Coursecatalog 050615.Pdf
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2015-16 Gettysburg College is a highly selective national, four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With a student body of approximately 2,600, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The College was founded in 1832. Gettysburg College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The provisions of this catalog are not to be regarded as an irrevocable contract between the College and the student. The College reserves the right to change any provision or requirement at any time. This right to change provisions and requirements includes, but is not limited to, the right to reduce or eliminate course offerings in academic fields and to add requirements for graduation. It is the policy of Gettysburg College not to discriminate improperly against any matriculated student, employee or prospective employee on account of age, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or being differently abled. Such policy is in compliance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and all other applicable federal, state, and local statutes, ordinances, and regulations. Inquiries concerning the application of any of these laws may be directed to the Affirmative Action Officer at the College or to the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education, Washington, D.C. for laws, such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, administered by that department. Table of contents Academic Policies 3 Admissions Policies 21 Financial Policies 25 Degree Requirements 32 Programs of Study 38 Emeriti Faculty 451 Current Faculty 454 Others Holding Faculty Rank 471 2 Academic Policies Academic Level A student's academic level or class year is determined on the basis of the number of course units completed for the degree according to the following listing: Class Year Units First Year 6 or fewer Sophomore 7-14 Junior 15-22 Senior 23 or more Academic Standing Students generally maintain an academic record that will enable them to complete the requirements for graduation in the normal eight semesters. To accomplish that goal, a student needs to achieve at least a 2.00 accumulative average, a 2.00 average for the semester, and a 2.00 average in the major field of study by the end of the junior year and during the senior year and to make appropriate progress in acquiring the credits and completing the various requirements for graduation. Students who do not meet these normal standards will be given a warning, placed on academic probation, placed on suspension alert, or, if not making satisfactory progress toward graduation, suspended or dismissed permanently from the College. The student who falls below the following minimum standard is subject to suspension or permanent dismissal: for the first year-1.50 GPA and six course units completed; for the second year-1.80 GPA and thirteen course units completed; for the third year-1.90 GPA and twenty course units completed; for the fourth year-2.00 GPA and twenty-six course units completed; and for the fifth year-2.00 GPA and thirty-two to thirty-three course units completed. First-year students may be suspended after one semester if their GPA is 1.00 or below. A student on one of the forms of academic warning listed above is permitted to remain at the College as long as the student is making satisfactory progress toward graduation by removing the academic deficiency during the following semesters. Normally, a student may not remain at the College with three consecutive semester averages below 2.00. While students on warning, academic probation, or suspension alert are permitted to participate in extracurricular activities at the College, they are reminded that their first priority is the academic program and that they must therefore give careful consideration to time commitments and responsibilities associated with extracurricular activities. These students are urged to consult with their faculty advisors and the deans of Academic Advising about curricular and extracurricular choices. 3 Accommodation of Physical and Learning Disabilities Gettysburg College provides equal opportunities to students with disabilities admitted through the regular admissions process. The College promotes self-disclosure and self-advocacy for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation should contact the Office of Academic Advising. For students with physical disabilities, the College provides accessibility within its facilities and programs and will, within the spirit of reasonable accommodation, adapt or modify those facilities and programs to meet individual needs. For students with learning disabilities, the College accommodates on a case-by-case basis. All requested accommodation, which must be consistent with the data contained in documentation that meets the College's standards, is reviewed by the College's own consultant. Reasonable accommodation for students with learning disabilities may result in some curricular modifications that do not substantially alter course content or involve waiving requirements essential to the academic program. Some examples of reasonable accommodation are: a) extended time on exams and assignments; b) use of auxiliary equipment (tape recorders, lap top computers, calculators); c) modified examination formats and/or oral examination. The deans in Academic Advising assist students with disabilities with their requests for accommodation. Deans List The names of those students who attain an average of 3.60 or higher for the semester are placed on the Deans Honor List in recognition of their academic achievements. Also, those students who attain an average from 3.30 to 3.59 are placed on the Deans Commendation List. To be eligible for these honors, students must take a full course load of at least four courses, with no more than one course taken under the S/U grading option during that semester (except for students participating in the Lutheran College Washington Semester program, who may take two units S/U). First-year students who attain an average of 3.00 to 3.29 are placed on a First- Year Recognition List for commendable academic performance in their first or second semester. Exemption from Degree Requirements The College may recognize work on the college-level completed elsewhere by a student. This recognition may take the form of exemption from degree requirements and may carry academic credit. Students should present their requests for exemption to the Registrar. They should be prepared to demonstrate their competence on the basis of their academic record, Advanced Placement Examination results of the College Board, or examinations administered by the department concerned. Decisions on exemption and credit rest with the department and the Registrar. 4 Students may satisfy the second language requirement in a language not regularly offered at Gettysburg College by demonstrating achievement at the intermediate-level through transfer credit, by examination, or through an approved exchange program with the Central Pennsylvania Consortium. International students who have learned English as a second language may satisfy the requirement with their primary language. Grading System Courses are normally graded A through F, with these grades having the following significance: A (excellent); B (good); C (fair); D (poor); and F (failing). Instructors may modify their letter grades with plus and minus signs. In successfully completing a course under this grading system, a student earns a number of quality points according to the following scale. A+ 4.33 C 2 A 4& C- 1.67 A- 3.67& D+ 1.33 B+ 3.33 D 1 B 3 D- 0.67 B- 2.67 F 0 C+ 2.33 A student's accumulative average is computed by summing his or her quality points and dividing by the number of course units taken. The average is rounded to the second decimal place. The College reserves the right to make changes and adjustments in the grading system even after a student enrolls. The College offers a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading option. This option is intended to encourage students to be adventurous intellectually in courses with subject matter or approaches substantially different from their prior academic experience or attainment. An S signifies satisfactory work, and is given if a student performs at the C- level or higher; a U signifies unsatisfactory work, and is given for work below the C- level. Courses graded S/U do not affect a student's quality point average, but a course completed with an S grade will count toward the total number of courses needed for graduation. A student may elect to take a total of six courses on an S/U basis during his or her four years at Gettysburg College; however, no more than two S/U courses may be taken in any one year. This grading option may not be selected for requirements for graduation, or for courses taken in a student's major field. Exceptions may be made with regard to the major in cases where a department specifies that a particular course is available under the S/U grading system only, and in cases where the 5 student declares the major after taking the course. A student must choose the S/U grading option during the first ten class days of the semester. Students who enroll in Education 476: Student Teaching may take an additional course under the S/U option during the senior year, provided that their total number of S/U courses does not exceed six. When a student registers for and completes a course which he or she has already taken at Gettysburg College, both the credit and the grade previously earned are canceled, but they are not removed from the permanent record.