College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College

Policies and Procedures / Student Advising / Student Recognition

Policies and Procedures

Intra-University Transfer

Intra-University transfer applicants to Sargent College programs should make an appointment to speak with Deborah Claar, academic counselor and transfer coordinator, through the Academic Services Center at Sargent College, Room 207, 617-353-2713. Completed forms should be returned to Room 207 by March 1 for fall admission and by November 1 for spring admission. Acceptance to certain majors in the College is limited and very competitive.

External Transfer

Students applying to Sargent College from another college or university should consult the Admissions Information section above on this site for requirements and deadlines. College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College requires that a minimum of 48 credits be taken at Boston University to fulfill requirements for graduation. Individual departments may require more.

Academic Requirements

Students, as participating members of an academic community, have a responsibility not only to take advantage of the resources available, but also to contribute to a positive learning experience for all.

Carefully selected standards for student performance must be established if the University is to meet its responsibility to prepare capable persons for professional service and to provide a stimulating and satisfying experience in learning for its students. Students must know exactly what these standards are if they are to evaluate their own abilities to profit from and contribute to their program. Each program has a standards manual approved by the entire faculty, which is distributed each year to all new students. Students are responsible for obtaining this manual from the department and for understanding the standards. These standards are a summary of expectations and policies setting forth the type and level of performance that must be maintained by students if the professional responsibilities of the College are to be achieved. These are minimal standards, intended not as rigid regulations but as guidelines for evaluation. Sargent College also has a manual for undergraduate students which can be obtained in the Academic Services Center, Room 207.

All Sargent College students are required to complete a college-level English composition course. Advanced placement units and/or SAT score exemption may not be used to meet this requirement.

Petitions and Appeals

The Academic Policies and Procedures Committee is the body that can take action on petitions from students seeking variance from a Sargent College academic policy or regulation. Petition forms can be obtained in the Sargent Academic Services Center.

Students who seek a variance of a program policy or regulation, or who have a grievance with an instructor or a departmental judgment, should attempt to resolve the situation with the individual instructor, with the department chair, or by petition to the departmental faculty. The student may appeal decisions made at the departmental level by submitting a petition of appeal to the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee. Please contact the department coordinator for specific information.

Incomplete Coursework and Repeated Courses

No incomplete grades shall be reported unless the instructor and the student have conferred, the student has presented a sufficient reason why a course cannot be completed on schedule, and the instructor has assigned a date within the succeeding 12 months by which time all course requirements must be completed.

No degree credit for incomplete courses will be granted unless the work is completed by the date assigned, which must be within one calendar year of the date on which the incomplete grade is reported. Please be advised that Incomplete grades may have implications for financial aid awards.

In the event that coursework remains incomplete on the assigned date or 12 months after the I grade has been awarded, whichever comes first, the I grade will be changed permanently to an F grade.

Repeated courses do not receive credit toward graduation. The grade received for a repeated course does not replace the grade for the original course; both grades are computed into the student’s grade point average.

Graduation

A Graduation Application must be submitted to the Academic Services Center (Room 207) by February 1 for May or September degree dates or by October 1 for January graduation. Students are responsible for the accuracy of their graduation applications. Sargent College baccalaureate degree requirements must be completed within eight years of the initial date of matriculation at Boston University.

Dean's List

Full-time students are named to the Dean’s List for excellence of scholarship upon achieving a grade point index of 3.5 in any one semester with no incomplete grades and at least 12 credits of letter grades; P/F grades are not considered.

Graduation Honors

Among graduating seniors in each school and college, five percent will be awarded degrees summa cum laude, ten percent degrees magna cum laude, and fifteen percent cum laude. Break points, which are the grade point averages (GPA) corresponding to each of these categories, will be determined for each graduating class in each school and college at the end of the seventh semester by applying these percentile ranges to the list of eligible graduates arranged in order of GPA. Students falling in the designated percentile ranges on the basis of their GPAs after seven semesters will be certified for degrees with the corresponding Latin honors. Students who, by virtue of strong academic performances during their final semester, advance their GPAs beyond a break point will be awarded degrees with the correspondingly higher Latin honor. Students whose academic performances during the final semester causes their GPAs to fall below a break point will retain the Latin honors as originally determined after seven semesters. In no case will students be awarded Latin honors for grade point averages below 3.0.

Academic Integrity

All students at Sargent College are expected to maintain high standards of academic honesty. Various pressures upon students may tempt them to gain credit for work that is not wholly their own by cheating on examinations or plagiarizing papers or projects. Instructors are aware that plagiarism and cheating sometimes occur; such offenses are handled according to The Sargent College Academic Conduct Code. There may be a review by the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee of Sargent College. Academic dishonesty may result in suspension or dismissal from the College or University.

Professional Behavior

The mission of Sargent College is to advance, preserve, disseminate, and apply knowledge in the health and rehabilitation sciences. Sargent College strives to create an environment that fosters critical and innovative thinking to best serve the health care needs of society. This environment is made possible only through full participation of all members of the Sargent College community. A key expectation of this community of scholars, educators, practitioners, and students is the adherence to the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior.

Academic performance is one indicator of success for Sargent College students. Students are also expected to demonstrate professional behavior, to accept responsibility for their actions, and to expect the same from their peers. Professional behavior is expected across environments, whether the student is engaged in clinical practice, classroom instruction, peer or faculty interaction, or research or laboratory activities. Students are expected to know and comply with the specified rules for each of their academic and clinical experiences.

Students are evaluated on professional behavior in addition to academic performance. Failure to meet the standards for professional behavior may result in dismissal from the program. The specific responsibilities of students are outlined in the manual for each program of study.

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Student Advising

Students are assigned to faculty members in their major area of study for assistance and advice throughout their academic careers. All full-time faculty members assist a number of students. Any student may ask his or her department chair for a change of advisor if he or she feels such a change will improve the advising situation.

Faculty advisors are responsible for:

1. being available by appointment during office hours whenever students desire consultation;

2. consulting with students who have academic problems in order to aid them in every way possible;

3. advising students of available University counseling services, should they need further assistance;

4. meeting with their advisees at each registration period to approve courses selected by each student; and

5. making suggestions concerning substitution of courses for any course failed.

Academic Services Center  To supplement student advising through the appropriate departmental faculty, the Sargent College Academic Services Center offers advising concerned with University academic and registration processes; general program and degree requirements; and accuracy of the individual student’s academic record. Other services such as processing requests for transfer courses, minors within Sargent or in other BU programs, and Study Abroad options are also handled in the Academic Services Center, Room 207 in Sargent.

Disability Services  Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact Disability Services to discuss any support services or accommodations they may need. The office is located at 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02215, 617-353-3658 (Voice/TTY).

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Student Recognition

The Sargent College Honor Society  This undergraduate honorary society was founded by the Class of 1924. Membership is open to anyone in the two upper classes who has achieved an overall grade point average of 3.5.

Student Awards  Seniors are also recognized for their service to the community, to Sargent College, and potential service to their profession through a spring award nomination process. These awards are presented to seniors at a recognition ceremony before their commencement date.

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Silber Way
Boston, MA 02215

16 October 2009
Boston University
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