Academic Policies

Transfer of Credit

Academic Year

Under limited special circumstances, a regularly enrolled undergraduate Simmons student may obtain credit for, at most, one course taken at another college during a regular academic semester if a petition naming the course, institution, and amount of credit requested is approved in advance by the Administrative Board. The student must demonstrate to the Board that the course is unavailable at Simmons and is an important part of their program.

In addition to the petition to the Administrative Board, the student must also complete a Petition for Transfer Credit. Both forms are available in the Office of the Registrar. Such a course is included in the credit restriction listed under "Heavy Academic Programs". Credit is not transferred for any course completed with a grade of less than C. In some disciplines such as nursing, a grade of C+ is required. Grades received in these courses are not included in the GPA. If the student is a financial aid recipient, they should discuss the impact of this decision on their financial aid package for that semester with a financial aid counselor.

Summer Credit

Before enrolling in summer courses at institutions other than Simmons, students are required to complete the Petition for Transfer Credit form in the Office of the Registrar. When considering a summer school course for transfer credit, the following guidelines must be observed:

• No credit is given for work done in a summer session lasting less than three weeks.
• Credit granted will never exceed the face-value credit assigned by the host institution.
• For a summer session of five weeks or less, face-value credit not exceeding one semester hour per week of the session will be granted. For example: A student who enrolls in two three-credit courses in one five-week session will receive a maximum of five transfer credits.
• In a summer session of six to eight consecutive calendar weeks, face-value credit not exceeding eight semester hours will be granted.
• No more than 16 semester hours of summer school credit from other institutions may be credited toward the Simmons degree. This includes summer credit completed at other institutions prior to matriculating at Simmons. A maximum of 16 semester hours of credit may be earned in one summer, regardless of whether the courses are taken at Simmons or at another institution.
• The lowest grade accepted for transfer credit is C. Credit for a course taken elsewhere with a grade of P can transfer if the instructor from the institution is willing to convert the Pass Grade t a letter grade.
• Quarter-hour credits transfer as two-thirds of a semester hour.
• Courses to fulfill a mode must be indicated on the Petition for Transfer Credit form and a course description must be provided. Summer courses to be considered for the language requirement or major must receive prior approval from the appropriate department chairperson. Attach a course description to the Petition for Transfer credit.
• Grades for course work accepted as transfer credit are not factored into the Simmons grade point average. Credit only is listed on the transcript.
• Petitions submitted without the required signatures, course information, exact beginning and ending dates and credit hours cannot be processed and will be returned the student for proper completion. Students with questions about these policies or the interpretation of credit should consult the personnel in the Registrar's Office.

Religious Observance

Students who are unable, because of their religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in an examination, class, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from the class, study, or work requirement and shall be provided with an opportunity to make up the examination, study, or work they may have missed consistent with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 151C, Section 2B. That law states:

Any student in an educational or vocation- al training institution, other than a religious or a denominational educational or vocation- al training institution, who is unable, because of his/her religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such examination or study or work requirement, and shall be provided with an opportunity to make up such examination, study, or work missed because of such absence on any particular day, provided, however, that such makeup examination or work shall not create an unreasonable burden upon such school. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the said student such opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effect shall result to any student because of his/her availing himself of the provisions of the sections.

Questions about absences for religious observance should be directed to the Office of Student Affairs or the Registrar’s Office.

Jury Duty

During the course of the academic year, students may receive notification that they have been summoned for jury duty. Students who attend college in Massachusetts are required by law to fulfill their civic duty if summoned, even though their permanent or "official" residence may be in another state. If the date for which students have been summoned is inconvenient, they may request a postponement for up to one year.

Students who are required to miss classes because of jury duty may notify the Office of Student Affairs by calling 617-521-2124. Staff members in the Office of Student Affairs will notify the appropriate faculty members, who will work with the students to make up any missed assignments or exams. Upon completion of jury duty, students are expected to bring a copy of the documentation of their service to the Office of Student Affairs.

Human Subjects

The University has established policies on the use of human subjects in all Simmons-initiated research and training projects. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is charged with overseeing all research involving human subjects at Simmons University. Students undertaking research projects that propose to use humans must do the following prior to beginning their projects: 1) prepare and submit an application to the IRB for review and approval and 2) complete the CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) Program, a web-based human subjects research investigator education program. A copy of the Simmons University human subjects research policy, IRB forms, and link to the CITI training program may be found on the Office of Sponsored Programs site. The contact for the IRB is the Office of Sponsored Programs, MCB, Room E-206, 617-521-2415. It is expected that all members of the Simmons community will fulfill their legal and ethical responsibilities to ensure that the rights and safety of human subjects are protected.