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Click on a link to be taken to the entry below.
Non-Degree Graduate Students
Students who do not wish to enter a degree program but want to pursue a graduate certificate or enroll in additional coursework may enroll in undergraduate or graduate courses without being formally admitted to the College. However, non-matriculated students may be refused registration on the basis of a previous record at the College, and matriculated students will be given preference to register in classes over non-matriculated students.
Graduate Degree-Seeking Students
In order to be considered for admission to the masters degree programs, applicants must submit to the Admissions Office an admissions portfolio of the items listed below. A formal interview is also required. Applications forms are available online and from the Admissions Office.
M.Ed. Programs
- Completed graduate application;
- Official copies of transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or have completed three graduate courses with a GPA of 3.0 at an accredited institution;
- A statement of purpose describing desired outcomes from completion of a masters degree program at LSC. This statement should highlight students strengths for completing a graduate degree and provide a rationale for selection of the particular concentration and specialization;
- Two letters of recommendation from professionals knowledgeable of your professional commitment. One letter is required from a Headmaster or Principal, Department Chairperson (if any), or undergraduate degree advisor if applicant has not taught;
- An up-to-date curriculum vitae;
- Formal interview; and,
- A non-refundable application fee of $46.00.
| Foreign Students: In addition to all other required admission materials, college applicants whose native language is not English will be required to provide evidence of English proficiency. Such proficiency may be demonstrated by submitting results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam or through interviews with the Dean for Admissions (or designee). A score in excess of 499 on the TOEFL (paper-based test) 174 (computer-based test) or 80 (web-based test) is considered a demonstration of English proficiency. Applicants who score less than 500 are required to be interviewed by the Dean for Admissions (or designee) and may be refused admittance. For applicants who have graduated from a U.S. high school, other English proficiency measurements may be considered in place of the TOEFL. Students with English-language deficits can receive academic support through Lyndons Academic Support Center. |
College policy ensures that persons are neither denied benefits nor subjected to discrimination in any manner on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, sex, veteran status, sexual orientation, or disability. This applies to all areas of Lyndons services and actions. See the Academic Dean or Dean of Administration if you have questions or special needs.
Interviews
An interview is required as part of the M.Ed. admissions process. The interview clarifies the applicants professional and academic goals and allows the applicant and the graduate department to determine whether there is a fit between the LSC graduate program and the students goals.
M.Ed. students will interview with the Graduate Education Department Chairperson as a minimum but other faculty may be asked to participate. Interviews are scheduled on an as-needed basis throughout the year anytime after the Graduate Admissions process is complete. Only students with complete Graduate Admissions Portfolios are eligible for interviews.
Transfer Credit
A request for transfer credits is made to the students advisor and the Graduate Education department chairperson who, in conjunction with the Academic Dean, make the determination about the acceptance of credits. Transfer credits will count toward graduation only when approved by the students advisor, the chairperson of the Graduate Education Department, and the Academic Dean within the first year after matriculation.
Up to twelve (12) credits of coursework may be transferred into the masters programs. To be eligible for transfer credit:
- course must have been taken at the graduate level;
- course must be relevant to the degree program;
- student must have received a grade of B- or better; and,
- course must have been taken within five (5) years prior to the date of matriculation.
Graduate-degree courses which meet degree requirements and have been completed at LSC five years prior to matriculation into the degree program can be included in a degree program and do not count against the transfer credit limit.
Matriculated Status
Shortly after the interview, applicants will be notified in writing as to whether they have been accepted into the degree program. If an applicant is accepted to the graduate program, the applicant becomes a matriculated graduate student.
For further information, please contact Dr. Linda Metzke, The Office of Graduate Education, Lyndon State College, PO Box 919, Lyndonville, VT. 05851 (802) 626-6249.
Non-Degree Students
Students who have not been admitted to a degree program may enroll in graduate courses as non-matriculated students. Contact the Student Services Office for current information or check the school’s web site at www.lyndonstate.edu.
Degree-Seeking Students
Graduate students enroll using registration forms available from the Student Services Office or online. The College reserves the right to cancel prior registration and to require students to re-register if tuition and fees are not paid in advance or if classes are not attended in the first week of the semester. If a school or supervisory union is paying for registration, an official letter stating that the school or supervisory union will pay for registration must accompany the registration form. If the school pays only tuition, then the student must submit the fees along with the registration form. Registration is not complete until both tuition and fees have been paid in full.
Auditing Courses
Students desiring to audit a course must acquire the permission of the instructor and the approval of the registrar. No credit will be given for an audited course and such courses will be designated AU on the students transcript. Tuition is charged at 50% of the applicable rate and fees are charged at the full applicable rate;
After the end of the period available to add courses, no change will be made to allow credit for a course audited or to change a regular course to the status of an audited course.
Change of Schedule
Changes in registration are the student’s responsibility and can be done by filing the appropriate forms with the Student Services Office within the stated deadlines.
No faculty signatures are required to drop a course or to add a course if the student has met the prerequisites and there is room in the class. However, if “permission” is a prerequisite to enroll in a class, the instructor’s signature is required.
Calendar for schedule change
Adding full semester courses:
- May be done during the first full week of classes (the “add period”). No fee assessed.
- May be done during the second full week of classes only by written authorization of the instructor
- Is generally not allowed after the end of the second full week of classes.
*Exceptions are made only in extraordinary circumstances and only with written authorization of the Dean of Academic & Student Affairs and the instructor.
Dropping full semester courses
- May be done during the first full seven (7) weeks of classes electronically or on the appropriate form available from the Registrars Office.
- During the first full week, the dropped course(s) will not appear on the transcript.
- During weeks 2-7 the dropped courses will appear on the transcript with a W.
- After seven (7) full weeks of classes, the dropping of individual courses is generally not allowed.
**Exceptions are made only in the extraordinary circumstances usually associated with withdrawal from the college and are subject to that policy.
Independent Study
Independent study courses are offered at the pleasure of the graduate program and must be taught by a Lyndon State College faculty member or an approved adjunct. Independent studies are not available for courses offered in the scheduled curriculum. Registration for an independent study is not complete until the independent study contract form has been submitted with the signature of the advisor, instructor, department chair, and the Academic Dean. The independent study contract is available in the Student Services Office and must be filed by the end of the “Add” period each term.
Students shall complete all independent study contract forms within each semester.
A student can include no more than nine (9) credits of independent study work in a graduate degree program.
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Completing a Graduate Degree
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Faculty Advisors
Within one semester of acceptance, students are assigned an advisor with whom they develop their Plan of Study. Advisors support students in completing requirements and planning independent activities. Students are responsible for monitoring their own degree requirements and progress.
Plan of Study
During the first semester of study, students will complete a Plan of Study with their advisor. The Plan of Study is documented in writing, signed by the student, advisor, the Graduate Education Department Chairperson, and the Academic Dean.
In the development of the Plan of Study, corrections of academic deficiencies do not count toward graduation. Deficiencies will be identified by the students advisor and needed background coursework will be specified at the time the Plan of Study is approved. Once the Plan of Study is signed by the student, their advisor, the appropriate department chairperson, and the Academic Dean, a copy is filed with the Academic Affairs Office. The Plan of Study is a legal agreement between the college and the student. Changes in the Plan of Study may be made with the approval of the students advisor and the appropriate chairperson. If modifications are made to the Plan of Study, the modified Plan of Study must be filed with the Academic Affairs Office by the student in a timely fashion.
The core courses must be completed at Lyndon State College.
Coursework specified in the Plan of Study must be completed with a grade of B or better for the student to be eligible for graduation. The degree program must equal at least 36 credits and be completed within seven (7) years of matriculation.
Study Contracts
M.Ed. students must complete a Study Contract for each slash (undergraduate/graduate) level course which is first approved as a slash course they are enrolled in for graduate degree credit. This form constitutes a learning contract and specifies the graduate level components which will be completed in addition to the appropriate undergraduate work. Students will not receive a grade for the slash course until the graduate level components are complete. Forms are available from Graduate chairperson.
Teaching Practice
Students seeking licensure/endorsement are expected to complete a Teaching Internship for 6 credits. This course typically involves a teaching component in the field, as well as sessions on campus with the instructor and other graduate students.
Action Research
To complete a M.Ed., students must design, conduct, and present the results of an Action Research Project. This project is typically the culmination of the M.Ed. program and is a part of EDU 6945 Action Research Practicum, one of the Core Courses. Students planning to conduct Action Research must submit a copy of their research proposal to the LSC Institutional Review Board for Human Subject Research (IRB). (See Human Subjects Research Policy.)
Grades
Degree-seeking graduate students must receive a grade of A+, A, A-, B+, B, or “B-“. Where letter grades are given, a grade of “B-” or better is required for degree-program graduate credit.
A grade of I (incomplete) indicates that a student did not complete the course in the time required. Students who receive an “I” for a graduate level course have a specified time period determined by the instructor to complete the course work before the “I” results in a failing grade.
Grade Changes
After the Registrar’s Office receives an instructor’s signed electronic or paper grade sheet, grades can be changed only in accordance with these policies:
- Requests for grade changes (except changes from “I”) must be submitted prior to one year after the end of the semester in which the course was taken.
- All changes of grade, including those requested by the instructor, must be approved by either the Registrar or the Academic Standards Committee of the Faculty Assembly. See official Change of Grade form for details.
- When clerical errors in the recording of grades are discovered, the Registrar is to make the appropriate grade correction and notify the student and the instructor.
I (Incomplete) grade changes:
- When the student has completed the required course work within the time specified on the Incomplete Grade form, the instructor will change the previously submitted I (Incomplete) grade to the appropriate new grade by submitting the appropriate completed and signed form to the Registrar’s Office by the required deadline.
- The Registrar’s Office will automatically change Incompletes to Fs or NP’s at the end of the specified time unless a grade is submitted by the faculty before the stated deadline for turning in the final grades.
- When a grade of Incomplete is replaced by another grade, the previously recorded grade of “I” is removed on the transcript and replaced with the new grade. Then, any grade point averages (both semester and cumulative) affected by this grade change will be recalculated, the previously recorded averages removed from the transcript and replaced with the new averages, and academic standing and eligibility for academic awards reevaluated and implemented.
To determine grade point averages, use the following quality point information:
A+: 4.0 B+: 3.3 F: 0.0
A: 4.0 B: 3.0
A-: 3.7 B-: 2.7
Quality points earned in each course are calculated by multiplying the number of quality points for each grade by the number of credits in the course. The semester grade point average is calculated by dividing the total letter-graded credit hours attempted for the semester into the total quality points earned for the semester. Cumulative grade point average is computed by dividing the total letter-graded credit hours attempted to date within the Vermont State Colleges into the total quality points earned for all courses completed to date within the Vermont State Colleges.
Repeating a Course
All graduate level courses listed in the Lyndon State catalog, except Independent Study, Special Topics or other designated courses where new work is completed, may be repeated in order to attain a higher grade and improve the students grade point average. The repeated course will be entered on the transcript and the previous record of the course will remain. The cumulative grade point average will reflect only the grade earned the last time a course was taken.
No additional credit will be given for a repeated course.
Leaves and Withdrawals
Leaves of Absence
Students may request a leave of absence if they choose not to enroll continuously. Leaves of absence are good for up to two semester. The Leave of Absence is requested by submitting a form (available at the Student Services Office) to the Registrar. A copy of this form should also be supplied to the appropriate department chairperson. Requests for leaves of absence are acted upon by the Registrar only after the students end-of-semester academic processes are complete.
Leaves may be extended for yearly periods upon written request and approval. Leave will not be granted retroactively or after the first week of the semester. If a student does not return by the end of the semester following the expiration of the leave of absence, he or she will be withdrawn.
A leave of absence does not exempt students from the residency and time limit regulations. (See Graduation Requirements.)
Withdrawals
A. While the college does not seek to keep a student enrolled when it is clear that college attendance is not in the students best interest, the college will not allow a student to withdraw merely to avoid failing grades.
B. Students seeking to withdraw voluntarily from the college must present a properly completed Withdrawal Form to the Registrars Office for approval. After acceptance of the withdrawal, the Registrars Office will, as soon as feasible, inform the students academic advisor, instructors, and all appropriate administrative offices of the withdrawal.
C. The official date of withdrawal is determined as follows:
1. The Registrar will determine the official date of withdrawal based on the date the Withdrawal Form is submitted.
2. If the student leaves the college without notifying the college (that is, if the student does not withdraw officially), the last recorded date of class attendance by the student, as documented by the college, may be used as the official date of withdrawal.
D. Failure to withdraw officially will lead to grades of F (or NC) in all courses, as appropriate.
E. If the date of withdrawal is:
1. Within the first week of classes: no record will appear on the transcript; student will be considered as not having attended, for purposes of the academic record.
2. Within the second through the third week of classes, the transcript:
i. Will not indicate the courses of registration
ii. Will indicate the date of withdrawal.
3. After the end of the third week of classes and up until the end of the ninth week of classes, the transcript will indicate the date of withdrawal, the courses of registration, and a grade of W in those courses.
4. After the first nine weeks of a term:
i. Students may withdraw from the college without any academic penalty only by intervention of the Dean and only after they present to the Dean satisfactory evidence that they must withdraw for unusual and compelling reasons. Such reasons shall normally be limited to those of mental or physical ill health, and evidence must include a signed statement of a physician or other person accepted by the college as qualified to make such a judgment;
ii. The decision to grant the late withdrawal will be made by the Dean of Academic and Student Affairs with the right to appeal to the Academic Standards Committee;
iii. The transcript will indicate the date or withdrawal, the courses of registration, and a grade of W in those courses.
F. Adjustments for tuition and fees will be based upon the data a completed withdrawal form is validated by the Registrar. Financial aid may also be adjusted based on withdrawal date.
Students who withdraw or are dismissed during the semester will be credited for tuition, and appropriate fees on the same daily pro-rata schedule used to calculate return of Title IV funds. Students who withdraw and end on-campus residency will be credited for room and board until the end of the term on the same pro-rata schedule.
Exceptions:
1) Students who withdraw or are dismissed during the first week (seven calendar days) of the semester will be credited 100% of tuition and fees.
2) Students who withdraw after the 60% point of the semester will receive no credit for tuition, fees, and room and board.
Readmission after Leave of Absence
Students granted leave are not required to apply for readmission but are treated as returning students under college policies. If, however, students do not return after the leave of absence expires, they will be withdrawn from the program. When returning after a leave of absence, students retain the academic standing in effect at the time their leave was granted.
Readmission after Withdrawal
A student who has withdrawn from the college may apply for readmission in any subsequent semester, the readmission decision being based on the students eligibility. Students who do not enroll in courses for more than two (2) semesters (including summer semester) without applying for a leave of absence will be considered withdrawn.
Academic Probation
Graduate students are placed on probation for one semester when their cumulative GPA drops below 2.67. Graduate students who are on probation may not register for more than three (3) classes. To register, students on probation must meet with their faculty advisor. All graduate students with a GPA below 2.67 will receive a letter from the Dean of Academic Affairs indicating that their performance is below the standard for graduation.
Academic Dismissal
Graduate students who are on probation and fail to improve their grade point average every semester or attain a “B-” (2.67) average are subject to dismissal. The student’s dismissal note shall cite the specific reasons for the dismissal. Students dismissed from the college may not enroll in LSC courses that apply towards their graduate degree without the approval of the Graduate Department Chair and the Academic Dean.
Academic Early Dismissal
Students failing to achieve a grade point average of 2.00 or better at the end of their first semester of enrollment will be immediately dismissed from the college for a minimum of one semester.
Academic Appeals
The college makes decisions on academic standing at the end of each semester. The letter notifying students of these decisions will contain a time frame for appeals. All students will be accorded opportunity for due process.
The students written appeal must contain clear statements of the basis for the appeal. The Academic Standards Committee will meet to review the appeal, render a decision, and notify the student and President (or designee) in a timely manner. Students may appeal the Committee’s decision by sending a written statement to the President (or designee). The President (or designee) will rule on the appeal within a reasonable amoung of time and inform the student and the Academic Standards Committee of the ruling in writing. The President’s decision shall be the last college appeal.
Readmission after Academic Dismissal
Readmission prior to start of subsequent semester:
A student may request consideration for readmission in writing within the designated time frame state in the dismissal letter. Such requests are addressed to and acted upon by the Academic Standards Committee. If readmitted to study, the sttudent may not register for more than three (3) classes during the semester they are readmitted; and myst confirm their registration in courses with the appropriate department chairperson. Appeals of negative decisions are made to the President, who may or may not hear the aappeal, or who may appoint a designee to hear the appeal.
Readmission one or more semesters after dismissal:
Requests for consideration for admission are made (consistent with the academic dismissal policy rules) in writing to the Dean of Admissions. If the student is eligible for graduate program admission, the Dean shall make the readmission decision based on criteria consistent with the stated dismissal reasons. When the dismissal involved nonacademic reasons, the Dean shall make the readmissions decision after consultation with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs (or other appropriate college administrator). For more informatin, see Appeals.
Dismissed students may be required to secure a statement from the Graduate Education Department that they appear to be admissible to that major program before they are allowed to re-enter the college.
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty is a serious offense against the college and its entire community of learners. Academic dishonesty includes any act that is intended to deceive, cheat, or defraud so as to enhance or promote one’s own or another’s academic standing, or diminish ones or another’s academic standing.
The following list of offenses is illustrative of academic dishonesty and is not meant to be comprehensive:
1. Plagiarism consists of offering as one’s own work the words, ideas, or arguments of another person, without appropriate attribution by quotation, reference or footnote. Plagiarism occurs both when the words of another are reproduced without acknowledgment and when the ideas or arguments of another are paraphrased in such a way as to lead the reader to believe that they originated with the writer.
2. Buying or commissioning term papers, essays or comparable documents and submitting them as one’s own.
3. Communicating during an examination session with the intent of copying from or supplying information to another student.
4. Receiving aid in taking examinations through such means as “crib sheets” or other supplementary notes, excepting sources permitted by the instructor.
5. Soliciting or obtaining an examination or portions thereof either prior or subsequent to an examination session except as authorized by the instructor.
6. Substituting for another student at an examination session.
7. Knowingly and actively assisting any person committing an act of academic dishonesty.
8. Altering, changing or forging college academic records, for either oneself or another.
9. Infringing on the rights of other students of fair and equal access to college library materials and other academic resources.
10. Deliberately attempting to prevent other users from having access to the college’s computers, computer terminals or other resources, or to degrade the performance of computer equipment.
Academic Sanctions
Instructors shall have first jurisdiction over cases of academic honesty occurring within their courses. An instructor suspecting a student of academic dishonesty shall:
- make a notation of the facts;
- confront the student, informing the student orally or in writing of the charge of academic dishonesty and the basis in fact for the charge, and informing the student of this and the appeals policy;
- ask the student for a response, making a note of the response;
- if, following discussion of the matter with the student, the instructor is convinced that the student is guilty of a violation, notify the student and the Academic Standards Committee confidentially and in writing of any sanction to be assessed. Sanctions imposed by the instructor may include failure in the assignment, failure in the course, and dismissal from the course;
- in cases where the sanction is failure in the course or dismissal from the course, also send a copy of the notification to the Dean of Academic & Student Affairs.
Disciplinary Sanctions
The Academic Standards Committee, upon receipt of a notification of academic dishonesty, may recommend disciplinary action if the nature of the offense or a prior history suggests that further action may be appropriate. The committee shall follow judicial procedures listed in the Undergraduate Student Handbook under “Rights and Responsibilities of Students.”
Appeals
The student shall have the right to appeal the action of a faculty member under the terms and conditions of Policy 151, XIV, Academic Appeals. The student shall have the right to appeal the subsequent disciplinary action of the committee under procedures listed in the Undergraduate Student Handbook.
Records
Violations of academic honesty resulting in the disciplinary sanctions of probation or college dismissal will be entered in the individual’s academic file maintained by the Registrar’s Office.
Graduate Council
The Graduate Council is a committee composed of a chairperson (the chair of the Graduate Education Department), one person from the Education Department, one person from a secondary education teacher licensure program, one person from a department that offers graduate level courses, and one at-large members of the LSC full-time faculty. The purpose of the Graduate Council is:
1. initiate course and curriculum design;
2. ensure assignments of graduate advisors; and,
3. oversee Master’s programs, policies, and concerns.
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Graduation Procedures
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Residency and Time Limit
Graduate degree programs consisting of thirty-six (36) credits should be completed within seven (7) years. At least 18 of the 36 credits applied toward degree requirements must be taken at Lyndon State College as graduate degree credits. A maximum of twelve (12) transfer credits earned within five years prior to admission to the program can be applied to the degree. Extensions may be granted for extenuating circumstances.
Graduation Requirements
Students must meet graduation and degree requirements including satisfactory completion of appropriate graduation standards as published in a single catalog that is in effect during or after the semester of their first enrollment, and published not more than five years prior to the awarded of the degree (that is, the current academic year plus the previous four academic years. Students who are dismissed from the college or who have left the college without obtaining a leave of absence must fulfill all program requirements in a catalog in effect after they are readmitted to the College. Catalogs, until surpassed by the next edition, have an effective date of the first day of the fall semester of the year in which they are published. A student who began study in a degree program while the program was available, and who completes requirements within the specified time limits, may be awarded a degree even if the program is not listed in the most current catalog.
Faculty Assembly actions affecting graduation and degree requirements will have an effective date of the first day of the first academic session of the summer of the academic year after their passage, unless specified otherwise.
A student who began study in a degree program while the program was then available, and who completes requirements within the specified time, may be awarded a degree even if the program is not listed in the catalog in effect at the time of completion of all requirements.
In order to graduate, students must:
- be matriculated (Students absent from the college and not on Leave of Absence seeking to complete a degree with Lyndon courses must apply for readmission.);
- be certain that official transcripts for all courses taken at other institutions are on file in the Registrars Office.
- have a signed Plan of Study on file in the Academic Affairs Office;
- have no grade lower than a B- or P in any course to count toward graduation and a cumulative grade point average of no lower than 3.00 for all courses submitted to fulfill the graduate degree.
- have approval of the Faculty Assembly after review by the Registrars Office, academic advisor, appropriate department chairperson, and Academic Standards Committee;
- ensure that all graduation requirements, with the exception of courses to be taken in the last semester, are satisfied by the first day of the semester of expected graduation;
- (where appropriate) submit a copy of the Final Product, Action Research Project, or Final Exam Scores to the Registrars Office;
- file a “Request to Graduate” form the semester prior to:
- for December graduates end of spring registration period (for fall classes)
- for May and August graduates end of fall registration period (for spring classes). Forms will not be processed for May graduation after March 15.
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*Students missing these deadlines must have their graduation request approved by the Dean of Academic & Student Affairs (or designee).
The responsibility for requesting the conferring of a degree rests with the student. Failure to comply with these requirements may delay graduation. Approval for graduation will be given by the Dean, the appropriate department, the Academic Standards Committee, and the Faculty Assembly.
Satisfaction of graduation requirements, including coursework and graduation standards, will be monitored by the Registrars Office and the Dean of Academic and Student Affairs. If it appears that graduation requirements will not be met, the student and the appropriate department chair will be notified. Any rectifying response, including waiver decisions, must be arranged in such a way that all graduation requirements, with the exception of courses to be taken in the last semester, will be satisfied by the first day of the semester of expected graduation. Failure to do so may delay graduation, even if all requirements are completed prior to the intended date.
Conferring of Degree
Commencement and conferral of degrees occurs only once each year in the ceremony that takes place at the end of the spring semester. At the end of the summer session students who have requested a degree with have their academic records reviewed for graduation by the Records Specialist (Graduation), the sponsoring department and the Academic Standards Committee, for forwarding to the faculty governing body, known as Faculty Assembly, for approval at its monthly meetings. Students awarded degrees in August are considered members of the graduating class of the following May but will receive a Registrars letter certifying that they have earned the degree. Students who complete their degree requirements at the end of fall are designated as having graduated in that December. December graduates participate in a December Graduates celebration and are welcome to participate in Commencement the following May. Only students who have been approved for graduation, and fully satisfied all graduation requirements, or are within 4 credits, or one course of completing all requirements, will be allowed to participate in the May commencement ceremony. Diplomas bear the date of the actual completion of degree requirements.
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Human Subjects Research Policy (Policy 153-IX)
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I. LSC Policies
All M.Ed students are required to conduct an Action Research Project as the culmination of their degree. To ensure the minimization of potential physical and psychological risk to participants, all human subjects research conducted at the College or by any student or employee of the College will comply with all applicable LSC and VSC policies and state and federal laws (especially Federal Title 45 CFR Part 46, from which the following is abstracted and to which the reader is directed for further details). The following definitions are noted:
A. Research is defined as any systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalized knowledge, including demonstrations and surveys.
B. Human subjects are defined as living individuals about whom an investigator conducting research obtains:
1. data through intervention and/or interaction
2. any identifiable personal information
II. IRB Responsibilities
To ensure compliance with laws and policies, the College maintains an Institutional Review Board for Human Subject Research (IRB). No research covered by this policy shall be initiated until the IRB approves it. The IRB shall:
A. Review all research activities covered by this policy.
B. Have the authority to approve, modify, or disapprove all research activities covered by this policy.
C. Review all continuing research at intervals appropriate to the degree of risk, but not less than once per year.
D. Approve all changes in approved projects.
E. Keep public, written records of all of its meetings and decisions.
III. IRB Membership
A. The IRB shall consist of five members.
B. The membership shall have:
1. varying professional backgrounds
2. sufficient qualifications through experience and expertise to promote respect
3. diversity of race, gender, and cultural background
4. sensitivity to community attitudes
5. familiarity with institutional commitments and regulations, applicable law, and standards of professional conduct and practice
6. at least one member whose primary concerns are in scientific areas
7. at least one member whose primary concerns are in non-scientific areas
8. at least one member who is not otherwise affiliated with the institution and who is not part of the immediate family of person who is affiliated with the institution.
C. A member will not participate in the review of any project in which the member has a conflicting interest, except to provide information requested by the IRB.
D. The Faculty would recommend the Faculty Members to the President that would be members of the Administrative Committee. All members are appointed by the President.
E. Members terms of office will be 3 years, with the individual terms staggered such that no more than two terms of office expire in any given year.
IV. IRB Forms
As a minimum, the IRB shall establish and make available the following forms:
A. Application forms which require thorough description of all proposed research activities and the specific role of the human research subjects
B. Informed consent forms to be required of all subjects
C. Forms to ensure the protection of privacy of all subjects and the confidentiality of all data obtained.
D. Forms to notify the investigator and the College of all of its decisions
E. Forms to notify all subjects of the details of their participation in the research project
V. IRB Procedures
A. The IRB shall establish and publicize all procedures associated with implementing this policy, including the deadline application, timeline for the review process review, and date for notification to the investigator of the IRBs decisions.
B. All discretionary procedures established by the IRB are subject to Faculty Assembly approval.
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