READMISSION, REENROLLMENT AND DEGREE PROGRAMS OF RETURNING STUDENTS

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This policy establishes principles for determining conditions of reenrollment for students returning to the college after more than three years. Students who return after absences greater than three years must reapply for admission. In some cases, students who have been out of the college for a long time, if they have degree programs at all, have programs which differ in kind, quality and format from the expectations of recent years. In these cases, the procedures below will determine how each case shall be treated. It is important to note that the purpose of this policy is not automatically to subject all "old" degree programs to intensive review and revision. Rather, the intent is to provide students, faculty, and academic administrators with a regular and accountable means of dealing with the sometimes serious problems arising from substantial changes between past and current college practices. REAPPLICATION / REENROLLMENT PROCEDURES 1. Students who have been withdrawn for more than 36 months must reapply to the college, submitting an application for admission to the admissions office. Center directors may consult with the director of admissions about expediting readmission, where appropriate. 2. Students who have been enrolled as matriculated within the past 36 months can contact their regional center/unit and make arrangements to continue their studies by reenrolling; reapplication is not necessary. 3. Students reapplying will be responsible for the college's assessment fee if applicable. 4. For applicants (or reapplicants) who never enroll, the application file is destroyed 36 months after the date of their orientation or their last activity in the case of applicants who do not attend an orientation. After that time, an individual would need to reapply and would be treated as any new applicant. DEGREE PROGRAMS The college will recognize all degree programs approved within the last five years prior to the student's reenrollment date. Degree programs approved more than five years prior to the student's reenrollment date will be reviewed by the center director, who may seek the assistance of the student's mentor and/or faculty member with expertise in the student's area of concentration. If the center director judges that the student's early degree program is sound by contemporary standards, the student will not be required to make any additions or changes to the degree program. If the center director, in consultation with the student and the mentor, judges the once approved program to be inadequate, the student will be asked to prepare a new program for submission through the regular channels following contemporary expectation. Additional degree program planning credit may be required. 1. Degree programs must conform to current standards for Empire State College degrees in terms of the total number of credits required; the maximum amount of advanced standing awarded; the inclusion of 4-8 credits of degree program planning; and advanced level credit and liberal studies expectations. 2. Learning contracts and experiential learning listed as "months" should be translated to "credits." It may be necessary to make a reasoned estimate (judicious but not overly conservative) of credit for work completed in "months" during the very early years of the college and experiential learning credit may need to be grouped. The college will recognize all completed learning contract "months" translated to "credits." If the student is dissatisfied, the regular appeal procedures described in "Academic Policies and Procedures: The Degree Program" are available. Approved: April, 1990 Revised: December, 1993; February, 1996