Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Academic Policies
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Curriculum
Certificate in Learning Differences and Neurodiversity (LDN)
Specializations in:
- Executive Function
- Autism on Campus and Online
Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct
As an academic community, Landmark College strives to instill and foster intellectual honesty and integrity. Effective evaluation of student work can occur only in an environment in which intellectual honesty is respected. Violation of this policy is any kind of misconduct, such as misrepresentation, cheating, or plagiarism that violates the trust between students, faculty and staff. Each student is responsible for ensuring that work submitted is original and has been submitted by the person enrolled in the course. Ignorance of what constitutes academic dishonesty such as plagiarism, or of Landmark rules, is not a mitigating circumstance.
- A first offence of this policy will result in a consequence at the discretion of the faculty member. The maximum penalty for a first offense of this policy is a failing grade for the course in which the infraction occurs. Faculty must report the infraction to the Registrar.
- In cases of a repeated offense, suspension or expulsion from Landmark College may be imposed at the discretion of the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation. No opportunity may be granted to make up or otherwise fulfill the requirements of the unit of work involved. A student suspended from Landmark College may not transfer to Landmark College any course credits earned at other institutions during the period of suspension.
- A student placed on suspension or expulsion can appeal the ruling in writing to the Chief Academic Officer (the Vice President of Academic Affairs) within one calendar week of notification of suspension. The appeal should consist of a letter of intention, outlining why the student’s appeal should be considered, and an academic plan for success that the student intends to abide by if the appeal is granted.
Instructor Procedures if a suspected infraction occurs:
1. Instructor communicates with student within 5 days via e-mail or telephone.
2. Instructor determines infraction occurred.
3. Depending on circumstances (as assessed by faculty member) the penalty imposed could be (a), (b) or (c)
a. resubmission of assignment complying with accepted conditions;
b. failure of assignment;
c. failure of the course.
4. Instructor notifies the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation and the Registrar of the infraction and includes description of the infraction.
5. All documented cases of violation of academic honesty policy will be kept on file in the student’s registrar’s file.
6. If this is a second offence, the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation consults with the Chief Academic Affairs Officer on the appropriate consequence for the student.
The post-baccalaureate certificate is a fully online post-baccalaureate certificate program. Opportunities for engagement are offered both synchronously and asynchronously. Students enrolled at Landmark College are expected to be engaged productively and consistently in the academic program. Specific expectations for academic engagement are defined in the course syllabus. Patterns of academic engagement include:
• Logging into the learning management system hosting the course on a weekly basis.
• Evidence of sustained activity on the course site.
• Attending online synchronous sessions consistently and regularly to meet course expectations.
• Completing assignments in all courses.
• Active communication with the faculty member.
Students who fail to meet minimum standards of academic engagement risk failing the course.
Graduate academic standing refers to achieving course work expectations applicable to earning the post-baccalaureate certificate. Students must meet program policy expectations and maintain a minimum grade of 3.0 (B, 80%) in courses to stay in good academic standing.
Notification: A student failing to receive a minimum acceptable grade (B, 80%) for post-baccalaureate certificate credit will be placed on probation and may not continue his or her program of studies without permission of the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation.
Landmark College fully supports and recognizes the standards set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and similar state laws (“applicable law”), which are designed to eliminate discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities.
Covered disabilities may include physical or mental impairments that substantially limit one or more of a student’s major life activities, and which require modifications to the facilities, programs, or services of the College. The College is committed to making its resources, and its facilities accessible as required by applicable law. The College cannot make accommodations that are unduly burdensome or that fundamentally alter the nature of the College’s programs.
Pursuant to this goal, we seek to make our courses accessible to all students with disabilities. We are guided not only by legal compliance, but also the framework of Universal Design which posits proactive steps to create inclusive learning environments in online courses.
The college strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers due to a disability, including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions, and would like to request reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact: institute@landmark.edu or 802-387-1662, and ask for the Accommodation Request Form. Your request will be reviewed by our accommodation team and responded to as soon as possible. Some accommodations take more time than others, so please make the request for accommodations as soon as possible. All personal information is handled as strictly confidential.
Each course in the program, except the Capstone course, consists of 6-8 learning modules, each representing a focused topic of study within the course and area of specialization. On average, each module corresponds to one week of learning activities, with each new module becoming accessible to students each week on the Canvas course site.
Add/Enrollment - Landmark College has a rolling admissions process for the Certificate courses. Students enroll in post-baccalaureate courses one at a time regardless of whether they plan to complete only one, some, or all five courses to earn the certificate. Individual course application deadlines are around three weeks before the course start date. Students are allowed to add a course through the first week of the start date. Students are responsible for completing the work already in progress in courses added during this period.
Drop - Post-baccalaureate certificate students are allowed to drop courses without any record on their transcripts prior to the end of the first instructional week of the 8-week term. A 50 percent refund is available during this first week only.
Withdraw - Students who voluntarily choose to leave the course after the first week of the course will not be eligible for a refund. The grade of W will be posted on the student’s transcript.
Leave of Absence Policy - Service members or reservists ordered to deploy unexpectedly or called up for service-related responsibilities will be allowed to withdraw from a course, with course costs deferred to a later term. These Leaves of Absence are granted by the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation who will notify the instructor and the Registrar.
Students who need to temporarily suspend completion of required assignments and synchronous interactions for a short period of time for urgent matters may be allowed to return to their classes at the discretion of the instructor with approval from the Dean of Educational Research and Innovation, provided they are in good academic standing, and the absence does not prohibit them from successful completion of the course goals and objectives. The period of time allowed by this policy is generally not more than one (1) week. For purposes of this policy, these brief departures from course engagement will not be considered leaves of absence.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate courses may be audited. The same tuition costs apply however, and no credit can be earned and completion of the course cannot be counted toward completion of the certificate. The decision to audit or to earn credit must be made within the add period for the course.
Landmark College assigns credit hours to post-baccalaureate courses according to what is considered a minimum and reasonable amount of academic time that students need in order to prepare for and achieve intended learning outcomes at the post-baccalaureate level. Each graduate course requires 144 hours (48 hours per credit). Total time on direct instruction and independent student work is 18 hours/week. Course are delivered in five, eight week terms.
Extensions beyond the end of the semester are granted only in unusual cases for which the student has a documented illness, accommodation, or is unable to complete the course due to documented circumstances beyond the control of the student. In such cases, an extension will be granted only if the student has completed a substantial proportion of the coursework for the class in which the extension is requested. A two-week extension may be granted for all courses. The deadline for late work to be submitted can therefore be no later than 14 days past the date that final grades are due to the Registrar as indicated on the Landmark College academic calendar.
Extensions must be approved by both the instructor and the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation and be on file with the Registrar’s office by the final grade due date for the term. Landmark College does not provide a grade of IN or incomplete.
Students may appeal to the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation to contract for an additional extension to complete the Capstone project only. Student seeking this extension must complete and submit a Capstone Extension form to the Registrar Office by the final grade due date for the term.
It is the intent of Landmark College that all members of the College community adhere to the provisions of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code, Sect. 101, et seq). Members of the College community who willfully disregard the copyright policy do so at their own risk and assume all liability. For the Landmark College policy on the copyrightable works created by the College’s faculty and staff while engaged in College-associated activities, please visit the Landmark College Copyright Policy in the Employee Handbook.
Classroom Recording Policy
Federal laws, including the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, require institutions of higher education to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Permission to make recordings of lectures and class discussions including synchronous “talk time” sessions is a reasonable accommodation for many students with language-based learning disabilities, attention disorders, communication disorders, and significant difficulties with executive functions.
- For the purposes of private academic study and review, Landmark College students may record synchronous sessions using analog or digital technology, including audio, video, still photos, and other forms of capture technology as they become available.
- Faculty may record their own class lectures and discussions to serve various purposes at the discretion of the faculty member. These purposes include academic research (with Institutional Review Board approval), professional development, and digitization of course content for access through course websites and other formats.
Students are required to inform faculty before recording class lectures and discussions for such personal, academic study, and review. Post-baccalaureate synchronous sessions are typically recorded. Students may have access to recordings and course materials during the course and for up to two weeks after the course concludes.
Students and professors making classroom recordings are responsible for keeping sensitive and personal materials private. Students and professors may not publish, quote, or share classroom recordings in publicly accessible locations, and in real or digital (e.g., networked or online) environments, without the expressed consent of the individuals being recorded or affected by the recordings. Any violation of these requirements will be viewed by the College as a serious violation of the College’s rules, and will result in College discipline and other remedies as appropriate. Students who wish to make recordings in class will be required to sign an acknowledgment that they understand and will comply with these requirements.
All course materials (lectures, discussions, handouts, examinations, web materials) and the general, intellectual contents of each course at Landmark College are protected under federal copyright laws. However, some notable exceptions apply and are described below under the Fair Use Policy. The content of instructional module, or any recording of a class session or discussion is protected under federal copyright law and may not be published, quoted, or shared without the consent of the faculty member. Students unsure about which materials may be reproduced and used without restriction should query their instructors.
The College’s Policy on Academic Freedom will prevail in all applications of the Recording policy. Course recordings created under the policy cannot be used by students for purposes other than as a tool to support personal study and review of course material for test preparation and similar, academic uses related to the course.
Fair-Use Policy for Post-Baccalaureate Instructional Materials
Landmark College post-baccalaureate courses are designed for professionals working with neurodiverse students and those who learn differently (LD). If properly utilized by course and program students working in their professional capacities, these course materials may be helpful in assisting such individuals. Therefore, these course materials specifically are not copyrighted. Instead, citation is required crediting Landmark College with originating these materials.
Enrollment
Students enroll in post-baccalaureate coursework on a course-by-course basis. Any courses prior to the capstone may be undertaken, in any sequence, for credit toward the post-baccalaureate certificate provided all course grades meet or exceed the 80% grade criterion.
In order to monitor enrollments and plan for future enrollments, accepted post-baccalaureate students are asked to declare their intention upon entry into Landmark College to either complete the certificate or to complete only a single course. After acceptance as a post-baccalaureate student, students may opt to change their intentions, by notifying the Registrar’s office after completion of each course. Students expressing an intention to pursue the 5-course certificate may, at any time, discontinue further course work and still receive credit for each completed course. The Registrar’s Office will record the students’ intention status (course or degree), as part of the students’ records on file with the office.
Post-baccalaureate students who elect to pursue the certificate are asked to submit a “Declaration of Intent to Complete” form to the Registrar. This form may be submitted during the course registration period.
Students who intend to complete the certificate must submit the form prior to enrolling in the Capstone course. If after filing the Intent to Complete, the students elects not to pursue the certificate, they are asked to notify the Registrar’s office in writing.
A minimum grade of B, 80%, is required in each course to be eligible for the post-baccalaureate certificate from Landmark College. The number of credits required to complete the certificate is 15. The number of credits earned per graduate course is 3.0. All credits must be earned through Landmark College.
Students may only enroll in the final Capstone course when the student has successfully completed 12 credits in the certificate program. Only students seeking the certificate can enroll in a Capstone course.
A student’s certificate completion is recorded by Landmark College when all credits and requirements are complete. Post-baccalaureate certificates graduates may elect to be recognized at one of the two graduation ceremonies (December and May) held at Landmark College in Putney Vermont. If students opt not to participate in the ceremony the Landmark College post-baccalaureate credential will be mailed by the Registrar’s Office to the address on file for the student.
All Landmark College students, both undergraduate and post-baccalaureate, have the same rights with respect to education records. An outline of these rights is available through the undergraduate section of this catalog. For full information on FERPA, go to www.ed.gov/policy/gen/reg/ferpa/index.html
Students receive performance feedback on an assignment-by-assignment basis through the Landmark College learning management system, Canvas. Instructors are required to submit final grades to the Registrar via the Self-Service interface within 48 hours of the close of the course/final exam. The grade submitted to Self Service is the final grade of record regardless of what is listed in any other learning management system. Instructors may ask the Registrar to change a grade without a formal process up until the point that grades are closed for that term as determined and communicated by the Registrar. The final academic grade is accessible to students through the Landmark College student information system Self Service.
A grade point average is not calculated for the purposes of academic standing in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program. Each course grade and credits may be eligible for transfer to other institutions at the discretion of the other college. Landmark College Post-Baccalaureate programs adhere to the following grading system:
| Letter Grade |
Grade Scale |
Definition |
| A |
95-100 |
Superior performance in all requirements of the course |
| A- |
90-94 |
Excellent |
| B+ |
85-89 |
Very good; high level of achievement in some phases of the course |
| B |
80-84 |
Fair; basic understanding of subject has been demonstrated |
| C |
75-79 |
Minimal mastery but not sufficient to award credit, cannot be applied toward earning the certificate |
| F |
0-74 |
Failure |
Other Marks
EX - Extension - Issued by instructor with prior approval of the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation to indicate that the student is continuing to work on course requirements beyond the end of the semester without penalty in final grade consistent with the policy as outlined under the Extension Policy.
W - Withdrawn from course
EX, or W - no credit earned
Appeal of Final Grades
A student may appeal a final grade in a course under the following specific conditions:
• The student may submit an appeal based on the claim that the instructor of the course failed to adhere to the stated grading policy of the course as the policy appears in the course syllabus.
• The student may submit an appeal based on a claim that the instructor of the course was discriminatory in failing to apply documented criteria for grading that appears in the course syllabus when determining the student’s final grade.
• The student may submit an appeal based on a claim that the instructor of the course erred in the calculation or reporting of the grade and has not taken steps to rectify the mistake in a timely manner.
Any student wishing to appeal a final grade should first discuss the grade with the instructor. If the instructor agrees, a change of grade form must be submitted to the Registrar (see policy below). If the student is unable to resolve the grievance over a final course grade through consultation with the instructor, the student may submit a written request for review of the course grade stating the reasons for the review request to the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation no later than the end of the second week of the next post-baccalaureate term. For the purposes of grade appeals the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation acts as the designee of the CAO and therefore the decision on the appeal of a final course grade by the Dean is final and cannot be appealed.
Change of Grade Process
• Instructors are required to submit final grades to the Registrar with 48 hours of the course closing/final. The grade submitted to the Registrar is the final grade of record regardless of what is listed in any other course management system (e.g., Canvas). Instructors may ask the Registrar to change a grade without a formal process up until the point that grades are closed for that term as determined and communicated by the Registrar.
• All grades, except Extension (EX), are final when grades are closed. However, the correction of a clerical or procedural error may be allowed with permission of the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation or CAO through a form provided by the Registrar’s Office. No change of grade may be made on the basis of reassessment of the quality of a student’s work or the submission of additional work. Instructor requests to change a grade must be submitted to the Dean of the School of Educational Research and Innovation with sufficient time to ensure that the final decision about the change of grade request can be submitted to the Registrar before the end of the next Post-Baccalaureate eight-week term.
• If a grade is changed, the Registrar notifies the student(s) affected by the change.
Transcripts contain records of courses taken, grades and credit received. Course description material and other information may be requested in addition to the transcript. It is the policy of Landmark College that its official transcripts, bearing the College seal and the Registrar’s signature, may be released only upon written request of the student or alumnus/alumna.
Landmark College has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to process Transcript Orders via the web. Students may order transcripts with any major credit card. The credit card will only be charged after an order has been completed.
Transcripts may be withheld by order of appropriate College officials, if some financial or other obligation to Landmark College remains unmet.
Students are also expected to engage in appropriate network etiquette (Netiquette) – that is, the etiquette of cyberspace. Etiquette is defined as “the forms required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be required in social or official life.” (Netiquette the Core Rules). In other words, Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online. The following Netiquette rules will apply to the online courses in the program.
Rule 1: Remember the Human
Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace
Rule 4: Respect other people’s time and bandwidth
Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
Rule 8: Respect other people’s privacy
Rule 9: Don’t abuse your power
Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes
Landmark College students have the right to expect the following:
- Rules, regulations, student rights and responsibilities are applied equitably to all students.
- Protection against discrimination.
- Landmark College follows all the applicable laws which may prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, age, religion, disability, ancestry, place of birth, race, color, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, and employment policies and programs. Students, in turn, are expected to uphold Landmark’s nondiscriminatory policies.
- Students at Landmark College have the right to interact in an environment conducive to learning, where reasonable accommodations and services are provided and issues of health, safety, and civility are addressed. At the same time, they share responsibility for creating and maintaining such an environment.
- Students at Landmark College have the right to take reasoned exception to the materials or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion, but they are responsible for fulfilling the obligations of any course in which they are enrolled.
- Students at Landmark College have the right to protection against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation. At the same time, they are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled.
- Students at Landmark College have the right to protection against improper disclosure. Access to students’ academic records will not be allowed to unauthorized persons on campus, or to any person or agency off campus without the expressed written consent of the student involved, except where permitted or required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Additionally, students who are or who have been at Landmark College have the right to inspect and review records maintained by Landmark College which contain information directly pertinent to them, in accordance with the same Privacy Act.
- Students at Landmark College have the right to express their views, individually and collectively, on issues of institutional policy and on matters of general interest to the student body.
- Students at Landmark College have the same rights to the freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and petition enjoyed by all United States citizens. As members of the Landmark College community, they are also subject to Landmark College’s rules and regulations. While Landmark recognizes the personal and intellectual development that may attend students’ exercise of their rights on or off campus or through Landmark College online portals, students must exercise these rights within the limits of their obligations to the Landmark College community.
- Students at Landmark College have the right to know the standards of conduct expected of them. In addition to the standards that common sense requires of all adults, the standards of behavior which Landmark College considers essential to its educational mission in the online environment that supports the post-baccalaureate program are outlined in the Post-baccalaureate section of the college catalog.
- Landmark College is committed to maintaining a campus and on-line community environment where students are not subjected to bigotry, harassment, or discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, age, or other characteristics as protected by applicable law. Such harassment is against College policy and may be illegal under state and federal laws and regulations. Policies and grievance procedures regarding anti-hazing, anti-harassment, and specific policies regarding sexual harassment and sexual misconduct are overseen by the Vice President for Student Affairs. When violations of College policy or any behavior where the College’s Standards of Conduct are violated occur, the College will use the following criteria to determine the appropriate level of sanction:
- The extent to which the behavior has affected the ability of other members of the community to pursue their own academic and personal goals.
- The extent to which the behavior has affected the reputation of the College or the ability of the College to effectively pursue its mission.
- The extent to which the safety or well-being of any individual has been placed in jeopardy.
- The extent to which standards of civil behavior have been violated.
- The extent to which the behavior has violated local, state or federal law.
While engagement in the academic program is not an explicit factor in the determination of a sanction, the College may consider the documented level of commitment the student has made to their academic program in making a final determination. Similarly, a student’s honesty and cooperation with College staff throughout an incident may also be considered in a determination of final sanction. Students who do not follow the structures and requirements of any sanctions issued by the College may be subject to further disciplinary action.
The following summarizes the College’s general polices on computer, network and e-mail use.
- Computing and networking resources at Landmark College are provided for academic and administrative purposes in support of the College mission.
- Users must respect the rights of other users, respect the integrity of the systems and related physical resources, and observe all relevant laws, regulations, and contractual obligations.
- All messages created, sent, or retrieved over the Internet or the College’s systems, including its mail system, are the property of the College. The College reserves the right to inspect files or e-mail and take appropriate action without notification if there is reasonable belief that there has been intentional or inadvertent disruption to the College’s network or other shared resources or if there is suspected violation of College policies or applicable laws.
- Misuse of computing, networking or information resources may result in the loss of computing and/or network access and/or prosecuted under applicable statutes.
- The College reserves the right to limit or restrict access to the Internet or to its network-based information technology resources on the basis of institutional priorities, bandwidth constraints, or College policies.
- It is not acceptable for faculty, staff, and students …
- To use a login name and password assigned to someone else.
- To use excessive network bandwidth.
- To violate copyright laws and their fair use provisions through inappropriate reproduction and/or distribution of copyrighted music, especially MP3 files, movies, computer software, images, etc.
- To use applications that hinder or interfere with the use of the network by others.
- To use the campus network to gain unauthorized access to any computer systems.
- To attempt to circumvent data protection schemes or uncover security loop holes.
- To associate an unapproved domain name with a Landmark owned IP address.
- To knowingly or carelessly perform an act that will interfere with the normal operation of computers, terminals, peripherals, or networks.
- To use electronic mail or other communications of the College network to harass or threaten others or to display or send sexually explicit or sexually harassing images or text. or messages that may be reasonably construed as harassment nor may it be used for any communications that contain ethnic slurs, racial epithets, or anything that may be reasonably construed as disparagement of others based on race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religious or political beliefs.
- To send unauthorized broadcast messages to all or part of the Landmark community.
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