Academic Catalog

Registration and Course Information

In addition to the courses listed in this catalog, others may be offered on an experimental basis. Details are published in the online Student Information System (Homer) for the semester they are given.

Advance Registration

Enrolled students must register in advance for courses they wish to take the following semester.  Admission to a course depends on the availability of seats when the student registers; therefore, failure to participate in the advance registration process jeopardizes the student’s chance of obtaining desired courses.

Proof of high school graduation or the equivalent is required of all incoming students before online course registration for the students' second semester. A hold that prevents students from registering for their second semester classes will be placed on their records until proof of high school graduation or the equivalent is received by the college. 

The College reserves the right to refuse registration or to dismiss after registration any student whose presence would, in the judgment of College officials, be detrimental to the College’s interests.

Class schedules at the time of registration are as accurate as possible, but the College reserves the right to cancel courses or alter schedules as needs dictate. It is the student’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of their course schedule prior to the end of the add/drop period.

Permission of Instructor

When “permission of instructor” is listed as a prerequisite in a course description, it indicates that admission to the course is based on an assessment by the instructor of the student’s academic preparation for the course. Students must obtain the instructor’s permission before registering for the course.

For all other courses, students who believe they have preparation equivalent to the listed prerequisites may seek the instructor’s permission to be admitted. This permission should be obtained prior to registering for the course.

Health Certification

Before the first day of classes, every new student (first-year, transfer, or returning adult) is required to complete and submit health certification information to the College health service. This information includes the New York State immunization requirements, a health history form, and any other immunizations required by the College. Entrance medical requirements are submitted electronically to the Hammond Health Center via a secure web portal that is linked from the health center’s web page. Students who do not comply with this requirement will not be allowed to remain on campus and their course registrations will be canceled. In the event that a student does not receive directions for submitting this information, they may contact the College health center for assistance, or visit the Health Certifications website for instructions. Hepatitis-B immunization is recommended and may be required for students in athletic training, occupational therapy, and physical therapy before clinical fieldwork/affiliations.

Semester Course Load

Full-time status requires that a student enroll for a minimum of 12 credits in a semester. A student may enroll for as many as 18 credits each semester without being charged extra tuition. To enroll for more than 18 credits, students must have written approval from their dean. Billing for the additional tuition will occur at the end of the add/drop period.

Part-time status for degree candidates requires written approval from the student’s dean. Part-time students who are not degree candidates should contact the Office of Extended Studies for registration information.

Block Courses

Courses that meet for only half a semester are called block courses. Block I courses meet for the first seven weeks of a semester. Block II courses meet for the final seven weeks of a semester. The add/drop period for a block course extends for only the first week of the block. Final examinations in block courses are normally given during the last class meeting, not during the final examination period for the semester.

Placement Tests

All entering students are requested to take a series of tests that are used for placement and guidance purposes. These tests may include a writing sample, a reading comprehension test, or a language placement test. A mathematics placement examination is required of all first-year and transfer students. All students entering the School of Music must also take placement tests in music theory and keyboard musicianship.

Course Levels

The letter prefix indicates the department or discipline that offers the course. The first digit of the five-digit group after the prefix indicates the course level:

  • Level-1 and level-2 courses are generally appropriate for first-year and sophomore students.
  • Level-3 and level-4 courses are generally appropriate for juniors and seniors.

Most courses except those at level 1 have prerequisites.

Level-5 courses are graduate courses. Seniors may be permitted to take a level-5 course if they

  • have successfully completed 90 or more credits in an undergraduate program;
  • have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher;
  • have the approval of the course instructor, undergraduate adviser, graduate adviser, graduate chair, and dean of the particular school. The petition form for seniors to take graduate-level courses is available on the Registrar's Office website under Student Forms.

Level-5 courses may be taken for either undergraduate or graduate credit. If taken for undergraduate credit, the courses are not applied to the master’s degree. If taken for graduate credit, the courses are not applied to the bachelor’s degree.

Independent Studies, Internships, and Tutorials

In addition to regular classroom or laboratory instruction, more specialized or individual kinds of study are offered in the form of independent studies, internships, or tutorials. The maximum number of credits earned through internship may not exceed 12, whether attained in a full-semester program or in smaller units during different semesters. Students who wish to enroll for this kind of credit should consult the appropriate school guidelines (available through their dean’s office). Also, they should check the academic program information of the school in which the credit would be awarded to see whether there are any specific guidelines mandated by the school. While transfer credit for these experiences is not generally accepted, students may consult with the Dean's office in their school for additional information.

Period for Add/Drop

The add/drop regulations also apply to changing instructors or the number of credits for which a student is enrolled in a variable credit course.

Students may add or drop a semester course within seven calendar days (plus Labor Day) from the start of the semester. No add/drop will be accepted after that date.

At the end of the add/drop period, bills of full-time students who enroll for more than 18 hours will be adjusted for the hours actually enrolled. Although a student may withdraw after this point (a grade of W will show on the transcript), no refund will be given for a reduction in the number of credit hours. If an audit later in the semester indicates that the student’s enrollment exceeds the number of credits for which the student has been billed, a supplemental bill will be issued to cover the deficiency.

Students who change from full-time to part-time status must do so by the end of the add/drop period in order to receive a refund. An application form for part-time study is available in the Office of the Registrar. No refunds are made to part-time students after the end of the add/drop period.

Students who change from full-time to part-time status may forfeit their right to on-campus housing and financial aid.

Although faculty members have the option of dropping students from class for nonattendance (see below), it is the student’s responsibility to drop a course that they do not plan to attend.

When a student withdraws or is withdrawn from a course, a grade of W will show on the student’s transcript.

Faculty Right to Remove Students from a Course

Students must follow the usual add/drop/withdrawal procedures; however, faculty members have the right to remove a student from a course in accordance with official College policy, as follows:

  1. An instructor can drop any student on their roster if they do not attend the first class meeting of the semester and fails to notify the instructor in advance that they cannot attend the class; and/or
  2. for nonattendance after the first full week of classes (or after the first class meeting of a physical activity, leisure, and safety [PALS] course) if the student has made no contact with the faculty member; and/or
  3. any time a student violates the written rules for remaining in good standing in the course.

See the “Attendance Policy” section below for information on absences due to religious beliefs.

Faculty action to remove a student from a course is not automatic and will be undertaken at the discretion of the faculty member. During the first week of class, students may be removed from the course. In weeks 2-10, a grade of W will be recorded. Students should not rely on faculty members to remove or withdraw them from courses.

Withdrawal from a Course

Students may withdraw from a course after the add/drop period and before the beginning of the last third of the course. Thus, for a block course, a student may withdraw during weeks 2-5 and for a semester course during weeks 2-10.

When a completed withdrawal form has been submitted to the Office of the Registrar, a grade of W is entered on the student’s transcript. A student must file a fully completed withdrawal form in the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of the withdrawal period.

The deadline dates for withdrawal are indicated on the academic calendar for each semester. Withdrawal after the deadline date will be recorded as an F on the student’s transcript.

Students who cease attending a course without having officially dropped or withdrawn from it are required to pay the course tuition. Withdrawal from a course does not result in a waiver of the tuition due for that course.

Audit Policy

There are two ways for Ithaca College degree-seeking students to audit courses at Ithaca College:

  1. To audit the course for personal interest or for review of certain segments of the course material (no record on transcript), the student must obtain the instructor’s permission to attend the class.
  2. To have the audited course appear on the academic transcript with the notation “AU,” the student must
    • obtain permission of the instructor;
    • pay tuition at the rate of 10 percent of the current undergraduate per credit tuition charge (except when tuition is waived because the student is paying full-time tuition) plus any additional special fee that may be required;
    • follow the instructor’s requirements for auditors, including rules in regard to attendance.

Students may not change their registration enrollment from audit to a letter grade. All audits are dependent on space availability. No tuition-paying student will be deprived of a place in a course as a result of a place being provided to an auditor.

Audits are not counted as credit toward graduation or calculated in GPA. Auditing is not permitted during summer or winter sessions.

Extramural (nondegree-seeking) students may audit courses at Ithaca College. However, to have the audited course listed on the transcript (as “AU”), the extramural student must register through the Office of Extended Studies during the first week of semester classes. The audit fee is 10 percent of the current undergraduate per credit tuition charge.

Attendance Policy

Students at Ithaca College are expected to attend all classes, and they are responsible for work missed during any absence from class. At the beginning of each semester, instructors must provide the students in their courses with written guidelines regarding possible penalties for failure to attend class. These guidelines may vary from course to course but are subject to the following conditions:

  • In accordance with Federal Law, students with a disability documented through Student Accessibility Services (SAS) may require reasonable accommodations to ensure equitable access. A student with an attendance accommodation, who misses a scheduled course time due to a documented disability, must be provided an equivalent opportunity to make up missed time and/or coursework within a reasonable time-frame. An accommodation that affects attendance is not an attendance waiver and no accommodation can fundamentally alter a course requirement. If a faculty member thinks an attendance-related accommodation would result in a fundamental alteration, concerns and potential alternatives should be discussed with SAS.
  • In accordance with New York State law, students who miss class due to their religious beliefs shall be excused from class or examinations on that day. The faculty member is responsible for providing the student with an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirement that the student may have missed. Any such work is to be completed within a reasonable time frame, as determined by the faculty member.
  • Any student who misses class due to a family or individual health emergency or to a required appearance in a court of law shall be excused. If the emergency is prolonged or if the student is incapacitated, the student or a family member/legal guardian should report the absence to the Dean of Students or the Dean of the academic school where the student’s program is housed. Students may consider a leave of absence, medical leave of absence, selected course withdrawals, etc., if they miss a significant portion of classwork.
  • A student may be excused to participate in local, state, or federal elections. The student is responsible to make up any work that is missed due to the absence. Any such work is to be completed within a reasonable time frame, as determined by the faculty member.

A student may be excused for participation in College-authorized co-curricular and extracurricular activities if, in the instructor’s judgment, this does not impair the specific student’s or the other students’ ability to succeed in the course.

For all absences except those due to religious beliefs, the course instructor has the right to determine if the number of absences has been excessive in view of the nature of the class that was missed and the stated attendance policy.

Students should notify their instructors as soon as possible of any anticipated absences.

Course Examinations

Midterm

It is College policy that by the midpoint of each semester all students be evaluated in each course in which they have enrolled. The method of evaluation is to be determined by each faculty member. This assessment is reflected in a midterm grade submitted to the Office of the Registrar in accordance with the schedule published by that office. The only exception to this policy is in those block courses that conclude in half a semester.

Deans and directors deal with this policy as it relates to the individual faculty members and courses within their school.

End of Semester

A final examination or its equivalent must be given in each course. All final examinations, whether cumulative or unit, or their equivalent, must be given at the time scheduled by the Office of the Registrar during final examination week. There are to be no final examinations or their equivalent given during the last week of classes each semester. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved in advance by the dean of the academic unit in which the course is being offered.

Note: Faculty requests for exceptions to this policy must be received by the appropriate dean no later than November 1 and April 1 for the fall and spring semesters, respectively.

Students who find themselves required by the schedule to take three examinations in one day may choose to take the middle examination at another time. Students who wish to do this must inform the appropriate instructor as soon as possible, but no later than the last scheduled class, so that a mutually acceptable alternative time may be arranged. If such an arrangement cannot be worked out, the student should contact the dean’s office of the school in which the course is offered.

Student activities are not usually scheduled during final examination dates. Any unusual circumstances of this nature will be dealt with on an individual basis.