Admissions
& Policies
Admissions Policy
The College is open to all members of the Legion of Christ who have completed the Legion’s novitiate program. To be considered for enrollment applicants must have the credentials and qualifications required by the College’s admission policy.
Transcripts and test scores, together with other evidence, should show that the applicant has the intellectual capacity, maturity, breadth of interest, and seriousness of purpose necessary to succeed academically and benefit from the opportunities offered at the College.
Admissions Requirements
A candidate for admission must have completed High School.
The following documents must be submitted or presented:
1. Official High School and College transcript(s),
2. Official SAT/ACT scores or equivalent (if available)
3. Valid passport from country of citizenship and the F-1 Visa
4. Virtus certification (The National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc. This certificate may be obtained posterior to enrollment).
Furthermore, a medical, ophthalmic, dental, and psychological examination are required as well as immunizations as demanded by State Law.
Unless a special exception is made by the Academic Dean, the secondary education transcript should indicate a final average no lower than 2.5.
Applications for admission from homeschooled students are welcome. For them, the application process is the same as for traditional students but includes additional requirements:
• High School Transcript. They can be from a recognized homeschool agency/program or Parent-generated. Transcripts should be sent to the College directly by the agency/program if applicable. Unless it is clear from the transcripts, a letter must also be sent by the applicant to the Office of the Registrar indicating whether the homeschool experience was a recognized program (Kolbe, Seton, or other established program), some other format (correspondence school, etc.), or a specialized parent/student design. The letter also should indicate whether the applicant was taught exclusively by his parents or by other adults in a cooperative teaching environment.
Enrollment Status
Full Time – Any student admitted to the Associate in Arts program and enrolled in 12 or more credit hours a semester is considered a full-time student.
Part-Time—A part-time student is admitted to the Associate in Arts Program and enrolled in 11 or fewer credit hours a semester. Part-time enrollment requires advanced approval from the Academic Dean.
Special Student – A student who receives permission to enroll in courses as a Special Student is not admitted into the Associate in Arts program. Permission is subject to limitation of class sizes, with priority given to degree candidates. Requests to enroll as a Special Student must be submitted to the Academic Dean.
Auditing Student—A student who registers to audit a course is not interested in receiving credits. He is not allowed to audit more than two courses a semester. The student is expected to regularly attend class and do all relevant reading; however, they are not obliged to participate in examinations. Audits are recorded on transcripts.
Withdrawal
A student may withdraw or change status of a course within the first two weeks of the program or when he abandons the Congregation without incurring a withdrawal/failure notice on his transcript.
The College may request a student to withdraw from the program when the quality of performance irredeemably does not meet the required standards, when conduct is contrary to the purpose and ideals of the Congregation, or when he abandons the Congregation.
Credit Policies
Credit for Prior Learning
The College accepts transfer credit from accredited institutions of higher learning under the following conditions:
1. Any credit transfer for work completed at other institutions is subject to approval by the Academic Dean.
2. No courses with grades less than 2.5 or “C+” will qualify for transfer.
3. At least one-half of the credits necessary for degree (30) must be earned at the College.
The College also awards credit for the following:
1. Advanced Placement: Students with superior achievement in secondary school may receive college credit for their prior achievement with a score of 4 or 5 on the CEEB Advanced Placement Test. The number of credits will correspond to the number of credits of the equivalent course.
2. Credit by examination: With permission by the Academic Dean, students with prior learning experience who can prove that they have studied material equivalent in level and nature to that which is offered in the College’s programs by passing an individualized written or oral test administered by qualified faculty with a grade no less than 3.67 or A- may receive credit for this knowledge (“credit by examination”). The number of credits will correspond to the number of credits of the equivalent course.
Credit for Independent Study
The opportunity to earn credits for independent study is available to students who wish to examine in depth a subject for which no course is available. Such studies are undertaken only with the prior approval of the Academic Dean and under the supervision of a faculty member. The number of credits awarded for such studies is to be based upon its equivalence to course work and is determined by the Academic Dean upon the recommendation of the corresponding faculty member. In no case may a student exceed six credit hours from independent study toward the undergraduate degree, and such studies may not substitute any course from the core curriculum.
Academic Credit
One academic credit is awarded for 50 minutes of instruction together with approximately two 50-minute study periods for a term of approximately fifteen weeks.
To achieve an Associate in Arts degree, a student must accumulate at least 60 credits and satisfy the other requirements set forth for the program.
Academic Standing
The Academic standing of each student is determined by the quantity and quality of his work.
The quantity of work is measured by the credit hours. The quality of work is indicated by the quality points, (described in the following section), according to which a student must maintain a minimum average of “B-”, or a minimum quality rating of 2.5. Good academic standing implies a cumulative minimum average of 2.5; any student whose average falls below this standard incurs probationary status.
While on probationary status, the student may be given a limited class load if the Academic Dean determines that it is in the student’s best interests. The student should receive at least one extra session with his academic advisor each month and remain on probation until he has achieved a minimum cumulative average of 2.5.
Grading System & Exam Policies
A student’s performance in each of the subjects is determined by the combined results of examinations and class work. Grades are reported at the end of each semester.
It is necessary to submit all required papers and to pass the final exam in order to pass a course, regardless of the semester course grade. In the case of a failing grade in the final semester exam of a course, the exam should be retaken according to a date set by the professor. Each exam is only allowed to be retaken once. The final grade for the exam will be the average of the original grade and the retake. If this score is not sufficient to pass the course (D/1.33 or above), the whole course is failed, and its credits are not granted.
The following system of grading is used to represent the quality of a student’s academic achievement.
Grade Point Average
The student’s academic standing is indicated by a grade point average, determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of credit hours the student has attempted at the College. Courses taken on a Pass/Fail basis are not included in the grade point average computation.
Attendance
Each student is required to attend scheduled classes and lectures. Absences will be computed from the first class meeting of the session. No credit will be granted for a course that was not completed or from which a student has been absent for more than one-fourth of the class meetings. Excuse for absence must be approved by the corresponding religious superior. When a student misses a class, he is required to inform the professor and the Academic Dean in writing previously. Failing to do so will be considered an unexcused absence. Semester grades will be reduced by 5 percentage points for every two classes missed for unexcused absences.
Assignments
The College has adopted a Student Code of Academic Conduct Policy to protect the rights of students, faculty, and staff at the College. This code ensures that the learning community at the College is one characterized by mutual respect and the discipline proper to a religious house. Please review as well the corresponding sections in the Student Handbook.
Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. Students’ name on any written work, including assignments, reports, papers, or examinations, shall be regarded as assurance that the work is their own thought and a result of their own study. Work should be done in their own words and without unauthorized assistance. Sources must always be properly acknowledged. When a student works together with someone else, this must be indicated on what is submitted.
Students are responsible for correctly quoting, paraphrasing and citing the work of others. Legion of Christ College expects students to use the style guide for papers, and it is their responsibility to become familiar with these guidelines and utilize them. Faculty members are responsible for holding students to these professional and ethical standards and assessing the academic honesty of student work.
Academic dishonesty includes cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism. Cheating includes: unauthorized possession of exams, communication during exam periods, altering grades, submitting the same academic work for more than one course without prior approval from both professors, and the use of notes to gain unauthorized advantage during exams. Fabrication is the invention of non-existent sources or citations. Plagiarism is presenting parts or all of another person’s work as one’s own without duly acknowledging the source (except for ideas or concepts that are common knowledge).
Students and professors who have evidence or concerns about possible academic dishonesty should contact the Academic Dean. When a case of academic dishonesty is verified, the penalties include partial or total loss of credit for course work, depending on the gravity of the violation.
The Student Handbook outlines further details about the procedure in the case of plagiarism.
Student Complaint Procedures
In the course of their education, individuals may have complaints or concerns about Legion of Christ College personnel, policies, or procedures. Below are resources that provide opportunities for students to express concerns and for the College to respond and improve.
Students, who are seeking to file a formal complaint related to their concerns about curriculum, academic standards and achievement, course of study, etc., shall do the following:
1. Submit the complaint in writing to the Academic Dean. The complaint may be delivered by email or in letter form.
2. Describe in detail the behavior, program, process, or other matter that is the subject of the complaint and explain how the matter implicates the College’s program and compliance with specific standards of the Office of Higher Education, Connecticut.
When the Dean receives a student complaint, the following procedures will be followed:
1. The Academic Dean will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within five business days. Acknowledgment may be made by email or letter.
2. Within two weeks of acknowledgment of the complaint, the Academic Dean, or his designee, shall either meet or correspond with the complaining student, providing a written response to the substance of the complaint or informing the student that additional investigation is needed. If further investigation is needed, the student shall be provided with information about what steps are being taken to investigate the complaint and an estimated date for the completion of the investigation by the College. The written response to the complaint will specify what steps are being taken to address the complaint.
3. After the student receives the written response to the complaint, an appeal may be made to the President-Rector of the College.
4. A copy of the complaint and a summary of the process and resolution of the complaint shall be kept in the Dean’s office for a period of eight years from the date of the final resolution of the complaint.
5. If the resolution cannot be reached by the above-mentioned College procedures, the student may further appeal to the Office of Higher Education, Connecticut if 1) the complaint relates to Connecticut General Statutes, and 2) all institutional grievance procedures have been exhausted.
The students will be informed about these procedures and the contact information for the Office of Higher Education (450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 707, Hartford, CT 06103; (860) 947-1800; www.ctohe.org/studentcomplaints.shtml).
Safe Environment Policies
Legion of Christ College is committed to creating and maintaining a safe environment for all its members and especially for all minors who are involved in ministries with Legionaries of Christ. We have put in place clear standards of conduct for all members, applicable to both Legionary staff and students, as well as procedures for investigating and reporting any allegations of abuse or misconduct to the appropriate civil authorities. The Legionaries of Christ Code of Conduct.
The policies and procedures implemented by the Legion of Christ are accredited by Praesidium, Inc., a national organization that works with religious and other institutions to establish and maintain rigorous standards for protecting children and vulnerable adults. Praesidium provides consultation, risk management, assessment, policy development, and training materials for use in preventing sexual misconduct and responding to allegations of sexual misconduct.
For more information on our safe environment policies, click here.