Courses of Instruction
Introduction
The college year consists of two regular semesters, fall and spring, plus several summer sessions of varying lengths.
The number of semester credits to be earned in a given course is always indicated by the number after the course title. The semester when taught is given after the description.
Some courses have prerequisites that must be met before a student can register for the course. Prerequisites include such requirements as the successful completion of previous courses, concurrent registration in another course, permission of the instructor or chair, and specific Q.P.A. and course grade requirements. A student may not register for a course where prerequisites are indicated unless the prerequisites have been successfully completed.
Note: For two-semester courses that are listed with one title and description (e.g., EDD 536-537 Language Theories and Strategies), it is understood that successful completion of the first semester is a prerequisite for admission to the second half of the course.
The numerical sequence used at Canisius College indicates the following: Courses numbered 100-499 are undergraduate courses, and courses numbered 500 and higher are graduate courses.
Registration
Students register for courses on-line at www.canisius.edu. Click on "on-line services" and follow the instructions. Students are encouraged to register as early as possible to avoid the danger of finding the courses closed. It is strongly recommended that they consult with their advisers each semester to insure that they are taking the proper courses.
In the fall and spring, the first five days of the semester are Drop/Add week, a time during which students may drop or add classes without penalty (see Calendar for dates). After that, the withdrawal procedures described below apply. No change or deletion of courses, except for authorized withdrawals, may be made after the first full week of any semester.
Students who have not completed registration will not be admitted to class. It is the responsibility of the graduate student to be aware of registration procedures. Students who register late are assessed an additional fee.
Once registration has been completed, the student must follow the program of studies shown on the official registration form. No change or deletion of courses, except for authorized withdrawals, may be made after the first full week of any semester.
Students are expected to maintain a continuous program of academic work until all course requirements, including research for the thesis, are completed. If a thesis is required, the student must register each fall and spring semester, after the completion of course requirements, for the appropriate research course until the degree is awarded.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled classes, labs and other course-related activities. However, on some occasions students may need to be absent. Instructors are privileged to establish reasonable absence regulations which should be clearly stated at the first class meeting. The suggested norm is twice the number of classes per week. This means that a student would be permitted two absences in a class that meets once a week. When unavoidable absences occur, the student should explain the circumstances as soon as possible to the instructor who will judge the validity of the excuse.
The instructor is expected to determine when the number of absences has reached the level where any additional absences would prevent the student from attaining the objectives of the course. This judgment should be communicated to the student with the warning that any further absences will result in an automatic dismissal from the course and a grade of “D”.
Withdrawal
A student wishing to withdraw from a course must submit a course withdrawal form to the Student Record’s office after it has been signed by the instructor and then by the appropriate associate dean. The faculty signature represents an acknowledgment of the student’s withdrawal. Failure to submit the withdrawal form will mean that an automatic grade of “D” will be entered on the student’s record.
The deadline for withdrawal without academic penalty is the end of the twelfth week of each fall and spring semester. See the official academic calendar, page 2 and 3. Summer sessions have their own deadlines for withdrawal. Consult the Summer Session catalog for details.
Withdrawal from a course automatically results in a notation of “W” (withdrawal) for the course. Ordinarily, no student will be allowed to withdraw from any course after the deadline. However, in extreme circumstances, a student may request permission from the dean and then the instructor of the class to withdraw after the deadline. Such permission will be granted rarely and only in exceptional cases. Written documentation explaining the reasons the withdrawal is being requested is required for all withdrawals after the deadline.