Annual Notification of Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

St. John Fisher College complies fully with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Under FERPA, students have, with certain limited exceptions, certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access.

Students should submit to the appropriate official written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

Only records covered by FERPA will be made available. Students may have copies made of their records, except for an academic record for which a financial “hold” exists or a transcript of an original or source document. Copies will be made at the student’s expense at prevailing rates.

Type, Location, and Custodian of Education Records Maintained by the College

The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.

Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.

Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

One exception is disclosure to parents of dependent students. Another exception is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests, on a “need-to-know” basis, as determined by the administrator responsible for the file. A “school official” includes: anyone employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); any person or company acting on behalf of the College (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); any member of the Board of Trustees or other governance/advisory body; and any student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility; to perform a task that is specified in his or her position description or contract; to perform a task related to a student’s education or to student discipline; to provide a service or benefit related to the student or student’s family (e.g., job placement, health insurance); or to maintain safety and security on campus. Upon request, the College may disclose education records without the consent of the student to officials of another school in which the student seeks or intends to enroll.

Other exceptions are described in the FERPA statute and regulations at 34 CFR Part 99.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

Directory Information

The College has designated the following information as directory information:

• Student’s name
• College email address
• Address
• Telephone number
• Date and place of birth
• Photo
• Hometown
• High school
• Field(s) of study
• Advisor name(s)
• Full-time/part-time status
• Class year
• Dates of attendance
• Date of graduation
• Degrees and awards received
• Most recent previous educational institution attended
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams

The College may publicize or respond to requests for such information at its discretion. However, the use of the records for commercial or political purposes is prohibited unless approved by the appropriate dean.

Currently enrolled students may request that directory information be withheld from disclosure by filing the appropriate form with the Registrar within two weeks after the first day of classes for the fall semester. Requests made after this date should still be forwarded since they will prevent directory information from being released in the future. The College assumes that failure on the part of the student to specifically request the withholding of any directory information indicates approval of disclosure.

Request for nondisclosure will be honored by the institution and remain in effect until withdrawn by the student in writing. Students are advised to exercise caution in requesting nondisclosure of directory information since the inability to verify attendance and/or graduation may adversely affect future employment. For nondisclosure, complete the St. John Fisher Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form available in the Registrar’s Office.

Note: Notification to students of their rights under FERPA is sent via College email each year at the start of the fall semester.

Release of Personal Information to Military Recruiters

At the request of military branches, the regulations under the Solomon Amendment, 32 CFR Part 215, require the College to release select information on currently enrolled students to military recruiters for the sole purpose of military recruiting. Before releasing the requested information, the College will ask if the intent is to use the requested information only for military recruiting purposes. The military is entitled to receive information about students who are “currently enrolled,” which is defined as registered for at least one credit hour of academic credit during the most recent, current, or next term.

Under the Solomon Amendment, the military is entitled to receive the following student information:

• Name
• Age or year of birth
• Address
• Major
• Telephone number
• Level of education (i.e., freshman, sophomore, or degree awarded to a recent graduate)

If a student has requested that his or her directory information not be disclosed to third parties, as is permitted under FERPA, that student’s information will not be released to the military under the Solomon Amendment. In such instances, the school will remove the student’s information sent to the military and note “We have not provided information for X number of students because they have requested that their directory information not be disclosed as permitted by FERPA.”

Release of Disciplinary Records

The College may disclose only the final results of a disciplinary proceeding to a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense. The disclose of the final results may occur regardless of whether the institution concluded that a violation was committed. The offenses that constitute a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense include arson, assault offenses, burglary, criminal homicide (manslaughter by negligence), criminal homicide (murder and non-negligent manslaughter), destruction/damage/vandalism of property, kidnapping/abduction, robbery, forcible sex offenses, statutory rape, and incest. FERPA prohibits the victim from re-disclosing this information.

General Grading Information

St. John Fisher College operates on a semester basis with final examinations at the close of each semester.

These grades indicate passing work:

• Outstanding: A, A-
• Good: B+, B, B-
• Satisfactory: C+, C, S
• Passing: C-, D+, D, D-

These grades indicate work below the passing standard:

• Failure: F
• Unsatisfactory: U
• Failure due to excessive absence: FA

To earn credit, a student must repeat and pass the course in which a grade of “F,” “FA,” or “U” has been received.

Other grades:

• Audit: AU
• Incomplete: I
• Withdrawal: W

Calculating the Grade Point Average (GPA)

• A: 4.00 points per credit
• A-: 3.70 points per credit
• B+: 3.30 points per credit
• B: 3.00 points per credit
• B-: 2.70 points per credit
• C+: 2.30 points per credit
• C: 2.00 points per credit
• C-: 1.70 points per credit
• D+: 1.30 points per credit
• D: 1.00 points per credit
• D-: 0.70 points per credit
• F: 0 points per credit

The grade point average is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of graded credits attempted. Thus, a student who has attempted 60 credit hours and has accumulated 120 grade points would have a grade point average of 2.00 or a “C” average. Failures are included in the calculation of the grade point average until the course has been repeated and passed.

Dean’s List

Each semester, a list of students who have excelled academically is produced. To be eligible, a student must have:

• A 3.50 or higher term GPA
• No grade lower than “C”
• At least 12 undergraduate credit hours earned in residence in addition to credits earned S/U
• No grades of “U”, “UA”, or “I”

The Dean’s List students will be identified at the end of each semester when academic standing is determined and again at the end of the six-week Incomplete grade period. Students with approved ADA Accommodated Part-Time status are eligible for the Dean’s List as long as they meet all Dean’s List criteria, even though they may not carry full-time credit loads. Students engaged in student teaching during a semester may be eligible to be named to the Dean’s List provided they receive the grade of “S” for student teaching, obtain a grade no lower than “B” in a regular course (if they are enrolled in one), and have been on the Dean’s List for two semesters prior to their student teaching semester. All students with approved incomplete grade extensions or in Study Abroad or Washington Semester Programs are eligible for the Dean’s List when their grades are submitted as long as the incomplete grades did not first change to grades of “F” or default grades.

Honors in Major

In order for the statement “with honors in (major)” to be added to a transcript, the student must:

• Qualify and be awarded a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, or higher
• Complete an honors project approved by a faculty supervisor, the department chair, and the provost and present and defend the project at a colloquium
• Declare the intent to develop an honors project prior to the beginning of the senior year

See individual departments for additional requirements.

Audit Grade

The grade of “AU” is assigned to students who have officially registered to audit a course. With permission of the instructor, any student may register to audit a course. Although the student does not earn credit, the course appears on the student’s transcript with the grade “AU.” Students must choose between credit and audit by the date published in the academic calendar. At the time of approval for the audit, the instructor and student will agree upon the amount of work the student is required to complete and the nature of the student’s participation in the course and the assignments. Generally, an auditor listens to the lectures, reads the material, writes brief quizzes, and may participate in class discussions. Courses which require ongoing, active participation in the work of the course, such as Independent Study and Elementary Foreign Language, are not open for audit. The current per-credit tuition charge applies to audited courses.

Note: Non-matriculated students who wish to audit a course should consult with the Center for Career and Academic Planning.

Incomplete Grade

The grade of Incomplete (I) is used ONLY when required assignments are not completed due to serious circumstances which are clearly beyond the student’s control. The instructor, after consultation with the student, submits an Incomplete (I) grade. The final grade must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the published Incomplete grade deadline date* found on the academic calendar. Therefore, missing coursework should be submitted to the instructor in advance of the Incomplete grade deadline. If the final grade is not submitted by the Incomplete grade deadline, the Incomplete grade will be converted to a Failing (F) or Unsatisfactory (U) grade as appropriate. The instructor and students can review their outstanding Incomplete grades in Fish ‘R’ Net until the Incomplete grade is resolved. An extension of the Incomplete grade may be requested by the instructor and approved by the department chair, using the online Grade Change form.

Note: A student may not graduate from St. John Fisher College with an incomplete grade on his/her record.

*The Incomplete grade due deadline is six (6) weeks from the Friday of final exam week for the term.

Withdrawal Grade

The grade “W” is assigned administratively when a student withdraws from a course within the appropriate time frame as published in the academic calendar. The grade of “W” may be requested by the provost or school dean when there is evidence presented before the end of classes to show that the student is compelled to withdraw for a non-academic reason, such as a serious health emergency or call to military service. The withdrawal grade does not affect the grade point average. After the deadline date to withdraw from a course has passed, all appeals for late grades of “W” must be directed to the Committee on Academic Standing. If approved, these changes will be subject to the Course Change Late fee.

The last day on which the grade of “W” can be assigned is indicated in the academic calendar. Withdrawal forms submitted to the Registrar’s Office after this date will be assigned a grade of “F.”

When a student withdraws on or before the last day for “withdrawal without academic record,” the course does not appear on the transcript.

Note: Students who have a repeated pattern of withdrawals from some or all courses in a semester will be reviewed by the Undergraduate Committee on Academic Standing and may be placed on an Academic Contract.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading

To encourage students to enroll in courses for which they might be reluctant to register on the basis of the traditional grading system, a student may elect to take courses on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) basis.

Any course may be taken S/U except:

• Courses in the major department (some internships may be taken S/U).
• Courses outside the major department, which are specifically required for the major.
• Honors courses for students in the College Honors Program.

Credit is earned only by the grade of “S,” which is given for work equivalent to a “C” or higher. A grade of “U” is given for work which merits a grade below “C” and no credit is earned. Neither the “S” nor the “U” grade is included in the calculation of the grade point average.

No more than four courses may be taken using the S/U grading option. Freshmen may not take a course S/U, sophomores may take one course per semester; juniors and seniors may take two courses per semester. If a student enrolls in a course S/U and subsequently changes to traditional letter grading prior to the deadline or withdraws, the course will not be included in the four-course S/U limit. Courses graded solely as S/U are not included in the four-course limit.

A student electing S/U grading may designate a minimum acceptable grade “A” through “C.” If the earned grade equals or exceeds this minimum grade, then the actual earned grade will be recorded on the transcript and computed in the GPA. This does not change the course’s S/U basis, and the course counts toward the maximum of four. The student shall declare an intention to be graded S/U by the deadline published in the academic calendar.

To be considered for honors, a student must have earned at least 60 credits beyond those earned S/U. Transfer students should be aware of this requirement when considering the decision to take a course S/U.

Repeating Courses

A course may be repeated as many times as desired. When a course is repeated, the original grade is not removed from the student’s record, but will be excluded from the GPA.  The most recent grade is calculated in the GPA even if the second grade is lower than the first grade earned.  If a previously passed course is excluded and the most recent grade is a failing grade, the previously earned credits are lost.  When a student repeats a course in which any passing grade has been earned, additional credits are not earned for the course. The S/U option is not available for the repeat of a failed course.

Content courses which carry both the LC (Learning Community) attribute and another core attribute may not be taken twice for credit.  For example, PSYC 100C – P3 Intro to Psychology may not be taken for credit as a P3 core course after completing PSYC 100C – LC Intro to Psychology.  Credit may not be earned twice for the same content. Since upperclassmen may not go back and repeat their freshmen LC courses, the more recent grade/credits will be excluded, rather than excluding the LC instance.

Any student considering a repeat of a Learning Community (LC) course for any reason must consult with the associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences for advisement. Failure of one or both courses in a Learning Community necessitates a special course arrangement for completion of this core requirement.

Note: Repeated courses cannot be used to achieve the full-time status required for TAP funds.

Grade Reporting

Final grades are available at the end of each semester on the College website. Mid-semester grades are available through the mySJFC portal for students enrolled in 100 and 200-level courses.

Parental Access to Grades

The College does not routinely send reports of final grades to parents. Information, including grades, concerning dependent students as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 may be released to parents upon request. To obtain a grade report, parents must submit to the Registrar’s Office a written request citing the specific information desired and stating that the student is a dependent.

The Registrar’s Office will verify the dependency of the student in question with Student Financial Services or the parent can submit a copy of the most recent tax return that shows the student is claimed as a dependent. If documentation exists proving dependency, a grade report may be sent to the parent(s) and the student will be notified. If dependency cannot be proven, the grade report will not be released.

Academic Amnesty

In recognition of the various paths students take in pursuit of their undergraduate degrees, St. John Fisher College has developed a policy of academic amnesty that provides eligible students with the opportunity to renew their studies at Fisher by beginning their cumulative averages anew. The program is available to all students who attend Fisher in matriculated status for a period of time, then do not take Fisher classes, either matriculated or non-matriculated, for a period of four consecutive calendar years (eight academic semesters). Not every student will be served well by selecting to participate in the academic amnesty program.

For those students who do elect to take part, credit will be lost for every previous Fisher course taken in which a grade below “C” was obtained. Credits earned in courses in which grades of “C” or above were obtained will be retained as “Previous Fisher Credit” and will be treated the same as transfer credit. No courses or grades will be removed from the transcript of participating students; however, their Fisher cumulative GPA will begin “anew” upon their return.

Each student requesting academic amnesty will be required to complete at least 30 credits in residence at Fisher after returning to the College. Academic honors will be based on at least 60 credits for grades taken at Fisher after the student returns with academic amnesty.

Students who elect academic amnesty will have a statement placed on their transcripts indicating that academic amnesty was requested and granted. Students will have until the end of the Drop/Add period of the second consecutive semester they are in attendance at Fisher, after their return, to apply for the amnesty program. Once the student completes the form to request academic amnesty, the request cannot be revoked.

Questions regarding academic amnesty should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.

Transcripts

Official transcripts of the St. John Fisher College record can be ordered by each student. Unofficial transcripts may be printed directly from Fish ‘R’ Net. No transcript will be issued for students whose accounts with the College are unsatisfactory. For more information, visit the Registrar’s Office’s Request a Transcript page.

In order to graduate from St. John Fisher College, a student must earn a 2.00 cumulative grade point average for all courses at the College. In addition, the student must earn a 2.00 cumulative GPA in the major and minor department in courses completed in residence. (See Degree Requirements.) End-of-term academic standing is calculated after the fall and spring terms. This standing is based on the cumulative end-of-term grade point average (cumulative GPA) and falls into one of the categories listed below.

Cumulative Grade Point Average* For:

*Averages will not be “rounded.” For example, 1.49 will not be rounded to 1.50. Therefore, 1.49 will be within the academic disqualification range.

**Includes all hours (Fisher and transfer hours) applied toward the St. John Fisher College bachelor’s degree. However, only Fisher credits are used in calculating the grade point average.

***Students may only be placed on Probation standing after their first semester at the College, whether as freshmen or transfers. First semester students will not be academically dismissed.

Good Standing

All students with cumulative GPAs of 2.00 or higher are considered to be in Good Standing.

Warning

Students with a cumulative GPA within the appropriate Warning range, though making satisfactory academic progress, are placed on Warning. These students receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing cautioning them that their academic performance is not completely acceptable.

Early Intervention Academic Contract

Students with a cumulative GPA within the appropriate Early Intervention Contract range will receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing stating that the student is being placed on Academic Contract and must have a meeting with a counselor in the Center for Career and Academic Planning for a serious discussion of their academic performance, registration choices/adjustments, and an improvement plan.

The end-of-term standing for these students will be Early Intervention Contract. Each student on an Early Intervention Contract will design an individual Academic Contract with a counselor. The terms of this Contract must be met at the end of the specified semester.

Students enter the Early Intervention Contract category as a result of the cumulative GPA declining from the Good Standing or Warning categories:

• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA rises, the student will be placed into the appropriate category of either Good Standing or Warning.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA falls into the Dismissal category, the student will be dismissed from the College.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA remains in the Early Intervention Contract range, the student remains on Contract.

The Committee on Academic Standing will review students on an Early Intervention Contract at the end of each semester, evaluating their performance and compliance with the terms of the Contract.

Probation Contract

A first semester student (i.e., first semester freshman or first semester transfer) with a cumulative GPA below the appropriate threshold for Probation will receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing stating that the student is being placed on Probation Contract. The student must schedule a meeting with an advisor in the Center for Career and Academic Planning (CCAP) for a discussion of the student’s academic performance, registration choices/adjustments, and an improvement plan. This meeting is mandatory; the student’s account is not active until this meeting takes place and failure to schedule this Contract meeting before the end of the first week of classes in the new semester may result in withdrawal from the term.

The end of term standing for these students will be “Probation Contract” and each student will design an individual Academic Contract with a CCAP advisor. The student must meet the terms of this contract at the end of the specified semester. The Contract specifies that:

• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA rises to or above 2.00, the student will be placed into the Good Standing category.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student has met the terms of the Contract (semester GPA of 2.00 or higher), but the cumulative GPA remains below 2.00, the student will be placed into the appropriate category according to the Standards of Academic Progress chart or remain on Probation contract if the cumulative GPA has not risen to another category.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student has not met the terms of the Contract (semester GPA of 2.00 or higher), the student will be dismissed.

The Committee on Academic Standing will review all students on Probation Contract at the end of each semester, evaluating their performance and compliance with the terms of the Contract.

On Hold

Students with one or more Incomplete grades at the end of the term will have an end of term standing of On Hold until the Incomplete grade(s) is resolved. When all Incomplete grades are converted to letter grades, the term and cumulative GPA will be recalculated and the end of term standing will be set according to the standards of academic progress.

Academic Dismissal/Post-Dismissal Contract

Students with a cumulative GPA below the appropriate threshold for Academic Dismissal will be sent a letter informing them of their dismissal from the College.

A student who is academically dismissed may appeal this decision to the Committee on Academic Standing. Information concerning such appeals will be sent with the dismissal letter, and is also available from the Center for Career and Academic Planning. How to appeal and the appeal form can be found on the Center for Career and Academic Planning’s website at www.sjfc.edu/student-life/academic-support/academic-support/dismissal-and-appeals/.

If the appeal is granted, the student will receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing stating that the student is allowed to return and will be placed on a Post-Dismissal Contract once the student has met with an advisor in the Center for Career and Academic Planning (CCAP) for a discussion of his or her academic performance, registration choices/adjustments and an improvement plan.

The end-of-term standing for these students will be Post-Dismissal Contract and each student will design an individual Academic Contract with a CCAP advisor. The student must meet the terms of this contract at the end of the specified semester.

Students who enter the Post-Dismissal Contract category as a result of having their appeal for reinstatement granted by the Committee on Academic Standing must adhere to the follow contract requirements:

• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student’s cumulative GPA rises to or above 2.00, the student will be placed into the Good Standing category.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student has met the terms of the Contract (semester GPA of 2.00 or higher), but the cumulative GPA remains below 2.00, the student will be placed into the appropriate category according to the Standards of Academic Progress chart.
• At the end of the semester on Contract, if the student has not met the terms of the Contract (semester GPA of 2.00 or higher), the student will be dismissed.

If a student appeals the dismissal and the appeal is denied, the end-of-term standing remains dismissal. Students who have been dismissed for academic reasons and who later reapply for admission to the College will be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Standing in order to determine their readiness to return to St. John Fisher.

Students placed on either type of Academic Contract will receive a letter from the Committee on Academic Standing directing them to arrange a meeting with an advisor in the Center for Career and Academic Planning (CCAP) for a discussion of their academic performance at the College and to finalize the Academic Contract. This meeting is mandatory; failure to schedule this Contract meeting before the end of the first week of classes in the new semester may result in withdrawal from the term.

The Committee on Academic Standing will review all students on Contract at the end of each semester, evaluating their performance and compliance with the terms of the Contract.

Academic Standing and Athletic Participation

Students whose end-of-term standing is Good Standing or Warning are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and are eligible to continue competing on the College’s NCAA athletic teams. However, students who are placed on either Early Intervention Academic Contract, Probation Contract or Post-Dismissal Academic Contract are not considered to be in Good Academic Standing and are therefore ineligible to engage in NCAA athletic competition as defined by NCAA Bylaw 14.02.5. They may, however, continue to practice with their athletic teams at the discretion of the institution’s athletic director and individual coaches.