Policies for Graduate & Continuing Education

Any student in an educational or vocational training institution, other than a religious or denominational educational or vocational training institution, who is unable, because of her/his religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such examination or study or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to makeup such examination, study, or work requirement which he/she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day; provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to said student such an opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his/her availing him/herself to the provisions of this section. (Massachusetts General Laws.)
 

Continuing Education students (matriculated and non-matriculated) who fail to maintain good academic standing are subject to academic probation, suspension, and dismissal regulations presently in effect at Westfield State University. Academic standing for all undergraduate degree and non-degree students is based on a student's number of overall attempted credit hours and institutional GPA. A satisfactory GPA ranges from 1.75 (for students with 0-23 attempted credits) to 2.0 (for students with 24 or more credits.) Deficits in GPA are handled according to policy (see undergraduate bulletin for full academic standing policy.) For post-baccalaureate students, the minimum GPA is 2.8 and for graduate students, it is 3.0. Students who experience academic difficulty are urged to contact an academic advisor for help as soon as possible. Undergraduate and graduate advisors are listed in the Academic Programs section of this catalog. A complete listing of advisors is found in the Student Handbook.
 

Students should contact the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at 572-8020 in advance of the term in order to receive assistance in solving any problems they may have with regard to parking, entering buildings, reaching classrooms, or seating arrangements within classrooms. Access to campus buildings is noted on the Campus Map on the inside back cover of this catalog. Please visit our Disability Services website for more information.

Regular attendance to classes is expected. However, the weight which attendance may have and specific attendance requirements are formulated by the instructor.

Spring semester classes generally meet once per week either from 4:00 pm.-6:30 p.m. or from 6:30 p.m.-9:15 p.m. Unscheduled absences due to inclement weather or faculty illness or emergency can occur. To make up class contact hours missed, a make-up date of May 4 or 8 has been set aside for classes that have not met the required number of hours during the semester.
 

It is possible to audit any course offered by the College of Graduate and Continuing Education. Students who elect to audit courses have the privilege of attending classes but are not required to take any tests or examinations or turn in any written assignments. Auditors should attend all, or most, class meetings. They do not receive a grade or credit. Auditors pay $50 per credit. Please remember that an audited course cannot later be repeated for credit
 

Students may change from one audited course to another audited course prior to the second class meeting, providing the course they are changing into is open. A course change can be made in the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education by filling out the appropriate form. A change is not permitted after the second class meeting of the class you wish to enter.
 

In the event of severe weather conditions or other emergencies, it may be necessary to cancel classes. Announcements are made on the CGCE Hotline: (413) 572-5226, and over local radio and television stations:

Radio Stations

• WHYN (Springfield)
• WNNZ (Westfield)
• WHMP (Northampton)
• WSBS (Great Barrington)
• WAQY (Springfield)
• WTIC (Hartford)
• WMAS (Springfield)
• WACE (Chicopee)
• Television Stations
• WGGB (TV-40) (Springfield)
• WWLP (TV-22) (Springfield)

Continuing Education courses are funded solely by the fees students pay. Unfortunately, each semester there are courses in which enrollments are not sufficient. These courses are canceled at the discretion of the College of Graduate and Continuing Education. To allow students time to enroll in other courses, decisions to cancel are made as soon as possible after general registration on the basis of number of enrollments at the time. Students are urged to register early in order to give an accurate assessment of the number of students who want to enroll in each course. Those students affected by course cancelations will be notified by phone or mail. Students not wishing to enroll in an alternative course will receive a full refund as soon as it can be processed.
 

Students can make the following change of status prior to the third class meeting:

• Undergraduate to graduate credit
• Graduate to undergraduate credit
• Credit to audit
• Audit to credit

These changes can be made in the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education by filling out the appropriate form. There is no refund in the case of a change from credit to audit and the balance of the tuition must be paid in the case of a change from audit to credit.

Students needing assistance in determining course loads should consult their academic advisor or a CGCE Administrator. In most cases, Continuing Education students determine their own course loads. However, students in the part time graduate program are limited to two courses per term and students with full-time employment should ordinarily limit themselves to two courses. Students with PELL grants must take a minimum of two courses (6 credits) in order to receive awards. Graduate and post-baccalaureate students enrolling for 9 credits or more and undergraduates for 12 credits or more need permission of the Dean or his designee. Students are not permitted to take courses at other institutions once they have matriculated. Special permission of the Dean is required for any exceptions to this policy.
 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 which took effect on November 19, 1974 assures confidentiality of educational records containing information directly related to a presently enrolled student, a former student or alumnus/a.

The institution, according to the Act, may make public "Directory Information" about a student, e.g., name, address, date and place of birth, telephone listings, schools attended, degrees and awards received, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, and the most previous educational agency or institution, unless the student specifically requests in writing that his/her prior consent be obtained.

A request made by students to suppress from public distribution the above mentioned information is to be made in writing annually to the office of the Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education, no later that October 1 of the academic year for which the information is being made public. Further information on the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 may be obtained from the Student Administrative Service Center or the Vice President, Student Affairs.
 

Approximately two weeks after the close of each session, course grades will be available via the College's Webpage. (See Grade Reporting System on this page.) No grades will be issued by telephone. Westfield State University uses the following grading scales: Undergraduate Courses:A,A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, F Graduate Courses:A,A-, B+, B, B-, C, F

Other notations used are 'W' for students who officially withdraw from a course; 'AU' for students who are auditing a course and 'I' for students whose work is incomplete at the end of the term. The grade of  'I' is assigned only if 80% of the course work has been completed and the instructor has agreed to allow you to complete the course after the close of the semester according to a prearranged schedule. See the Student Handbook (available in the office), for more information.
 

At the end of each semester, grades will be issued to students through the college website.

To access grades, students must:

Log onto MyWestfield and follow the instructions on the log-in page. To access your student records, you must know your college wide ID (CWID) , and your personal identification number (PIN). Detailed instructions on how to obtain your CWID and PIN numbers, are available on the initial log-in page. Call 572-8020 if you need additional information.
 

Chapter 15A of the Massachusetts General Laws mandates that every full or three-quarter time student in a public or private institution of higher education shall participate in a qualifying student health insurance program. You may waive this insurance coverage if you certify on the waiver form (found on the back of the registration form) that you have comparable coverage.

The cost of the College student health insurance (Full year: $2511.00* for fall 2016 coverage through July 31, 2017, ) is payable upon registration if you are an undergraduate student enrolled in 9 or more credits, or a graduate student enrolled in 7 or more credits, through the College of Graduate and Continuing Education. To waive this charge, go to http://www.universityhealthplans.com and submit an electronic waiver form. Students in less than nine credits may not purchase the college insurance. Failure to submit the proper waiver from will render you liable for the state-mandated coverage provided by the college and you will be billed accordingly.

*Subject to change.
 

All students must provide evidence of immunization to register as a full-time student; 12 or more undergraduate credits, 9 or more post-baccalaureate or graduate credits.

Mass. Law (Chapter 76-Section 15 C) requires that full time college students (12 credits undergraduate and 9 credits post-baccalaureate and graduate students, per semester) present evidence that they are immunized against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, and tetanus in order to register for classes. Tetanus/Diphtheria must be within 10 years; Measles, Mumps, Rubella, initial immunization at the age of 12 months or older and after 1968, and date must include month, day, and year to be valid. If there is a question of immunization status according to the above information, please update your immunizations.

Three doses of Hepatitis B vaccine are required for all full-time freshmen and all Health Science students, undergraduate and graduate. Westfield State University considers students matriculated in Movement Science and Criminal Justice programs, as well as students in teacher training programs, to be in the at-risk population, and requires the same immunizations as Health Science students.
 

A grade of Incomplete (I) is assigned by the instructor only if you have completed 80% of the course work and have offered a valid reason for your inability to complete the course work within the prescribed semester. You must request a grade of Incomplete before the end of the semester and arrangements for the completion of the work must be in writing with the instructor. Once you have been granted an incomplete grade, you must complete the work within the first 30 days of the next scheduled semester. If the work is not completed within that time, or if an extension is not granted, the incomplete grade automatically becomes an 'F'. In certain extraordinary circumstances, faculty may complete an Extension Form and submit it to the College to permit a student additional time to satisfy the course requirements.
 

Meal Plan pricing varies, dependent on the number of meals in the chosen plan. Please see the University Catalog online or contact the CGCE Office at 413-572-8020 for current pricing.

Meal Plan Refund Schedule:

Prior to the first day of classes	100%
During the first two weeks of classes	80%
During the third week of classes	60%
During the fourth week of classes	40%
During the fifth week of classes	20%
After the fifth week of classes	No Refund

Westfield State University maintains its policy on non-discrimination and affirmative action in fulfillment of the requirements of Federal Executive Order 11246 and 11375 as amended; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972 as amended; Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable state and federal statutes.

Public Safety Security Report:
Westfield State University's annual security report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings owned or controlled by Westfield State University; and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report by contacting Public Safety or by viewing the latest copy of the Security Report.

 

Parking decals are required and are only sold at the Public Safety Complex on Western Avenue. Your vehicle registration must be presented with your application form before a decal can be purchased. Please call 413-572-5262 for more information or visit the Public Safety website. Vehicles without parking decals will be ticketed.
 

All Westfield State University students should have a bar-coded Student I.D. Card. Taken during registration periods and the first three weeks of classes,  the picture I.D. will cost $10.00 and will be used throughout your academic career at Westfield State University.  I.D.s will be taken in the Wilson Hall Lounge area.  I.D. cards are required to print information on campus. Replacement cards cost $30.00.
 

Official transcripts may be obtained from the Office of Continuing Education by mailing in a written request or filling out a transcript request form. Transcript request forms are available on our CGCE Webpage, as are other forms. The original signature of the student is required on the form before a transcript can be released or sent and a fee of $2.00 per transcript must be submitted with the transcript request form. Please allow a minimum of five (5) working days for our office to process the request. A fee of $5.00 is required for a transcript processed within one (1) business day. Transcripts that include the final grades of the present semester will be available approximately two weeks after the close of the term.
 

In accordance with Chapter 915 of the Acts of 1977, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the WSU Continuing Education College will waive tuition for persons over 60, provided registration, institutional fees and related expenses are borne by the student. Students must have the Waiver Form completed in advance of registration. The form is available in the Continuing Education Office. Proof of date of birth is required.
 

As an active duty service member or a veteran residing in Massachusetts, you may qualify for a tuition waiver or for federal benefits. The Veterans Services Office is located in the College of Graduate and Continuing Education and is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The telephone number is 572-8370. All veterans are encouraged to contact the office prior to registration so that staff can help you with the necessary paperwork. Students using the Massachusetts Waiver of Tuition benefit must be formally admitted to a degree program at Westfield State University to use the benefit. You may use the benefit in your first semester of study with the university while awaiting an admission decision; however, formal admission is required to continue to use the benefit in subsequent semesters. All tuition waiver veterans are required to contact the office if they have not received the benefits in a prior semester.
 

Refunds of tuition and fees credit courses, if any, are made on the basis of the date and time of receipt of a student’s withdrawal.  Students who withdraw from a course before the semester begin date will be refunded the cost of tuition and fees less a $75.00 non-refundable registration fee.  Students who withdraw before the first scheduled class and within the allowable withdrawal period may receive a partial refund of their tuition and fees according to the schedule below.

 

Withdrawal	Professor's Signature	Transcript Notation	Tuition and Fees
Before the semester begin date	No	None	Student owes $75 non-refundable registration fee
Before the first class meeting	No	None	Student owes $150 non-refundable registration fee & non-refundable education service fee. No refund for Winter Session
Before the second class meeting	Yes	None	Student receives 75% refund of total tuition and fees (excluding non-refundable late registration fee and late payment fee). No refund for Winter Session
Before the third class meeting	Yes	W	Student receives 40% refund of total tuition and fees (excluding non-refundable late registration fee and late payment fee). No refund for Winter Session
After the third class meeting	Yes	W	There are no refunds for classes dropped after the third class meeting.
After  withdrawal deadline*	Yes	W	Students dropping after the last day to withdraw will incur a $25 late withdrawal fee.
Administrative withdrawal for non-attendance**		W	No refund after third class meeting.
After add-drop period	N/A	W	No refund after third class meeting.
Failure to withdraw	N/A	F	No refund.

*Approved for extenuating circumstances only; must have the Dean's approval.
** At instructor's discretion.

Withdrawal Form

Financial Appeals Process