Graduate Information
Determination of Requirements
Academic requirements for graduate programs are listed in the individual sections of both the Bulletin. Matriculated students follow the requirements for graduation listed in the Bulletin current at the time they are admitted (or readmitted). With the departmental adviser’s consent and approval from their graduate program, students may elect a later Bulletin under which to fulfill the degree requirements; they may not elect an earlier Bulletin, nor use a combination of requirements from different Bulletins.
Previously non-matriculated students who then matriculate are governed by the requirements of the Bulletin in effect at the time of their matriculation.
When courses required in older Bulletins are no longer offered, or in other special cases, course substitutions may be made with the approval of the appropriate graduate program.
Changes in regulations concerning grading systems, withdrawals, academic actions, etc., may be made by appropriate University governing bodies; they become effective on the date specified in the legislation. The University reserves the right at any time to make changes deemed necessary in the regulations, fees, courses or programs described in the Bulletin, and to cancel any course if registration does not justify its continuance or if qualified faculty members become unavailable.
It is the responsibility of the student and supervising professors to know the rules and procedures leading to completion of the degree pursued, but it is always wise for each student to take primary responsibility for meeting deadlines and ensuring his or her own progress.
Grades
The grading system of the Graduate School applies to all graduate-level courses offered in Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, the Decker School of Nursing, the School of Education, the College of Community and Public Affairs, the School of Management and the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science. Grades are on a letter scale: A through C– are passing grades; F is a failing grade. Grades of S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) may be used in a limited number of cases, described below, for which no greater precision in grading is required. The grades of S and U are not assigned numerical value and thus are not averaged in with other grades in computing grade-point averages. A grade of S denotes a minimum level of academic performance equivalent to at least a B.
For the purpose of computing semester or cumulative averages, each letter grade is assigned a quality point value as follows:
A = 4.0 C+ = 2.3
A– = 3.7 C = 2.0
B+ = 3.3 C– = 1.7
B = 3.0 F = 0.0
B– = 2.7
These grade values are combined with course credit hours to produce a grade-point average. A cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 is required for graduation.
Course Credits
All courses, unless otherwise noted, are assigned four credit hours.
Graduate School Transcripts
The official transcript of record for all students enrolled in advanced degree programs or as continuing education graduate students of Binghamton University is the transcript of the Graduate School, which provides a complete record of all academic work attempted. Undergraduate work is indicated on a separate undergraduate transcript. Graduate students with both undergraduate and graduate academic records at Binghamton have the option of requesting release only of the Graduate School transcript.
Interpretation of Transcript Symbols
In addition to the letter grades and corresponding quality point values described earlier, the following symbols may appear on official transcripts for the Graduate School:
X —audit; no numerical credit given for the course.
I —incomplete; course not completed for reasons acceptable to the instructor. A grade of I gives no grade points.
MG —missing grade; instructor has not yet submitted a grade.
W —withdrawn; the student withdrew from the course following the second week of the semester and the instructor did not rate the student’s performance. A grade of W is not counted in computing grade-point averages, nor does the course earn credit hours.
WF —withdrawn failing; the student withdrew from the course following the second week of the semester, having performed at a level deemed by the instructor to be below the minimum passing grade (C–) of the Graduate School.
WP —withdrawn passing; the student withdrew from the course following the second week of the semester, having performed at a level deemed by the instructor to be at or above the minimum passing grade (C–) of the Graduate School. A grade of WP is not counted in computing grade-point averages, nor does the course earn credit hours.
R — registered; the student maintained required matriculated status during the semester through continuous registration (course number 700) or registration in a research skills (707) course. Courses assigned R grades are not applied toward degree progression.
S/U — satisfactory/unsatisfactory (a grade of S is equivalent to a B or better). The following limitations apply to the use of S/U grading:
500-589 — master’s-level courses and seminars: S grading may not be used for courses numbered in this range; only regular letter grading options apply.
590, 592-596 and 598 — internship or practicum courses: at the option of the instructor (not the student), either S/U or regular letter grading may be used.
591 —supervised college teaching of the discipline: only S/U grading may be used.
597 — independent study: at the option of the instructor (not the student), either S/U or regular letter grading may be used.
599 — thesis: only S/U grading may be used.*
600-696 — doctoral research seminars: at the option of the instructor (not the student), either S/U or regular letter grading may be used.
697 — independent study at the doctoral level: at the option of the instructor (not the student), either S/U or regular letter grading may be used.
698 — pre-dissertation research: only S/U grading may be used.*
699 —dissertation: only S/U grading may be used.*
*Registration for one credit in 599, 698, 699 or related courses may be considered full time whenever the principal supervisor confirms that the student is spending appropriate time and effort in research, equal to at least 32 hours per semester week. This is done by the completion of a Certification of Full-Time Status Form.
Full-Time Status
Graduate students receiving tuition scholarships from any source are required to maintain full-time registration. Full-time status is defined as 12 credits per semester at Level 1 (students with fewer than 24 completed graduate credits), or 9 credits at Level 2, 3 or 4 (students who have completed 24 or more graduate credits in a doctoral-granting program). Audited courses do not count toward the credit total. Non-funded students may register for one credit of Thesis (599), Pre-Dissertation Research (698) or Dissertation Research (699) and be certified full time, provided the supervisor and program director indicate that the student is making a full-time investment in research and file the appropriate certification with the Graduate School.
Determination of Academic Standing
A cumulative average of at least 3.0 is required for a graduate degree. A graduate student who receives a grade of F or other unsatisfactory grade (as determined by the program) may repeat the course, and the program officers, at their option, may require the student to do so.
Course Repeat Policy
Students are permitted to repeat for credit a graduate course in which they earned a grade of B– or lower. This option is contingent on approval by the graduate program director and review by the Graduate School. A course may be repeated only once. In those cases in which students are on financial support, the repeated course is considered as part of the academic workload.
When a course is repeated, the grade received in the second attempt is substituted for the first in the computation of the grade-point average and in the award of credit at the time of degree finalization. However, the first grade remains on the student transcript.
Probation
The minimum requirement for continuing status in the Graduate School is the maintenance of a B (3.0) average.
Students whose academic achievement falls below this standard should receive special counseling from their faculty advisers in order to improve their performance to satisfactory levels. In order to ensure that students receive such assistance when needed, the Graduate School has the following probation policies:
· A graduate student whose cumulative grade-point average falls below 3.0 may be enrolled subsequently only on a probationary status. While on probation, the student is responsible for meeting on a regular basis (at least once each semester) with the appropriate director of graduate studies to review academic performance and progress toward a return to good standing. A graduate student may spend a cumulative maximum of three semesters (excluding summer or winter sessions) on probation.
· A graduate student whose cumulative grade-point average falls below 2.6 is considered in academic jeopardy, as well as on probation. Students may be in academic jeopardy for only one semester.
Students whose grade-point average would place them on a fourth semester of probation, or a second semester in academic jeopardy, are not making satisfactory progress toward the degree. They are normally severed from the Graduate School. Their continued enrollment requires the specific endorsement of their director of graduate studies and approval by the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School.
Satisfactory Progress
Graduate students may be dropped from the Graduate School by action of the vice provost and dean, on recommendation of the departmental or school graduate committee, if it appears that they are not making satisfactory progress toward the degree and that it is unlikely that requirements for the degree will be satisfactorily completed in a timely manner. The Graduate School’s minimum requirement for continuing status is the maintenance of a B (3.0) average.
Policy on Graduate Student Severance or Removal of Support
Graduate students who do not meet academic standards may be dropped from their graduate program according to the process described above. Normally this process entails detailed warning letters to students, who work with their faculty advisers to improve their grade-point average to satisfactory levels (3.0 or above) or to meet other specified program requirements (such as the passing of comprehensive exams or the completion of theses). If the necessary requirements are not attained within a specified period, the program’s director of graduate studies recommends to the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School that the student be severed.
Graduate students are subject to the rules governing academic life listed elsewhere in this publication. Accusations that students have committed acts of academic dishonesty may be brought before the Academic Honesty Committee of the program or school, which issues a finding and a recommendation to the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School; the student receives a copy. A graduate student who is found to have violated the rules of academic integrity, who plagiarizes, cheats, or falsifies research data, is subject to suspension or expulsion. Students have the right to appeal such recommendations to the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School.
Graduate students may be involuntarily withdrawn from the University for medical or psychological reasons, following the policies outlined in this publication under “Involuntary Medical or Psychological Withdrawal of Students.”
All other recommendations to sever a student from the Graduate School or one of its programs, to break a student’s assistantship contract, or to revoke a fellowship, tuition scholarship, or other source of financial support, are made to the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, accompanied by appropriate documentation. The student must be informed of the basis for any such decision and may appeal it, using first the grievance procedure of the student’s program and then, if needed, the appeals procedures of the Graduate Council Grievance Committee. Action on a recommendation to remove support from or sever a student in good academic standing will await the outcome of the grievance procedure.
Incomplete Grades
An instructor may assign an Incomplete (I) when a student has done most of the coursework satisfactorily but, due to unforeseen circumstances, has not completed the coursework. The Incomplete is not for the purpose of converting a failing grade, or unsatisfactory work, to a passing grade. The student must request the Incomplete option from the instructor, but it is the instructor’s decision as to whether or not it is appropriate. Graduate students who are given a grade of I are given a maximum of six months from the last day of classes to make up the incomplete work. However, the instructor and student should have a written contract that indicates the exact timeline and requirements for completion. The instructor may set a deadline sooner than the University maximum, reflecting the instructor’s availability to extend his or her commitment beyond the course, but the instructor may not extend the University period of six months. It is expected that, upon submission of the remaining work, faculty will take no longer than one month to file a final letter grade for the course. Students must therefore submit the remaining work at least one month before the agreed-upon deadline or the University deadline, whichever comes first. Unless the student completes the coursework and the instructor submits a final letter grade by the end of the next semester, a grade of I changes to a grade of Withdrawn (W). Once an I has changed to a W, the student has no further opportunity to complete the course, and the course will appear on the final transcript as Withdrawn.
Under exceptional circumstances only, the six-month grace period for Incomplete grades may be extended for a maximum of another six months. Requests for extensions of Incomplete grades require the approval of the course instructor and the dean of the Graduate School or designee. Requests must be made at least one month before the original Incomplete deadline.
The Incomplete policy has specific implications for students receiving tuition scholarships and other kinds of financial aid and for international students holding visas, as indicated below.
Tuition Scholarships: When a student receives a tuition scholarship, the University pays tuition for the courses taken by that student. In a case in which an I converts to a W, the University has paid for tuition for a course that was not completed. Furthermore, when the student drops below the required number of registered courses, the student has violated the conditions outlined in the Terms and Conditions of the Tuition Scholarship (which is signed by the student). Students receiving tuition scholarships should be aware that the University will seek repayment of tuition that was paid for Incomplete courses that turn into Withdrawn.
Some departments and programs may have more restrictive policies regarding Incomplete grades, and students should make it a point to learn about their department’s rules and expectations.
Financial Aid: Graduate students who receive federal or state aid may lose these benefits if they receive I or W grades. See the Graduate Academic Progress Charts in the Bulletin for information on the required number of completed credits per graduate level per semester.
International Students: Student visas require that students be registered as full time, so Withdrawn courses usually signal registration that fell below full-time, which would usually result in the student’s being out of status for visa purposes.
Students should be aware that a grade of MG is automatically assigned in any course for which an instructor has not submitted a grade. Unless the instructor submits a final grade by the end of the next semester, a grade of MG changes to a grade of Withdrawn (W). Once an MG has changed to a W, the student has no further opportunity to complete the course, and the course will appear on the final transcript as Withdrawn.
All graduate courses are subject to the above policy. Incomplete and missing grades must be resolved before students may receive an offer of University funding or a graduate degree, and no grade may be modified following conferral of a degree.
Residence Requirement
The University residence requirement refers to graduate credits taken at Binghamton University. Regardless of the student’s previous graduate experience, the minimum residence requirement for any graduate degree is 24 credit hours.
Credit hours earned under any of the following rubrics normally may not be counted toward the Graduate School’s minimum residence requirement: college teaching of the discipline (591), Thesis (599), Pre-Dissertation Research (698), Dissertation (699), and Continuous Registration (700).
New and Revised Courses
Courses of instruction proposed by academic units as regular offerings within the curriculum of the Graduate School must be approved in advance by the Graduate Council. New course proposals must follow the information format established by the council, and must be formally approved by program graduate committees prior to their forwarding to the dean for consideration by the council.
In practice, the Graduate Council has delegated primary authority for action on new course proposals to its Curriculum Committee. Approval of a new course by the Curriculum Committee is formally noted on each agenda for regular meetings of the Graduate Council, with the committee’s approval standing as final unless two or more council members request that formal review and action be taken by the council.
The descriptions of courses as initially approved by the curriculum committee or Graduate Council remain official unless and until formal revisions are made and approved. Revisions of existing course numbers, titles, descriptions or credit-hour assignments may be proposed at any time by program graduate committees to the vice provost and dean. In cases in which the vice provost and dean believes the revision of an existing course or courses of instruction implies substantive changes in the academic scope or general requirements of an advanced degree program, review by the Graduate Council’s Curriculum Committee is required.
Program graduate committees may propose new courses as experimental, or “X,” offerings. Experimental graduate courses require the approval of the vice provost and dean, and may be formally offered only once. Courses offered on an experimental basis may not be offered a second time unless they are formally approved as regular offerings according to the procedure given above. Proposals for experimental course offerings must follow the information format prescribed by the Graduate Council for regular course proposals.
The curriculum of the Graduate School is reviewed annually. Approved courses of instruction that have not been offered within the previous four semesters may be dropped from the curriculum by the vice provost and dean, following formal notice to and consultation with program directors of graduate studies.
Research Skills (707) Courses
The policies of the Graduate School allow students to register each semester for one to four credit hours of 707, Research Skills. Students may enroll in 707 courses only when the faculty of the program have determined that there are specific research skills essential to the student’s degree work, and that such skills are not remedial — that is, are not normal admission requirements in that degree program. Research skills (707) credits taken by graduate students may not be used to satisfy course requirements in any graduate-degree program and may not be used in determining level-2 enrollment status.
Graduate Students in Undergraduate Courses
Courses numbered 400 through 499 are advanced undergraduate courses for which graduate credit may be assigned only when a graduate student has successfully petitioned for graduate credit and when a graduate-level Independent Study course (numbered 597) is not feasible. The form Petition for Graduate Credit for Advanced Undergraduate (400 level) Course must be completed and submitted to the Graduate School before registration. The student must do additional work beyond that required for undergraduate students in the course. Within six weeks after the start of the semester, the instructor files with the Graduate School a statement on the nature of additional work the student is doing in the advanced undergraduate course. In general, approval of graduate credit for advanced undergraduate courses is limited to unique program circumstances usually involving interdisciplinary work. Graduate students should not expect to receive graduate credit for more than two 400-level courses.
Undergraduate Students In Graduate Courses
Courses numbered 500 and above are graduate courses, ordinarily open only to graduate students, primarily at the master’s level; 600-level courses are research seminars primarily for doctoral students. Undergraduate students who are within eight credits of graduation may register for up to two graduate-level courses and receive graduate credit, provided the graduate courses are not used to meet the undergraduate degree requirements. (These courses are offered at undergraduate tuition rates when the student is within eight credit hours of graduation and files the necessary form.) When graduate courses are not taken with the intent of fulfilling undergraduate requirements, such graduate hours do not count toward full-time status for financial aid purposes; thus, undergraduates taking graduate courses may not be eligible for certain types of financial aid.
To receive graduate credit for such courses, the undergraduate student must complete the Petition to Receive Graduate Credits as an Undergraduate form (available from the Registrar or the Graduate School). The form is then filed with the Registrar and the Student Accounts Office before of registration.
While graduate courses taken by undergraduates (and not used to meet undergraduate degree requirements) will appear on the undergraduate transcript, these courses are not counted toward the undergraduate degree or used in the calculation of the final GPA. The credits may be counted toward the graduate degree.
An exception to these policies is made for undergraduate students admitted to combined bachelor’s/master’s degree programs.
Combined-Degree Programs
Combined-degree programs are opportunities for qualified and motivated students who wish to meet all undergraduate requirements and complete a focused masters-level program in approximately five years. Students must meet eligibility criteria as an undergraduate. This normally occurs during the sophomore or junior year, at which time students must request, through their undergraduate advising office, that their major be changed to the combined bachelor’s/master’s program. By the middle of the senior year, the student applies to the Graduate School through the normal procedure. If the student is admitted to graduate study by the academic program and completes the undergraduate degree, all requirements for the master’s program are completed in the fifth year. Students who decide to not pursue the graduate degree may change majors back to a regular undergraduate program at any time.
For undergraduate students admitted to the combined-degree programs, all graduate courses count toward the undergraduate degree up to the maximum number of graduate credits allowed for the particular combined-degree program, as specified elsewhere in this publication. Such students will still be considered undergraduates for purposes of tuition calculation, financial aid status and other administrative purposes through the end of their senior (fourth) year. At the time of actual enrollment in the Graduate School, the student’s status code will be automatically switched from undergraduate to graduate, and all financial and academic policies for graduate students will then take precedence.
Enrollment and Registration
Registration periods are controlled and maintained by the University Registrar. Permission to register on days other than those designated must be obtained from the vice provost and dean. Students registering later than the regular registration dates are charged a late registration fee. Students ordinarily are not admitted to any regular classes after the first two weeks of class.
Payment of all outstanding charges, tuition, and fees is a part of the registration process, and a student’s registration is not complete until full payment is made. Payment or arrangement for payment must be made with the Student Accounts Office by the due dates established or, in the case of late enrollment, by the time of enrollment. Failure to conclude appropriate financial arrangements will result in the cancellation of the student’s enrollment in classes.
All delinquencies and enrollment blocks (e.g., compliance with New York State Health Department requirements) must also be resolved before students may register.
Registration Changes
Students may add a course or change course sections only during the first two weeks of class and may drop a course without a grade being recorded during the first two weeks of class (see posted deadlines). Students making changes in course enrollments (registrations) after the add/drop deadlines are assessed a late fee for each transaction.
· To add, drop or change a course after the deadline, students must obtain the written approval of the instructor and the department chair or the director of graduate studies. Signed request forms must be submitted to the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School and then processed by the University Registrar’s Office.
· Students may add or substitute courses, change credit hours for courses carrying variable credit, or change the course grading option without penalty within the first two weeks of class. After that date, in addition to the normally required signatures, students must secure the approval of the vice provost and dean.
· Students may drop a course without restriction through the first two weeks of class without a grade being recorded. If it is necessary for a student to drop a course after this period, submission of a W (withdrawn), WF (withdrawn failing) or WP (withdrawn passing) grade is determined by the instructor (see “Grades”).
Dissertation Registration
All doctoral candidates must register for Dissertation (699) to maintain registration after admission to candidacy.
Doctoral students are not permitted to register for dissertation (699) credits before they have been formally admitted to candidacy by the Graduate School for the doctoral degree. Admission to candidacy for any doctoral degree occurs when the student has completed all coursework and research skill requirements and has successfully passed the required comprehensive examinations. Doctoral students who have completed all coursework for the degree, but who have not yet satisfied research skill requirements or have not yet passed the comprehensive examinations, must register each semester for an appropriate number of credit hours under the rubric Pre-Dissertation Research (698).
Because work on the dissertation may be interrupted from time to time for a variety of reasons, students may register for Continuous Registration (700) if they are not actively engaged in research and writing during a particular semester. When students declare inactive status, it is assumed that only a minimum amount of faculty supervision is required for them to maintain matriculation. Students are limited to a maximum of two years (four semesters) of continuous registration (700) during the five-year period following the successful completion of the doctoral comprehensive examinations.
Withdrawals
Graduate students who withdraw from all registered classes are withdrawing from the University (see continuous registration and Leave of Absence section below). Students who withdraw from all courses for which they are registered at the University must follow a formal withdrawal procedure if they wish their record to indicate good standing. Mere absence from class or failure to register does not constitute due notice of withdrawal. No grades are recorded for students who formally withdraw within the first two weeks of class. Withdrawals are initiated with the Graduate School or the University Registrar’s Office.
Students who withdraw to enter active duty military service must provide written copies of their deployment orders and may then apply for a leave of absence. U.S. citizens must notify the Veterans Services Office, and international students called to military service in their homeland need to contact the International Student and Scholars Services Office before commencing withdrawal. Students may be granted full tuition refunds for the semester if no academic credit is received. Students required to withdraw for disciplinary reasons are not entitled to any refund of tuition.
Students withdrawn by the University Counseling Center may be granted WPs (Withdrawn Passing) in courses in which they are currently enrolled.
Continuous Registration and Leaves of Absence
All graduate students who have been admitted into a degree-granting program must maintain continuous registration each semester for a minimum number of credit hours, or must apply for a formal leave of absence. Students who do not register and who have not been granted a leave of absence are severed from the Graduate School and are ineligible to return until readmitted. Graduate students are not required to maintain matriculation during the summer sessions unless they intend to complete their final degree requirements during this period. Students must be registered during the semester their degree requirements are completed.
Students who do not maintain registration are severed and may not return; they must reapply, paying a new application fee. Readmission is not automatic. Students who are readmitted are required to register and pay for one credit for each semester they have not registered, plus one credit for the semester they re-enter, up to a maximum of four credits.
Graduate students in a degree program who wish to absent themselves from their studies for a semester or two should register for one credit of Continuous Registration (700). A leave of absence is granted only in exceptional circumstances, such as hospitalization or other unusual personal hardship, and requires detailed justification. Leaves of absence are not granted to students working toward a graduate degree who are absenting themselves from campus to undertake thesis or dissertation research elsewhere; such students must maintain continuous registration. Students going off campus to fulfill an internship related to degree requirements must similarly register for at least one credit of Continuous Registration, unless the department or school specifies a course rubric and a minimum credit-hour registration to encompass such internship experience.
Leaves of absence, since they are given for personal hardship reasons, may be granted for a maximum of one year. Requests for leaves of absence should be submitted one month prior to the semester for which leave is requested. When a leave of absence is granted, the period of leave is not counted against the time limitation for completing the degree. Students with loans or funding of any kind are strongly advised to understand the impact a leave may have on repayment schedules, loan eligibility, assistantships, fellowships, scholarships and other awards, and to consult with a financial aid counselor in advance of requesting a leave of absence.
Auditing of Courses
Students may satisfy their interest in a subject area or explore a new area of study through a course audit. By auditing, they participate in, but do not receive credit for, the course. Course Audit Petitions are available in the Registrar’s Office, the undergraduate advising offices and the Graduate School. Students may register for audits within the course add period only. Credit-bearing courses may not be changed to audit courses after the course add deadline, nor may audited courses be changed to credit courses after this deadline. Audited courses do not satisfy degree requirements.
Prospective auditors are advised of the following:
· Students who audit a course must pay full tuition.
· Audit students are expected to attend class regularly and to fulfill course requirements. Successful completion is listed on the transcript with a notation of X in place of the grade; the course is expunged from the record if the student fails to meet the requirements.
· A course taken on an audit basis will not be counted in determining full-time status for financial aid eligibility, student loan deferments, NCAA eligibility, assistantship or fellowship eligibility, on-campus housing, immigration status or for some health insurance coverage.
Credit by Examination
No provision exists within the Graduate School for students to receive course credit by demonstrating proficiency through examinations. However, demonstration of proficiency in the subject matter of a course, in a manner acceptable to the program graduate committee, may permit the student to receive a waiver of the requirement of that particular course. In such cases the normal procedure is to substitute an approved elective course carrying an equivalent number of credit hours toward the degree pursued. With the approval of the program graduate committee, it is also possible for a student to satisfy degree requirements with fewer than the minimum number of credit hours normally established for the program, provided that the Graduate School’s minimum residence requirements are met, and that the total number of graduate credit hours satisfactorily completed for any masters-level degree is not fewer than 30.
Transfer of Graduate Credits from Other Universities
Students matriculated in advanced degree programs may petition to have relevant graduate credits transferred toward their Binghamton University Graduate School degrees. Transfer credits are not normally considered for doctoral degrees. Students seeking transfer credit for a master’s degree should submit a petition to the appropriate department or school graduate committee, using the form established for this purpose by the Graduate School. The petition must include a copy of the official transcript. Credits petitioned for transfer must not have been used to satisfy the requirements of another degree. Petitions must be forwarded to the vice provost and dean for final approval. If the vice provost and dean approves, the transferred credits are included on the student’s official Graduate School transcript as a single entry of total credits accepted in transfer. When courses are approved for transfer by the Graduate School, the letter grades are not reflected in the Binghamton University transcript nor are they considered in determination of the student’s grade-point average.
Requests to accept transfer credits must be evaluated for equivalency and currency. Normally, the student provides information to the graduate director on the course description, credit hours, syllabi, work output including papers and exams, and other relevant content. Consideration must be given to learning competencies the student has achieved and demonstrated.
Credits for which transfer is sought must have been earned in graduate-level courses passed with grades of at least B. Courses for which the student did not receive letter credit are not transferred. Courses taken more than five years prior to matriculation in the Graduate School are accepted only in rare instances. Credits earned through correspondence courses, or through courses or experiences offered under the auspices of proprietary schools, business or industrial training programs, or schools conducted by federal agencies such as the Department of Defense, are normally not considered for transfer.
Limitations on the number of credit hours that may be approved for transfer are set by the Graduate School’s minimum residence requirement of 24 credit hours for any advanced degree. Credits approved for transfer may not be applied toward this minimum residence requirement. For master’s programs requiring a minimum of 30 credit hours, therefore, a maximum of six transfer credits may be applied toward the degree. When master’s programs require more than 30 credit hours, the vice provost and dean may accept a correspondingly larger number of transfer credits in individual cases.
Double-Degree Counting
Students admitted to a graduate program may double count some courses for credit toward two degrees, within certain guidelines. A candidate for two degrees of the same rank (e.g. master’s degrees) in separate disciplines may be allowed to take advantage of double-degree counting in accordance with the following guidelines:
· For students working toward two MA or two MS degrees, no double counting is permissible.
· For a student working toward an MA and an MS degree simultaneously, a maximum of three courses (12 credit hours) may be double counted. Double counting is similarly permissible for combinations of MA or MS degrees with the MBA and MPA degrees.
· For doctoral degrees, decisions about double-degree counting are made on an ad hoc basis.
· It is normally considered inappropriate to use Thesis (599) or Dissertation (699) credit hours for double counting purposes.
Double-degree counting requires endorsement by both program graduate committees and approval by the vice provost and dean.
A candidate for two degrees of the same rank in the same discipline may be allowed to take advantage of double-degree counting in accordance with the following guidelines:
· An MAT candidate who wishes to pursue, concurrently or subsequently, an MA degree in the same discipline may claim double counting for any and all courses, up to a total of five, that the department regularly lists as common to both its MA and MAT programs.
· It is normally considered inappropriate to use MSEd coursework for double counting purposes.
Policy Prohibiting Award of a Second Degree in the Same Field
State University of New York policy states that a second degree at the same level (e.g. master’s or doctorate) may be awarded only when a significant amount of additional coursework in a very different field is completed. Normally when a student has already earned a master’s or doctorate in a given discipline (e.g., economics, history, etc.) at either a foreign or a U.S. institution, a second degree at the same level in that discipline may not be earned at Binghamton University.
Master’s Degree
At their discretion, departmental or school graduate committees recommend for the master’s degree those candidates who have:
· completed at least 24 credit hours of graduate coursework, exclusive of a thesis, in residence at Binghamton University;
· completed the required coursework presented for the degree (minimum total is 30 credit hours). A maximum of six hours of transfer credit is allowed for degree programs requiring 30 credit hours; a maximum of eight hours of transfer credit is allowed for degree programs requiring 32 credit hours.
· maintained at least a B average in courses approved by the departmental or school graduate committee and presented for the degree;
· fulfilled all departmental or school course requirements, with no credit for graduate courses in which a grade lower than C– has been received;
· given evidence satisfactory to their examination committees, by means of a master’s examination (written and/or oral) and required papers or a thesis, that they are familiar with basic hypotheses and techniques of their disciplines and are competent in applying them.
Candidates for a master’s degree must complete all requirements for the degree, including thesis if required by the program, within five years after matriculating in the Graduate School.
Admission to Doctoral (PhD/EdD) Candidacy
Matriculated students are admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree by the vice provost and dean, on recommendation of the appropriate academic unit, when they have passed required comprehensive examinations and met all research skills and coursework requirements, as certified by program submission of the Admission to Candidacy Form. Within six months of admission to candidacy, a copy of the dissertation prospectus approved by the dissertation committee must be submitted to the department or school office.
A student in a doctoral program must be admitted to candidacy within five years of admission to the Graduate School if entering directly into a doctoral program, or within five years after award of a master’s degree at Binghamton University.
Dissertation Defense
The dissertation committee has direct charge of all matters pertaining to the dissertation. The dissertation must have the unanimous approval of the committee before arrangements are made for the final examination for the degree.
Members of the dissertation committee serve on the examination committee, and the dissertation chair normally serves as examination chair. The list of examiners may include one or more faculty members outside a program, if they were members of the dissertation committee.
Outside Examiner
The vice provost and dean, upon recommendation from the department, adds to the examination committee membership an outside examiner as the representative of the faculty of the Graduate School. The outside examiner’s function on the examination committee is to render an independent judgment and to ensure that the dissertation satisfies Graduate School standards. The outside examiner must be approved and appointed before the dissertation defense may be scheduled. The outside examiner is either a Binghamton University faculty member from a related area outside the major department or division or someone from a related discipline outside the University. Normally, the outside examiner has no involvement in the supervision of a dissertation and no other conflict of interest.
In special circumstances, particularly when a student would benefit from early counsel from a faculty member outside Binghamton, the department chair or director of graduate studies may petition the vice provost and dean to appoint an outside examiner while the dissertation is still being written.
If the nominee is from another institution, the program officer should forward a curriculum vitae and a brief statement that gives the title and focus of the student’s dissertation, along with a brief commentary on how the outside examiner’s credentials relate to the student’s work. The vice provost and dean evaluates the outside examiner’s credentials and then invites the nominee or another faculty member to serve as outside examiner.
Because of the time required to give adequate consideration to the student’s research, the student is expected to submit the dissertation to the dissertation committee — including the outside examiner — well in advance of the final oral defense. Normally, two months is recommended; however, this falls under the purview of the committee. In all cases, the dissertation defense may be scheduled only after the outside examiner is appointed.
Doctoral Degree
At their discretion, departmental or school graduate committees recommend for the doctor of philosophy or doctor of education degree those candidates who have:
· fulfilled the University residence requirement for course credits;
· maintained at least a B average in courses approved by the departmental or school graduate committee and presented for the degree;
· fulfilled all departmental or school course requirements, with no credit for graduate courses in which a grade lower than C– has been received;
· given evidence satisfactory to their examination committees by means of a comprehensive examination (written and/or oral) that they are familiar with basic hypotheses and techniques of their discipline and are competent in applying them;
· satisfactorily fulfilled the departmental or school research skills requirement;
· submitted a dissertation, on a topic approved by the department, that embodies the results of original research and gives evidence of high scholarship. At the option of the members of the dissertation committee, the candidate’s performance on the dissertation project may, at the time of the committee’s final approval of the dissertation, be evaluated either as “pass” or “pass with distinction.” Such notation is forwarded to the Graduate School to be made a part of the candidate’s official transcript of record.
Candidates for the doctoral degree must complete all requirements for the degree, including the dissertation, within five years after admission to doctoral candidacy.
Thesis and Dissertation Preparation
For specific instructions regarding the preparation and submission of master’s theses and doctoral dissertations, students should consult the Graduate School Student Handbook.
Requirements for Listing Major and Minor Fields
For advanced degree recipients, the major and minor fields of specialization satisfactorily completed are listed on the official Graduate School transcript. Such listings are limited to one major and two minor fields for doctoral degree candidates, and one major and one minor field for master’s degree candidates. Minor field listings may be of two types, intraprogram and interprogram. The listing of intraprogram minor fields is optional at the discretion of the program graduate committee.
Intraprogram Major and Minor Fields
Intraprogram major and minor fields to be listed formally on transcripts are normally limited to those fields of specialization listed in the program descriptions of this publication. On recommendation by a program graduate committee, the vice provost and dean may approve special intraprogram major and minor field listings in individual cases. The minimum requirements for intraprogram major and minor fields are determined for individual students by the program graduate committee. At the time of admission to candidacy for the degree (for doctoral students), or of recommendation for award of the degree (for master’s students), the program director of graduate studies must certify to the vice provost and dean that the student has satisfactorily completed the approved major and minor specializations to be listed on the student’s official transcript.
Interprogram Minor Fields
Certain departments and schools offer minor fields of specialization that may be undertaken by students matriculated in other advanced degree programs on campus. Each participating department’s or school’s program graduate committee determines the specific requirements to be completed by students for each minor field it offers. As a minimum requirement, however, each approved interprogram minor must involve at least three four-credit graduate courses (which may include 400-level courses for which graduate credit has been individually sought and approved).
It is also normally expected that doctoral students seeking to complete interprogram minors will have faculty members representing those fields on their PhD/EdD guidance committees or master’s advisory committees.
Before beginning coursework leading to an interprogram minor, students must seek and obtain formal approval from the graduate committee of the program in which they are matriculated. All coursework required for an interprogram minor must be completed prior to the student’s standing for the comprehensive examinations for the degree pursued. Interprogram minors should be explicitly covered as part of these comprehensive examinations. Concurrent with the recommendation of the student for admission to candidacy (for doctoral students) or for award of the degree (for master’s students), the director of the graduate program in which the minor field is completed must certify to the vice provost and dean the student’s satisfactory completion of the minor to be listed on the student’s transcript.
In addition to the titles of approved and satisfactorily completed major and minor fields of specialization, official Graduate School transcripts show the titles of doctoral dissertations and master’s theses submitted in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. All such special transcript listings are made only at the time of completion of final degree requirements.
Completion Deadlines
For the spring semester, the deadline for fulfilling thesis and dissertation requirements is approximately 10 working days prior to Commencement. Students completing all degree requirements during the summer or fall semesters should contact their program unit or the Graduate School for deadlines.
Awarding of Graduate Degrees
When all requirements have been completed, departmental or school graduate committees so certify to the vice provost and dean and recommend that the appropriate degree be awarded. Following verification by the Graduate School that all degree requirements prescribed by the graduate faculty have been met, the vice provost and dean approves the award of a graduate degree.
Degrees are awarded three times each year, in January, May and August. Students who complete degree requirements in the fall semester are awarded degrees in January; students who complete degree requirements in the spring semester are awarded degrees in May; students who complete degree requirements during the summer sessions are awarded degrees in August. Formal investiture of all degrees occurs at the University’s annual spring Commencement. All students who have completed their graduate degree requirements during the previous 12 months are invited to participate in Commencement ceremonies. Eligible students are notified by the Graduate School of charges and responsibilities to be fulfilled.
Waiver of Regulations and Requirements
Specified Graduate School regulations and/or program degree requirements may be waived by the vice provost and dean in individual instances. A petition for such a waiver must be endorsed by the appropriate program graduate committee and graduate program director, who append their reasons for believing that the requested waiver would not result in a breach of the spirit of the specified regulation or requirement.
The University reserves the right to alter these regulations and requirements without notice, pending the publication of the next scheduled issue of this publication.
Information Applicable to All Students
Student Academic Honesty Code
Actions outside the Boundaries of Academic Honesty and Integrity
No set of written guidelines can anticipate all types and degrees of violations of academic honesty. To the extent that the examples below are not exhaustive, duly appointed representatives of the University will judge each case according to its merits. They will be guided by the principle that academic dishonesty involves misappropriation of academic or intellectual credit to oneself or to the discredit of others. Instances of such dishonesty include:
Plagiarism
Presenting the work of another person as one’s own work (including papers, words, ideas, information, computer code, data, evidence-organizing principles, or style of presentation of someone else taken from the Internet, books, periodicals or other sources). Plagiarism includes:
· quoting, paraphrasing or summarizing without acknowledgement, even a few phrases;
· failing to acknowledge the source of either a major idea or ordering principle central to one’s own paper;
· relying on another person’s data, evidence or critical method without credit or permission;
· submitting another person’s work as one’s own;
· using unacknowledged research sources gathered by someone else.
Cheating on Examinations
Giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during or after an examination. Examples include:
· unauthorized collaboration of any sort during an examination;
· reading of an examination before it has been given;
· unauthorized use of notes, books, tapes, computers or other aids during an examination;
· allowing another person to take an examination in one’s place;
· looking at someone else’s examination during the examination period;
· allowing another person to use one’s own examination during the examination period;
· passing examination information to students who have not yet taken the examination.
Multiple Submissions
Submitting substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once, unless there is prior explicit consent of the instructor(s) to whom the material is being or has been submitted.
Unauthorized Collaboration
Collaboration on projects, papers, computer programs or other academic assignments that has been prohibited by the instructor.
Fabrication and Misrepresentation
Misrepresenting or fabricating material, including misleading citation of sources as well as falsified or fabricated data or results from experiments or other analyses. Misrepresenting facts related to academic performance, including the justification of absences, late assignments and other activities.
Forgery
Imitating another person’s signature on academic documents (for example, an academic advising form or one’s own paper that is signed with respect to the time of submission) or other official documents that have an effect on academic credit (for example, a medical form submitted in support of taking a make-up examination).
Sabotage
Deliberately impairing, destroying, damaging or stealing another’s work or working material. Examples include destroying, stealing or damaging another’s laboratory experiment, computer program, term paper, examination or project; removing uncharged library materials with the effect that others cannot use them; defacing or damaging library materials with the effect that others cannot use them; hoarding or displacing materials within the library with the effect that others have undue difficulty using them; interfering with the operation of a computer system so it has an adverse effect on the academic performance of others.
Bribery
Offering or receiving any service or article with the purpose or effect of receiving a grade or other academic benefit that was not earned on the merits of the academic work.
Responsibility for Implementation
Each school of Binghamton University, including the Graduate School and the Division of Health and Physical Education, will implement the Student Academic Honesty Code and adjudicate all matters related thereto (except as noted below) through its own committee structure. All reports of findings of guilt (either by admission or by adjudication) will be reported to the Provost’s Office for archival purposes.
For cases involving graduate students in the four professional schools, initial implementation shall occur in those schools. For graduate cases in Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, initial implementation shall occur in the cognizant department or program. Any graduate programs temporarily residing in the Graduate School will report and adjudicate all cases through the Graduate Council’s Academic Standards Committee. At its discretion, the Academic Honesty Committee in any department or school may consult with the Graduate Council’s Academic Standards Committee about unusual or complicated cases. When an act of academic dishonesty violates the University’s policy on ethical research, the procedures outlined in the Policy on Responsible Conduct of Research, as found in the University Bulletin, apply.
For cases involving graduate students in the four professional schools, initial implementation shall occur in those schools. For graduate cases in Harpur College of Arts and Sciences and in the Public Administration Program, initial implementation shall occur in the cognizant department or program.
Publication and Dissemination of the Code
Students will receive copies of the code during Orientation, when they will discuss its importance and its meaning. They will acknowledge the code and their intent to abide by its terms each semester when they log onto the registration system. Faculty will ensure enforcement of the code.
Interpretation of the Code
Violations of the code vary in severity, so that the appropriate punishments vary. Some violations (Category I) may be handled by the instructor and student(s) involved. However, violations requiring more severe penalties (Category II) are appropriately dealt with by the Academic Honesty Committee of the relevant school in accordance with procedures laid out in the Rules of Student Conduct. Category I violations are serious but may be dealt with by the instructor. Category II violations may result in letters of reprimand, probation, suspension or expulsion from the University. Behavior explicitly permitted in a course syllabus or explicitly permitted by the instructor for a specific assignment is not a violation of the code.
Plagiarism
This may be either a Category I or Category II violation, depending on the amount of material that is plagiarized and the degree of premeditation. A Category I violation involves small amounts of plagiarized material — for example, a single passage or a relatively minor idea. Category II violations occur when more material is plagiarized or where central ideas are plagiarized. Category II violations may involve more planning and premeditation.
Cheating on Examinations
This may be either a Category I or Category II violation, depending on the level or amount of unauthorized help given or received on the examination and the degree of premeditation. Category I includes looking at another’s examination or collaborating on a small portion of the examination. Category II violations involve cheating on most or all of an entire examination — for example, providing a copy of an examination to another student or allowing another student to take an examination in one’s place. Category II violations may involve more planning and premeditation.
Multiple Submissions
This is a Category I violation.
Unauthorized Collaboration
This is a Category I violation, unless it also involves Category II offenses.
Fabrication and Misrepresentation
This can be a Category I or II violation.
Forgery
This is a Category II violation.
Sabotage
This is a Category II violation.
Bribery
This is a Category II violation.
Note that misconduct involving forgery, sabotage and bribery refers only to such offenses when committed for an academic purpose as defined in the Student Academic Honesty Code; any violations involving other aspects of student life or subject to federal, state and/or local law are dealt with through the University judicial system.
Enforcement Procedures
Each school should develop its own procedures, consistent with these guidelines. These procedures may vary, depending on the size of the school and other relevant factors. The appropriate procedures for addressing the two categories of violations are as follows.
Category I Violations
If an instructor discovers one of these violations, the instructor should first communicate with the student regarding the nature of the charge and the evidence on which the instructor has relied in reaching the conclusion that a violation has occurred. The student should be given the opportunity to respond. If the instructor remains convinced by the preponderance of evidence that a violation has occurred, the instructor may check to see if there is a record of a previous violation by the student. Students who are accused of a second Category I offense will be treated as being charged with a Category II offense and referred to the committee of the school in which the offense occurred.
If there is no previous violation, the faculty member should impose the appropriate penalty. The instructor should then fill in a Report of Academic Dishonesty Form describing the violation that occurred and the evidence supporting that finding. The form will also explain to the student the procedures whereby the student may appeal the decision. The student will be asked to read and sign the form and will be provided with a copy. If the student chooses not to sign the form, the case goes to a hearing before the committee of the school in which the offense occurred. The instructor will then forward the Report of Academic Dishonesty Form along with the supporting evidence to the chair of the appropriate committee, who will send a copy to the Provost’s Office, where it will be kept on file. Records of Report of Academic Dishonesty forms should be retained until the student's graduation, or for six years following the semester or term of the violation in the case of a student who departs from the University without graduating.
Category II Violations
If an instructor discovers a Category II violation, the instructor should first communicate with the student regarding the nature of the charge and the evidence on which the instructor has relied in reaching the conclusion that a violation has occurred. If the instructor remains convinced that a Category II violation has occurred, he or she should submit a detailed written charge with supporting evidence to the honesty committee of the school in which the offense occurred. The student will be notified of the charge and the date of the hearing and will receive a copy of the committee procedures. The instructor should assign an Incomplete grade for the student’s work, pending the outcome of the hearing. If, after the hearing, the committee concludes that the charges were unproven, the faculty member should re-evaluate the student’s work in light of that finding. In determination of any penalty for Category II violations, committees will consider all relevant factors, including the nature of the violation and any previous violations that may have been committed by the student. The chair of the appropriate committee will report any guilty findings to the Provost’s Office, where they will be kept on file. Records of hearing cases should be retained for six years following the semester or term in which the hearing is held. If a hearing case is appealed, the six years would begin after the semester or term in which the appeal decision is made.
Note: This ends the section of the Bulletin and information applicable to Student Academic Honesty Code.
Academic Grievance Procedures
If a student has a complaint about a grade or other academic grievance, the first step is to talk to the instructor involved. If the matter is not settled satisfactorily, the student should contact the department chair or division director about the complaint and submit the complaint through the formal grievance procedure established by the department. The department decision may, if the student still feels aggrieved, be appealed to the appropriate dean.
Copyright Law
Students should be aware that copyright laws cover photocopying and other reproductions of materials. Students should contact faculty members or library staff for information regarding these laws.
Classroom Discipline
Any instructor may exclude from attendance any student who, in the instructor’s judgment, has seriously impaired the class’s ability to achieve the objectives of the course.
The student may appeal the instructor’s action to the department or school via the department’s grievance procedure. If the student is not satisfied with the ruling or recommendation emerging from the grievance hearings, an appeal may be brought to the appropriate dean.
Attendance in Classes
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, laboratories and discussions. Instructors may establish their own attendance criteria for a course. They may establish both the number of absences permitted to receive credit for the course and the number of absences after which the final grade may be adjusted downward. In such cases it is expected that the instructor stipulate such requirements in the syllabus and that the syllabus be made available to students at or near the beginning of classes. In the absence of such statements, instructors have the right to deny a student the privilege of taking the final examination or of receiving credit for the course, or may prescribe other academic penalties if the student misses more than 25 percent of the total class sessions. Excessive tardiness may count as absence.
Policy on Responsible Conduct of Research
The Public Health Service and National Science Foundation require recipients of grants to develop policies on scientific misconduct and adopt procedures to both uncover acts of research fraud and examine allegations of misconduct in the conduct of research. On the advice of the Graduate Council and its Advisory Committee for Scholarship and Research, the University has adopted the following policies regarding the responsible conduct of research in all fields throughout the University.
Definition
Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification or plagiarism in proposing, conducting or reporting research and creative scholarly activity. It does not include honest error or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data.
Policy
The University has established a procedure to review reports of research misconduct. The principles associated with Binghamton’s policy and procedure are as follow:
· The University shall treat all parties with justice and fairness and shall be sensitive to each person’s reputation and responsibilities.
· Procedures shall preserve the highest attainable degree of confidentiality compatible with an effective investigation response.
· Procedures shall be as expeditious as possible in leading to the resolution of the charges in a timely manner.
· The integrity of the process shall be maintained by carefully avoiding any real or apparent conflict of interest.
Procedure
The vice president for research (VPR) has primary responsibility for overseeing research integrity, and shall appoint a research standards officer (RSO), who will be primarily responsible for the correct observance of the procedures set forth below. The RSO will normally be the operations manager of the Research Foundation at Binghamton.
Reports of misconduct shall be handled in a four-stage process:
· an inquiry to determine whether the allegation or related issue warrants further investigation;
· when warranted, an investigation to collect and examine all pertinent evidence;
· a formal finding on the allegation; and
· appropriate administrative action on the matter.
1. Inquiry
a. The contact person for allegations of research misconduct is the research standards officer. The RSO shall be responsible for securing and maintaining written records for all allegations.
b. An inquiry shall be made into any allegation that the initiator (the person making the allegation) provides in writing to the RSO. The purpose of this inquiry is to determine whether a full investigation is warranted. The RSO will notify the respondent (the person about whom the allegation is made) in writing of the allegations (if possible, maintaining the confidentiality of the initiator), and of the respondent’s right to submit a written response to the allegation. The RSO shall submit the allegation along with all evidence that may exist, any written rebuttal from the respondent, and any other pertinent documentation to the Advisory Committee for Scholarship and Research of the Graduate Council for review. The RSO will provide staff support to the committee. The Advisory Committee shall make a written recommendation to the VPR on whether a formal investigation is warranted. This process must be completed within 60 days of the receipt of the initial allegation unless an extension of time is approved by the VPR.
c. Within 10 days of receiving the recommendation, the VPR, after consulting with Legal Affairs and the RSO, shall determine whether to conduct an investigation, to drop the matter or to take some other appropriate action. If the VPR decides not to pursue the matter further, the RSO will seal all files and notify the respondent and the initiator in writing that allegations have been dropped. If the VPR decides to proceed with an investigation, the RSO will notify the respondent and initiator in writing, and the VPR will notify the respondent’s chair, dean and vice president; the RSO will also notify external funding agencies and governmental offices as contractually required.
2. Investigation
a. The VPR, within 30 days of the inquiry report, will appoint an investigation panel of persons who have no conflicts of interest with the respondent and have research backgrounds that qualify them to understand the subject matter of the alleged research misconduct. The panel will consist of a minimum of three persons, at least one of whom must be a faculty member. The respondent may challenge any panel member, within 14 days of written notification of panel membership, on the ground that the member does not meet the above criteria.
b. The VPR shall define the subject matter of the investigation in a written charge to the investigation panel. The VPR may change the subject matter during investigation if substantive new material is discovered by the investigation panel; the panel must notify the VPR of such new material.
c. The RSO will convene the first meeting of the investigation panel, and will provide staff assistance to the panel. The panel will select a chair at the first meeting.
d. The panel shall present a written report to the VPR within 90 days of its appointment. This report will contain an explicit finding of fact with respect to each allegation in the investigation charge listing the supporting evidence, and will describe the investigative process used. The report will also state the panel’s conclusions as to whether any of the proven allegations violate research integrity. Investigation will be completed within 120 days or an extension must be justified by the vice president.
e. A copy of the report will be made available by the RSO to the respondent. The respondent may submit written comments within 14 days of receipt of report to the VPR through the RSO.
3. Finding
The VPR will send the report, with any written comments of the respondent, to the president through the vice president for academic affairs, together with the VPR’s recommendations.
4. Action
a. Where allegations are not substantiated, the University shall take action to clear the reputations of those falsely accused; all files relating to the case will be sealed.
b. When the findings of the investigation substantiate the allegation of misconduct, the president shall initiate appropriate action, depending on the nature of the misconduct and the employment status of the individual involved, and shall notify the sponsor of the action if the research was performed with external support. United University Professions-represented employees may be disciplined according to Article 19 of the agreement with UUP or may be subject to such other action as the president deems appropriate.
c. The research record shall be corrected if fabricated or fraudulent information has been published.
Notification of Other Agencies during Process
1. Criminal Activities: If any criminal activities are discovered or claimed during inquiry or investigation, University Counsel shall be informed.
2. Federal-Sponsored Research: Federal agencies will be kept informed of all inquiries and investigations as required contractually. Specifically:
a. in the early inquiry stage if there is one or more of the following:
— an immediate health hazard;
— need to protect sponsor resources;
— need to protect human or animal subjects;
— need to protect person reporting misconduct.
b. when the VPR recommends an investigation.
c. the findings of the investigation and the institutional sanctions.
Student Research Projects
1. Students who intend to contact private, voluntary or governmental agencies as part of their research in an academic project should first ask the faculty member who assigned the project to secure permission and cooperation from University and agency officials.
2. Students engaged in research, independent study, internships or other courses/projects involving human subjects must be made fully aware of their ethical, legal and moral responsibilities and their potential legal/financial liabilities when participating in such activities. Students planning research and/or course work involving human subjects should consult their faculty adviser for project design and methodology. The University’s Human Subjects Research Review Committee (HSRRC) reviews and must approve all research activities involving human subjects; HSRRC approval must be obtained prior to the initiation of the research. The Division of Research staff provides the appropriate review forms and guidance to initiate the human-subjects research review process.
3. Students planning research and/or coursework involving live vertebrate animals should consult their faculty adviser for project design and methodology. In addition, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) must first review and approve such projects to ensure compliance with University, state and federal regulations regarding the humane care and treatment of vertebrate animals. For appropriate review forms and guidance, contact the coordinator for animal care at 607-777-6136.
4. Students planning projects involving the use of recombinant DNA molecules must consult with their faculty adviser for proper project protocol. The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) oversees all research on campus involving the use of recombinant DNA molecules in order to ensure compliance with both University and federal regulations. IBC approval must be obtained prior to the initiation of any research involving the use of recombinant DNA molecules. Further information and guidelines are available from the Division of Research at 607-777-6136.
5. Students planning research projects involving the use of radioactive materials must consult with their faculty adviser for proper project protocol. The Radioactive Safety Committee oversees all research on campus involving the use of radioactive materials. For further information, contact the radiation safety officer at 607-777-4370.
Unlawful Sale of Dissertations, Theses and Term Papers
The following is a reproduction of section (213b) of the Education Law of New York State, concerning the illegal sale of term papers, theses or dissertations:
Unlawful sale of dissertations, theses and term papers.
1. No person shall, for financial consideration, or the promise of financial consideration, prepare, offer to prepare, cause to be prepared, sell or offer for sale to any person any written material which the seller knows, is informed or has reason to believe is intended for submission as a dissertation, thesis, term paper, essay, report or other written assignment by a student in a university, college, academy, school or other educational institution to such institution or to a course, seminar or degree program held by such institution.
2. Nothing herein contained shall prevent such educational institution or any member of its faculty or staff, from offering courses, instruction, counseling or tutoring for research or writing as part of a curriculum or other program conducted by such educational institution. Nor shall this section prevent any educational institution or any member of its faculty or staff from authorizing students to use statistical, computer, or any other services which may be required or permitted by such educational institution in the preparation, research or writing of a dissertation, thesis, term paper, essay, report or other written assignment. Nor shall this section prevent tutorial assistance rendered by other persons which does not include the preparation, research or writing of a dissertation, thesis, term paper, essay, report or other written assignment intended for submission to such educational institution in fulfillment of the requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate or course of study. Nor shall any person be prevented by the provisions of this section from rendering services for a fee that shall be limited to the typing, transcription or reproduction of a manuscript.
3. Nothing contained within this section shall prevent any person from selling or offering for sale a publication or other written material which shall have been registered under the United States laws of copyright, provided, however, that the owner of such copyright shall have given his authorization or approval for such sale and provided further that such publication or other written material shall not be intended for submission as a dissertation, thesis, term paper, essay, report or other written assignment to such educational institution within the state of New York in fulfillment of the requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate or course of study.
4. No person shall sell, assign or otherwise transfer for business or for any other purpose to any person any information and material of a personal or private nature acquired from a purchaser of a dissertation, thesis, term paper, essay, report or other written assignment without the prior consent of such purchaser. The term "information and material of a personal or private nature" as used in this subdivision shall include, but not be limited to the name of such purchaser, his address and telephone number, the name of such educational institution, the name or number of the course, the name of the faculty member or members for whom such written assignment has been prepared and any description of the research involved or the nature of such written assignment.
5. A violation of the provisions of this section shall constitute a class B misdemeanor.
6. The attorney general and district attorney of the county wherein a violation of this section occurs shall have concurrent authority to investigate and prosecute any violation of this section and any related violations discovered during the course of such investigation.
7. Whenever there shall be a violation of this section, an application also may be made by the attorney general in the name of the people of the state of New York to a court or justice having jurisdiction to issue an injunction, and upon notice to the defendant of not less than five days, to enjoin and restrain the continuance of such violation; and if it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court or justice that the defendant has, in fact, violated this section, an injunction may be issued by such court or justice, enjoining and restraining any further violation, without requiring proof that any person has, in fact, been injured or damaged thereby. In any such proceeding the court may make allowances to the attorney general as provided in section eighty-three hundred three, subdivision six of the civil practice law and rules. In connection with any such proposed application, the attorney general is authorized to take proof and make a determination of the relevant facts and to issue subpoenas in accordance with the civil practice law and rules. Additionally, the attorney general may apply in any such proceeding for a monetary penalty of not more than one thousand dollars per violation.
Access to University Records
The Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6) provides rights of access to University records, except those that fall within one of the nine categories of deniable records [section 87(2)].
Written application for examination and copying of accessible records must be made during regular business hours on the approved forms or in a letter addressed to the Records Access Officer, Office of University Counsel, 609 Couper Administration Building. Appeals of a denial of requested information may be taken within 30 days to Stacey Hengsterman, Office of the Vice Chancellor and Secretary of the University, State University of New York, State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246.
Student Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), commonly known as the Buckley Amendment, provides students with access to their files and assures them of the confidentiality of their records. Undergraduates’ main academic files are kept in the University Registrar’s Office. Graduate records are kept in the Graduate School. The University is not required by legislation to make available to students files kept in the office of the New York State University Police, Binghamton; Binghamton University Counseling Center or the Student Health Center. Students with files in these offices should contact the appropriate office with any questions.
There is to be no oral or written release of personally identifiable information from any student’s educational record without the signed and dated consent of the student, except to:
· authorized University personnel defined by the person responsible for the file as having a reasonable need to know;
· state and federal education authorities to whom information must be made available by statute and/or for the audit of federal programs;
· organizations and educational agencies involved in testing, administering financial aid or improving instruction, provided the information is presented anonymously;
· accrediting agencies;
· appropriate persons to comply with a court-ordered subpoena, in which case an attempt is made to notify the student in advance unless prohibited by court order;
· appropriate persons in the case of emergency;
· University counsel.
Information printed in the University Directory and information routinely released to the public, such as Commencement listings, election results and rosters of athletic teams, is regarded as public or “directory information” and, as such, may be released without student consent.
The following information is defined as directory information and may be routinely released unless specified differently by the student:
· name;
· local address and telephone number;
· home address and telephone number;
· e-mail address;
· class level;
· degree information (including any associated majors, certificates or minors);
· dates of attendance.
Students should be aware that even though they may request and receive directory exclusion status, it is a federal requirement that the University promptly provide lenders and guarantee agencies with any information it has regarding the last known address, surname, employer and employer address of a borrower who attends or has attended the University.
Information that is not classified as directory information and may not be released to third parties without written consent of the student includes (but is not limited to) the following:
· grades;
· grade-point average;
· student course schedules (including class name, meeting times and meeting places);
· financial aid information;
· student identification number (usually Social Security number).
Third-party sources requesting to know a student’s course schedule for “emergency purposes” should be referred to the New York State University Police, Binghamton. University Police will attempt to ascertain the nature of the emergency and contact the student with the message.
Other Information Regarded as Public
Other information occasionally released in a routine manner to appropriate representatives of various media for publicity purposes includes:
· awards and academic degrees awarded at Binghamton University;
· participation in recognized University activities (election outcomes, membership in athletic teams, participation in plays, etc.);
· personal information on members of University athletic teams (height, weight, high school, etc.).
Students with questions about their records or wishing to withhold their names from the University Directory should contact the Registrar’s Office at 607-777-6087.
Student Absences for Religious Beliefs
In accordance with New York State Education Law 224-a, student absences may be excused as follows:
· No person shall be expelled from or be refused admission as a student to an institution of higher education for reason that he or she is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to register or attend classes or to participate in any examination, study or work requirements on a particular day or days.
· Any student in an institution of higher education who is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to attend classes on a particular day or days shall, because of such absence on the particular day or days, be excused from any examination or any study or work requirement.
· It shall be the responsibility of the faculty and of the administration officials of each institution of higher education to make available to each student who is absent from school because of his or her religious beliefs, an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study or work requirements that he or she may have missed because of such absences on any particular day or days. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the said student such equivalent opportunity.
· If registration, classes, examinations, study or work requirements are held on Fridays after 4 p.m. or on Saturdays, similar or makeup classes, examinations, study or work requirements, or opportunity to register shall be made available on other days where it is possible and practicable to do so. No special fees shall be charged to the student for these classes, examinations, study or work requirements, or registration held on other days.
· In effectuating the provisions of this section, it shall be the duty of the faculty and of the administrative officials of each institution of higher education to exercise the fullest measure of good faith. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his or her availing himself or herself of the provisions of this section.
· Any student who is aggrieved by the alleged failure of any faculty or administrative officials to comply in good faith with the provisions of this section, shall be entitled to maintain an action or proceeding in the supreme court of the county in which such institution of higher education is located for the enforcement of his or her rights under this section.