Attendance Policies
Course attendance requirements are determined by individual instructors. If a student misses classes, he or she must discuss these absences with the respective faculty members. The offices of Student Health & Wellness Services or Athletics are not authorized to excuse students from classes. If a student knows in advance that he/she will be absent from a class, the instructor should be informed as soon as possible. Students who miss classes remain responsible for work assignments and material covered in their absence. Students who withdraw from the College must inform the Registrar before departure. Unforeseen personal circumstances are determined for excuse by the Vice President for Students or their designee. Consecutive absences will be reported to Vice President for Students, by the instructor at mid-term and at term end.
Attendance Policy for Military and National Guard Service
Absences for Mount Saint Mary College students due to obligated service time in the US Military or National Guard will be considered excused absences, up to two weeks in time. If the US Military or National Guard obligations cannot be accommodated due to the nature of the course or a length of obligation greater than two weeks, the student will be allowed to drop the course, preserving the student’s educational status and financial resources. Students must submit documentation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (academicaffairs@msmc.edu), and notify the instructors before their absence. Students remain responsible for work assignments and material covered in their absence.
Auditing Courses
On December 16, 1976, the Board of Trustees approved a resolution from the Faculty Senate that provides for senior citizens (anyone 60 years or over) to audit courses free of charge, subject to permission of the instructor, available space and in accordance with college policy on auditing. The present policy on auditing is as follows:
A regularly enrolled student may audit courses with the permission of the instructor or the chair of the division in which the course is offered, the Registrar and/or the student's advisor. The instructor establishes the conditions under which the student may audit. In no case will a student receive credit for auditing, but the course audited will be counted in determining student load.
Tuition (generally 50% of the course costs) is charged for an audited course with the exception of senior citizens as described above.
Off-Semester Scheduling
January Interim
January Interim enables students to give exclusive attention to one course of study over a two- to three-week period before the spring semester. In order to meet the needs of a wide variety of students, courses of both a traditional and non-traditional nature are offered by the College faculty.
If a student pursues a course or courses abroad in another accredited institution of higher education, that credit is treated as a permission credit. Mount Saint Mary College merely records the course, grade, and credit on the student's transcript and does not get involved in an exchange of finances. However, if the Mount offers a course abroad and hires an instructor to teach the course, the student pays the Mount a fee for the credits taken and the College pays the instructor for teaching the course.
Participation in January Interim is entirely voluntary. Students may participate in anticipation of early graduation, as an alternative to the normal five-course study program in the spring and fall semesters or to take advantage of the many non-traditional course offerings that are common to the Interim.
A student may register for a maximum of two courses during January Interim. Requests for exceptions to this policy will be forwarded to the Academic Standards Committee.
Summer Session
The college offers two 5-week summer sessions and two 7-week summer sessions. Students who register for Summer Session courses are generally advised not to carry more than two courses per session.