Undergraduate Catalog 2008-2010 - Immaculata University

CREDIT FOR PRIOR LEARNING
Transfer credits and/or Technical and Professional Training
(T/PT) from an institution without regional accreditation are
referred to as Credit for Prior Learning (CPL). CPL credits are
carefully reviewed and, pending approval, may be accepted in four
categories. These are:
1. Tested CPL — including CLEP, DANTES, ACT-Pep, and
Credit by Examination. A transcripting fee will be charged.
2. T/PT Reviewed by Academic Bodies — ACE (American
Council on Education) and PONSI (Program on Noncollegiate
Sponsored Instruction) credit recommendations are accepted as
T/PT transfer credits. A transcripting fee will be charged.
3. T/PT Needing Faculty Review — Technical and professional
training programs which have not been reviewed by ACE or PONSI
require faculty review. Students complete the Technical and
Professional Training Worksheet and provide all required
documentation. A fee will be charged.
4. Life Learning Paper — Students wishing to document a
learning experience which they believe provides equivalent
knowledge to that in a college course may write a life learning
paper for faculty review. Discussion with a faculty advisor needs to
occur as the first step in this process. A fee will be charged.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Immaculata participates in the College Level Examination
Program (CLEP). Matriculated students have the option to
challenge courses by acceptable performance in either the General
Examinations or the Subject Examinations.
The university will grant a maximum of 24 credit hours in the
General Examinations and from three to six credits in the various
Subject Examinations, provided that the required score has been
achieved and that Subject Examinations have been approved for
acceptance by Immaculata. Credits for examinations successfully
completed will be transcripted upon receipt of official CLEP scores.
A grade of P is given, but credits earned through CLEP transfer are
not computed in the grade point average. Ordinarily, a student may
not retake a CLEP within six months of an unsuccessful attempt or a
failed course in a corresponding subject. For information concerning
examination areas acceptable for credit, students should inquire at
the College of LifeLong Learning. A fee will be charged for the
CLEP examination as well as for the transcription of CLEP credits.
Credit by Examination
Matriculated students who have acquired substantial knowledge
in certain subject areas may request verification of that knowledge
by examination and subsequently receive credit. Credit by
examination may be earned in those courses specifically designated
by individual departments.
Application to challenge a course may be made with the
Registrar during the fall, spring, and summer registration periods.
Exams will be administered before or during the first three weeks of
the fall, spring, or summer semesters. No course in which the
student has previously been registered for credit or audit may be
challenged under this program. Ordinarily a student may attempt
only one challenge examination per semester and may not challenge
any more than a total of 50 percent of the curriculum in any given
field. A student may not re-challenge a failed challenge
examination. Full instructions for registering for a challenge exam
may be obtained from the Registrar’s office or from the College of
LifeLong Learning. A fee will be charged for challenge exams.
The number of CPL credits which can be accepted from the various
categories is limited. The total number of CPL credits transferable
toward a baccalaureate degree may not exceed 63 credit hours. Students
are advised to discuss CPL credit options with a faculty advisor or
the College of LifeLong Learning prior to initiating the process.
CLASS ATTENDANCE
Each student is expected to exercise reasonable judgment
regarding class attendance and is accountable for all work missed
because of absence. In cases in which absences of a student in
semester-long courses total the equivalent of two weeks, the student
must contact the Director of Academic Advisement in the College
of Undergraduate Studies or the appropriate Program Director in the
College of LifeLong Learning. Instructors are notified and
explanations of such absences are filed in the office of the appropriate
college. Instructors are under no obligation to make special
arrangements for students who are absent. Students studying in any
of the ACCEL ® programs will be required to repeat a course if they
do not meet the attendance policy published in the ACCEL ® literature.
COMMENCEMENT
Students must complete all academic requirements and clear all
financial obligations with the University to be eligible to participate
in the commencement activities, receive their diploma and academic
transcript.
DECLARATION OF MAJOR
A student in the College of Undergraduate Studies should
declare a field of concentration in the second semester of freshman
year and no later than the end of the first semester of the sophomore
year. The student files a declaration of major directly to the
department which will determine eligibility for study. A student in
the College of LifeLong Learning declares this intention to the
appropriate academic advisor. To change a major program of
studies, the student must complete the Change of Field of
Concentration form from the appropriate office. Students in the
ACCEL ® program declare a major at the time of admission.
EXAMINATIONS
Examinations in the College of Undergraduate Studies are
scheduled at specific times at the close of each semester. No change
in examination schedule may be made without the approval of the
Dean. For semester-based courses in the College of LifeLong
Learning, examinations are given during the final meeting of the
class. When no examination is planned, the regularly scheduled
class must be held.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE / STOP OUT
A student in good standing may interrupt a college program by
requesting a leave of absence for one or two semesters from the
Dean of the appropriate college. This arrangement allows the
student to return to the college within one year without having to go
through readmission procedures. A student who fails to enroll by
the end of the leave of absence will be withdrawn from the college.
If a student withdraws from the University or fails to return from a
Stop Out status within two academic semesters and then reapplies,
the tuition and financial aid will be assessed based on the
current.transfer tuition and financial aid rates.
OFF-CAMPUS/SUMMER STUDY
Ordinarily, students may not earn more than twelve credit hours
in the timespan of a summer, nor may they take courses in their
field of concentration without permission of the department
chairperson. Students in the College of Undergraduate Studies may
take courses in the summer at approved colleges only with the
permission of the Director of Academic Advisement. Necessary
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