Conference Reimbursement Policy
Fellowships and Full-time Work
Academic Integrity
Students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are expected to have high standards of integrity and abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy. Any student who cheats or plagiarizes on examinations or assignments is subject to dismissal from GSAS. Cases involving academic integrity will be referred to the dean for adjudication.
Academic Standing
As part of their regular departmental evaluations, students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative average of 3.0. In their evaluation of student academic standing, departments may require a higher cumulative average.
Academic Grievances
I. Preamble
The Academic Grievance Policy of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences provides a procedure for the constructive and timely resolution of serious academic grievances of students against faculty members. Resolution of such grievances should involve all parties working cooperatively and respectfully to obtain mutually agreed solutions. The grievance process first strives for mediated outcomes and only moves to directed outcomes when such efforts at mediation fail. All parties should seek resolutions at the lowest possible administrative level. Because the availability of evidence diminishes over time, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences will not consider a grievance initiated after the close of the fall or spring semester immediately following the term in which the action giving rise to the complaint occurred. Further, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences eschews and discourages frivolous complaints.
II. Any student who believes he or she has a grievance should communicate with the faculty member(s) immediately involved as soon as possible after the action being grieved, but by no later than the close of the fall or spring semester immediately following the term in which the action giving rise to the complaint occurred. If communication results in a mutually acceptable solution, the matter shall be considered closed. If either party wishes to have a written statement of the outcome, the parties shall put the solution in writing, sign it, and each retain a copy.
III. If, however, a mutually acceptable solution cannot be reached, the student may present the matter in writing in a timely manner to the chairperson of the department or program in which the faculty member(s) resides administratively. The written statement must clearly specify: (a) the nature of the complaint and (b) the remedy requested. The department or program chairperson must handle the matter in accordance with department or program procedures approved by the university. If there are no such procedures, the chairperson should proceed as follows:
A) After consultation with both the student and the faculty member(s) affected, the chairperson should proceed in a timely manner either to mediate the matter personally or assign it for mediation to one or more members of the department or program.
B) The chairperson or designated faculty mediator(s) shall then meet formally with the faculty member(s) involved and obtain a written answer to the grievance with a full explanation of the faculty member(s)’ position. After a full investigation, the chairperson or assigned mediator(s) should meet again with the faculty member(s) and student involved, either separately, or jointly, or both, in order to work out a settlement of the problem. If the chairperson or assigned mediator(s) succeeds in resolving the grievance, he/she shall put the agreement in writing, obtain the signatures of all parties to the document, and provide copies of the agreement to all parties involved in the process.
Should the chairperson or assigned mediator not obtain a resolution, the chairperson, after conducting such further proceedings as he/she may determine to be necessary or desirable in his/her sole discretion, shall prepare a written decision and provide a copy of it to the student and the faculty member(s) involved.
IV. A student grievant may appeal a decision of the department or program chairperson to the Dean. The appeal must be made in writing within two weeks of the decision of the department or program chairperson and must specify clearly: (a) the nature of the grievance; (b) the remedy sought; and (c) the reason or reasons why the proposed resolution emanating from step (III) above is not acceptable. Upon receiving the written appeal, the Dean or the Dean’s designees must meet with the chairperson, faculty member(s) and student involved, separately or jointly, to seek a timely solution to the issues. If such procedures produce an outcome mutually acceptable to the parties involved, it shall be put in writing and copies given to all of the parties.
If no such mutually acceptable outcome should be achieved, the Dean or the Dean’s designees shall expeditiously gather all written statements and evidence accumulated up to that point and conduct such review or such further proceedings, including hearings, as the Dean or the Dean’s designees may determine in their sole discretion to be reasonably necessary to reaching an ultimate disposition of the issue(s). In the event of a hearing, the faculty member(s) and student shall each be entitled to bring an advisor drawn from the Boston College community for consultative purposes only. If the above process culminates in a mutually agreeable solution, the Dean or the Dean’s designee(s) must put the agreement in writing, obtain the signatures of all parties to the document, and provide copies of the agreement to all of the parties.
If the Dean or the Dean’s designee(s) arrives at no mutually acceptable solution, the Dean shall in a timely manner convey his/her decision and report (or the report of his/her designee(s) as applicable) to the chairperson and the parties involved. The Dean’s decision shall be final.
Leave of Absence
The conditions for leave of absence and readmission, as noted for the Master’s Program, are also applicable to the Doctoral Program; however, a leave of absence for a student on Doctoral Continuation is rarely granted.
Conference Reimbursement Policy
Graduate students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Connell School of Nursing, and the Lynch School of Education may receive funding for one conference per fiscal/ academic year (June 1 - May 31) with authorization from Associate Dean Candace Hetzner prior to the travel. Reimbursement requests must be received during the same fiscal/ academic year with which the conference took place. Please follow the conference reimbursement guidelines carefully when filing your reimbursement, or it will be delayed. Incomplete files cannot be processed and will be returned.
Fellowships and Full-time Work
Graduate students may not receive University financial aid (stipends and/or tuition scholarships) from two schools or departments simultaneously. Graduate students who hold fellowships or assistantships may not be employed full-time without the Dean's approval.
Boston College University Policies and Procedures