Academic Information and Advisement Center
S.E.E.K. Advisement and Counseling Program
Tutoring Programs
Office of the Registrar
Teacher Education Services
Academic Honors
Student Classification
Transfer Credit
Credit by Examination
Undergraduate Grading Systems
Academic Integrity & Standards
The Academic Information and Advisement Center (Shuster Hall, Room 280) is part of the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation. This Office carries out the academic policies of the College and provides academic information for all undergraduate students on such matters as admission requirements, curriculum, academic standards, grading practices, retention and probation requirements, transfer policies, degree requirements, requirements for academic honors, graduation requirements, and general graduate school information, including special graduate fellowships, scholarships, and examinations. In addition, the Office serves as the coordinating office for academic advisement, the CUNY Baccalaureate, and study-abroad programs.
S.E.E.K. Advisement and Counseling Program
Students admitted through the S.E.E.K. Program receive academic, personal, and career counseling. The Office is located in Shuster Hall, Room 257.
A.C.E: The Academic Support Center for Excellence (A.C.E.), located in the Old Gym Building, Room 205, offers students a range of activities designed to support classroom learning. Students at any skill level can participate in individual, small group, and/or workshop sessions to improve their proficiency in writing, reading, research, and particular academic subject areas. In addition, A.C.E. offers support to students who need to take any of the CUNY exams, i.e., A.C.T. and C.P.E. Computer-assisted writing/language tutorial programs are also available..
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE: Tutoring in writing for all E.S.L. students.
FRESHMAN YEAR INITIATIVE: Tutoring in writing for all Freshman Year Initiative students.
S.E.E.K.: S.E.E.K. Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction Center: Services include intensive instructional support, including tutoring, computer-assisted instruction, study skills training, and small-group course reviews. The Center is located in the Old Gym Building, Room 212.
THE MATH LABORATORY: Located in Gillet Hall, Room 222, the Math Lab offers tutoring, advisement, and support materials for math and math-related courses.
S.L.C.: The Science Learning Center (S.L.C.), located in Gillet Hall, Room 133, provides tutoring in the natural and computer sciences as well as upper-level mathematics. Students meet with tutors individually and in group sessions. Software for computer-assisted learning in several subjects, such as organic chemistry and anatomy, is also available.
LIBRARY TUTORS: Available in the Library, these tutors offer help with Library resources and computers.
NEW YORK STATE RESIDENCY. To be eligible for the tuition rate of a New York State resident, a student must have had his/her principal place of residence in the State of New York for the twelve consecutive months prior to the first day of classes for the semester. Continuing students who think they may be eligible for this rate may apply in Shuster Hall, Room 182. Entering students should report to the Office of Admissions, Shuster Hall, Room 161.
GENERAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION. A "Schedule of Classes" detailing registration-related regulations and information, the class sections, days, hours, and meeting places for each course is published each semester on the web (http://www.lehman.edu) before the start of registration. General registration information is available in the Registrar's offices (Shuster 105, 106, 108, 114, 175, and 182).
WEB REGISTRATION. All Lehman students, graduate and undergraduate, are eligible to register online.
SEMESTER INFORMATION SERVICES. Students who need information or who have questions about their current semester courses and/or class standing may go to Shuster Hall, Room 114, to determine full/part-time status, withdrawal regulations, tuition refund eligibility, T.A.P. eligibility, and grading policies.
APPLICATIONS FOR TRANSCRIPTS AND OTHER STUDENT RECORDS. Unless the Registrar is notified to the contrary within six months of completion of a course, it will be assumed that all information on the student's record concerning that course is correct.
Applications for transcripts should (1) be addressed to the Transcript Division of the Office of the Registrar (Shuster Hall, Room 108), (2) give the name and address of the official to whom the information is to be mailed, and (3) include the $7 Transcript Fee (transcripts to City University schools are free).
Currently enrolled students who need a statement of attendance should request one in Shuster Hall, Room 114. Students who have not met all their financial obligations to the College will not be issued a transcript, certificate, degree, or grade until they have made all outstanding payments. Students will not be allowed to register for a new semester unless they have satisfied all previous financial obligations to the College.
VETERANS. Veterans who wish to request education benefits should bring their Bursar's Receipt and file the appropriate form in Shuster Hall, Room 114. Veterans who wish to apply for credit for military service should file the appropriate form in Shuster Hall, Room 182. A veteran may receive up to eight elective credits for military service.
DECLARATION OF MAJOR/MINOR OR CHANGE OF MAJOR/MINOR. An application form for these purposes may be obtained in the Office of the Registrar. The completed form, signed by the chair of the department or the coordinator of the interdisciplinary program in which the student wishes to major/minor, should be returned to the Office of the Registrar (Shuster Hall, Room 106).
CERTIFICATION. Students who are required to have a statement of attendance for Social Security, bank loans, employers, the Mayor's Scholarship Program, and other purposes should file their forms in Shuster Hall, Room 114.
RECORDING CHANGES OF ADDRESS. All students in attendance at the College must report home address changes by filing the proper form in the Office of the Registrar (Shuster Hall, Rooms 106 or 114).
RECORDING CHANGE OF NAME. A student's change of name can be entered in the official record by filing the proper form in the Office of the Registrar (Shuster Hall, Room 106) accompanied by the appropriate legal document, i.e., court order, marriage certificate, or annulment/divorce papers.
Students who seek New York State initial certification must successfully meet the requirement for student teaching or internship. The Professional Development Network Coordinator in the Office of Student Support Services (Carman Hall, Room B-33) is responsible for school site placements and providing information and support for prospective student teachers and interns. Student teaching applies to students who have never taught in schools, while internship applies to students who are currently teachers of record in schools. Prospective student teachers or interns are urged to plan their course of study so that they can devote a semester exclusively to their student teaching or internship. Student teachers and interns should have fulfilled their other education course requirements, including content area methods courses, before applying for student teaching or internship. Student teachers must be prepared to student teach every day for the duration of one college semester. Further requirements for student teachers or interns are detailed in the respective program's course of study. Application for student teaching or internship must be filed the semester prior to student teaching or internship and requires permission of the program coordinator. Application due dates are April 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester. Information about student teaching and internship is posted on the Division of Education's website at http://www.lehman.edu/deanedu/deanedu/.
Teacher certification and licensure is obtained through the New York State Education Department. The public schools of the City of New York require New York State licensure but often offer temporary certificates. All certification requirements are subject to change without notice. It is the responsibility of the student or graduate to consult with the Certification Officer in Carman Hall, Room B-33 and to stay informed about the latest certification requirements. In addition, the New York State Education Department maintains a website of current regulations at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert.
The New York State Teacher Certification Examination (N.Y.S.T.C.E.) program for initial certification consists of three separate examinations:
Note: Candidates who already hold a Provisional Certificate issued by New York State prior to February 2, 2004 will be required to complete the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Performance Video (A.T.S.-P.) in order to earn a Permanent Certificate.
NOTE: ALL INITIAL CERTIFICATES REQUIRE COMPLETION OF TWO, TWO-HOUR WORKSHOPS ON SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND CHILD ABUSE IDENTIFICATION. To learn more about these workshops, visit www.childabuse.com. Preparation workshops are offered at Lehman College through the Division of Adult and Continuing Education. Check in the Division of Education Office for the dates and times of these sessions.
The Bilingual Education Assessment (B.E.A.) is required of candidates seeking a bilingual education extension to a certificate. Preparation guides for these examinations can be viewed or downloaded for free at www.nystce.neinc.com. The B.E.A.s consist of both multiple-choice questions and constructed-response assignments; the B.E.A.s include audiotaped listening and speaking components in English and in the target language, and reading and writing components in the target language.
Students who successfully complete a state-approved program in education are eligible for initial certification by the N.Y.S. Education Department. The certification process is as follows:
At the end of each Fall and Spring semester, the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs publishes a list of matriculated students who meet the qualifications for placement on the Dean's List.
Full-time students will be placed on the Dean's List each Fall and Spring semester in which they have earned twelve or more credits with a G.P.A. of 3.5 or above. Part-time students will be placed on the Dean's List on each occasion in which they have completed twelve or more new credits in two consecutive semesters with a G.P.A. of 3.5 or above. In either case, no WU or INC grades are allowed even if twelve credits are completed with a 3.5 G.P.A.
This designation is bestowed upon students who have met all of the qualifications for Dean's List and have exceeded the G.P.A. requirement for Dean's List by earning a 3.9 G.P.A. or higher. This honor supersedes placement on the Dean's List.
Graduation with departmental honors requires that, in addition to any other departmental specification, a student achieve a cumulative index of 3.2 and an index of 3.5 in the major or in an interdisciplinary program for a minimum of 24 credits.
Students are eligible for College honors at graduation if they have completed at least 60 credits in residence at Lehman College, of which at least 42 are indexable, with a minimum cumulative index of 3.4. (See definition of credits in residence under the heading "Credit Requirements" in the section on "Degree Requirements" in this Bulletin.) The following honors may be awarded:
Cum laude |
Index of 3.4-3.59 |
Magna cum laude |
Index of 3.6-3.79 |
Summa cum laude |
Index of 3.8-4.0 |
* Second-degree candidates who meet the qualifications are eligible for the Dean's List, Presidential Scholar designation, Departmental, and College honors.
Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest liberal arts honor society, founded in 1776, granted a charter that established Chi Chapter of New York at Lehman College in 1970. Membership in Phi Beta Kappa is an honor conferred by invitation in recognition of scholarly achievement in the liberal arts and sciences. Election to the Chapter is based on high scholarship in a broad liberal arts curriculum as distinct from a vocationally oriented course of study. To be eligible for election, a student must have completed a year of college-level study in mathematics or a natural science or a semester of each, have completed two years of foreign language at the college level or its equivalent, and have a minimum 3.6 G.P.A. with 90 credits in liberal arts courses.
Sigma Xi, the national honor society in scientific research, founded in 1886, granted a charter to establish a chapter at Lehman College on November 2, 1974. The Lehman Chapter can elect to membership students who have demonstrated outstanding ability in the field of scientific research. The chapter provides an opportunity for the presentation of undergraduate and graduate student research papers, as well as for attendance at the chapter's annual dinner and scientific lecture.
Golden Key, an international academic honors organization founded in 1977, granted Lehman College a charter on May 8, 1986, with 175 initial charter members. The society is interdisciplinary, and its members are juniors and seniors who are in the top fifteen percent of their class, scholastically. Part-time as well as full-time students are eligible for membership.
The following societies encourage students to take an active interest in independent and advanced study: Kappa Pi (art), Beta Beta Beta (biology), Iota Sigma Delta Pi (chemistry, for undergraduate and graduate women), The English Honors Society for Scholarship and Creative Writing, Omicron Nu (family and consumer studies), Pi Delta Phi (French), Delta Phi Alpha (German), Eta Beta Rho (Hebrew), Phi Alpha Theta (history), Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics), Kappa Mu Epsilon (music), Pi Sigma Alpha (political science), Alpha Kappa Delta (sociology), Psi Chi (psychology), Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish), Sigma Theta Tau (nursing), and the Epsilon Eta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Eta (speech and theatre).
|
Credits |
8 Graduating Senior |
106-120 |
7 Lower Senior |
91-105 |
6 Upper Junior |
76-90 |
5 Lower Junior |
61-75 |
4 Upper Sophomore |
46-60 |
3 Lower Sophomore |
31-45 |
2 Upper Freshman |
16-30 |
1 Lower Freshman |
0-15 |
In general, one credit represents 15 hours of classroom work or 30 hours of laboratory work, plus supplementary assignments, or the equivalent thereof. One credit of clinical laboratory in the Department of Nursing represents 45 clock hours of work. Unless otherwise stated, the number of credits assigned to a course is the number counted toward a Lehman College baccalaureate degree.
Courses and credit loads for full-time matriculants are as follows:
Courses and credit loads for part-time matriculants are as follows:
Non-degree students may take no more than the maximum credits allowed matriculated (degree) students.
In summer session, students may earn credit in proportion to the amount of credit they may earn in a regular semester. For example, in one six-week summer session, a student may carry no more than eight credits or two courses, whichever is higher. A student with a minimum cumulative index of 3.0 or a student who is graduating from the summer session may carry an additional three credits.
If a student attends two summer sessions, at Lehman and/or elsewhere, and there is any overlap between the two sessions, credits representing the number of weeks of overlap must be subtracted from the total number of credits allowed. Students should consult with the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation (Shuster Hall, Room 280).
A student with a minimum cumulative index of 3.0 who has also completed the College Writing requirement and whose previous semester grades include no INCs, Ws, WUs, Rs, or NCs, or a student who is a graduating senior, may, with the permission of the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation (Shuster Hall, Room 280), attempt up to 21 credits. Students who meet all the requirements stated above and who have successfully completed 21 credits in a prior semester may request permission in the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation to attempt up to 24 credits. A student who wishes to request permission to register for more than 24 credits must submit a written appeal to the Committee on Admission, Evaluation, and Academic Standards, detailing the reason for the request and a justification for each course planned in the schedule. This appeal should be submitted to the Committee through the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation. The Committee will determine whether the appeal should be granted or denied during the late registration and drop/add period.
In no case may a student preregister for more than 18 credits. Students who register for more than 18 credits must pay the CUNY Accelerated Study Fee (see the chapter on "Tuition and Fees" in this Bulletin).
Drop/Add Period. Students may adjust their programs during the Drop/Add period at the beginning of each semester, provided there is space in a newly selected course and they maintain the minimum credit load for their status.
Withdrawals after Drop/Add. The grade of W, withdrawal without penalty, is awarded only when it is clear that a student has a good and sufficient reason for withdrawing from a course and is doing so at a time when he or she is doing passing work in the course. Applications for withdrawal are accepted through the tenth week of each semester.
Students desiring to drop a course in their major must obtain a recommendation from the chair or the adviser of the appropriate department program. No faculty member or counselor may withdraw a student from a course.
The following grades govern official and unofficial withdrawals after the Drop/Add period. The deadline dates are published each semester by the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation.
|
Grade |
Official withdrawal without penalty |
W |
Never Attended, with penalty |
WN |
Unofficial withdrawal with penalty |
WU |
Official withdrawal with penalty if failing or as indicated below |
F |
NOTE: Although W grades carry no index penalty, they are credits attempted for the purpose of measuring satisfactory academic progress.
After the tenth week of each semester, students may appeal for withdrawals to the Committee on Admission and Standing, but only for documented reasons of serious illness or serious personal emergency. Students should submit their appeals to the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation (Shuster Hall, Room 280).
Students receiving financial aid should discuss in advance with the Office of Financial Aid the consequences of withdrawing from a course.
Students in good standing may apply for a total withdrawal from the College with the intention of applying for readmission at a later date.
Students withdrawing from the College should first consult with the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. If withdrawal is indicated, the student should apply in the Office of the Registrar and return all books belonging to the Library and all other materials and property to the appropriate office.
There is no category at the College entitled "leave of absence." After students have withdrawn, they may neither consider nor identify themselves as "students on leave" from the College; they may only describe themselves as "former students." Official discharge for medical reasons provides no exception to this rule.
A student whose cumulative index at the time of official discharge from the College is below the minimum required for continued matriculation shall be considered dropped for poor scholarship.
The following regulations apply to Lehman College matriculants who wish to attend other colleges or universities for Lehman College credit:
The following rules govern the evaluation of transfer credit:
Students who have participated in any one of the three external examination programs approved by the College--the Advanced Placement Program (A.P.), the College Level Examination Program (C.L.E.P.), and the College Proficiency Examinations Program (C.P.E.P.)---may receive advanced placement depending on the scores achieved and criteria set by the College. Sophomore standing will be awarded to those who have earned four full Advanced Placement course credits.
All departments at Lehman College may offer credits by means of a departmental examination, provided the individual departments are convinced that the student, through previous study and/or work, is qualified to take the examination in a specific course. The department may assign either credit (representing a grade of C or better) or no credit to the examination. Students who fail this examination may not repeat it. Students requesting credit by departmental examination must pay the Qualifying Examination Fee as listed in the section on "Noninstructional Fees" in the chapter on "Tuition and Fees" in this Bulletin.
The maximum number of credits students may earn through external examinations and life-experience credit (awarded through the Adult Degree Program), exclusive of Advanced Placement examinations, is 30. (For further information, consult the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation, Shuster Hall, Room 280.)
Seniors may take graduate courses for undergraduate credit under the same tuition conditions as those of their undergraduate courses, provided that they have a 3.0 cumulative index and a 3.0 index in the area in which they wish to take the course. They must secure a recommendation from the department and approval of the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation (Shuster Hall, Room 280). Graduate courses taken for undergraduate credit cannot be used toward a graduate program.
All students, matriculant and non-degree, may audit any course other than a laboratory, provided attendance in the course does not involve the use of consumable material and/or equipment. Auditors will be charged regular tuition. Audited courses cannot be used to qualify for full-time or part-time status, financial aid, or veteran's benefits. AUD-graded courses carry no credits, but auditors must fulfill the instructor's requirements for auditors. AUD-graded courses should not be confused with courses graded "No Credit." To register as an auditor, prior written permission of the instructor and the appropriate department chair is required. No change from regular registration to auditing, nor from auditing to regular registration, will be permitted after the regular registration period has ended.
The grading system for remedial and developmental courses consists of A through C and R. The grading system for compensatory courses and courses of the College Requirement in English (ENG 110 and 120) and foreign language courses numbered 101, 103, and 105 consists of A through C and NC.
The grading system for other courses consists of A through F. Other grading symbols may be used when appropriate.
Students may elect P/F grades for a maximum of 18 credits in their degree program under the following conditions:
A student's overall level of scholarship is reflected in the cumulative index. Each student is expected to compute the index from the accompanying instructions and table and to recompute it each subsequent semester for a cumulative total. A cumulative index may not be computed by averaging the semester indices. Students should check their computation against their official transcripts. Grades and Credits in the cumulative index include: (1) all grades earned at the College, including F, FIN, WF, WN, WU, and J (no longer used) and those earned in a Lehman summer session and (2) all grades earned in courses taken at Lehman or City University study-abroad programs, provided that the students have received prior departmental approval. Grades and Credits to be excluded are those grades earned in any previous institution or program not listed in the preceding section and all P, NC, INC, R, PEN, and W.
Students dissatisfied with a grade received in a course should first consult the instructor involved. It is the instructor's sole judgment that determines the grade recorded in the Office of the Registrar. The instructor's first judgment is always taken. Second and later judgments resulting from personal appeals and hardship claims are never honored. Occasional errors do occur, and these are always corrected promptly when properly certified by the instructor to the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation.
When a student considers a grade unjust, he/she should first confer with the instructor. Students are required to initiate grade appeals before the end of the eighth week of a semester following the entry of a permanent grade. Second judgments and additional work are not permitted. If a student is not satisfied that justice has been done, he/she may appeal in writing to the department chair. If the chair is the instructor in question, the senior member of the department Personnel and Budget Committee will act for the chair.
To learn to compute the cumulative index, assume that the accompanying table represents grades earned and proceed as follows:
GRADE SYMBOLS |
|
QUALITY POINTS |
A |
Excellent |
4.0 |
A- |
|
3.7 |
B+ |
Good |
3.3 |
B |
|
3.0 |
B- |
|
2.7 |
C+ |
Satisfactory |
2.3 |
C |
|
2.0 |
C- |
|
1.7 |
D+* |
Poor |
1.3 |
D* |
|
1.0 |
F* |
Failure |
0.0 |
P |
Pass |
- |
NC** |
No Credit |
- |
R** |
Course must be repeated until minimum level of proficiency is attained |
- |
INC*** |
Incomplete |
- |
FIN |
An incomplete that has been turned to an F |
0.0 |
W |
Withdrawal without Penalty |
- |
WN |
Never Attended |
0.0 |
WU |
Unofficial Withdrawal |
0 |
WF |
Withdrawal with Penalty |
0 |
AUD |
Audited Course |
|
Y |
Year Course of Study; grade is indexed, but credit will be withheld if the year course is not completed according to grade A to D |
|
Z |
Registrar's grade when a grade sheet has not been submitted by the instructor |
|
# |
Repeat for better grade, removed from index |
|
& |
Repeat for better grade, remains in index |
|
* |
Repeat/Repeat of transfer credit/No credit when credit earned in XXX999 |
|
* Students, if they wish, may repeat one time only courses in which they have earned D grades. The D grade will stand, and the new grade will be averaged in the cumulative index, but the course will be credited only once. Undergraduate students may remove up to 16 credits worth of F penalty grades from their Grade Point Average by repeating the course in which the penalty grade was received and earning a grade of C- or better as long as the original penalty grade was earned in the Fall 1984 or thereafter and the course was repeated in the Fall 1990 or thereafter. The original F penalty grade remains on the transcript. Students should consult with the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation regarding University guidelines affecting the repetition of courses in which a penalty grade has been received. If students repeat courses in which they have received grades, the repeated courses will neither be credited nor counted either in the students' semester or cumulative indices.
** The NC and the R are earned academic grades for courses in which the use of NC or R has been approved; the NC or the R is given when a student has completed a course, but has not earned a minimum grade of C; NCs and Rs are counted as credits attempted in determining the rate of satisfactory progress toward the degree. In order to receive credit for a course in which an NC or an R has been earned, a student must retake and satisfactorily complete the course.
*** An Incomplete grade is turned to an F (FIN) when the work has not been satisfactorily completed within the established deadline.
Grade |
Quality Points |
|
Credits Attempted |
|
Quality Points |
A |
4.0 |
x |
6 |
= |
24.0 |
A- |
3.7 |
x |
4 |
= |
14.8 |
B+ |
3.3 |
x |
3 |
= |
9.9 |
B |
3.0 |
x |
2 |
= |
6.0 |
B- |
2.7 |
x |
5 |
= |
13.5 |
C+ |
2.3 |
x |
3 |
= |
6.9 |
C |
2.0 |
x |
2 |
= |
4.0 |
C- |
1.7 |
x |
4 |
= |
6.8 |
D+ |
1.3 |
x |
3 |
= |
3.9 |
D |
1.0 |
x |
3 |
= |
3.0 |
F, WF, or WU |
0.0 |
x |
6 |
= |
0.0 |
|
|
|
-- |
|
-- |
|
|
|
41 |
|
92.8 |
Number of credits taken = 41
Division of 92.8 (sum of quality points) by 41 = 2.26 (index)
Students in basic skills courses are required to attend classes. Students in all other courses are expected to attend classes regularly, and instructors are required to record attendance for grading and counseling purposes. Individual instructors, as well as departments or degree programs, may establish specific attendance requirements. Instructors have the right to weigh attendance and class participation in determining grades. It is the student's responsibility to ascertain the effect attendance may have on the grade in a course. Students receiving financial aid must be certified or attending classes regularly for continuing eligibility.
A written final classroom examination is required in every course and must be held at the same time scheduled by the Registrar's office. A graduating senior may be exempted from a final examination if the policy of the department or program is to exempt graduating seniors from final examinations. Exemptions are never automatic.
A graduating senior who has failed the final examination in only one course required for graduation is entitled to a special examination, provided that the student has a passing grade average in the course.
A student who misses a final examination for valid reasons may, after consultation with his/her instructor, be given a makeup final examination. The instructor must report the student's final grade in the course to the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of classes of the following semester. Students taking one or more makeup final examinations must pay the special examination fee as scheduled under "Noninstructional Fees" (in the chapter on "Tuition and Fees" in this Bulletin) and present the Bursar's Receipt for the fee to the instructor.
The grade of INC is awarded only when the course requirement has not been completed for good and sufficient reasons and when there is a reasonable expectation that the student can successfully complete the requirements of the course. The INC grade covers any failure to complete all requirements for a course, such as submitting a paper or taking a final examination. For an instructor to grant an INC, the student must have met the instructor's attendance requirements in the course and have a passing semester average. The student must complete the missing work within the first ten weeks of the following semester. If the instructor is not available, the student must consult with the department chair. A grade replacing the INC may not be entered by the instructor or department chair later than the last day of classes of the following semester. INC grades not completed by the deadline will become Fs (FINs) (or the equivalent under Grading System I-R, NC).
While honest scholarship is time-consuming and often requires hard work, it is also the primary process by which students learn to think for themselves. Faculty members must teach respect for methods of inquiry within the various disciplines and make assignments that will encourage honest scholarship; students in turn must uphold a standard of honesty within the College, thereby affirming the value and integrity of their Lehman degree. The following definitions and procedures govern cases involving undergraduate student work.
The most common forms of academic dishonesty are cheating and plagiarism. Cheating is the use or attempt to use unauthorized material, information, notes, study aids, devices, or communication during an academic exercise (for example, using unauthorized books, papers, or notes during an examination; or procuring, distributing, or using unauthorized copies of examinations). Plagiarism means the failure to give credit for the source of another's words or ideas, including but not limited to books, articles, interviews, and multimedia and electronic sites, or—as in the use of borrowed or purchased papers—passing off another person's work as one's own. (Section 213-b of the New York State Education Law prohibits the sale of term papers, essays, and research reports to students enrolled in a college.) Common forms of cheating and plagiarism are highlighted in this Bulletin.
Academic dishonesty is a serious violation of the accepted values of the College. When questions of a breach of academic integrity arise, instructors will inform the students of their suspicions and provide the student with a Faculty Report Form for Incidents of Suspected Academic Dishonesty. The instructor must remember that a student's failure to respond to charges of academic dishonesty is not in and of itself an indication of guilt. The report will include an explanation of the incident, the instructor's intended academic sanction, and an indication whether or not the instructor is recommending that the College undertake disciplinary proceedings pursuant to Article 15 of the Board of Trustees Bylaws.
Academic sanctions may include but are not limited to the following:
Disciplinary procedures are governed by Article 15 of the Board of Trustees Bylaws. In the event the student is found guilty of academic dishonesty by a Faculty-Student Disciplinary Committee, penalties that may be imposed include but are not limited to: 1) suspension from the College or 2) expulsion from the College. Although the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs will be guided by the recommendation of the instructor, it reserves the right to seek disciplinary sanctions under the disciplinary procedures.
Should the instructor become convinced that the suspicions are unfounded, no further action will be taken and the Faculty Report Form will be destroyed. If the suspicions are founded and if both the student and the instructor are willing, they may agree upon a resolution. Subsequently the instructor will present the completed Faculty Report Form, including the charges and resolution, to the department chair who must forward the appropriate copies of the form to the Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation, and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. If no agreement is reached, the instructor must allow a student to complete all coursework until the following appeal process has been completed.
The Office of Academic Standards and Evaluation will keep all records of such proceedings on file until the student's graduation, at which time they will be destroyed.
As a result of a second upheld charge of academic dishonesty, disciplinary procedures will be pursued by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs as governed by the procedures under Article 15 of the Board of Trustees' Bylaws.
The following definitions and examples are adapted from the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity.
Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices, or communication during an academic exercise. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to the following:
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's ideas, research, or writings as your own. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to the following:
Students must have the retention indices of 1.5 for the first four courses or 12 attempted credits, of 1.75 for the first eight courses or 24 attempted credits, and of 2.0 for 25 or more attempted credits, and a 2.0 semester index thereafter.
TOTAL CREDITS ATTEMPTED |
MINIMUM |
0-12 |
1.5 |
13-24 |
1.75 |
25 or more |
2.00 |
Total number of credits attempted include Lehman College F, FIN, J, W, WF, WN, WU, PEN, ABS, P, NC, Y, R, or their equivalents, and all transfer credits.
A student who does not meet the required minimum semester or cumulative indices or whose cumulative grade point index at the College falls below 2.0 is automatically placed on probation. During this probationary period, a student maintains his/her academic standing with the College. After one semester of probation, a student who still does not meet the minimum requirements will be dropped from the College and is required to remain out at least one semester. Students may appeal to the Committee on Admission and Standing if they have not previously done so.
To qualify for graduation with a Lehman College baccalaureate degree, students must complete the following requirements: