Student Pathways Rights and Responsibilities

1. Students have the right to complete the general education Common Core in 30 credits and 30 contact hours.*

2. Students may choose freely among the courses the campuses have designated for the different areas of the Common Core, assuming students meet course qualifications. If more than one course is offered in a Common Core area, no single course in that area may be required or prohibited, again assuming that students meet course qualifications. Please note that students in A.A.S. programs, some A.S. programs, and B.Tech. programs may be required to take specified courses in some areas of the Common Core if they wish to complete their overall degrees within the regular number of credits.

3. Students have the right to have three-credit, three-contact hour courses available to them in all areas of the Common Core, every semester.* Students are not guaranteed a seat in any individual course or section, but each area of the Common Core must have courses available each semester. If transfer students enter a college that has created a Common Core framework that includes courses linked across Common Core areas, or with linkages between the Common Core and the College Option, course options must be available that allow these students to complete the Common Core within 30 credits and the College Option within the number of credits specified for their transfer category.

4. In three areas of the Common Core (Math and Quantitative Reasoning, Life and Physical Sciences, and Scientific World) colleges may offer STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) variant courses that may be more than three credits and three contact hours and that meet the requirements for at least one major. Students have the right to choose to take a STEM variant course, assuming they meet course qualifications, to fulfill a Common Core area if colleges have made such courses available, with the understanding that taking such courses will probably make it necessary for students to exceed 30 credits and 30 contact hours to complete the Common Core.

5. Colleges with “overlay” requirements (such as writing intensive courses or courses that meet diversity education requirements) must have enough such courses available that students can fulfill them without having to complete additional credits in the Common Core.

6. All courses taken for credit at an undergraduate CUNY college will be accepted for credit at every other CUNY undergraduate college, regardless of whether a specific equivalency exists at the transfer college.

7. Students who satisfactorily complete courses within the Common Core will have those courses certified by the college where they took them as having met Common Core requirements, as appropriate. That certification will transfer among all CUNY colleges.

8. Students transferring from outside CUNY to an undergraduate CUNY college have the right to have their courses evaluated expeditiously for transfer credit and to have their courses evaluated by receiving colleges in terms of the Common Core learning outcomes. If students transfer to another CUNY baccalaureate college, the second (or later) college must accept Common Core designations as determined by the sending college. The receiving college may also evaluate other courses as fulfilling Common Core requirements as appropriate.

9. Students who have completed the College Option, or any part of it, will have the College Option requirement remain fulfilled (or partially fulfilled, as appropriate), regardless of any future transfers to another CUNY college or other changes in status.

10. Students enrolled in baccalaureate programs are required to take from six to twelve College Option credits. Such students have the right to fulfill their College Option requirements within the credit range specified for their category of transfer students as presented in the Board of Trustees Resolution on Creating an Efficient Transfer System (please see http://www.cuny.edu/academics/initiatives/pathways/about/archive/archive/text- draft/Reso.pdf).

11. Students who satisfactorily complete courses designated under Pathways as “gateway” courses for a particular major are guaranteed to receive credit toward the major and/or credit as prerequisites for the major at all CUNY colleges that offer the major.

12. Courses taken to fulfill Common Core requirements may also fulfill requirements for a major. Students who fulfill major requirements through Common Core courses will not be subject to additional requirements as a result.

13. Students in A.A.S. programs are guaranteed that liberal arts requirements for their degrees will be drawn from Common Core courses. If A.A.S. students transfer to an A.A., A.S., or baccalaureate program, they will need to complete the remainder of the 30-credit Common Core, but those courses that such students have satisfactorily completed in the Common Core before transferring will apply to their Common Core requirements in their new programs. The same applies to students in B.Tech. programs.

14. Students who enrolled in CUNY before Fall 2013 and who do not transfer within CUNY after Spring 2013 have the right to opt in or opt out of the Pathways Common Core curriculum at the college in which they are currently enrolled. Students who transfer to a CUNY college for Fall 2013 and thereafter will be automatically enrolled in the Pathways curriculum.

15. Students in all degree programs have the right to accurate and timely information provided by the colleges to clearly identify program requirements and courses that are part of the Common Core or the College Option.

16. Students may appeal a decision of denial or restriction of transfer credit. [Click here for link to Student Appeals process]

* Students enrolled in developmental or compensatory courses may incur additional hours.

Responsibilities:

1. Students are responsible for reviewing their curricula and programs and confirming their degree requirements with the assistance of an advisor and the degree audit tools provided for such purposes.

2. Students are expected to take advantage of the range of academic support services and resources that are made available to assist them in preparing their academic plans and programs.

3. Students must inform their colleges of changes in their enrollment status and contact information in a timely way.

4. Students are expected to stay informed of changes in policies, procedures, deadlines, programs, and other changes by reading their college email and other communications from their campuses.

5. Students are responsible for monitoring their transcripts and progress reports in order to address concerns as they arise and resolve them in a timely fashion.

6. Students are responsible for asking for help when they need it and for taking responsibility for their own educational experience.

Students who wish to appeal a decision of denial or restriction of transfer credit: click here to link to the Student Appeals process and Transfer Credit Appeals Form.

Students who wish to report what they believe to be a violation of their Pathways student rights as listed above and have been unable to resolve the issue using standard campus procedures for student concerns, are advised to please send a brief statement outlining the concern and the specific Student Pathways Right in question, along with all records and documents that may be relevant to the alleged violation, to pathways@cuny.edu.

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