Academic Regulations

Academic Regulations

Graduate Academic Amnesty

Academic amnesty provides former graduate students of Monmouth University an opportunity to improve their program grade point average. A former graduate student of Monmouth University must be away from the University for at least two (2) calendar years to be eligible to apply for academic amnesty. The student may apply for academic amnesty with a stated plan approved by the graduate program director. If academic amnesty is granted, the student will be readmitted under the current catalog of record, and amnesty will be recorded upon his or her re-enrollment. In addition, credit will be given for all Monmouth University courses with grades of “B” or better and as many courses with grades of “B-” as possible while maintaining a program grade point average of 3.00 or better. Courses that are older than seven (7) years may not be used to satisfy curriculum requirements unless specifically approved by the appropriate academic program director.

Students who receive veterans’ educational benefits who are approved for academic amnesty should be aware that they will not be entitled to VA benefits when repeating courses that satisfy requirements that were satisfied prior to academic amnesty.

Academic amnesty may be granted to a graduate student only once. Students who receive Academic Amnesty are required to complete additional course work in order to finish a program. Under no circumstances will grades earned by a student at Monmouth University be expunged from the student’s permanent record or excluded from any transcript sent from Monmouth University.

Courses that receive no credit under the grant of amnesty will not be applied later for fulfillment of any degree or certificate requirement. The University shall not use a grade point average adjusted by amnesty to determine the eligibility of a student for any honors that may be awarded.

The Graduate Academic Standards and Review Committee of the Graduate Studies Office shall evaluate each application for academic amnesty based on recommendation by the director of the graduate program. The Committee will inform the Registrar of its decision and of courses affected by the granting of amnesty.

Academic Honesty

Monmouth University encourages its students to grow intellectually as well as to become responsible citizens in our complex society. To develop their skills and talents, students are asked to conduct research, perform experiments, write papers, work individually, and cooperate in group activities. Academic dishonesty subverts the University’s mission and undermines the student’s intellectual growth. Dishonesty in such academic practices as assignments, examinations, or other academic work cannot be condoned. A student who submits work that is not original violates the purpose of Monmouth University and may forfeit his/her right and opportunity to continue at the University.

The University has an obligation as an educational institution to be certain that each student’s work is his/her own. Note that Monmouth University faculty members have access to Turnitin a Web-based plagiarism-detection resource that compares the text of student papers to an extensive electronic database. This database includes current and archived Internet resources, periodicals, journals and other publications, and past student papers from Monmouth and other educational institutions. All student assignments may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included as source documents in the Turnitin reference database (solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers). Faculty are expected to inform students in advance about which assignments will be checked for originality using Turnitin. Use of the Turnitin service is subject to the Usage Policy posted on the Turnitin site.

Doctoral Academic Standing1

A grade of “B” or better in each doctorate course is required to satisfy the course work in the curriculum.  The student who earns less than a ‘B’ in a course will be allowed to repeat that course only once.  Two grades below a ‘B’ in any individual course or two grades below ‘B'; in different courses will be grounds for dismissal from the program.  If a student is required to repeat a course for academic reasons, a formal request to repeat the course and continue in the program should be filed with the director of the program.  If a student earns less than a ‘B’ in a repeated course, the student will be academically dismissed from the program.  All courses must be completed with a grade of ‘B’ or better before starting the capstone sequence.  A student in a doctoral program is required to maintain a minimum cumulative average of 3.00 during the program and meet all other academic standards of Graduate Studies.

DOCTOR OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Satisfactory progress through the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program requires a minimum passing grade of ‘C’ (73%) in each course and a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Failing to receive a grade of ‘C’ or better in any course will automatically result in dismissal from the program. Failing to achieve a 3.0 semester GPA for the first time will automatically result in a student being placed on Academic Warning. Failing to achieve a cumulative 3.0 semester GPA for the second time, will automatically result in a student being placed on Academic Probation. Failing to achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA for the third time will automatically result in a student being dismissed. Students cannot progress to the clinical phase of training if on Academic Probation (i.e., students must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA to progress to their clinical phase of training). Students can have a maximum of one academic probation during the program (i.e., a second academic probation will result in automatic dismissal from the program).

Graduate Academic Standing2 3 4 5

Graduate students are required to maintain an average of 3.00 or better in all courses in the degree or certificate program in which they are enrolled at Monmouth University.

Students who fail to maintain a 3.00 or better average or who accumulate as many as three credits of “B-,” “C+,” “C,” “C-,” or “F” grades will be subject to review by the Graduate Academic Standards and Review Committee. Under no circumstances will more than six credits of “C+,” “C,” and “C-” grades accumulate toward degree credit. Students will not receive their degrees until the policies on the number of “C” grades and G.P.A. are met. Students who have maintained an average of 3.00 or better and who have met the grade requirements as stated above are considered to be in good academic standing.

PROBATION

All graduate students will be placed on academic probation when their cumulative G.P.A. falls below 3.00. Students on probation should not be absent from any classroom exercise, scheduled class function, laboratory, or conference period. Furthermore, they may not compete in nor travel for varsity sports or hold office in any University organization. Students on academic probation are not permitted to self-register using WEBregistration, but instead must make all schedule changes with their academic advisor.

DISMISSAL

Students are reviewed for academic dismissal at the conclusion of the fall, spring, and summer terms. A student shall become subject to academic dismissal for failure to meet the minimum standards listed below*:

Credits Completed* Minimum Cumulative GPA
3-9 credits 2.25
9.5-15 credits 2.50
15.5-21 credits 2.75
21.5 and more credits 3.00
*

Credits completed include all credits not officially withdrawn from

Students who have been academically dismissed have the right to appeal that decision in writing to the Graduate Academic Standards and Review Committee.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION – SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

In addition to Monmouth University’s general policies outlined in the Graduate Catalog, three additional policy areas may lead to dismissal from Monmouth University’s M.S.Ed. in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) Program: (1) poor academic/clinical performance, (2) inability to demonstrate the essential skills for a career in SLP, and (3) unprofessional or unethical conduct.

Poor Academic or Clinical Performance:
Satisfactory progress through the SLP program requires a minimum passing grade of ‘C’ (73%) in each course and a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Failing to receive a grade of ‘C’ or better in any course will automatically result in dismissal from the program. Failing to achieve a 3.0 semester GPA for the first time will automatically result in a student being placed on Academic Warning. Failing to achieve a 3.0 semester GPA for the second time, will automatically result in a student being placed on Academic Probation. Failing to achieve a 3.0 semester GPA for the third time will automatically result in a student being dismissed. Students cannot continue in clinical training if on Academic Warning or Probation, potentially changing the program completion date (i.e., students must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA to continue with their clinical phase of training). Students can have a maximum of one academic probation during the program (i.e., a second academic probation will result in automatic dismissal from the program).

Inability to Demonstrate the Essential Skills for a Career in SLP:
A student who cannot successfully demonstrate the essential functions, or essential skills, for clinical practice, cannot be endorsed for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) clinical certification. Upon application to the M.S.Ed. Program in speech-language pathology, students provide endorsement of their own ability to fulfill the essential skills and functions for clinical practice via signature. If the Program determines a student needs remediation in any essential skills area, a remediation plan will be developed and implemented. If, after remediation, the student continues to fail to demonstrate the essential functions in question, the Program must fulfill the ethical responsibility of recommending to the School of Education’s Academic and Professional Dispositions Review Committee (APDRC) terminating a matriculation plan (dismissing the student) that is not leading to clinical competence sufficient for meeting the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Council for Clinical Certification (CFCC) certification standards.

Unprofessional or Unethical Conduct:
When signs of unprofessional or unethical conduct are identified, the Program will evaluate the severity of the ethical/professionalism violation. For most cases, the Program will develop a remediation plan and implement this plan with the student.  If, after remediation, the student continues to demonstrate unethical/unprofessional behavior, the Program must fulfill the ethical responsibility of recommending to the School of Education’s Academic and Professional Dispositions Review Committee (APDRC) terminating a matriculation plan (dismissing the student) that is not leading to clinical competence sufficient for meeting the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Council for Clinical Certification (CFCC) certification standards. Please note that any violation that places a client/patient/coworker/peer student/supervisor/instructor in any level of physical, psychological, or emotional danger is grounds for immediate dismissal without remediation. All Federal, State, and local laws must be followed at all times when participating in any aspect of the M.S.Ed. in Speech-Language Pathology Program. Failure to uphold applicable laws will result in immediate dismissal from the Program without intervention.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

A grade of “B” or better in each Master of Science in Nursing course is required to satisfy the course work in the curriculum.  The students who earns less than a ‘B’ in a course will be allowed to repeat that course only once.  Two grades below a ‘B’ in any individual course or two grades below ‘B'; in different courses will be grounds for dismissal from the program.  If a student is required to repeat a course for academic reasons, a formal request to repeat the course and continue in the program should be filed with the director of the program.  If a student earns less than a ‘B’ in a repeated course, the student will be academically dismissed from the program.  All courses must be completed with a grade of ‘B’ or better before starting the capstone sequence.  A student in a doctoral program is required to maintain a minimum cumulative average of 3.00 during the program and meet all other academic standards of Graduate Studies.

MASTER OF SCIENCE – PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT

Satisfactory progress through the Physician Assistant program requires a minimum passing grade of ‘C’ (73%) in each course and a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Failing to receive a grade of ‘C’ or better in any course will automatically result in dismissal from the program. Failing to achieve a 3.0 semester GPA for the first time will automatically result in a student being placed on Academic Warning. Failing to achieve a cumulative 3.0 semester GPA for the second time, will automatically result in a student being placed on Academic Probation. Failing to achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA for the third time will automatically result in a student being dismissed. Students cannot progress to the clinical phase of training if on Academic Probation (i.e., students must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA to progress to their clinical phase of training). Students can have a maximum of one academic probation during the program (i.e., a second academic probation will result in automatic dismissal from the program).​​

Attendance

Monmouth University believes that attendance is essential to success in academic courses. Therefore, class attendance is required. The University believes that learning is an interactive process dependent in part on the student and is not just a matter of the passive absorption of information. The University also believes that to benefit fully from their respective courses, students need to participate in, and contribute constructively to, the classroom experience, and, secondly, that the success of any course depends as much on what students contribute to the class as on what the instructor presents.

Grades in courses are normally based on academic performance (participation, contribution, and examination). However, individual faculty members may adopt reasonable regulations that additionally relate grades to class attendance. All professors must state their specific attendance policies in a written statement containing the pertinent course requirements and give it to the students during the first week of the semester. A student who, for any reason, may not be present at a particular class or laboratory is, nevertheless, responsible for adhering to the attendance requirements of the course.

Students are not permitted to attend classes for which they have not officially registered (as determined by the Office of the Registrar). If students attend without prior registration, they are subject to disciplinary actions, inclusive of suspension and/or dismissal, and will not be permitted to “retroactively” enroll.

Course Withdrawals

Students are expected to complete the courses for which they register. On occasion, however, withdrawals are warranted. (See section entitled “Grades” for a description of the “W” grade and associated procedures.) Students who do not intend to complete any course for which they are officially registered should execute an official withdrawal prior to the “W” deadline.

Students who do not intend to complete one or more courses for which they are registered should submit an official withdraw e-FORM, Withdraw from Course by the stated deadline on the academic calendar. The Withdraw from Course e-FORM should also be used when withdrawing from ALL courses and intending to return to Monmouth University in the future.

Students withdrawing from ALL courses with NO intention to return to the University must use the Total Withdraw from University e-FORM.

Except under unusual circumstances, such as prolonged illness, a student will not be permitted to withdraw from course work past the stated deadline in the academic calendar. All students who do not complete courses and who have not executed an official withdrawal prior to the deadline indicated will receive “F” grades for such courses.

Fourteenth Week Class Schedule

Fourteenth week classes shall be held during a time scheduled by the University.

Fourteenth week information is available on the "Registration Information" page of the Monmouth University Web site. A student who has three or more fourteenth week classes scheduled in one day may request that one of them be rescheduled to another day. It is normally the middle one of the three that is rescheduled. The class should be given at a time agreed upon by both the student and the faculty member on or before the end of the fourteenth week class period.


1Doctor of Occupational Therapy students must follow specific guidelines outlined for that program.
2Master of Arts in Psychological Counseling students must achieve a final grade of “B” in PC-505, PC-523, PC-526, PC-529, and PC-550, or they must repeat the course and achieve a minimum of a “B” to move on in the program.
3Master of Science in Education – Speech Language Pathology students must follow specific guidelines outlined for that program.
4Master of Science in Nursing students must follow specific guidelines outlined for that program.
5Master of Science – Physician Assistant students must follow specific guidelines outlined for that program.