Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations shsAdminAcademic regulations policies provide UMass Amherst faculty and students with guidelines about academic enrollment, goals, and progress; operational procedures such as attendance and major changes; the academic grievance procedure; and more. These policies are for the benefit of the university and that of external audiences, such as accrediting agencies, professional bodies, and society in general.
Academic Regulations > Academic Honesty Policy
Academic Regulations > Academic Honesty Policy shsAdminAll members of the University community must participate in the development of a climate conducive to academic honesty. While the faculty, because of their unique role in the educational process, have the responsibility for defining, encouraging, fostering, and upholding the ethic of academic honesty, students have the responsibility of conforming in all respects to that ethic.
Intellectual honesty requires that students demonstrate their own learning during examinations and other academic exercises, and that other sources of information or knowledge be appropriately credited. Scholarship depends upon the reliability of information and reference in the work of others. Student work at the University may be analyzed for originality of content. Such analysis may be done electronically or by other means. Student work may also be included in a database for the purpose of checking for possible plagiarized content in future student submissions. No form of cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or facilitating of dishonesty will be condoned in the University community.
Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to:
- Cheating - intentional use, and/or attempted use of trickery, artifice, deception, breach of confidence, fraud and/or misrepresentation of one's academic work.
- Fabrication - intentional and unauthorized falsification and/or invention of any information or citation in any academic exercise.
- Plagiarism - knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own work in any academic exercise. This includes submitting without citation, in whole or in part, prewritten term papers of another or the research of another, including but not limited to commercial vendors who sell or distribute such materials.
- Facilitating dishonesty - knowingly helping or attempting to help another commit an act of academic dishonesty, including substituting for another in an examination, or allowing others to represent as their own one's papers, reports, or academic works.
Sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty. Any person who has reason to believe that a student has committed academic dishonesty should bring such information to the attention of the appropriate course instructor as soon as possible.
Formal definitions of academic dishonesty, examples of various forms of dishonesty, and the procedures which faculty must follow to penalize dishonesty are detailed on the Academic Honesty website. Appeals must be filed within ten days of notification by the Academic Honesty Office that a formal charge has been filed by an instructor that s/he suspects dishonesty. Contact the Academic Honesty Office for more information on the process. The Ombuds Office is also available to support individuals engaging with the Academic Honesty process. The Provost’s Office is where appeals are processed and filed.
1. Statement of Policy
Since the integrity of the academic enterprise of any institution of higher education requires honesty in scholarship and research, academic honesty is required of all students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University, including online courses. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty. [See Appendix B for detailed examples of behavior that constitutes academic dishonesty.] Appropriate sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty.
Instructors should take reasonable steps to address academic misconduct. [See Appendix C for some suggested ways to deal with issues of academic integrity.] Any person who has reason to believe that a student has committed academic dishonesty should bring such information to the attention of the appropriate course instructor upon discovery. Instances of academic dishonesty not related to a specific course should be brought to the attention of the appropriate department head or chair. The procedures outlined below are intended to provide an efficient and orderly process by which action may be taken if it appears that academic dishonesty has occurred and by which students may appeal such actions.
Since students are expected to be familiar with this policy and the commonly accepted standards of academic integrity, ignorance of such standards is not normally sufficient evidence of lack of intent.
2. Statement of Process
These procedures apply to all students and instructors and other instructional staff participating in academic classes, programs, and research projects offered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, i.e., all graduate, undergraduate, and Continuing and Professional Education programs including all online/distance learning courses. If a student is conducting paid or sponsored work under the auspices of a research project led by a Principal Investigator employed at UMass, then research that they conduct in that context falls under the UMass Board of Trustees Responsible Conduct of Research Policy and the UMass Amherst Research Misconduct Procedures should there be an accusation of misconduct. If a student conducts research independently as part of class or degree work, then this activity falls under the Academic Honesty Policy.
With the exception of cases falling under the UMass Amherst Research Misconduct Procedures, the procedures outlined herein are the only official procedures for addressing charges of academic dishonesty. No school, college, department, instructor, or office on the Amherst campus may impose any penalty for suspected academic dishonesty, nor require a student to appeal, through any other procedure, except as otherwise noted in the previous sentence.
- The Academic Honesty Office
The Academic Honesty Office is responsible for maintaining records, advising all concerned parties about their rights and responsibilities under this procedure, and convening hearing panels. As process manager, the Office has the discretion to extend timelines; if warranted, the Office may contract timelines (with the agreement of the parties) during sessions outside the regular academic year. - The Academic Honesty Office shall maintain records of all allegations that come to its attention, and of all hearing panel proceedings in accordance with University record retention polices.
- The Academic Honesty Board
There shall be an Academic Honesty Board comprised of a minimum of twelve members of the faculty, six undergraduate students, and six graduate students. Instructor appointments shall be made by the Faculty Senate and shall include at least one faculty member from each school or college. Student appointments shall be made by the respective governance bodies, with representation from diverse academic areas. Each appointment shall be for a term of three years. To ensure due process, if a sufficient number of timely appointments are not made by the respective governance bodies, such appointments may be made by the Academic Honesty Office (in consultation with the appropriate governance body where possible). Members of the Board will serve on hearing panels as described below. - Procedures for Instructors
An instructor who suspects that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty may not impose a penalty on the student without notifying the student of the suspicion and of the instructor’s intended penalty. Faculty are encouraged to consider the seriousness of each specific incident and to recommend an appropriate sanction. Students must be afforded the right of appeal, and the right to remain in the class until the issue is resolved. While a charge is pending (informal, formal, or appeal), a course grade may not be submitted. In place of a grade, the instructor should email the Registrar’s office and request that an NR grade be added to the electronic grade roster. In pursuing allegations of academic dishonesty, instructors are required to respect the student’s right to privacy as provided by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). [See also Records of Allegations, Appeals, and Sanctions]- Student Conference
- An instructor suspecting academic dishonesty must offer the student a reasonable opportunity to discuss the situation prior to taking any action. When an instructor suspects dishonesty, he/she must notify the student in writing within ten business days. If the notification is by email, it must be sent to the student’s official University email address and may also be sent to any other email address provided by the student to the instructor. Notification should specify how long the student has to respond, which should be no fewer than five business days. If the student accepts the instructor’s offer to meet, the instructor may include the department head or designee in the meeting; failure to do so does not invalidate the process.
- The instructor may conclude that no academic dishonesty has occurred. Following such discussion, if the instructor is satisfied that no academic dishonesty has occurred, the instructor will evaluate the student’s work as though the suspicion of academic dishonesty had never been raised.
- The student does not respond. If the student does not respond, the instructor may decide to file a formal charge.
- Informal Process
The instructor and the student may arrive at an agreement to resolve the matter informally. The instructor and student may agree that there was no intentional breach of the Academic Honesty Policy on the part of the student or that there were circumstances mitigating the seriousness of the offense. They may agree on an informal means of resolving the matter. Informal resolutions could include, for example, redoing an assignment, doing additional work, or a grade penalty (for either the assignment or the course, up to and including failure of the course). An instructor may not impose a university sanction through the informal resolution process. No student may be forced in any way to agree to a proposed informal resolution of an allegation of academic dishonesty.
Informal resolutions of allegations of academic dishonesty may not be appealed. If a student wishes to contest an allegation of academic dishonesty rather than agree to an informal resolution, the instructor must issue a formal charge. Informal resolutions are to be forwarded to the Academic Honesty Office only, which will maintain a confidential record of all such resolutions, except in the case(s) of student(s) participating in the University’s ROTC program, in which case the appropriate ROTC unit will be informed of the informal resolution. Instructors shall use the form provided in Appendix D to report informal resolutions. A third (and any subsequent) informal resolution will establish a record of academic dishonesty [see Records of Allegations, Appeals, and Sanctions] and a University Sanction Hearing [See Multiple Offenses] will be held to determine whether sanctions should be imposed.
- Formal Process
If no informal agreement is reached and an instructor wishes to sanction the student, the instructor must file a formal charge and must notify the Academic Honesty Office of the intended sanction. This begins the formal process. The instructor may file a formal charge of academic dishonesty by notifying the Academic Honesty Office within fifteen business days of any of the following:- the student admits to the alleged dishonesty, but the student and the instructor are unable to reach an informal resolution
- the student denies the allegation but the instructor continues to believe that the dishonesty has occurred
- the student does not respond to the allegation by the stipulated date
- the instructor wishes to impose a university sanction.
- Student Conference
The instructor must send this written notification to the Academic Honesty Office and should retain a copy. Instructors must use the form provided in Appendix D to file formal charges. The instructor’s notification to the Office must include a statement of the evidence that is the basis of the allegation and the intended sanction. An instructor may impose a grade sanction, including a failing grade for the course. The sanction may not be implemented except as outlined in Appeals of Charges and Sanctions. If the instructor believes that the alleged dishonesty warrants an additional sanction, the instructor may also recommend to the Academic Honesty Office that a University sanction be imposed, including, but not limited to, a letter of reprimand, University probation, suspension or expulsion (in the case of probation or suspension, duration must be specified). A recommendation for a University sanction must include the rationale for imposing an additional sanction and requires that a hearing be held as outlined in Appeals of Charges and Sanctions.
N.B. If an informal agreement is reached after a formal charge has been forwarded to the Academic Honesty Office, the instructor must immediately notify the Academic Honesty Office in writing that the charge is withdrawn.
- Notification of Charge of Academic Dishonesty
The Academic Honesty Office notifies the student of the charge and the right to appeal. Upon receipt of the formal charge from the instructor, the Academic Honesty Office will issue an official notification of the charge to the student including the right to appeal, and the timelines for doing so (See Appeals of Charges and Sanctions). The Office will send this notice and a copy of the charge to the student within five business days of receiving the instructor’s formal charge of academic dishonesty. Should the charge proceed to a hearing, the hearing panel cannot impose a more severe sanction than that specified by the instructor. - Appeals of Charges and Sanctions
- If the student does not appeal an instructor’s allegation or intended sanction, the sanction will be implemented. If a student does not file an appeal by the date specified in the Notification of Charge of Academic Dishonesty, no hearing will be held, and the Academic Honesty Office will facilitate the implementation of the sanction by notifying the instructor, the Dean of Students Office and the appropriate registrar.
- The student may appeal the instructor’s decision and intended sanction. If the student denies the allegation of academic dishonesty or wishes to appeal the penalty imposed by the instructor, an appeal may be filed with the Academic Honesty Office. This appeal must be in writing and submitted to the Academic Honesty Office within ten business days of the Office’s official notification to the student. The student’s notice of appeal should describe in detail any relevant evidence and line of argument. [See Appendix D for a suggested format.] The Academic Honesty Office will notify the instructor of the student’s appeal. A course grade may not be submitted until the appeal process has been completed. In place of a grade, the instructor should email the Registrar’s office and request that an NR grade be added to the electronic grade roster.
- A hearing of the appeal will be held within fifteen business days of the notice of appeal. If the notice of appeal is received by the Academic Honesty Office with fewer than fifteen business days remaining in the semester, the appeal process will begin with the opening of the following semester. The process may, however, go forward during intersession or the summer if the student so requests, the instructor can be present, and Academic Honesty Board members are available. Students’ and instructors’ rights and obligations in the hearing process are described in Conduct of the Hearing.
- In situations where more than one student is charged related to the same incident, appeals may be heard in a joint hearing, upon request of the students and with agreement of the faculty member. In a joint hearing, the panel will consider each appeal separately and may recommend different outcomes.
- A hearing will be scheduled automatically upon recommendation of University sanction(s). An instructor may recommend to the Academic Honesty Office that a University sanction (such as a letter of reprimand, University probation, suspension or expulsion) be imposed in addition to a course sanction. In this case, a hearing panel must review the matter and make a recommendation to the Provost or designee [see Multiple Offenses and University Sanctions].
- Hearing Panels
When a student files an appeal, the Academic Honesty Office will convene a panel to hear the appeal. The Hearing Panel will evaluate all evidence and arguments presented to it by the student and the instructor, and will inform the Academic Honesty Office of its findings within five business days of the conclusion of the hearing. No evidence in addition to that submitted to the Academic Honesty Office [noted in bullet (i) above] may be submitted at the hearing without the permission of the chair of the Hearing Panel. The Hearing Panel will keep in confidence all matters which come before it. Its members will not communicate with each other about the nature of the allegations or the appeal prior to the hearing.
A Hearing Panel will be composed of five disinterested members of the Academic Honesty Board. Three will be members of the faculty, and two will be students of the same status (i.e., graduate or undergraduate) as the student in the case. If the instructor is a graduate student, one of the instructor members on the Panel may be replaced by a graduate student who is or has been a teaching assistant or teaching associate on the Amherst campus. One of the faculty members on the Panel shall serve as chair. A hearing may proceed with fewer than five members, but only with the consent of the student and the instructor. For appeals which proceed during the sessions outside the regular academic year, a Hearing Panel may be composed of three members: two faculty members one of whom will serve as chair, and one student of the same graduate or undergraduate status as the student in the case. - Conduct of the Hearing
The Academic Honesty Office is responsible for the reasonable implementation of these rules.- Materials available to participants: At least seven business days prior to the hearing, the student and the instructor should submit to the Academic Honesty Office copies of any materials they wish the Hearing Panel to consider, so that the Office may distribute them to the other party and the Hearing Panel for review prior to the hearing. Any new materials submitted at the hearing will be accepted only at the discretion of the chair of the Hearing Panel.
- Persons present at the hearing: In addition to the Hearing Panel, only the following persons may be present at the hearing: a) the student(s); b) the instructor(s); c) Academic Honesty Office staff who will serve as administrative support for the Hearing Panel; d) an advisor for the student and for the instructor (who may confer with and advise the student or instructor during the course of the hearing, but who may not directly address the Hearing Panel except with consent of the Hearing Panel; the advisor may not be an attorney or an employee of an attorney); e) witnesses (who may be present at the hearing only when they are presenting evidence); f) one non-participating observer for each party may be present at a hearing (who may be an attorney or an employee of an attorney); g) other persons, at the sole discretion of the Hearing Panel.
The Hearing Panel may proceed with the hearing and make its findings even in the absence of the student(s), the instructor(s), witness(es), or advisor(s) who fail to appear. However, the Hearing Panel may not base its findings on the fact that a person has failed to appear. - Evidence: The Hearing Panel shall base its findings on a preponderance of the evidence. The Hearing Panel need not follow the technical rules of evidence, but evidence shall be admitted only if is the kind of evidence upon which reasonable persons would rely in the conduct of serious affairs. Such evidence might include, for example, documentary evidence such as written assignments, lecture or study notes, quizzes or examinations, and course syllabi, as well as the testimony of witnesses. The Hearing Panel may consider evidence presented by notarized affidavit, giving it such weight as it deems proper. All evidence shall be taken in the presence of all members of the panel and the student and instructor, except where either is absent by default or has waived the right to be present.
- Presentation of the case: The representative of the Academic Honesty Office will make a recording of the hearing. These rules of hearing [Appendix E] will be provided to the parties prior to the hearing and no later than the materials noted in Conduct of the Hearing.
- The Decision of the Hearing Panel
The Hearing Panel will arrive at its findings by simple majority. Findings are final and are binding on all parties unless appealed [see Appeal Options]. If the Panel finds in favor of the student, the instructor must compute the student’s grade as though the suspicion of academic dishonesty had never been raised. If the hearing occurs after the semester in which the allegation was raised, the course grade is to be submitted within fifteen business days.
The Hearing Panel may not impose a sanction more severe than the instructor’s intended sanction. Any decision by the Hearing Panel to modify the instructor’s sanction will require the unanimous agreement of the Hearing Panel and the rationale for so doing shall be explained in the Panel’s report.
The chair will issue the written findings of the Hearing Panel, addressed to the Academic Honesty Office, within five business days of the conclusion of the hearing. The report will state the Panel’s findings, and, if it finds that the allegations against the student were substantiated, the sanction imposed. The Academic Honesty Office will send a written notification to the student, the instructor, and the appropriate administrative offices (See Records of Allegations, Appeals, and Sanctions) within ten business days. In instances where a University sanction is considered, the Hearing Panel may recommend suspension or expulsion only by agreement of 80% or more of the Hearing Panel. If such agreement is not obtained, a lesser sanction and/or a grade of “F” for the course in question will be recommended. If the Panel does recommend a university sanction, the final determination will be made by the Provost or designee, who will then inform the student and the Academic Honesty Office. The Academic Honesty Office will then notify the instructor and the appropriate administrative offices within ten business days. - Administration of Sanctions
The Academic Honesty Office will notify the appropriate administrative offices of the sanction for academic dishonesty. Where a university sanction is recommended, the Provost or designee determines the appropriate sanction, taking into account the recommendation of the Hearing Panel, and authorizes its administration (e.g., by directing the registrar to carry out the suspension or expulsion, or directing the removal of a student from academic employment).
A student may repeat a course in which he/she has received a grade sanction for academic dishonesty. However, the grade substitution policy will not apply. The grade submitted as a course sanction will continue to be counted in the student’s cumulative grade point average.
Stay of Sanctions – No sanction will be imposed on the student until all appeals have been concluded. All appeals should be resolved within six months of the filing of the original appeal. - Appeal Options
The Hearing Panel’s judgments are final, and may not be appealed except on the basis of a violation of the Rules of Hearing or on the basis of new evidence.
Violation of the Rules of Hearing: A violation is defined as a failure to comply with the Rules of Hearing, at the hearing, such that the failure reasonably may have affected the decision of the Hearing Panel to the harm of the student who has appealed. If either the student or the instructor believes that he or she was denied a reasonable opportunity to present his or her case by the Hearing Panel during the hearing, he or she may appeal in writing to the Provost or designee. This appeal must be made in writing within ten business days of the release of the Panel’s decision and must describe the purported violation of due process. If the Provost or designee finds on behalf of the person making the appeal, the Provost or designee will ask the Academic Honesty Office to appoint a new panel to rehear the case. The decision of the Provost or designee will be based on her/his review of the official record of the hearing (official recording and exhibits). The Provost or designee will rule on the appeal within ten business days of its submission. This procedure shall be deemed to have been exhausted once the ruling of the Provost or designee has been rendered.
New Evidence: In the event that new and compelling evidence not available at the time of the hearing becomes available after the Hearing Panel has rendered its decision, the student may appeal to the Academic Honesty Office for a new hearing within 90 calendar days. The appeal shall be in writing and shall include a detailed description of the new evidence and an explanation as to why the new evidence should alter the initial decision of the Hearing Panel. The Office will respond to the request within ten business days of its submission. The decision of the Academic Honesty Office on this appeal is final. - Multiple Offenses and University Sanctions
A student who is found to have committed more than two acts of academic dishonesty – either through admission, failure to appeal, or finding by a hearing panel – may be subject to additional sanctions, including, but not limited to, suspension or expulsion. This provision will also apply to students who have three or more informal resolutions as well as students who have two informal resolutions and one formal finding of academic dishonesty. The Academic Honesty Office will issue a University Sanction Notification and shall convene a hearing panel to make a recommendation on this matter. The student shall be allowed ten business days to prepare for a hearing on a sanction only. At such a hearing, the Dean of Students or the Dean of the Graduate School (or their designees) will place the matter before the Hearing Panel. Sufficient information about the incidents of academic dishonesty at issue shall be given to the Panel such that the Panel is able to make a reasonable determination as to the appropriateness and nature of additional sanctions, if any.
The Hearing Panel will submit its findings to the Provost or designee according to the provisions of Section II:H. - Records of Allegations, Appeals, and Sanctions
Allegations and charges of academic dishonesty shall be kept confidential. No records shall be maintained by individual faculty or academic departments. The fact that a sanction has been imposed may not be used as the basis of any action relative to the student’s record outside of this process.
Certain exceptions to confidentiality may apply if an act of dishonesty occurs in a classroom, practicum or internship where the student is explicitly bound by formal professional codes or standards. If the incident has been handled according to the Academic Honesty Policy and has resulted in an informal resolution or an uncontested or upheld formal charge, the incident may be reported to the regulating professional organization.
If a student is found to have committed an act of academic dishonesty, the appropriate registrar (graduate, undergraduate, or Continuing and Professional Education) and the Dean of Students Office shall be notified of the sanction by the Academic Honesty Office and shall maintain a confidential record of the sanction imposed. Records of academic dishonesty will be maintained and disposed of according to appropriate University record retention policies. These will include sanctions administered by an instructor without an appeal from the student and sanctions administered based on a finding of a Hearing Panel. Informal resolutions do not establish a discipline record except pursuant to Multiple Offenses and University Sanctions.
The ROTC units (both Army and Air Force) at the University of Massachusetts will be notified of any student involved in any integrity violation which includes Informal Resolutions as well as formal procedures.
University of Massachusetts students enrolled in a course through the Five College Interchange are subject to the standards and procedures in force on the campus where the course is taught. If the University is notified that a student was charged with academic dishonesty and found responsible under another campus’ policy, the charge will be recorded by the University Academic Honesty Office as a formal charge and reported to the appropriate administrative offices as such. When a student from another campus enrolled in a course at the University participates in an informal resolution or is found responsible through a formal charge, the Academic Honesty Office will report this finding to the appropriate administrative office on that student’s home campus.
Source(s): Academic Regulations, Sen. Doc. No. 16-038A
Appendix
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Categories
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Categories shsAdminEnrollment is an official relationship between students and the University. In order to be considered officially enrolled, students must pay all financial obligations to the University and register for courses. Failure to meet either of these conditions means the student is not enrolled for the current semester.
- Full-Time Students
Full-time students are required to carry the minimum load of 12 credits (also known as “units”) each semester. There are cases in which critical health or personal problems cause a student to find, after the Add/Drop period, that he or she must carry fewer than 12 credits. In these cases, the student cannot be certified as full-time, but all University benefits, fees, and obligations applying to full-time students still apply, as do the requirements for academic good standing. The semester will count as one of the ten allowed for graduation. Students with these extenuating circumstances, who find that their lack of full-time status is denying them an important student benefit may, if supported by their academic deans, ask the Registrar to produce a letter citing the extenuating circumstances that have led to the drop from full-time status. Such letters may or may not be instrumental in convincing an off-campus entity to grant the student the benefits of a full-time student. Students in approved cooperative education programs, administered through the University's Field Experience Office, in which the amount of work performed is equivalent to the academic workload of a full-time student, will also be considered full-time students. In these cases, however, the usual University benefits, fees, and obligations applying to full-time students do not still apply. - Part-Time Degree-Seeking Students
Part-time is an original admissions category for students who are admitted as candidates for a degree, but who cannot devote their full time to the pursuit of a degree. In addition, full-time students may become part-time. A change in status may be requested during the registration or Add/Drop periods for the semester in which the change of status is sought. Full-time students in good academic standing may elect part-time status without Dean's approval. In all instances, the Registrar's Office must be notified on the appropriate forms available from that office. Part-time students are subject to all academic regulations and standards. (See Section III Academic Status). - Special Students (Non-Degree-Seeking Students)
Special student status is a limited non-degree admission category for those who wish to enroll in regular University courses and who are not presently pursuing a degree.- If a Special Student is later admitted to a University degree program, the prematriculation record will be evaluated in accordance with provisions stated in Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (see Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls).
- Students who withdraw in good standing from an undergraduate degree program and who wish to enroll on a non-degree basis must notify the Registrar of their desire to change their status (see Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls).
- Students who have been suspended or dismissed from an undergraduate degree program may not be admitted to Special Student status.
- University Without Walls Students
Anyone with a high school degree or its equivalent may register for undergraduate courses in University Without Walls, except as restricted by academic status (see Section III Academic Status). Students may apply to a degree program within University Without Walls, or enroll in courses offered by University Without Walls as non-degree students. The satisfaction of undergraduate degree program requirements with courses offered by University Without Walls is restricted by other policies (see Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls).- Degree Seeking Students: Students admitted to degree programs in University Without Walls are normally those who need to do their coursework via evening study or via online learning. Most are part-time students. These students must meet general University admission standards in order to matriculate. Students may select the Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) program available only through University Without Walls, which requires an individual concentration in lieu of a traditional major, or an academic program sponsored by a School or College within the University and approved for such enrollment by the Provost's Office. Students may also select the BGS as a second bachelor's degree.
- Concurrent Enrollments: Students who have been admitted to a degree program in the University are normally expected to complete their degree requirements after matriculation by enrollment in regular University courses. However, in some circumstances, detailed in Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls, students may enroll in courses offered by University Without Walls, and in regular University courses. In this case, the two enrollments will be merged on the students' official records and transcripts for that semester. University Without Walls course registration fees must be paid in addition to regular University tuition and fees.
- Non-Degree-Seeking Students: Those students registering for courses offered by University Without Walls who are not classified in numbers 1 and 2 above are considered non-degree students. If a non-degree student is accepted to a regular University degree program, the application to that degree program of the courses completed while a nondegree University Without Walls student is governed by regulations detailed in Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls. Once a student has been enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at the University, a student may not be classified as a University Without Walls non-degree student, except a student who has been suspended or dismissed and has permission from his or her undergraduate dean to enroll in courses offered by the Division will be classified as a non-degree University Without Walls student.
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Academic Status
Academic Regulations > Academic Status shsAdminStudents' academic status is determined by their cumulative grade point averages. Effective with the Fall 1993 semester the number of units (credits) completed toward the degree for students enrolled after 1993 will not be a criterion for academic good standing. However, see paragraph A. Good Standing, below, for restrictions. Academic Suspension, Academic Dismissal, and Immediate Reinstatement will be permanently recorded on students' official transcripts. An Academic Warning will not appear on the official transcript. However, all Academic Warnings, Academic Probations and Probations Continued, as well as all Academic Suspensions, Academic Dismissals and Immediate Reinstatements will be permanently recorded on internal academic records.
- Good Standing
Students are in good academic standing when their cumulative grade point average is 2.000 or above. This requirement applies to full-time and part-time students, and applies equally to those who were admitted as first year and as transfer students. The average number of units earned per semester is not used in the determination of good academic standing. However, the Registrar's Office will issue a credit alert service indicator to all students who have earned less than an average of 12 graduation credits per semester (e.g., a student who has completed fewer than 48 credits after four semesters, fewer than 60 credits after five semesters). The Registrar's Office will continue to issue this service indicator every semester in which a student continue to fall below the 12-credit per semester minimum average. In addition, if a student does not complete at least 48 degree credits by the end of four semesters, the student will be required to obtain approval of an academic plan for graduation by the departmental chief undergraduate adviser or college/school academic dean. The student will not be allowed to enroll in courses at the University until an academic plan is approved. Students who fail to fulfill the conditions of their academic plan in subsequent semesters may be prevented from registering for courses by their academic deans. - Academic Warning
Students whose cumulative average is 2.000 or above, but whose semester average is less than 2.000, will be sent a warning indicating that they should consult with their academic dean. - Academic Probation
Students whose cumulative average falls below 2.000 will be placed on Academic Probation. Students who have been placed on Academic Probation or who have received a second consecutive Academic Warning should contact their academic dean (NOTE: these are students with acceptable CUM GPA that repeatedly do not meet minimum term GPA requirements.) - Academic Suspension
Students on Probation who fail to achieve or maintain good standing in any subsequent semester will be placed on Academic Suspension unless an appeal is granted. Suspended students may not enroll in the succeeding Fall or Spring semester (see paragraph G. Appeals Process). Suspension is a one semester separation from the University including University Without Walls. Following one semester on Academic Suspension, students who file an Application for Re enrollment with the Registrar’s Office (by March 15 for the Fall semester or October 15 for the Spring semester) are entitled to re-enroll.
Upon re-enrollment, students returning from suspension shall confer with their academic deans prior to re-enrollment.- Probation Continued: Students who are subject to Academic Suspension, yet whose semester's work shows substantial improvement, may be placed on Probation Continued at the discretion of their Academic Dean.
- Immediate Reinstatement: Students who are suspended may be granted an Immediate Reinstatement by an academic dean or the Committee on Admission and Records. Immediate reinstatement status grants the student an additional semester to achieve good standing. Students on Immediate Reinstatement status who fail to achieve good standing will be dismissed.
- Academic Dismissal
Academic Dismissal is a permanent separation from the University. Students who are readmitted after any Academic Suspension and fail to achieve or maintain good standing in any subsequent semester will be placed on Academic Dismissal unless an appeal is granted (see paragraph G. Appeals Process). - Academic Status and Grade Changes
The academic status earned by a student shall remain in effect even if he/she receives a retroactive grade change that positively affects the cumulative and term GPA.- The following are exceptions to this policy:
- the original grade was a mistake and is corrected by the professor, or
- the original grade was an INC which is converted to a grade within 4 weeks of the start of the subsequent semester.
- Suspended or Dismissed students are not eligible to enroll in University Without Walls. Although academic standing is determined on the basis of prior coursework, due to the timing of registration and academic discipline matters, students may complete a course for which they registered before suspension or dismissal occurred that is offered during the immediately subsequent University Without Walls session (Winter or Summer Session I only). However, such a course would not be considered as supporting evidence in an appeal of a suspension or dismissal unless both of the following are true: first, a passing grade in the course would allow a student to reach a cumulative grade point average of 2.000 or higher (Good Standing); and second, the course has been identified by the academic dean as an appropriate choice toward achieving academic progress (e.g. coursework that satisfies general education or major requirements).
- The following are exceptions to this policy:
- Appeals Process
Students have the right to appeal their academic status. Authority for determining students' academic status resides with the Committee on Admissions and Records. Students must consult with their dean about petitions and appeals procedures. All cases will be reviewed individually. Ordinarily documentation will be required.- All such appeals must be initiated in writing through the academic dean in the school or college in which the student is enrolled. Decisions made by the deans may be appealed to the Committee on Admissions and Records.
- Appeals of Suspension or Dismissal may be made on the following grounds:
- Substantial academic progress.
- Course work completed after the initial decision.
- Financial difficulties.
- Health problems.
- Extenuating personal circumstances.
Other academic reasons.
- Academic Status and Financial Aid Eligibility
Federal and state regulations require that recipients of financial aid maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward a degree or eligible certificate program of study. There are "qualitative" and "quantitative" standards that must be met to maintain eligibility for federal and state financial aid programs. These standards include maintaining a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.000 after four terms and the completion of the undergraduate degree within ten semesters (see paragraph j. Semester Count (Total Terms) for more information on how total terms, including transferred credits, are calculated). Students who fail to satisfy SAP requirements will be notified that their state and federal aid eligibility may be revoked and advised of a financial aid conditional probation or an appeals process. This policy is reviewed and revised periodically to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Additional information is available at the Financial Aid Office. - Academic Status and Student Athletes
NCAA legislation requires satisfactory academic progress in order for an athlete to remain eligible. For guidelines, contact the Athletic Department. - Semester Count (Total Terms)
For the purpose of determining the ten semester statute of limitations for the completion of degree requirements, a semester count is determined as follows:- Each semester of enrollment as a full-time student at the University (see Section II Enrollment Categories, paragraph Full-Time Students) is counted as one semester, independent of the number of credits (units) taken or passed. However, students who enroll in fewer than 12 credits in a semester will not be certified by the University as fulltime during that semester for financial aid or any other purpose.
- For students engaged in part-time study (see Section II Enrollment Categories. Part-Time Degree-Seeking Students), twelve (12) credits will be considered the equivalent of one semester. Students involved in part-time study must complete their last sixty (60) credits within five years.
- Any credits earned prior to matriculation as an undergraduate student on the UMass Amherst campus and accepted as credits for transfer to the University transcript are converted to semester hours, totaled, and divided by 15 to determine an initial semester count. Zero to 14 credits will not count, but will be added to any credits transferred after matriculation for calculation according to number 4 of this section, below. If the number of credits beyond an integer multiple of 15 is 9 or more, they constitute another semester. (Fifteen through 23 transferred credits constitute one semester; 24 through 38 constitute two semesters; 39 through 53 constitute three semesters; 54 through 68 constitute four semesters; 69 through 83 constitute five semesters.)
- Any other credits transferred to the University transcript after matriculation are converted, totaled, and divided by twelve to determine additional equivalent semesters. (For example, 24 through 35 credits constitute two semesters; 36 through 47 constitute three semesters). In this calculation credits remaining beyond an integer multiple of twelve do not count as an additional semester. However, they will be added to subsequent transfer or part-time credits to determine semester count.
- The sum of the semesters calculated in each of the categories above is the semester count, generally referred to in these regulations as semesters of enrollment or as Total Terms.
- In determining semesters at the University, enrollment in courses after matriculation during summer sessions or January intersession on this campus does not affect the calculation of total terms.
- Special Provisions for Reinstatement after Extended Absence from the University (Fresh Start)
Students who return to the University after an absence of at least three years may have their prior work not included in their cumulative grade point average subject to the following conditions:- Re-enrollment to the University must follow normal procedures (e.g., a student who left the University on academic dismissal must petition the Committee on Admissions and Records and justify re-enrollment on the usual grounds).
- A minimum of 45 credits must be taken in residence on the UMass Amherst campus after re-enrollment and before graduation. These credits may include online courses taken at UMass Amherst.
- Courses taken and grades achieved in the first admission will appear on the transcript along with a notation that they are not included in the cumulative average.
- General Education and free elective credits passed with a grade of C- or better in the first admission will be counted toward graduation credit upon re-enrollment but will not be included in the cumulative average.
- Major program courses taken in the first admission must be approved as part of the major program for graduation by the major department. Courses accepted to the major will not be included in the calculation of the major grade point average.
- Those who had left the University in Good Standing or on Probation will have Academic Standing calculations begin at the start of the progression upon their return. Students who, upon departure, had a suspension or dismissal in that final term will continue through the usual academic Standing progression after their return.
- Students who qualify for and wish to choose this option must notify the Registrar as part of the Re-enrollment application. Students may not change the option after they have been readmitted. If students choose this option, it will apply to all prior work at the University. Students may not choose the option retroactively after re-enrollment.
- For the purpose of this policy, an "absence of at least three years" is defined as not having been enrolled in any courses on the Amherst campus for six successive fall and spring semesters or any of the intervening intercessions or summer sessions. Students may not have been enrolled in any regular University courses or any courses offered by University Without Walls during this period.
Source: Academic Regulations; Sen. Doc. No. 05-021
Academic Regulations > Graduation Requirements
Academic Regulations > Graduation Requirements shsAdminStudents must assume responsibility for monitoring their progress toward graduation and the fulfillment of requirements. In order to be graduated, students must be cleared by: (1) their Department, (2) their School or College, and (3) the University. In addition, students must provide the Registrar's Office with accurate information regarding their projected graduation date and degree. If a graduating senior is administratively withdrawn, his/her graduation date will be determined by the date of resolution which clears the outstanding obligation. Students are subject to University graduation requirements published in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs (formerly, the Undergraduate Catalog) in effect when they enter the University, and are subject to the major requirements published in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs in effect when they enter the major. Students who withdraw from and later re-enter the University may be subject to graduation requirements defined in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs in effect at the time they reenter.
The University's graduation requirements are as follows:
A. Credit Requirement: Students must complete a minimum of 120 credits, at least 45 of which must be completed in residence (see paragraph H. Residence Requirements). For exclusions and restrictions, see Section VI Grading System and Credit Guidelines. Individual colleges, schools, and departments may require more than 120 credits.
B. Grade Point Averages: All students must achieve an overall average of at least C (2.000). All students must also achieve a cumulative average of at least C (2.000) in their major.
C. General Education Requirements for Students Entering the University in Fall 2018 or Later: Students must complete a set of course requirements in several different areas. Courses offered by the University that satisfy these requirements are identified by letter designations (except for the Junior Year Writing and Integrative Experience requirements). These areas and requirements are as follows.
- The University Writing Requirement consists of two courses. The Freshman Writing requirement is satisfied by ENGLWRIT 112 or ENGLWRIT 113, College Writing (CW), taken during the freshman year, or by exemption from the requirement through the Placement Exam, SAT/Achievement Test scores, or Advanced Placement test score. The Junior Year Writing requirement (which does not carry a letter designation) is part of the requirements for each student's major.
- Students must take four courses (16 credits) in the Social World curriculum area: four credits in Literature (AL) or the Arts (AT); four credits in Historical Studies (HS); four credits in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB); and an additional four credits in a course holding an AL, AT, or SB designation, or an Interdisciplinary (I) or Science Interdisciplinary (SI) course. Social and Cultural Diversity: Within the four courses listed above students must take one course focusing on UNITED STATES diversity (DU) and one course focusing on GLOBAL diversity (DG). Either a DU or DG course must be taken during the student’s first year on campus.
- Biological and Physical World: Eight credits are required, with at least four credits in a Biological Science (BS) and at least four credits in a Physical Science (PS).
- One Basic Math Skills course (R1) and one Analytic Reasoning course (R2) are required. A student may be exempted from the Basic Math Skills requirement by achieving a sufficiently high score on the Basic Math Skills exemption exams (offered twice each semester). Students not exempted by examination score must take one Basic Math Skills (R1) course. This requirement can also be satisfied with some higher level courses that presuppose knowledge of basic math skills. A student who takes an R2 course listed on the Gen Ed List can satisfy both the R1 and R2 requirements with the same course. All students must take one course in Analytic Reasoning (R2).
- Upper-Division Integrative Experience: The Integrative Experience requirement is part of the requirements of each student’s major, as well as a General Education requirement. Academic departments will provide a list of Integrative Experiences that fulfill the requirement for each major. There is no designation for this requirement.
- In addition to the requirements listed above, transfer students must take two additional 4-unit General Education courses selected from the following categories: Basic Math Skills, Analytical Reasoning, Biological and Physical World, or Social World and Diversity.
NOTE: Only one course from a student’s major department may be applied to General Education requirements.
Students should not elect the Pass/Fail option for courses that they wish to count toward their General Education requirements. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not satisfy General Education, regardless of whether a P (Pass) grade or a letter grade is earned. If a student took a course on a pass/fail basis and wishes to count the course toward a General Education requirement, the student must revoke the pass/fail option through the Registrar’s Office prior to graduation.
Students will not be allowed to use a single course to satisfy more than one General Education requirement, with the following exceptions: 1) all courses holding a Social and Cultural Diversity designation also hold a second designation in the Social World area (AL, AT, HS, SB, I or SI); 2) an R2 course from the R1/R2 list may satisfy both the Basic Math and Analytical Reasoning Requirements.
Students admitted as freshmen who bring in 9 or more course credits (not test credits) taken prior to their enrollment at UMass Amherst may change to transfer requirements by filing a Change to Transfer General Education Requirements form in the Registrar’s Office (213 Whitmore) by the end of their first spring semester.
Students admitted as freshman who later go on a UMass Amherst-approved exchange or study abroad program may change to transfer requirements by filing a Change to Transfer General Education Requirements form in the Registrar’s Office (213 Whitmore.) It is recommended that students file the form as soon as possible following the exchange, but no later than the beginning of their last semester at UMass Amherst.
Students seeking exception to any of the requirements or restrictions of General Education should consult their undergraduate deans. General Education requirements are very strictly enforced, but students with sufficient grounds (e.g., documented misadvising) may submit a written petition with appropriate documentation through their undergraduate academic dean to the General Education Variance Committee, a Subcommittee of the General Education Council.
D. General Education Requirements for Students Entering the University prior in Fall 2010 or Later (and prior to Fall 18): Students must complete a set of course requirements in several different areas. Courses offered by the University that satisfy these requirements are identified by letter designations (except for the Junior Year Writing and Integrative Experience requirements). These areas and requirements are as follows.
- The University Writing Requirement consists of two courses. The Freshman Writing requirement is satisfied by ENGLWRIT 112 or ENGLWRIT 113, College Writing (CW), taken during the freshman year, or by exemption from the requirement through the Placement Exam, SAT/Achievement Test scores, or Advanced Placement test score. The Junior Year Writing requirement (which does not carry a letter designation) is part of the requirements for each student's major.
- Social World courses:
- Four courses distributed as follows: one course in Literature (AL) or the Arts (AT); one course in Historical Studies (HS); one course in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB); and one additional course in any of the following areas within the Social World (AL, AT, I, SI, or SB). Students who enter as freshmen can satisfy each of these requirements with one 4-unit course or two 3-unit courses with the appropriate designation. Transfers can satisfy each of these requirements with one 3- or 4-unit course.
- Interdisciplinary courses: While no student is required to take an Interdisciplinary course, a freshman may elect to take a 4-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed course (I or SI) or two 3-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed courses (I or SI) as the fourth Social World course. Transfers may elect to take a 3-unit or a 4-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed course (I or SI) as the fourth Social World course. No more than three Interdisciplinary Gen Ed courses (I and/or SI) may be applied to Gen Ed and Diversity requirements.
- Two courses in the Biological and Physical World, with one course in a Biological Science (BS) and one course in a Physical Science (PS). Students who enter as freshmen can satisfy each of these requirements with one 4-unit course or two 3-unit courses with the appropriate designation. Transfers can satisfy each of these requirements with one 3- or 4-unit course.
- One Basic Math Skills course and one Analytic Reasoning course. A student may be exempted from the Basic Math Skills requirement by achieving a sufficiently high score on the Basic Math Skills exemption exams (offered twice each semester). Students not exempted by examination score must take one Basic Math Skills (R1) course. This requirement can also be satisfied with some higher level courses that presuppose knowledge of basic math skills. A student who takes an R2 course listed on the Gen Ed List can satisfy both the R1 and R2 requirements with the same course. All students must take one course in Analytic Reasoning (R2).
- Two courses designated as having a Social and Cultural Diversity component. One of these courses must focus on Diversity in the United States (U), and the other must focus on Diversity in Global Perspective (G). These may be courses that also fulfill other General Education designations and so bear both letter designations (ALU, ATU, HSU, SBU, IU, SIU, ALG, ATG, HSG, SBG, or IG), or one or both Diversity courses may have only a Diversity designation (U or G).
- Upper-Division Integrative Experience: The Integrative Experience requirement is part of the requirements of each student’s major, as well as a General Education requirement. Academic departments will provide a list of Integrative Experiences that fulfill the requirement for each major. There is no designation for this requirement.
- In addition to the requirements listed above, transfer students must take two additional 3- or 4-unit General Education courses selected from the following categories: Basic Math Skills, Analytical Reasoning, Biological and Physical World, or Social World.
NOTE: Only one course from a student’s major department may be applied to General Education requirements and one course applied to Diversity requirements.
Students should not elect the Pass/Fail option for courses that they wish to count toward their General Education requirements. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not satisfy General Education, regardless of whether a P (Pass) grade or a letter grade is earned. If a student took a course on a pass/fail basis and wishes to count the course toward a General Education requirement, the student must revoke the pass/fail option through the Registrar’s Office prior to graduation.
Students will not be allowed to use a single course to satisfy more than one General Education requirement, with the following exceptions:
- a course which carries a Social and Cultural Diversity designation and is also designated as a Social World or Interdisciplinary course may be applied to another General Education requirement (as appropriate) in addition to one of the Social and Cultural Diversity requirements;
- an R2 course from the R1/R2 list.
Students admitted as freshmen who bring in 9 or more course credits (not test credits) taken prior to their enrollment at UMass Amherst may change to transfer requirements by filing a Change to Transfer General Education Requirements form in the Registrar’s Office (213 Whitmore) by the end of their first spring semester.
Students admitted as freshman who later go on a UMass Amherst-approved exchange or study abroad program may change to transfer requirements by filing a Change to Transfer General Education Requirements form in the Registrar’s Office (213 Whitmore.) It is recommended that students file the form as soon as possible following the exchange, but no later than the beginning of their last semester at UMass Amherst.
Students seeking exception to any of the requirements or restrictions of General Education should consult their undergraduate deans. General Education requirements are very strictly enforced, but students with sufficient grounds (e.g., documented misadvising) may submit a written petition with appropriate documentation through their undergraduate academic dean to the General Education Variance Committee, a Subcommittee of the General Education Council.
F. College and/or School requirements, where applicable.
G. An Approved Major: A major consists of intensive or specialized work in a particular department or program, requiring a minimum of at least 30 credits in a coherent and extensive set of courses with a particular discipline or focus. Most majors require more than 30 credits.
H. Residence Requirements: A student must successfully complete a minimum of 45 credits in residence: A student must successfully complete a minimum of 45 credits in residence. For this purpose residence credits are defined as being credits earned for work done while registered on the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts or while enrolled in one of the University's formal exchange programs. Residence credits thus include UMASS 298 or departmental practicum (a maximum of 15 credits), University Without Walls, student teaching, credits generated through special examinations administered by an Amherst campus academic department, Stockbridge School courses, Five College Interchange courses, and courses in University Without Walls (when these courses and the faculty teaching them have been approved by the normal University procedures). The applicability of any of these toward the residence requirement is contingent on students' enrollment being consistent with policies detailed elsewhere in these regulations. In contrast, the following will not be counted toward residency requirements: transfer credits, AP credits (based on the College Board's high school Advanced Placement tests), CLEP credits (based on the College Board's College Level Examination Program of credits by exam), and military service credits.
In addition, students must complete their final 30 credits in residence, residence in this sense meaning continuous enrollment in a degree-granting major program and registration in University of Massachusetts Amherst courses. Petitions for permission to take any of the final 30 credits in absentia must be submitted on the Senior Year in Absentia form, available from the Registrar's Office, prior to enrollment in the course(s), and require authorization from the student's major department and undergraduate dean. Students may complete their senior year in absentia in University Without Walls with the approval of the Registrar’s office. Approvals are only granted for a limited number of credits.
I. Statute of Limitations: Students shall be allowed no more than ten semesters as defined under Section III, Academic Status, paragraph J, to complete all graduation requirements.
- For students engaged in part-time study, twelve (12) credits will be considered the equivalent of one semester. Students involved in part-time study must complete their last sixty (60) credits in five years.
- Continuation at the University beyond these limits is contingent upon approval by the student's undergraduate dean, with recommendation from the department, which is granted only for pressing academic and/or personal reasons.
- Although there is no limit on the number of years allowed between beginning and completing a degree, a student's undergraduate dean, in consultation with the Department, has authority to rule that certain courses taken more than five years prior to the completion of a degree may not apply to major or college requirements. Students admitted under former sets of university-wide degree requirements, such as the Core or General Education requirements, may also be required to fulfill current university-wide degree requirements.
J. Administrative Withdrawal: Students with an administrative withdrawal on their records cannot be cleared for graduation until the withdrawal is resolved. The graduation date will reflect the date the withdrawal is resolved.
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Course Registration and Withdrawal
Academic Regulations > Course Registration and Withdrawal Faculty Senate…Registration is one of the conditions required to maintain enrollment at the University. To register is to become an official member on a class roster. (Refer to II, Enrollment Categories.) To be officially enrolled, students must clear their fee bills and be registered in at least one course by the end of the add/drop period. Students who fail to do this are not eligible for University services or use of facilities.
Enrollment in regular University courses is available through the regular University registration procedures, administered by the Registrar, to full-time and part-time degree-seeking students, and to non-degree-seeking students. Non-degree students who have previously enrolled in but not completed an undergraduate degree program in the University must register for regular University courses as nondegree students through the regular University registration procedures.
Enrollment in regular University courses through University Without Walls is available on a space available basis only to BGS students; students enrolled in special academic programs identified and approved for such registration by the Provost's Office; non-degree-seeking students who have not previously been enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at the University, and students who are studying their senior year in absentia.
A. Course Registration
Courses will be recorded and credits awarded on the permanent records of the University only if students have registered for such courses in accordance with procedures established by the Registrar. Course enrollments should be recorded in the term in which the work is performed.
- Students who register for University and Five College courses must do so in the designated period.
- Students on Academic Probation, returning after Academic Suspension or late withdrawal, or upon reinstatement after Academic Dismissal, must consult with their Undergraduate Dean. Students who wish to attend part-time during the next semester must declare their intent to the Registrar during the registration period. (See Section II Enrollment Categories, paragraph B. Part-Time Degree-Seeking Students, for restrictions.)
- The Registrar's Office will issue a credit alert to all students who have earned less than an average of 12 graduation credits per semester. Additionally, students who average fewer than 12 credits per semester in the fourth or later semester will be sent an alert prior to the registration period for the following semester. This alert will be based on students' current degree credits (including the semester in progress at the time students are pre-registering). Students who average fewer than 12 credits per semester in the fourth or later semester will not be permitted to register until they have obtained approval of an academic plan by the departmental chief undergraduate adviser or college/school undergraduate dean. Students who fail to fulfill the conditions of their academic plan in subsequent semesters may be prevented from registering for courses by their undergraduate deans.
- The course registrations of students who are administratively withdrawn will be deleted.
- Students who fail to satisfy an overdue financial obligation or to comply with certain administrative requirements may have a hold placed on their ability to register for the following semester. Students will be unable to register for courses until the hold is cleared. Students who do not clear such registration holds prior to the beginning of the following semester will be subject to the administrative withdrawal process.
B. Five College Interchange Registration
- With the exception of first semester freshmen, any full time or part time student in good academic standing who is enrolled in at least one three-credit course at the University may enroll in courses through the Five College Interchange Program. Special Students and University Without Walls Students are not eligible. Students who are not registered in at least one three-credit University course at the end of the Add/Drop period will be withdrawn from the Five College course.
- There are no additional costs except for laboratory or lesson fees where applicable. Credits count as University residence credits, and grades earned are recorded on the University transcript and factored into the University grade point average. (A separate transcript does not exist at the other institution.)
- No Five College course will be recorded on the permanent record of the University or University Without Walls transcript, nor will students receive credit for any classes attended, unless they have registered in accordance with the established Five College Interchange Registration procedure and University Registration guidelines as presented in this section. Students are advised to consult with the Five College Interchange Office in 512 Goodell.
C. Registration Clearance
Students who have registered in accordance with Section A, Course Registration, above and have paid their bills by the due date are considered fully cleared for the semester. After the due date, all bills will be subject to an additional fee for late payment, and students may be prevented from accessing the registration system to change their schedules. Matriculated undergraduate students who do not clear their bills with the Bursar's Office prior the first week of add/drop will be withdrawn from the University. Such students' enrollment will be cancelled for that semester and all courses will be dropped from their schedules. This will make them ineligible for all University services, including financial aid, during that semester.
D. Late Enrollment
As stated in the above paragraph, failure to clear registration in timely fashion will result in withdrawal from the University. The Registrar may grant a student permission to enroll late (to be readmitted) if there are extenuating circumstances. If the Registrar denies permission, the student may appeal for re-enrollment to the Committee on Admissions and Records, a process initiated through the student's undergraduate dean.
E. Removal from Roster by Instructor Due to Non-Attendance, etc.
An instructor may not unilaterally cancel the registration of a student who has officially registered for a course, unless the student fails to appear for the first two meetings of the class following the official registration or unless the student lacks the prerequisites stated in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs, the online Course Catalog, or the online Schedule of Classes. To cancel a student's registration because of lack of prerequisite, the instructor must notify the student of his or her intentions. In either case, as early as possible during the Add/Drop period, the department must drop the student's registration in the course. Drops for these reasons must be completed by the end of the Add/Drop period.
An instructor who wishes to dis-enroll a student for any other reason, including disruptive behavior, shall notify the student in writing of his or her intentions, with one copy to the Registrar and a second copy to the Dean of Students, to whom the student may appeal.
F. Course Withdrawals
Students who wish to drop a course must do so officially according to the regulations governing the procedure at the particular time. Failure to do this will result in a grade of F for the course.
- Fall and Spring Semesters:
- Add/Drop Period: Students may add or drop a course through seventh calendar day of the semester (counting from the first day of classes). A course dropped during this period will not be recorded on the student's transcript.
- Students cannot be penalized for activity missed before their official enrollment begins in the class (i.e., an instructor cannot take off attendance points for missed classes or deduct graded points for missed/late assignments prior to the student's official enrollment in the class). Instructors must provide the student an opportunity to start the class on their first official day of enrollment with 100% graded work, attendance, participation points available and provide reasonable accommodations for the student to make up missed assignments without penalty that were due prior to the student's official enrollment day in the class.
- Withdrawal Period: Students may withdraw from a course, with the instructor's signature, from the eighth calendar day of the semester through the W drop deadline published in the academic calendar. Courses dropped during this period will be recorded as "W" (withdrawn) on the student's transcript. Students may drop the course in SPIRE, and instructors are notified when that drop occurs.
- Late Withdrawal: After the W drop deadline, the student is responsible for completion of the course unless the student's undergraduate dean grants a late withdrawal for extenuating circumstances.
- Course Transfers: With the approval of the course instructor, the course coordinator for multiple section courses, and the student, an academic department may transfer a student from a course in which the student is currently enrolled to a lower or higher level course in the same sequence, if the instructor or course coordinator determines that the student was either not adequately prepared or more than adequately prepared for the course in which the student is currently enrolled. Students may be transferred to a lower level course provided the student has not previously received credit for that course. Course transfers can be made by an academic department at any time during the semester, but should normally be done prior to the W drop date. Departments using the course transfer policy are encouraged to give early and frequent testing to ensure that an adequate evaluation of each student's ability is made prior to the middle of the semester. Determination of appropriate course sequences and designation of an appropriate approval authority shall be determined by the academic department offering the courses. Departments must notify the Registrar's Office of all course transfers made under this policy.
- Course Withdrawals for Medical Reasons: Students may request a course withdrawal for reasons related to a medical concern which, in the opinion of the student’s treating physician or mental health professional, significantly impacts their ability to function in their role as a student. Before submitting a course withdrawal request, students are encouraged to first consult with their Undergraduate Academic Dean or Advisor about how withdrawing from the course may affect their academic status.
- UWW Summer Session and Winter Session
- Add/Drop Period: Students may add or drop a course, with the instructor's or authorized departmental officials' signature, through the Add/Drop period designated in the current University Academic Calendar. Courses dropped during this period will not be recorded on the students' transcripts. Students cannot be penalized for activity missed before their official enrollment begins in the class (i.e., an instructor cannot take off attendance points for missed classes or deduct graded points for missed/late assignments prior to the student's official enrollment in the class). Instructors must provide the student an opportunity to start the class on their first official day of enrollment with 100% graded work, attendance, participation points available and provide reasonable accommodations for the student to make up missed assignments without penalty that were due prior to the student's official enrollment day in the class.
- Withdrawal Period: Students may withdraw from a course by using the online ‘drop form’ on the University Without Walls website during the period designated in the University academic calendar. Courses dropped during this period will be recorded as "W" (withdrawn) on the students' transcripts.
- Late Withdrawal: After the end of the designated withdrawal period, the student is responsible for the completion of the course unless the student's Undergraduate Dean grants a late withdrawal for extenuating circumstances. The UWW academic advisor acts as academic dean for non-degree students.
G. Course Loads
- The minimum credit load for a full-time student is 12 credits per semester. The usual credit load is 15 credits per semester. The maximum credit load for a semester is established by each school or college and usually varies from 17 to 19. Students wishing to register for more than the maximum or fewer than the minimum number of credits permitted in their school or college (see Section II Enrollment Categories, paragraph A. Full-Time Students) may do so only if they obtain the approval of their adviser and/or their Undergraduate Dean, depending on the overload.
- A part-time student may enroll in one to eleven credits per semester. The usual credit load for a part-time student is six credits per semester. Students involved in part-time study must complete their last sixty credits in five years, which means an average of six credits per semester.
- Students who will be registering for fewer than twelve credits during their last semester may apply for reduced billing. Applications must be received by the Registrar's Office no later than the end of the Add/Drop period (the first fourteen calendar days beginning with the first day of classes). No reduced billing will occur after that time. These students are considered part-time, which may affect their financial aid and insurance coverage.
H. Auditing
A registered undergraduate student may audit a course and have that audit recorded on the official transcript (as a zero in the Units Earned column and in the grade column as "AUD") provided that:
- The student officially elects the class as an audit within the add/drop period by processing an official course registration change form on which "Audit" is clearly indicated and which the course instructor has signed.
- The instructor can accommodate the auditor in a class, and the student satisfies the instructor regarding his or her preparation and motivation for auditing the class.
- The student pays all special fees associated with the course.
- The student satisfies all criteria for a successful audit as stipulated in advance by the instructor. In the event that the instructor reports than an audit was not completed successfully, the course will be expunged from the student's record.
The student may not switch from audit to credit after the end of the add/drop period. The reverse is also true.
I. Graduate Level Courses Taken by an Undergraduate
Undergraduates may register for graduate courses in the 600, 700, or 800 series with the permission of their advisor and the course instructor. Students register for these courses through the Registrar’s Office.
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Withdrawal From The University
Academic Regulations > Withdrawal From The University Faculty Senate…A. Withdrawal from the University
Students may at any time terminate their affiliation with the University for personal, academic, financial, military, or medical reasons by submitting the appropriate University Withdrawal Form. The effective date of the withdrawal is based on the student’s last date of attendance and confirmed by the student’s Undergraduate Academic Dean for a personal, academic, financial, or military withdrawal or by the Medical Director of University Health Services for a medical withdrawal. Students who withdraw pursuant to this subsection are entitled to re-enrollment pursuant to the conditions of Section B.
Voluntary Withdrawal from the University:
- Voluntary Personal, Academic, Financial, or Military Withdrawal from the University:
- Students who decide to leave the University without finishing the semester for which they are currently enrolled may request to withdraw from the University for personal, academic, financial, or military reasons through their Undergraduate Academic Dean, whose approval is required.
- The Undergraduate Academic Dean will establish the effective date of the withdrawal based on the student’s last date of attendance.
- If the effective date of withdrawal is on or before the last day to drop with ‘W’ as defined by the Academic Calendar, the semester will not count as one of the ten semesters permitted for completion of graduation requirements. If the effective date of withdrawal is after the last day to drop with ‘W’ as defined by the Academic Calendar, the semester will count as one of the ten semesters.
- Both the official transcript and the internal record will list each course with a ‘W’, unless the effective date of withdrawal is the end of the semester date as defined by the Academic Calendar, in which case grades will appear.
- If a student initiates a request to withdraw within the final three weeks of classes, the student's Undergraduate Academic Dean may set the effective date of withdrawal as the end of the semester as defined by the Academic Calendar. In this instance, grades earned at that time will appear on the transcript and the semester will count toward the ten semesters permitted for completion of graduation requirements. These actions may affect the student's academic status and eligibility to return in a subsequent semester.
- In order to re-enroll following a voluntary personal, academic, financial, or military withdrawal, students must complete the application for re-enrollment pursuant to the conditions of Section B.
- Voluntary Medical Withdrawal from the University:
- Students who decide to leave the University without finishing the semester for which they are currently enrolled may request to withdraw from the University for reasons related to a medical concern which, in the opinion of the student’s treating physician or mental health professional, significantly impacts their ability to function in their role as a student. The Medical Director of University Health Services (UHS) will review and make determinations on all such withdrawal requests.
- The effective date of the withdrawal is based on the student’s last date of attendance. The student's Undergraduate Academic Dean or Advisor can provide advising to the student for the academic effect of the withdrawal.
- Both the official transcript and the internal record will list each course with a ‘W’, unless the effective date of withdrawal is the end of the semester date as defined by the Academic Calendar, in which case grades will appear.
- The length of voluntary medical withdrawals and any conditions for return will be based on an individualized assessment of each student and the best available medical evidence, with careful consideration given to the opinions and recommendations of the student’s treating physician or mental health professional, if available.
- In order to re-enroll following a voluntary medical withdrawal, a student must present satisfactory evidence to the UHS Medical Director from the student’s treating physician or mental health professional that the medical concern which previously rendered the student eligible for voluntary medical withdrawal has been sufficiently addressed. Students must also complete the application for reenrollment pursuant to the conditions of Section B.
- Any student who takes a voluntary medical withdrawal for a set length of time or with set conditions for return may seek early return from, or an extension of, the set length of time, or a change in the conditions for return. This request will be considered after an individualized assessment of the student and appropriate medical evidence.
- Any student whose request to return from a voluntary medical withdrawal is denied (1) will receive a detailed written explanation of the University’s decision not to allow the student to return, and (2) may appeal the denial of return.
- End of Semester Withdrawal:
A student who is not currently on academic suspension or dismissal may choose to withdraw from the University after the end of the semester date as defined by the Academic Calendar of enrollment and prior to the beginning of the following semester, by notifying the Registrar via SPIRE. The effective date of withdrawal will be the last date of the semester during which the student was enrolled. Students who withdraw pursuant to this subsection are entitled to re-enrollment pursuant to the conditions of Section B.
Administrative Withdrawal:
A student may be administratively withdrawn from the University if, after due notice, the student fails to satisfy an overdue financial obligation to the University or to comply with certain administrative requirements. This means the student’s registration, housing, and financial aid for the current semester will be canceled. The student will be unable to register or pre-register for any subsequent semester until the administrative withdrawal is resolved. All matters must be resolved by the late registration or late enrollment deadline outlined on the Registrar’s website in order for the student to be considered enrolled. If the Administrative Withdrawal occurs during a semester in which the student is enrolled, they may continue to attend classes for that semester, while resolving the obligation which led to the withdrawal. If a graduating senior is administratively withdrawn their graduation date will be determined by the date of resolution which clears the outstanding obligation.
Conditions Warranting Administrative Withdrawal:
- Failure to comply with administrative requirements; specifically, failure by a student to satisfy an overdue financial obligation to the University, consisting of tuition, loans, board, room fees, library charges, or other student charges, including orientation, student activities, health services, Child Care and other such fees as may be established from time to time, or other University obligations.
- Forgery, fraud, or falsification of information on any official University form or document, such as a grade report, recommendations, transcripts, etc.
Effects of Administrative Withdrawal:
- If administratively withdrawn, a student's record will indicate the withdrawn date and the reason code for administrative withdrawal. All courses for which a student is registered at time of withdrawal will be suppressed on the official transcript until the resolution of the outstanding obligation.
- The student shall not be allowed to pre-register or register for future semesters. If a student has already pre-registered at the time of withdrawal, all course enrollments will be canceled.
- The student shall receive no further material or notification from the Registrar concerning University affairs. Note: If a graduating senior is administratively withdrawn, his/her graduation date will be determined by the date of resolution which clears the outstanding obligation. Procedures for
Procedures for Implementing Administrative Withdrawal:
- An appropriate administrative official may recommend to the Registrar that a student be administratively withdrawn from the University.
- The administrative official shall make his/her recommendation in writing, detailing his/her compliance with the following requirements:
- The recommendation must be based on one of the grounds set forth in the Conditions Warranting Administrative Withdrawal.
- The facts upon which the recommendation is based must be ascertained and stated precisely and accurately.
- An attempt to resolve the matter must have been made by the administrative official by mailing to the student at his/her last known address a written notice of the proposed recommendation for withdrawal and the reasons therefore, such matter not having been successfully resolved within fourteen calendar days of the mailing of said notice.
- If the matter has not been successfully resolved, the administrative unit shall send a certified letter to the student at his/her last known address setting forth the recommendation for withdrawal and the reasons therefore.
- If the Registrar is satisfied that the conditions specified in number 2 of this section have been satisfied, the Registrar shall administratively withdraw the student from the University no sooner than the fifteenth calendar day following the mailing of the notice provided for in said paragraph.
Reinstatement from Administrative Withdrawal:
Any student who has been administratively withdrawn may at any time during the semester in which the withdrawal was made make arrangements with the Registrar for the resolution of the matter. Upon such a resolution satisfactory to the Registrar, the Registrar shall forthwith reinstate the student to active enrollment status. Any student who fails to resolve the outstanding obligation during the semester will be ineligible to enroll for the following semester unless the student is able to make the payment prior to the first day of the semester. In this situation, the student must also be able to clear the tuition and fee bill immediately. Otherwise, upon resolution, the student must file a re-enrollment application by the stated deadline for enrollment in the next available semester.
Involuntary Withdrawal from the University:
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to the safety, health, and well-being of the campus community. The University recognizes that students may experience situations that significantly impacts their ability to function in their role as a student. In rare circumstances, the University may require a student to take an involuntary withdrawal, pursuant to the standards and procedures articulated in the complete Involuntary Withdrawal Policy, found on the Dean of Students Office website. In such circumstances, students will be given the option to take a voluntary withdrawal before a decision is made with respect to an involuntary withdrawal.
B. Re-enrollment after Withdrawal
Students in good academic standing at the end of their most recent semester of enrollment are eligible to reenter the University after withdrawal. If the student's academic status after their last semester of enrollment is academic suspension or dismissal, the student's eligibility for re-enrollment is described under Section III., “Academic Status.”
Students seeking re-enrollment following a voluntary medical withdrawal must present satisfactory evidence to the UHS Medical Director from the student’s treating physician or mental health professional that the medical concern which previously rendered the student eligible for voluntary medical withdrawal has been sufficiently addressed.
To re-enroll, students must complete the application for re-enrollment by the deadlines outlined on the Registrar’s website, and meet all bill payment deadlines.
Source: Academic Regulation
Academic Regulations > Grading System and Credit Guidelines
Academic Regulations > Grading System and Credit Guidelines Faculty Senate…The aims of the grading system are to measure as fairly as possible the quality of students' work and to assess their overall performance. The system of letter grading is used to encourage evaluation on the basis of total performance. This philosophy recognizes that the measurement of performance is a relatively inexact art.
A. Grading Notations
Effective Fall 2004, the University’s official grading system for undergraduates in undergraduate courses is:
- A (4.000)
- A- (3.700)
- B+ (3.300)
- B (3.000)
- B- (2.700)
- C+ (2.300)
- C (2.000)
- C- (1.700)
- D+ (1.300)
- D (1.000)
- F (0)
- Inc (Incomplete: 0)
- NR (No grades submitted by the instructor for the entire class: No effect on cumulative average)
- P (Pass: No effect on cumulative average)
- Y (Yearlong course in progress: No effect on cumulative average. Will be replaced by a permanent grade notation at the conclusion of the second half of the two-semester course sequence.)
- Aud (Audit: No effect on the cumulative average or on credit toward graduation). A blank grade (annotated as __), will be counted as 0 in the calculation of the cumulative average.
- An IF is recorded when an Incomplete is not resolved within the timeframe detailed in section D below.
- The designation W (withdrawn) is not a grade; it is an administrative notation, which has no effect on cumulative average.
Undergraduates enrolling in graduate-level courses numbered 500- 599 follow the regular undergraduate grading rules and are allowed to register for most courses under the elective pass/fail option.
Undergraduates enrolling in graduate-level courses numbered 600 or above follow the graduate grading rules in which, for most courses, an SAT (satisfactory) grade is available instead of the elective pass/fail option available at the undergraduate level and in which C-, D+ and D are not valid grades. If a student wishes to receive a SAT grade instead of a letter grade, they make arrangements with the instructor prior to the end of the course.
Five College plus and minus grades factor as follows:
- A- (3.75)
- B+ (3.25)
- B- (2.75)
- C+ (2.25)
- C- (1.75)
- D+ (1.25)
- D- (0.75)
Prior to Fall 2004, the preceding grading system for undergraduates in undergraduate courses employed the following letter grades: A (4.0), AB (3.5), B (3.0), BC (2.5), C (2.000), CD (1.5), D (1.0), and F (0). The preceding grading system did not employ the IF grade.
B. Courses Which Do Not Earn Graduation Credit
No course marked F, IF, INC, W, Y, NR, blank (annotated as __) or AUD earns graduation credit. Courses numbered below the 100-level (e.g., MATH 011) earn semester credit (i.e., they act to maintain status as a full-time student) but not degree credit; grades in these courses are factored into the semester and the cumulative grade point averages (see paragraph E. Repeated Courses).
C. Grade Changes
Grades may not be changed if a proposed change is based upon the additional or re-evaluated work of a single student. (This restriction does not apply to grade changes resulting from appeals or other means of dispute resolution under established procedures.) Grades may, however, be changed if they are based on routine correction of a clerical error. Such grades may be changed only when requested by the instructor of the course and approved by the Undergraduate Dean of the college in which the course is offered.
Note: After the start of the semester following a student's graduation, the student's academic record cannot be altered, except for instances of documented institutional error. For more information, see the "Preface" at the start of these academic regulations.
D. Incompletes
Students who are unable to complete course requirements within the allotted time because of severe medical or personal problems may request a grade of Incomplete from the instructor of the course. Normally, incomplete grades are warranted only if a student is passing the course at the time of the request and if the course requirements can be completed by the end of the following semester. Instructors who turn in a grade of "INC" are required to leave a written record of the following information with the departmental office of the academic department under which the course is offered: (1) the percentage of work completed, (2) the grade earned by the student on the completed work, (3) a description of the work that remains to be completed, (4) a description of the method by which the student is to complete the unfinished work, and (5) the date by which the work is to be completed. In the case of an independent study where the entire grade is determined by one paper or project, the instructor should leave with the department information pertaining to the paper or project, which will complete the course. To avoid subsequent misunderstanding it is recommended that the student also be provided with a copy of this information.
Grades of Incomplete will be counted as F's until resolved. If not resolved by the end of the following semester, they will automatically be converted to an F if taken before Fall 2004, to an IF if taken thereafter. Faculty wishing to extend this deadline must write to the Registrar's Office stipulating a specific date by which the incomplete will be completed.
Grades of Incomplete recorded prior to Fall 1987 are not subject to the above policy.
Students are not permitted to re-register for a course in order to clear an Incomplete.
Requests for grade changes from INC to Y, from INC to a grade, from NR to a grade, or from a blank (__) to a grade require a request from the instructor only. In situations where an instructor has permanently left the employ of the University, the department chair or head (or designee) may change an "INC" to a final course grade after reviewing the information on student performance originally provided by the instructor at the time the "INC" was submitted and completing an evaluation of the makeup work of the student. Changes of an "INC" grade by the chair or head (or designee) require the approval of the Undergraduate Dean in the school or college in which the course is offered. This procedure would be normally used only in cases where the original course instructor cannot be contacted or the instructor refuses to evaluate the makeup work of the student or to provide an opportunity for the student to make up the missing work.
E. Repeated Courses & Course Substitutions
No course for which a grade of C or higher was earned may be repeated. A course for which a grade of C-, D+, D or F (or CD before 2004) was earned may be repeated one time without permission. A course may be repeated a second time, for a total of three times, only with prior permission of the undergraduate dean of the school or college in which the student is enrolled. Under no circumstances may a student take a course more than three times. Successful registration for a course does not constitute permission.
All enrollments and all grades will appear on the transcript, but the last grade will be calculated in the GPA unless the dean files an appeal with the Registrar.
Repeating a UMass Amherst course at another of the Five Colleges, at another campus of the University of Massachusetts, or at any other institution will not result in grade substitution.
If an academic honesty sanction has been imposed, the grade specified in the sanction will always be calculated in the GPA.
NOTE: Repeating a course can have negative consequences. For example, if a passing grade of C- , D+ or D (or CD before 2004) was received in the first enrollment, but a failing grade is received when the course is repeated, no credit would be earned for either attempt. Repeating a previously passed course may also have an effect on financial aid eligibility. Students considering repeating previously passed courses should consult their academic advisors and Financial Aid staff.
Course Substitution Policy
A student may propose a substitution for a required course. The course content of the proposed substitute must be substantially similar to that of the original required course. A proposal for substitution must be endorsed by the undergraduate dean of the school or college in which the student is enrolled and is subject to final approval by the Registrar.
F. Practica and Residential Colloquia Courses
Students are limited to a maximum of 18 credits in practica courses (numbered 298 or 398 or 498) that are not required for the major. Students are limited to two residential colloquium credits in any given semester and a maximum of 12 residential colloquium credits during their undergraduate careers.
G. Courses and Prerequisites
Students who have successfully completed a course may not subsequently take its prerequisite for credit.
H. Credit by Special Examination
Matriculated students may attempt to satisfy the requirements of a course by taking a departmentally approved examination. Forms governing the administration of such tests may be obtained in the Registrar's Office. A per credit fee will be charged. A student may earn no more than 15 credits in this manner. Grades, including Fs, and credits for courses taken by examination are included in the cumulative average. Credit by examination may not be obtained in courses for which a different examination mechanism exists, such as in Math, Freshman Writing, or foreign languages. Earned credits will be considered residence credits.
I. University Exemption Tests
Students may earn exemption from certain requirements through tests administered (1) by the New Students Program during the Freshman and Transfer Orientations, (2) during registration periods. Where applicable, credits earned will be considered residence credit. In addition, students may be exempted from the foreign language requirements of the Colleges of Arts & Sciences through tests administered in various departments or by faculty members in accordance with the procedures established by the applicable College. Only these tests of foreign language yield credit.
J. Advanced Placement Credit
Those students who are awarded advanced placement credit on the basis of a College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or an Advanced Placement (AP) examination administered by the College Board, or on the basis of a local exam, will be granted no grade for these credits. These credits, if appropriate, may be counted toward satisfaction of the University's requirements. CLEP and AP are transfer credits.
K. University Without Walls Courses
Enrollment in courses offered by University Without Walls during the fall or spring semester requires the payment of University Without Walls course registration fees in addition to the applicable regular University tuition and fees. The use of courses offered by the UWW during the fall or spring semester to fulfill regular University degree requirements is restricted by the Regulations Concerning Enrollment in University Without Walls, listed elsewhere in Academic Regulations.
- Regular University degree students not subject to suspension or dismissal may enroll in courses offered by University Without Walls during a summer session or intersession. Courses taken during these sessions will be merged into the student's official undergraduate record and transcript.
- Students who have been admitted to a degree program at the University are normally expected to complete their course requirements through enrollment in regular course offerings and courses offered during summer and intersession. After matriculation, enrollment in courses offered by University Without Walls during the fall or spring semester is normally restricted to six credits. Exceptions to these general restrictions are detailed in the Regulations Concerning Enrollment in University Without Walls. If a student enrolls in courses offered by University Without Walls during the fall or spring semester, the credits attempted and grades received in those courses will be merged into the student's official undergraduate record and transcript.
- Students who are on suspension or who have been dismissed may not enroll in courses offered by University Without Walls except with the permission of their undergraduate dean. If permission is granted (not done automatically), students will be classified as non-degree University Without Walls students. Credits attempted and grades earned during this period of enrollment will be factored into the students' undergraduate records and any subsequent re-enrollment decisions.
L. Stockbridge Courses
For students who have previously been matriculated in the Stockbridge School, Stockbridge courses are treated as residence credit with both credits and grades factored into the undergraduate record.
M. Five College Courses
Credits and grades attempted and earned through the Five College Interchange program will be factored into the student's undergraduate record exactly as they are sent to the Registrar's Office (i.e., plus and minus grades will be used). Credits completed are considered residence credits.
N. University of Massachusetts Boston Courses
Effective with the Fall 1995 semester, credits from the University's Boston campus have been regarded as transfer credits according to paragraphs "O" and "P," below. Neither credits attempted nor grades earned factor into the grade point average. Credits attempted and grades earned at the Boston campus prior to Fall 1995 became part of a student's undergraduate records on the Amherst campus only for those students admitted to an Amherst campus degree program in Fall 1995 or earlier.
O. Transfer Courses Taken Prior to First Enrollment at the University
When a student transfers to the University, credit for courses that are accepted by the Registrar’s office will appear on the student's official transcript. Grades for these courses will appear, but they will not be factored into the student's grade point average. Students who have been awarded transfer credit for courses equivalent to those offered by the University of Massachusetts Amherst may not repeat those courses on campus either for credit or for quality points affecting the cumulative average. Students may, however, officially audit courses for which transfer credits have been granted, or in unusual circumstances may, with the approval of an Undergraduate Dean, re-elect the course for a grade but no graduation credit. Credits completed are not considered residence credits.
P. Transfer Courses Taken After Initial Enrollment at the University
Students may decide to take courses at another institution during the summer or while on leave from the University. In this instance, students must file a prior approval form to determine which University and/or major requirements will be fulfilled upon completion of the course. Failure to do so may result in the denial of the transferring of the credits. Credits will be factored into the student's undergraduate record and may affect the semester count. Grades will not be factored in to the student’s GPA. Credits completed are not considered residence credits.
Q. Reports and Transcripts
At the end of the Fall, Winter, Spring, and final Summer term, final grades are available to students for their online review.
Questions concerning the cost (if applicable) of official or unofficial transcripts should be directed to the University Registrar’s Office. No transcript may be sent outside the University without a student's written or online request.
Sources: Academic Regulations, Sen. Doc. No. 12-032, Sen. Doc. No. 05-020
Academic Regulations > Pass/ Fail Option
Academic Regulations > Pass/ Fail Option Faculty Senate…The purpose of the Pass/Fail option is to encourage students to be venturesome in the choice of their courses. Any undergraduate shall be eligible to exercise a Pass/Fail option in one course each term. Winter and each summer session count as individual terms. Students electing courses offered on a mandatory Pass/Fail basis (e.g., UMASS 298Y) shall also be allowed to take one additional, normally graded course that semester on a Pass/Fail basis.
A. Pass/Fail Limits
- Students should not elect the Pass/Fail option for courses that they wish to count toward their General Education requirements. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not satisfy General Education, regardless of whether a P (Pass) grade or a letter grade is earned. If a student took a course on a pass/fail basis and wishes to count the course toward a General Education requirement, the student must revoke the pass/fail option through the Registrar’s Office prior to graduation.
- The University's writing requirements may not be elected Pass/Fail.
- Some majors prohibit using the Pass/Fail option to fulfill their requirements.
- Students wishing to exercise the Pass/Fail option must do so by the W Drop date.
B. Recording the Pass/Fail Option
When students choose to take a course with the Pass/Fail option, the instructor will not be informed. At the end of the semester the instructor will turn in the letter grade earned. If the grade is F, it is factored into the GPA. If the student receives a passing grade, an initial computation of the cumulative average will be made. This average will include all graded courses from prior semesters as well as graded courses from the current semester. If the course elected Pass/Fail during the current semester carries a grade higher than the initially computed cumulative average, the reported grade will be recorded and the cumulative average recomputed; otherwise the P or F will be recorded. (A grade of P is not assigned any quality points and does not enter into the computation of the cumulative average; the grade of F is always assigned 0.0 quality points and is used in computing the cumulative average.) A student may opt for the grade, even if it lowers his or her cumulative average, or a student may opt for a pass, even after the Registrar has changed a pass to a grade because it raised the student's average. Students may request this change in SPIRE. Once the student is graduated, no further changes can be made to the transcript.
Special adjustments to Elective Pass/Fail grading in Spring 2020, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021:
Adjustment to Elective Pass/Fail grading in Spring 2020
Adjustment to Elective Pass/Fail grading in Fall 2020
Adjustment to Elective Pass/Fail grading in Spring 2021
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Attendance
Academic Regulations > Attendance Faculty Senate…Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled classes at the University for which they are registered. In cases of illness, students are to explain their absences directly to their instructors. The grades of students who have met the requirements of the instructor in making up their work shall not be reduced for absence because of illness. Students are not to be penalized for official off-campus trips.
During the Add/Drop period, faculty members are allowed to drop students who are absent from the first two class meetings and have failed to make special arrangements with the instructor. However, students should be aware that non-attendance is not a means of automatically dropping a course. Students who intend to drop a course should do so during the Add/Drop period. Students who do not drop or withdraw from a course through normal procedures may receive a grade of F for the course.
However, students cannot be penalized for activity missed before their official enrollment begins in the class (i.e., an instructor cannot take off attendance points for missed classes or deduct graded points for missed/late assignments prior to the student's official enrollment in the class). Instructors must provide the student an opportunity to start the class on their first official day of enrollment with 100% graded work, attendance, participation points available and provide reasonable accommodations for the student to make up missed assignments without penalty that were due prior to the student's official enrollment day in the class.
Thereafter, although an instructor may not unilaterally drop a student from a course for poor attendance, an instructor teaching a course where grading criteria are spelled out may lower a grade or even fail a student for poor attendance (see Course Management Guidelines For Instructors). Faculty may, however, drop from the roster a student who is disruptive in the classroom (see Section V. Registration in Courses and Withdrawal, paragraph E. Removal from Roster by Instructor Due to Non-Attendance, etc.).
Students absent due to extenuating circumstances-including jury duty, military obligations, scheduled activities for other classes, the death of a family member, or verifiable health-related incapacity-remain responsible for meeting all class requirements and contacting the faculty member in a timely fashion about making up missed work. Faculty shall offer such students reasonable assistance in making up missed classes (i.e., making arrangements for attendance at labs or discussion sections which meet at other times; providing makeup exams or labs where feasible or offer mutually agreeable alternatives to make up work).
When scheduled events, such as athletic events, conflict with more than 20 percent of the scheduled meeting times of a course, the student is required to drop one or the other. When the overlap is less than 20 percent, the student may engage in both activities, but remains responsible for meeting all requirements of the course.
In considering whether to grant an excuse for an absence caused by illness or other extenuating nonacademic reasons, faculty have the right to require formal, written documentation, within the limits of the health care provider's policy (see Excuses of Absence for Health Reasons).
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Absences Due to Religious Observance
Academic Regulations > Absences Due to Religious Observance Faculty Senate…The University of Massachusetts Amherst requires that the University excuse any student who is unable to attend classes or participate in any examination, study, or work requirement because of religious observance, as noted:
Chapter 151C of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts General Law states: “Any student in an educational or vocational training institution, other than a religious or denominational educational or vocational training institution, who is unable, because of his religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such examination or study or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to make up such examination, study, or work requirement which he may have missed because of such absence on any particular day; provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the said student such opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his availing himself of the provisions of this section.”
Instructors must accept a student’s assertion of the need to be absent from class for religious reasons, but students are required to notify instructors in advance that they will miss class in order to observe a religious holiday. University policy and Massachusetts state law require faculty to offer make-up assignments or exams to students who are absent for religious observance.
Students and instructors can ascertain the dates of many religious holidays by consulting an interfaith calendars such as the online calendars posted on the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life website at https://www.umass.edu/orsl/interfaith/calendars.
Note, however, that none of these calendars is exhaustive.
Students planning to be absent from classes due to religious observance must notify their instructors in writing as early in the semester as possible, but no later than one week in advance of the absence with the exception of holidays falling during the first week of the academic year. In the event of a dispute between a student and a faculty member, either party should contact the department head or the Ombuds Office at (413) 545-0867
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Examinations
Academic Regulations > Examinations Faculty Senate…A. General
If students miss a quiz, test, or examination for extenuating personal circumstances, the policy stated under Attendance will apply. Students have a right to examine, though not necessarily to retain, all materials - such as homework, lab reports, quizzes, tests, and examinations - that they have submitted to an instructor for evaluation. Students who wish to exercise this right but cannot easily do so because of absence, illness, etc., must inform their instructor in writing before the end of the succeeding semester. Instructors are therefore required to retain these materials through the succeeding semester. Instructors are required to protect student’s confidentiality in handling all evaluations.
B. Evening Examinations
Evening exams should be scheduled from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. In a situation where an evening exam is scheduled the same time as a once-a-week class meets, the class takes precedence over the evening exam provided that the class (lecture section only) meets on Mondays or Tuesday evenings. The students are entitled to a reasonable accommodation for a makeup exam.
In addition, it is University policy that if a student is scheduled to take two evening examinations at the same time, the faculty member teaching the course with the higher final digit (or digits) in its class number (the unique 5-digit number which represents a particular section in the Schedule of Classes) is required to offer a make-up examination.* Proof of the conflict must be provided by the student (for evening examinations, this may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office). If any student is scheduled to take three or more examinations on the same day, the faculty member(s) running the chronologically middle examination(s) is required to offer a make- up examination if the student notifies the instructor of the conflict at least two weeks prior to the time the examination is scheduled.
C. Final Examinations
It is University policy that all final examinations be given during the scheduled final examination period. In courses in which no final examination or other class activity is scheduled during the final examination period, no examination should be scheduled during the final week of classes nor during the Reading Period. Non-cumulative exams must be scheduled during the final examination period if there is no cumulative final for the course.
Non-cumulative exams may be scheduled during the last week of classes only in classes in which an additional final exam is scheduled during the final examination period. This policy applies to both undergraduate and graduate courses. Complaints of violation of the formal policy on examinations in the final week of classes should be directed to the Department Head/Chair. If a faculty member is then found to have violated this policy, the Head/Chair will be responsible for ensuring that a make-up or alternative examination, similar in content and structure, is scheduled during the appropriate final examination period, and that all students in the course are notified of this option prior to the administration of the examination during the final week of classes.
Further, it is University policy not to require students to take more than two final examinations in one day of the final examination period. If any student is scheduled to take three examinations on the same day, the faculty member running the chronologically middle examination is required to offer a make- up examination if the student notifies the instructor of the conflict at least two weeks prior to the time the examination is scheduled. The student must provide proof of the conflict. This may be obtained from the Registrar's Office, 213 Whitmore.
In addition, it is University policy that if a student is scheduled to take two final examinations at the same time, the faculty member teaching the course with the higher final digit (or digits) in its class number (the unique 5-digit number which represents a particular section in the Schedule of Classes) is required to offer a make-up examination.* Proof of the conflict must be provided by the student (for final examinations, this may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office). If any student is scheduled to take three or more examinations on the same day, the faculty member(s) running the chronologically middle examination(s) is required to offer a make- up examination if the student notifies the instructor of the conflict at least two weeks prior to the time the examination is scheduled.
All make-up final examinations caused by schedule conflicts must be given during the calendar period of the final examination schedule. Make-up examinations may be scheduled during hours that fall outside the normal examination time periods.
*For example, if examinations for ENGLISH 172 (class #71123) and MATH 132 (class #27514) are scheduled at the same time, a student enrolled in both courses will have a make-up examination provided by the instructor in Math.
Source: Academic Regulations, Sen. Doc. No. 07-046
Academic Regulations > Majors, Minors, and Related Programs
Academic Regulations > Majors, Minors, and Related Programs Faculty Senate…Each college and school has academic programs from which students may choose a particular area of study. This is the major, a prescribed number of courses and credits in a specific academic subject. There are nearly 100 majors at the University, some with special areas of concentration. Some majors have specific areas of specialization (tracks) which must be determined at some point early in the student's academic career. Some departments or programs may specify Continuation Requirements in order for the student to progress successfully through and/or remain in the major. Please consult the Chief Undergraduate Adviser in each department for all of the above.
Students who wish to have a primary major in one discipline may also choose to have a second area of concentration in another. This can be done through a double major (second major), a double degree, a minor, or a certificate.
A. Change of Major
Students who wish to change their major should go to the department of the new major to initiate the process. Any undergraduate student enrolled in the University is permitted to change majors. No college, school, department, or program may refuse to accept a student's change of major unless that unit has received from the Provost and/or the Faculty Senate authorization to restrict admission. Students whose change of major might result in a plan of study requiring more than ten semesters should consult with their Undergraduate Dean.
B. Double Major
A student may earn a second major and have it recorded on the official transcript provided that:
- Both majors are completed within the ten semesters allowed for the completion of all graduation requirements.
- A student declares a primary and secondary major by going to the appropriate departments to initiate the process. Both majors will appear on the student's transcript. Once the primary major is determined, the student may use courses from the second major to satisfy University and College/School requirements.
- The second major lies in the same school or college as the primary major. If the second major lies in a school or college other than that of the primary major, the student must obtain clearance from the Undergraduate Dean of the college of the second major to verify that all requirements for graduation from that college have been satisfied.
- Prior to graduation, an authorized representative of the second major files a formal certification with the Registrar to confirm that all requirements for that second major have been completed.
- The student has not yet graduated. Students once graduated may not retroactively seek a double major, but may re-apply for a Post Graduate Second Bachelor's Degree (see paragraph C. Second Bachelor’s Degree, number 2).
C. Second Bachelor's Degree
Students may be considered for Second Bachelor's Degree status in one of two categories. (Note that Second Bachelor's Degrees are not available in all majors).
- Simultaneous Second Bachelor's Degree
- Enrolled students of this University may earn a second bachelor's degree by completing a minimum of 30 additional credits beyond those normally required for graduation, all of which must be in residence. Students need not complete one degree and then start the other. Both degrees must be completed within ten semesters and both degrees must be awarded simultaneously. Students once graduated may not retroactively seek a second simultaneous degree, but may apply for Post-Graduate degree status. (Credits earned under the first degree then, even if they are in excess of the required 120, are not applicable toward the Post-Graduate Second Bachelor's Degree. Individual departments may waive certain requirements based on work from the first degree.)
- Students are urged to declare their second major early in their academic career, preferably by the end of the sophomore year. In their senior year, students pursuing a simultaneous second bachelor’s degree must submit to the Registrar’s Office a certification confirming completion of all requirements for the second degree. This must be submitted before their scheduled graduation date.
- Post-Graduate Second Bachelor's Degree
- Graduates of other institutions who wish to earn a second bachelor's degree at this University must complete a minimum of 45 credits in residence at the University.
- Students who attended this University will have their residency requirements handled on an individual basis; usually only 30 additional credits in residence are required.
- The department, in conjunction with the undergraduate dean, will establish a semester-by-semester Plan of Study including minimally acceptable grades and any additional school or college requirements. Students who fail to meet the exact terms of this contract will be subject to Administrative Withdrawal. Changes to the original Plan of Study for the admitted Program may be made only with the approval of the students' undergraduate dean. Students who wish to change their major must reapply for the new major through the Admissions Office and withdraw from the current admitted program.
- Clearance for the Post-Graduate Second Bachelor's Degree requires certification from the major and college that all graduation requirements have been met.
D. Minors
A minor is a limited number of prescribed credits, 15 credits minimum, and courses in an academic department. Not all departments offer approved minors. Students interested in having a minor should consult the Guide to Undergraduate Programs to determine whether a minor in that field has been approved, and the requirements for its completion. The minor must be completed within the 10 semesters allowed for the completion of all graduation requirements, including the major. Prior to graduation, an authorized representative of the minor files a formal certification with the Registrar to confirm that all requirements for that minor have been completed. These requirements include the completion of all courses/credit hour requirements in the minor and the attainment of at least a 2.000 average in the program courses with no more than one of these courses having a grade of less than 2.000. Students are eligible for Minors only if currently enrolled in an approved major leading to a baccalaureate degree at the University.
E. Certificates
A certificate program is a coherent set of courses representing a defined body of knowledge and skills. Certificates may represent a subset of the requirements for existing degree programs; may reflect a multidisciplinary perspective drawing coursework from more than one existing program; or may constitute a relatively free-standing area of focus with little formal connection to existing academic programs. A certificate program must consist of at least fifteen credits of coursework. Certificates are open to all students, undergraduate and graduate, matriculating or non-matriculating, subject to availability of courses and unless otherwise restricted. A student who has completed the requirements for a certificate should contact the sponsoring department or program, which will notify the Registrar that the requirements have been met. These requirements include the completion of all courses/credit hour requirements in the certificate program and the attainment of at least a 2.000 average in the program courses with no more than one of these courses having a grade of less than 2.000.
F. Application of courses towards multiple credentials
No more than two courses used to fulfill the requirements of any one credential may be applied towards the fulfillment of another credential, wherein “credential” is defined as an academic degree program: major, minor, or certificate. One course may only be applied to two credentials. See University Registrar website for full text of policy: http://www.umass.edu/registrar/sites/default/files/UsingCoursesMultipleCredentials.pdf
Exception:
There are a few established exceptions to this rule, and they have explicit policies allowing for additional application of credits. These exceptions include: double majors, where a student simultaneously pursues a primary and secondary degree; transitional certificates, where some or all of the credits taken by a non-degree student prior to matriculation at the University may be applied to the specific degree program associated with that transitional certificate; and second bachelor’s degrees, in which students must complete at least 30 credits beyond those normally required for graduation in order to be awarded a second bachelor’s degree.
Source: Academic Regulations, Sen. Doc. No. 15-030
Academic Regulations > Major Declaration and Major Change Policy
Academic Regulations > Major Declaration and Major Change Policy Faculty Senate…- Students must declare a primary major (one that leads to degree completion) no later than the registration period during their third full-time term, after two graded full-time fall or spring semesters, at UMass Amherst. Their Academic Dean may approve an exception for extenuating circumstances, to allow additional time to declare the major.
- The same policy, to declare a major, applies to transfer students approved to enroll in an Exploratory Track.
- This policy must be prominently displayed in the academic regulations, college handbooks, and the Academics and college student-related web pages, together with reminders that the university requires successful academic progress in the major and compliance with the university’s rule to graduate in 10 semesters or fewer (see the 10 Semester Rule in the Academic Regulations). The Bursar’s Office must also ensure through its website or other appropriate notification that students know school/college fees already assessed for that semester are not refundable when they change major after the end of the enrollment add/drop period.
Source: Sen. Doc. No. 17-021A
Academic Regulations > Honors
Academic Regulations > Honors Faculty Senate…The University provides three routes for obtaining Honors recognition.
- Dean's List
Students will be appointed to an official Dean's List at the end of a semester in which they complete a minimum of 12 graded credits with a grade point average of 3.500 or better. Dean's List is not a graduation honor. Questions about the Dean’s List should be referred to the Registrar's Office. - For All Students
All graduating seniors are eligible for Latin honors designations on diplomas and transcripts if his/her complete academic record shows at least 45 calculable credits at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and meets one or more of the following criteria:- If a student’s GPA places him/her among the top 5% of the graduating class of his/her school or college, then he/she will receive the degree summa cum laude.
- If a student’s GPA places him/her among the top 10% of the graduating class of his/her school or college, but not among the top 5%, then he/she will receive the degree magna cum laude.
- If a student’s GPA places him/her among the top 25% of the graduating class of his/her school or college, but not among the top 10%, then he/she will receive the degree cum laude. The Registrar will annually post on their website the GPA needed to secure a place in the top 5%, 10%, and 25% in each school or college for the current year, based on the average of the previous three years’ graduating classes.
NOTE: For all students admitted Spring 2009 or earlier and who graduate within 5 years, cum laude will be based on a 3.200 GPA and 45 calculable credits. Students admitted after Spring 2009, cum laude will change to the top 25% GPA as stated above.
- For Commonwealth Honors College Students
The Commonwealth Honors College Curriculum Committee and Dean, using criteria that they shall determine, may recommend a student who has completed the requirements of the Commonwealth Honors College for any one of the following designations upon graduation:- Commonwealth College Honors with greatest distinction.
- Commonwealth College Honors with great distinction.
- Commonwealth College Honors with distinction. 4. Commonwealth College Honors. A student who meets both criteria for Commonwealth College honors and Latin honors will receive the degree with honors of both types—for example, “B.A. magna cum laude, Commonwealth College Scholar with the greatest distinction.”
NOTE: For Commonwealth Honors College students, admitted Spring 2009 or earlier and who graduate within 5 years, cum laude will be based on a 3.200 GPA and 45 calculable credits, magna cum laude will be based on a 3.500 GPA and summa cum laude will be based on a 3.800 GPA. Students admitted after Spring 2009, will be subject to the new Latin honors as stated above.
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Academic Grievances Policy
Academic Regulations > Academic Grievances Policy Faculty Senate…I. Introduction
The students, faculty and administration of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst recognize the need to provide an orderly process for the resolution of academic grievances. The following Grievance Procedure has therefore been created to meet this need. This procedure applies to all undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and all courses offered by the Amherst campus, including courses offered by the Division of Continuing Education and online courses.
NOTE: The policy is limited to academic coursework. An additional Graduate School Academic Grievance Procedure relating to issues surrounding graduate academic dismissal, involuntary transfer from a doctoral to a master’s program, extensions of the Statute of Limitations, comprehensive examinations, theses and dissertations, and other aspects of graduate students’ academic experience is detailed on the Graduate School website.
This procedure is the only official procedure for resolving academic grievances. No school, college, department or office on the Amherst campus may require any student to pursue an academic grievance through any other procedure.
Grievances which have been brought to a hearing under another campus grievance procedure shall not be brought to a hearing under this procedure. Students who file a written grievance under this procedure shall be expected to abide by the final disposition of the grievance, and shall be precluded from seeking review of the matter under any other procedure within the University.
The Provost’s Office shall be responsible for the distribution of this document. Copies shall be kept on file by all deans, department heads and chairs, undergraduate program directors and all other centers responsible for undergraduate academic advising. Additional copies shall be available upon request from the Provost’s Office, the Faculty Senate Office and the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office. Both the existence of the procedure and the role of the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office shall be summarized in the Undergraduate Catalog and the Graduate School Bulletin, and the entire procedure shall be published in Undergraduate Rights and Responsibilities and the Graduate School Handbook.
II. Definitions and Formal Procedure
- Academic Honesty and Grievance Office
The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office, located in Room 613 Goodell Building is the process manager for grievances brought under this procedure. As such, the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office is responsible for ensuring that only those matters properly defined as academic grievances are pursued through this procedure, for advising all concerned parties of their rights and obligations under this procedure, for convening hearing panels, and for scheduling hearings. The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office has discretion to extend timelines. For each formal grievance which proceeds to a hearing, the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office shall maintain a confidential file open only to the student, the instructor, the Provost or designee, and the Hearing Panel.
The Ombuds Office, located in Room 823 Campus Center, is a confidential and neutral place where students and instructors can receive help weighing their options, understanding relevant policies and available resources, and receiving referrals for more formal measures when circumstances warrant. It is sometimes the case that the issue of concern can be resolved through informal mediation and the Ombuds Office can provide informal mediation services. - Definitions
Student – The student or students bringing a complaint under this procedure. This includes matriculated and nonmatriculated students registered for classes during the fall or spring semester through the undergraduate registrar’s office, the graduate registrar’s office, or the Division of Continuing Education; matriculated and non-matriculated students enrolled in classes offered during the winter session or a summer session; and matriculated graduate students on program fee.
Respondent – An employee of the university who has made an official determination with respect to the academic performance or academic record of the student. Graduate students who serve as teaching assistants or course instructors may also be names as respondents. If the grievance results from a policy which a graduate student was instructed to carry out by a faculty supervisor, then the graduate student and the faculty supervisor should be names as co-respondents. Hereafter called “instructor.”
Academic grievance – A complaint by the student alleging that the instructor has caused the student to suffer some specific harm related to the academic matter within the authority of the Provost’s Office. However, complaints that concern (1) matters of academic judgment, or (2) the substance (as opposed to the administration) of University, campus, Faculty Senate or school and College policies and regulations shall NOT be considered grievances under this procedure.
Academic Judgment – The evaluation of a student’s academic performance and the assignment of a grade as a result of that evaluation shall be considered a matter of academic judgment, and therefore not subject to a grievance except where the grade has been determined in an arbitrary and capricious manner or where the procedure used in the evaluation is found to be in violation of University policy or state or federal statute.
University policy – Any policy which has been approved by the Provost, the Chancellor, the Board of Trustees, or the Board of Higher Education or any successor board.
Arbitrary and capricious grading – (1) The assignment of a course grade to a student on some basis other than performance in the course, or (2) the assignment of a course grade to a student by resorting to unreasonable standards different from those which were applied by the same instructor to other students in that course, or (3) the assignment of a course grade by a substantial, unreasonable and unannounced departure from the instructor’s previously articulated standards.
Written notification – When notification in writing is required, this may occur by way of a suitable record of e-mail transmissions in any situation where privacy rights are not infringed by the use of e-mail according to written University policy, and where the recipient has previously provided the sender with his or her e-mail address. The word “confidential” should be inserted in the subject line of the message. Hard copies of all e-mail transmissions should be maintained by the sender. Written correspondence not done by e-mail will be sent to instructors at their departmental address, and to students at their current address as recorded at the University.
For the purpose of determining deadlines, the event which gives rise to the grievance shall be deemed to have occurred when the student may reasonably be assumed to have become aware of its existence.
C. Attempting Informal Resolution Prior to Instituting a Grievance
Students should attempt informal resolution prior to instituting a formal grievance. Assistance or advice in doing this is available from the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office.
- Communication with Instructor
- Students wanting to contest a grade that they find arbitrary or capricious must offer the instructor the opportunity to discuss the situation prior to taking any action. After receiving a grade that the student wishes to contest, he/she must notify the instructor in writing within ten business days. The instructor then has no fewer than five business days to respond.
- The instructor does not respond: If the instructor does not respond in these five days, the student should communicate with the department head or designee for assistance in resolving the matter. The student may then decide to file a formal grievance and has fifteen business days to do so (see D. below). At this point, the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office will begin the process to organize the hearing panel and schedule the hearing.
- As process manager, the Office has the discretion to extend timelines; if warranted, the Office may contract timelines (with the agreement of the parties) during sessions outside the regular academic year.
- Informal Process
The instructor and student may agree on an informal means of resolving the matter. In the event that the instructor has left the University or is on leave, the student should bring the matter to the attention of the appropriate department head or chair or designee. - Formal Process
If no informal agreement is reached and a student wishes to file a grievance, the student must file a formal grievance by notifying the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office within 15 days of any of the following:- the student sends a written request to contest the grade to the instructor, the instructor does not respond within five business days, and subsequent efforts to communicate with the department head or designee were not successful.
- the student and instructor (even after notifying the department head or designee) are unable to reach an informal resolution
- the instructor denies the allegation, but the student continues to believe that arbitrary or capricious grading has occurred
D. Procedures for Initiating a Formal Grievance
If attempts at informal resolution are not successful, the student may initiate a formal grievance.
- The student contacts the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office, 613 Goodell Building, in writing, concerning the desire to file a grievance. The student is advised about the hearing process and receives the official Hearing Request Form, if the student decides to proceed with the grievance. On the request form, the student identifies: the instructor, the grade that the student wishes to contest and the harm alleged to have been caused as a result of the instructor’s action(s). The student should describe the substance of the grievance, any steps that have been taken to try to resolve it, any evidence that might be introduced at a hearing, and the relief that the student would find acceptable. From this point on, in the absence of credible and relevant new evidence, the student’s pursuit of the academic grievance must remain consistent in content and scope with this claim, and instructor will be expected to respond only to the issues raised in this grievance.
Hearing Request Procedure: The request for a hearing must be submitted in writing to the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office on an official Hearing Request Form, as described above. The request must clearly and concisely state a description of the grade being contested; it must also indicate any remedy sought by informal resolution. The form must be signed and dated by the student. - The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office notifies the instructor of the grievance. Within two business days of receiving the student’s formal grievance, the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office sends a copy of it to the instructor, along with a notice specifying the deadlines involved. The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office begins the process of scheduling a date for the hearing, not to exceed 15 business days after the student submits the formal grievance.
- A hearing on the grievance will be held within 15 business days of the student filing the formal grievance letter. If the grievance is filed with fewer than 15 business days remaining in the semester, the hearing may be delayed as long as 15 business days from the beginning of the following semester. The process may go forward during intersession or the summer if the student so requests and the instructor can be present. The student’s and instructor’s rights and obligations in the hearing process are described below. The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office will schedule the hearing, and will give the student and instructor at least ten days’ notice.The student and instructor will be responsible for notifying their respective advisers and witnesses, and shall provide the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office with their names and roles.
The student and instructor have five business days to submit any additional information he/she wants the panel to review and the Office distributes these materials to the panel three business days in advance of the hearing.
E. Hearing Panels
The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office will convene a panel to hear the grievance. Each Hearing Panel will be composed of five disinterested persons. Three will be members of the University faculty, and two will be students (of the same graduate or undergraduate constituency as the student in the case). If the instructor is a graduate student, he or she may choose to have one of the faculty members on the Panel be replaced by a graduate student who is or has been a teaching assistant or teaching associate on the Amherst campus. The members of the panel are to be appointed by the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office in consultation with the Secretary of the Faculty Senate, the President of the Student government Association, and the President of the Graduate Student Senate. One of the faculty members on the Panel shall serve as chair.
All five members of the Panel must be present at a hearing. The Hearing Panel will evaluate all evidence and arguments presented to it by the student and the instructor. The chair of the Hearing Panel will ensure that the Panel will disregard any arguments or evidence that have not been presented in the student’s formal grievance statement.
The Hearing Panel will keep in confidence all matters which come before it. Its members will not communicate with each other about the nature of the grievance or the response prior to the hearing.
F. Rules of Hearing
The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office is responsible for the reasonable implementation of these rules.
- Materials available to participants: At least five business days prior to the hearing, the student and the instructor must submit to the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office copies of any materials they wish the Hearing Panel to consider, so that the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office may distribute them to the other party and the Hearing Panel for review three days prior to the hearing. Any new material submitted at the hearing will be accepted only at the discretion of the hearing panel. The party submitting the materials should provide enough copies for all parties and all members of the Hearing Panel, as well as a copy to be retained by the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office. Any materials submitted in connection with the grievance process are considered confidential.
- Persons present at the hearing: Attendance throughout the hearing is limited to: the student, the instructor, a representative of the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office who will serve as staff person during the hearing, members of the Hearing Panel, and an advisor for each of the parties. Witnesses may be present at the hearing only when they are presenting evidence. An advisor may confer with and advise the student or instructor during the course of the hearing, bur may not directly address the Hearing Panel except with the consent of the Hearing Panel and the other party. This advisor may not be an attorney or an employee of an attorney, unless the opposing party is himself or herself an attorney.
- Failure of a person to appear: The Hearing Panel may proceed with the hearing and make it findings and decision even in the absence of any party, witness, or advisor who fails to appear. However, the Hearing Panel may not base its findings of fact or decision on the fact that a person has failed to appear.
- Evidence: the Hearing Panel need not follow technical rules of evidence, but evidence shall be admitted only if it is the kind of evidence upon which reasonable persons would rely in the conduct of serious affairs. The Hearing Panel may consider evidence presented by affidavit, giving it such weight as it deems proper. All evidence shall be taken in the presence of all members of the panel and of all of the parties, except where any party is absent by default or has waived the right to be present. The burden of proof shall be placed on the student, who must demonstrate, by a preponderance of evidence, that one or more of the specified forms of arbitrary and capricious grading has occurred and that its occurrence has adversely affected her or him.
- Presentation of the case: the representative of the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office will make a recording of the hearing. Statements from the parties will be addressed to the Hearing Panel, not to each other. The chair will ensure that the hearing does not become a debate or engagement between the two parties. The time limits noted below are considered norms; the chair has the discretion to allow extensions of time. The case will be presented in the order noted below.
The student and then the instructor will each present his or her documentary evidence and witness testimony. Panel members and opposing parties may question witnesses, through the chair. If either party wishes to put questions to the other party, he or she will submit the questions to the chair, who shall decide if any of the questions submitted would be useful to the panel’s determination, and then ask the questions of the other party. Each party will then summarize his or her position.
The hearing is considered concluded following the parties’ summaries. Recording will end when the chair asks all persons present except Panel members to leave the room while the Panel discusses the evidence and formulates its decision. If necessary, the Panel may reconvene at a later time to complete its deliberations, and the chair may be empowered by the Panel to obtain answers to questions from one or both of the parties that occur to the Panel during its deliberations.
The chair of the Hearing Panel has the authority to modify procedures during the course of the hearing to accommodate unforeseen circumstances or needs of the parties or the Hearing Panel. If the chair is unable to exercise this authority, the representative of the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office will appoint another faculty member to act as substitute chair if necessary.
The recording of the hearing will be placed in the grievance file of the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office. Either the student or the instructor may request a copy of the tape, to be made at the party’s expense. Any transcription of the recording shall be at the private arrangement and expense of the party who desires the transcript. Additional recordings of the hearing may be made by either party.
G. The Decision of the Hearing Panel
The report will state the Panel’s findings on the questions(s) in dispute, and the Panel’s decision. Both the findings and the decision shall be arrived at by a majority vote of the Panel. The chair will issue the written report of the Hearing Panel within three business days of the conclusion of the hearing. The report shall be addressed to the Provost or designee. The chair will also send a copy to the Academic Honesty and Grievance Office for dissemination to the student and the instructor within five business days.
If an instructor has been found to (1) to have engaged in arbitrary and capricious grading, or (2) to be in violation of the University policy or state or federal statute, the hearing Panel will determine an appropriate method for redressing the situation. The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office will also send the report to the appropriate administrative offices within five business days after receiving the written report of the Hearing Panel.
The Hearing Panel’s findings are final and binding on all parties.
H. Appeals
The Hearing Panel’s findings are final, and may not be appealed, except on the basis of a violation of due process.
Due Process Appeal: “A violation of due process” is defined as a failure to comply with the Rules of hearing such that the failure reasonably may have affected the decision of the Hearing Panel to the harm of the party who has appealed. If either party believes that he or she was denied due process by the Hearing Panel, he or she may appeal in writing to the Provost or designee. This appeal must be made in writing within ten business days of the release of the Hearing Panel’s report. The Provost or designee will rule on the appeal within ten business days of its submission. This procedure shall be deemed to have been exhausted once the ruling of the Provost or designee has been rendered.
III. Records of Academic Grievances
The Academic Honesty and Grievance Office (or any successor agency designated as process manager of this procedure) shall maintain the record of an academic grievance for a period of two years following the awarding of a degree to the student. If no degree is awarded to the student, the record shall be maintained indefinitely.
No record that an academic grievance has been filed may be made part of a student’s official file in a department or school or college office, except as necessary to document a grade change (if relevant).
Source: Academic Regulations, 17-011
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW)
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) Faculty Senate…Formerly Continuing & Professional Education (CPE)
There are three categories of credit-bearing courses offered on the Amherst campus of the University:
- Regular University Course Offerings
During the fall and spring semesters, the Registrar's Office schedules the regular course offerings of academic departments and programs. These are published through the online student information system, SPIRE, by the Registrar’s Office. In these regulations, these courses are referred to as "regular University course offerings." Matriculated students are expected to enroll in these courses through the Registrar's standard procedures, and to pay regular University tuition and fees appropriate to the enrollment status. Registration in regular University course offerings through University Without Walls is restricted by the regulations detailed below. - University Without Walls Course Offerings
During the fall and spring semesters, University Without Walls offers courses that have been authorized by academic departments and programs. These are listed in schedules issued by University Without Walls. In these regulations, these courses are referred to as "courses offered by University Without Walls." Students who enroll in these courses pay tuition and fees to University Without Walls, in addition to any tuition and fees paid as a result of enrollment in regular University course offerings. - Winter and Summer Sessions Course Offerings
During the January winter session and the summer sessions, University Without Walls offers courses that have been authorized by academic departments and programs. Only University Without Walls offers courses during the winter session and summer session; there are no regular University course offerings during these periods.
Students who have been admitted to a degree program at the University are normally expected to complete their course requirements through enrollment in regular course offerings and courses offered during summer and winter session. Such students are not normally permitted to enroll solely in courses offered by University Without Walls. Exceptions to these general restrictions are detailed below. Requests for exceptions other than those detailed below require a petition to the University Registrar.
Sources: Academic Regulations, Sen. Doc. No. 09-017
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) > UWW Enrollment in Courses by Non-Matriculated Students
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) > UWW Enrollment in Courses by Non-Matriculated Students Faculty Senate…Students who have never matriculated in a baccalaureate degree program at the University may register through University Without Walls for both regular University courses and courses offered by University Without Walls. They are classified as non-degree University Without Walls students. Enrollment is on a space-available basis (no pre-registration is allowed; access may be restricted by departments or programs). Students pay University Without Walls registration and fees. Students who have never matriculated in a baccalaureate degree program at the University are not subject to any of the following regulations.
Students who have already received a baccalaureate degree from the University, and who are not currently matriculated in a second baccalaureate program, are not subject to any of the following regulations.
Students who matriculated in a baccalaureate degree program at the University, but subsequently transferred to a degree program at another University or campus, are not subject to any of the following regulations. However, acceptance by another institution of courses completed on this campus is subject to the regulations of that campus.
All of the above students are regarded as non-matriculated students. The Committee on Admissions and Records will not be asked to rule on any issues involving non-matriculated students. This includes admission to courses, withdrawal from courses, or academic standing. Non-matriculated students are not held to the standards for academic status applicable to students pursuing a degree program.
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) > Enrollment in Courses offered by University Without Walls
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) > Enrollment in Courses offered by University Without Walls Faculty Senate…The availability of courses offered by University Without Walls is governed by the policies of UWW. In all cases, University Without Walls course registration fees must be paid in addition to regular University tuition and fees.
Students who are enrolled as undergraduate students in the University during a fall or spring semester may register for up to eight credits of courses offered by University Without Walls providing they are concurrently enrolled in 6 credits of regular university courses. Permission of a student's undergraduate dean is needed, if the combined enrollment in regular University courses and courses offered by University Without Walls exceeds the maximum credit load of the student's school/college. Students concurrently enrolled will still be matriculated students in the University, and will be considered fulltime if their total credit load is at least twelve credits.
Students whose work schedules prohibit their enrollment in regular University course offerings may obtain an exception to the credit limit in the above policy. This exception may be obtained from the University Registrar.
Students receiving this exception will only be permitted to use this exception to register for courses offered by University Without Walls. They will not be permitted to register in any regular University course offerings through University Without Walls. Students are responsible for taking any steps necessary to ensure that their enrollments are merged, that the Registrar's Office has their correct enrollment status (full-time or part-time), and that any payment/credit adjustments necessary are made by the Bursar's Office and Financial Aid Services. Nonmatriculated students may be removed from UWW classes if they fail to attend or participate in classes before the end of add/drop for the class.
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) > Enrollment in Regular University Course Offerings through University Without Walls
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) > Enrollment in Regular University Course Offerings through University Without Walls Faculty Senate…Students who have matriculated in a baccalaureate degree program are not permitted to register for regular University course offerings through University Without Walls.
An exception to this policy is allowed for some students who have been withdrawn from a degree program for two years or more, and who wish to explore the possibility of a course of study different from that in which they were previously enrolled. Such students may request permission to enroll in a limited number of regular University courses through University Without Walls, subject to the following:
- The purpose of this policy is to allow students to explore fields of study different from those covered by their degree program during their previous period of enrollment at the University, prior to making a decision whether they want to enroll in a new degree program. It is not intended as a means by which students may continue the same degree program in which they were originally enrolled.
- Students may request registration in regular University courses through University Without Walls, and permission to apply courses offered by UWW to their degree requirements, for a period not normally to exceed two semesters.
- All students must submit an educational plan, describing the courses in which they wish to enroll during the period covered by the plan, and explaining whether they intend to (1) apply those courses to a degree program to be pursued at the University, or (2) use the courses for a purpose other than pursuing a degree program at the University.
- Registration in courses does not imply acceptance into a major or degree program.
- Students who intend to apply courses taken during the period covered by the plan to a degree program at the University should apply for re-enrollment to the University, and for acceptance into the intended major (if application to the major is needed) prior to the end of the term covered by the plan. (Application for re-enrollment is governed by the regulations published in Academic Regulations. The deadlines for re-enrollment applications are set by the Registrar's Office.)
- Students who were suspended from the University for academic deficiency at the end of their last semester of enrollment, and who intend to apply courses taken during the period covered by the plan to a degree program at the University, may enroll in courses only with the permission of the undergraduate dean of the school or college in which they intend to enroll upon reenrollment.
- Students who were dismissed from the University for academic deficiency may not enroll in any regular University courses.
Requests to be considered under the above policy must be made to the University Registrar. The University provisions for re-enrollment following an absence of three or more years from the University are described in Section III Academic Status, paragraph K. Special Provisions for Reinstatement after Extended Absence from the University. (Fresh Start). Students should be aware that, under that policy, "an absence of three or more years from the University" is defined as non-enrollment in any courses on the Amherst campus, whether regular University course offerings or courses offered by University Without Walls.
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) > Evaluation of the Pre-Matriculation Record
Academic Regulations > Enrollment Regulations for University Without Walls (UWW) > Evaluation of the Pre-Matriculation Record Faculty Senate…The following regulations apply to the evaluation of a student's record as a non-matriculated student, once the student has been admitted to and is matriculated in a baccalaureate program at the University.
- A maximum of 15 credits completed through University Without Walls prior to the student's matriculation will be accepted as residence credit (will be applied toward the minimum 45 credits required in residence), but the grades earned in these courses will not be included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.
- For students who matriculated into a degree program prior to the Spring 1993 semester, all enrollments through University Without Walls prior to matriculation will count, both toward residence credit and in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.
- Students who matriculated during or after the Spring 1993 semester will have their prematriculation credits earned in University Without Walls evaluated by Transfer Admissions at the time of admission. However, the student may elect to have pre-matriculation coursework completed prior to Spring 1993 accepted according to the provisions of (B), above.
If a student has enrolled in regular University courses as a Special Student (an enrollment category defined in the academic regulations), and subsequently matriculates in a baccalaureate program at the University, the provisions stated in (A), (B) and (C) above apply to that student's pre-matriculation record as well.
Source: Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Regulations
Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Regulations Faculty Senate…The Graduate School academic regulations policies provide UMass Amherst faculty and graduate students with guidelines about academic enrollment, goals, and progress; degree requirements; the academic grievance procedure; and more.
Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Grievances Policy
Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Grievances Policy Faculty Senate…I. Overview
The Graduate School Grievance (“GSG”) procedure exists to deal with complaints by current or former graduate students against the University, one of its administrative or academic units, or one of its faculty or staff concerning “Very Serious Academic Matters”, as defined in Section II(3) herein. To ensure that the possibility of informal resolution is first explored fully, complainants are strongly urged to avail themselves of the services of the University Ombuds Office before invoking the GSG process. A graduate student with a complaint against another student should consult the Dean of Students Office.
II. Scope
- The complainant must be a current or former graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. If the complainant is a former graduate student, then the matter must primarily involve events that occurred while the complainant was still a student.
- The following matters are outside the scope of the GSG procedure:
- Matters of academic judgment, as defined in the Academic Grievance Procedures.
- Complaints that are pending, under appeal, or have been brought to a final disposition under any other campus grievance, complaint, or investigative process.
- Grading disputes and other Academic Grievances that are addressed under the University’s Academic Grievance Procedures.
- Decisions about admission or readmission into a graduate program, which are addressed in the Admissions Policies and Regulations and the Enrollment Policies and Regulations sections of the Graduate School Bulletin.
- Matters that lie within the scope of other existing University policies, including, but not limited to: the Research Misconduct Policy, the Code of Student Conduct, the Sexual Harassment Policy, the Workplace Bullying Grievance Procedure, the Affirmative Action and Non-Discrimination Policy, the Rules and Regulations Governing the Residency Status of Students for Tuition Purposes, disability accommodation and service animal policies, and the Academic Honesty Policy. (For links to these and other policies, see the University’s Policies and Procedures page.) Exceptions may be made with the approval of the Graduate Dean at the request of the administrator(s) responsible for enforcing these other policies.
- Matters that lie within the scope of the collective bargaining agreement between the University and the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO).
- “Very Serious Academic Matters” which fall within the scope of the GSG procedure, unless excluded under Section II(2) above, include, but are not limited to:
- Academic dismissal.
- Involuntary transfer from doctoral to master’s program.
- The Statute of Limitations for completion of a graduate degree.
- Satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree.
- Inconsistent application of Graduate School or graduate program policies or requirements.
- Significant failure by advisors to discharge their responsibilities, and other aspects of faculty/student relations, not falling under any other existing policy.
- Comprehensive examinations.
- Theses and dissertations.
- Fellowships and other sources of funding lying outside the scope of the GEO collective bargaining agreement, if they are administered by the University and are awarded for academic merit.
- Retaliation for bringing a complaint under this procedure.
- In general, the GSG procedure is limited to adjudicating Very Serious Academic Matters, as defined above in section II(3), that cannot be handled through the procedures set forth in existing University policies.
- The matter must involve some specific harm with the possibility of remediation.
- The proposed remedy must lie within the authority of the Dean of the Graduate School.
III. Filing a complaint
- A case is opened by a letter from the complainant addressed to the Dean of the Graduate School. The letter should detail the basis for the complaint and the remedy sought. It should be complete and specific, including the names of witnesses to any relevant event(s), with the dates of those event(s). The complainant will not be permitted to raise new issues later in the process unless the complainant alleges further harm after the submission of this letter or new evidence has emerged that was not known to the complainant at the time of filing. A complaint must be filed no later than one year after the point at which the subject of the complaint first became known to the complainant.
- In consultation with Associate and Assistant Deans of the Graduate School and the Chair of the Graduate Council, the Dean of the Graduate School will decide whether:
- the matter falls within the scope of the GSG process, and
- the proposed remedy (if any is set forth by complainant) is within the Dean’s authority to grant. If in the judgment of the Dean (in consultation with the Associate and Assistant Deans of the Graduate School and the Chair of the Graduate Council), one or both of these requirements is not met, the Dean will so inform the complainant in writing. The Dean may request a revised complaint, particularly when the proposed remedy lies outside the Dean’s authority. The Dean may also dismiss the complaint if another University policy applies to the matter raised. A decision to dismiss the complaint is not subject to appeal and a substantially similar complaint cannot be submitted later by the same complainant.
IV. Soliciting a response
- If the complaint alleges harm by named individuals, such as faculty members, or a named unit, such as an academic department, a copy of the complaint will be sent to the individual(s) or unit by the Dean and they will be invited to respond in writing. That response must be received by the Dean within 14 calendar days when classes are in session, or as soon as practicable when classes are not in session, but in any case no later than 14 calendar days after classes resume.
- After receiving the response, the Dean may attempt to bring the parties to an informal resolution. If an informal resolution is reached, it will be recorded in a memorandum of understanding signed by all parties.
- If no informal resolution is reached, the Dean will convene a GSG panel to consider the matter and make a recommendation.
V. GSG Process
The GSG panel will be chosen by the Dean in consultation with the chair of the Graduate Council. It will be comprised of three graduate faculty members and two graduate students drawn from the Council’s membership, available to serve and having no conflicts of interest. If insufficient members of the Graduate Council are available to serve and without conflicts, or if the case requires technical expertise outside of that available in the membership of the Graduate Council, the Dean may, in consultation with the chair of the Graduate Council, appoint GSG panel members as necessary from the graduate faculty or graduate students at large. The Dean will choose one faculty member of the GSG panel to serve as chairperson. Once this body has been empaneled, the Dean, an Associate Dean, or a Graduate School staff member will provide it with training in the hearing process.
VI. The Hearing
The GSG panel will meet to consider the complaint. This hearing will proceed as follows:
- Timing
When classes are in session, the hearing will commence no later 30 calendar days after the GSG panel is appointed. When classes are not in session, the hearing will commence as soon as is practicable, but in no case later than 30 calendar days after classes resume. - Companions
The Complainant has a right to be accompanied by one companion, who may advise him/her during the hearing. Under no circumstances will the companion be permitted to address the GSG panel. The companion cannot be an attorney. - Rules of the Hearing
- The Chairperson of the GSG panel will fix the time and place for the hearing, and will give prior written notice to the Complainant and to any individual(s) or departmental representatives who submitted a response under section IV above. The complainant will be responsible for notifying companion and witnesses, and will provide the Chairperson with their names and roles prior to the hearing. The Chairperson will allow individuals to participate remotely by telephone or internet, provided that the remote participant is audible to all local participants, and vice-versa.
- The hearing will not be recorded, and no written transcript will be made. Witnesses will not be sworn.
- The following persons are entitled to attend the hearing: the Complainant, the Complainant’s companion, and any individual(s) or departmental representatives who submitted a written response under section IV. Witnesses will be brought into the hearing only when giving testimony.
- The GSG panel may proceed with the hearing and make its findings of fact and recommendations even in the absence of any person who fails to appear. The GSG panel may not, however, base its findings or recommendations on the fact that a person failed to appear. The GSG panel may grant a postponement for good cause.
- During the hearing, the Complainant may make statements, offer evidence, and bring forth witnesses previously identified to the GSG Panel to make statements to the GSG Panel, subject to questioning from the GSG Panel. The GSG Panel may also request that the Complainant produce any such additional evidence as the GSG panel deems necessary to an understanding of the complaint. If anyone has filed a written response to the complaint, the GSG Panel will also offer those persons an opportunity to address the panel.
- Witnesses will be limited to those with actual knowledge of the facts of the case. The number of witnesses will normally be limited to three, but the Chairperson of the GSG panel can permit a larger number.
- The Chairperson will have authority to truncate argument or testimony that is dilatory, irrelevant, or repetitious.
- The GSG panel will not be bound by the procedures and rules of evidence in a court of law. The Complainant may not introduce new claims or arguments at the hearing not made in their written submission of the original complaint or the response unless relevant new evidence has become available. The Chairperson will determine whether new evidence presented for the first time at the hearing is relevant or not.
- The burden of proof is on the Complainant, and the GSG panel’s findings shall be determined by a preponderance of the evidence.
- The GSG panel may in its discretion recess the hearing until a future date upon request of any party or upon its own initiative.
VII. The Report
Within 21 calendar days after the conclusion of the hearing, the Chairperson will submit the GSG panel’s written report to the Dean of the Graduate School. The report will state the GSG panel’s findings of fact on the question(s) in dispute and the GSG’s recommendations for action, if any. Both the findings of fact and the recommendations will be determined by majority vote of the GSG panel. The report will include the panel’s vote.
VIII. Final Disposition
The Dean of the Graduate School will normally order a resolution in accordance with the GSG panel’s recommendations. If the GSG recommends a resolution that is beyond the Dean’s authority, the Dean will endeavor to find an alternative resolution that adheres to the spirit of the GSG panel’s recommendation. If the Dean disagrees with the GSG panel’s recommendations, that disagreement will be explained in writing to the panel and the Complainant, who will also receive a copy of the panel’s report. The Dean’s judgment in such matters will be final and not subject to appeal, except as set forth below. In the event of an adverse outcome, the Complainant may appeal to the Dean within 10 working days. Such appeals are limited to procedural matters involving the conduct of the GSG hearing or the emergence of material new evidence that was not available at the time of the hearing. The remedy is limited to the Dean’s convening a new GSG panel to hear the case de novo. There is no further appeal. Individuals who file a complaint under this procedure shall be expected to abide by the final disposition of the complaint.
Source: 17-026
Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Regulations > Enrollment Policies
Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Regulations > Enrollment Policies Faculty Senate…Source: Graduate Bulletin
Coursework, Grading, and Academic Standing
Registration and Statute of Limitations
Course Withdrawal and Religious Absences
Leaves of Absence
Administrative Withdrawal
Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Regulations > Degree Requirements
Academic Regulations > Graduate School Academic Regulations > Degree Requirements Faculty Senate…All requirements for any advanced degrees to be awarded at a given degree-granting period (February, May, September) must be completed by the appropriate deadline as published on the Graduate School's calendar (generally, mid-January for February; early April for May; and the last working day of August for September). The completed Degree Eligibility Form, signed by the candidate, the Graduate Program Director, and the Department Chair/Head, must be submitted to the Graduate Student Service Center by the specified date so that all the candidate's credentials can be certified before the degree is actually awarded. Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for further detailed guidance in the preparation and completion of a program of study. Guidelines for Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations are also available online.
Any Graduate School regulation or procedure shall not preclude graduate programs from developing specific regulations or procedures which are more restrictive or selective.
Source: https://catalog.umass.edu/gradbulletin/2022-2023/Page21171.html
Master's Degree Requirements
In addition to the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.) degrees, the University also offers the following master's degrees: Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Master of Science in Business Analytics (M.S.B.A.), Master of Science in Accounting (M.S.Acctg.), Master of Design (M.Des.), Master of Education (M.Ed.), Master of Finance (M.F.), Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.), Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.), Master of Music (M.M.), Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P.), Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering (M.S.B.M.E.), Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (M.S.Ch.E.), Master of Science in Civil Engineering (M.S.C.E.), Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (M.S.E.C.E.), Master of Science in Engineering Management (M.S.Eng.Mgt.), Master of Science in Environmental Engineering (M.S.Env.Eng.), Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (M.S.I.E.O.R.), Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (M.S.M.E.), Master of Public Policy and Administration (M.P.P.A.), Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.), and Master of Public Health (M.P.H.). Programs are described elsewhere in this Bulletin; for all other programs consult specific program of study.
Dual master's degrees are offered in the following programs: Architecture (M.Arch.)/Design (M.Des.), Business Analytics (M.S.B.A.)/Management (M.B.A.), Civil Engineering (M.S.C.E.)/Management (M.B.A.), Education (M.Ed.)/Public Policy and Administration (M.P.P.A.), Environmental Engineering (M.S.Env.Eng.)/Management (M.B.A.), Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (M.S.I.E.O.R.)/Management (M.B.A.), Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.)/Architecture (M.Arch.), Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.)/Design (M.Des.), Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.)/Regional Planning (M.R.P.), Mechanical Engineering (M.S.M.E.)/Management (M.B.A.), Public Policy and Administration (M.P.P.A.)/Management (M.B.A.), Public Policy and Administration (M.P.P.A.)/Public Health (M.P.H.), Public Policy and Administration (M.P.P.A)/Regional Planning (M.R.P.), Regional Planning (M.R.P.)/Architecture (M.Arch.), Regional Planning (M.R.P.)/Civil Engineering (M.S.C.E.), Regional Planning (M.R.P.)/Geography (M.S.), Sport Management (M.S.)/Management (M.B.A.), Sustainability (M.S.)/Regional Planning (M.R.P.).
Requirements for All Doctoral Programs
(Including Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education Degree Requirements)
The doctoral degree is conferred upon graduate students who have met the following requirements:
- Successful completion of all courses and projects specified by the adviser/guidance committee within the guidelines of the candidate's graduate studies program.
- A doctoral candidate must spend the equivalent of at least one continuous academic year of full-time graduate work (nine credits per semester) in residence at the university. The residency year must be either in fall/spring or spring/fall sequence. During this year, the student must spend some part of each week physically on campus. Doctoral students enrolled in recognized off-campus programs may satisfy this regulation at their off-campus site.
- Satisfactory completion of foreign language requirements, if required by the candidate's graduate studies program. (These requirements are listed in the departmental sections of this Bulletin.)
- Passing a preliminary comprehensive examination conducted by the major department. Any student who fails the comprehensive examination may, at the discretion of the examining committee, be permitted a second and final examination.
- Registration for the required number of dissertation credits (refer to the Policies and Regulations section of this Bulletin).
- Submission of an approved dissertation prospectus to the Graduate School at least seven months prior to the Final Oral Examination (defense of dissertation).
- Preparation of a dissertation satisfactory to the Dissertation Committee and the Department Head/Chair.
- Passing a final (at least partly oral) examination conducted by the Dissertation Committee. This examination shall be primarily upon, but not necessarily limited to, the candidate's dissertation. This examination time and date shall be submitted to the Graduate Dean for announcement to the Graduate Faculty when all of the Dissertation Committee members and the Department Head/Chair agree that the dissertation is sufficiently complete to stand defense; approval of the dissertation, passing the defense, and/or recommending the degree are not implied by scheduling this examination.
- Doctoral students are expected to achieve candidacy within six years and required to complete their program within five years of achieving candidacy. Candidacy is recommended by the academic department upon satisfactory completion of coursework and passing the qualifying examination. One- or two-year extensions to this policy will be considered by the Graduate Dean upon recommendation from the student's Graduate Program Director.