Academic Assessment and Grades

Boricua students’ progress toward their objectives at a varying pace, always aware of the criteria by which their performance will be assessed, and the relationship between their performance and the College’s academic standards.

 Registration and Assessments departments manages the academic records of the highly individualized academic registration and academic assessments of each student. 

Assessment Procedure and Grading Policy

Boricua awards letter grades at the end of each academic term to indicate level of “Mastery” of skills, competencies and subject matter achieved by the student (See Grading System Chart below) Assessment of academic achievement is an integral part of a student’s educational process and begins with a Learning Contract. It continues in weekly Educational Facilitator dialogues with a student throughout the term, and culminates in the recommendation of grades based on the cumulative recommendations of all faculty members who have worked with a student. Recommended grades are reviewed by an Assessment Committee, (composed of the student’s Faculty Facilitator and two other Faculty Facilitators) who has the ultimate and official authority to award final grades. The Assessment Committee’s ratification and awarding of a grade depends on a student’s: attendance, participation and quality and quantity of work produced.

Academic Policies

(a) All students are required to register Full-Time for a minimum of 12 credit in the first term and maximum of 16 credits thereafter in each Fall and Spring terms, and up to 11 credits in the Summer term. (b) There are no part-time students at Boricua. (c) Boricua College is a senior college, therefore, all entering students are expected to achieve a Bachelor or Master’s degree. An Associate in Arts degree may be awarded after completing sixty-eight (68) credits and all requirements of the Generic Studies “Core” liberal arts and sciences program. (d) All students must complete at least six (6) credits in Math, six (6) credits in English and three credits in Natural Sciences. (e) Each department or program may have additional requirements for degree completion. (f) Students must declare a major area of study by their “junior” year, and are expected to fulfill any outstanding requirements of the Generic Studies-LAS programs as well as any special requirements of the academic program to which they are applying. (g) For any grievance, students are required to follow a pattern of communication that begins with their Educational Facilitator, followed by the Chairperson of their Department to the Vice President of Academic Affairs or another administrator appointed by the President. Ignoring this procedure may be detrimental to resolving a problem. (h) A faculty member who is absent is expected to make up the session(s) missed, and students are expected to attend the re-scheduled classes. (i) While the College makes every effort to give students sound academic advice, it must be understood that compliance with academic rules and regulations is the student's responsibility.

  • Strictly Required: Students will be suspended if they stop attending or withdraw from Individualized Instruction, Colloquium and Experiential Studies courses; and may not receive grades for any other course attended.

  • Repeated Courses: a course in which the student has already received a passing grade cannot be included in meeting full-time study requirements for State and Federal financial aid. Repeated courses may be counted toward full-time study requirements when a student has received a grade that is passing at the institution but is unacceptable for a particular degree program. (NYHESC Regulations), 3.01(e).

  • Course Descriptions: Every course is listed by number and title, and briefly described in the College catalogue. Students can request a more complete description of the course syllabi from their Department Chairperson or Dean.

  • Independent Study Courses: Students must consult with their Educational Facilitators before requesting enrollment in an Independent Study course. All independent study courses must be approved by the Department Chairperson and Vice President for Academic Affairs, prior to their initiation. No more than two credits may be awarded for I.S. courses and the product must be evaluated by an Assessment Committee.

  • Attendance Requirements: Students are expected to attend all courses. Non-attendance will jeopardize academic achievement as well as eligibility for financial aid.

  • Official Withdrawal: Students who choose to withdraw from the College after registration must complete and submit a Withdrawal form to the Department of Registration and Assessments by the date stated in the academic calendar (students may be responsible for a portion of their tuition) and participate in an exit interview.

  • Disenrollment: The programs of Boricua College are designed to permit students of differing capacities to progress toward a degree at their own pace. Occasionally, a student’s progress is so limited as to make disenrollment from the College clearly in the student’s and College’s best interest.

  • Policy for Completion of Master Degree Candidates in Education and Human Services Program:  The students in the Master degree programs (Education and Human Services) are required to complete their studies for the degree within a 4-year period, or no longer than three years beyond the completion of their course work.  After this period is completed, a student’s continuation of matriculation in the Programs will end.

  • Re-assessment Grievance Procedures: If a student disagrees with the credits or grades awarded by the Assessment Committee, they may seek reassessment by completing a Re-assessment Request Form in the Department of Registration and Assessments. Upon reviewing the request, the Director of Registration and Assessments may meet with the Vice President of Academic Affairs who may convene a Re-Assessment Committee. The re-assessment decision reached by this committee is final and the student is notified. Students may only request reassessment for the immediate previous term.

  • Open Academic Portfolios: From time to time a student may not have completed academic work for a course because of unusual personal circumstances; or the student may need a few more credits in a course for graduation, or for other reasons reported in writing by the Faculty Facilitator and Chairperson of a Department. In such rare instances, a student’s Academic Portfolio is kept open, and in some cases re-opened, so that required work may be completed and grades are awarded retroactively.

  • Full-Time Course Load: Every student is registered full time for a course load distributed as follows:

Academic Grading System

The actual grades and the corresponding quality points achieved by a student reflect the quantity of work produced and Mastery level of the skills and subject matter content in each course.

  • How to Calculate Grade Point Average (G.P.A.): The grade point average is obtained by multiplying the total number of quality points achieved by the number of credits achieved and dividing the result by the number of credits attempted.

  • Boricua College’s Academic Progress Policy: If a student achieves less than 2.0 GPA in two (2) consecutive terms and progress is judged not likely to improve in the foreseeable future, an Assessment Committee or Chairperson may advise the student to withdraw from the College for one or more academic terms. The student may appeal the ruling to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, whose judgment in this matter is final.

  • Academic Degree Completion Milestones: Boricua College is a four (4) year institution and all students are expected to complete a bachelor's degree.  Boricua's degree completion has two minimum milestones, one at sixty-eight (68) credits for which the student may be awarded an Associate of Arts degree and another at one hundred and thirty two (132) credits for the Bachelor degrees.

Life Experience Credits

A student seeking Boricua College credit for life-experience-learning (e.g., employment, community leadership, travel, military experiences and/or non-college course work) may contact his/her Faculty Facilitator for guidance in the preparation of a portfolio documenting such experience and the competencies derived there from. The Department of Registration and Assessments provides students with a complete set of guidelines regarding the preparation of the Life Experience Portfolio. Upon receipt of the Life Experience Portfolio, an Assessment Committee evaluates it and awards credits. A maximum of thirty (30) credits may be allocated to Life Experience Learning. Only students with excellent academic records will be allowed to attempt “Life Experience” credits, and only with the written recommendation of the Department Chairperson and the written approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Students entering the College may qualify for up to thirty (30) credits by scoring at or above the median for freshmen on the General and Subject examinations of the New York State College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Information about CLEP may be obtained from the Department of Registration and Assessments.

Transcript Requests

Official transcripts, of a student’s academic record, are only released upon submission of a signed Transcript Request Form to the Department of Registration and Assessments. Transcripts will not be prepared or released without written verification that the student does not have any past due library books or College equipment and/or outstanding balance, tuition and/or fees. A processing fee is charged for each transcript request.

Academic Honors and Awards

  • The Honors List

    The Honors List is announced at the beginning of the Fall term of each academic year. Eligibility for the Honors List requires being registered for all three terms of the previous academic year, and a grade point average of at least 3.50. A failing grade in any course during those three terms will cause the student to be ineligible. The Honors List status is noted on the student’s official transcript.

  • Graduation Honors

    There are three (3) levels of distinction for the Associate and Baccalaureate degree candidates: a degree with Summa Cum Laude shall be granted to students whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) is at least 3.80. A degree with Magna Cum Laude shall be granted to students whose cumulative grade point average is at least 3.50. A degree with Cum Laude shall be granted to students whose cumulative grade point average is at least 3.20. In addition, special awards are presented at Commencement to four (4) graduates from the Generic Studies Department and one graduate from each of the Specialty Studies departments.