Policy Author:
EPC
Responsible Office – Department:
Registrar
Effective Date of Policy:
Fall 2021
Purpose:
Establish regulations concerning the University’s academics
Scope and Applicability:
Students
Policy Narrative:
Academic Honesty
For additional information regarding the University’s policy on Academic Honesty, please go here.
GENERAL CONDUCT REGULATION
The University reserves the right to dismiss or request the withdrawal of any student whose academic standing, conduct, or manner renders his/her continued attendance at Daemen University undesirable.
THE COLLEGE YEAR
The academic year consists of two semesters of approximately fifteen weeks (including examination periods) each. The Fall semester begins in late August/early September; the Spring semester begins in January. Classes are also offered during a 3- week Intersemester Session (January), two 4 1/2-week Summer Sessions (I: June; II: July/ August), and a 9 1/2-week Summer Session (III: June through early August). An Academic Calendar published annually governs the beginning and end of terms, class meetings and final examination dates, and administrative deadlines. Class schedules published each semester on WebAdvisor (accessible to guests as well as the Daemen community) assign times and places for courses. Final examination schedules are released early in each semester.
Degree & Curricula Rules
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
A student must complete a program of 120-202 semester hours (includes all entry-level programs leading to both baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate degrees) with a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (equivalent to C) for graduation. Within this program, he/she must complete the core curriculum (including studies in courses meeting the specified competencies as well as other core requirements) and fulfill all program and departmental requirements, which may include but may not be limited to a higher grade point average.
IN-RESIDENCE COURSE WORK REQUIREMENT
In order to earn a degree from Daemen University, students are required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of course work in residence. In-residence course work may include, but cannot be limited to, supervised field placements such as student teaching, clinical internship, and Career Field Experience. Challenge Exams, CLLE credit and Cross Registration credit are NOT acceptable in fulfilling the in-residence course work requirement. The final semester’s course work (whether full or part-time) before graduation must be taken in residence.
Students who participate in one of Daemen’s structured off-site programs are not required to take their final semester’s course work in residence; however, these students are advised against cross registration and/or completing course work at other institutions during the final semester since possible delays in receiving official transcripts from the other colleges will postpone a student’s graduation/degree conferral. Official transcripts which reflect all final grades earned for course work completed at other educational institutions/agencies and applicable to Daemen degree requirements must be received by the published deadline for receipt of grades for prospective Daemen University graduates.
GRADUATE PROGRAM INFORMATION
For academic regulations and standards pertinent to post baccalaureate graduate programs, consult the Daemen University Graduate Catalog. Regulations and standards contained in this Catalog apply to linked undergraduate/graduate programs in Accounting, Biology/Cytotechnology, Business Administration/International Business, Health Promotion/Athletic Training, Health Promotion/Public Health, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies.
CLASS STATUS/ANTICIPATED GRADUATION YEAR
Class status is ordinarily defined in terms of the anticipated graduation year. The anticipated graduation year is determined by the requirements a student has met within the department and/or the credits outstanding for completion of degree requirements. For financial aid purposes and online registration priority, however, class status may be defined in terms of credit hours earned rather than credit hours outstanding: for financial aid purposes and on line registration priority, sophomore status is typically attained at 26 credit hours, junior status at 56 credit hours, and senior status at 90 credit hours.
ADMISSION TO UPPER DIVISION OF DEPARTMENT/PROFESSIONAL PHASE OF PROGRAM
In the second semester of his/her sophomore year (third year for Physical Therapy majors), the student is required to make formal application in writing to the chairperson of the department in which he/she wishes to earn a degree. Transfer students who are beyond the status of second semester sophomore are required to submit this written application after they have completed one semester of academic work at Daemen University. For specific time deadlines, procedures and requirements for admission to the upper division/professional phase of various programs, consult with the academic advisor or department chairperson and review the specific departmental statement in this catalog and published on the departmental web pages, and on the Program Plans accessible from the Registrar’s web page.
CHANGE OF CURRICULA
Daemen University reserves the right to make changes in all curricula and/or upper division/professional phase entrance requirements. Students enrolled at Daemen University must meet all requirements if changed or amended by the University.
Dual Degrees, Double Majors and Minors
Students may opt to pursue completion of requirements for more than one program. Completion of requirements in a second program will be stated on a student’s transcript; however, this does not necessarily result in the conferral of multiple degrees/ diplomas. The pursuit of a dual degree is defined as matriculation in a second program leading to a second degree conferral. The pursuit of a double major is defined as pursuit of coursework in a second program leading to a statement of completion (on the transcript) of the second major’s requirements but not a second degree conferral. Students should consult with the Registrar for further details. The pursuit of dual degrees and double majors may also have financial aid implications. Students should consult with the Financial Aid office for details.
Select degree programs include automatic completion of a minor as part of one’s degree requirements; others do not. Students may wish to pursue completion of one or more minor(s). Consult the “Programs of Study” section in this catalog, or the Program Plans option accessible from the Registrar’s web page, for a complete listing of available minors.
Students wishing to change major, file for a dual degree or double major, or declare a minor must file the necessary form with the Registrar’s office.
COURSE SUBSTITUTIONS AND CURRICULUM WAIVERS
In exceptional cases, a student may petition for a course substitution or waiver of a departmental and/or degree requirement and/or core requirement. The student will submit to the Committee on Academic Standards a written request fully stating the rationale. The student will ask his or her advisor to send a written recommendation to the Committee on Academic Standards; the Committee will request a written recommendation from the chairperson of the department from which waiver or substitution is requested. The Committee on Academic Standards will make the final decision and will notify the student accordingly.
Requests for waivers or substitutions relative to core electives, upper division core requirements, requirements of quantitative literacy, and/or service learning and/or writing intensive studies may be considered in exceptional instances. Requests should be referred to the Core Director.
If a course substitution request is based on a student’s disability, the student shall also furnish, in addition to his/her petition and advisor’s recommendation, appropriate documentation of the disability to the University’s 504/ADA Coordinator (Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs). Provided that the documentation appears to support the student’s request, the request shall be construed as a request for reasonable accommodation of a disability and it shall be the role of the Committee on Academic Standards only to determine whether the request may be granted without compromising the essential nature of the student’s academic program. For further details on the University’s policy on the accommodation of students with disabilities, see the Accreditation and Institutional Policies section of this Catalog or contact Disability Services at (716)839-8228.
Course Load
For more information on the University’s Course Load Policy, please go here.
PROGRESS TOWARD COMPLETION OF REQUIREMENTS
All matriculating students, together with their academic advisor, should regularly monitor their progress towards completion of degree requirements and should verify their progress by generating their program evaluation on line via Self-Service.
Evaluations may be completed on a student’s current major or any other program in which a student is interested. Questions regarding program evaluations should be directed to the Registrar’s office.
It is strongly recommended that students generate their program evaluation regularly and definitely prior to preparation/update of their education plan and registration for courses.
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Grading
For more information on the University’s policy for grading, please see here.
Academic Bankruptcy
For more information on the University’s policy for Academic Bankruptcy, please see here.
HONOR SOCIETIES
The following honor societies have chapters at Daemen University:
Beta Beta Beta (Natural Science)
Kappa Delta Pi (Teacher Education)
Lambda Iota Tau (English & Foreign Languages)
Phi Alpha (Social Work) Psi Chi (Psychology)
Sigma Beta Delta (Accounting & Business Administration)
Sigma Pi Epsilon Delta (Special Education/Inclusion)
Sigma Theta Tau (Nursing)
ACADEMIC STANDING: PROBATION, SUSPENSION, DISMISSAL, APPEALS
For more information on the University’s policy for Academic Standing, please see here.
CLASS ATTENDANCE
For more information on the University’s policy for Class Attendance, please see here.
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS
As soon as possible after any change of name and/or address occurs, students should notify the Registrar’s Office. The Change of Address form may be downloaded from the Registrar’s web page. Name changes will be executed only when the notification of name change is accompanied by a copy of the legal document which verifies the name change. Students whose permanent address is in a foreign country (excluding Canada) must provide the Registrar’s office with a local address, telephone number, and contact person.
DAEMEN EMAIL
Every student currently enrolled at Daemen University is furnished with a Daemen email account. The Daemen email account will remain active during periods when a student is on a leave of absence or academic suspension. Certain important notices may be sent only via email to the student’s Daemen email account. Such announcements will include but are not limited to: opening of advance registration windows and call for applications for graduation. Students are responsible for checking their Daemen email account on a regular basis.
Registration
For more information on the University’s policy for Registration, please see here.
Graduation Requirements
For more information on the University’s policy for Graduation, please see here.
Withdrawal from the University
For more information on the University’s policy for Withdrawal, please see here.
SPECIAL ENROLLMENT RULES
TRANSFER CREDIT
Continuing students who wish to take a course at another institution and transfer the credit to Daemen to meet a program requirement may do so through the standard transfer of credit system or the cross registration program.
Some programs restrict the number of credits transferred in the major and/or in non-major requirements. Consult the academic department for details.
Note: Completion of core credits via transfer courses: Transfer courses (including cross registrations), except for courses equivalent to CMP 101 College Composition (which satisfies the Communication Skills and Information Literacy competencies), will not satisfy competencies, or Learning Community requirements. Only with the written authorization of the Core Director will a transferred course fulfill Quantitative Literacy and/or Writing Intensive requirements. Only in extraordinary circumstances, and only with the written authorization of the Core Director, will a transferred course fulfill Service Learning and/or Research and Presentation requirements (the latter for which departmental approval will also be solicited by the Core Director). Transfer credits may be used to fulfill core electives.
The standard transfer of credit system requires that students file the required Request for Off-Campus Course form with the Registrar’s office. The form must be completed in full and bear the required student and faculty signatures. Students are advised to consult the transfer equivalency database accessible from the Registrar’s web page, to determine if a course offered elsewhere is equivalent to a Daemen course and/or is acceptable for transfer. If a course does not appear in the database, students are advised to provide a course description to the Daemen Chair of the credit granting department (example: English Chair must approve English courses) when they are requesting permission to take an off-campus course. A minimum grade of C is required for transfer unless a higher grade in the course is required in the student’s major. Students must have official transcripts for all off-campus coursework sent directly from the other institution to Daemen’s Registrar’s office. The student is responsible for the transcript fee.
Cross registration is an option available only to full-time matriculating students who wish to take an undergraduate course elsewhere during a semester. Consult the Special Programs for Enrichment and Academic Credit section of the Catalog for full details.
No transfer courses or cross registration are allowed in a senior’s final semester before degree conferral. Consult the In-Residence Course Work Requirement section of the catalog for details.
AUDIT POLICY
For more information on the University’s Audit Policy, please see here.
INDEPENDENT STUDY
During any term of enrollment, it is recommended that departments allow independent study only after carefully assessing whether the course can be successfully taught independently and after ascertaining that the student:
- has a grade point average of 2.5 or better;
- has completed all course work for previous courses undertaken;
- possesses the necessary motivation and ability for working independently.
The Independent Study request form must be signed by the instructor and the department chair before enrollment in the course is finalized. Summer and intersemester independent study also requires the approval of the appropriate divisional dean.
DIRECTED STUDY POLICY
Directed study may be arranged in various fields to allow students to supplement departmental courses. To enroll in Directed Study 458, the student must complete the Permission to Register form, gaining the approval of the directed study instructor and the chair of the department from which credit will be granted.
CREDIT FOR LEARNING FROM LIFE EXPERIENCE (CLLE)
Daemen students may receive academic credit for training courses in the armed forces or other non-educational organizations, for acquired proficiency as determined by College Level Examination Program (CLEP) subject tests or Excelsior College Examinations, or for equivalent knowledge acquired through occupational or avocational life experiences. Criteria for granting Life Experience credit as presented in the following publications will be followed whenever possible:
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP) by the College Board: limited to subject examinations.
- Excelsior College Examinations by the University of the State of New York.
- College Credit Recommendations by the National Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction (PONSI).
- Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces by the U.S. Armed Forces Institute (USAFI).
For further details, refer to the section in this catalog entitled Application Procedures: Credit by Examination. In cases in which the above criteria do not apply, the student may petition the Committee on Academic Standards for Credit for Learning from Life Experience (CLLE). The student should provide a recommendation from the faculty of the credit-approving department (via the chairperson). A faculty panel within the department from which credit is sought will design and conduct an individualized examination after consultation with the candidate. An oral examination, a written examination, a performance examination, or a combination of two or three of these evaluative techniques should be used. The Committee on Academic Standards will make the final decision regarding the requested credit. The amount of credit will vary with the nature of the learning experience and its applicability to a degree program. Students are advised to begin the CLLE application process by discussing with the chair of the credit-granting department the feasibility of their petition. A fee is assessed for each course/credit for which CLLE is granted.
CHALLENGE EXAMINATIONS
Departments may offer challenge examinations to students who may possess proficiency in a particular course. Challenge exams must be designed by department faculty and are offered at the professional discretion of the faculty. Once a student completes the examination, he/she must petition the Committee on Academic Standards for credit for the course. The department chairperson, after grading the exam, will submit the grade recommendation to the Committee. The Committee’s decision is final. The course, grade, and statement that a Challenge Exam was completed will appear on the student’s transcript. A fee is assessed for each course/credit in which a student completes a challenge exam.