Academic Standards, Procedures, and Policies

Students are expected to be familiar with all of the college’s academic policies and procedures. Seek the assistance of a counselor or faculty advisor if you have questions about regulations and procedures stated in this or any other section of the college catalog.

In order to receive credit and a grade for a course, a student must properly register for and pay for the course prior to the registration deadline as stated in the Course Schedule for a particular semester or summer session.

Academic Honesty Policy

Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism, and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the college’s educational mission and the students’ personal and intellectual growth. Students are expected to bear individual responsibility for their work and to uphold the ideal of academic integrity. Any student who attempts to compromise or devalue the academic process will be sanctioned.

Cheating harms the college community in many ways. Honest students are frustrated by the unfairness of cheating that goes undetected and therefore unpunished. Students who cheat skew the grading curve in a class, resulting in lower grades for students who worked hard and did their own work.

Definition of Academic Dishonesty:

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research, or writing as your own. Examples include:

1. Copying another person’s actual words without both the use of quotations and documentation. 
2. Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without documentation.
3. Using information that is not considered common knowledge without acknowledging the source. 
4. Using a paper writing “service” or having a friend write the paper for you.

Note: The guidelines that define plagiarism also apply to information secured on web sites. Internet references must specify precisely where the information was obtained and where it can be found.

You may think that citing another author’s work will lower your grade. In some unusual cases this may be true, if your instructor has indicated that you must write your paper without reading additional material. But in fact, as you progress in your studies, you will be expected to show that you are familiar with important work in your field and can use this work to further your thinking. Your professors write this kind of paper all the time. The key to avoiding plagiarism is that you show clearly where your own thinking ends and someone else’s begins.

Cheating

Cheating is the attempted or unauthorized use of materials, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Examples include:

Tests and Exams:

1. Copying from another student during an examination or allowing another to copy your work.
2. Using unauthorized notes during a closed book examination.
3. Using unauthorized devices during an examination.
4. Asking or allowing another student, or anyone else, to take an examination for you.
5. Changing a corrected exam and returning it for more credit.
6. Preparing answers or writing notes in a blue book (exam booklet) before an examination.
7. Taking an examination for another student.
8. Taking an examination or any examination material out of an examination room at any time without the expressed permission of the instructor who created that examination.

Take Home Tests and Individual Assignments:

1. If tutors or others aid the student in the preparation of an assignment, the submitted assignment should represent the student’s current level of ability.
2. Unauthorized collaborating on a take home assignment or examination.
3. Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to two classes without consulting the second instructor.
4. Using a paper writing “service” or having someone else write the paper for you.
5. Preparing an essay or assignment, or allowing one’s essay or assignment to be copied by someone else.
6. Borrowing all or part of another student’s paper or using someone else’s outline to write your own paper.
7. Intentionally citing inaccurate or nonexistent source materials.

Collaborative (Group) Assignments:

1. Failure to acknowledge group members on homework and lab assignment.
2. Turning in another group members work as an example of your individual work.

Notes: Group projects require careful division of responsibility and careful coordination to control the quality of the final product. Group work calls for a different kind of effort, not less of it. When group projects are assigned, the instructor is usually interested in the mastery of group process as well as the subject. Ask the instructor to clarify individual responsibilities and suggest a method of proceeding.

Labs:

1. In computer programming classes, borrowing computer code from another student and presenting it as your own.
2. Copying a lab report, or allowing someone else to copy one’s report.
3. Using another student’s data unless specifically allowed by the instructor.
4. Allowing someone else to do the lab report.
5. Faking laboratory data.

Abuse of Library Privileges

Any attempt to deprive others of equal access to library resources constitutes a violation of academic integrity. This includes the hiding or deliberately misshelving of library books for the use of an individual or group, a repeated failure to respond to recall notices and the removal or attempt to remove library materials from the college library without authorization. Defacing, stealing or destroying books, articles or other library materials meant to serve the entire college community also constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Consequences of Academic Dishonesty:

If a student is found guilty of academic dishonesty, faculty members have the right to either:

1. Fail the student for the assignment/test.
2. Fail the student for the course.
3. File a letter of complaint, describing the infraction, with the Associate Dean of Student Personnel Services. or any combination of the above.

A second reported infraction may result in suspension. A third reported infraction may result in expulsion at the discretion of the Vice President and Dean, Student Development and Support Services.

Attendance

Because of the relationship between attendance and course achievement, students are expected to attend all scheduled classes.

It is the responsibility of each faculty member at the start of the course to provide a clear written statement of the methods used to evaluate student achievement. Each faculty member also has the responsibility to advise students of his/her policies on make-up tests or assignments and on the treatment of missed assignments. Faculty members are encouraged to take into consideration extenuating circumstances when making individual decisions.

Traditionally, faculty members allow up to two hourly absences for each credit hour (i.e., six absences from a course which meets three times per week in a fifteen-week semester) strictly for personal emergencies. There are some courses (i.e., clinical, laboratory, performance, etc.) that may demand different attendance. This information should be specified to the student at the onset of the course.

Student attendance cannot be the sole determinant of a final grade in a course (i.e., although a student’s grade can be affected by poor attendance, a faculty member cannot assign a grade of “F” solely for absences); however, students are strongly cautioned to be mindful of how professors link attendance requirements to other aspects of how they are evaluated. This can seriously affect their grade, and even result in failure. Students have the right to appeal the grade according to documentation which is available in the Student Affairs Office.

Students Unable to Attend Courses on Certain Days Because of Religious Beliefs

Section 224a, Paragraph 6-a, of the New York State Education Law regarding absence from classes for religious observance states that “… each student who is absent from school, because of his or her religious beliefs, must be given an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study or work requirements which he or she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to such student such equivalent opportunity.”

Grading System

A grade will be assigned for each credit course in which a student enrolls, in accordance with the following grading system:

The following grades do not affect grade point averages:

Grade Points, Credit Hours, Index

The credit hour value of a course is determined by the number of hours per week for which the course is scheduled during a regular semester. In general, one credit hour is given for each hour of class (lecture-recitation) per week and one-third or one-half credit hour for each hour per week of laboratory or courses where outside preparation is less extensive.

Grade points are obtained by multiplying credit hours by the quality points corresponding to the letter grade earned in the course. For example, a grade of “A” in a three-credit-hour course would give a total of 4 quality points x 3 credit hours = 12 grade points. A grade of “B” in the same course would give a grade point total of 3 x 3 = 9 points.

The grade point average is obtained by dividing the total number of grade points earned in all courses by the number of credit hours attempted (withdrawals are not considered attempts). If all grades are “A,” the index would be 4.0; B = 3.0; C = 2.0; D = 1.0; F = 0.0.

Full-time students who achieve a semester grade point average of 3.5 to 3.74 will have their names placed on the Dean’s List; those who achieve a grade point average of 3.75 to 4.0 are placed on the President’s List.

Scholastic Standards

Students are expected to make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree. This includes maintaining appropriate academic standards (specified GPAs based on attempted credits) and passing a minimum number of the courses for which they are enrolled each semester.

Report of Grades

It is college policy to provide all possible assistance to students so that their courses will be successfully completed and their educational goals achieved. Accordingly, instructors must be explicit in presenting course requirements, including attendance policy, especially at the beginning of the term.

As soon as grades are posted at the end of each semester, a student can access his or her grades online by visiting www.sunywcc.edu/grades. This grade report (which can be easily printed by the student) will show the current academic index as well as the cumulative average. The student copy of the grade report cannot be used as an official transcript. In order to receive credit and a grade for a course, a student must register and pay for the course prior to the registration deadline for that semester or summer session. Students who wish to receive a hard copy of their grade report can do so, at no charge, by contacting the Registrar’s Office either by phone (914-606-6810) or by sending an email to Registrar@sunywcc.edu

Mid-Term Standings

A student whose work is not satisfactory is so informed by the instructor at mid-term. An informal conference is usually held with the instructor in order to discuss difficulties and suggest withdrawal or plan a course of action which should result in improvement and satisfactory achievement by the end of the semester.

Academic Restriction

A student may be placed on Academic Restriction if their grade point average is less than 2.00 regardless of the number of credits attempted or earned. Students on Academic Restriction may lose their matriculation status and be limited to taking a maximum of eight charged credits. Please see the designations below.

Probation

Students who have passed fewer than 32 cumulative credits are placed on probation if their semester grade point averages (SGPA), based on 9 credits or more attempted, are below 2.0. Students on probation may take no more than 14 charged credits per semester. Students on probation are mandated to meet with the designated counselor.

Probationary students who receive a subsequent SGPA of 2.0 or above for 9 or more charged credits are taken off probation. *Students who receive a subsequent SGPA of 1.75-1.99 are retained on probation; those who earn a subsequent SGPA lower than 1.75 are placed on Academic Restriction.

Academic Dismissal

A student, either matriculated or non-matriculated, whose academic record does not meet college standards (see chart below) shall be Academically Dismissed and may subsequently register for a maximum of eight charged credits per semester, after meeting with the designated counselor. A matriculated student’s status is changed to non-matriculated.

Academic Standards for Dismissal**

Academic Reinstatement

Students may be reinstated (and thereby regain matriculated status and the right to take more than eight charged credits):

1. By raising their academic averages to satisfactory levels (by repeating or taking new courses), students are automatically reinstated into the former curriculum.*** Alternatively, after raising their averages, students may work with the Counseling Office to transfer to a new curriculum.***

* The status of students taking fewer than nine charged credits while on probation will be based on their SGPA for the most recent two semesters attempted.

** When the semester and the cumulative GPA’s each yield a different academic status, the more severe status will have priority.

*** Reinstatement or entry to Nursing, Dietetic Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, and Human Services requires the permission of the curriculum chair.

Note: Reinstatement to a curriculum does not automatically mean financial aid reinstatement, since some financial aid programs are governed by independent standards.

2. By working with the Counseling Office, a student may petition the right for reinstatement to a former or new curriculum. Where circumstances warrant, a student may be accepted back into full-time matriculated status or the college may accept a student back into an academically restricted status (see previous page).

Deadlines for Reinstatement

Students wishing to attend the next regular semester after their dismissal must complete the reinstatement process by July 31 for the fall semester or by the first week of class for the spring semester. Students reinstated for a given semester may not claim retroactive reinstatement to a previous semester.

Academic Reinstatement After an Absence

Students who have not registered for an academic year, may be permitted to return to classes full-time on a provisional, non-matriculated basis by working through the Counseling Office. Full Academic Reinstatement will still require compliance with either paragraph 1 or 2 of this section.

Fresh Start

For students returning to Westchester Community College after a prior unsuccessful start and a lengthy absence, our institution offers the Fresh Start Program. Students who have not enrolled in credit classes at the college for, at least, the three prior years, and who have poor grades on their transcripts may apply. This program allows all prior grades to be made non-applicable in a student’s program. Fresh Start can be used by each student only once, and students must apply for the Fresh Start program through the Counseling Office prior to re-registering for the first semester back at the college.

1. Application process:
   
   
   • Students must first meet with a designated counselor, who will provide an application, interview the students and determine their eligibility.
   • Students will be advised of other options to improve their records: repeating courses, changing majors, and course withdrawals.
   • The counselor, after meeting with the student, will decide whether to recommend the student for the program.

2. Eligibility for program consideration:
   
   
   • Student must not have enrolled for credit-bearing courses at Westchester Community College for, at least, the 6 consecutive Fall and Spring semesters prior to application.
   • Students who have attended other colleges during the prior three years must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 at those other institutions. 
   • All students admitted into the program, with the exception of those with transfer credit equivalent to Composition & Literature I and a 100-level math course, would have to take the placement test again on a one-time basis.

3. Criteria required to receive the fresh start:
   
   
   • Students must take a minimum of 12 academic credits provisionally at the college.
   • Students may be required to complete College Success with a grade of C+ or better.
   • Students must obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.50 during the semester(s) necessary to complete the credits. 

4. Forgiveness after meeting the criteria:
   
   
   • After meeting the criteria above, all of a student’s prior courses are discounted from the overall GPA and given asterisks (*) on the transcript. From the forgiveness point, the transcript will be marked with the term “Fresh Start.”

5. Caveats:
   
   
   • Students who are denied registration privileges for financial or disciplinary reasons cannot have these restrictions overridden.

Courses discounted will still enter into the Federal Financial Aid calculations for credits attempted. The student cannot apply for additional fresh starts. All criteria must be met, no exceptions.

Transcript of Record

An official transcript is one bearing the seal of the college and the signature of the Registrar. Official transcripts are not given to students or alumni but, with a written request from the student, are mailed directly to institutions or persons considering an application for admission or for employment. Transcripts cannot be sent by FAX. An advance notice of at least one business day is required for the Registrar’s Office to fulfill a transcript request. There is a $3.00 fee for each transcript.

Transcript request forms are available in the Registrar’s Office. Requests for transcripts may also be submitted in writing to the Registrar. If a student owes money to the college from any previous semester, no academic transcripts will be forwarded to any other institution until the debt is paid.

An unofficial transcript is one given to the student for his or her own use and is marked “unofficial” or “student copy.” A student can also obtain an unofficial transcript by visiting www.sunywcc.edu/transcripts

Confidentiality of Student Records

The academic and personal records, which the student establishes at Westchester Community College, are considered by this institution to be confidential information, and information contained in the student’s records will be furnished to other parties, including parents, only upon receipt of a release signed by the student, or to duly authorized officials.

Access to Other Records

In response to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as it is currently understood, enrolled students have the right to inspect and review all official records, files, and data directly related to them which are maintained by Westchester Community College (except confidential documents dated before January 1, 1975, certain financial records, and medical records). While the college will make every attempt to assist students at the time of their requests, it should be understood that office responsibilities such as registration, placement, grading, etc. may require that a later, mutually convenient appointment be arranged for document review. Under the law providing access to institutional records, students have the right to:

1. A list of the types of educational records which are maintained by the institution and are directly related to students
2. Inspect and review the contents of those records
3. Obtain copies of those records at the expense of the eligible student
4. A response from the institution to reasonable requests for explanation and interpretation of those records
5. An opportunity for a hearing to challenge the content of those records.

Student records are maintained by the Office of the Registrar, Room 107, Administration Building, where Request Forms for record access may be obtained.

Any questions concerning the procedure to be followed in requesting such a hearing should be directed to the Dean of Student Personnel Services.

The information given below will help you determine what courses to take, help you decide what to take first, and inform you of exams, evaluations or courses you may have to take before registering for certain courses or programs. The procedures for making changes in your curriculum and withdrawing from courses are also explained.

Maximum Credit Load

Students enrolling during the Fall and Spring semesters may not register for more than 19 credits without obtaining special permission from both their Curriculum Chair and the appropriate Associate Dean.

Students entering or continuing at the college who are required to take Basic Writing along with a non-credit mathematics course (Computational Skills or Beginning Algebra) or College Reading and Study Skills may take no more than 14 charged credits.

Students may not register for more than two courses in any single Summer session.

Developmental Education Courses

All matriculated  students at Westchester Community College are required to take the Placement Test  prior to registering in courses. Students are placed in appropriate courses depending on their placement test scores in reading, writing, and mathematics. If students’ scores indicate that they need to improve their skills in any of the above-mentioned areas, they must enroll in developmental courses. Westchester Community College offers the following developmental courses to help students build a strong foundation in basic skills and prepare for the challenges of college-level coursework:

All first-time matriculated students must be advised by a counselor prior to registration. For students placing in any number of developmental courses, specific course selection will be decided in consultation with either a counselor or a curriculum chair.

Below are the minimum course requirements for full-time matriculated students:

• Full-time matriculated students placed into one or two developmental courses must take those courses within their first semester at the College.
• Full-time matriculated students placed into three developmental courses must enroll in at least two of those courses within their first semester at the College; these students must take the third developmental course in the following semester. These students are strongly advised to enroll in all three developmental courses within their first semester.

Below are the minimum course requirements for part-time matriculated students:

• Part-time matriculated students placed into one or two developmental courses must take those courses prior to enrolling in a third credit-bearing course. These students are strongly advised to enroll in their developmental courses within their first semester at the College.
• Part-time matriculated students placed into three developmental courses must enroll in all those courses prior to enrolling in a third credit-bearing course. These students are strongly advised to enroll in their developmental courses within their first year at the College.

Non-matriculated students are required to take the placement test or demonstrate proof of completion of college-level math, reading, and writing courses with a grade of “C” or better from a regionally accredited college or university if they wish to enroll in courses that have a test score pre- or co-requisite.

Westchester Community College provides students with further assistance through the Academic Support Center  which provides free tutoring in developmental and college-level courses. Students in developmental courses are strongly advised to take advantage of these services to expedite their skill development.

Registration in College-level Courses

Students placed into developmental courses may be able to enroll in a number of credit-bearing courses in consultation with a counselor (click for the current list of these credit-bearing courses ). Students should check the specific course pre-requisite and/or co-requisites. For more information, call the Assistant Dean of Developmental Education at 914-606-6714.

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Students should read carefully the stated prerequisites and corequisites listed in the course description section of this catalog. A prerequisite to a course is a requirement that must have been completed prior to enrollment in that course. A corequisite to a course is a requirement to be taken at the same time that a student is enrolled in that course.

Students should see an academic counselor or their Curriculum Chair for more specific information about taking courses in proper sequence.

Online Courses

Students with a GPA below 2.0 at Westchester Community College require special permission from a counselor to register for a fully online course. 

Linked Courses

Linked courses are courses that offer an integrated learning experience, and as such, they need to be taken simultaneously. The linked courses can be within the same discipline, or across disciplines, offering an opportunity to understand both subjects more deeply. Linked courses must be registered for together. Similarly, students choosing to drop or withdraw from linked courses, must drop or withdraw from both courses. 

Repeating Courses

On a one-time basis, students may repeat courses* they have completed with a grade of “D”** or “F.”

Taking a course more than twice** requires approval from the Chairperson of the department in which the course is given, your Curriculum Chairperson, an Associate Dean or a counselor.

Repeating a course in which a grade of “C”** or better was earned previously also requires approval of one of the persons listed above.

Students may be asked to leave a course if they do not have the necessary approval to take the class.

When two or more grades exist for the same course, all grades will remain on the transcript; however, only the highest grade will be used to calculate the cumulative grade point average. Courses repeated after graduation will not change the graduation average. Students applying for transfer should be aware that it is sometimes the policy of four-year colleges to recalculate an applicant’s GPA using all grades earned.

* Certain health science and field experience courses are restricted.

** Financial aid may not apply. See Financial Aid, Pursuit and Progress Standards and General Financial Aid Guidelines.

Auditing Courses

A student who wishes to audit a credit course must formally register and pay for the course after obtaining permission to do so from the instructor. This permission must be obtained no later than the first day of class. Students who are permitted to audit a credit course are subject to payment of all tuition and fees. The audit grade shall be designated as “AU.”

A mature adult student (60 years or older) who wishes to audit a credit course must formally register and pay for the course through the Mainstream Office (914-606-6793), not through the Office of the Registrar. Once registered they must obtain permission from the instructor. Only two mature adult auditors are permitted in class, however not all classes are open to mature adult auditors. Mature adult auditors shall not be included on class rosters and will not receive a grade. They pay only an $8.00 fee for insurance purposes.

Withdrawal Policies and Procedures
 

Student Initiated Withdrawal from a Course

The deadline for withdrawal from a course with a grade of “W,” no penalty, is the last day of the ninth week of the semester. For non-regular semesters, an equivalent date will be established.

While it is the right of a student to withdraw from a course, withdrawal without following the procedure listed below may result in the student’s failure of the course. To withdraw from a course:

1. Obtain a withdrawal form from the Counseling Office or Registrar’s Office. 
2. Hand the form in to the Registrar’s Office prior to the deadline date. Students receiving financial aid must notify the Financial Aid Office when they withdraw from courses.

Faculty Initiated Withdrawal from a Course

After the ninth week, the course instructor may allow the student to withdraw by assigning a grade of WP (withdrawal-passing) or WF (withdrawal-failing).

This is not a student right and is reserved only for unusual and extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control (not merely poor attendance or grades).

Student Initiated Withdrawal from the College (All Courses)

Final date to withdraw from all courses at the college without penalty (for emergency reasons) is the last day of classes before final examinations. To withdraw from the college:

1. Obtain a withdrawal form from a counselor. Allow enough time to complete it, obtain the required signatures, and submit the form to the Registrar before the deadline date.
2. Notify all instructors of the withdrawal. As part of the procedure, the withdrawing student must check with the Library and the Financial Aid Office to determine if there are outstanding obligations.

Students who withdraw from the college and wish to register for the next semester may do so.

Credit for Work Completed Elsewhere

Matriculated students may obtain credit for college level work completed in addition to their regular college courses. A few basic rules apply. The college can grant credit only for specific equivalent coursework in the student’s curriculum, and the number of credits for each specific course cannot exceed the credit value of that course. To obtain a degree, the student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 32 credits of acceptable coursework in the degree curriculum at the college.

A student may be granted a maximum of 32 credits obtained through one or more of the following methods:

• Advanced Standing. Transfer credit can be granted in equivalent courses completed at other accredited institutions of collegiate rank. (See Admissions , Admission With Advanced Standing.)
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP). See www.collegeboard.com/CLEP for testing sites in New York State.
• Advanced Placement (AP). AP courses and examinations are given at most high schools.
• Students who wish to have CLEP or AP scores evaluated to satisfy Westchester Community College degree requirements should apply with the Transfer Credit Evaluator at the Office of Admissions.

A student cannot earn duplicate credit for examination programs and college studies covering the same material.

For further information contact:

Transfer Credit Evaluator, Office of Admissions, Westchester Community College or The College Level Examination Board (CLEP) College Entrance Examination Board, Box 1824, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 or The Advanced Placement Program (AP) at your high school.

Honors Program

The Honors Program at Westchester Community College brings together bright, highly-motivated students who thrive on the honors experience and enjoy the fellowship of other students excited about learning. Honors classes are small in order to encourage lively interchange between students and faculty. This helps students develop social, communication and research skills and explore topics of interest more deeply. Student research papers are published in the Honors Program interdisciplinary journal Verdandi and presented at a regional scholarly conference. An honors seminar room has been set aside for students and faculty in the program. Also, honors students have an opportunity to study abroad at Cambridge University in England every summer.

Since the program began in 1987, honors courses, which have an honors designation on college transcripts, have included Composition and Literature I and II, World Cinema, Introduction to World Politics, Psychobiology, History of Mathematics, Holocaust Studies and Seminar in Ethics. Honors courses are open to both full- and part-time students, regardless of academic program. Students in the program are free to take one, two or several honors courses; they are not required to take every honors course offered. In order to be accepted into the Honors Program, candidates are expected to demonstrate a strong overall academic record with a grade point average of at least 3.25. However, any extenuating circumstances as well as particular strengths in certain academic areas will be considered in the review process. Final decisions regarding acceptance or continuation in the program rest with the co-directors. Students graduating from the college are named as Honors Program Graduates if the following criteria are met: a minimum grade point average of 3.25 and successful completion of at least four honors courses at Westchester Community College.

Honors scholarships are available for continuing students at the college and from many four-year colleges and universities, (e.g., Cornell University, Columbia School of General Studies, The University of Rochester, Mercy College, and SUNY/Brockport).

For more information about the Honors Program, Choose one of the following options:

1. Visit www.sunywcc.edu/honors
2. Call either Professor Dwight Goodyear, 914-606-6553 or Professor James Werner, 914-606-6840.

Changing Your Curriculum (Program of Study)

Procedures for students wishing to make curriculum changes:

1. Make the request to change your curriculum before selection of courses for the next semester.
2. Obtain a Curriculum Change Request Form from your counselor.
3. Consult with your counselor, then see the Curriculum Chair of the program you wish to enter.
4. After obtaining the signature of the chairperson of the curriculum being entered, take the form to the Registrar’s Office for processing.

See your Academic Counselor and/or Curriculum Chairperson to be sure you will have satisfied all degree requirements by the time you plan to graduate.

Graduation Requirements

Requirements for the Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), and Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees, and all certificate programs are as stated in the appropriate curriculum descriptions (See Programs of Study ).

The minimum cumulative grade point average required for graduation is 2.0.

Students who have completed four or more honors courses will be designated as Honors Program Graduates.

Candidates for the Associate degree must pass two semesters of Physical Education (one health/fitness, one sport). Those students who are physically unable to participate in physical education activities can fulfill their P.E. requirement by completing the Health and Sports for Life class. Students who become temporarily incapacitated due to accident or injury during the school term must contact the Student Health Center as soon as possible regarding withdrawal from physical education for that term.

All students are responsible for communicating their anticipated graduation date to their Curriculum Chairperson and for submitting an Application for Graduation Form to the Registrar’s Office during the January prior to May graduation. Students expecting to complete their degree requirements in December must do this by November of their final Fall Semester. The student is responsible for ensuring that all graduation requirements have been met. If graduation requirements are not successfully completed by the deadline, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Registrar’s Office to change the Application for Graduation to indicate a new anticipated date of graduation. Under no circumstances can a degree be conferred retroactively.

Graduation Honors and Distinctions

• Graduation with Distinction. Graduation recognition for students with a cumulative average of 3.50-3.74.
• Graduation with Highest Distinction. Graduation recognition for students with a cumulative average of 3.75 or higher.
• Honors Graduate. Graduation recognition for students who have completed four or more Honors courses.
• Honors Program Graduate, a student who: 
  1. is graduating from the college with a minimum GPA of 3.25 
  2. has successfully completed a minimum of four Honors courses
  3. has a minimum GPA for all Honors courses of 3.25.

Graduation Ceremony

Graduation and participation in Commencement are not automatic. Students must initiate the process themselves. Those intending to graduate in May must file for graduation in the Registrar’s Office during the January prior to May graduation.

Students who complete their graduation requirements at the end of the fall semester, or during the summer sessions, are also invited to participate in the May commencement ceremony by filing an Application for Graduation with the Registrar’s Office by this deadline.

Additional Degree or Certificate

A matriculated student who is admitted for an additional degree at Westchester Community College is required to complete, in addition to all specific course requirements, a minimum of 15 additional credits at the college encompassing the required courses for the additional degree.

Matriculated students for an additional certificate, or a certificate in a different discipline area from the Associate degree, must complete an additional number of credits equal to at least one-half the requirements of that certificate at the college. Such credits must encompass the required courses for the certificate.

A student who has successfully completed a certificate may apply those credits earned, where appropriate, to fulfill the requirements or electives in an Associate degree program.

Special Programs

Biology Participation in Research and Education Program (BioPREP) at SUNY/Stony Brook

A six-week residential summer program for underrepresented minority students at two-year institutions who want to transfer to four-year schools and prepare for careers in the biological sciences. Participants receive $2,500 salary for completion of BioPREP and are responsible for room ($720) and board costs.

Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program

The National Institute of Health sponsors this program between SUNY/Binghamton, Purchase College and Westchester Community College. Underrepresented minority students receive special benefits while they pursue their studies in the sciences and math. These students continue to receive support when they go on to Binghamton or Purchase to pursue a baccalaureate degree in a biomedical field. For more information, contact Professor Glen Richards at 914-606-6979.

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

In spring 2010, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation will award scholarships to help students with exceptional promise and demonstrated financial need to reach their full potential through education. Each award will fund tuition, fees, and living expenses for two to three years of a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar’s undergraduate degree. To be eligible, a candidate must have completed freshman credits in 2009 at, or be a recent graduate (since May 2004) of, an accredited community college or two-year institution in the U.S., have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale, plan to transfer to a four-year college or university in Fall 2010, and be nominated by his or her two-year institution.

Details and application materials may be obtained at: www.jkcf.org. All applications must be returned to the Westchester Community College Foundation by December 15. For more information, please contact the Scholarship Office at 914-606-6442, or at scholarships@sunywcc.edu.

National Science Foundation’s Pipeline Scholarship Fund

To be eligible, a student must:

• Be a full-time student majoring in Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering or Technology.
• Transfer students must have a GPA of 2.5 (3.0 for Purchase College transfers).
• Have financial need. 
• Be a U.S. citizen, refugee alien, or permanent resident alien.

For more information please contact Professor Rowan Lindley at 914-606-8584.

Transfer to Four-Year Colleges

Westchester Community College graduates often transfer to four-year institutions with a full two years of credit and are able to complete most Bachelor’s degrees within two more years of study. Students are advised to consult the four-year college of their choice as early as their first semester at Westchester. They may visit the Career and Transfer Center where they can meet with a counselor or the Coordinator of Transfer Services. The professors in each program of study are also a good source of transfer information.

A significant number of all Westchester Community College graduates transfer to four-year colleges and universities immediately after graduating. Most of them attend as full-time students, but many do so as part-time students while working in full-time or part-time, career-related jobs. Other graduates work for a few years before transferring.

Westchester Community College graduates have transferred to colleges and universities throughout the country including Boston University, Columbia School of General Studies, Cooper Union, Cornell University, Manhattan College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Stanford University, Vassar College, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. Many of our students have transferred to local colleges such as the College of New Rochelle, Iona College, Mercy College, New York University, Pace University, Fordham University, CUNY institutions, as well as to most of the SUNY colleges, including Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Oneonta, Purchase College, and Stony Brook.

Specific information regarding the transfer experience of our graduates is reported in the Study of the Graduates, published annually by the Office of Institutional Research. This study is available at the Reserve Desk in the Harold L. Drimmer Library and Learning Resource Center. Prospective students also are given information on curriculum-specific outcomes, in compliance with Consumer Disclosure Requirements from the U.S. Department of Education. Westchester Community College has both formal and informal transfer agreements with many four-year colleges. These agreements smooth the transition from one college to the other and help students decide which courses to select and which degree to pursue to facilitate transfer to the desired program of study.

Westchester Community College currently enjoys formal transfer agreements with the following colleges and universities: Berkeley College, College of New Rochelle, Concordia College, Dominican College, Fairfield University, Houghton College, Iona College, Lehman College (CUNY), Marymount College of Fordham University, Marymount of Manhattan, Manhattan College, Manhattanville College, Maritime College, Mercy College, New York Institute of Technology, New York University, Pace University, Paul Smith’s College, St. Thomas Aquinas, SUNY Albany, SUNY Empire, SUNY Farmingdale, SUNY New Paltz and Purchase College.

Transferring to a SUNY Four-Year School

Students who plan to transfer to a State University of New York four-year school with an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree from Westchester Community College need to ensure that they have met seven of the ten SUNY General Education requirements by the time of their graduation from this college. These ten knowledge areas are: Basic Communication, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, the Arts, Foreign Language, American History, Western Civilization, and Other World Civilizations. (To earn a four-year degree from a SUNY institution, students must complete all 10 requirements.)

Transferring to a SUNY Four-Year School

Students who plan to transfer to a State University of New York four-year school with an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree from Westchester Community College need to ensure that they have met seven of the ten SUNY General Education requirements by the time of their graduation from this college. These ten knowledge areas are: Basic Communication, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, the Arts, Foreign Language, American History, Western Civilization, and Other World Civilizations. (To earn a four-year degree from a SUNY institution, students must complete all ten requirements)

Click to view the General Education Requirements .