Calendar

A. The Academic Year

1. The Middlebury College calendar is determined according to the following guidelines. The Calendar Committee may make reasonable adjustments within these rules to accommodate any specific year.

a. Fall Semester

i. Normally, orientation week begins the first Wednesday after the first Monday in September and classes begin the following Monday.

ii. The semester extends for 13 weeks, followed by a final examination period.

iii. There are two recess periods:

(a) Two days, usually during the sixth or seventh week

(b) Wednesday through Sunday of Thanksgiving week

b. Winter Term 

Winter term begins between January 3 and 6, depending upon when New Year's Day falls.  Winter term will consist of 20 days of instruction.  The break between winter and spring terms will normally be a minimum of 11 days and a maximum of 16 days, but when this schedule necessitates beginning spring term classes in midweek the break may be reduced to 9 days.

c. Spring Semester

i.  Spring semester classes usually start on the Monday after the winter break as defined above.

ii. The semester extends for 13 weeks, followed by a final examination period.

iii. There is a recess period of one week, usually after the sixth or seventh week of the spring semester.

d. Final Examination Period

For fall and spring semester, the final examination period normally begins two to three days following the end of classes. Exams are scheduled for five days, as listed on the College calendar. The spring semester examination period may be shortened to avoid having Commencement occur later than May 30.

No activities, athletic events (games or practices), course registration, additional or makeup classes will be scheduled for this period of time. All class activities must be concluded on the last day of classes. A thesis defense may be scheduled during the final examination period. Events that do not require student attendance may be held during exam week. However, no events requiring service support from Facilities Services, Media Services or Dining Events can be scheduled from Friday through Monday during exam week in May. 

Degree Requirements

A. Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree must complete 36 courses. At least 18 of these courses must be Middlebury courses. Courses taken at Middlebury summer Language Schools or at the Middlebury Schools Abroad will count in the 18-course total and the grades will count in the undergraduate grade point average. No more than six courses with a D grade may be applied to degree requirements. A minimum of two winter term courses are required and a maximum of four winter term courses will count toward the graduation requirement of 36 courses. First-year students must be in residence for their first winter term and enrolled in a winter term course on campus. Specific requirements follow:

1.  Residency. First-year students must be enrolled in a Middlebury course during their first winter term at the College.  Residency in Middlebury, VT, for the fall and spring semesters of the student's senior year is required for all students unless excused by the Administration Committee.

2. A writing-intensive seminar for first-year students must be completed during the first year at Middlebury, normally during the first semester.

3. Each student must elect a second writing-intensive course during the second, third, or fourth semester at Middlebury. A college writing course taken concurrently with a first-year seminar does not satisfy this requirement. Writing-intensive classes devote special attention to the process of writing and revision and are designated in the Middlebury College Catalog as CW.

4. Each student must complete the distribution requirements described in section B of the "Degree Programs and Projects" section of this chapter.

5. Each student must complete a major as described in section C of the "Degree Programs and Projects" section of this chapter. Minors are optional.

6. Each student must complete two physical education units prior to graduation unless excused by the Administration Committee, normally upon recommendation of the College Health Service. See the Middlebury College Catalog for details on physical education courses.

7. The normal pattern for earning the baccalaureate degree at Middlebury College is four consecutive years of study. The requirements must be completed within ten calendar years from the initial date of matriculation. If a student is not able to complete the degree within that time frame, s/he will be held to the curriculum and degree requirements listed in the Catalog in the year in which they are readmitted, or as determined by the Administration Committee.

8. Staff members at Middlebury College who are accepted as baccalaureate degree candidates* will meet all Middlebury College BA degree requirements in place at the time that the period of degree-candidacy begins, with the following exceptions:
(*Applicable to students matriculating in Fall of 2009 and after)

(a) The senior residency requirement is waived.

(b) The 36 course total may include, but need not include, up to four Winter Term courses.

(c) The staff member’s ad hoc admission committee may consider proposed substitute courses for those required for distribution or for the major requirement when, in the judgment of the committee, such changes enable the applicant to achieve the goals of his her or proposed program of study and when the proposed adjustments maintain the integrity of existing curricular requirements.

B. Advanced Placement Credit

Middlebury College cooperates with the College Board's Advanced Placement Program. At the discretion of individual departments, Middlebury College will award college credit for scores of 4 or 5 in subjects covered in the Middlebury curriculum in which Advanced Placement examinations are given. The registrar will notify first-year students and their advisers of advanced placement credits early in the fall semester.

1. One Middlebury College course credit will be awarded for each qualifying AP exam score. Two credits will be awarded in those instances in which the department has demonstrated to the Curriculum Committee that the AP examination adequately covers material in two separately numbered Middlebury College courses that students would normally take sequentially.

2. Advanced Placement credits may be used to anticipate course work at Middlebury. AP credits applied toward graduation will be counted toward the 16-course limit in the department granting the credit unless the department specifically states that the credits do not count toward the major.  A maximum of five Middlebury College course credits may be accumulated through AP exams.  A student may not register for a Middlebury College course that covers substantially the same material as an AP exam on which he or she has received a score eligible for credit as described above.  Departments will be responsible for submitting to the registrar lists of these equivalent courses.  In exceptional circumstances, the prohibition on registering for a course that is the equivalent of an AP exam may be waived by a department chair.

3. Advanced Placement scores must be reported directly to Middlebury College by the Educational Testing Service. In order for Advanced Placement credits to count toward the 36 credit requirement for graduation, the examination scores must be received no later than the end of the student's second semester at Middlebury College.

C. Acceleration

With departmental approval, a student may propose an accelerated program to the Administration Committee.

In order to accelerate, students may apply extra credits taken at Middlebury, transfer credits, Advanced Placement credits, or a combination of them. A minimum of four extra credits are required to graduate a term early; seven extra credits are required to change the expected graduation date. Once a student is advanced in class standing, it is not normally possible to return to the previous class standing, and students must apply to the Administration Committee for approval.

D. The Physical Education Requirement

As part of Middlebury's degree requirement, each student must complete two different physical education courses prior to graduation. Each course carries one unit of physical education credit. Students may also earn one unit of physical education credit by participating in a season of varsity or junior varsity intercollegiate athletics. Two credits can be earned by participation in two different sports. PHED courses do not count in the total of 36 academic course credits required for graduation.

Students are encouraged to complete the physical education credits by the end of their fourth semester at Middlebury (excluding winter term). In the case of transfer students, students are encouraged to complete the requirement by the end of their second semester at Middlebury. Students who have not completed their requirement by the second semester of their senior year will not be eligible to graduate.

Degree Programs and Projects

A. First-year Student Seminars

First-year seminars are thematic courses that approach an area of intellectual inquiry from a perspective that attempts to make connections among a number of the traditional disciplines. Normally, a first-year seminar has an enrollment of no more than 15 students for each faculty member in the seminar. The first-year seminars have an intensive writing component. All entering students register for one first-year seminar. The instructor of this seminar is the first-year faculty adviser for all the students enrolled in the course. Normally, first-year seminars do not satisfy departmental major requirements. Exceptions to this pattern are published in the catalog of first-year seminars.

B. Distribution Requirement

All students must complete two sets of distribution requirements:

(a) academic categories, and

(b) cultures and civilizations.

Courses that count toward the major and the minor may be used to satisfy distribution requirements. Winter term courses, first-year seminars, and College writing courses may also be used to satisfy distribution requirements. .

Independent study courses (0500 and above) do not qualify for distribution requirements.

Students must take at least one course in seven of eight academic categories described below. Single courses can be listed with two distribution categories. A student may count a single course in no more than one academic category requirement. 

1. Academic Categories

a. Literature (LIT)

Literature has been a central form of expression for many societies. Analysis and appreciation of the literary text give students insight into the minds and lives of other human beings, both their own cultural predecessors and people of different traditions, and into the process whereby human experience is imaginatively transformed into art. By studying literature in English and in other languages, students also sharpen their ability to express their own ideas with grace and precision.

b. The Arts (ART)

The understanding of the history, theory, and practice of the arts is an integral part of a liberal arts education. Courses in this category either emphasize the creative process through the making and performing of actual works of art (ranging from paintings and sculptures to plays, dances, creative writing, film/video, and musical compositions) or study the place of such works of art within a particular historical, cultural, or aesthetic context.

c. Philosophical and Religious Studies (PHL)

Courses in this category examine philosophical systems and religious traditions from a variety of viewpoints, including analytical, systematic, historical, sociological, anthropological, and phenomenological perspectives. Some courses deal with specific philosophical problems or theological issues; others trace the history of philosophy or of religious traditions; still others examine philosophical schools of thought or religious traditions during specific periods of history.

d. Historical Studies (HIS)

History is that branch of knowledge that seeks to account for the diverse ways in which human beings in different cultures and societies have all met and responded to temporal change. Courses in this area study the development of societies and cultures over time.

e. Physical and Life Sciences (SCI)

Courses in this category study inductive and deductive processes of science. Emphasis is on the methods used to gather, interpret, and evaluate data critically, and the placement of this information into a larger context. Fundamental principles of each discipline are discussed in a manner that illustrates the evolving relationship of science, technology, and society.

f. Deductive Reasoning and Analytical Processes (DED)

Courses in this category deal with one or more of the following: (a) basic principles of reasoning and the axiomatic method; (b) statistical methods for analyzing and interpreting data; (c) key mathematical concepts; (d) abstract symbolic manipulation or reasoning.

g. Social Analysis (SOC)

This category deals with the analysis of the individual in society. Courses in this area involve the systematic study of human behavior and the processes and results of human interaction through organizations and institutions, both formal and informal. Social analysis can be undertaken from a variety of perspectives: inductive (using data to make generalizations about human behavior), deductive (using principles to search for and to develop new theories), and normative (using values to recognize important questions and to evaluate alternative answers).

h. Foreign Language (LNG)

Speaking, listening, reading, and writing in a language other than one's own exercise and expand the mind. Because of the close interdependence between language and culture, study of a foreign language helps one gain insights into other societies and ultimately one's own. Courses in this category include many, but not all, of those taught in a foreign language or which focus on texts in a foreign language.

2. Cultures and Civilizations Requirement

Middlebury College believes that students should have broad educational exposure to the variety of the world's cultures and civilizations. Because cultural differences are based upon, among other factors, geography as well as history, ethnicity as well as gender, issues pertaining to cultural difference are integral to most of the academic disciplines represented in the curriculum. Accordingly, Middlebury students are required to complete a cultures and civilizations requirement consisting of one course in each of the following four categories:

a. AAL: courses that focus on some aspect of the cultures and civilizations of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

b. CMP: courses that focus on the process of comparison between and among cultures and civilizations, or courses that focus on the identity and experience of separable groups within cultures and civilizations.

c. EUR: courses that focus on some aspect of European cultures and civilizations.

d. NOR: courses that focus on some aspect of the cultures and civilizations of northern America (United States and Canada)

A single course may be listed as fulfilling no more than two of the four categories above (as determined by the Curriculum Committee). If two of the four categories are listed for a single course, a student may choose which category the course will fulfill, but a single course cannot count for two categories. A student may, however, count the same course toward both an academic category requirement, and the cultures and civilizations requirement. Courses that count toward the major and the minor, winter term courses, and first year student seminars may be used to satisfy the cultures and civilizations requirement.

College Board Advanced Placement credits may not be used to satisfy distribution or cultures and civilizations requirements.

C. Major Programs of Study

Students choose one of the following programs of study:

(a) 1 major (departmental, joint, or interdisciplinary)

(b) 1 major (departmental, joint, or interdisciplinary), 1 minor

(c) 1 departmental major, 2 minors

(d) 2 majors* (either 2 departmental or one departmental and one interdisciplinary), no minor (a student declaring two majors may elect a Teacher Education minor).

*A student who has declared two majors will have to choose to complete only one major should scheduling conflicts occur.

A major requires a minimum of 10 fall and spring semester courses. Students may take no more than 16 fall and spring semester courses and, in addition, no more than two winter term courses in a major department or program.

All students must officially declare a major by the end of the third semester. Any student who wishes to complete a second major must officially declare by the end of the fourth semester of study. After the fourth semester, students wishing to add a second major, or change majors, must petition and gain approval from the new department or program to ensure that the student can complete the major by the end of the eighth semester.

Some highly structured programs, particularly those involving study in the foreign languages or the natural sciences, are facilitated by a declaration of major by the end of the second semester.

A department may define standards for the admission of students to its major program. Students who do not meet these standards may be denied admission or may be admitted provisionally, pending demonstration of their qualifications for advanced work in the department.

Major/Adviser Declaration/Change forms are available in the Office of the Registrar and each of the Commons offices. The declaration form must be signed by the chair of the major department or program (or designee).

D. Change of Major

To change a major, a student must present an academic plan for completion of the new major or program to the adviser and chair or director (or designee) of the proposed major department or program. Upon gaining approval of that plan, the student must submit a Change of Major form to the Office of the Registrar, signed by the adviser and chair (or designee) of the proposed major department or program.

E. Joint Majors

To complete a joint major, a student is required to:

1. Secure formal approval from advisers and chairs (or designees) in both departments or programs. To gain that approval, the student is required to work with the chairs (or designees) of both departments or programs on an academic program for completion of the proposed joint major. The minimum requirements agreed upon, and the overall program, along with the combined total of 14 fall and spring semester courses, must be submitted in writing with the signature of the two department or program chairs (or designees) to the Office of the Registrar.

2. Complete a senior program which combines both majors and is agreed upon by the advisers and department or program chairs (or designees) involved. That senior work may include or exclude normal expectations regarding independent work and general examinations as appropriate.

A student declaring a joint major may not declare any other major.

F. Two Majors

To complete two separate majors (either 2 departmental or one departmental and one interdisciplinary), a student is required to:

1. Formally declare both majors according to procedures stated above, with the approval of the chairs (or designees) of both departments or programs.

2. Complete all the requirements for the major in each department or program. A course will meet the requirements of more than one major for the same student if that specific course is listed by number and name, in the college catalogue, as specifically required for both majors. Up to two courses implicitly or explicitly listed as generic or categorical requirements of both majors will also meet the requirements of more than one major for the same student. No other courses will be counted as satisfying the requirements of more than one major for the same student except by specific action of the Curriculum Committee and faculty.

3. A student declaring two majors may not declare any minors, with the Education Studies minor as an exception to that rule.

G. Minors

Students may elect to complete one minor if they are undertaking one major (either departmental, joint, or interdisciplinary). A student may declare two minors if s/he is pursuing one departmental major. A student declaring two majors may not declare any minors, with the Education Studies minor as an exception to that rule.

Students who elect to complete a minor must declare their intention to do so by the end of the add period of the seventh semester of study. No minor will be accepted after registration for a student's final semester.

Minors will consist of four to six courses, at least one of which must be at an advanced level.

Departments and programs may designate configurations of courses that will constitute a minor (or minors) for that department, program, or major.

Students may not self-design a minor.

Faculty may design interdepartmental minors in those areas of the curriculum in which a major is not offered.

Minors will be listed on students' transcripts.

A course may count toward a student's major or minor, but not toward both. A course counted toward one minor may not be counted toward an additional minor.

H. Independent Scholar Program

The Independent Scholar Program is designed to meet the needs of outstanding students who have clearly defined educational goals that cannot be fulfilled within the framework of a normal departmental or interdisciplinary major. Independent Scholars plan their own curricular programs with the assistance of a faculty advisor. For the 2009-2010 academic year, application materials are due to the Curriculum Committee  by Monday, October 5, 2009, for fall review, and Monday, March 8, 2010, for spring review.

Eligibility: In order to qualify to be an Independent Scholar, a student must demonstrate a high level of scholarship. It is the normal expectation that students applying for Independent Scholar status be in their sophomore year with no fewer than 14 credits remaining, and that they will fulfill all requirements for the degree, using their approved Independent Scholar plan as their major course of study. Proposed INDE programs will be evaluated in light of feasibility, academic integrity, and demonstrated ability of the student. A successful proposal must articulate a fully developed program of study, and will demonstrate compellingly that the student’s academic goals cannot be met through existing majors.

Application process: To be designated an Independent Scholar, a student must undergo a rigorous approval process overseen by the Curriculum Committee. The process begins with an interview with Dean of Curriculum Bob Cluss. The student must subsequently prepare and submit a well-defined program to the Curriculum Committee, covering a description of the aim of the program, the independent work, and the courses he or she proposes to take comprising the major. The proposal must be accompanied by a written endorsement of a faculty member who is willing and qualified to supervise the student, as well as a statement of support from an alternate faculty member. The Curriculum Committee will review all submitted materials, and if warranted, convene a meeting with the candidate and advisers. Final approval rests with the Curriculum Committee.

Oversight: The Curriculum Committee will solicit updates from each Independent Scholar twice a year. Changes to the program must also be submitted to the Curriculum Committee, and the faculty supervisor will cosign all registration materials. The Major Declaration form and Degree Audit forms will be signed by both the faculty adviser and Dean of Curriculum. Students who elect to withdraw from the Independent Scholar Program, or who have their independent scholar status withdrawn, may be allowed, at the discretion of the committee, to graduate in general studies, without a formal major in any department.

Senior work: The INDE 0800 is a cumulating experience for this program of study. This project brings together the course work the student has completed and incorporates all aspects of the study into one final project. Students applying to be independent scholars are asked to provide an indication of possible INDE 0800 projects at the time that they submit their proposals. Students are able, however, to change the topic of their INDE 0800 project in order to respond to new interests and information acquired during the course of their study.

The INDE 0800 project is undertaken for one or two terms. Students who wish to be considered for honors must work with a thesis committee. Others may choose to work with an individual faculty member, usually the student's adviser. The choice of senior project is flexible. For example, with permission from the adviser, a student in the performing arts might want to incorporate a dance performance, musical composition, or some other feature as part of his or her course of study.

Honors: In order to be considered for honors, independent scholars normally must meet two criteria: a minimum average of B+ in courses taken towards the major and a minimum grade of B+ on the senior work component. The Registrar's Office oversees the first requirement and will inform the adviser of the student's eligibility. The senior work component must be evaluated by a committee of three faculty members (one of whom, at the adviser's request, may be a faculty member on the Curriculum Committee). Minimum thesis grades for each level of honors are B+ (Honors), A- (High Honors), and A (Highest Honors), but the determination of the appropriate level will be made by the committee.

For more information about this program, contact Bob Cluss, Dean of Curriculum.

I. 0500 Courses

The election of a 0500 project provides an opportunity for individual work in one's field of interest. It is a privilege open to those students with advanced preparation and superior records in their fields; exceptions will be considered by submitting a request to the Curriculum Committee. The 0500 projects in a student's major or minor department must be approved by the department. All 0500 projects proposed outside of the major or minor department must be approved by the chair of the department in which the work is to be done. Students who have earned 17 or fewer credits, not including AP credits, are normally not permitted to undertake independent work during the Fall and Spring semesters. Exceptions may be considered upon written request to the Curriculum Committee. Students with 8 or more credits may pursue independent work during winter term. A student is limited to four 0500 projects in any discipline, not including winter term independent projects.

J. Senior Program

Departments may organize independent senior work to suit their needs under the general principle of encouraging students in independent work. Courses satisfying this requirement are designated by each department, upon approval by the Curriculum Committee, and may include any of the following:

• A thesis or independent research project
• The production of a creative work, for example a video, film, performance, play, or a musical composition
• Writing or directing a play
• A service-learning or community-based research project
• Tutorial seminars that are limited to 8 students and include significant independent work for each student. These seminars might be thematically oriented or may leave the focus of study to the specific students enrolled in the course. The latter option focuses on students initially discussing broad topics and methodologies in a class setting and then seeking specific guidance outside of class from one or more faculty members on a specialized topic within the discipline.

When senior independent work continues through more than one term, a grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) will be submitted for each term of the project. When a final grade is recorded, the S or U will be converted to whatever final grade is reported.

In addition to senior independent work, departments may also offer a general examination. If given, the general examination becomes a fixed degree requirement and may count as one or two course units, as the department shall determine. It may receive a grade separate from that given to the senior independent work.

Normally, general examinations will be held in a student's senior year. In certain cases, students may take general examinations at the end of their junior year. All reexaminations must be taken at Middlebury under the supervision of those in charge of the major program. Prior registration for such examinations must be made with the commons dean and department chair.

Each department may, at its discretion and in accordance with its requirements, excuse students from final examinations in their major field if they achieve a specified grade in the general examination.

A maximum value of three course units may be assigned for senior work. Students not enrolled in the College will be charged a fee of $150 for resubmission of senior work.

K. Graduate Courses

Graduate credit is granted during the academic year only in the Department of Biology. Graduate applicants are approved by the dean of curriculum or designee upon the recommendation of the chair of the Department of Biology.

Winter Term

A. Winter Term and Course Structures

1. Faculty and students are involved in only one academic credit bearing course during winter term, providing unique opportunities for study. Among these are extensive field work, independent study, internships, senior work, and interdisciplinary study. A minimum of eight contact hours per week is required for all winter term courses.

2. Departments are encouraged to designate winter term courses as acceptable for credit toward majors, minors, and distribution requirements.

3. Winter term courses may be integrated with fall or spring semester courses. A fall semester course may be a prerequisite for a winter term course, or a winter term course may be a prerequisite for a spring semester course.

4. All courses must be approved by the Curriculum Committee.

5. All members of the faculty not on leave or released time are expected to participate in an approved winter term course. Unless an exception is granted by the Curriculum Committee, enrollment will normally be limited to 22 students per instructor in any winter term course, 38 for a team-taught course unless special arrangements are made through the Curriculum Committee, and 18 for language courses (per instructor). The enrollment limit for a Winter Term course that satisfies the College Writing requirement will be 12 students.

6. Winter term courses are graded on an A-F basis unless special arrangements are made through the Curriculum Committee. The same grading system applies to all students taking a particular course for credit. Exceptions are internships (graded credit/no credit), student-led courses (graded credit/no credit), and occasional independent projects or other courses where the instructor decides that the special nature of the course is better suited to honors/pass/fail grading. All winter term course work must be completed by the end of the winter term. Grades of incomplete will be submitted according to existing procedures, and such work must be satisfactorily completed by the last day of classes of the following spring term.

Students who fail winter term courses or independent winter projects will be placed on probation and required to make up a course credit.
<text updated 28-Oct-2009; removed reference to internships in this paragraph>

Theses, honors projects, and other work undertaken or completed during winter term as part of a larger project will be graded under the regular grading system, the grade to be based upon an evaluation of the project as a whole.

B. Student Options for Winter Term

Students are required to earn Middlebury credits during two winter terms. All first-year students must enroll in a winter term course their first winter term at Middlebury. This includes both September and February matriculates. The second credit may be earned by enrolling in a winter term course, a credit-bearing independent project, a credit-bearing internship, or by studying abroad and earning winter term equivalent credit. (A minimum of two and a maximum of four winter term courses will count toward the graduation requirement of 36 course credits.)

Independent Projects (0500 Work)

Students with 8 or more credits may submit a proposal to their faculty sponsor for on or off-campus winter term independent work either as a continuation of their major or minor or as work outside of their major or minor as long as:

• You have not completed more than two units of winter term independent work; and
• You have received the approval of the chair or director of that department or program in which the work will be completed

Students are not allowed to pursue independent projects during their first winter term.

How to Apply: Contact the department chair/director of the department or program in which the work will be done to request their guidelines.
Deadline: October 23, 2009 – submit proposals to faculty sponsor.

Winter Term Internships

Internships involve significant, high-level exposure to and participation in the work of an established career. Mere by-standing is not sufficient, and a distinction is made between professional careers and work experience. In order for an internship application to be approved, the members of the Curriculum Committee must be convinced that the internship will provide the intern with either an opportunity to grow intellectually or a professional experience directly related to the intern's major or intended postgraduate career. Internships are available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Routine office experience, clerical work, or the continuation of a summer job or internship is not suitable. According to Middlebury College policy, internships for academic credit are unpaid career experiences, although students may receive a stipend towards their living expenses and travel.

Credit toward Middlebury graduation requirements cannot be granted for internships done outside the time period of the winter term. Students applying for internships must be in good academic standing. A student may not repeat the same winter term internship for credit. A maximum of two internships may be taken during any student's four-year college career. A second internship must be substantially different from the first. Generally, the Curriculum Committee will not look favorably on an application that involves work in the same organization as an earlier internship, or work that involves repeated application of the same skills and experiences used in an internship previously completed.

Career Services has established a list of pre-approved internships undertaken by students in previous years, which will not require additional approval by the committee. Students interested in these internships, as well as in submitting those of their own design, should contact Career Services. Application for all internships must be made in writing to Career Services. The deadline for submitting applications to the Career Services for January 2010 internships is Friday, October 23, 2009.

Applications for internships other than those previously approved by the Curriculum Committee shall contain a clear and well-supported statement describing how the internship relates to the student's educational program. Proposals that involve the association of a student with a close relative will require clear evidence of educational merit. The relative may not function as the intern's supervisor. If the internship is to be undertaken in a foreign country, the committee will expect competence in the language of the country.

The work supervisor must provide a clear statement of the responsibilities of the intern and how the intern will be evaluated.

Internship proposals must be endorsed in advance by the student's faculty adviser and approved by Career Services in consultation with the Curriculum Committee. The faculty adviser's endorsement indicates the internship is viewed as appropriate to the student's educational objectives. All applications must also be endorsed by the member of the faculty or administrative staff who will serve as the academic sponsor of the internship. The academic sponsor will recommend a grade of credit or no credit on the basis of the intern's written work, either in the form of a journal or a substantial paper, determined in advance by the academic sponsor. The student shall also file a three-to-five-page summary report on the internship with Career Services. These reports will be made available on the Career Services Web site to be consulted by students considering internships in the future. An evaluation by the intern's supervisor is also required at the end of the internship in order to assure credit and posting to the intern's transcript.

Study Abroad

Proposals for study abroad in an accredited program for winter term credit must be submitted to International Programs and Off-Campus Study in the Sunderland Language Center. These proposals do NOT need to be submitted to the Curriculum Committee.
Deadline: October 16, 2009.

Opting Out of Winter Term

Students who elect not to participate in winter term MUST still participate in winter term registration by enrolling in the No-Credit, “Opt-Out” option. Students registering for this No-Credit option will not receive academic credit during winter term, and will not be eligible to remain on campus. This option is not available to students who are participating in their first winter term, i.e., students who entered Middlebury in the Spring or Fall of 2009. Students participating as a member of a Middlebury College winter team sport MUST be enrolled in an academic credit-bearing course during winter term.

Winter Term Student Led Courses

Proposals for student-led courses may be submitted to the Curriculum Committee. Such proposals will ordinarily originate with a student or group of students. The proposals must be reviewed and supported by a department or program prior to their submission to the Curriculum Committee. The participants in a student-led course are normally presumed to have studied at the college level in areas relevant to the proposed course. However, some student-led courses may be designed to provide an intensive introduction to a new area. The number of participants in student-led courses may normally be no smaller than five and no larger than 12.

The department supporting the course endorses the student leader, who will organize and conduct the course and propose its syllabus. The department shall designate a faculty supervisor. Student leaders shall consult with the faculty supervisor on a regular basis. The faculty supervisor shall determine credit. These courses are graded Credit/No Credit. Student-led courses are subject to the following restrictions:

a. The proposal shall be submitted to the Curriculum Committee by the end of the second week of the fall semester.
Deadline: September 18, 2009.

b. A proposal must include a departmental recommendation of the course and its leader, a detailed syllabus, and a list of interested students who will participate in the course if it is offered. Proposed work assignments and meeting schedules must also be submitted.

c. If the student leader drops the course, it will be canceled automatically.

C. General Procedures for Winter Term

1. The Curriculum Committee is responsible for the general administration of the winter term academic program.

2. A minimum of two and a maximum of four winter term courses will count toward the graduation requirement of 36 credits. Upper class students with sufficient credits may elect not to participate in winter term, but no student may remain on campus during winter term unless he or she is enrolled in a winter term course, credit-bearing independent project, on-campus internship, or off-campus internship in the local community.

3. A student must be in residence and enroll in a regular winter term course during his or her first winter term. This includes both September and February matriculates.

4. Each winter term course proposal should contain the following items: title, description, class format, prerequisites, maximum effective size, budgetary requests (if any), and recommendations concerning credit toward departmental, academic distribution, and cultures-civilization distribution requirements.

5. The Curriculum Committee may make or suggest adjustments in proposed courses in consultation with the departments concerned.

6. A department normally may require its students to take no more than one of its winter term courses, in addition to winter term senior work, during four years. Students are urged to take winter term courses in substantially different academic areas in their first and second years. Over four years a student may take no more than three winter term courses in one department, and no more than two winter term courses, in addition to winter term senior work, in his or her major department. A student may take up to four interdepartmental winter term courses during these four years.

7. Winter term course registration and subsequent changes in it are subject to the following regulations:

a. Students complete their registration during the registration period in early November. Students who are not on campus during the fall semester may register for the winter term online in BannerWeb during the online winter term registration period.

b. Changes in course registration may be made only during the first three days on which classes meet during winter term. Due to time constraints during winter term, late adds are automatically charged a late fee of $35.

c. A student who misses the first class of winter term must be excused by a Commons dean or it will be assumed that the student has dropped the course.

d. The registration windows for Winter Term open as follows: (1) students with 8-16.99 credits earned; (2) students with 3-7.99 credits earned; (3) students with 17-36+ credits earned. 

Transfer Courses and Off-Campus Study

A. Transfer Courses

Students may transfer course credits from other U.S. institutions of higher education only at the discretion of Middlebury College. Students should obtain preliminary approval for a course for which they expect transfer credit before enrolling in it. Students should complete in advance a Transfer Credit Application form, requiring approval by the appropriate department chair or program director and the Dean of International Programs. The form should be accompanied by a complete course description and a syllabus, if available; further information about the institution may also be required by the chair or dean. Transcripts from approved educational institutions must be official and sent directly from the institution that granted credit. Grade reports, unofficial transcripts, faxed or hand-carried transcripts are not acceptable.

To receive credit the transfer course should normally be above the introductory level at the institution attended and carry at least three semester-hour credits or five quarter-hour credits. Only courses that meet for a period of four weeks or longer and at least the same number of class hours as an equivalent Middlebury College course are eligible to receive credit. A student may only transfer two courses per summer session and a maximum of four summer courses over two sessions. Only courses with a grade of C- or better may be transferred from another institution toward the Middlebury degree.  Courses graded on a pass/fail basis do not transfer. Transfer credits may be used to satisfy the academic and cultures/civilizations distribution requirements if the transfer credit is considered by the appropriate Middlebury department to be the equivalent of a Middlebury course that would satisfy one or more of those requirements. After students matriculate at Middlebury College, they normally may not take two-year or community college courses for credit towards a Middlebury degree.  College courses taken in high school and applied toward a high school diploma or in a college/high school cooperative program are not transferable. Only courses taken on college campuses, taught by college professors, for college students, and for which there are official transcripts may be considered for transfer.

Transfer work from U.S. institutions will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis to determine the fulfillment of Middlebury departmental and College requirements. The major European examination certificates, such as the French Baccalauréat, International Baccalaureate, Swiss Maturité, Artium Examination, British A levels, and German Abitur, are normally considered to have a value of one full academic year if students receive scores that indicate excellent performance. Students who receive such credit may not then receive credit for Middlebury introductory courses in subjects covered on the examination.

All transfer course work completed off campus, whether in the U.S. or abroad, must receive final approval by the dean of international programs. When courses taken prior to matriculation at Middlebury, during summers, or while withdrawn from the College are transferred, the credit is recorded but not the grade that was awarded. Students on a post-matriculation semester or year-long study abroad program must have the program approved by the Programs Abroad Committee prior to their study abroad to receive Middlebury credit. Students will not receive transfer credit for non-approved study abroad programs.

B. 0555 Courses

Students may receive one course credit for highly specialized advanced work (designated 0555) relating to their major field with prior approval and subsequent evaluation by their major department. This work will normally be unpaid, done in the summer or when a student is not regularly enrolled, and will be graded credit/no credit.

The 0555 courses are not summer 0500 projects; they involve high-level research under professional supervision. Research must result in material that can be evaluated by a Middlebury faculty member. All 0555 projects must be approved in advance by the Curriculum Committee. A fee of $100 is charged for 0555 courses.

C. Off-Campus Study/Junior Year Abroad

Off-campus study provides students opportunities to further develop their language skills and/or assimilate the culture of another country; or it can give access to academic programs, cultural resources, or natural environments unavailable at Middlebury College. More than half of each Middlebury class studies abroad in the junior year, and some 65 percent of these students take courses in their discipline in the language of the host country and/or engage in advanced language study. To ensure a sense of purpose, students should clearly define academic and personal goals, possess adequate competence in language and other pertinent skills, and select an appropriate school and setting. Students who plan to study abroad, whether as part of a language, international studies, or other major, should consider beginning or continuing language study in their first semester at Middlebury.

Juniors wishing to study with the C.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad programs in China, France, Germany, Italy, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, or Spain should consult with their academic adviser, the appropriate language department and International Programs and Off-Campus Study. These programs are open to all qualified students.

The Off-Campus Study committee considers student applications for direct enrollment in selected overseas universities, as well as certain junior year abroad programs established by other American colleges and universities. In granting permission for a junior year abroad program, Middlebury agrees to grant full equivalent credit on successful completion of the program. Interested students should consult with International Programs and Off-Campus Study for further information. Descriptions of programs, catalogs, and application forms are available in that office.

Students studying on approved junior year abroad programs are charged an administrative fee. See the College Handbook Student Finances section for the fee for the current year. The purpose of the fee is to help offset administrative costs associated with off-campus study, including advising, application to and approval by International Programs and Off-Campus Study or the Off-Campus Study committee, assistance with registration and room draw while abroad, coordination with and oversight of off-campus programs, and awarding of credit.

Students approved for junior year abroad must maintain a satisfactory academic average. Should they not remain "in good standing," permission will be rescinded.

Grades for courses taken on approved programs abroad and in approved programs of domestic off-campus study are recorded on the transcript and included in the calculation of the grade point average. International Programs and Off-Campus Study is responsible for converting grades issued on other grading scales to the Middlebury A-F grading system.

For more information about study abroad requirements, students can check the guidelines posted on the study abroad home page http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/sap, as well as in the catalog entries for individual language departments, or they may stop by International Programs and Off-Campus Study.

Financial aid is available for all C.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad programs and a small number of other Middlebury approved programs. Students with questions about the availability of financial aid for specific programs are encouraged to consult the study abroad guidelines, available at International Programs and Off-Campus Study in Sunderland or on that office's Web page (see above). Questions about the process of applying for and receiving aid for approved programs can be answered by the staff of the Office of Financial Aid.

D. Pre-professional Combined Plans

Combined-plan students enroll in approved professional school programs after three years at Middlebury and become eligible for a Middlebury bachelor of arts degree upon successful completion of the first year of an advanced professional degree program or upon receipt of a bachelor-level degree in the professional discipline, and completion of all Middlebury degree requirements. Middlebury students have had arrangements with several schools of engineering and nursing. A student may propose and arrange a combined plan with another accredited professional school in medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine. Interested students should contact the chair of the pre-professional committee early in their college careers and no later than fall semester of the junior year. Further information is available at www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/preprof/

E. Washington Semester Program

Selected students each year spend one semester in the national Washington Semester Program administered by American University. Interested students should contact International Programs and Off-Campus Study. Financial aid is not available for this program.
<information regarding financial aid update 2-Nov-2009>

F. Williams College-Mystic Seaport Program in American Maritime Studies

As many as six Middlebury students a year may spend a semester studying the human relationship with the sea at the nation's leading maritime museum. Interested students should contact International Programs and Off-Campus Study. Financial aid is available for this program.

G. Exchange Programs

Middlebury maintains exchange programs with several colleges, including Berea College and St. Mary's College of California during winter term and Spelman College and Swarthmore College during fall and spring semesters. One-to-one exchanges may be arranged with other colleges during winter term as authorized by International Programs and Off-Campus Study. Questions about the availability of financial aid for these programs should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Services.

H. Semester at Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory

Students of biology and/or environmental studies with a science focus may elect to spend the fall semester at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory. They may obtain four units of credit for: Aquatic Ecosystems (with lab), Terrestrial Ecosystems (with lab); Mathematical Modeling or Microbial Ecology, Science Writer's Seminar, and an Independent Research Project. Students should consult the biology department and International Programs and Off-Campus Study for more information about this program.

Course Registration and Conduct of Courses

A. Registration Procedure

Students register for fall, winter, and spring courses using the online registration system. Registration information is communicated to on-campus students prior to the registration period, which consists of an advising period, a practice round, and a real-time registration round. Students who are away from Middlebury and are expected to return for a specific semester receive email reminders as well as printed registration information prior to registration.

B. Course Load

A student's normal program consists of four courses in the fall and spring semesters and one course in the winter term. A minimum of two and a maximum of four winter term courses will count toward the graduation requirement of 36 courses.  First-year students must be in residence for winter term and enrolled in an academic course.  Full-time students must take at least three courses per semester. Students who need only one or two courses to graduate may apply to the Administration Committee to become a special student. (See "Student Status" section of this chapter.)

Sophomores and juniors may register for a fifth course during the fall or spring semester only with specific approval of their advisers and the dean of their commons during the drop/add period using the special orange add card. Normally, this permission is granted to students who have maintained an average of B or better in the two preceding semesters. Normally, first-year and other new students are not allowed to register for more than four courses. Seniors may register for five courses during the add period without their dean's or adviser's approval, using the orange fifth course add card. The comprehensive fee remains unchanged for a three-, four-, and five-course program. Students may not take more than five courses per semester.

First-year students are encouraged to explore a range of subjects. In their first semester they may not take two courses in the same subject, may not register for more than one first-year seminar, may not receive CW credit for a CW course taken concurrently with the first-year seminar, and may register for only one beginning language in the fall term. In their second semester, first-year students may register for two courses in one subject with their adviser's approval.

C. Auditing

With advance permission of the instructor, a regularly enrolled student may audit other classes. The instructor establishes the conditions under which the student may audit. A student may request official audit status, in which case the course will be recorded on his or her transcript with "AUD" in the grade column. In order to obtain official audit status, the student must make a request to the instructor, and they must agree in writing on the conditions of satisfactory completion. Students must register for audited courses during the normal add period. After the end of the drop/add period, no student may change his/her audit status without approval from the Administration Committee. In no case may the student receive credit for auditing.

Non-students may audit courses only with the permission of the instructor and the dean of curriculum or designee. In such cases there is no official audit status and no record is kept.

D. Change of Course Registration

Immediately following the online registration period and through the end of the second week of the fall and spring semesters, course additions may be made if the student has the consent of his or her adviser and the instructor of the course into which the student wishes to enroll. Students must turn in their add cards by the end of the second week of classes.

Students may not add a course after the deadline. Petitions for exceptions to this rule will be considered by the Administration Committee, and, if approved, a charge of $35 per add will be assessed. A student may withdraw from a course without receiving a failing grade up to the end of the fifth week of the semester.

After the fifth week of classes, a student may petition the Administration Committee in writing to withdraw from a course for exceptional personal or medical reasons. The petition should be endorsed by the student's Commons dean. If permission is granted, the course will be removed from the student's transcript; if it is denied, the student will remain on the roster for that course. Withdrawals for other reasons are not permitted after the end of the fifth week. A student may also petition the Administration Committee to correct the student's enrollment if the student provides written confirmation from the instructor that the student did not attend the class. If permission is granted, a charge of $35 per dropped course will be assessed. A student who fails to complete the work of a course will receive a failing grade in that course.

During winter term, course changes are made by the same procedures, but the drop/add period ends at the end of the third day of classes during the winter term. Requests to add a winter term course after this deadline are automatically charged the late fee of $35.

Students who add a class late do so at their own risk. They will not be permitted to use a late start as the reason for dropping a course after the deadline.

E. Size of Classes

Fall or spring semester course enrollment may not be limited or cut off during registration without permission of the dean of the faculty or designee. This restriction does not apply to first-year student seminars, College Writing courses, seminars, language and laboratory sections, and studio courses. Department chairs are responsible for ensuring that there are an adequate number of openings for incoming first-year students in September and February.

A list of all courses in which six or fewer students are enrolled shall be referred to the dean of the faculty or designee after completion of a registration period. The advisability of offering such courses for the current semester will be discussed promptly with the department chair involved. Enrollment in winter term courses is limited. (See "Winter Term" section of this chapter.)

F. Class Meeting and Scheduling

Instructors are expected to conduct classes at the time and place scheduled. Regularly scheduled classes are not held between the hours of 4:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Evening classes are permitted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Evening classes on other nights must be approved by the dean of the faculty or designee. No intercollegiate athletic contests will be scheduled for Monday evenings.

Individual faculty requests for changes in the published schedule must be approved by the department chair and dean of curriculum before such changes take place. Other requests for use of classrooms must be approved by the course scheduler.

Most courses meet for three hours per week with the exception of laboratory, drill, and discussion meetings. Department chairs are responsible for ensuring that scheduling information is included on the department course information forms.

G. Attendance

Individual instructors set attendance policies. They should announce these policies during the first week of classes. A student's grade in a course may be reduced for nonattendance.

The Commons deans are charged with the responsibility of granting substantiated excuses for absences from class if warranted by compelling personal circumstances, observance of religious holidays, illnesses, or injuries. Please note that dean's excuses for class absences are granted only under exceptional circumstances, or where there are repeated or prolonged absences involved. Most concerns about class absences should be worked out between the individual student and the faculty member, in the context of the faculty member's own policies on class attendance. The Commons dean may provide an "Explanation of Absence" for athletic absences.

A student who is absent from a pre-announced examination without excuse receives a failure for the examination and is not granted the privilege of making it up.

A student who fails to attend the first two hours of class loses his or her space in the class, unless excused in advance.

Guidelines for Handling Athletics-Explained Absences

The list of scheduled athletics contests you receive several times a year from the director of athletics has been approved by the Athletic Policy Committee of the faculty (APC) acting under guidelines set forth in the Middlebury College Handbook. This list tells you when legitimate absences from class may be expected by students because they are involved in a sanctioned athletic event scheduled for that date. The APC regards these lists as informative. They are an explanation for an absence, but they do not imply that the student is excused from the obligations of a course or the class work missed.

Although faculty members are expected to make their policy on course attendance clear at the beginning of each course, it is the individual student's responsibility to consult with his or her instructor as to the effect of explained absences.

To the Professor:

Please read the guidelines for students and coaches in the following sections regarding "Explained Absences." Note that it is the student's responsibility to approach you in the first week of the course to identify possible conflicts between their athletics schedule and your course. However, it would be helpful if you, during the first week of classes, remind students of their obligation.

How you handle missed work is entirely up to you. However, it is the College's policy that athletics are an important part of a student's life at Middlebury. There are a number of possible solutions to missed work. For example, if a lab or discussion is missed, the student may be able to attend a different section meeting. If a paper is due, ask that the paper to be handed in prior to the student's leaving. If a lecture is to be missed, you may permit the student to record the lecture (with assistance from another student). We do recognize, however, that there are cases for which there is no satisfactory make-up possible. Please do your best to accommodate the student without sacrificing academic rigor.

After a student has approached you, please:

1. Identify work that will be missed.

2. Do your best to find a solution to missed material.

3. Communicate your decision clearly to the student. When a student has approached you at the beginning of a semester regarding conflicts, it is your responsibility to communicate your decision on missed work before the end of the drop/add period.

Please note that if a student is involved in a winter or spring season sport, they may not be aware of scheduling conflicts until the semester or term is underway. Again, it is the student's responsibility to approach you as soon as his or her schedule is set to make arrangements regarding missed work, and it is your responsibility to communicate in a timely manner your decision on how to handle the missed work.

Additionally, at the beginning of the semester, you are encouraged to make students aware of any important class activities that will fall outside the normal class schedule of Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 7:30-10:25 p.m.

Note that missing a regularly scheduled class for a practice in no way constitutes an explained absence and is not expected or mandated by coaching faculty.

To the Student:

You should be given a list of dates and times of scheduled games by your coach no later than the first day of classes in any term or semester in which you are involved in a varsity/junior varsity sport, or in the case of winter or spring season sports, by whichever comes first, the first preseason meeting or the first day of practice (November 1 for winter, February 15 for spring). Compare each class schedule with your schedule of games. For any course in which you see a potential conflict between academic and athletic schedules, it is your responsibility to contact the professor during the first week of class, or as soon as the scheduling conflicts are known (for example, in the case of winter season sports that begin late in the fall term) and:

1. Identify times of conflict.

2. Together arrive at an understanding of how missed work/class might be made up.

Please note:

1. Professors will do their best to accommodate your needs within reason.

2. The professor will make the final decision as to how the missed work is to be made up. In cases where you approach the professor at the beginning of term, it is the professor's responsibility to arrive at this decision in time for you to drop/add if her/his decision is unsatisfactory to you. There are some cases for which there may be no satisfactory makeup possible.

3. Conflicts with official practices are also possible in the case of special class events, such as a guest lecturer. In such cases, you should discuss the situation with both your professor and your coach, and make a decision with full understanding of the ramifications of your decision.

4. Conflicts should be resolved through discussions between yourself, your professor, and your coach. If there are difficulties, you may consult with your Commons dean.

Note that missing a regularly scheduled class for a practice in no way constitutes an explained absence and is not expected or mandated by coaching faculty.

To the Coach:

Please read the statements for the students and the professors on the preceding sections and note your role in this process. We ask you to:

1. On or before the first day of each semester, or at the start of the season, give each student on the team you coach the list of contests that conflict with the normal 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Monday-Friday and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 7:30-10:25 p.m. class hours.

2. Remind students that it is their responsibility to contact each of their professors and identify potential time/work conflicts.

3. Explain to the students that there may be times when a practice needs to be missed for special class events (such as a guest lecturer). In such cases, the student should inform you of the potential conflict and discuss it with both you and the professor. It is important that students be able to make such decisions concerning conflicts with full information as to the ramifications of their decisions.

4. There will be times when it is in the best interest of the student to attend class rather than a game, and we encourage you to support the student in such a case.

We believe that your role as a coach is very important. Students often look more to their coaches than to their professors for guidance on these issues. It is important that you understand the College policy and do your best to help resolve conflicts between these two very important, but sometimes competing, aspects of students' lives at Middlebury.

To the Captains:

As a team leader, you should encourage your team members to meet with professors to discuss possible scheduling conflicts. Please ensure that your team members are aware of these guidelines on explained absences and understand that the process is one of negotiation among the coach, student, and professor.

H. Class Lectures and Presentations

Classroom lectures or presentations at the College are the intellectual property of the individual professor, Middlebury College, and/or both. The copying, publication, or distribution of any transcripts, audio tapes, or video tapes of such lectures or presentations without prior written approval of the individual professor is prohibited.

I. Religious Holidays

Middlebury College recognizes that the student body includes adherents of many faiths and that observance of religious holidays is an important part of religious practice for many students. The following policies have been established in order that students at Middlebury will not suffer academic penalties because of the conscientious observance of religious holidays:

It is reasonable to consider major religious holidays for the Middlebury student body as a whole to include the following: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the first day of Passover; Good Friday and Easter Sunday; Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Examinations should not be scheduled and papers should not be due on any of these holidays. Absences from class on these days because of observance of the religious holiday will be treated as excused absences. In addition, no student will be required to participate in or attend College events such as athletic contests, concerts, or outside lectures on these holidays.

The Office of the Dean of the College will include the dates of these major religious holidays on the academic calendars that are distributed to the faculty and published in the Middlebury College Handbook, the General Catalog, and on the College's Web site. These calendars will indicate those instances in which the religious holiday begins on the previous evening.

Students whose conscientious religious observance requires their absence on days other than or in addition to those named above may make use of the following procedure prior to the holiday: The student should submit written notification of the pending religious holiday to his or her Commons dean at least one week before the holiday. The Commons dean will then inform the instructors of the student's courses that the absence on the religious holiday will be regarded as an excused one. Under these circumstances, a student missing an examination will be permitted to take a makeup exam without penalty, and a student with a paper due on a religious holiday will be permitted to submit that paper on the day immediately following the holiday, again without penalty.

Evaluation of Student Work

A. Evaluation of Student Work

In all courses, instructors are expected to require a sufficient amount of written and/or oral and/or practical work so that both the instructor and the student are able to evaluate the student's progress in the course.

B. Student Rights and Freedoms in the Classroom

The professor in the classroom and in conference should encourage free discussion, inquiry, and expression. Student performance should be evaluated solely on academic merit, and not on the basis of opinions or conduct unrelated to academic standards.

1. Protection of Freedom of Expression: Students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion, but they are responsible for learning the content of any course of study in which they are enrolled.

2. Protection against Improper Academic Evaluation: Students should have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious academic evaluation. Students remain responsible, however, for maintaining standards of academic performance in each course in which they are enrolled.

a. Staff Courses: Where common material is taught within a single course by different members of the faculty, the department offering the course must see that proper consultation is carried out by the staff prior to submission of grades in order to assure a reasonable equity among different sections.

b. Injustice in Grading: A student may appeal a grade to the instructor who gave it. If the instructor believes that the student's case is justified, the instructor may request a grade change from the Administration Committee. A student who fails to receive satisfaction from the instructor may discuss the matter with the department chair and, if the student is still not satisfied, may submit an appeal in writing to the provost.

3. Protection against Improper Disclosure: Information about student views, beliefs, and political associations that professors acquire in the course of their work as instructors, advisers, and counselors should be considered confidential. Protection against improper disclosure is a serious professional obligation. Judgments of ability and character may be provided under appropriate circumstances, normally with the knowledge and consent of the student. Faculty members should use common sense in determining when refusal to divulge information about a student is likely to prove damaging.

C. Announcement of Work Required for Evaluation

Early in the semester, preferably on the syllabus, instructors should inform their classes of the nature, extent, and due dates of all major work to be required for evaluation during the semester. Instructors must inform students prior to the end of the fifth week of major work that must be completed before the end of classes and during the final examination period.  No additional major papers or projects may be announced after the end of the fifth week of the semester. No new assignments of work for evaluation may be made during the last week of classes.

D. Final Examinations

1. Instructors normally determine the form of the final exam when submitting course information to the course scheduler. For courses that have scheduled final exams, a preliminary exam schedule is published shortly after the add period each semester. A final examination may take one of several different forms:

a. A regularly scheduled written examination. The time and place are established by the course scheduler.

b. A self-scheduled examination. Self-scheduled examinations are taken at a designated examination center according to the following schedule: 9-12 a.m.; 2-5 p.m.; and 7-10 p.m., during the examination period. By noon on the Friday before the start of the final examination period, instructors deposit copies of their examinations in the Registrar's Office. Students pick examinations up at the designated examination center within 15 minutes of each starting time and take the exam to a designated examination room. Students must return examination papers to the  examination center by the conclusion of the examination hours or sooner, according to the time allotted for the examination. Exams are date-stamped at that time.

c. A take-home examination. Take-home examinations may be taken at the student's convenience during the final examination period and will be returned to the instructor according to procedures established before the last day of classes.

d. An oral examination. Before the last day of classes an instructor will inform the student of the time and place of such an examination.

e. An open-book examination. This may be either a self-scheduled or a take-home examination (see b and c above).

2. Final examinations may be given only during the final examination period. (See "Final Examination Period" section below)

3. Except for take-home examinations, final examinations may not be less than one or more than three hours in length.

4. Instructors should follow Article II of the Undergraduate Honor System in the conduct of final examinations.

5. Instructors should return final examination papers to students or keep them in their possession for one full semester.

E. Rescheduling of Examinations, Excused Absences, and Incompletes

1. The Commons deans are charged with the responsibility of extending deadlines for papers and projects and determining that pre-announced examinations be rescheduled if warranted by compelling personal circumstances, illnesses, or injuries. In such cases, the dean will inform the instructor in writing. In response to a student's request, an instructor may reschedule a student's examination with the exception of a final examination, but he or she is not obliged to do so unless the Commons dean so decides.

2. An unexcused absence from a pre-announced examination will result in a grade of F for that unit of work.

3. The Commons dean may alter a student's final examination schedule (1) if the student has three examinations scheduled in 24 hours; (2) if there is a scheduling conflict (two exams at the same time); or (3) if there are emergencies or compelling circumstances. Faculty members may not alter a student's final examination schedule. Students who miss a scheduled final examination may be given a grade of incomplete only with the written permission of the Commons dean. (See "Grades and Records" section of this chapter)

F. Final Examination Period

For fall and spring semesters, the final examination period normally begins two to three days following the end of classes. Exams are scheduled for five days, as listed on the College calendar. The spring semester examination period may be shortened to avoid having Commencement occur later than May 30.

No activities, athletic events (games or practices), course registration, additional or makeup classes will be scheduled for this period of time. All class activities must be concluded on the last day of classes. A thesis defense may be scheduled during the final examination period.

Grades and Transcripts

A. Grading System

The following grades are used at Middlebury College:

1. A, B, C, D, F (+ is used only with B and C; - is used only with A, B and C): fall, winter, and spring terms.

Numerical equivalents of grades: 
A = 4.00
A- = 3.67
B+ = 3.33
B = 3.00
B- = 2.67
C+ = 2.33
C = 2.00
C- = 1.67
D = 1.00
F = 0

2. Credit, no credit: winter term internships, student-led courses, and 555 courses

3. S (satisfactory), U (unsatisfactory): for work in progress in a multiple-term course

4. INC (incomplete)

5. Honors, pass, fail: winter term independent projects and some designated winter term courses

B. Probation and Failure

All undergraduate students have the same probation and failure rules. These rules also apply to Middlebury undergraduates who enroll in Middlebury Schools Abroad and summer Language Schools. The Administration Committee will exercise considerable leniency in responding to first-year, first-term students and therefore will give strong consideration to readmitting a student who has received academic failure unless the student has demonstrated flagrant neglect of his/her school work.

Probation (please also refer to the section on Academic Student Status; C. Probation):

2 Ds
1 D and 1 F
D or F in winter term
1 D or 1 F for students completing only three courses in term

Failure (please also refer to the section on Academic Student Status; G. Academic Failure) :

3 Ds
2 Fs
1 F and 2 Ds
2 Ds or 1 F while on probation
D or F in winter term while on probation
Three times on probation or failure
1 F and 1 D, or 2 Ds for students completing only three courses
A second successive term on probation

Failure while on Probation:
2 Ds
1 F
D or F in winter term
Three times on probation
A second successive term on probation

C. Grade Reports

Final grades are reported to the Registrar's Office on official grade rosters at the end of each semester or term. All grade rosters must be signed by the instructor and delivered to the Registrar's Office by the time specified by the registrar. A faculty member who fails to meet this deadline is reported within 24 hours to the department chair. If there is no response within another 24 hours, the provost or designee is notified. Instructors should not report final course grades to students.

Failure and D reports must be submitted by instructors to the registrar. These reports are used by the Administration Committee for determining eligibility for readmission and by Commons deans for advising.

Students are responsible for keeping parents correctly and currently informed of their standing and progress in college. Students can view their own grades online and may print and distribute them as they wish. For students who sign an authorization form each semester, fall grades and spring grades are mailed to parents. Notices of second course warnings, academic probation, academic failure, withdrawals, written reprimands, disciplinary probation, suspension, and expulsion are sent to parents as a matter of course.

D. Repeated Courses

A student who fails a course and takes it a second time will have both grades calculated into the grade point average. If a student passes a course and then repeats it (after receiving permission of the Administration Committee), only the first grade is calculated into the grade point average, and the course is only counted once for credit, although both grades appear on the transcript

E. Multiple-Semester or Term Course Grades

When a course would have relatively little value unless followed by a second semester or term course intended to complement it, a department may designate first-semester courses for which no credit will be received without completion of a second semester of the course sequence. A department may designate second semester courses in which the final examination will cover the work of the entire year. Students must register each semester or term for the continuing credit. The first semester of such courses is graded Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grades may be submitted only for multiple-semester or term projects carrying more than one course credit (500-honors projects for seniors, 700-level senior work). At the conclusion of the project, the student receives alphabetical grades for all course units.

F. Incomplete Grades

Incompletes are issued only for illness or compelling circumstances. An incomplete is granted by the Commons dean in consultation with the faculty member involved. The dean, in consultation with the faculty member, will specify a date no later than the last day of classes of the succeeding fall or spring semester by which the work of the course must be completed. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all work is completed by the established deadline. If the course is not completed by the deadline, the grade will be computed based on the work that has been completed and will be recorded by the registrar within four weeks of the deadline, unless an exception is allowed by the Administration Committee. In cases where an incomplete cannot be resolved, the Registrar's Office may resolve the grade as an F. The registrar will inform the student that a grade has been recorded for the course.

G. Change in Grades

Any request for a grade change must be submitted on a change of grade form to the Administration Committee by the instructor of the course with the endorsement of the department chair. Changes will be made only in case of clerical error or for the reason of fairness to a student. No change in a final grade on the transcript is effective until it is approved by the entire faculty.

Students wishing to protest a grade may do so by speaking first to the instructor of the course, and then to the department chair. If the student is still not satisfied, the student may appeal in writing to the provost. The provost or designate will consult with the instructor of the course and the department chair and will make a final decision on the matter.  If the provost recommends a change in the student's grade, that recommendation will be submitted to the Administration Committee, which will include it on the recommendations for grade changes submitted to the faculty. No change in a final grade on the transcript is effective until it is approved by the entire faculty.

H. College Honors

1. College Scholar: semester grade point average of 3.60 or higher for students taking four or more courses, with no grade below B-.

2. Dean's List: semester grade point average of 3.30 or higher for students taking four or more courses, with no grade below B-.

3. Graduation honors (on the basis of cumulative grades from the Middlebury undergraduate, summer, and overseas schools, all other approved programs abroad, and approved programs of domestic off-campus study):

a. Cum laude: graduation average of 3.40 or higher

b. Magna cum laude: graduation average of 3.60 or higher

c. Summa cum laude: graduation average of 3.80 or higher

Standards for graduation honors are the same for all students eligible for a degree, regardless of the number of courses taken at Middlebury.

Except for valedictory and salutatory honors, no class rank is computed for official College purposes. Transfer students are not eligible for valedictory or salutatory honors.

Students who have been found guilty of academic dishonesty by the Academic Judicial Board, or by the former Judicial Review Board or Student Judicial Council, are ineligible for graduation honors.

I. Departmental Honors

Awarding of departmental honors (Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors) is a departmental decision, but the following minimum requirements must be met:

1. A student must have at least a B average (3.00) in courses taken in his or her department or program (excluding 500, 600, 700, or equivalent independent study course work, if given).

2. There must be significant independent research (500 project) or an honors thesis (700 course) in a student's program and the grade must be a B or higher.

3. A program must fall within the maximum permissible number of courses that students may take in their major departments. The program may be part of the senior work program or independent of it.

4. An exceptionally strong project qualifies the student for honors.

5. In order to be considered for honors, independent scholars normally must meet two criteria: a minimum average of B+ in courses taken towards the major and a minimum grade of B+ on the senior work component. The registrar oversees the first requirement and will inform the adviser of the student's eligibility. The senior work component must be evaluated by a committee of three faculty members (one of whom, at the adviser's request, may be a faculty member on the Curriculum Committee). Minimum thesis grades for each level of honors are B+ (Honors), A- (High Honors), and A (Highest Honors), but the determination of the appropriate level will be made by the committee.

6. Students who have been found guilty of academic dishonesty by the Academic Judicial Board, or by the former Judicial Review Board or Student Judicial Council, are ineligible for departmental honors.

J. Transcripts

Currently enrolled students have secure, ongoing access to their academic records online in BannerWeb. They may also request an official academic transcript from the Registrar's Office. The official transcript contains information on courses taken, grades received, majors and minors, degrees earned and honors awarded. The transcript also includes a student's semester and cumulative grade point average, calculated using the numerical equivalents in Section A above. The grades used in calculating the grade point average are those earned in the Middlebury undergraduate, summer, and overseas schools, all other approved programs abroad, and approved programs of domestic off-campus study.

The transcript and information in the student file may be released to persons or organizations outside of the College only with specific written authorization from the student or as permitted by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), as noted below. 

A fee of $5 is charged for each official transcript requested. A request form is available at http://go.middlebury.edu/transcript. Students and alumni continue to have access to their own academic records on BannerWeb. No transcript will be issued to students who are financially indebted to the College until satisfactory arrangements have been made with the Office of Student Financial Services.

K.  Registrar and Transcripts

Registrar's Office
E-mail: registrar@middlebury.edu
Website: http://go.middlebury.edu/registrar
Phone: 802.443.5770
Fax: 802,443.2030

Currently enrolled students should contact this office if they have questions about their academic transcripts or procedures regarding registration, dropping or adding courses, or transfer of credit. Transcripts must be requested in writing and payment must accompany the request.  Forms for requesting transcripts are available online at: http://go.middlebury.edu/transcript. Transcript requests are accepted by mail, and in person Monday through Friday in Forest Hall during regular office hours.  Please plan on two days for processing requests, and longer during end of term grading periods.

Student Status

Middlebury College recognizes its obligation to protect the welfare of the College community and reserves to itself the right to determine when that welfare is jeopardized. Specifically, the authorities of the College (the dean of the college; the vice president for Language Schools, Schools Abroad and Graduate Programs; the director of the Bread Loaf School of English; or the director of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, as appropriate) may, without further consultation, (1) exclude from the campus any student whose presence is deemed potentially dangerous to the College community or to himself or herself, and (2) take prompt disciplinary action, independent of the status of any action by local, state, or national authority. The College will neither attempt to interfere in any case involving a student and legal authority nor permit such involvement to affect its own disciplinary procedures.

When the College excludes a student from campus for disciplinary reasons, the fees that are due or which may have been paid in advance will not be remitted or refunded, in whole or in part. Neither the College nor any of its officers will be under any liability whatsoever for such exclusion.

A. Good Academic Standing

Students are "in good academic standing" if they are enrolled in at least three courses each semester, and in at least seven courses each academic year (fall, winter, and spring) and are making satisfactory progress toward their degrees. Seniors who need only one or two courses to graduate and who have been approved for special student status are also considered to be "in good academic standing."

Satisfactory progress consists of compliance with the policy on full-time student status as defined in the Handbook section on "course load" (see "Course Registration and Conduct of Courses" section of this chapter), or having been approved for an exception to that policy by the Administration Committee.

"Successful completion of a year" for veterans' benefits certification is defined as "in good standing." Students taking fewer than four courses, however, should consult with the registrar regarding veterans' benefits.

B. Course Warnings

Faculty members may send out course warnings to students thought to be in danger of receiving grades of "D" or "F."  The Commons Dean will normally notify parents or guardians of students who receive more than one warning in one subject or warnings in two or more subjects.

C. Probation

See "Grades and Records" section of this chapter. A student who receives two D grades or one failing grade and a D grade in a single semester will be placed on probation until the end of the following fall or spring semester. A student completing a semester with three units of credit who receives one D or one F will be placed on probation. A student who receives a D or an F in the winter term will be placed on probation for the spring semester. Students placed on probation more than twice in their College careers will be required to withdraw. A student readmitted after an academic failure is readmitted on probation for the following fall or spring semester.

D. Leave of Absence

A student may be granted leave-of-absence status to pursue a full-time program of studies at another recognized and accredited college or university in the United States or abroad.

1. Leave-of-absence status for overseas programs is approved by the Off-Campus Study (Programs Abroad) Committee at the request of the student and the recommendation of his or her major department. Course programs must be approved by the appropriate Middlebury departments if leave status is to be granted.

2. Middlebury agrees to accept approved junior year abroad programs as equivalent to a full year's work. Students on other leave have no such guarantee and must seek final approval of courses after their return to Middlebury. Students on leave, under either junior year abroad or leave of absence, must inform the College if they withdraw from the institution they are attending or if they take a reduced course load.

3. The following policies will govern readmission for students who have been approved for programs of off-campus study and then wish to change their status:

a. Such students will be readmitted for fall or spring semester only. They will not be readmitted for winter term, even if they claim to have a place to live off-campus.

b. The deadline for guaranteed readmission for the fall semester is June 1. After this date, students who wish to be readmitted will be placed on a waiting list. Students on the waiting list will be notified on September 1 if they have been readmitted for the fall.

c. The deadline for guaranteed readmission for the spring semester is November 15. After this date, students who wish to be readmitted will be placed on a waiting list. Students on the waiting list will be notified on January 15 if they have been readmitted for the spring.

d. There will be no readmissions after the September 1 and January 15 dates.

E. Withdrawal

1.  General Provisions

Students who wish to withdraw for any reason must notify the dean of their Commons in writing. The dean shall determine their status at the point of withdrawal. The courses of students who withdraw prior to December 1 of the fall semester or May 1 of the spring semester will be deleted from the transcript. Students who withdraw in the middle of a semester cannot normally be readmitted for at least one semester. The courses of students who withdraw after December 1 of the fall semester or May 1 of the spring semester will remain on the transcript. A course with a failing grade assessed on a student as part of a penalty for academic dishonesty imposed by the Academic Judicial Board will not be deleted from the transcript regardless of the time in the semester when the student withdraws. A grade of F will be recorded for all courses listed regardless of work accomplished and the student will be listed as an academic failure. The student may be required to spend the subsequent semester away from Middlebury College. Students who withdraw during the winter term will receive a grade of F for the winter term. Exceptions are made by the dean only for medical or exceptional personal circumstances. No refunds are permitted on College fees except for prorated board charges, unless the withdrawal is for medical reasons. (See Student Finances chapter of this handbook.)

2.  Voluntary Withdrawal

Students who withdraw in good standing normally will be assigned a readmittance date at the time they withdraw.  They must confirm their plan to return on this readmittance date with their Commons Dean no later than June 1 for the fall term and November 15 for the spring semester. Students who fail to confirm their plans to return by these deadlines will be placed on a waiting list for readmission. Normally, readmission is for fall or spring semester only.  Students will be readmitted for winter term only with special permission from the Office of the Dean of the College.

3.  Other Withdrawals

Students who withdraw from the College for medical or psychiatric reasons must have their attending physician or psychiatrist write to the dean of their Commons recommending readmission. The Office of the Dean of the College will decide about the advisability of readmission after receiving the information from the medical professional. If the student requires continuing medication or medical follow-up, this information should be forwarded to the College medical director. Students who are withdrawn in the middle of a semester cannot normally be readmitted for at least one semester.

Students who wish to be readmitted from a medical or other conditional withdrawal must notify their Commons dean of their request to be considered for readmission no later than June 1 for the fall semester and November 15 for the spring semester. Decisions on these requests will be made after full documentation has been received from medical professionals and others.

F. Resignation

Students who wish to leave Middlebury College and plan never to return may resign from the College. Students who resign must notify the dean of their Commons in writing. There is no readmission after a resignation.

G.  Academic Failure

A student who receives two F grades, three D grades, or one F grade and two D grades during a fall or spring semester earns an academic failure and is required to withdraw. Seventh-semester seniors will be reviewed by the Administration Committee prior to final action.

A student on probation who receives one F grade or two D grades in the subsequent fall or spring semester is required to withdraw.

A student who receives D or an F in the winter term while on probation will be required to withdraw. Students placed on probation more than twice in their College career will be required to withdraw.

A student who is enrolled in three courses and receives one F and one D grade, or two D grades, will be required to withdraw. A student enrolled in three courses who is on probation and who receives one D grade will be required to withdraw.

At any time, a student failing a course, consistently receiving grades below C-, or in any way neglecting the obligations of a course, may be placed on course warning.

Students failing in their studies generally may be withdrawn from the College by the Administration Committee if, in its judgment, failure is due to lack of application or to a negligent attitude.

H. Readmission

A student withdrawn for academic failure will not be readmitted except by special action of the Administration Committee. Readmission is a special privilege, not a right. The committee will take favorable action only when it is satisfied that the factors which led to failure have been rectified and that the student has both ample motivation and capacity to earn a degree. Mere lapse of time is not a sufficient basis for readmission. The burden of proof of motivation and capacity rests with the student. The student is normally required to enroll full-time at another accredited institution and to achieve a good record there by receiving grades of B- or better in all courses. (See “Transfer Courses and Off-Campus Study” section for information about the transferability of these courses to Middlebury.)

Application for readmission must be made to the Administration Committee, who will consult with the student's Commons dean. Application must be made by June 1 for fall semester, and by November 15 for spring semester. Students found to be in academic failure in the spring semester and who request immediate readmission for the following fall must apply by July 1. The Administration Committee may defer action on these applications until an official transcript showing work completed at another institution has been received at Middlebury. Normally, readmission is for fall or spring semester only. Students will be readmitted for winter term only with special permission from the Administration Committee in consultation with the student's Commons dean. Any student readmitted will be on probation for the first semester following return and, if withdrawn a second time, will not be readmitted. A student readmitted on probation for winter term remains on probation for spring semester.

I. Special Students

With departmental approval, Middlebury students may apply to the Administration Committee for special student status in cases of documented chronic illness or when they need only one or two courses to graduate. Special students are charged by the course and ordinarily may not live on campus.  In special circumstances, the Administration Committee may grant permission for special students to live and eat on campus. These students are billed the customary comprehensive fee for the semester, less the per course rate for one course, as that is the only distinction between these students and those taking three courses during the semester.

Students who have a documented illness that develops late in the semester and prevents them from being able to fulfill their academic responsibilities may apply to the Administration Committee for permission to carry a reduced course load as a full-time student. Students who receive approval for a reduced course load pay the full comprehensive fee.

Applications for special student status must be filed with the Administration Committee by March 15 for the fall semester and November 15 for the spring semester. Students whose circumstances change after March 15 or November 15 may file applications for special student status after those deadlines if they have compelling reasons for requesting special student status.

Occasionally, a student working toward an undergraduate degree at another institution may be granted special student status by the Administration Committee with the approval of the degree-granting institution. This is done primarily to accommodate Middlebury residents who have to be home for a period of time. Students who have received their baccalaureate degree normally may not be admitted for credit to undergraduate courses at Middlebury.

J. Adjunct Students

[No longer applicable. Section removed 21-Nov-2008 per Academic Administration directive.]

K. Visiting Students

Students from other colleges may be admitted through the Administration Committee, if space is available, for one semester as non-matriculated students. Such students are required to be in good academic and social standing at their home institutions and have the approval of their home institutions. The Administration Committee will review potential visiting students' applications and transcripts and proposed courses of study at Middlebury to ensure that the students meet academic standards and that there is room in the courses they plan to take. Any visiting student wishing to transfer to Middlebury must apply in the regular manner through the Admissions Office.

Student Records Access & Confidentiality (FERPA)

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) establishes guidelines under which students may have access to records maintained by Middlebury College and under which those records may be disclosed by the College to others.

1. Definitions

a. "Students." "Students" are defined as those individuals who have applied for admission to Middlebury College, were admitted, and are or have been enrolled in classes for credit at the College. FERPA does not apply to records of applicants for admission to the College who are denied acceptance or, if accepted, do not enroll in classes for credit. In addition, rights are not given by FERPA to students enrolled in one component of Middlebury College who seek to be admitted in another component (e.g., a student who is enrolled in the undergraduate College, but is denied admission to one of the graduate programs, does not have any FERPA rights in the graduate program which denied him or her admission).

b. "Education Records." "Education records" are those records that are directly related to a student and that are maintained by Middlebury College or by an official who serves the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position.

FERPA indicates that "education records" do not include:

i. Records of instructional, supervisory, administrative, and educational personnel that are in the sole possession of the maker, e.g., a faculty member's grade book, or a dean's advising notes. Sharing information with another person or placing information where it can be viewed by others may make it an "education record" and subject to FERPA.

ii. Records relating to individuals who are employed by Middlebury College that are made and maintained in the normal course of business and relate exclusively to individuals in their capacity as employees, and are not available for any other purpose.

iii. Records relating to a student that are (1) created or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional acting in his or her professional capacity or assisting in a paraprofessional capacity; (2) used solely in connection with the provision of treatment to the student; and (3) not disclosed to anyone other than individuals providing such treatment (or to a physician or other appropriate professional of the student's choice).

iv. Records that contain only information relating to a person after that person is no longer a student at Middlebury College (e.g., information gathered on the accomplishments of alumni).

v. Records created and maintained by the Middlebury College Department of Public Safety for law enforcement purposes.

c. " Directory Information." Middlebury College determines the following to be student "directory information" which may be available to the public if the student has not restricted its release:

Name
Home address (while enrolled at Middlebury College)
College address
Campus telephone number
E-mail address
Dates of attendance and graduation
Class standing, e.g., first-year student, sophomore, junior, or senior
Major field(s) of study
Degrees received
Honors and awards received

"Directory information" for purposes of FERPA is not the same as the information that is available in the on-line College directory, where students may choose their own options for how others may access their data both on campus and off campus, when searching the online directory.

2. General Principles

a. Confidentiality. FERPA provides that education records and personally identifiable information about a student may not be disclosed without the student's written consent unless disclosure is permitted by certain exceptions under FERPA.

The student's written, signed consent must:

-- Specify the records to be released;

-- Identify the party or class of parties to whom the records should be released;

-- Indicate the reason for the release.

b. Access. FERPA provides that students are permitted to inspect their own education records. A student has the right to:

-- Inspect and review his or her education records;

-- Request an amendment to an education record if the student believes there is an inaccuracy;

-- Restrict the release of his or her "Directory Information" from public access;

-- File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if he or she feels the College has failed to follow FERPA guidelines.

c. Administering Office. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for the administration of FERPA guidelines at Middlebury College. Students and others who have questions regarding the treatment of specific information in a specific circumstance should contact a staff member in the Registrar's Office.

3. Confidentiality

FERPA generally prohibits the release of confidential personally identifiable student data from education records, with limited exceptions that include "Directory Information" (see below), without the student's written, signed consent.

Personally identifiable student data, other than "directory information" for students who have not restricted its release, are confidential. Examples of confidential information include, but are not limited to, social security number, date of birth, ethnicity, gender, country of citizenship, class schedules (including meeting times and locations), grades, grade point averages, and parents' or guardians' names and addresses.

FERPA provides certain exceptions for the release of personally identifiable education record information without the student's written consent. These exceptions include:

Directory Information. Directory information, as defined in section 1.c. above, may be made available to the public if the student has not restricted its release.

The College will honor requests to withhold directory information but cannot assume responsibility to contact students for subsequent permission to release this information.

Students should consider very carefully the consequences of any decision to withhold directory information. When a student instructs the College not to release directory information, any future requests for such information from persons or organizations outside Middlebury College will be refused, unless an exception applies, or unless the student subsequently files a written request that the information be released. Middlebury College assumes no liability for honoring instructions that such information be withheld.

Requests for non-disclosure must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Registrar. Forms for making such requests may be obtained from the Registrar's Office.

Legitimate Educational Interest. Personally identifiable education record information may be disclosed without the student's written consent to a College official with a legitimate educational interest in the record. A College official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including public safety and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Other Exceptions. Education record information may be disclosed without the student's written consent in the following instances:

a) To the student.

b) If it is "Directory Information" and the student has not restricted its release.

c) If properly subpoenaed pursuant to a judicial, legislative, or administrative proceeding, in which case Middlebury College will make a reasonable attempt to notify the student of the subpoena, in cases where FERPA applies, prior to the release of the information, unless the subpoena specifically directs that the student is not to be notified.

d) In connection with the student's application or receipt of financial aid as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms or conditions of the aid.

e) In connection with audits or evaluation of federal or state supported educational programs requiring disclosure of information.

f) To effect collection of past due financial obligations to the College.

g) To authorized representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States, the Attorney General of the United States, the Secretary of the Department of Education, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services bureau of the Department of Homeland Security (with respect to international students), or state or local educational authorities.

h) To the Veterans Administration to determine compliance with educational assistance.

i) In connection with a health or safety emergency as determined by the College

j) To parents of financially-dependent students.

4. Access

A student has the right to inspect and review his or her education records within 45 days of submitting a request to the College for such access.

Students wishing to review their records should submit to the Commons dean a written notice to that effect. The Commons dean will notify the student of a convenient time for the review.

FERPA does not provide the student with the right to access certain records, including:

-- "Sole possession records" as defined in section 1.b.i. above.

-- Parents' financial records used for financial aid purposes.

-- Confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in the student's education record prior to January 1, 1975, or confidential recommendations to which the student has given prior written waiver of access and which are used for job placement, admission, or award purposes.

-- Admissions-supporting documentation such as letters of recommendation, readers' notes, and interview reports.

-- Records related to student employees of Middlebury College in their capacity as employees.

5. Amendment of Records

A student may request amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student's privacy rights.

A request for amendment of a student's education record should be submitted in writing by the student. The request should state what record the student believes is inaccurate or identify the part of a record the student wants changed, and should state why the student believes the record is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student's privacy rights. If the College decides not to amend a record as requested, the College will notify the student of its decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the issue. Additional information regarding a hearing procedure will be provided to the student when notified of such decisions.

FERPA was not intended to provide a process to be used by students to question substantive judgments that are correctly recorded. The FERPA rights of challenge are not intended to allow a student to contest, for example, a grade in a course because he or she felt a higher grade should have been assigned. FERPA is intended to ensure the factual and accurate nature of the information in the student's education records and the student's right to verify that information.

If Middlebury College decides, as a result of a hearing, not to amend the education record in accordance with the student's request, the student may place a written statement in the record commenting upon the information therein, and/or setting forth any reason for disagreement with the institutional decision not to amend the record. Such a statement will become part of the student's education record and will be disclosed with it.

6. Complaints

A student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920.

Tutoring and Academic Support

Among Middlebury College's strengths are the accessibility of faculty and their willingness to help students. All faculty members maintain regular office hours, which are posted on office doors or within department offices.

Whenever students experience difficulty in a course, they are encouraged to first seek help from the respective faculty member. Additional support is also available to help students reach their academic goals. The Office of Learning Resources is located within the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research on the main floor of the College Library, Suite 225

Beginning the first week of the semester, on weekdays, the Director of Learning Resources is available to meet with students for individual appointments. The Director assists students in assessing their academic needs and developing skills to meet these needs. Academic time management skills, select study skills including effective note taking, test preparation, and skills for managing stress and reducing anxiety that interferes with academic performance are necessities for all students to master. Competency in these skills is directly related to academic success and students fulfilling their academic and personal potential at college. These services are available to all Middlebury students and are free of charge. In addition, periodic announcements of study skills seminars will appear in the Middlebury Weekly Calendar, in mailings, and on the Office of Learning Resources Web page. For additional information, call extension 3131 or visit the OLR Web page: http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/tools/olr/

Peer Content Tutors, approved by departmental faculty, are also available to provide supplementary assistance for entry-level courses. The peer tutor program provides group drop-in study sessions in a dozen or more academic subjects. In addition, individual peer tutoring is provided for subjects not covered by study group sessions, or when recommended by the faculty in a specific course. For additional information, call extension 3131 or visit the OLR Web page: http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/tools/olr/tutoring/

Quantitative skills and reasoning ability have become an important component of many courses and majors. The Director of Quantitative Support is available to assist students in a number of ways, including reviewing prior mathematics knowledge, discussing homework, preparing quantitative reports, and practicing for tests. In addition, peer tutors who have experience and training in quantitative methods can assist students with homework and other quantitative projects in study group sessions or individually when recommended by a faculty in a specific course.

The ability to write clearly and effectively is central to a liberal arts education. As part of a program to encourage students' growth as writers during their four years at Middlebury, the College offers free professional and peer tutoring to student writers, including those for whom English is a second language, at any stage of any writing project, from organizing the work schedule, to brainstorming ideas, to talking through a draft, to revising and polishing rough drafts. Peer writing tutors are also trained to give tips and practical suggestions to assist students with oral presentations. This tutoring is available at the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research on the main floor of the College Library, Suite 225.

Professional tutors in writing are available by appointment during daytime hours, weekdays. Peer tutors are available Sunday through Thursday evenings or by appointment.
For more information visit the Writing Program's Web page at http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/writing/