. The faculty member will determine whether the course attendance expectations will permit makeup work and/or whether there may be an adverse effect on the final grade. Missing more than the equivalent of one (1) full day over the two weekends will result in a grade of administrative withdrawal (AW) on the student's transcript. For courses with a grade of AW, no credit and no tuition refunds will be given.
Serious family or medical emergency and significant "milestone" circumstances may warrant exception to these requirements and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the appropriate academic unit personnel. The faculty member has full discretion regarding students making up assignments missed, including those completed in and out of class, as well as specific course content (e.g., videos, reflections, discussion, readings, etc.).
Creative Arts in Learning Off-Campus Programs:
Upon joining an Integrated Teaching Through the Arts (ITA) cohort, you become a member of a learning group. You will find that the group experience provides you with a tremendous support system, a rich learning environment, and a long lasting network of colleagues to learn with and from. You are expected to enroll in all classes offered for your group and to attend all scheduled class meetings. In special situations, follow these guidelines:
I. If missing any class time you must seek approval from your Faculty Academic Advisor first, at least one week in advance, They will then notify the course instructor of the approved missed time. Once permission is granted, arrangements for make-up work will be made with the faculty on an individual basis.
II. If missing class for more than 8 hours (one full day), submit a written request for an alternative arrangement directly to the Faculty Academic Advisor at least 8 weeks prior to the start of class. The following criteria apply to approval for either an Independent Study or taking a course at another location: birth or adoption of a child, death of a family member, medical/surgical situations, mandatory professional obligations, weddings involving immediate family, and graduation of parent, child, or spouse.
Field Programs:
Students attending field programs that are delivered as integrated curricula occurring all day and almost evenings may not miss more than 10 percent of their program. For instance, if the program is seventy (70) days they may miss seven (7) days. Missing more than the equivalent of 10 percent of the semester will result in a grade of administrative withdrawal (AW) on the student's transcript. The student will then need to repeat the semester and repay tuition. Serious family or medical emergency and significant "milestone" circumstances may warrant exception to these requirements and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the appropriate academic unit personnel.
Online Programs:
The flexibility of online courses allows students to complete assignments and participate in collaborative work from wherever there is a reliable Internet connection. In an online environment, "attendance" in courses that are either fully or partially delivered online is typically measured by the quality and frequency of the posts in the online discussion forums. As online courses are designed to be interactive, often with assignments that require group work, a student's absence from these discussion forums for more than a few days may prevent that student from maintaining the level of interaction that is required for success in the course.
The university acknowledges that on occasion, students may have legitimate reasons for missing class. However, it is important to realize that while some assignments might be submitted after a due date, discussion postings cannot be "made up." If a student knows that she/he will be offline for a week or more, the student must contact the instructor before the start of a course to discuss possible options for completing required work. Given the highly interactive design of an online course, options to make up required discussion boards or collaborative assignments may be severely limited. In this case, a student should consider taking the course at a later time.
Students should be aware that being offline for a week or more, without prior approval from the instructor, may result in no credit for the week's discussion boards or collaborative assignments. For lengthier absences, an administrative withdrawal (AW) from the course may be warranted. For courses with a grade of AW, no course credit and no tuition refund will be given.
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Official Format for Student Work
The Lesley University School of Education has adopted the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition [2009] as the official format for student papers, citations, and bibliographies. The School of Education will not accept other publication guidelines, such as the Modern Language Association. The Sherrill Library APA page also provides helpful information on APA guidelines.
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Graduate School of Education Grading Policy
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is necessary for graduate-level graduation eligibility. Grades submitted by faculty to the Registrar's Office are considered to be final grades. You may use the Lesley Online Information Service to check for your grades.
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School of Education Portfolio Requirement
School of Education Master’s degree and licensure candidates* are required to develop a program portfolio, comprised of the key assignment from each course in their programs. Through these identified key assignments, students will demonstrate acquisition of both knowledge and skills and will demonstrate professional growth over time. The portfolios will be used for institutional and teacher self-evaluation as well as for review by accrediting agencies. They will also provide evidence that students are meeting required state and professional standards, and will confirm that Lesley’s programs are meeting their stated outcomes.
Students will build their portfolios in one of two ways, depending on their program start dates.
If you began your off-campus or online program after October 25, 2010, or your on-campus program after January 1, 2011:
You will be required to use MAP (My Assessment Portfolio) and must register for a mandatory, online MAP orientation course that features a tutorial for how to set up a MAP portfolio. Issues related to registration for the orientation course and technical issues related to the use of MAP can be directed to map@lesley.edu.
You must upload the key assignment for each of your courses into your MAP program portfolio as part of the course requirements. Your faculty member will use the rubric that is posted in MAP to assess how effectively you completed the key assignment.
If you began your off-campus or online program before October 25, 2010 or your on-campus program before January 1, 2011:
You, too, must complete a key assignment for each course, but you will submit your assessment electronically directly to the faculty member teaching the course, and not via the MAP system. Your faculty member will give you directions regarding the electronic submission. Like students using MAP, your submitted work will be assessed using the rubric for the key assignment.
*Students enrolled in the Science Online Master’s or the Out Of School Time Master’s Programs are exempt from the portfolio requirement at this time.
Students who began their on-campus program before January 1, 2011, will use this previous portfolio book as their portfolio guidelines.
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Academic Progress and Review Policy for Lesley Graduate Students
The faculty of Lesley University is dedicated to providing graduate students a high-quality educational experience designed to meet students' academic, personal and professional goals. In turn, the University expects students to maintain the academic and professional standards established for its programs of study. These standards apply to all aspects of graduate programs of study, whether on-campus, off-campus or on-line, and including courses, internships, practica, and research-related activities. Each School reserves the right to suspend or dismiss at any time any student who, in the opinion of School officials, does not achieve and maintain required academic or professional standards. In case of dismissal students remain responsible for any outstanding financial obligation to the University for tuition or other indebtedness.
Failure to meet these standards may result from, but not be limited to, such deficiencies as: more than three (3) credits of "C+" or below or "F" in pass/fail courses six (6) credits of incompletes (INC) poor performance in theses, integrative projects, practica or internships or specific deficiencies in areas deemed essential to the student's preparation.
Academic Notification
If a student is not meeting program academic or professional standards, then the division in which the student is matriculated will initiate an intervention designed to assist the student, that may lead to an academic review process. The following describes the academic review process:
Level I Academic Review Committee
An academic review committee meets with the student (in person or via teleconference), and may include a faculty member, the student's academic advisor and the division or program director. The committee will review the student's progress in the program and the areas of concern. After careful review, the committee will make recommendations to address these concerns. The recommendations will be forwarded to the Dean of the School or his or her designee, who will inform the student in writing within ten (10) working days. The committee may recommend probation with specific conditions or dismissal. (The Dean or designee will contact the Senior Associate Registrar to request a "hold" on the student's registration should it be recommended by the Review committee.)
Level II Appeal to the Dean
If the student disagrees with the recommendations and believes that there is additional information that was not available to the committee and therefore not considered by the committee, she/he may submit this information in writing to the Dean within ten (10) working days of receipt of the recommendations. The Dean of the School will review the recommendations of the committee and all documentation considered by the committee. The Dean will notify the student and the committee of her/his decision within ten (10) working days, excluding holidays and Lesley University vacation days.
Level III Appeal to the Provost
A student may appeal the decision of the Dean if she/he disagrees with the decision and if she/he can demonstrate the availability of new information or evidence that is potentially significant and was not available during the investigation. Student appeals must be submitted in writing to the Provost within ten (10) working days of receipt of the decision of the Dean. In consideration of the appeal, the Provost will review all documentation and, as deemed necessary by the Provost, consult with the student, appropriate faculty and administrators. The Provost will render a decision within ten (10) working days, excluding holidays and Lesley University vacation days. The decision of the Provost is final within Lesley University, and there is no further appeal available.
Meeting the Conditions of Probation
When the student has met the specified conditions outlined in the Dean's letter the division will notify the Dean to lift probation status. If the student does not meet the conditions within the specified time frame, the division may recommend another review.
(Approved July 2005, revised June 2006)