Honors and Awards
Edith Lesley Wolfard Award
The Edith Lesley Wolfard Award is named for the founder of Lesley College and is chosen by a vote of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty and administrators. This award is given to a graduating senior who has achieved academic excellence and has consistently demonstrated qualities of leadership inside and beyond the Lesley community. The award recipient has exhibited a commitment to lifelong learning and professional excellence and the promise of a future best exemplifying the Lesley ideal.
Luke Baldwin Award
The Luke Baldwin Award was established in memory of Dr. Luke Baldwin who during his 15 years at Lesley served as an associate professor, associate dean for academic affairs, and provost. Luke came to Lesley as a faculty member in the Adult Baccalaureate program and was an advocate for the adult learner throughout his career. Lesley is proud to offer the Luke Baldwin Award each year to an adult student who has taken the risk to return to college to live Luke’s ideal of lifelong learning and continued service to the community.
Dean's List
Each semester, full-time students who complete all attempted semester hours and who attain a semester average of 3.5 or more are eligible for the Dean's List. (Incomplete grades are not permitted.) First-year students and sophomores must carry a minimum of nine credits in letter grades, and juniors and seniors, who are not in their placement semester, must also carry a minimum of nine credits in letter grades.
In the semester when seniors and juniors are in placement — and in the case when their placement does not receive a letter grade — they must carry a minimum of 3 credits in letter grades, attain a PASS in their placement and achieve a 3.5 semester GPA.
Academic Standing
A student with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least a 2.0 (CLAS students) or 2.3 (LA+D students) and 2.0 for LA+D first-year students is classified as being in Good Academic Standing.
Academic Review Committee
In each college, the Academic Review Committee is responsible for monitoring students' overall performance to meet the bachelor’s degree requirements and academic regulations of that college.
Academic Alert
A student in Good Academic Standing is given an Academic Alert if the student,
-
obtains a semester GPA below 2.0 for CLAS and 2.3 for LA+D students and 2.0 for LA+D first-year students;
- the student fails one course
Academic Support Following an Academic Alert
Students receiving an Academic Alert should consider adjusting their course loads and re-evaluating their involvement in co-curricular activities while they work towards achieving satisfactory academic standards. Students should make appropriate use of the University’s academic and personal support services, including the Academic Advising Center and the University’s Center for Academic Achievement.
Academic Probation
If a student fails to meet academic standing in the second consecutive semester after being placed on Academic Alert, the student will then be placed on Academic Probation if the student's cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 (CLAS) or 2.3 (LA+D) and 2.0 for first-year students (LA+D). If, while on Academic Probation, a student earns a semester GPA of 2.0 or greater but has a cumulative GPA below a 2.0, they will remain on Academic Probation.
The Academic Review Committee may place a student on academic probation if the student has not completed 75% of courses attempted, not met the internships/student teaching requirement of the major, or been placed under Departmental Review.
The Associate Dean of the college will notify the student by email of the Academic Review Committee's decision to place the student on academic probation. The student may appeal this decision by providing potentially significant information or evidence that was not available to, or considered by, the Academic Review committee. The student has five (5) business days from the date of the email notification to file an appeal with the Dean's office. The Dean of the college will review the decision of the Academic Review committee and all documentation both considered by the committee and provided by the student. The Dean will make the final decision on academic probation and will notify the student and the Academic Review committee of the decision.
Academic Support While on Alert or Probation
CLAS students on Academic Probation must adjust their course loads to have no more than 12 credits and may be required to reduce their involvement in co-curricular activities until they have achieved satisfactory academic standards. Students should make appropriate use of the University's academic and personal support services, including the Academic Advising Center and the University's Center for Academic Achievement.
The Director of Academic Advising will assign CLAS students (non-LCAL) who are on academic probation with a Probation Advisor to serve in addition to the student's regular academic advisor. LCAL students (on campus, off campus and online adult learners) will obtain this additional support from their academic advisor.
Academic Dismissal
The Academic Review Committee may recommend dismissal to the Dean of the college if a student,
- earns a semester GPA below a 2.0 while on Academic Probation;
or
- earns a GPA of 1.0 or less during their first semester of study at Lesley; or
- does not demonstrate the ability to meet degree requirements, including the internship/student teaching requirement of the major, or the Remediation Plan required in the major.
The Dean will notify the student by email of the Academic Review committee’s recommendation for dismissal and offer the student the opportunity to respond. The student will have five (5) business days from the date of the email notification to submit, by email, a detailed written response to the Dean’s office. The Dean will make the final decision concerning dismissal and will notify the student by University email and the Academic Review committee of the decision. The Dean’s decision is final and may not be appealed.
If a student is dismissed, the financial obligation to the college is governed by the financial regulations stated in the Financial Information section of this catalog.
Restricted Programs of Study
The following programs of study have specific academic and professional standards in addition to the College’s general standards. Copies of the relevant standards are available through the departments and are distributed to the students in the programs of study.
Education
Any junior or senior having less than a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, or who otherwise fails to meet the prerequisites, will not be accepted for the Senior Practicum. Likewise, students who do not pass all of their MTEL exams will not be accepted for the Senior Practicum, which is a required element of the Education majors. Note: for the 2020-2021 academic year, the MTEL policy is temporarily suspended, due to challenges associated with COVID-19. Effective Fall 2022, all students seeking MA licensure must take and pass the Communications & Literacy exam, and take (but not necessarily pass) all other required MTEL exams prior to registering for the Senior Practicum.
The Department’s Review Committee may determine that a student who fails to meet academic and professional standards of the major will not be allowed to continue in the major. A student may appeal the decision within five working days of receiving notification if they disagree with the decision and if they can demonstrate the availability of new information or evidence that is potentially significant and was not available to the committee and therefore not considered by the committee. The dean will review the decision of the committee and all documentation considered by the committee. The dean will notify the student and the committee of their decision within five working days. The decision of the dean is final. Copies of the appeal process are also available from the dean of the college.
Credit-Bearing Internships and Field Experiences for Students not majoring in Education
Unless otherwise stated, students must receive a grade of C- or better in any internship course, including the first year introduction to field experience course, to take subsequent internship courses.
Art Therapy, Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapy, Holistic Psychology, Psychology and Human Services
Any junior or senior having less than a 2.3 cumulative grade point average in major requirements and/or an overall cumulative grade point average less than 2.0 will not be accepted for an internship.
All courses with benchmark grades that are not met must be repeated.
The Department’s Review Committee may determine that a student who fails to meet academic and professional standards of the major will not be allowed to continue in that major. The Academic Notification informs the student of the Department Review Committee’s concerns and may, if appropriate, include a Remediation Plan. A student may appeal the decision within five working days of receiving notification if they disagree with the decision and if they can demonstrate the availability of new information or evidence that is potentially significant and was not available to the committee and therefore not considered by the committee. The dean will review the decision of the committee and all documentation considered by the committee. The dean will notify the student and the committee of her/his decision within five working days. The decision of the dean is final. Copies of the appeal process are also available from the dean of the college.
Business Management
All business management majors must achieve a grade of “C” or higher in all courses with prefixes CMGMT or CECON. Courses with grades below C must be repeated. Any exceptions must be approved by the Department Chair in order to continue to the next course sequence.
Any junior or senior having less than a 2.3 cumulative grade point average in major requirements and/or an overall cumulative grade point average of less than 2.0 will not be accepted for an internship.
A grade of "C" or better is required to move to the next internship course.
A grade of "B-" or better in the capstone course is required to meet the requirements of the major.
A cumulative grade point average of 2.3 or better in the major is required to meet the requirements of the major.
Within the General Education Requirements, Business Management majors are required to complete the following courses in the specified categories:
Social Science Breadth Requirement: CECON 2101 Microeconomics and CECON 2102 Macroeconomics. This is 6 of the 9 credits required in the Social Science category.
Math Requirement: CMGMT 1590 Quantitative Modeling in Business. CMGMT 1590 satisfies Quantitative Reasoning foundations requirement.
Business Management Majors are required to demonstrate a foreign language competency.
Students who have studied a foreign language prior to entering Lesley University are encouraged to take the foreign language proficiency exam. Students who receive a passing score will be exempted from the language competency requirement. Competency can be fulfilled by taking two semesters of the same foreign language at the university.
Creative Writing, English and History
Any junior or senior having less than a 2.3 cumulative grade point average in major requirements and/or an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 will not be accepted for an internship.
Individually Designed Major (LCAL Students)
Adult students with transfer or PLA credits may pursue approved individually designed majors. The individually designed major leads to a BA or BS in Liberal Studies with a concentration in the student’s area of interest. The concentration should be one that either is not offered through Lesley’s traditional programs, nor offered at a time or format accessible to the adult student. Students should be aware that for some disciplines, students will be required to meet the same documented professional standards as outlined by the department for the major.
Community College Partnership Programs
Degree completion programs run through the Community College Partnerships Office in the Center for the Adult Learner are restricted to transfer students who have earned an associate's degree. Students applying for the Lesley at Bunker Hill Community College or the Lesley at Urban College of Boston program must have completed an associate degree in a corresponding field to the Lesley program at the time of matriculation.
Professional and Academic Standards
When a student appears unable to conform to the professional and academic standards of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or the College of Art and Design, the case will be referred to the Academic Review Committee.
General Suspension, Dismissal
In addition to academic dismissal, probation or alert and financial administrative withdrawal, Lesley reserves the right to suspend or dismiss from the academic programs and/or the residence halls any student who, in the opinion of the college authorities, does not conform to the Community Standards of Conduct described in the Student Handbook. Dismissal from the academic programs or the residence halls does not terminate the student's financial obligation to the college for tuition, residence fees, or other indebtedness.