Policies and Procedures

Students enrolled in career advancement courses, seminars, and conferences, or those with undeclared status in a certificate program are issued a Building Access Pass that provides access to classroom buildings.

*Students who have declared candidacy in a certificate program are issued a photo ID which provides benefits such as access to NYU Library services, NYU Computer Store discounts, and access to the Kimmel Center for University Life. Replacement cards/policies are subject to NYU policies.

The University reserves the right to deny registration and withhold information regarding the record of any student who is in arrears in the payment of tuition, fees, loans, or other charges (including charges for housing, dining, or other activities or services) for as long as any arrears remain.

Grades are issued to students by the faculty of record to provide a measurement of: 

• How much the student has learned of the delivered body of knowledge
• How effectively the student is able to use that knowledge, and
• Other optional standards, such as class participation and, if essential to course work, actual class attendance/lateness record (such attendance requirements are established by the faculty).

All grading criteria should be completely explained by the instructor in the course syllabus, which will either be distributed or available for download from NYU CLASSES at the beginning of the course.

Grades

Letter grades are issued for some continuing education courses.  Students have the ability to opt out of receiving a letter grade by completing the non-evaluative (NE) form. (See link below.)

*Courses completed as non-evaluative (NE) cannot be applied toward a certificate.

Incomplete Grades

The grade of Incomplete is reserved for extenuating and unavoidable circumstances such as illness or other emergencies which prevent a student from finishing a course in a given term. Incompletes are given at the discretion of the instructor, in consultation with the department, when the nature of the course permits the faculty member to allow late completion.

The assigning of an Incomplete is thus subject to approval and is never automatic. Students are able to request the grade of Incomplete by contacting the program director, filling out a form and providing supporting documentation. The grade of Incomplete can only be issued to students who have completed at least 50% of the coursework. The faculty member will determine what constitutes 50% of the coursework. 

Coursework must be completed by the end of the following semester. A grade of Incomplete (I)  that is not resolved by the end of the following semester becomes a terminal grade of “F”. 

The University Registrar posts grades to student records by their student identification number within four weeks of course completion. (The student ID number begins with “N” and is printed on the student’s course schedule.) Final grades should be submitted by the faculty member for all students registered in continuing education courses within 72 hours of the last session of class.

Pass/Fail Option

Students have the option to take courses on a Pass/Fail basis. 

• The Pass/Fail form must be submitted to your academic department within the first week of the start date of your class.
• All Pass/Fail decisions are irrevocable. No grade other than P or F will be recorded on the student’s transcript. 
• Students considering the Pass/Fail option for a degree credential at another school should first consult with that institution.  
• Prior to selecting this option, students who are to be reimbursed by their employers should confirm that a weighted grade is not required. 

*Courses used to fulfill the requirements for a certificate may not be taken as Pass/Fail.

Course and assignment grades will be made according to the following NYU SPS guidelines.

Please note: Final grades are not mailed to students.

To earn a certificate, students must declare their candidacy prior to completing their course work. (Students are encouraged to declare candidacy prior to the start of the program).

Certificate candidacy entitles students to important benefits: see Photo ID Card above. To apply for certificate candidacy, use the application for Certificate Candidacy Form. 

Time to complete a certificate varies with each program. Please check requirements with your program of study.

Students are welcome to take as many individual courses from a certificate program as they wish, but they will not receive a certificate or be eligible for the benefits detailed unless they declare candidacy and complete all requirements. Undeclared students may request a transcript showing course completion and grades, but that transcript will not indicate certificate completion.

Grades are posted throughout the semester as courses end. Students can access their grades online through ALBERT, NYU's web-based, university-wide student information system. To access ALBERT, you must have an activated NYU NetID. To access your NYUHome account for the first time visit the NYU Start Page. After logging into NYU Home click on the "Academics" tab and then click on "Albert Login." Once in ALBERT, click on "Student Center," and in the drop-down menu on the left, select "Grades." If you encounter a problem, contact the ITS Client Services Helpline at 212-998-3333 or email askits@nyu.edu.

The Office of the University Registrar maintains individual records of students enrolled in the School's continuing education courses and is the only department authorized to record an official grade.  

Please note: Final grades are not mailed to students.

Once recorded, grades cannot be changed unless some omission or error occurred in the grading process. 

A student may petition for a grade review only after making an objective review of their performance in the course. The grade review should be initiated and completed no later than ten (10) days after the grade is issued. 

The student asks the faculty for an evaluation of the grade who verifies that no calculation error has been made.

If the student is not satisfied and wishes to pursue the grade review process, the student submits a letter to the program director detailing objections to the grade along with supporting documentation. 

The program director will investigate and submit a written response to the student generally within twenty (20) days of receiving the appeal with a final response. There is no further avenue of appeal. Please call Continuing Education Registration at 212-998-7200 if you need to know the contact information for your program. 

Continuing education courses do not carry credit that can be applied toward an NYU degree. If you are unsure whether or not a course carries credit, please contact the appropriate department.

Just as credits have made it possible to carry degree work from one school to another, the CEU is used nationally to document the type, quality, and duration of continuing education work. A CEU is generally equal to 10 class hours (50-minute hours) in a course where grades are issued. To earn CEUs, the grade must be A, B, C, D, or Pass.

The NYU School of Professional Studies is a qualified sponsor for New Jersey Continuing Professional Education and holds a continuing education sponsor agreement with the New York State Department of Education, which authorizes the granting of continuing education credit (CEU) in the following subject areas: accounting, auditing, taxation, advisory services, and specialized knowledge and applications related to specialized industries. Courses outside of these areas will not be recognized for credit under this agreement. For the acceptability of courses offered in Finance and Accounting; Law, Taxation, and Paralegal Studies; Architecture, Engineering, and Construction; and Real Estate, call 212-998-7200.

Adding/Enrolling

Students can make changes to their registration by completing the Request Form or in person at 7 East 12th Street, Room 133. 

Dropping/Withdrawing

Requests to withdraw from courses can be done by completing the Request Form or in person at 7 East 12th Street, Room 133. The request form includes the refund schedule.  Merely ceasing to attend a class does not constitute official withdrawal, nor does notification to the instructor. Cancellation of payment does not constitute withdrawal, nor does it reduce indebtedness to the University; students may be charged a penalty by the Bursar for stop payments

Refund Policy

Refunds are computed based on the date and time the request is received by the Office of Continuing Education Student Services. In addition, refunds for continuing education courses are based on the number of class sessions and not on the number of class sessions a student has attended. 

For continuing education courses (containing the designation "CE") 

Students are eligible for a 100% tuition refund if they withdraw from the course before the official start date. The registration fee is nonrefundable. 

If the class has already started, the refund schedule is as follows:

• For courses with six or more sessions—75% refund if the student withdraws before the third scheduled session. No refund thereafter.
• For courses with four or five sessions—60% refund if the student withdraws before the third scheduled session. No refund thereafter.
• For courses with one to three sessions—no refund is given after the first scheduled session.

Refunds for Online Courses

• Refunds for online courses are calculated differently from on-site courses. 
• Students are eligible for a 100% tuition refund if they withdraw from the course before the official start date. 
• Students are eligible for a 60% tuition refund if they withdraw from the course before having logged into the course four times or within the first week of the course. 
• After the fourth log in, or the second week, students are not eligible to receive any tuition refund.

Course Cancellation

NYU SPS reserves the right, in our sole discretion, to cancel or reschedule courses up to 24 hours prior to the start date.  In the event a course is cancelled, students will be notified by email.

Arrears Policy

The University reserves the right to deny registration and withhold information regarding the record of any student who is in arrears with the University for as long as any arrears remain. 

All NYU School of Professional Studies students are expected to familiarize themselves with, and to comply with, the rules of conduct, academic regulations, and the established policies and practices of the School.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy

All students are expected to be honest and ethical in all academic work. This trust is shared among all members of the University community and is a core principle of American higher education. Any breaches of this trust will be taken seriously. A hallmark of the educated student and good scholarship is the ability to acknowledge information derived from others. Students are expected to be scrupulous in crediting those sources that have contributed to the development of their ideas.

In the process of learning, students acquire ideas from many sources and exchange ideas and opinions with classmates, professors, and others. This development occurs in reading, writing, and discussion. Students are expected—often required—to build their own work on that of other people, just as professional researchers and writers do, and they must give credit for ideas, suggestions, and information that come from other sources.  Since the standard of good academic, creative, and scholarly work is to incorporate one's own ideas, analysis, and synthesis along with the proper recognition of the work of others, students are expected to practice the skill of attribution in their writing. Students are expected to quote accurately and identify the origin of citations from others, as well as to acknowledge when ideas are dependent upon concepts developed from other sources. This process of attribution and referencing allows each individual to demonstrate how their understanding and ideas relate to an existing body of knowledge—and add to them. It demonstrates the values of academic integrity and systematic reflection and intellectual development. To do otherwise and not reveal sources constitutes plagiarism. And plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism involves borrowing or using information from other sources without proper and full credit.  Students are expected to demonstrate how what they have learned incorporates an understanding of the research and expertise of scholars and other appropriate experts; thus recognizing others' published work or teachings—whether that of authors, lecturers, or one's peers—is a required practice in all academic projects.  Students' own scholarly and creative work is strengthened when full and appropriate acknowledgement becomes routine.

Students must master the standard procedures for citations and using footnotes, endnotes, parenthetical references and/or bibliographies, as determined by the character of their assignments. It is an expectation that faculty members impress upon students that whenever their work is dependent upon the ideas, suggestions, phrasing, and data found in sources, a failure to acknowledge them and reference their influence—whether intentional or not—may be considered evidence of academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism. The NYU School of Professional Studies does not tolerate such behavior; and substantiated cases of plagiarism will result in serious sanctions.

Consequently, it is essential for every student to develop the habits of identifying sources and to learn and use the proper forms of citation.

Any of the following acts constitutes an offense of plagiarism:

• Using a phrase, sentence, or passage from another person's work without quotation marks and attribution of the source.
• Paraphrasing words or ideas from another person's work without attribution.
• Reporting as your own research or knowledge of any data or facts gathered or reported by another person.
• Submitting in your own name papers, tests, examinations, or reports completed by another person.
• Submitting creative works, including images or reproduction of the creative works, of another person without proper attribution.
• Submitting oral or recorded reports of another person without proper attribution.
• Downloading documents in whole or part from the Internet and presenting them as one's own.
• Citing a source that does not exist.

Other offenses against academic integrity include the following:

• Collaborating with other students on assignments without the express permission of the instructor.
• Giving one's work to another student who then submits it as their own.
• Sharing or copying answers from other students.
• Copying material from any digital resource/website during examinations (unless expressly authorized).
• Using notes or other sources to answer exam questions without the instructor's permission.
• Destroying library or reference materials.
• Submitting as one's own work a paper or results of research purchased or acquired from a commercial firm or another person.
• Submitting original work toward requirements in more than one class without the prior permission of the instructor/s. 

Students can assure the integrity of their work by:

• Using quotation marks to set off words not their own.
• Learning to use proper forms of attribution for source materials.
• Doing one’s own original work in each course, without collaboration, unless otherwise instructed.
• Crediting use of published sources, the work of others, or material from the Web.
• Asking instructors if you have questions about an assignment or the use of sources.

Academic Integrity Disciplinary Procedures

Students are subject to disciplinary actions for the following offenses which include but are not limited to:

• Cheating
• Plagiarism
• Forgery or unauthorized use of documents
• False form of identification

Academic Integrity Sanctions

When a violation of the policy is detected, the faculty member will not issue a grade on the assignment or for the course until the case has been resolved. 

Once plagiarism is detected or suspected, the faculty member will immediately discuss the matter with the student. If, after this discussion the faculty member determines there is no violation, no further action is taken. If the violation is minor, a written warning is issued by the faculty member, and no further action is taken.

 If it is determined there is a serious violation of policy, the faculty member informs the Program Director, and provides a written, detailed account.

The Program Director reviews the case and makes a final determination as to whether or not a violation has occurred.  If the Program Director concludes there has been no violation, the matter is closed.  If the Program Director concludes that a violation has occurred, the Program Director, in consultation with the faculty, determines a sanction and then notifies the student.

One or more of the following sanctions can be issued:

• Requirement that the student redo the assignment
• Issue the grade of "0" for the assignment/student cannot redo the assignment
• Issue the grade of "F" for the assignment/student cannot redo the assignment
• Issue the grade of "F" for the course
• Issue the grade of "F" for the course; student cannot drop the course and the grade of "F" cannot be eliminated by retaking the course

Sanctions cannot be appealed.

Statement of Policy

The following procedures are those by which alleged violations of the NYU University Student Conduct Policy by SPS continuing education students will be reviewed and resolved.

Policy and Procedures

I. APPLICABILITY OF PROCEDURES

These procedures do not apply to allegations of sexual misconduct, relationship violence, or stalking. Such allegations are administered under the University’s Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy. Allegations of conduct that could constitute a violation of both the University Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy and the University Student Conduct Policy  will be administered according to the Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy.

Students with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations to facilitate their participation in the conduct process by contacting New York University’s Moses Center for Student Accessibility at 212-998-4980 or mosescsd@nyu.edu.  

II. FORUMS FOR RESOLUTION

Upon receipt of a report of alleged misconduct, the program’s associate/divisional dean or designee will determine whether or not any violation of policy has occurred. If a violation of policy has occurred, the associate/divisional dean or designee shall review and address the behavior with the student, explain why the behavior is unacceptable, and issue a warning that if the unacceptable behavior continues, the matter will be referred to the Office of Student Affairs.  In cases where the behavior is violent, threatening or in cases where the student repeats the offense, or where the misconduct might warrant suspension or dismissal, the matter will be referred immediately to the Office of Student Affairs.

All forums, as outlined below, are administered to ensure that any student accused of violating the NYU Student Conduct policy (the “respondent”) is afforded a fair and impartial process.  A respondent shall not be considered responsible for any violation of policy until after the appropriate process has concluded, including any appeals as permitted by policy.  

A. INFORMAL RESOLUTION

In cases that are referred to the Office of Student Affairs, a conference will be arranged with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the Director of Student Affairs and/or their designees.  Outcomes in this forum may include, but are not limited to, mentoring and coaching, conflict mediation, restorative justice, non-disciplinary intervention, and no contact directives.  

B. CONDUCT CONFERENCE

The conduct conference is a meeting between the respondent and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the Director of Student Affairs or their designees.  Written notice will be sent to the respondent detailing the date and location of the incident, nature of the alleged conduct, and applicable policies alleged to have been violated. The letter shall also provide the date, time and location for an individual meeting between the respondent and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the Director of Student Affairs or their designees. If, despite being notified of the date, time, and location of the conduct conference, the respondent is not in attendance, the administrator/s may proceed based on the information available and sanctions may be imposed.

During the meeting, the matter will be discussed and the student will share their perspective. The administrators may conduct such additional investigation as they deem appropriate.  After the meeting, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs or designee will make a determination, based on a preponderance of the evidence, as to whether the respondent violated the NYU Student Conduct policy.  If a violation of policy has been found, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs or designee shall then determine appropriate sanctions.  The Associate Dean of Student Affairs or designee shall issue a written decision to the respondent generally within ten (10) days of the conduct conference. Sanctions issued after a conduct conference may include the full range of sanctions, including dismissal.

III. SANCTIONS

As outlined below, sanctions may be issued by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs or designee upon the finding of a violation of the NYU Student Conduct policy.                                                                                                      Sanctions are not intended to be solely punitive and should be issued with a thoughtfulness toward educational outcomes.  Sanctions shall be crafted in consideration of:

1. the seriousness of the conduct,
2. the corrective and learning opportunities for the respondent,
3. the prior conduct record of the respondent (if applicable),
4. the safety and well-being of harmed individuals and the community, 
5. the desirability of treating similar conduct similarly, and 
6. the behavioral standards and values of New York University. Sanctions that may be imposed include, but are not limited to:

Written Warning: A notice to the student in writing that continuation or repetition of conduct violations shall be a cause for further disciplinary action.

No Contact Directive: A directive ordering a student to refrain from any effort to contact, communicate or interact with another individual or group.  This includes, but is not limited to: in person, in writing, by phone, by email, by texts or other electronic messaging, through social media, or through a third-party acting on the student’s behalf.

Mandatory Health Referral: A mandated assessment with qualified health professional to evaluate a student’s well-being and promote responsible decision making.

Restitution: Reimbursement for damage to or misappropriation of property. Reimbursement may take the form of appropriate service to repair or otherwise compensate for damages.

University Disciplinary Probation: A defined period of time during which further violation of any University policy will result in more serious disciplinary sanctions. 

Transcript Notation: A notation affixed to a student’s transcript indicating their involvement in a disciplinary proceeding. The notation may be permanent or for a designated time period.  Transcript notation options may read as follows: (a) censured after the finding of a code of conduct violation (b) suspended after the finding of a code of conduct violation.

Dismissal from the University: Termination of student’s enrollment and all related privileges with permanent exclusion from future enrollment; this option can be implemented with or without a Persona Non Grata (PNG) status.

Where the conduct found to have violated the Student Conduct Policy also constitutes a “crime of violence” as defined under New York State Education Law § 6444(6) and where the sanction(s) imposed included either a suspension or dismissal, or where a respondent withdraws with such charges pending and the disciplinary process is not completed, NYU shall impose the transcript notations as described above.  In such circumstances, dismissal notations are permanent and suspension notations cannot be removed until at least one year following the conclusion of the suspension.  

IV. APPEAL

A respondent shall have the right to appeal a decision arising from a conduct conference to the Dean of the school or designee, only if the appeal falls under one of the following two categories: (1) a material procedural error; (2) previously unavailable relevant evidence that could affect the outcome. Appeals to the Dean of the school or designee must be submitted within five (5) days after the sanction has been issued by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs or designee.

V. RECORDS

Student conduct records are maintained in accordance with the University's Policy on Retention and Destruction of Records. Students may request to view their student conduct records by contacting the Office of the Registrar.

Students who have grievances that relate to academic or non-academic matters should follow the procedures outlined below. If a student wishes to appeal a grade, there is a specific appeals process for grades: go to Grade Reviews and Appeals above.

Informal Resolution

Students wishing to grieve an alleged violation of the School's policies shall first contact the person he/she believes to be responsible for the matter being grieved (the respondent). The grievant will contact the respondent within ten (10) days of any occurrence giving rise to the grievance and will attempt to resolve the grievance informally. For example, if the complaint involves the instructor of a course, the student should contact the instructor to attempt to resolve the issue. If the complaint is not resolved at this level, the student should contact the Associate/Divisional Dean or their designee for the next level of review.

Formal Complaint

If the grievance is not resolved informally within ten (10) days, a student may obtain additional review by submitting a written letter of complaint to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

The letter of complaint will:

• state the policy that allegedly has been violated,
• describe the facts and evidence supporting the alleged violation,
• indicate what redress the grievant seeks, and
• provide a brief history of the attempts to resolve the grievance.

The Associate Dean of Student Affairs and/or the  Designee will determine whether a meeting is necessary and, if so, meet with the complainant and other persons as they deem appropriate for the purpose of ascertaining the facts and attempting to resolve the complaint.

After completing the investigation, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, or the Designee may dismiss the complaint if it has been determined that there has been no violation of the School's policies, even if the facts alleged by the grievant were true. The Associate Dean of Student Affairs, or the Designee will render a written decision generally within fifteen (15) days.  There is no further avenue of appeal.

Record Keeping: The Office of Student Affairs will retain a copy of the letter of complaint, any amended complaint, and the decision rendered, for five full calendar years following the year in which the grievance was resolved.

The New York University Bias Response Line provides a mechanism through which members of our community can share or report experiences and concerns of bias, discrimination, or harassing behavior that may occur within our community.