Requirements for the Degree

Although students may satisfy Core requirements in any of their four undergraduate years, they are advised to complete most and, if possible, all Core requirements within the first two years. The remaining 24 courses are to be completed with major and elective choices.

All first year students should select EN 010 First Year Writing Seminar or a Core Literature course, APSY1030 Child Growth and Development and the course(s) designated by your major department. Major requirements are listed in the sections that follow. If you have not declared a major and are listed as Unclassified, follow the course requirements for the Applied Pscyhology and Human Development major.

The ERA seminar, a three-credit course, is also a requirement for all Lynch School students.

The bachelor's degree requires the completion, with satisfactory cumulative average (at least 1.667) of at least 38 one-semester courses (each carrying a minimum of three semester-hour credits), normally distributed over eight semesters of four academic years. Students pursuing teacher licensure programs, however, must maintain a cumulative average of at least 2.50 to enroll in the practicum (full time student teaching).

Within the 120 credits required for graduation, 45 credits comprise the Core Curriculum.

Students are advised to select Core courses very carefully, making sure they satisfy the Core requirement in each department in Arts & Sciences. APSY 1030 and APSY 1031, both required courses for all students in the Lynch School, meet the Core Social Science requirement.  APSY 031 also meets the Core requirement for a course in Cultural Diversity. Identification of Core courses can be determined by contacting the appropriate department head in Arts & Sciences and by reference to each semester's Schedule of Courses.

A second major, either interdisciplinary, Applied Psychology and Human Development, or in a department of the College of Arts & Sciences subject discipline, is required of all students in licensure programs. This major should be in an area that complements the student's program in the Lynch School. These majors must have the approval of the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs (Campion 104/106).

Students in licensure programs are encouraged to declare their liberal arts majors early so that they are eligible to take courses restricted to majors in these disciplines.

Students in the Applied Psychology and Human Development program are not required to have a second major but are required to complete a minor of six courses in one subject discipline outside the Lynch School, or an interdisciplinary minor or major, or second major. 

A major program of studies within the Lynch School must be declared by all students and approved by  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs before the end of the sophomore year. Applied Pscyhology and Human Development majors as well as those seeking a major leading to teacher licensure must be officially accepted into the major by the Lynch School.

Students seeking a major leading to teacher licensure must complete and submit a Declaration of a Major form, an application for admission to a Teacher Education Program, and a current transcript to  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs. That office reviews applications and accepts qualified applicants before the end of the sophomore year. Early program application is encouraged.

Applied Pscyhology and Human Development majors need to complete a Declaration of a Major form and submit a current transcript.

The remaining courses required for graduation include additional major courses, minor courses, and electives.

Standard Program

The standard course load for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors is five three-credit courses each semester; for seniors, four courses. A freshman or sophomore who wishes to take only four courses may do so only with prior approval of  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs. After the first year, a sixth course may be taken by students whose GPA is at least 3.3. A student whose average is between 2.8 and 3.2 must obtain prior approval for a sixth course from the  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs.

During the first two years, students are required to enroll each year in a minimum of six credits of Education courses, unless they receive prior approval from  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs.

No more than 11 courses may be taken for credit in one year without special permission from  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs.

Full-time status for a student in any class requires enrollment in at least four three-credit courses in each semester. 

Tuition shall apply each semester as published, even if the student carries the minimum full-time load or less.

Acceleration of degree programs is possible in exceptional circumstances, provided that approval is obtained from the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs at least two full semesters before early graduation, and that University policies governing acceleration are followed.

The only courses that a student, after admission to Boston College, may apply toward a Lynch School degree (whether for Core, major, or total-course requirements) will be those taken at Boston College in a regular course of study during the academic year. The Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs may grant exceptions to the provisions of this regulation for the following situations:

• official cross registration programs
• international programs
• official college exchange programs
• special study programs authorized by  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs
• removal of deficiencies incurred by failure, withdrawal from a course, or course underload
• subject to certain restrictions, courses in the College of Advancing Studies as approved by the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs prior to enrollment in the course

Any of the above exceptions granted must be based on prior written approval from  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs.

Transfer into the Lynch School

Boston College undergraduate students may apply for transfer consideration into Lynch School Applied Psychology & Human Development or Teacher Education majors. To be eligible, students must:

• have a minimum 3.0 grade point average.
• have a record free of academic deficiencies.
• complete at least four semesters of full-time study in the Lynch School.
• transfer after completing freshman year or during either term of sophomore year.

Students must make an appointment with either Dr. Julia DeVoy, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students in the Lynch School, Maureen Raymond, Associate Director, or Jill Pickener, Assistant Director to explore the Lynch transfer process. To schedule an appointment, stop by Campion 104. Following the appointment, students may be invited to submit the following transfer application materials:

• Internal Transfer Application Form
• Adjust Major Form
• Application for Admission to Teacher Education Programs (required for students who plan to pursue a teacher education major i.e. Elementary or Secondary Education)
• Academic Integrity Form
• Personal Essay: a 250-word essay that provides a thoughtful rationale for becoming an Applied Psychology or Teacher Education Major. This essay must be typed.

Pass/Fail Electives

In sophomore, junior, or senior years, a student may, with the approval of the department offering the course, take an elective course on a Pass/Fail basis. No more than one Pass/Fail course may be taken in any semester.

Pass/Fail evaluations may not be sought in Core or major courses. A student is required to complete a Pass/Fail form and obtain approval from the instructor and from the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs.

No more than three courses for which the final grade is "Pass" will be counted toward a degree.

Students, anytime before senior year, may be relieved of a Core requirement without receiving credit by demonstrating, by means of an equivalency examination, to the chair of a department that administers courses satisfying the Core requirement, that they have mastered the content of such a course.

In certain departments there are courses in which continuation in the second semester is intrinsically dependent upon mastering the content of the first semester. A student who fails or withdraws from the first semester of such a course may, with the approval of the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs, be allowed to continue in the course and gain credit and the grade of D- for the first semester by passing the second semester satisfactorily (with a C+ or better, if graded). This regulation may be applied also to Pass/Fail electives involving a two-semester offering provided both semesters are taken Pass/Fail. The grade of Pass, rather than D-, will be awarded for the first semester in such cases. A list of departments and courses where these regulations apply is on file in the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Requirements for Good Standing

To remain in the Lynch School, a student must maintain a cumulative average of at least 1.667 as the minimum standard of scholarship and have passed at least nine courses by the beginning of the second year, 19 by the beginning of the third year, and 29 by the beginning of the fourth year. Students must have at least a 2.5 GPA to be eligible for a practicum (full-time student teaching senior year).

Failure to maintain good standing, either through a low cumulative average or by incurring failures and/or withdrawals, or by taking an unapproved underload, will result in the student being placed on probation or being required to withdraw from the School, as the Academic Standards Committee shall determine.

Unless the student returns to good standing by an approved method (see "Course Make-up") or if the student incurs additional failures or withdrawals, or carries an unapproved underload while on probation, the student will be required to withdraw from the Lynch School at the time of the next review.

A student who has not passed 17 courses after two years or 27 after three years will be required to withdraw. If seven courses are not passed in one year, withdrawal will be required. If a student passes fewer than two courses in a semester, the Academic Standards Committee and the Dean may require immediate withdrawal.

No student may begin a given academic year in September with more than one deficiency. Three deficiencies within an academic year will mean dismissal. A deficiency is defined as a failure in a course, a withdrawal from a course, or an unapproved underload. A deficiency should be made up as soon as possible after it has been incurred.

A student who has been required to withdraw because of three or more deficiencies may be eligible to apply for readmission. To be eligible for return, a student must fulfill the conditions specified in the letter of withdrawal from  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs. This will ordinarily include the reduction of deficiencies and the attainment of a minimum grade point average. A student who fails to fulfill the specified conditions will not be allowed to return to the Lynch School, and it is at the discretion of the Dean whether to allow readmission.

Students may be reinstated once after a dismissal. A student who receives a subsequent dismissal may not be reinstated.

Course Make-Up

A student who has failed or withdrawn from a course may make up the credits by passing an additional approved course during the regular school year or in a summer session at Boston College (with a grade of at least C-) or at another accredited four-year college (with a grade of at least C-).

All make-up courses must be authorized by  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs or by the appropriate department for Core and/or A&S major courses prior to registration in them.

To make up deficiencies, not more than two approved three-credit courses or their equivalent will be accepted from any one summer session; and no more than a total of three approved three-credit courses or their equivalent will be accepted from two or more sessions in the same summer.

A student who has been or will be required to withdraw may seek approval of  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs for summer courses, and may thereby become eligible for consideration for reinstatement. A student who does not receive permission for summer courses or who fails to achieve creditable grades of C- or better in approved summer courses will not be allowed to matriculate in the Lynch School.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Students who are absent repeatedly from class or practica will be evaluated by faculty responsible for the course to ascertain their ability to achieve the course objectives and to continue in the course.

A student who is absent from class is responsible for obtaining from the professor, or other students, knowledge of what happened in class, especially information about announced tests, papers, or other assignments. 

Professors will announce, reasonably well in advance, all tests and examinations based on material covered in class lectures and discussions, as well as other assigned material. A student absent from class on the day of a previously announced examination is not entitled, as a matter of right, to make up what was missed. The professor involved is free to decide whether a make-up will be allowed.

In cases of prolonged absence, due to sickness or injury, the student or a family member should communicate with the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs as soon as the prospect of extended absence becomes clear. Academic arrangements for the student's return to classes should be made with the the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs, as soon as the student's health and other circumstances permit.

Final examinations must be given in all courses at the prescribed time. A student who misses a final examination is not entitled, as a matter of right, to a make-up examination except for serious illness and/or family emergency. The illness or emergency must be confirmed by  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs preferably before the time of the final examination, but certainly within 48 hours of the examination.

Professional Practicum Experiences Leading to Teacher Licensure

Placements for pre-practica and practica leading to license are arranged by the Office of Professional Practicum Experiences, Campion 106, only for eligible students enrolled in programs in the Lynch School. The Director of Professional Practicum Experiences, for appropriate reasons, may choose not to approve a student for the practicum.

Pre-practica and practica are essential parts of the curriculum in the Lynch School. Attendance is required of all students assigned to cooperating school systems and agencies. It is the student's responsibility to inform the school or agency and the college supervisor of absences from the site.

Three semesters of pre-practicum assignments of one day per week are required before student teaching in the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education programs.

A full practicum (student teaching) is a full-time, five-days-per-week experience in the senior year for an entire semester. In the Lynch School, a full practicum is characterized by the teaching competencies required by the Massachusetts Department of Education.

The full practicum must be completed by all students seeking licensure. A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 and successful completion of all major courses are required prior to student teaching for all students in Early Childhood and Elementary programs. Students in Secondary Education must complete all major courses and 4/5 of A&S courses prior to student teaching. No incomplete grades may be outstanding and a minimum of 29 courses must have been completed before placement is approved.

All students will be screened for eligibility and any who fail to meet the standards (academic, health, professional) will be excluded. Those so excluded will take courses on campus during the semester to qualify for a degree from Boston College, but not for recommendation for teacher licensure.

Students will not be allowed to enroll in an overload while doing student teaching. If, for any reason, a student is unable to complete the full practicum, an extended practicum (additional time in the field) will be required by arrangement of the Director of Professional Practicum Experiences.

All pre-practica and practica for students seeking teacher licensure are arranged by the Office of Professional Practicum Experiences. Students must apply for a field assignment during the semester preceding the one in which the assignment is to be scheduled. 

Application deadlines for all pre-practica are December 1 for spring placements and April 15 for fall placements. Application deadlines for all practica are October 30 for spring placements and March 15 for fall placements. The Office of Professional Practicum Experiences will not be able to arrange assignments for late applicants.

The facilities utilized for pre-practica and practica are located in Boston and neighboring communities. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from these facilities.

Leave of Absence

A student in good standing who desires to interrupt the normal progress of an academic program and to resume studies at Boston College within a year may petition for a leave of absence. The process begins at the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs.

A leave of absence will not usually be granted to students who expect to do full-time academic work at other institutions. A leave of absence will be extended for no more than one year, although petition for renewal is possible.

Academic Integrity

Students at the Lynch School are expected to have high standards of integrity. Any student who cheats or plagiarizes on examinations or assignments is subject to dismissal from the University. Cases involving academic integrity shall be referred to the Dean's Office for adjudication.

Policy and Procedures
The pursuit of knowledge can proceed only when scholars take responsibility and receive credit for their own work. Recognition of individual contributions to knowledge and of the intellectual property of others builds trust within the University and encourages the sharing of ideas that is essential to scholarship. Similarly, the educational process requires that individuals present their own ideas and insights for evaluation, critique, and eventual reformulation. Presentation of others' work as one's own is not only intellectual dishonesty, but it also undermines the educational process.

Standards
Academic integrity is violated by any dishonest act which is committed in an academic context including, but not restricted to, the following:

Cheating is the fraudulent or dishonest presentation of work. Cheating includes but is not limited to:

• the use or attempted use of unauthorized aids in examinations or other academic exercises submitted for evaluation;
• fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation of data, results, sources for papers or reports, or in clinical practice, as in
• reporting experiments, measurements, statistical analyses, tests, or other studies never performed; manipulating or altering data or other manifestations of research to achieve a desired result; selective reporting, including the deliberate suppression of conflicting or unwanted data;
• falsification of papers, official records, or reports;
• copying from another student's work;
• actions that destroy or alter the work of another student;
• unauthorized cooperation defined by the course instructor in completing assignments or during an examination;
• the use of purchased essays or term papers, or of purchased preparatory research for such papers;
• submission of the same product (e.g., written work) in more than one course without prior written approval from the instructors involved; 
• misrepresentation in requests for make-up exams, for extensions of deadlines for submitting papers, and in any other matter relating to a course.
  
  

Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas, data, illustrations, or statements of another person or source, and presenting them as one's own. Each student is responsible for using proper methods of paraphrasing and footnoting, quotation, and other forms of citation, to ensure that the original author, speaker, illustrator, or source of the material used is clearly acknowledged.

Other breaches of academic integrity include:

• the misrepresentation of one's own or another's identity for academic purposes;
• the misrepresentation of material facts or circumstances in relation to examinations, papers, or other evaluative activities;
• the sharing or sale of papers, essays, or research for fraudulent use;
• the alteration or falsification of official University records;
• the unauthorized use of University academic facilities or equipment, including computer accounts and files;
• the unauthorized recording, sale, purchase, sharing, dissemination, or use of academic lectures, academic computer software, or other instructional materials;
• the expropriation or abuse of ideas and preliminary data obtained during the process of editorial or peer review of work submitted to journals, or in proposals for funding by agency panels or by internal University committees;
• the expropriation and/or inappropriate dissemination of personally-identifying human subject data;
• the unauthorized removal, mutilation, or deliberate concealment of materials in University libraries, media, or academic resource centers.

Collusion is defined as assistance or an attempt to assist another student in an act of academic dishonesty. Collusion is distinct from collaborative learning, which may be a valuable component of students' scholarly development. Acceptable levels of collaboration vary in different courses, and students are expected to consult with their instructor if they are uncertain whether their cooperative activities are acceptable. 

Promoting Academic Integrity: Roles of Community Members

Student Roles in Maintaining Academic Integrity 
Students have a responsibility to maintain high standards of academic integrity in their own work and thereby to maintain the integrity of their degree. It is their responsibility to be familiar with, and understand, the University policy on academic integrity. Students who become aware of a violation of academic integrity by a fellow student should respond in one of the following ways:

• Students may discuss their concerns with the student whom they suspect of a violation. Direct contact by another student may be the best means of resolving the problem. Repeated demonstration of student concern for academic integrity will, in the long run, build a peer-regulated community.
• If the incident is a major violation or part of a repeated pattern of violations, students should bring their concerns to the attention of the instructor or to the appropriate department chairperson or associate dean. The faculty or chairperson should then report credible concerns to the Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean. Suspected violations by students reported to members of the faculty or to an Associate Dean will be handled according to the formal procedures set forth below.

Students who have serious concern that a faculty member is not meeting their responsibility to safeguard and promote academic integrity in course group work or in other elements of assigned coursework and assessment should speak with the faculty member directly, or should bring their concern to the attention of the associate dean of undergraduates who will ensure the concern and correct process is followed. 

Faculty Roles in Fostering Academic Integrity 
Faculty members should provide students with a positive environment for learning and intellectual growth and, by their words and actions, promote conditions that foster academic integrity. Faculty should be concerned about the impact of their behavior on students. Students are sensitive to messages communicated in informal discussions and in casual faculty remarks about personal decisions and value judgments. Students are perhaps most sensitive to how responsibly faculty members fulfill their obligations to them in the careful preparation of classes, in the serious evaluation of student achievement, and in their genuine interest in and availability to students. Faculty should promote academic integrity in the following specific ways:

• At the beginning of each course, instructors should discuss academic integrity in order to promote an ongoing dialogue about academic integrity and to set the tone and establish guidelines for academic integrity within the context of the course, e.g., the extent to which collaborative work is appropriate. Where relevant, instructors should discuss why, when, and how students must cite sources in their written work.
• Instructors should provide students with a written syllabus that states course requirements and, when available, examination dates and times.
• Instructors are encouraged to prepare new examinations and assignments where appropriate each semester in order to ensure that no student obtains an unfair advantage over his or her classmates by reviewing exams or assignments from prior semesters. If previous examinations are available to some students, faculty members should ensure that all students in the course have similar access. Course examinations should be designed to minimize the possibility of cheating, and course paper assignments should be designed to minimize the possibility of plagiarism.
• Proctors should be present at all examinations, including the final examination, and should provide students with an environment that encourages honesty and prevents dishonesty.
• Faculty should be careful to respect students' intellectual property and the confidentiality of student academic information.
• Assignment of grades, which is the sole responsibility of the instructor, should be awarded in a manner fair to all students.

Academic Deans

Academic deans have overall responsibility for academic integrity within their schools. In particular, deans' responsibilities include the following:

• Promoting an environment where academic integrity is a priority for both students and faculty,
• Ensuring that students who are honest are not placed at an unfair disadvantage, and
• Establishing procedures to adjudicate charges of academic dishonesty and to protect the rights of all parties.

LSEHD Procedures (Undergraduate)

The Lynch School’s Academic Integrity undergraduate policies and processes provide students accused of academic integrity violations with basic due process and procedural steps and protections, including formal notice and a formal opportunity to respond to the change(s) and provide evidence. The Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean’s Office is tasked by the University with establishing procedures to adjudicate charges of academic dishonesty and to protect the rights of all parties. The Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean’s Office works to ensure the process and decisions to impose penalties, as well as, determinations of severity of penalties are fair and consistent for all Boston College undergraduate students. The process is carefully conducted to protect the privacy and reputation of the instructor(s) and/or a student accused of an academic integrity violation, and the process and procedural steps work to ensure the case is considered free of pre-bias and/or discrimination. The Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean will then bring forward all pertinent case material to the Lynch School Academic Integrity Committee for review.

The Lynch School Academic Integrity Committee is constituted annually and comprises faculty members, a graduate and an undergraduate student representative, the undergraduate associate dean and graduate associate dean will serve as non-voting administrative resources for their respective cases.

When a faculty member determines that a student's work violates the standards of academic integrity, the faculty member is encouraged to discuss the matter with the student first. In each case though, the procedures and steps below to adjudicate charges of academic dishonesty and to protect due process and the rights of all parties involved must be followed.

• The faculty member should notify the student of the substance of the violation and the action that the faculty member proposes to take.
• When the faculty member indicates a grading penalty should be imposed, a letter of notification describing the incident with supporting evidence and the proposed grading penalty must first be sent to the Lynch School Undergraduate Associate Dean for all violations occurring within undergraduate level courses taught at Lynch.
• On receipt of such a notification, the Undergraduate Associate Dean will formally notify the student of the violation allegation, submitted evidence, and the proposed grading penalty of the faculty member. In any cases involving final exams, final papers, and final project work, the student will receive an Incomplete (I Grade) in the Boston College course grading system until the formal review and case decision is made in alignment with Boston College governing undergraduate policy and with adherence to the Lynch School Academic Integrity timeline.
• Each student accused of a violation must next be given the formal opportunity to respond in writing to the faculty member's allegation and all students accused of a violation must submit their written response to the Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean within two weeks (10 business days) of the Undergraduate Associate Dean’s dated notification regarding the alleged violation.
• If the student is from another school of Boston College, the student's appropriate Undergraduate Associate Dean (CSOM, CSON,WCAS) or Associate Class Dean (MCAS) will also be notified about the allegation by the Lynch School Undergraduate Associate Dean. The University-wide Academic Officer formal process for handling of such cases will be followed.
• While a case is pending, the student may not withdraw from or change status in the course.
• Case materials should be submitted directly to the Lynch School Undergraduate Associate Dean who will collect and share the compiled case file materials with the Lynch Academic Integrity Committee for their review and decision. Students accused of a violation must submit their written response to the Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean within two weeks (10 business days) of the Undergraduate Associate Dean’s dated notification regarding the alleged violation. Both the student’s and faculty member’s case materials will be submitted to the Lynch Academic Integrity Committee within two weeks (10 business days) of receipt of the student’s own formal written response.

Each violation of academic integrity reported to the Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean, including first time violation cases which are substantiated by evidence submitted from the course faculty member, will be shared with the Lynch Academic Integrity Committee.

As per the Boston College Provost’s Office, in no case should department chairs or faculty members outside of the annually constituted Academic Integrity Committee or beyond the faculty member bringing a violation allegation forward, be involved with any case.

In order to ensure fairness, anti-bias and equitable outcomes within the Lynch Academic Integrity Committee case review process, the committee will make an initial decision without reference to any previous violations. Only after an agreement is made on the validity of the academic integrity case before them and an agreement to affirm a violation penalty, will the committee be informed by the Lynch School Undergraduate Associate Dean about a recorded first violation or other violations. This process will underpin fairness in the specific case review, but also ensure the committee's final imposed penalty decision appropriately reflects the case as a second or further violation if there is a repeated instance or pattern.

For all Non-Lynch undergraduate students, in accordance with the Boston College University Policies regarding undergraduate students and Academic Integrity allegations, all Lynch Academic Integrity Committee reports will be shared and coordinated with the corresponding Undergraduate Associate Deans of the student from another school of Boston College. This established, formal centralizing process ensures that in cases involving students from more than one school, or students in joint or dual degree programs, the process and penalty will be consistent.This also ensures that for any students who may internally transfer to another school of BC, the formal record of substantiated Academic Integrity violations will be accurate.

The Lynch Academic Integrity Committee will include one of the faculty members as committee chairperson. The Undergraduate Associate Dean to whom cases are reported will receive all case materials directly and according to specified timelines, share with the Lynch Academic Integrity Committee, as well as, serve as a non-voting resource for all cases within the Lynch school involving Boston College undergraduates. For any Lynch undergraduate level summer courses offered, the process and procedures will be handled by the Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean and the Lynch Academic Integrity Committee as during the school year.

The Lynch Undergraduate Associate Dean will convey to the faculty member bringing the allegation forward and to the student of the alleged violation the Academic Integrity Committee’s decision of responsibility, approval or rejection of proposed penalty, and any other recommended sanctions in a Committee case report of findings. The Undergraduate Associate Dean will maintain a file of each case’s final decision and report. The file will be kept confidential in the Undergraduate Associate Dean's office. Files on students found not responsible or unsubstantiated will be immediately destroyed.

Final penalties for students found responsible for violations will depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and the student's previous record of substantiated academic integrity violations.

The Lynch Academic Integrity Committee may simply affirm the faculty member's proposed grade penalty from the letter of notification submitted for the case and issue a memo of confirmation of the violation, which will be kept in a confidential file in the student’s Undergraduate Dean's Office until the student graduates and will not be reportable to professional schools or outside agencies.

The Academic Integrity Committee may alternatively recommend a different grading penalty and/or impose additional administrative penalties. Such penalties may include university probation, suspension, or expulsion, all of which become part of a student's academic record and are reportable to graduate/professional schools and outside agencies.

Appeal of the Academic Integrity Committee’s decision may be made by written request to the Associate Dean of Undergraduates not later than two weeks (ten business days) following the final notification date of the Academic Integrity Committee’s decision. The Associate Dean of Undergraduates will forward the appeal to the Lynch School Dean and the Lynch School Dean will serve as the final arbiter not later than two weeks (ten business days) and the Lynch School Dean’s decision will be final.

Grade Change

In exceptional circumstances, a grade change may be warranted. All such grade changes must be submitted for approval by the faculty member to  the Office of Lynch Office of Undergraduate Programs no later than six weeks after the beginning of the semester following that in which the course was initiated. This rule applies also to those grade changes that result from the completion of course work in cases where an extension was given to a student by a professor to finish the work after the end of the semester in which the course was initiated.

Academic Honors

The Dean's List recognizes the achievement of students semester by semester. The Dean's List classifies students in three groups according to semester averages: first honors (3.700-4.000), second honors (3.500-3.699), and third honors (3.300-3.499).

Degree with Honors

Honors accompanying the degree of Bachelor of Arts are awarded in three grades

• summa cum laude, with highest honors, is awarded to the top 4.5 percent of the graduating class
• magna cum laude, with high honors, to the next 9.5 percent
• cum laude, with honors, to the next 15 percent

These percentages are based on the students' eight-semester cumulative averages.