General Academic Policies

For detailed information any of the academic policies listed below, please refer to the Student Handbook or contact the Academic Affairs Office for assistance.

Academic Advising

Each semester, using input from the student, students are matched with an academic advisor who will work with the student over the course of the semester. The academic advisor assists with the development of the student’s semester study plan, and approves it, during the residency; monitors the student’s progress over the course of the semester; and based on narrative evaluations of the work completed during the semester, determines if the semester was successfully completed. The advisor also assists students to problem solve, directing them to appropriate policies, resources, and/or staff members for assistance with academic, enrollment or community life needs.

The individual advisor/student relationship is the core of Goddard’s education. It ensures that our individualized education is, in fact, a process that fosters risk-taking, alleviates isolation, and renders the learning process dynamic, creative, engaging, holistic, and collaborative. Students learn to express their ideas clearly in writing, to think, to listen to another’s opinion, to look at themselves and their work from a different perspective; they are challenged to grow, to take risks, to stretch; and they are heard, supported and encouraged.

These goals are accomplished through a dialogic exchange between the advisor and the student. On a regular, pre-determined basis over the course of the semester, the student sends a packet of material reflecting the work for that period. Evidence of the work completed can include essays, creative and critical writing, materials related to practica, documentation of art practice/works, book annotations, and a cover letter in which the student reflects on the learning process. The advisor responds promptly in writing to the student’s packet with a detailed letter addressing the various components of the packet and containing appraisal, feedback, and suggestions. Through the regular exchange of packets and responses, a sustained meaningful dialogue takes place, centered on the student’s learning.

Study in the Education Program and the Psychology and Counseling Program, is course-based, the students work with course mentors, one of who is also their academic advisor. The mentors evaluate the success of individual courses and the academic advisor uses the mentor evaluations and their own to determine if the semester was successfully completed.

Academic Appeals

Students have the right to appeal academic decisions made by College administrators or faculty members concerning the student. The academic appeal process is detailed in the Student Handbook. For assistance with this process, contact the Academic Affairs Office.

For information on how to appeal an non-academic decision, refer to the Student Grievance Process.

Academic Honesty

Taking responsibility for one’s own learning means doing one’s own work and giving others credit for their contributions. Students are expected to be rigorously honest in their studies. Violations of academic integrity are taken seriously and may result in a range of responses including loss of credit, academic probation, and academic withdrawal. Plagiarism is a deliberate violation of academic honesty. Please refer to the Student Handbook for further information.

Academic Withdrawal

Students who do not satisfactorily complete two consecutive or a total of three semesters are academically withdrawn. Please refer to the Student Handbook or contact the Registrar’s Office for further information.

Duplicate Studies/Concurrent Enrollment

Goddard does not accept transfer credit that substantively duplicates prior work at another school, nor does the college permit credit-bearing studies at other institutions to be carried on concurrently with Goddard credit-granting study, except when approved by the advisor as a supplementary resource for part of a Goddard semester’s planned study. Concurrent enrollment at Goddard and study toward a certificate or degree in another program is not permitted.

Extensions

The work of a semester is defined as the work completed by the final day of that semester. Exceptions may be granted to provide work extension to students to complete a senior study or final product, to students with documented extenuating circumstances or to students with documented learning differences that qualify the student for additional time. Financial aid is not available for extensions.

Final Product Completion

If the faculty advisor and the second reader agree that a student’s undergraduate senior study or graduate final product has not been completed by the final day of the semester, they may authorize an extension to complete the study.

Students may contact the Student Accounts Office for the final product extension fee. The extension starts at the beginning of the packet/coursework portion of the following semester and is undertaken in four-week blocks. If, after two four-week extensions, the senior study or final product is not judged complete, the student can enroll for the balance of the semester (if eligible) or stop and return the following semester for a full semester (if eligible).

Extenuating Circumstances

A student who encounters a medical, psychological, or family problem (certified by an appropriate specialist) that makes completion of the semester’s work impossible may apply to the program director for an extenuating circumstances extension. To be eligible, a student must complete the equivalent of three packets (nine weeks) of work by the end of the semester. If granted, the extension is for six weeks. The extension takes place during the semester following the unfinished semester.

A student need not attend the residency at the beginning of the semester during which the extended study is completed. If the advisor or program director judges that the previous semester’s planned study has not been fully and satisfactorily completed during the weeks granted for extended study, the previous semester is recorded as unsuccessful and the student receives no credit for it.

Extended time, which allows for extra time to complete a semester, is available to students with a documented disability as an approved accommodation. Generally, the extended time begins on the first day of the packet/course work portion of the semester following the one being extended and generally runs for six weeks. At the completion of the extended time, the student is generally considered to be on leave of absence for the remainder of the semester.

To be eligible to undertake extended time, a student must be in possession of an educational profile (EP) that has been prepared by the academic and disability support coordinator,and the EP must list “reasonable extensions of time” as an accommodation. There is no fee for extended time.

Fees, Records, And Enrollment

To be enrolled for a semester, a student must have paid all fees for the semester or made arrangements for their payment acceptable to the college. Returning students must also be academically clear to enroll consistent with the academic progress and withdrawal policies of the College.

A student enrolled in the Education Program’s Licensure degree option (only available at Goddard’s main campus in Plainfield, VT) who is doing supervised practice teaching as all or part of a semester’s planned study is charged a fee to help pay the cooperating teacher and supervisor who evaluate and document the practice teaching. (This does not apply to Master of Fine Arts in Writing or Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts students doing their required practicum. The MFA practicum is a community-based project that may or may not involve teaching in a classroom setting.

The MA in Psychology and Counseling charges an internship fee, which is not a licensure fee.

A detailed list of fees and tuition is available on the Tuition and Fees page or upon request at studentaccounts@goddard.edu.

Grades / Evaluation Process

Goddard does not make use of letter or number grades and cannot compute “grade point
averages.” In lieu of letter grades, Goddard College has, since 1938, utilized faculty authored
narrative evaluations to assess student work (see Narrative Evaluations below). At the undergraduate level, student work must be of a quality that would warrant a C or better to be considered successfully completed. At the graduate level, student work must be of a quality that would warrant a B or better to be considered successfully completed.

The faculty advisor’s evaluation becomes part of the student’s Goddard transcript. If a student
is negatively impacted by the absence of grades on their transcript, the Registrar is available to
advocate on behalf of the student by explaining the College’s long-standing practice of
providing narrative evaluations on the transcripts in lieu of letter grades. Narrative evaluations
cannot be translated by the Office of the Registrar into a letter or number grade equivalent.
Students are encouraged to review all faculty evaluations at the end of each semester and prior
to graduation.

Graduating Student Presentations

Every graduating student (undergraduate or graduate) is required to make a presentation of a completed study to fellow students and others. The presentation is made during the commencement residency. MFA in Creative Writing graduates are required to offer a reading of their work. If students are unable to attend their commencement residency, they can petition their program director for permission to miss. If permission is granted, students must make a presentation of their work in their home community and send documentation to the program director before their degree will be awarded.

Graduation and the Commencement Residency

Graduating students are awarded their degrees during commencement ceremonies held at the residency following their final semester. Students may not postpone their graduation by seeking a leave of absence subsequent to their final enrolled semester but prior to the awarding of the degree at the commencement residency. Students are expected to be on campus for the three-day commencement residency (typically over a weekend) during the regular program residency following their final semester. During this time, graduates meet with their advisors, turn in final paperwork to the Registrar’s Office, offer a graduating presentation/reading and attend commencement. Unless other arrangements have been made, they present their senior studies or final products during these days, through talks, discussions, exhibits, performances, and so on. Generally, commencement is on a Sunday, when graduates and their advisors speak briefly.

To receive a diploma students must have met all degree criteria, including completing and submitting a final draft of the senior study or final product report in Goddard’s required format, signed by the advisor and second reader, to the Office of the Registrar; submitting any outstanding academic reports or forms via SIS; and paying all bills or making arrangements approved by the college for their payment. A student whose academic work is done but whose account is not clear and/or has not submitted all the required paperwork may participate in commencement but will not receive a diploma or transcripts until all obligations have been met.

Jobs As Resources For Learners

Study cannot consist solely of the student’s usual daily work and/or community activities. The job or job site may, however, serve as an important resource for designing learning experiences and conducting research. Community involvement may furnish similar opportunities for study.

Internet and Email Access

The College’s primary method of communicating with students, as well as distributing information, materials, and forms, is electronic. All students are required to have web access sufficient for operations such as completing on-line forms and downloading documents from the college’s Intranet, as well as opening file attachments and receiving electronic mail. The College provides all students with a Goddard email address and College Intranet account (GoddardNet) upon registering for the first semester. Though there are few circumstances that would preclude Internet access, students who cannot comply with this policy may petition for special accommodation.

Narrative Evaluations

At the end of the semester, the academic advisor, with input from the student, determines if the semester has been successful. This process is accomplished through narrative evaluations written by the student and the advisor. The student evaluation, using the semester study plan as a jumping off point, describes what learning was accomplished, what resources were used, and what products were produced. The evaluation describes the progress the student has made toward meeting degree requirements and concentration requirements (if applicable). Included in the self-evaluation is a bibliography, properly cited, of all the resources and readings the student used during the semester of study. The bibliography is retained as part of the student’s permanent academic record, however it is not included in the transcript. The advisor writes an evaluative report (also called a transcript statement) of the student’s semester, concluding with the judgment that the semester has or has not been successfully completed based on the goals set up in the study plan, the timeliness, quality and completeness of the packet/course work, and taking in consideration the student’s end-of-semester evaluation.

All areas of study, group studies, courses or other college offerings are required to have an evaluation by both the student and the advisor/course mentor. An evaluation is required even if academic credit is not awarded to complete the student’s permanent academic record.

Planned, Independent Study

Intensive residency study is defined as independent study, with the faculty advisor serving as study supervisor. The goals, resources, and anticipated outcomes for the study are detailed in the study plan. Goddard studies are planned one semester at a time, within the framework of an evolving long-range plan. The faculty advisor must approve the semester’s study plan in the Student Information System. Study plans may be amended, with the approval of the advisor. Completion of the work laid out in the semester study plan is one basic criterion for advancement and awarding of credit.

Registration, Records, And Transcripts

Much of registration can be done ahead of time, through filling out and returning forms sent by financial aid, student accounts, and the Registrar’s Office, and getting financial questions (especially financial aid) settled beforehand. There are substantial fees for late registration and late payment of fees.

Students academic records (which are maintained by the Registrar’s Office and available to students via the Student Information System) document their Goddard history: admission papers, transcripts of high school and college study prior to entering Goddard, student and faculty evaluations for each semester of Goddard study, and copies of correspondence with, or about, the student. In accordance with the law, students’ college records are open only to them, college officials, those who are granted permission by student to access them, and a few others, for example, U.S. Department of Education representatives, as the law requires. Transcripts are released only when accounts are paid in full.

The Residency

Residencies are an essential component to Goddard’s programs. Attendance at a program’s
residency each semester is a required and vital part of low-residency study. For students, attendance at residency may be available via attendance on-campus or virtually via online technology. Residency dates are available on the Academic Calendar Information page.

A student who misses some or all of a residency without prior permission may not be permitted to enroll for studies for that semester and may be placed on Leave of Absence (LOA) for the semester. If the student is not eligible for a LOA, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the College.

Following a student’s final semester of enrollment, graduates are also required to attend a three-day commencement residency.

Second Readers

Students preparing their undergraduate senior study or their graduate final products are assigned a faculty second reader, as well as a faculty advisor to assist with and evaluate their work. Granting of the degree requires the recommendation of both the advisor and the second reader.

Student Work Deadlines

Students are expected to submit their work to their advisor or course mentor in a timely manner on the program’s established schedule of due dates. Failure to meet the packet and/or course schedule in a timely manner may result in withdrawal for non-participation and loss of credit for the semester. Electronic mail with attachments may be substituted for some or all of a packet, when appropriate and with the faculty member’s permission.

Successful Semester Completion

Satisfactory completion of the work of a semester depends on the advisor’s judgment, arrived at in consultation with the student, that:

The student has attended and participated fully in the program’s residency for each enrolled semester;
The student has fulfilled the minimum number of study hours for the program:
- For programs offering a 12-credit semester, the semester studies have been “full-time,” defined as involving at least 30 hours a week of study throughout the semester;
- For programs offering a 9-credit semester, the semester studies have been “three-quarters time,” defined as involving at least 23 hours a week of study throughout the semester;
- For programs offering a 6-credit semester, the semester studies have been “half-time,” defined as involving at least 15 hours a week of study throughout the semester);
The student has fulfilled the goals of the study plan made, approved by the academic advisor, and submitted via the Student Information System no later than three (3) weeks from the first day of the semester;
Significant and demonstrable progress has been made during the semester toward fulfilling the Principles of Graduate Study (MA/MFA students) or Undergraduate Degree Requirements (BA/BFA students) as detailed in the Student Handbook;
Significant and demonstrable progress has been made during the semester toward fulfilling the program-specific degree criteria as detailed in the program’s handbook addenda;
Study materials were received by the advisor, group study facilitator(s), or course mentor(s) promptly and consistent with the program’s due date calendar and/or as agreed upon in the study plan and/or course contract by the student and faculty member (a mass of material, however impressive, received at the end of the semester from a student who has sent little or no material before, is not acceptable as evidence of a satisfactorily completed semester);

The student has evaluated the semester’s learning and has submitted, via the Student Information System (SIS), an end-of-semester evaluation to the advisor.