A graduate student’s education is the result of his or her initiative and industry. Each Bryant graduate student, accordingly, understands that to submit work that is not his/her own is not only a transgression of University policy but also a violation of personal integrity. A high standard of conduct is expected.

The academic community, therefore, does not tolerate any form of “cheating” – the dishonest use of assistance in the preparation of assignments in and out of the classroom. Such violations, including plagiarism, are subject to disciplinary action. To preserve its commitment to the high standards of intellectual and professional behavior, Bryant University will respect intellectual excellence and expect intellectual honesty.

The following due process procedure shall apply to cases of graduate students involving academic dishonesty:

Step 1

Instructors teaching graduate courses have the explicit responsibility to take action in alleged cases of academic dishonesty. This action may include the following:

• Failing grade on assignment or exam
• Failing grade for the course
• Recommend dismissal from the Graduate School

Step 2

The instructor’s decision may be appealed by the student to the Graduate Faculty Advisory Committee (GFAC). The Committee may recommend to the Dean of the College of Business one of the following alternatives as a recommendation to the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School:

• To sustain the instructor’s decision
• To place the student on probationary status as specified by the Committee. This gives the Committee the right to review and monitor the student’s academic performance for the duration of the probation period.
• To recommend dismissal of the student to the Dean of the College of Business
• To restore the individual to the status of a student in good standing
• A similar process will be followed in cases of dishonesty other than academic.

Academic Grievance Process

Students who have academic grievances are entitled to have their dispute reviewed by a formal and systematic process. This process should begin with a good-faith attempt for resolution between the student and professor.

In the event that the issue cannot be resolved between student and professor, the student must subsequently confer with the chairman of the academic department of the professor in question to seek resolution of the matter. Failing these first two steps, the student can seek resolution by appealing the matter to the Dean of the College of Business.

Prior to an appeal to the Dean of the College of Business, a student must complete a written statement which serves to summarize the basis of the grievance, indicate the resolution process preceding and leading up to an appeal first to the Associate Dean of the College of Business and then to the Dean of the College of Business, and a documentation of relevant material and correspondence between and among student, professor, and chairman.

If the issue cannot be resolved by the aforementioned steps, the student may request a hearing before the Graduate Student Academic Grievance Committee. The Graduate Student Academic Grievance Committee will report its findings to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for a final disposition.

At each stage in the grievance process a written record that summarizes each party's understanding and disposition is expected.

Graduate School Code of Conduct

Bryant University is an educationally purposeful community – a place where faculty, staff, and students work together to strengthen teaching and learning on campus.

The campus is a place where high standards of civility are set and violations are challenged. Bryant University is a community whose members speak and listen carefully to each other, where the sacredness of each person is honored, and where diversity is aggressively pursued. The University clearly states both its academic and social expectations. All must accept their obligations as citizens of the Bryant community and expect to be held accountable for behavior as individuals and group members. The University is a caring community where the well-being of each member is supported and where service to others is encouraged.

The Graduate School reserves the right to preserve the University’s commitment to the educationally purposeful community. Students who violate the high standards of civility noted above may face a hearing before the GFAC (Graduate Faculty Advisory Committee) to determine the appropriate course of action, up to and including administrative removal from the Graduate Program.

Applicants accepted to the Graduate School will have their undergraduate and graduate transcripts evaluated for waivers and transfer courses. The following guidelines provide further clarification of our waiver and transfer options.

The Graduate School faculty and administration expect a solid grounding in economics and statistics as an essential element for full preparation to complete the Bryant University MBA program.

MBA501 Economics for Business
This course may be waived if a student has successfully completed both Micro and Macroeconomics at the college level.

MBA505 Applied Business Statistics
This course may be waived if a student has successfully completed Statistics at the college level.

In general this implies that the graduate program will waive a foundation requirement if the course was taken at an accredited institution and covered topics generally reflect the content for MBA501 and MBA505 with an effective window of about five years and the grade earned was a "B" or better. Foundation courses may be waived that are beyond five years when it is evident that an individual is, by virtue of current employment, professional experience, or some other basis, conversant with fundamental concepts in one or both of these disciplines (e.g., an individual employed at Fidelity who works in a context that routinely assumes knowledge and use of key economic concepts).

Bryant also reserves the right to require an applicant to retake a foundation course that was taken within the 5 year window when there is indication of such need (e.g., the grade earned was less than B).

Acceptable math preparation coursework from Bryant’s undergraduate program is MATH201 (or equivalent); acceptable economics preparation coursework from Bryant’s undergraduate program (or the equivalent from another accredited institution) include ECO113 (or equivalent) and ECO114 (or equivalent).

Transfer Credits

It is the expectation of the Graduate School that graduate students will complete all degree requirements at Bryant University.

Students who have completed course work prior to matriculation may transfer up to two courses to their degree program. Transfer credits are limited to those taken within the last three years with a grade of "B" or better from an institution accredited by AACSB International. Students who wish to transfer course work should submit a Transfer of Credit Request form along with a course description or course syllabus to the Graduate School. The Graduate School will forward the request to the appropriate department chair for evaluation. If the request is approved, the course(s) will be applied to the student's Bryant transcript and the student will receive an updated curriculum outline.

Courses equivalent to MBA520 and MBA521 will not be accepted in transfer. In addition, transfer courses will not shorten a student's program of study.

If, for extenuating circumstances, a student needs to enroll in a graduate course or courses at an institution other than Bryant, the student must submit a Transfer of Credit Request to the Graduate School. The Graduate School will coordinate the academic review process and will notify the student in writing once a decision is made. In order for the course credits to transfer to Bryant, a course must be taken at an AACSB International-accredited institution. Students must earn a "B" or better,and, upon completion of the course, must submit an official transcript to the Graduate School.

While transfer credits approved for transfer appear on the Bryant transcript, grades of transferred courses are not used to calculate a student's grade point average.

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Graduates of an MBA, MST, MSA, MSIS, MPAc or other graduate business program may audit a class as long as prerequisites have been met and there is space available in the course. Students may register a week before classes begin with the approval of the course instructor. No credit or quality points are given for the audited class and the grade on the transcript will appear as “AU” (for audit). Students are responsible for paying 100 percent of tuition for that class. Note: Bryant Graduate School alumni are required to pay 50 percent of course tuition to audit a course.

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By virtue of Bryant’s MBA program design as a three semesters per year plan of study, admitted students are expected to proceed through the program with the class they were admitted with at the beginning of their MBA studies. Stated differently, students, upon admission, are expected to complete their MBA degree requirements by continuous enrollment in the time specified by the program in which they entered.

Although leaves of absence from the MBA program are discouraged, it is recognized that occasionally there are significant life-altering events that may result in the need for a student to suspend continuous enrollment from their respective program on a temporary basis. Consequently, any student who, prior to completion of the MBA requirements, seeks to decline registration for an upcoming term may do so by filing a Leave of Absence Request form. A student on a leave of absence may reenter the program on a space available basis. Students are still expected to complete their program within a six-year time frame. Students on military deployment are exempt from this policy.

Students in the MPAc and MST programs who do not plan to register for a given semester should register for ZIR500 (Leave of Absence).

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The graduate programs use the following grading system:

Grade / Grade Points

A / 4.0 (Excellent)

AB / 3.5 (Very good)

B / 3.0 (Good)

BC / 2.5 (Better than average)

C / 2.0 (Average)

F / 0.0 (Failure)

I (Incomplete in assigned work)

W (Withdrawn)

Letter Grades of BC and C: These grades, though acceptable, represent average performance and thus, must be offset by other higher grades in order to maintain a 3.0 cumulative average and subsequently to graduate from the program.

Letter Grade of F: As a general policy, if a student fails a course, it must be retaken. The terms under which this applies are as follows: All core courses must be retaken; for elective courses in which an “F” is earned, another elective of the student’s choosing can serve to “replace” the original elective in which an “F” was earned. In any case, a letter grade of “F” indicates a course failure and, as such, is not removed even after a student retakes a core or elective course to make up for the earlier failure; furthermore, the original letter grade of “F” is included in all future GPA calculations.

Letter Grade of I: In the case of extenuating circumstances, the instructor may allow an additional period of time – usually two weeks beyond the end of the semester – to complete the course. The incomplete “grade” is figured into the grade point average (GPA) of the student as an “F”, or failure, until such time as course work is completed and a new grade is assigned. A Request for Incomplete Grade form is required prior to the end of the grading period; the initiation of this step can be started by either the faculty member or the student; however, agreement by both parties regarding the terms of the course extension period and the course work to be completed is expected. Failure of the student to complete course work within 30 days will require approval of the assistant dean for an extension of up to an additional 60 days. At the end of 90 days from the end of the semester, any course work not completed as agreed upon will be viewed as failing, and the professor will be asked to make a course grade determination based on any and all other course work performed.

Letter Grade Designation of W: Students may withdraw from a course after the ADD/DROP period at the beginning of a term and receive a “grade” mark on their transcript of “W” for withdrawn. Students can elect to withdraw from a course without penalty at any time up to (and including) the last regularly scheduled class session as designated by the University calendar. All drops after the add/drop period will be recorded with a grade of “W” and will be a permanent “grade” on a student’s transcript.

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Only courses taken and credits received in the graduate programs at Bryant University are included in the computation of the grade point average. The grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total quality points earned by the total credits completed.

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Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to earn their degree. If at the completion of the graduate program, the final GPA is below 3.0, a student may petition the Graduate School to complete additional credits to meet the GPA minimum requirement. This extension of enrollment may be granted by the assistant dean.

When a student’s cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0, an academic warning will be issued. Two consecutive semesters of academic warning may result in dismissal from the Graduate School. Academic warning status will be reviewed on an individual case basis by the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School. Dismissal decisions will be reviewed by the Dean.

To graduate with honors, a student must attain a grade point average of 3.75 or better.

Privacy Rights of Students

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), an individual enrolled at Bryant University is listed as an eligible student and any rights previously accorded to parents under the Act are transferred to the student.

Information contained in the educational record of the student may not be released without the student’s written consent, except as indicated in the Act.

1. The Bryant University student has the right to inspect and review those records, files, documents, and other materials that contain information directly related to the student and which are maintained by the University, but with the following exceptions:

1.1 Records of institutional, supervisory, and administrative personnel, and educational personnel that are in the sole possession of the maker, and that are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a substitute.

1.2 Records that are created or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional.

1.3 Confidential letters and statements of recommendation that were placed in the educational records prior to January 1, 1975.

1.4 Records maintained solely for law enforcement purposes.

1.5 Parents’ financial records and related parental financial information.

2. Who has access to records:

2.1 The student (former or present) upon presentation of proper identification.

2.2 Other University officials, including faculty within the University or local educational agencies who have been determined by the responsible official to have legitimate educational interest.

2.3 Officials of other schools in which the student seeks to enroll, upon condition that the student is aware of the transfer, receive a copy of the record if desired, pays the appropriate fee, and has the opportunity to challenge the content of the record.

2.4 Authorized government officials as described in the Act.

2.5 Authorities to whom request for financial aid has been made.

2.6 State and local officials or authorities specifically required by the Act.

2.7 Authorized organizations conducting studies on behalf of educational agencies, provided such studies do not disclose personally identifiable materials.

2.8 Accrediting organizations.

2.9 Parents of a dependent student as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

2.10 Authorized persons, if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons.

2.11 Compliance with judicial order or subpoena – the student is to be notified in advance of compliance.

3. Other than the routine in-office use of the record, the purpose for requesting access must be indicated.

4. The University maintains records in many media including but not limited to handwriting, print, tapes, microfilm, microfiche, and computer disks.

5. Policy on Review, Appeal, and Expungency of Record:

5.1 Upon receipt of a written request to review the record, an appointment will be arranged.

5.2 In the event that some item is challenged by the student, an appeal may be made, described by the particular office (e.g., in the case of an academic item, after meeting with the appropriate academic Dean, the matter may be pursued to the University Committee on Scholastic Standing for its recommendation to the VPAA).

5.3 A favorable decision on the appeal would result in the item being expunged.

6. Copies of Records:

6.1 The student, upon payment of a $5 fee per item ($10 for a faxed copy), may obtain a copy of his or her academic transcript generated by the University.

6.2 Copies of records generated from other institutions must be secured from such institutions subject to their policies.

7. Student Directory Information:

7.1 Name, address, e-mail address, telephone listing, date, and place of birth.

7.2 Major field of study and class schedule.

7.3 Participation in officially recognized activities and sports, including weight and height of members of athletic teams.

7.4 Dates of attendance.

7.5 Distinguished academic performance, degrees and awards received, including dates.

7.6 Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended.

7.7 Photographic view or electronic images.

7.8 Unless the student requests to the contrary, all of the above directory information will be published by the University as appropriate. A request not to publish must be made annually in writing to the Academic Records Office within two weeks of the start of the fall semester.

8. The privacy of Bryant students and their parents is protected under the authority of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-380) as amended (P.L.93-568), also known as the Buckley Amendment.

9. Waivers:

9.1 The University cannot require eligible students to waive their rights.

9.2 A student may waive the right of access to confidential statements submitted on or after January 1, 1975.

9.2.1 A student has the right to know the names of all persons making confidential recommendations. Such recommendations are used solely for the purpose for which they were intended.

9.2.2 Waivers may not be required as a condition for admission to, receipt of financial aid from, or receipt of any other services or benefits from such agency or institution of the University.

FERPA and Graded Student Work

Policy regarding the return of graded papers, tests, assignments, and projects:

Since the enactment of the FERPA rules on confidentiality, graded papers, exams and projects cannot be left outside of a faculty member's office for anyone other than the target student to view. Any materials to be handed back to students should be done directly by the professor. Under no circumstances is it permissible for student assistants working in faculty office suites to handle such sensitive materials.

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