Section 8: Academic Regulations

• 8.1 Faculty Advising at Allegheny College
• 8.2 Academic Honor Code
• 8.3 Academic Schedule
• 8.4 Course Schedule
• 8.5 Graduation
• 8.6 Commencement
• 8.7 The Academic Calendar
• 8.8 Student Course Load
• 8.9 Add/Drop Period
• 8.10 Student Withdrawals
• 8.11 Academic Costume

8.1 Faculty Advising at Allegheny College 

Advising is a multi-faceted, professional activity based on research, standards, and best practices. Effective advising reinforces and extends the education students acquire in the classroom, helping them to take advantage of curricular and co-curricular opportunities, to understand academic requirements and College policies, and to prepare for career planning and lifelong learning. Research has also demonstrated that successful advising can significantly improve student achievement, retention, and satisfaction. While students are responsible for all decisions that they make at Allegheny, and should understand that not all things are possible, and that choices carry with them consequences; advisors are responsible for encouraging students to be responsible for their own education and for providing them with the guidance and structure to do so. Put simply, advising is a
vitally important professional responsibility for all full-time faculty at Allegheny College.


8.1.1 Allegheny College Advising Mission Statement:

Advising at Allegheny College holistically empowers students to seek coherence and meaning in their liberal arts educational experience, to develop agency in their individual educational journeys, and to build lasting connections to support their growth and success.


8.1.2Student Learning Outcomes

Allegheny students should:

Know: Program requirements; graduation requirements and intent of the FS program (NB: or its successor program, if approved) and the Distribution Requirements (DR) in helping students achieve outcomes of College mission statement; availability of resources

Do: Articulate educational and early career goals; use campus resources; develop a social/support network

Value: Liberal arts education; multiple ways of knowing; importance of lifelong learning; role of advising in shaping educational plans; relationships with advisors

As a result of advising, students will:

1. Articulate educational and early career goals through the iterative formation of an educational plan that integrates curricular and co-curricular experiences
    
2. Use campus resources to support achievement of educational goals
    
3. Assume responsibility for meeting academic requirements
    
4. Develop the skills for lifelong learning, growth, and resilience in the face of challenges
    
5. Recognize how engagement with multiple ways of knowing contributes to a liberal arts education
    
6. Demonstrate personal and civic responsibility in local and/or global contexts
    
7. Develop a social network and support system that includes peers, faculty, staff, and/or community members as advisors

8.1.3 Advisor Learning Outcomes:

Allegheny advisors should:

Know: Accurate information about college requirements, policies, procedures, and resources

Do: Build students’ understanding of curriculum; practice ethical/legal standards by respecting student confidentiality and diversity; regularly participate in development opportunities to remain current in advising practices and college policies/procedures

Value: Liberal arts education; multiple ways of knowing; importance of lifelong learning; role of advising in shaping educational plans; relationships with students

Advisors will:

1. Provide accurate information about academic requirements, policies, and procedures to facilitate advisees’ decision-making and goal-setting
    
2. Connect students with campus resources relevant to their individual needs and goals
    
3. Articulate the value of a liberal arts education
    
4. Establish respectful and inclusive communications as part of coaching/mentoring advising relationships
    
5. Encourage academic, personal, and civic responsibility
    
6. Maintain and expand their knowledge and skills related to advising

(Revised 13 April 2023)

8.2 Academic Honor System

Allegheny’s Honor Code is housed in The Compass Student Handbook and Resource Guide. Specific information about how to deal with a suspected Honor Code violation (what to do, whom to contact, etc.) is available in the online Faculty Guide to the Honor Code. 

8.3 Academic Schedules

Course schedules are established by the Provost with the advice of the Department Chair. It is expected that all classes will be held at the time and place for which they are officially scheduled. Any adjustments of the established schedule should be approved by the Provost. With the exception of performances or community events that are expected outcomes of a course and are posted on the syllabus on the first day of the course, activities scheduled outside of regular class times should in most cases be optional. If they must be required or graded activities, students’ other schedule obligations must be accommodated by, for example, scheduling multiple iterations of the event if possible or providing an alternative assignment for students who are unable to attend. Students’ other schedule obligations include but are not limited to: other classes, athletic events and practices, student organization meetings, and employment. Faculty members are urged to avoid scheduling special meetings that will conflict with such activities as public lectures or music rehearsals. Faculty should inform their Department Chair and arrange for classes to be covered if illness or other special circumstances prevent them from meeting a class.

(Revised 13 April 2023)

8.4 Course Size

No classes with an enrollment of less than six students may be taught without permission of the Provost. In the event a course is canceled for lack of sufficient enrollment, its instructor should be prepared to teach another course or take on other responsibilities. Limits should be placed on the maximum size of courses only for an excellent cause and with the approval of the department chairperson and the Provost.

8.4.1 Permission of Instructor

It has been voted by the faculty that “permission of the instructor” may be used as a prerequisite for enrollment in a course for the following reasons:

1. to determine students’ academic qualifications for the course;
2. to explain the nature of the course and its requirements to prospective students or to provide material such as reading lists or syllabi;
3. to insure sufficient space for majors in courses required for majors.

8.4.2 Class Rosters

Class lists for the current semester are available to instructors on Self-Service and are automatically updated whenever registration changes are processed. Rosters should be checked frequently against actual attendance. Non-attendance of registered students should be reported to the Center for Student Success via Academic Performance Reports (APRs) as soon as the situation comes to the instructor’s attention.

Attendance by non-registered students should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.

(Revised Spring 2023)

8.5 Graduation

The faculty confers degrees on three separate occasions during the academic year: at the beginning of the Fall semester, at the beginning of the Spring semester, and at the end of the Spring semester immediately preceding the Commencement ceremony. Most graduates receive their degrees in May.

8.5.1 Procedure

1. The Registrar’s Office maintains a list of candidates for graduation. After the conclusion of the drop period for fall semester, the Registrar’s Office prepares a list of all students likely to be able to graduate at the conclusion of spring semester. This list will be shared via Google Doc with all faculty advisors, who will check their advisees to see if the students on the list are on track to graduate and to see if any student has been inadvertently omitted. Faculty should report any changes in a student’s graduation status to the Registrar’s Office. Students approved for degree conferral are eligible to receive a diploma provided they have satisfied all program requirements once final grades are posted and they have settled their accounts satisfactorily with respective campus offices.
2. After the spring semester drop deadline, the Registrar will share with faculty as part of the agenda for a regular faculty meeting, the list of candidates eligible for degree conferral. Faculty will review the list and inform the Registrar of any errors. The corrected list will then become the approved candidate roster. During the faculty meeting, the Registrar will request Power to Act; conferring candidates’ degrees and Latin Honors once final grades are posted. The only students appearing on the list will be those anticipated to complete all degree requirements by the end of May. The list of graduation candidates whose degree will not be conferred will be shared with faculty upon request.
3. The Registrar’s Office will confer degrees and Latin Honors after final grades post in May for May graduates and in August for September graduates. Final lists will be presented to faculty at the first or second faculty meeting of the fall semester as a FYI along with final Latin Honors.

(Revised 19 February 2016, 26 April 2018, 4 October 2018, Spring 2023, 7 December 2023)

8.6 Commencement

Formal Commencement exercises are held once each year in May. All faculty are expected to participate in Commencement unless excused in advance by the Provost; faculty members are responsible for procuring appropriate academic costume.

8.6.1 Student Participation in Commencement  

Students are permitted only one opportunity to participate in the annual Commencement exercise in May, that being the year in which their name appears on the Commencement program. Students should be aware that participation in the Commencement exercise is not equivalent to graduation from the College and that, if they “walk” before their graduation requirements have been completed, they will not be permitted to walk again when they do graduate. The Commencement program will state that all degrees are awarded “subject to the completion of all requirements.” Latin Honors will be announced at the ceremony only for graduates and for co-op students who have completed their Allegheny coursework; other students who graduate afterwards and are eligible to receive Latin Honors at that time will have the appropriate honor noted on the diploma and transcript.

8.6.2 Participation Criteria Policy

Students who meet all of the following criteria are eligible to participate in the annual May Commencement exercise:

1. Students must not have participated in a previous Commencement ceremony nor had their names published in a previous Commencement program.
    
2. Only current students and graduates may participate in Commencement. Students must not have voluntarily withdrawn nor been dismissed or suspended from the College at the time of the Commencement ceremony.
    
3. Students must belong to one of the categories below:
   1. Graduates. This includes students who have graduated since the previous Commencement as well as students who complete their graduation requirements during the Spring semester immediately preceding Commencement.
       
   2. Anticipated graduates. Students whose anticipated graduation date falls within the nine months following the Commencement date may elect to participate in the ceremony, though their degrees and Latin Honors (if applicable) will not be conferred until all graduation requirements have been met, nor will Latin Honors be announced at Commencement for anticipated graduates.
       
   3. Co-op students. Students participating in approved cooperative (3-1; 3-2; 3-3) programs who are making satisfactory progress in their post-Allegheny programs are permitted to participate in Commencement exercises with the rest of their entering class. Appropriate documentation (transcripts and/or proof of enrollment) must be submitted to the Allegheny Registrar’s Office to verify that the student is making satisfactory progress. The Allegheny degree will not be conferred until the terms of agreement for the cooperative program have been completed satisfactorily.
4. Students must comply with all published procedures and deadlines related to participation in the Commencement exercise.

8.6.3 Petitions to “Walk”

Students who do not meet the above criteria for participation in Commencement in a given year may petition to be allowed to participate. Such requests must be submitted in writing to the Academic Standards and Awards Committee and must include the written endorsement of the student’s academic advisor.

The responsibility lies with the student to make a compelling case for why an exception to the College policy should be made. The decision of the Academic Standards Committee in these matters is final. In its periodic reports to the Faculty, the Academic Standards Committee will include data on the number of petitions and their disposition.

This policy is under the purview of the Academic Standards and Awards Committee. Changes are subject to a vote of the Faculty.

(19 February 2015, Revised Spring 2023)

8.7 The Academic Calendar

8.7.1 Semester Weeks

Each semester will consist of 15 weeks.

8.1.2 Final Examinations

There will be 4 days allotted for final examinations. The final examination period will be preceded by two days without classes (a weekend in the fall semester and weekdays in the spring semester).

A typical exam schedule is:

It is unlikely that a student will have three examinations scheduled on the same day or two at the same time. However, this is a possibility and faculty should be aware of it and must make allowances per the policy on Principles Governing Exceptions to Final Examination Schedules in the Academic Bulletin..

8.7.3 Calendar Guidelines

The following guidelines are used to determine the Academic Calendar for a given year:

FALL CALENDAR GUIDELINES

1. Matriculation will be on a Monday falling between 8/22 and 8/28 inclusive.
    
2. The first day of classes will be the Tuesday after Matriculation.
    
3. Classes will not meet on Labor Day.
    
4. Fall Break will be Thursday and Friday of the second week in October.
    
5. The Fall programming day (“Gator Day”) will be the first Tuesday after November 1.
    
6. There will be no classes the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of Thanksgiving week.
    
7. The last day of Fall classes will be a Friday falling between 12/3 and 12/8 inclusive.
    
8. Finals will begin on the Monday following the last day of classes. Finals will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. 

SPRING CALENDAR GUIDELINES

1. Classes will begin on a Monday falling between 1/12 and 1/18 inclusive unless Martin Luther King Day falls during that week, in which case classes will begin on Tuesday.
    
2. Classes will not meet on Martin Luther King Day.
    
3. Declaration Day will be the first Monday in April. Classes will not meet.
    
4. Recharge Recess will be the second Thursday and Friday in April. Classes will not meet.
    
5. Spring Break will begin on the seventh Saturday after classes start.
    
6. The last day of Spring classes will be on the Monday immediately preceding the 16th Tuesday after the beginning of classes and will normally fall between 4/26 and 5/3 inclusive.
    
7. Cook-Lahti Scholars Symposium and Honors Convocation will be held the Tuesday following the last day of classes.
    
8. Finals will begin on the Thursday following the last day of classes. Finals will be held on Thursday, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday.
    
9. Commencement will be on the Saturday following finals and will normally fall between 5/8 and 5/15 inclusive.

SUMMER CALENDAR GUIDELINES

1. The “Summer Semester” will last from the Monday following Commencement until the Friday preceding Matriculation. This would be for administrative purposes only, and no classes would be taught for that entire period. “Sessions” will be taught within the Summer Semester as follows:
    
2. Summer Term I
   1. Classes will begin the Monday immediately following Commencement.
       
   2. There will be no classes on Memorial Day, unless this is impractical, as in the case of a travel seminar.
       
   3. The last day of classes will be the fourth Monday after the start of the session.
       
   4. As appropriate, time for final examinations shall be built into this schedule by course instructors.
3. Summer Term II
   1. Classes will begin the Tuesday following the last day of Summer Term I
       
   2. There will be no classes on Independence Day. If Independence Day falls on a weekend, there will be no classes the following Monday. If Independence Day falls on a Tuesday there will be no classes the immediately preceding Monday. If Independence Day falls on a Thursday there will be no classes the immediately following Friday.
       
   3. The last day of classes will be the 35th business day inclusive after the start of the session, but not counting the holidays as per (ii) above.
       
   4. As appropriate, time for final examinations shall be built into this schedule by course instructors.
4. Summer Enrichment Sessions
   1. These terms will float within the “Summer Semester” and will usually last for two weeks.
       
   2. Students who have matriculated at Allegheny College are ineligible to register for classes during Summer Enrichment Sessions.

See Appendix I for the Academic Calendars.

“MODULE” (7-WEEK) COURSE GUIDELINES

Each of the Fall and Spring semesters will have two “module” (7-week) sessions, Module A and Module B. Module A courses will cover the first seven weeks of the semester, from the first day of the semester to the last day of the seventh week. Module B courses will cover the second seven weeks of the semester, from the first day of the eighth week to the last day of the semester. Module courses will be denoted by an A or B preceding the section designation, e.g., CHEM*119*A0. Module A courses will be immediately followed by a one-week period for final examinations. Module B courses will make use of the end-of-semester final examination period.

“SHORT” COURSE GUIDELINES

Each of the Fall and Spring semesters may contain floating “short” courses. These are special topics whose duration is less than a half semester (7 week module) and that are not a recurring part of the curriculum. Typical uses for short courses are courses offered in conjunction with the campus visit of a scholar with exceptional expertise or experience. The dates for these courses must be contained within the inclusive dates of the Fall or Spring semester, as appropriate. Short courses will be denoted by an S preceding the section designation, e.g., POLSC*190*S0.

(Revised 9 December 2011, 13 May 2016, 7 December 2017, 26 April 2018, 10 May 2019, 12 March 2020, 24 February 2022, Spring 2023, 7 December 2023)

8.8 Student Course Loads

The usual academic load is 16 semester hours in each semester and 32 semester hours for the year. Students may take up to 20 semester hours per semester without special permission. Students must take at least 12 credits in a semester to be considered full time. 

8.9 Add/Drop Period

Students may add and drop Fall or Spring 14-week courses through the first two weeks of the semester. Students may add and drop Fall or Spring 7-week courses through the first two weeks of the module in which the course is offered. Students may add and drop Fall or Spring “short” (less than 7-week) courses through the first week of the period in which the course is offered, as posted on Self-Service, or the last day of the posted period of the course, whichever is sooner. Students may add and drop Summer semester courses through the first business day of each of the summer terms.

8.9.1 Add/Drop Procedures

To add or drop any class, students must adjust their schedules in Self-Service (if it is open to do so) by the deadlines published in the on-line Academic Calendar. Students intending to add a course after classes begin must secure the written permission of the instructor and notify their advisor; those wishing to drop a class must notify both the instructor and advisor. Students should be aware that, after a class starts, instructors will become increasingly reluctant to admit additional students. Courses dropped will not appear on the official transcript but will appear, as appropriate, on the academic record maintained by the College.

8.9.2 Credit/No Credit

If students wish to take a course on the Credit/No Credit basis, they must inform the Registrar by the end of the second week of classes for fourteen-week courses or, for seven-week modules only, by the end of the second week of the course. The Credit/No Credit Form is located on the Registration Forms Online page on the Registrar’s website. Students are cautioned that some courses may not be taken using this option and that no more than four credits per semester (16 credits total for the degree) may be taken on the Credit/No Credit basis. Courses not eligible for the Credit/No Credit system so are indicated in the College Academic Bulletin.

Starting Fall 2024:
First time and transfer students in their first year of study at Allegheny College who wish to take a 14-week course on the Credit/No Credit basis must obtain their advisor’s approval and submit the appropriate request to the Registrar’s Office by the first day of the tenth week of the semester. Students who wish to do so in a 7-week course have through the first four weeks of the course.

8.9.3 Withdrawal after the Add/Drop Period

Students who withdraw from the College between the conclusion of the second week of the semester and the last day of classes will receive the grade of “WC” for all courses for which they are registered. This will not affect the grade point average.

(Revised 26 April 2018, Spring 2023)

8.10 Student Withdrawals 

Student Withdrawal Policies are housed in the Academic Bulletin.

Withdrawal From Course

Withdrawing From a Course in Course Registration.

Withdrawal from All Classes

Leaves of Absence and Withdrawal From the College.

8.11 Academic Costume

Members of the faculty are asked to provide themselves with academic costume for Commencement, Matriculation and other occasions when it is required. Members not owning costumes may arrange to rent them through the Bookstore at least four weeks in advance of the event. Costumes may also be purchased through the Bookstore at cost plus shipping.