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Fort Lewis College began offering graduate programs in 2013 to meet the needs of residents in Southwest Colorado. The College’s first programs were designed for professional educators teaching children in P-12 schools in the Four Corners area.
Academic Policies and Procedures for All Programs
Fort Lewis College, not an individual department, awards graduate degrees and certificates. For this reason, certain academic policies and procedures developed through faculty governance or administrative processes apply to programs in all departments upon approval by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. When an academic policy and procedure is presented as a link to the undergraduate Academic Policy and Procedure section of the catalog, this indicates that the regulations for undergraduate students also apply to graduate students.
These policies and procedures do not represent all regulations that relate to graduate students, are not specific to this catalog, and are subject to change without prior notice, with the changes becoming effective upon approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Students will be notified via their official Fort Lewis College email account if and when changes are implemented.
Departments may develop and administer additional academic regulations. Students have a responsibility to know their department’s requirements, policies, and procedures by reviewing the departmental requirements in the catalog, the department’s website, and the department’s graduate student handbook.
Academic Dishonesty by Students
Click here for the Academic Dishonesty by Students policy.
Academic Grievance and Appeals
Click here for the Academic Grievance and Appeals policy.
Academic Standing
Academic standings for graduate students are GOOD STANDING, PROBATION, AND ACADEMIC DISQUALIFICATION. To be in good standing, students must meet minimum cumulative grade point average standards that apply to all Graduate Studies programs as well as any qualitative standards of academic progress established by their degree program. Academic standings are updated at the end of each fall, spring, and summer semester.
Cumulative Grade Point Average Standard
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 in all graduate coursework to be in good standing. Students in good standing may continue to enroll. Students with a cumulative grade point average of 2.99 or lower are on probation. Students may continue to enroll but must establish and follow an academic plan with their Graduate Faculty Advisor. Students who fail to achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 after one semester of probation will be placed on academic disqualification.
This table summarizes the cumulative grade point average standard:
| Cumulative GPA |
Academic Standing |
| 3.00 or higher |
Good Standing |
| Below 3.00 |
Probation |
| Below 3.00 |
Academic Disqualification, if currently on Probation |
Consequences of Withdrawing Entirely From a Term
When a student has a GW grade in all courses in a fall, spring, or summer semester, the student will have his/her academic standing adjusted as follows:
| Standing Before Withdrawal |
Standing after Withdrawal |
| Good Standing |
Probation |
| Probation |
Academic Disqualification |
Notification of Academic Standing Based on Cumulative Grade Point Average
At the conclusion of fall, spring, and summer semesters, an email will be sent out to all students explaining how they may check their academic standing based on cumulative grade point average.
Students on probation based on cumulative grade point average are expected to establish an academic plan with their Graduate Faculty Advisor prior to the beginning of the next semester.
Students with an academic standing of disqualification will be provided instructions in their notification email about how to appeal their academic standing.
Students may appeal academic disqualification based on cumulative grade point average if:
- There are compelling and unforeseen reasons why the standards for satisfactory academic progress were not met, and
- There is high probability that the student’s cumulative GPA can be raised to 3.00 or higher in no more than one additional fall, spring, or summer semester of coursework.
Adjustment of Academic Standing Based on Qualitative Standards
Students must meet all qualitative standards for academic progress established by their department in addition to the minimum cumulative grade point average standard that applies to all Graduate Studies programs. Departmental standards are published as part of the requirements for each degree program.
If through a process established by the department, a student has been judged to not be making academic progress, the department may petition the Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Academic Standards Committee to change a student’s academic standing to Probation or Academic Disqualification.
Consideration of Appeals and Petitions by the Committee
The Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Academic Standards Committee reviews appeals three times per year in January, May, and August. Deadlines for student appeals and departmental petitions are published on the Graduate Studies website. Students will be notified of the Committee’s decision by email. If an appeal or petition is granted, the Committee in consultation with faculty in the student’s department will establish specific requirements the student must meet and the consequences of not meeting those requirements.
Advising
All students are assigned a Graduate Faculty Advisor by their department upon admission. Students must review their academic progress with this advisor at least once per term. Students may be assigned additional advisors in accordance with departmental advising policy.
Applying for Graduation
Once a student has registered for the final courses to fulfill degree or certificate requirements, the student may submit the Application for Graduation form to the Registrar’s Office. The deadline for submitting the application for fall and spring is the Census Date of the semester in which the student is planning to complete degree requirements. A student completing a degree in summer must submit the form by Census Date of the spring semester. The Registrar’s Office will review the application and notify the student of the decision within seven weeks from the Census Date. If the application is approved, the appropriate graduation fee will be posted to the student’s account. A student may appeal if the application for graduation is denied. The appeal deadline will be the last business day of March for the spring degree candidates, the last business day of June for the summer degree candidates, and the Friday before the Thanksgiving break in November for the fall degree candidates. In the appeal, the student must provide documentation of how all missing degree requirements will be completed by the end of the semester indicated on the application. If the appeal is denied, the student must submit a new application in a subsequent semester.
Attendance
Click here for the Attendance policy.
Auditing
Click here for the Auditing policy.
Census Date
Click here for the Census Date policy.
Classification of Students
A degree-seeking student is a student who has been admitted to the College and has declared an intention to pursue the requirements for a graduate degree or graduate certificate program. Degree-seeking students are admitted as first-time graduate. Degree-seeking students are also classified according to semester credits completed (earned), as follows:
| M.A. First Year |
Fewer than 19 semester credits |
| M.A. Second Year |
19 or more semester credits |
| Certificate First Year |
Fewer than 19 semester credits |
| Certificate Second Year |
19 or more semester credits |
Non-degree-seeking students are defined as students enrolled in graduate courses without intention of pursuing a degree or certificate.
Communications Policy
Click here for the Communications Policy .
Course Load
Normal Course Load
Normal course load is defined as the number of credits students are expected to enroll in each fall, spring, and summer semester as indicated in the departmental course sequencing. For graduate programs designed for working adults, the normal course load may be less than a full-time load.
Enrollment Certification Course Load
For purposes of enrollment certification for third parties, students’ course loads will be categorized as full-time, half-time, or part-time as follows:
| |
Full-Time |
Half-Time |
Part-Time |
| Fall, Spring, and Summer Semester |
9 semester credits |
4-8 semester credits |
1-3 semester credits |
Course Offerings and Cancellations
Click here for the Course Offerings and Cancellations policy.
Effective Catalog
Click here for the Effective Catalog policy.
Enrollment Certification
Click here for the Enrollment Certification policy.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Click here for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policy.
Final Exams
Click here for the Final Exams policy.
Grade Appeals
Click here for the Grade Appeals policy.
Grade Change Policy
Click here for the Grade Change Policy .
Grades, Quality Points, and Cumulative Grade Point Average
Grades
Students are assigned a grade for each course registered for, completed, and/or withdrawn from after the Census Date for each enrolled term. A grade can be classified as either an appraisal of the quality of a student’s work or an explanation about why such an appraisal was not made.
Grades Appraising Quality of Work
Graduate Studies programs use the letter grade system to appraise the quality of a student’s work in a course. This system assigns a grade A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- or F. Grades of A to C- earn credit. Grades of D+, D, D-, and F do not earn credits. Grades of A to F are figured into the computation of the cumulative grade point average.
Grades Explaining Why Quality of Work Was Not Appraised
A grade of AU, AW, GW, I, MW, and NG explains why the quality of a student’s work in a course was not appraised.
AU - A grade AU means the student initiated, and the instructor approved, the auditing of a course. No credit is awarded for a grade of AU. This grade does not figure into the computation of the cumulative GPA.
AW - A grade of AW means the College withdrew the student from a course or a term as allowed by an administrative policy. No credit is awarded for a grade of AW. This grade does not figure into the computation of the cumulative GPA.
GW – A grade of GW means the student initiated withdrawal from a course or from a semester and this withdrawal was approved by the program director. No credit is awarded for a grade of GW. This grade does not figure into the computation of the cumulative GPA.
I - A grade of I means the student initiated, and the instructor approved in accordance with grading policy, a delay in the appraisal in the student’s work. The conditions for which a grade of I may be assigned are 1) the major part of the course requirements has been met; 2) the student is unable to complete the requirements in the term in which the course is taken for compelling and unforeseen reasons, and 3) in the opinion of the instructor, the requirements can be completed by the student without repeating the course. If the student completes the course requirements within the time allotted, the instructor will make an appraisal of the quality of the student’s work by submitting a Special Grade Report Form to the Registrar’s Office. If the course requirements are not completed within one year after the end of the appropriate term, the grade of I will revert to an F. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the dean of the school in which the course is offered, may waive for good reason the one-year deadline upon petition by the student to the program director. A grade of I cannot be removed by registering to repeat the course. A course for which a student has a grade of I at the time of graduation cannot be used to satisfy any graduation requirement. In the event that a student has graduated prior to removing a grade of I, the grade of I will remain permanently on the graduate’s academic transcript.
MW - A grade of MW means the student was called to active military duty. No credit is awarded for a grade of MW. This grade does not figure into the computation of the cumulative GPA.
NG - A grade of NG means the instructor did not file a grade for the course by the deadline. Once the deadline has passed, up to one year after the grade of NG was filed, the instructor may make an appraisal of the quality of a student’s work by submitting a Special Grade Report Form to the Registrar’s Office. NG grades will revert to F grades after one year.
Quality Points
Quality points for a course are determined by the numeric grade earned in the course multiplied by the number of credits for the course.
Graduate Studies uses the four-point system to three decimal points to assign numeric grades:
| |
| A = 4.000 points |
| A- = 3.667 points |
| B+ = 3.333 points |
| B = 3.000 points |
| B- = 2.667 points |
| C+ = 2.333 points |
|
|
| C = 2.000 points |
| C- = 1.667 points |
| D+ = 1.333 points |
| D = 1.000 point |
| D- = .667 point |
| F = 0.000 points |
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Numeric grades are not given for the grades of AU, AW, GW, I, MW, or NG.
Cumulative Grade Point Average
The cumulative grade point average serves as the overall assessment of the quality of a student’s course work. It is computed by dividing the total number of quality points for graduate courses by the total number of GPA credit hours. The result is truncated to two decimal points. Grades of AU, AW, GW, I, MW, and NG do not figure in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.
Holds
Click here for information on Holds .
Orientation
New graduate students are required to attend a departmental orientation immediately prior to their first term of attendance.
Registration
Click here for Registration policies and procedures.
Residency Requirement
A minimum of 21 credits for a graduate degree program and a minimum of 12 credits for a graduate certificate must be completed at Fort Lewis College.
Time Limits for Coursework
Click here for the Time Limits for Coursework policy.
Transfer Credit Policy
Students who have completed graduate-level courses application to their degree or certificate program may have those credits evaluated for transfer. The maximum number of credits accepted for transfer will be nine credits for a graduate degree program and six credits for a graduate certificate program. Credits will not be accepted for transfer if the course was not completed at a regionally accredited college or university with a comparable program; the course grade was less than B-; the course was completed more than six years prior to the date of admission; and the course was used to fulfill requirements for a previously earned degree.
Departments evaluate prior coursework on a case-by-case basis. The department may require a course syllabus to make a recommendation. Students will be notified of the department’s recommendation via email. The department’s recommendation will be reviewed following the standard policies and procedures of the Registrar’s Office. This review will be completed in four to six weeks after receipt of the official transcript(s) from the department. The Registrar’s Office will send official notification of the transfer of credit by email. Grades of credits accepted for transfer will not be included in the calculation of the Fort Lewis College grade point average.
Transcripts
Click here for the Transcripts policies and procedures.
Withdrawing from a Term
Students who have registered for classes and decide not to attend have the responsibility to cancel their registration or initiate withdrawal by following the appropriate procedures.
Procedures to Withdraw from a Term
PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE TERM
Students must cancel their registration through WebOPUS. Students should select “Student Services” > “Registration” > “Add/Drop Classes” > select the appropriate term > drop each of their classes prior to midnight on the day before the term begins.
FIRST DAY OF TERM TO LAST DAY OF REGULAR CLASSES
Students must initiate withdrawal through the department chair.
Technical Difficulties with WebOPUS
If a student experiences problems with using WebOPUS, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible.
Tuition and Fees for Students Who Withdraw
Students withdrawing from a term will be assessed tuition and fees according to the pro rata schedule published on the Student Billing & Cashiering website. There are separate schedules for the fall and spring semesters and the summer sessions.
Other Responsibilities Associated With Withdrawal
Students who have received financial aid have additional responsibilities associated with official withdrawal and must contact the Office of Financial Aid directly.
Graduate Studies in Education
| Director of Teacher Education: Richard S. Fulton |
| Email: fulton_r@fortlewis.edu |
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| Professor: Ronald (Gene) Taylor |
| Associate Professors: Richard S. Fulton and Kristine A. Greer |
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| Assistant Professors: Chiara M. Cannella, Elizabeth H. Dorman, and Suzanne Y. Null |
Fort Lewis College has been teaching Four Corners teachers for almost 100 years. The Department of Teacher Education has been recognized for its quality programs by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and is a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Two of the department’s most important commitments are to the educational opportunities of diverse learners and to the art, science, and craft of teaching and learning.
The degree program and graduate certificate in Teacher Leadership that began in 2013 have their origins in the development of the Teacher Leadership Model Standards, were informed by a thorough assessment of the needs of professional educators in the Four Corners area, and were developed in collaboration with teacher leaders, principals, and superintendents in area schools. This collaboration will continue through the Teacher Education Graduate Program Advisory Board.
Students are admitted into the Teacher Leadership programs in cohorts, every other year, on the odd year (e.g. 2013, 2015, 2017, etc.). The programs are taught year-round in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. To meet the needs of working adults, the programs are designed so students can attend half-time. Courses are taught in a hybrid format, with on-campus class sessions complemented by learning activities using a learning management system.
Departmental Policies
Academic Progress Standards
To be eligible to continue in the Teacher Leadership degree or certificate program, students must meet the cumulative grade point average standards that apply to all Graduate Studies programs as well as qualitative standards established by the department. Department faculty may refer a student to the Graduate Professional Education Review Committee for failing to act in a professional and ethical manner; failure to follow an academic plan; or failure to make satisfactory progress on the Comprehensive Teacher Leadership Portfolio or Culminating Research Project. The most serious outcome of this review process would be a department petition to the Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Academic Standards Committee for a student to be academically disqualified.
Access to School Setting
Students must have access to a P-12 school setting to achieve course and program learning outcomes in the Teacher Leadership graduate programs. Applicants were required to establish research access to a school setting as part of the admission process. This access must be re-established prior to the beginning of each fall and spring semester by completing a form available on the department website and submitting it to the Graduate Program Manager. Degree-seeking-students who cannot establish access to a school setting will not be eligible to take coursework that semester. This policy also applies to non-degree-seeking students enrolled in any course required in the Teacher Leadership programs.
Continuous Registration
Teacher Leadership students are required to be continuously enrolled in the fall, spring, and summer semesters from their semester of matriculation to their semester of graduation. Students who fail to continuously enroll may be required to seek re-admission to the program and join a new cohort.
Graduate Research Advisor
Master’s degree students are assigned a Graduate Research Advisor in addition to a Graduate Faculty Advisor. The Graduate Research Advisor will advise the student on the completion of the Culminating Research Project. The faculty member who will serve as a student’s Graduate Research Advisor will be selected after clarification of the student’s research interest in ED 600 .
Technology Requirements
Unless students in the Teacher Leadership program plan to travel to campus to use a campus computer lab, they need to have access to their own computer and Internet Service Provider. High-speed access is recommended, as there may be files or online programs that will not work well on a dial-up connection. Technology requirements are subject to change and may differ depending on the course. Students are responsible for reviewing the technology requirements on the department website and on each course syllabus.
Master of Arts in Education, Teacher Leadership Option
The Master of Arts in Education, Teacher Leadership Option, is a two-year program with significant development in the fundamentals of action research, as well as the critical Teacher Leader competencies included in the Teacher Leadership Certificate program.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Analyze and evaluate classroom and school data to ensure that instructional practices and school structures are benefitting all students.
- Demonstrate leadership skills, protocols, and facilitation skills to help colleagues promote meaningful change in and continuous improvement in teaching practices and learning.
- Apply existing and emerging technologies to guide colleagues in helping students skillfully and appropriately navigate the Internet, using instructional technology to enhance student engagement and connecting with people and educational resources around the world.
- Apply knowledge and understanding of different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and languages to promote effective instructional strategies and successful interactions among colleagues, families, and the larger community.
- Analyze and evaluate specific strategies from national and international educational systems to ensure that instructional practices and school structures are benefitting all students.
- Develop a significant research agenda, including the ability to generate research questions, utilize theoretical frameworks, critically analyze previous and proposed educational studies, develop appropriate research methods, and present research findings and implications in succinct fashion to colleagues and professional organizations.
Degree Requirements
Candidates for the degree must complete the 30-credit curriculum specified for the program, with a minimum of 21 credits earned at Fort Lewis College; earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on all graduate coursework; satisfactorily complete the Comprehensive Teacher Leadership Portfolio and the Culminating Research Project; and be in good standing with the department’s Graduate Professional Education Review Committee in terms of professionalism and ethical behavior.
Requirements for Master of Arts in Education, Teacher Leadership Option:
Core Courses (14 credits):
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 2
Specific Option Courses (16 credits):
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 2
- Credits: 2
Click here for course sequencing: Master of Arts in Education, Teacher Leadership Option
Teacher Leadership Certificate
The Teacher Leadership Certificate is a one-year program that develops competencies in technology, culturally responsive teaching, assessment, instructional coaching, differential instruction, and leadership.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Analyze and evaluate classroom and school data to ensure that instructional practices and school structures are benefitting all students.
- Demonstrate leadership skills, protocols, and facilitation skills to help colleagues promote meaningful change in and continuous improvement in teaching practices and learning.
- Apply existing and emerging technologies to guide colleagues in helping students skillfully and appropriately navigate the Internet, using instructional technology to enhance student engagement and connecting with people and educational resources around the world.
- Apply knowledge and understanding of different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and languages to promote effective instructional strategies and successful interactions among colleagues, families, and the larger community.
Degree Requirements
Candidates for the certificate must complete the 18-credit curriculum specified for the program, with a minimum of 12 credits earned at Fort Lewis College; earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00; satisfactorily complete the Comprehensive Teacher Leadership Portfolio; and be in good standing with the department’s Graduate Professional Education Review Committee in terms of professionalism and ethical behavior.
Requirements for the Teacher Leadership Certificate:
Certificate Courses:
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
- Credits: 3
Click here for course sequencing: Teacher Leadership Certificate |