2013-2014 College Catalog | Mount Aloysius College Drop/Withdrawal Policy for Online Courses The date an online course is scheduled to begin is considered the first day of class. Students have until 4:00 p.m. on the fourth day after the class has started to drop the class from his/her schedule with no financial penalties. Beginning on day five, the process is not a withdrawal and financial penalties will incur. The class will remain on the student’s transcript with a grade of “W”. Act 48 Credits Mount Aloysius College is an approved provider of college credit courses for Act 48 requirements. As such, any Mount Aloysius credit course can be used to fulfill Act 48 requirements. In addition, the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at Mount Aloysius College offers week-long, three-credit summer seminars for K-12 teachers and administrators seeking Act 48 credit. These seminars emphasize Teacher Renewal And Inquiry-Based Learning (T.R.A.I.L.) that familiarizes educators with contemporary trends, techniques and problems faced by modern educators. Educators learn about subject matter in ways that can be used in the classroom. Participants will create an “idea suitcase” to take with them from the course. Foundation Course and Capstone Seminar – GCE Programs Students in programs offered by the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education complete two foundation courses and the capstone seminar provide Mount Aloysius College students with opportunities to experience interdisciplinary instruction, familiarize themselves with the College and our Mercy values, improve their critical thinking and writing skills, and explore and reflect upon the implicit and explicit values of self and the contemporary world. LA 202: Connections is a two (2)-credit course which is a hybrid of LA101 and LA102. The purpose of this course is to integrate new students into the community of thinkers and learners and develop the critical reading, thinking and writing skills. Students are challenged to enhance their intellectual potential, understand their academic and moral responsibilities, appreciate diversity, and develop their critical thinking, learning, and communication skills. Students who successfully complete this course will improve their reading comprehension, oral communication, and expository writing skills. LA 301: Connections III is a one (1)-credit course designed and required for all junior students seeking a baccalaureate degree. Students in continuing education program must successfully complete LA 202 to enroll in this course. The purpose of the course is to review and strengthen skills in critical reading, the conventions of academic writing, and the formulation of a research question in preparation for the senior capstone experience. Additionally, students will examine the Mercy values in the context of their discipline. The Capstone Seminar is required for all students seeking a baccalaureate degree. One must successfully complete Connections I, II, and III to enroll in this course. The capstone seminar should be taken in one’s senior year. It provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate the mastery of their discipline and the ability to integrate and synthesize the liberal arts and Mercy values in a research project that includes a 20-page paper. Together the Mount Aloysius College foundation courses and capstone seminar will foster and develop students’ critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. The interdisciplinary approach in each will enable students to make connections between their liberal arts education, their vocation, Mount Aloysius College, and the Mercy values. Mount Aloysius College Dual Enrollment Program The Dual Enrollment program allows high-achieving high school students in the central Alleghenies region to earn college credit for courses taken at their high school. Through special arrangements with some fifty-four area high schools, high school upperclassmen may take selected courses at their high school for both high school and Mount Aloysius College credit at deeply discounted tuition rates. Interested high school students in this part of Pennsylvania should consult with their high school administration office to inquire whether their high school participates in this program. For more information on any of these programs, please contact the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at (814) 886-6406 or GCE@mtaloy.edu. Prospective students may also learn more about GCE’s programs by visiting the website at www.mtaloy.edu/gce. Academic Calendar for the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education Programs Programs offered through GCE do not always follow the published Academic Calendar because of the unique nature of accelerated programs and courses. As a result, course may be held on days where courses are not held for on-campus based programs (i.e. fall break, spring break). GCE will publish an academic calendar for its programs on its website.
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