Department of Public Administration

College and Department Policies for Matriculated and Nonmatriculated MPA students

Students: Please save this document as you may need to refer to it throughout the semester.

Note: All College and Departmental Policies in the Graduate Catalog and the Your Right to Know & Academic Policies Handbook also apply to students enrolled in the MPA program or taking MPA courses.

I. Department Policies
II. SUNY Brockport E-mail and Drake Library Access
III. Public Administration Department Listserve

I. Department Policies

A. Nonmatriculated status: Students interested in taking courses as a non-matriculated graduate student may apply directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Application for non-degree status requires that the applicant complete a brief application, pay a one-time $25 application fee (subject to change) and submit an official transcript documenting that the applicant holds a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution. If a transcript is not available at the time of registration, applicants will be given 30 days from the first day of classes to provide one. Registration for subsequent semesters will be blocked if a transcript is not received. Students who plan to later apply for admission to a graduate program should consult with the department before engaging in non-matriculated graduate study. A maximum of nine credits taken at SUNY Brockport in non-degree status may be credited towards a graduate degree program.

B. Matriculation: The Department of Public Administration requires matriculation prior to or during the first nine credits of course work (three, 3-credit PAD courses). If you are in the process of completing your third PAD course, you must submit your application for matriculation to the Office of Graduate Admissions during the acquisition of this third course so that you will be matriculated during the first nine credits of the program (assuming you meet departmental admission criteria.) Graduate policy states that "A maximum of nine credits taken at SUNY Brockport in non-degree status may be credited towards a graduate degree program." Applications are reviewed and must be received by March 1 or October 1 of each year. Contact the Department of Public Administration at padmin@brockport.edu or the Graduate Admissions Office at (585) 395-5465 for admission guidelines and an application.

C. Grading: The College will record plus and minus (+/-) grades on transcripts. Under this grading system, a "B" equals 3.0 grade points (on the 4.0 GPA scale). College policy regarding the graduate GPA requires that you maintain a 3.0 average by the time you have completed 30 credits. No credit is awarded for grades of "E", "U", and "I" (Incomplete).

Department policy states the following:

Two grades of less than "B" in MPA core courses will result in dematriculation.
You may not retake MPA core courses.
An "E" in the any of the MPA core courses will result in dematriculation.

If you have questions about the grade requirements listed above, please see your instructor or your faculty advisor.

Your grades will be available approximately three weeks after the official end of the academic semester through the College's on-line Campus Information System at www.brockport.edu/etc/online.html.

D. Computer Proficiency: You must demonstrate proficiency in computer applications. Generally, that means that you must take at least one computer elective. Refer to the Graduate Catalog and the course schedule for the department's course offerings.

E. Drop/Add Procedures: You must drop within seven days of the initial course date to be reimbursed 100 %. Policies and refund dates are available in the Opening of School brochure, which is mailed to you before the start of each semester. The Office of Registration and Records can provide more information at (585) 395-2531 or http://www.brockport.edu/registrar/dates/.

F. Withdrawals: We permit only emergency Withdrawals for unusual circumstances up to the week before final exams. Your instructor and the department chair must approve them and they must be processed through the Bursar's office and submitted with appropriate Withdrawal fees.

G. Incompletes: Ordinarily, we do not allow Incomplete grades except in exceptional cases when you provide a written request to the faculty member who at his/her discretion may grant one. (An Incomplete indicates that you did not complete the required course work, but reached an agreement with your instructor that permits you to complete the work at a specified later date.)

H. Attendance policy: College attendance policy states that you should be informed of the following: Absences deemed excessive by the instructor may result in a lower grade, and unexcused absences exceeding 15 percent of the scheduled classes will cause you to be subject to failure at the instructor's discretion. In a regular course with weekly classes, absence from one class is allowed before we apply a grade penalty.

I. Academic integrity: The Department of Public Administration endorses the College's policies on academic integrity. Academic dishonesty is a major violation of College Policy, which can result in the failure of a course, as well as in a range of disciplinary actions, from an official warning to suspension or dismissal from the college. Any student suspected of such a violation will be subject to charges. Please refer to your copy of the Your Right to Know & Academic Policies Handbook for additional information regarding academic integrity and SUNY Brockport's policies. This handbook is produced for distribution every fall for all students, faculty, and staff at SUNY Brockport. It contains important information every student should know about campus safety, codes of student conduct, and more. It is also available online at: http://www.brockport.edu/publications/yrtk/

J. Religious holidays: If you have special needs because of religious holidays, please see the instructor after class so that special arrangements can be made for you.

K. Disability policy: Students with documented disabilities may be entitled to specific
accommodations. SUNY Brockport's Office for Students with Disabilities makes this determination. Please contact the Office for Students with Disabilities at (585) 395-5409 or osdoffic@brockport.edu to inquire about obtaining an official letter to the course instructor detailing any approved accommodations. The student is responsible for providing the course instructor with an official letter. Faculty work as a team with the Office for Students with Disabilities to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

L. Student Support Services:

The Student Learning Center, www.brockport.edu/~slc/index.html or (585) 395-2293, offers support in writing, including developing an outline, creating a rough draft, or revising and polishing a final effort and word processing.

The Cultural Center for Student Services and Development, (585) 395-5245, also responds to minority students' cultural needs, including academic assistance.

The Office of Career Services, www.brockport.edu/~career/cshome.htm or (585) 395-2159, offers a range of services for SUNY Brockport students and alumni. Visit their Web site for more information.

In order to fully utilize any of the above services, please contact the offices at the numbers listed early, especially when class work might be reviewed in advance of class deadlines.

II. SUNY Brockport E-mail and Drake Library Access

Enrolled Brockport students are assigned a Userid and Password (your NetID) to access your student e-mail account and Drake library databases. Information on how to set up your account can be found here: http://www.brockport.edu/its/email/newaccounts.html.

Your NetID provides access to many online databases available through Drake Library’s home page athttp://www.brockport.edu/library. These databases cover various disciplines and can be searched to locate citations, abstracts, and some full text articles from scholarly journals and popular magazines.

III. Public Administration Department Listserve

Students are encourated to sign up for our departmental listserve to receive important announcements, deadline dates, and other news. You can subscribe to our listserve directly from our home page at http://www.brockport/edu/pubadmin.

1/11/2007