Policies & Procedures

Absences

The Pathways Center often receives calls about students who will be missing classes for an extended length of time due to medical problems, family crises, etc. If students are unable to contact their professors (hospitalized or at home for a family emergency), we send an email to the student’s professors and advisor to inform them why the student is absent and how long the absence is expected to last.

Pathways does not, however, excuse students from classes; it is up to each professor to decide how many absences are allowable in his or her classes.  Pathways only acts as a conduit for the information to reach professors when students are unable to contact them directly. If a student is out for an extended period of time, Pathways may ask professors to email the student assignments he or she has missed, and help facilitate communication between students and faculty.

When students are on campus and sick for a day or two, we expect the students to communicate with their professors directly. Students who contact our office with an absence are told that they are not being excused from classes, they will have to make up any work they have missed, and they will need to be in touch with their professors as soon as possible to do so.

Academic Standards

Any full-time student who achieves less than a 2.0 semester or cumulative grade point average in any semester will have his/her academic record reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee.

Students who do not meet the general criteria for good standing will receive letters of warning, probation, or suspension.  In reviewing the records of students in academic difficulty, the Academic Standards Committee normally uses specific guidelines in decision-making.

Credit load

The normal credit load for a full-time student is between 12-18 credits.  Students must be registered for a minimum of 12 active credits to be considered a full-time student.  (When students withdraw from courses they are financially responsible for the credits, thus the credits remain on their schedules.)  Athletic eligibility, housing requirements, financial aid, and insurance may be in jeopardy if a student does not maintain full-time status.

When students repeat courses, the higher grade is factored into the grade point average.  Students receive credits only once for the course.

Degree Audit

By the end of their junior year, students must file an Intent to Graduate form with the Registrar’s Office and undergo an official degree audit.

FERPA and student Privacy Rights

Guidelines for Policy on Academic Standing:

Credits Attempted            Cumulative GPA        Sanction
Toward Graduation

                0-18                      1.70-1.99                     Warning
                0-18                      1.30-1.69                     Probation

                0-18                      below 1.30                  Suspension
                19-32                    1.50-1.99                     Probation
                19-32                    below 1.50                  Suspension

                33-48                    1.70-1.99                     Probation
                33-48                    below 1.70                  Suspension
                49-68                    1.80-1.99                     Probation
                49-68                    below 1.80                  Suspension

                69 or more           1.90-1.99                    Probation
                69 or more           below 1.90                 Suspension

These guidelines are just that: merely guidelines for the committee. Actual sanctions may be either more or less severe than those stated above. In all cases, individual circumstances will be taken into account in committee deliberations.

Mathematics Placement Test

The Mathematics Placement Test (MPT) is administered on Blackboard and test results are recorded on a student’s transcript.  The purpose of Mathematics Placement Test is to assess the student’s level of preparedness for college-level mathematics. Since most students will take at least one mathematics class during their time at New England College, we want to ensure that students find a mathematics class that is appropriate (neither too easy nor too difficult.)

In order for a student to “test out” of the college-wide mathematics requirement s/he must receive an adequate score on an in-person Mathematics Proficiency exam.  To take this exam students must schedule an appointment with a member of the mathematics faculty.

The score for the Mathematics Placement Test can be found on MyNEC at http://mynec.nec.edu/ under “Mathematics Placement Test.” The result of the Mathematics Placement Test is one of the numbers 0, 1, or 2. Please note: the score is not a “grade” in the usual sense. It is simply a way for us to identify which level of college mathematics is most appropriate for a student.

The following information provides an explanation of the score for the Mathematics Placement Test and gives suggestions for the mathematics course into which a student should enroll.

A score of “0” indicates that a student should take MT0990 - Essential Mathematics

A score of “1” indicates that a student should take either MT1100 – Introduction to Quantitative Reasoning, or MT1020 - College Algebra. If a student needs an additional class or classes in mathematics such as statistics, s/he should take MT1020 – College Algebra.

There are several options available if a student scores is “2” S/he may wish to take MT1100, Statistics, or Precalculus. Or, if an additional mathematics class is needed, the student may try to place-out of the mathematics requirement by taking and passing the mathematics proficiency test (contact the Mathematics Department).

A score of "9" indicates that the student has sucessfully passed the mathematics proficiency exam and has satisfied the general mathematics requirement.

There may be additional mathematics requirements depending on the major. For example, many majors such as psychology, sociology, and the sciences require a course in statistics. If there are any questions, please contact the academic advisor or the advising office in Pathways.

Pass/No (P/NR) Record Grading Option

You may take up to 16 credits under the Pass/No Record option. That means if you receive a D- or better in the course, the grade is show as a P (pass). The grade does not get added into your GPA (grade point average). If you fail the course the only grade you see on your record is an NR (no record) and the GPA is not affected. This is a way to take a difficult class without the risk of hurting your GPA.

There are some basic rules that apply to the P/NR option:

1.    You may take your distribution courses or gen ed courses as
       P/NR although you may NOT take Writing I or II as P/NR.

2.    You must talk with your advisor before submitting a P/NR form
       for a class. Certain majors will not allow particular courses to
       be taken P/NR.

3.    You must select the P/NR option in the first ten days of
       classes or before.

4.    If you do not chose the P/NR option within the first 10 days of
       the semester, you cannot, under any circumstances, petition
       to do it at a later date. You may, however, petition to change
       your P/NR into a letter grade up until the last day to withdraw
       from a full-semester course.

If you have any questions please contact your advisor or the Pathways Center at x 2218.