Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are scheduled, and to arrive on time prepared to work attentively for the full class session. The instructor’s evaluation of a student’s work usually depends in part on class participation; therefore, absence from class or lateness is viewed as an irrevocably lost opportunity for both the individual student and the class collectively. Whenever absence or lateness is unavoidable, the student is responsible for communicating with the teacher and for making up all missed work. Classes immediately before and after vacations are as important as any other classes during a term; students are expected to attend them and to limit their vacations to the days prescribed in the school’s academic calendar.
As an indication of academic performance, students receive letter grades for each course taken, as well as written narratives describing course objectives, the student’s success in meeting them, and suggestions for how to address particular difficulties. At midterm and at the end of each semester, these narratives and grades are distributed to students and their families, and to advisors. Midterm grades are not grades of record, but are intended as indications to students of their progress and success in achieving the learning objectives of a course, along with suggestions for improvement. Narratives at the midterms will be more extensive for students in our high school program. End-of-term narratives will be more extensive for our college students.
All work for a course is due by the deadlines given out by the professor. Students unable to meet a particular deadline, for whatever reason, should consult the course syllabus for information about the professor’s policy on late work and should make every effort to conform to it. If illness or other problems prevent a student from completing all work for a course by the end of the semester, and the professor is willing to accept late work, the professor should state in the final narrative what exactly is missing; what the deadline is for submission; and how the student is to submit it (eg. E-mail, snail mail with address).
If a student has an unexcused absence on the day of an exam, quiz, or an assignment due date, consult the course syllabus for professor’s policy. It is possible that no credit will be given and/or no makeup assessment will be allowed for the missed work. Although any work handed in will be given feedback even if the work is not eligible for credit.
If there is an excused absence on the day of an exam, quiz, or an assignment due date, students must consult with faculty on the day that they return to school even if it is not a day that the class typically meets. If those procedures are followed, there will be no academic penalty for an excused absence.
If you leave school early due to an unexpected illness on the day of an exam, quiz, or an assignment due date, as per school policy, the student must be signed out by a parent/guardian.
If there is a planned absence, be certain to talk to the teacher well in advance.
Two transcripts are maintained for BHSEC students: The Department of Education transcript and the Bard College transcript. Instructions for requesting copies of both are available on the website under the College Transfer Office tab.
Bard High School Early College offers students a rigorous academic program. In meeting the academic needs of students eager for intellectual challenge, it moves students from the 9th grade of high school through the first two years of college in four years. Bard High School Early College seeks students ready to rise to this challenge and offers various forms of support to any who have difficulty once at the school. In order to enter the early college program, students must achieve a cumulative average of at least 2.0 (C) in 9th and 10th grade.
High School: 9th and 10th Graders
To be in good academic standing, students in the 9th and 10th grades must complete the required program of classes each semester with an average of at least 2.0 (C or 75). A student who is not in good standing at the end of a semester will be placed on academic support for the following semester. A student who achieves both a semester and cumulative average of at least 2.0 will automatically regain good standing.
At mid-term in the fall and spring semesters, any student whose average is below 2.0 will be required, with his or her parents, to attend a meeting with representatives of Bard High School Early College to discuss the student’s difficulties and to determine what support is necessary. A similar meeting will be required at the end of the fall semester and/or spring semester if the student’s final semester average is below 2.0.
Furthermore, all students on academic support meet regularly with their guidance counselor or advisor, and are encouraged to make use of tutoring offered in the Learning Commons.
Early College: Year I and Year II Students
The administration and faculty of Bard High School Early College are eager to see all students admitted to the program succeed in earning the A.A. degree, and are committed to supporting those who could benefit from special assistance. A cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 is required in the early college program for graduation with the A.A. degree.
To be in good academic standing at the end of Year I, a student must complete the required program of classes with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. At midterm in the fall semester of Year I, any early college student whose average is below 2.0 will be required, with his or her parents, to attend a meeting with a representative of Bard High School Early College to discuss the student’s difficulties and to determine what steps and supports would be helpful. A similar meeting is required at the end of the fall semester if the Year I student’s fall semester average is below a 2.0, and the Year I student will be placed on academic support for the following semester. If the Year I student’s average is still below 2.0 at the end of the spring mid-term period, the student will again be required, with his or her parents, to attend a meeting with representatives of Bard High School Early College to discuss the student’s difficulties and to determine what further support is necessary.
If a Year II student’s cumulative average is below a 2.0 at the end of the fall semester, the student will again be required, with his or her parents, to attend a meeting with a representative of Bard High School Early College to discuss the student’s difficulties and the type of degree which the student can realistically expect to receive at the end of the spring semester. Students are expected to graduate from the early college program in four semesters.
Retaking a Course (for High School Credit) or Credit Recovery
High school students who fail a class (receive a grade of F) during the school year must retake that class. In such a case, both the failing grade and the new grade will be recorded on the student’s high school transcript. Occasionally, when only a few elements of the course requirements were not met, the student can work with the teacher, guidance counselor, and administration to complete the requirements while enrolled in a Credit Recovery Course in the semester following the failure. The original grade and the Credit Recovery grade both appear on the DOE transcript.
Year 1 and Year 2 students are required to take between 12 credits and 18 credits each semester, unless they receive approval of an exception from their guidance counselor and the dean. Students may request approval to change their classes during the first week of the semester through the Add/Drop process, as long as the resulting schedule meets the course load requirements and will enable the completion of A.A. requirements on schedule. The final dates for making such changes each semester are listed on the school calendar.
After the deadline for Add/Drop, a student in the college program may petition to Withdraw from one regular class in a given semester as long as it will not mean dropping below the 12 credits required to be a full-time student. The student’s guidance counselor, and the academic dean must approve the withdrawal. The deadline to submit requests for withdrawal each semester, typically one week after midterm grades are distributed and after parent-teacher conferences, is listed on the school calendar. Upon withdrawal, a W grade is listed on the student’s Bard College transcript. It appears as an NC grade on the DOE transcript.
A college student who is carrying at least 14 credits may request to take one course, excluding Seminar or other courses meeting the A.A. graduation requirements, on a Pass/Fail basis. This grading option must be exercised before the Withdrawal date for the semester, and is subject to approval by the guidance counselor and the academic dean. Students should be aware that classes taken Pass/Fail will not be accepted for transfer at most colleges.
This option is designed only for those students who are not able to earn the 60 credits required for the A.A. in their 4 semesters in the college program. Year 1 and Year 2 students may transfer in up to 6 college credits to be applied toward the 60 credits the associate in arts degree. Students who elect to take courses at other colleges who do not need them for the A.A. should simply wait and apply to transfer them to their four year college after leaving BHSEC. Students should request approval from the academic dean for the specific courses proposed before taking college courses at another institution, and are responsible for providing documentation (official transcript and syllabus) after satisfactory completion of the course.
College students, typically those in Year 2, may earn academic credit by successfully completing tutorial projects on topics that are not available through the regular course offerings. Before such a course of study can begin, a formal written course description and statement of student interest including discussion of relevant preparation, as well as a contract of student and faculty responsibilities (including credits, readings, number of meetings, and number and types of assessment) must be submitted and approved by the Dean of Studies and the Principal. Because tutorials require additional work and responsibility on the part of both the instructor and the students involved, these projects are only considered when comparable topics are not available in the regular course catalogue for a given semester.
