Academic Policies and Regulations

Registration: General Information

All students’ enrollment appointments are listed in CUNYfirst under Student Center. Students must consult with their graduate major department (located on the Registrar homepage under “Information” then “Faculty Department Chairperson”), prior to enrolling for course(s). It is recommended that students log into their DegreeWorks account to check the course(s) still needed for their degree requirements.

Procedures for Change of Schedule and Course Withdrawals

• During the first week of class(es), a student may withdraw, add or swap sections of the same course by logging onto their CUNYfirst account and going to Schedule Builder. Any such changes will incur a program change fee and/or applicable tuition fee. The program change fee is $18.00. There is no fee to withdraw from a course(s).

• During the second and third weeks of class(es), a student may withdraw from a course(s) by logging onto their CUNYfirst account and going to Schedule Builder.

• Withdrawals during these first three weeks will not appear on the student's transcript, but the student may be liable for tuition and fees.

• Students may withdraw from course(s) during the fourth week through to the last day of class(es) by logging onto their CUNYfirst account and going to Schedule Builder. This action will be recorded on the student's transcript with a grade of "W", in accordance with CUNY's regulations. There is no fee for withdrawals (although students may be liable for tuition and all applicable fees).

• Students needing further assistance can log on to the Office of the Registrar virtual office or stop by the Office of the Registrar during operating hours.

Permits and Concurrent Participation at Another Institution

CUNY ePermit Information

The CUNYfirst process allows a student to request permission from York College to register at another CUNY college(s) and enroll for course(s) at the other CUNY campus and have the grade transferred back to York College. Tuition and fees will be billed at York College. However, courses for which material fees apply are paid by the student to the Host College. Each ePermit request is for a single course at a specific college. Thus, students need to complete a separate ePermit request for each equivalent course and other CUNY college(s) they would like.

To apply for an ePermit login to your CUNYfirst account, go to Academic Records and select ePermits. Students must submit their ePermit request before the deadline as stated in the Academic Calendar. Any ePermit request submitted after the deadline will not be processed. A student granted approval to take a course(s) on ePermit will be contacted via e-mail by the Host College with a registration appointment time. Normal registration procedures should be followed by the student as indicated by the Host College.

Approval only grants permission to take a course at another CUNY institution and does not enroll the student nor guarantee a seat in a course.

Eligibility for a Permit:

• Matriculated graduate students currently enrolled at York College

• Only students in good academic standing will be eligible to apply

• Students who have an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) 3.0 GPA or above

• Course(s) taken on permit must meet a specific degree requirement

Permit Requests will Not be Approved for:

• Non-degree graduate students

• Newly admitted first semester graduate students

• Students whose course schedule exceed the maximum credit load for the semester or session

Cancellation of an Approved ePermit and Course

If a student enrolls in a course at the approved Host College and decides not to participate in the course, it is the student's responsibility to withdraw the course(s) registration at Host College and cancel their ePermit request from York College. To avoid any tuition liability, the student must withdraw from the Host College course and cancel their ePermit from York.

Financial Aid with ePermit

If a student cancels the epermit or fails to register for the requested course at the Host College, for which the student expects to obtain Financial Aid, it is the student’s responsibility to make certain that the credit load meets Financial Aid eligibility requirements. Questions concerning Financial Aid must be addressed to a Financial Aid counselor at York College.

Course Grade for ePermit

Course(s) will be transferred to York College and recorded with the grade assigned by the Host College. The grade will be included in the student’s cumulative GPA. Only letter grades will be accepted for fulfilling major requirements. Grades of “P” are not acceptable to fulfill degree requirements. The number of credits transferred for each course will be equivalent to the value assigned by the Host College and not York College.

To Apply for a Non-CUNY Permit

• Only students in good academic standing will be eligible to apply

• Students must complete the Non-CUNY permit form, which is located on the Office of the Registrar's homepage under forms

• The course evaluation section of the form must be completed and signed by the department chairperson who oversees the York College equivalent. If the form is not completed and signed by the department chairperson, for the intended course(s), the request will not be processed. The form must indicate the semester or session the request is for.

• The student must sign, date and upload the Non-CUNY Permit form along with a valid photo ID to the Office of the Registrar secure portal.

• If the Office of the Registrar approves the permit, the form will be signed and emailed back to the student. It is the student's responsibility to give a copy of the form to the Non-CUNY Host institution.

• Students should keep a copy of the Non-CUNY permit form for their records

The student is responsible for having an official transcript sent to registrar@york.cuny.edu or have it mailed to: 

CUNY York College
94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 11451
Attention: Office of the Registrar

Course(s) for which the student receives a grade of "C" or above will be posted to their academic record. Grades of “P” are not acceptable. The number of credits transferred for each course will be equivalent to the value assigned by the Host College and not York College.

Academic Participation in a Course

Students are expected to participate at each class session. An instructor may at any time require that a student account for non-participation. Any student who has been excessively not participating in a course and does not present adequate documentation to the instructor, may receive the grade of “WU” (unofficially withdrew).

Instructors will be required to complete Verification of Enrollment (VOE) rosters for their course(s), indicating if students have never participated in the course. Any student noted as never participating will receive a grade of WN on their record. The WN grade is non-punitive and does not appear on the student’s transcript. Course(s) with WN grade will not be counted toward Financial Aid eligibility and may result in loss of aid. However, a student receiving a WN grade may still be liable for tuition and fees.

Non-Participation in a Course Due to Religious Observation

Students who will miss any class session(s), exam(s), presentation(s), trip(s), or the like, due to a religious observance, should notify the instructor at the beginning of the semester or session. That way the instructor can implement appropriate adjustments for observance needs. This could include an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirement that is missed, because of an absence, due to a religious observance on any particular day(s). Provision is made for unavoidable absence due to illness or authorized conferences by permitting two absences in a fifteen-session course, or four absences in a thirty-session course.

Grading

A student is assigned a final grade for coursework. The table below indicates the index and the numerical values for assigning grade(s) and computing Grade Point Averages (GPA). Assigned grades (A+ through F), once assigned, stand as final evaluations and may not be changed later by completing additional assignments.

Students who believe a grade is unfair may file a departmental grade appeal (see Committee on Academic Policy and Standards (CAPS) in this Bulletin).

The following academic grades are assigned in York College's graduate programs: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, F, FIN, INC, W, WA, WN and WU.

Additional Grades

Failing Grades

Failing grades are F and FIN. These grades are calculated in the student's scholastic index. Failing grades are not removed from the graduate student's record due to a subsequent successful completion of the course(s).

Effective September 1, 1990, in accordance with the resolution passed by the Board of Trustees of CUNY a student who earns an academic or administrative failing grade at their York College, that is computed in the cumulative GPA, may retake the course at York College and upon successful completion of the course with a grade of C or better have the failing grade no longer computed into their GPA. This resolution applies to grades of C or better received for course(s) retaken in the Fall 1990 semester and thereafter.

The GPA calculated on the basis of this CUNY policy is to be used only for the purposes of retention at and eligibility for graduation from the York College, including admission to and continuance in a major or concentration. All failing grades will be considered in the calculations for any honors.

Repeated Course(s)

Credit(s) is not granted for repeated course(s) that have been passed. However, grades in repeated course(s) are calculated in the student's index GPA.

Computation of Grade Point Average (GPA)

In course(s) which carry college credit(s) (with the exceptions indicated below) the student is assigned a final grade. The table below indicates the index and the numerical values for assigning grades and calculated Grade Point Averages (GPA). Quality Points (QP) are calculated by multiplying the credit value of each course by the numerical value of the grade received, 4.0 to 1.7 for grades A+ through C-, and 0 for F. (See the following table.) Once assigned grades (A+ through F and AUD, INC, W) stand as final evaluations, an assigned grade may not be changed later by completing additional assignments, retesting, or auditing a class. Both matriculated and non-matriculated graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing at York College.

1. Add the number of credits taken, including those with F grades.

2. Divide the total number of QP by the total number of credits attempted. This final figure is the GPA.

Cumulative Grade Point Average

In order to be awarded a master's degree, a student must finish their program with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or better. Grades counted in the cumulative GPA must be earned in graduate-level courses taken at York College or in graduate course(s) taken on ePermit (at another CUNY institution) and all courses will appear on the student's York College transcript.

All grades in graduate-level courses will be counted in computing the GPA with the following exceptions:

• Grade(s) transferred in from another institution

• Grade(s) earned in the graduate record and taken for undergraduate credit

• Course(s) taken five (5) or more years prior to the current matriculation, or grades earned in course(s) unrelated to the current master's degree program, are excluded only upon appeal

Make-Up Examinations

Make-up examinations are final examinations taken at a time other than the formally scheduled time. Only students with a bona fide reason to take a make-up examination will be permitted to do so. Such permission may be granted only by the department chairperson or representative, and not by the instructor.

A student who missed the final examination and has received permission to take a "make-up final" must do so within one semester, even if not enrolled, but early enough to enable the instructor to submit a grade by the last day of classes. There is a $15.00 fee for the first examination, $5.00 for each additional examination.

York College Residency Requirement

Master's degree program students must complete at least half of the total credits required for their matriculated York College master's program or eighteen (18) graduate level credits, whichever is greater, at York College. Six (6) credits of ePermit class(es) taken at a CUNY college, at Master's level, may be used to fulfill the Residency Requirements. However, course(s) taken at non-CUNY institutions will not be counted toward the Residency Requirement. Residency Requirements may not be satisfied by taking course(s) prior to matriculation.

Academic Probation and Retention

If a student whether matriculated (pursing a degree) or non-matriculated (not-pursuing a degree), who at the end of the Spring or Fall semester, does not meet the retention standard of 3.0 (B) cumulative average or above (based on their cumulative GPA) will be placed on probation at the end of the semester. Grades of B-, C+, C and C-, while may be considered to be meeting course completion requirements, they are considered marginal progress outcomes. Students earning a marginal progress grade, in selected course(s), may be required to repeat the course(s) and achieve a satisfactory progress grade, in the selected course(s), to continue in their program of study. (See specific program course descriptions for requirement details). Students may also be requested by their graduate academic advisor to take fewer courses until the GPA is improved. For transfer students, the number of college credits attempted (including those attempted at other colleges), but the index required for retention purposes is the index achieved only at York College.

Students on probation should meet with a graduate academic advisor several times during the semester. They support students in making good academic progress in their class(es), prepare them for registration, and help students in planning their course(s). Students should contact their graduate academic advisor for additional information.

Students in special funded programs, regardless if they are matriculate or non-matriculate, need to contact the program coordinators for details regarding their eligibility and continuation requirements. Students enrolled in a degree program will be placed on academic probation when the overall GPA falls below 3.0.

Grades earned in the Summer and/or Winter session(s) and grade changes during the semester do not immediately affect probationary status, which is reassessed only at the end of the Spring and Fall semesters.

Dismissal

Once a student is placed on probation for not achieving the required 3.0 GPA by the end of the semester, they have until the subsequent semester to improve their GPA to the required level, or face dismissal. If the student fails to improve the GPA to the required level the student will be notified by the Office of Academic Affairs, to their York College email, that they have been dismissed for academic reasons (for failing to meet the minimum retention standards while on probation).

A student will not be dismissed without being placed on probation for one (1) semester. The retention standards apply to all students, regardless of, whether they are matriculated or non-matriculated status.

Note: Professional programs may have additional retention and progression requirements.

A student who has been academically dismissed is separated from York College and may not enroll for any credit-bearing course(s). The student may submit an appeal with the Office of Academic Affairs, indicating the basis for consideration for readmission. Students who have been dismissed, at the end of the probationary period, will be allowed to continue in their program only upon successful appeal to the Office of Academic Affairs. The appeal must contain a written letter of support from the program advisor or chair in their academic department. The student will be notified by email of the decision. If the appeal is approved, the student will be permitted to register for course(s) according to specific academic standards stipulated set by the Office of Academic Affairs.

Note: York College adheres to readmission deadlines. Students are encouraged to refer to the York College Graduate Academic Calendar regarding the deadline for filing.