Policies Overview
Advising
When you have been accepted for graduate study you will be assigned an advisor. You should make an appointment promptly for advising and registration information (206.296.2682). It will be helpful to plan a tentative course of study for your entire program, including the off-campus S-TESL courses. Give some thought to the load you wish to carry (number of courses taken each quarter), your availability for summer sessions, and tentative projections for your internship.
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Note
For more information about policies and procedures, please consult the Seattle University Graduate bulletin of Information.
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Academic Honesty Code
Seattle University is committed to the principle that academic honesty and integrity are important values in the educational process and that violations in this area should be dealt with in an appropriate and effective manner. Violations and penalties are described in the Graduate Bulletin.
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You should also make an appointment with your advisor later on to confirm Candidacy, and to arrange for the Internship, Graduate Project, and/ electives, when you have completed 15 credits. If you wish to make changes in your course of study, contact your advisor by phone (206.296.2682). Your advisor can help in many ways but remember that it is your program. You are responsible for all material in the Graduate Bulletin as well as for all published deadlines and for meeting the requirements of graduation (see Graduation and Commencement).
If you are newly admitted and cannot reach your advisor in the summer months, please contact the Assistant Dean, Dr. Van Hutton, in the College of Education (206.296.5760). He can help you with scheduling problems and initial registration. Your first course should be EPDES 930.
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Attendance and Participation
Attendance and participation are required in all courses and are important for your success in the program. Excessive absence will become a focus of concern when faculty reviews your progress at candidacy and before the internship. If you become ill or have a serious family emergency which prevents you from attending class, please notify the instructor before class (message on voice-mail is fine), and arrange for another student to get copies of class notes and handouts. You are responsible for the content of any class you missed, which may mean making arrangements to view class videos in the library, doing extra assignments, etc.
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Class Times
Individual College of Education courses are normally offered one night per week (Monday through Thursday) with start times of 4:15, 5:45 and 7:15. TESOL courses are generally scheduled from 5:45 p.m. to 8:25 p.m. during the Fall, Winter and Spring terms. Summer class times may vary. Evening classes at the School of TESL in Ballard are held 5:30-8:30 p.m. The daytime Intensive classes at the School of TESL are held from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Please see the quarterly schedule for the time and room assignments. Visit Seattle Universitys website for the most up-to-date information.
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Comprehensive Examination
Prior to program completion, you must sign up for the written Comprehensive Examination. You complete the Examination toward the end of your program, after you have completed all of the required courses. The Examination is based on your course of study and will address general themes, trends, and issues presented in your coursework and internship. The questions will be fairly broad in nature, but require substantiation from the literature.
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Course Load
Most TESOL students go through the program taking an average of two courses a quarter. Our program is designed for part-time students, and can best accommodate people moving at this rate. You may take one class per quarter if you wish. International students must take three classes per quarter (except for Summer Quarter) as a condition of their student visa. Three classes is considered the maximum load for any graduate student.
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Extracurricular Opportunities
There are many opportunities for you to experience cultural, recreational, and social events at Seattle University and to join student organizations. For more information, call the Associated Students (206.296.6050), the Connolly Center (206.296.6441), or the International Student Center (206.296.6260).
The city of Seattle offers a wide variety of free and low-cost enrichment opportunities to graduate students, including live theater, film festivals, libraries, lectures, art galleries, sporting events, and festivals. For more information, contact Seattle Chamber of Commerce (206.461.5840).
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Fair Process Policy and Procedures
The College of Education has a Fair Process Policy and Procedures Manual which contains academic criteria for admissions, retention, graduation, and state certification; academic decisions that may and may not be reviewed; student termination guidelines; and review process for student termination. Complete copies of the Manual are available in the program office and in the College of Education office. Grievance policies for academic issues are delineated in the Graduate Bulletin (see Student Academic Grievance Procedure).
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Graduate Project
Master of Arts degree candidates must complete a three credit graduate project. The graduate project provides the opportunity for scholarly work and application of theories to a topic of interest to you within the field of TESOL.
TSOL 595 Graduate Project, requires extensive library / Internet research regarding a professional practice problem or issue. The project report includes analysis and critical appraisal of materials read, as well as inclusion of new materials and / or applications. A more detailed description of the Graduate Project is available from your advisor.
The Graduate Project receives a letter grade. One copy of the completed project is filed permanently with the TESOL program.
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Independent Study
TSOL 596 Independent Study provides opportunities for you to explore areas of your own interest in some depth. Each independent study may be taken for 1-3 credits, and you have up to four quarters to complete the course. Each independent study requires you to complete a written contract (available from your advisor), detailing the scope of your efforts. This contract is completed and submitted to your advisor before the beginning of the quarter it is taken. A minimum of thirty clock hours of work is required for each credit.
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Probation Policies
- You must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher in required courses. You will not be permitted to graduate if your cumulative GPA is below a 3.0, regardless of the number of credits completed.
- You must repeat required graduate course when a C- grade or lower is received.
- You may choose to repeat a graduate course graded C or C+ once. In general, we advise you to repeat a course with any C grade.
- You must earn a B or better in a grammar course used to replace the grammar examination requirement.
- When courses are repeated, the second grade will be used in computing the grade point average if you file a Repeated Course Form with the Registrar. The original grade, however, remains on your student record.
- Graduate students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 are placed on academic probation.
- While on probation, you cannot register for an Internship or Graduate Project.
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Probation Procedures
- The first time that your cumulative GPA is below 3.0, you receive a letter from the program informing you of probation status. Students on probation are strongly encouraged to meet with their advisor to discuss the best methods to improve their GPA in a reasonably short time.
- After the following quarter of classes, if your GPA is not above 3.0, then you are sent a second letter from the program stating that probation status continues. You must meet with your advisor.
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Technology Competency
Students in TESOL are required to be computer literate by the end of the first quarter of the program. This is defined as the ability to operate a computer, and load and use software including word processing software. As a graduate student, you will also need to know how to use email, electronic databases, and a browser (such as Netscape).
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If you are unfamiliar with computers, you should take a course offered by a university, university extension, community college, or computer retail store. Free training in computer applications such as Power Point and spreadsheets is available on campus from Information Services Training Coordinator (206.296.5551). The primary computer used in the TESOL program is the Apple Macintosh. Both Macintosh and PC labs are available at no charge to graduate students in the Engineering Building and elsewhere on campus. Call Information Services Help Desk (206.296.5571) for times of operation.
Further, competency in operating slide projectors, overhead projectors, camcorders and VCRs is desirable. If you have an opportunity to learn to operate this equipment, please do so.
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Time Restrictions
All requirements for the Masters degree and post-masters certificate, including transfer courses, must be completed within six years prior to the time the TESOL degree is granted. In those unusual circumstances where you cannot complete the degree requirements within the six year limit, you must file a petition with the registrar at least one quarter prior to the expiration of the six year limit, requesting an extension of one year. If the petition is approved, you may be required to take additional In most cases, only one extension of one year will be allowed.
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