Academic Credit
All academic work completed in the study abroad program is certified by the Executive Director of the Center for International Programs and the Registrar and recorded on the student’s Kalamazoo College academic transcript on the basis of examinations and reports supplied by supervisors and teachers abroad. The distribution of credit towards the major, minor or concentration will be determined by the specific academic department at Kalamazoo College. Credit distributions for other college graduation requirements are determined by the CIP and the Registrar. We encourage students to obtain approval from the department for specific credit prior to taking courses abroad and to retain electronic copies of coursework including syllabi, bibliographies, and course descriptions until grades have been processed on the Kalamazoo transcript. Please fill out this course substitution form that will allow you to get Major/Minor specific credit if approved by your department. Communication with Faculty, the Registrar and Center for International Programs staff members is easily accessible via email. Only those courses from study abroad which are within the “Liberal Arts Tradition” of the College will be accepted for credit. Distance learning courses will not be eligible for transfer of credit.
Students should be prepared to provide the Registrar, the departments, and/or the CIP with complete course materials (syllabus, assignments, reading lists, and completed work) for courses that they wish to use to meet specific requirements, especially in the major.
In most cases, students may expect grades from study abroad to be processed 8 to 12 weeks after the completion of the program. In some cases, there may be a delay because the host institution will not release transcripts due to fees or fines due from the student. Once students have completed the study abroad program and (where necessary) consulted with the Registrar after grades and credits have been received from the programs abroad, the appropriate grades and credits will be recorded on the transcript. At this time, students should be able to view their grades on the College’s portal. Students may contact the Office of the Registrar while abroad via email at regist@kzoo.edu.
Program Calendar for Semester Programs
Kalamazoo College is on a unique quarter calendar system that is not replicated at most institutions in the U.S. or in other parts of the world. For this reason, there are several partner programs that are on semester calendars. Students participating in a 2 quarter (6 k-unit) program that is one semester will typically finish their course work in December. Students are expected to earn the equivalent of 6 K-units on 2 quarter programs and their K financial aid for Fall and Winter Quarters has been applied to the study abroad comprehensive fee for fall and winter quarter. This means that students are expected to return to campus at the start of the Spring Quarter.
Students on fall/winter 2quarter programs will not have an option to return to campus for classes or housing for the Winter Quarter after their study abroad program has ended. Students will not have an option to “pay out-of-pocket” or submit a waiver to return to campus to take classes during Winter Quarter.
Course Selection
Many of the study abroad programs approved by the CIP for transfer of academic credit allow students to select their courses from a larger set of courses or from regular university offerings. When selecting courses abroad, especially when choosing from the wide array of courses available at a comprehensive university, students must take care to assure themselves that the courses selected are “liberal arts courses” and are thus appropriate and acceptable for transfer to Kalamazoo College. If the course at the foreign university is similar or equivalent to a Kalamazoo College course, there is typically no problem in transferring it. However, if the foreign course does not match any of the courses in the Kalamazoo College academic catalogue, students are strongly encouraged to contact either the CIP or the College Registrar before enrolling in that course. The College does not accept practical or applied courses such as construction science, food science, automotive mechanics, web site design, criminal justice, electronic commerce, surgery, nursing, etc. for transfer of credit. Students will not receive any credit for distance-learning courses sponsored by the host institution. All courses must meet for a minimum of 45 contact hours.
Assessment
Students are encouraged to investigate the types of assessment used by the host university and study abroad program during the application process to study abroad. In some cases, students will be expected to work independently throughout the program and will receive a grade for a final exam or project due at the end of the term which will serve as the final grade for the entire course. In most cases, on-going assessment similar to what students experience in the Kalamazoo classroom (with mid-term, final, and various projects and assignments throughout the quarter) will be the rare exception, not the rule. Additionally, students will most likely receive a bibliography or reading list for the course, not necessarily a detailed syllabus with specific reading assignments (along with page assignments and summaries).
Grades
All grades earned on study abroad fall within the College’s general policies on transfer credit. Study abroad grades will be reviewed, translated, and certified by the Center for International Programs and will be recorded by the Registrar on the official Kalamazoo College transcript according to the Kalamazoo “A, B, C” grading system. Grades from study abroad courses will not be counted in the student’s Kalamazoo grade point average. To receive credit for a study abroad course, students must earn a “C” or better according to the local grading scale. Credits will normally be listed on the Kalamazoo College transcript, with the same academic rubric used at the foreign institution; for example, a class listed as a “History” course will be listed as a “History” course on the Kalamazoo transcript. A student who believes that, for instance, a course listed as “Art History” at a host institution should be listed as “History” on the Kalamazoo transcript should appeal to the Executive Director of the Center for International Programs and the Kalamazoo College Registrar. In consultation with the department affected and after examining a syllabus of the course completed abroad, the Executive Director and Registrar will determine how the course should be described on the transcript.
Students seeking a grade change for a course taken on study abroad must petition the Center for International Programs no later than six weeks after the Registrar has posted the grades on the student’s Kalamazoo College transcript. Requests for a grade review must be accompanied by complete documentation from the course in question including syllabi, assignment sheets, reading lists, homework and other assignments, essays, examinations, etc. Grade appeals must follow the College’s standard change of grade procedure as outlined in the catalogue. Study abroad grades are recorded on the Kalamazoo College transcript according to the Kalamazoo “A, B, C” system but are not computed as part of the student’s GPA. Students may not enroll in courses abroad on a Pass/Fail basis without the written approval of the Executive Director of the CIP and the Registrar.
Incomplete Grades
Students must complete all course work while they are enrolled in the academic program abroad; no “Incompletes” will be given for course work abroad. All course work must be completed by the deadlines set by the staff and instructors at the program abroad. Courses that are not completed abroad will be recorded as an “F” (no credit) on the Kalamazoo College transcript.
Independent Study
No independent study, including “distance education” courses, for credit may be pursued in any study abroad program, without prior approval from the Executive Director of the CIP.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is required at all classes while on study abroad except in cases of illness and/or emergencies beyond the student’s control. There is no such thing as a “permissible cut.” Unexcused absences will be deemed a sufficient reason for immediate dismissal from the program and the necessity to return home without any academic credit. Visits by family and friends are not reasons for an excused absence from class. Unless there is an official holiday, students are expected to be at their program and available Monday through Friday. Students are also expected to attend and participate in scheduled group activities.
Withdrawal from Courses on Study Abroad/Study Away
Students are not permitted to underload or withdraw from courses while on study abroad/study away. Students must be enrolled in the required number of courses as specified by Kalamazoo College and cannot reduce the required number of courses in the program without the written permission of the Executive Director of the Center for International Programs. Students who withdraw from a course without permission or fail to enroll in the prescribed number of courses will receive an F for each course, and the failed course grade(s) will be recorded as “F” on the transcript. Approved course withdrawals will be noted on the transcript with a “W.” If a petition for a course withdrawal is made on the basis of medical reasons, appropriate documentation and the signature of a health care provider is required. The availability of “extra credits” in the form of AP and/or dual-enrollment credits will not be accepted as a sufficient reason for course withdrawal.
Students wishing to withdraw from a course, must first submit the “Course Withdrawal Form” to the CIP. Approved withdrawal petitions will be sent by the CIP to the study abroad/study away partner institution.
Additional Withdrawal Information
Students who withdraw or are dismissed from the study abroad program after being admitted will be required to pay any additional costs incurred on their behalf (including, but not limited to, monies advanced on their behalf for non-refundable deposits at other institutions, airfare, legal documents, visa and application fees, housing deposits, etc.).
Students, who wish to return home once a program abroad has begun, must receive permission to do so from the Executive Director of the Center for International Programs. Students who withdraw without permission will not be eligible for any academic credits that would have been earned and will, in a separate administrative action, automatically be withdrawn from the College. These regulations also apply in the case of dismissal from the program.
Students who withdraw with the permission of the Executive Director of the Center for International Programs after the program abroad has begun may be entitled to a partial refund as specified in the College’s policies. These students may be eligible to receive grades of W (withdrawal) on their Kalamazoo College academic transcript. Students who withdraw or are dismissed from the program prior to completion will be responsible for paying all of the non-recoverable costs incurred on their behalf by the College. They may be eligible for a refund of the comprehensive fee. Consult the Student Accounts office for details.
Early Departure
With the exception of personal and family emergencies where the student working with a staff member from the Center for International Programs have made appropriate arrangements with the host institution, students must remain in the program abroad for its entire duration in order to receive credit. No credit will be granted to anyone departing prior to the official end of the course. Students should not expect to be able to make up a missed examination for any reason.
Physical Education Credits
Students who wish to fulfill Physical Education (P.E.) credits while abroad must present proof of participation in an athletic activity to the Executive Director of the Center for International Programs within the first 6 weeks of the quarter following study abroad. In order to be considered for such credit, athletic activities must include a minimum of 20 hours of activity, with at least 4 hours of instruction from a certified person. Students must submit confirmation of active and successful participation such as a certificate or letter from the host university or institution, including contact information. P.E. credits will be .20 K-units on the study abroad grade report but not be counted towards the 3 K-units (1 quarter), 6 K-units (2 quarters) or 9 K-units (3 quarters) of the study abroad program.