General Graduation Requirements

Thirty-three and a half semester course units, including eight to 12 units in a major field and six units in specified distribution areas, all successfully completed, are required for graduation and are ordinarily earned in four academic years. Also required are a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) overall and in the major and minor fields, based on St. Lawrence University courses only. The normal course load is four units per semester, except for an additional half unit as required by the First–Year Program during the two semesters of the first year. Each full unit is equivalent to 3.6 semester hours.

To graduate from St. Lawrence a student must complete a number of requirements. All students declare a major at the end of the sophomore year. In addition to the major, students must successfully complete a series of courses designed to provide breadth, called distribution requirements. The distribution requirements vary based on the date of a student’s matriculation at St. Lawrence: one set applies to students who matriculate prior to fall 2001; the other to students who matriculate in fall 2001 or later. Students also must satisfy the First–Year Program requirement and the writing competency requirement, which are described below.

Distribution Requirements Fall 2001 and Later

Students entering St. Lawrence University during and subsequent to Fall 2001 must complete the following distribution requirements. These are abbreviated descriptions of the distribution categories; the complete faculty-approved policy statement is filed in the registrar’s office.

Arts/Expression. An approved course that provides active learning through creative expression.

Humanities. One course approved as involving the critical interpretation of traditional and contemporary works of literature, history, political thought, philosophy, religious studies and the arts, both visual and performing.

Social Science. An approved course that provides an awareness of how economic, political and social institutions can be organized, evidence about them analyzed and social science knowledge generated.

Mathematics or Foreign Language. An approved course that develops either quantitative reasoning and analytical thought or provides knowledge of a foreign language and understanding of a foreign culture.

Natural Science/Science Studies. Two courses approved as providing a foundation in the natural sciences and the interplay between science and society. One of the two courses must include a laboratory.

Courses meeting the above distribution requirements must include courses from six different departments or programs. A course can meet only one of the above distribution requirements.

Diversity Requirements

Students entering St. Lawrence in fall 2001 or later must take two courses from two different departments or programs approved as engaging participants in the critical study of sameness and difference, including diverse social and cultural practices and beliefs, either within or outside the United States. Courses meeting the diversity requirement may also be counted toward other major and minor requirements, but not toward FYP/FYS requirements. Study abroad may fulfill only one diversity requirement.

First–Year Program (FYP)/ First–Year Seminar (FYS)

In addition to three other courses drawn from the general curriculum as described in the following pages, students in their first semester enroll in a combined academic and residential program that emphasizes critical thinking and active student participation in both the classroom and the residence. The program consists of four parts:

1. An interdisciplinary, team-taught course illustrative of some of the enduring themes of the human experience.

2. An emphasis on communications skills, in particular, writing, speaking and research.

3. An advising system that ensures systematic and supportive involvement of faculty with students through coursework and out-of-class meetings.

4. A residential college system wherein each first-year residence houses students enrolled in the same section of the team-taught course, with the goal of developing integrated living and learning communities.

In the FYP, first-year students meet with the other students in their residence and several faculty members, including their advisors, on a regular basis and in the context of a broad-based course that focuses on the breadth of the liberal arts and encourages student participation, collaborative intellectual experiences, self expression and critical thinking.

All first-year students enroll in one of approximately 12 sections of FYP 187. Each section explores a distinct set of themes or issues. In the summer before matriculation, students receive descriptions of these sections and may choose the FYP sections they find most interesting. Each section of the FYP corresponds to a residential college. Each section meets twice a week with a faculty team of two or three; smaller groups within each section meet twice weekly with one of the faculty members, who also serves as the academic advisor to the members of the group.

The residential college faculty also plan co-curricular programs related to the course themes and they encourage students to take advantage of the full schedule of University social and intellectual activities. The residents, the residential staff and the faculty of each teaching team work together to design programs and encourage maximum student involvement in the life of the residential college. In addition to encouraging students to participate in their own colleges, the FYP coordinates a first-year council, made up of student representatives from each of the colleges. The council provides an opportunity for students to develop leadership skills, participate in University governance, address issues of concern to first-year students and plan social events for the entire first-year class.

In the second semester of the first-year, students continue to develop their research, writing and oral communication skills in one of approximately 36 research seminars. Although they will be guaranteed a space in the course taught by their fall FYP advisor, students may also choose to enroll in a seminar with a different faculty member. In the fall semester, students will be asked to indicate which first-year seminars they find most interesting. At the same time, student life and faculty will continue to work with the residential communities to facilitate both the continued development of these communities and the transition to upper-class residential life. The first-year council also continues to plan events for all first-year students.

Because of the importance of the FYP and FYS in orienting students to St. Lawrence, withdrawal from those courses is not permitted. Students who fail the FYP must complete alternative coursework to be determined on a case-by-case basis by the associate dean of the first year and the director of the University writing program.

Students who fail the FYS must retake the FYS in their sophomore year.

Writing Competency Requirement

To be eligible for graduation, all St. Lawrence students must demonstrate throughout their college careers the ability to write prose that is judged competent by their professors.

1. The instructor will indicate on the grade report an unsatisfactory writing (U/W) notation when a student has not shown satisfactory writing skills.

2. When a student acquires two notations of U/W, he or she is required to complete an individualized writing program developed by the Writing Center. Seniors must demonstrate writing competency before receiving their degrees.

3. The notations of U/W are monitored by the registrar and do not appear on student official transcripts.

Residence Requirement

It is a basic requirement that two years (16 units), including at least one semester of the final year before graduation, be taken in residence at St. Lawrence. Programs of study at other institutions during the senior year must have prior approval from the major advisor and the committee on off-campus study and must be authorized by the dean of academic affairs. Permission to pursue such programs during the final semester and/or summer session before graduation is granted only in extraordinary circumstances.

Fee/Commencement Requirement

No students will be graduated, allowed to participate in the May graduation exercise or receive a transcript of their records if they have not discharged all financial obligations to the University or if they are not present at or formally excused from the graduating exercises at which the degree is to be conferred.

Major Requirements

All students are expected to complete a concentrated field of study referred to as the major. St. Lawrence offers students several options when completing their major requirement: a single departmental major, a double departmental major, a combined major, an interdisciplinary major and a multi-field major. These different types of majors are described below; however, all major programs have three common expectations:

1. students will be accepted by the department(s) in which they will undertake concentrated work during the second semester of their sophomore year;

2. students will elect no fewer than eight semester unit courses in their major field; and

3. no student may be required to take more than 12 units in one department or permitted to take more than 14 units in one department. Related course work for a major may be recommended and/or required. Courses in the student’s major field cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis after the major has been declared. Students’ programs in the junior and senior years are arranged in consultation with their advisor(s) and the chair(s) of their major department(s). Junior students must be accepted to a department for a major program as a condition for spring term registration. Transfer
students entering at the junior level should review major requirements at the time of application, and must declare the major no later than the beginning of the second term of attendance.

Change of the major field may be made only with the consent of the chair and the student’s advisor for the new major. Forms for this change are available from the director of advising.

Admission to a Major

1. Students will be admitted to a department as majors if they present a 2.0 cumulative average, including a 2.0 average in the major field.

2. Students on probation at the beginning of the junior year should seek admission to a department in which they have a 2.0 average in the major field. These students also have the option of seeking a probationary admission to a major department in which they have below a 2.0 average in the major field. A probationary admission must be approved by the department chair.

3. Students must declare a major in the spring of their sophomore year or file a petition to postpone major declaration with the director of advising.

Continuance in a Major

1. After being accepted by a major department, students must maintain a 2.0 minimum average in the major field to continue as majors. If a student falls below a 2.0 average in the major field, that student and the department will be notified that he or she can no longer continue as a major. The student is also placed on academic probation by the academic standing committee. At that time the student must find acceptance in another department in which he or she has a 2.0 average in that major field. The student also has the option of seeking probationary acceptance by the department from which he or she was dropped, or by any other department that may grant probationary admission. The department chair must approve a probationary admission. If a student can neither find acceptance in another department nor gain a probationary admission, he or she will be suspended from the University.

2. Students who gain probationary admission to a major department have one semester in which to raise their average in the major field to a 2.0 or above and to remove themselves from academic probation. If, at the end of the probationary semester, a student has not raised his or her average in the major field to a 2.0, the student and the department will be notified that he or she cannot continue as a major. Again, the student must either find acceptance in another department or seek continuance of the probationary admission. The department chair must approve a continuance of a probationary admission. If a student can neither find acceptance in another department nor gain a continuance of a probationary admission, he or she will be suspended from the University.

3. Students who are dropped from a major and/or suspended from the University should consult with the director of advising. Students who are suspended from the University may appeal their suspension to the academic standing committee.

Comprehensive written examinations may be required at the discretion of the major department and may be given prior to the final examination period of the senior year. In such cases, a student must pass the comprehensive examination in the major field to complete the requirements for the major; failure may be removed by a further examination taken at the close of any subsequent term not later than two weeks prior to its close. At the time of graduation, students must present a 2.0 cumulative average in St. Lawrence courses taken in their major department(s).

Types of Major Programs

Departmental Majors
The fields of study that offer single departmental majors are listed below. In their departmental major field, students elect no fewer than eight and normally no more than 12 semester unit courses. In unusual circumstances a department may permit individual majors to take up to 14 units; no student, however, may be required to take more than 12 or permitted to take more than 14 units in one department. Related course work may be recommended and/or required. A single departmental major may be chosen from one of the following fields:

•Anthropology
•Biology
•Biochemistry
•Chemistry
•Computer Science
•Economics
•English
•Environmental Studies
•Fine Arts
•French
•Geology
•German
•Global Studies
•Government
•History
•Mathematics
•Multi-language
•Music
•Neuroscience
•Philosophy
•Physics
•Psychology
•Religious Studies
•Sociology
•Spanish
•Performance and Communication Arts

Double, Combined, Interdisciplinary and Multi-field Major Programs
A student in good academic standing may declare either a double, combined, interdisciplinary or multi-field major.

For a double major, a student pursues concentrated work in any two departments offering a major (see above list) and meets the requirements for a major in both. The student may not count for graduation more than 22 units of such work. If majoring in the two departments leads to different degrees, the student may elect to receive either the B.A. or the B.S.

For an interdisciplinary major, a student pursues coordinated concentrated work in any two departments that develop a joint major involving courses from each department. Unlike double majors, interdisciplinary majors do not have to meet all the requirements for both single majors. Thus, interdisciplinary majors meet some but not all of the separate requirements for departmental majors in each department. St. Lawrence currently offers the following interdisciplinary majors: biology– physics, economics–mathematics, geology–physics and environmental studies with anthropology,
biology, chemistry, economics, English, geology, government, philosophy, psychology or sociology.

A combined major allows a student to pursue concentrated work in any one department offering a major (see above list) and any special non-departmental academic programs, which are described in the Courses of Study chapter of this Catalog. St. Lawrence has special academic programs of study in African studies, Asian studies, Canadian studies, Caribbean and Latin American studies, cultural encounters, environmental studies, gender studies and Native American studies. While all students may pursue course work in these special studies programs, St. Lawrence offers established
combined major programs in the following areas:

• African studies combined with history, government, anthropology or economics.
• Asian studies combined with history, government or religious studies.
• Canadian studies combined with anthropology, economics, English, fine arts, government, history, modern languages and literatures, religious studies or sociology.
• Mathematics combined with computer science.

The multi-field major program is designed for students who wish to study intensively in a multidisciplinary field but cannot achieve this goal through an existing departmental or interdisciplinary major. The multi-field program provides an opportunity for students to design their own program of study.

A student intending to pursue a multi-field major must submit a proposal for his or her individual plan of study to the multi-field major committee. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee acceptance into the program; the proposal must be approved by the committee. The proposed program must be an integrated plan of study for the junior and senior years that incorporates course work from a minimum of two departments or fields. The proposal must be signed by at least one faculty member in each field; one member of the faculty in that program or field will serve as the student’s primary academic advisor. This advisor will have the same responsibility as a departmental advisor. After the proposal has been approved by the multi-field major committee, any subsequent changes from those courses specified in the proposal must be approved by the student’s advisor and submitted in writing to the committee before the student begins to follow his or her new course plan.

A proposal for a multi-field major should be submitted during the student’s sophomore year. The latest a student may submit a proposal is in the third week of the second semester of his or her junior year.

A student entering the multi-field program must fulfill the distribution, unit and GPA requirements for graduation. A student must have a 2.0 overall GPA to be admitted to the program and must maintain a 2.0 cumulative average in his or her multi-field major to continue in the program. Students should be aware that certain courses carry prerequisites and that these apply to the multi-field major as well as the departmental major.

A proposal for a multi-field major is both a description of the academic plan and a commitment to adhere to the objectives stated in the plan. A proposal must contain:

1. A narrative section that describes the academic purposes of the program. The description must include a specific and detailed explanation of the question or area of interest that is the focus of the proposal. Also, the narrative must clearly and coherently demonstrate how the courses included in the proposal constitute an integrated, in-depth study of the question or interest. Proposals that display an ambiguous focus and randomly selected courses from unrelated fields of study will be rejected.

2. A completed Form A, obtainable from the chair of the multi-field major committee, which lists:
a. a minimum of two fields of study;
b. a minimum of four semester units in each field;
c. at least one advanced semester unit (300- level or above) in each field;
d. a total of at least six advanced semester units within the chosen fields of study. Form A must include the signatures of faculty sponsors in each field listed. One of these faculty sponsors must be designated as the primary academic advisor.

3. A current academic transcript. Students choosing the multi-field major program are encouraged but not required to pursue an interdisciplinary, independent project (Multifield 489 and/or 490) as part of the major. This project allows the student to pursue independent work in his or her area of interest as defined by the original proposal and should demonstrate the interrelationships among the fields comprising the multi-field major. The project can be submitted as one of the six advanced semester units and its focus should be described briefly in the proposal. Projects are normally undertaken during the senior year.

A student may graduate with honors from the multi-field major program. Honors for the multi-field major requires a 3.5 GPA in the multi-field major, satisfactory completion of an interdisciplinary, independent project (Multifield 490) and the presentation of its results in some academic forum. The student must also receive the recommendation of his or her advisors. (See also Distinction and Honors on page 27.)

Academic Minors

Academic minors were established by the faculty at St. Lawrence in the spring of 1986 with the goal of extending the curriculum’s flexibility while adding another medium of connection, coherence and integration to the student’s course of study. A student who has declared a single major may elect one or two minor fields; a student who has declared a double or combined major may elect one minor field.

Minors normally consist of five to seven courses, as defined by departments or interdisciplinary programs. The minor in education requires additional courses as mandated by the New York State Department of Education and the Board of Regents. (See individual program descriptions for details on specific programs.) A minor may not be declared in the student’s major field, although a student may major in one foreign language and minor in another. Courses taken in the minor field beyond the maximum number required for the minor are not counted in the minor, but are counted in the 33.5 units required for graduation. Students must present a 2.0 average at the time of graduation in all courses taken in their minor departments. Semester course units in the student’s minor field cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis after the minor is declared. The following academic minors are available:

Department Minors
•Anthropology
•Biology
•Chemistry
•Computer Science
•Economics
•Education
•English
•Fine Arts
•French
•Geology
•German Studies
•Government
•History
•Literature (English)
•Mathematics
•Music
•Philosophy
•Physics
•Psychology
•Religious Studies
•Sociology
•Spanish
•Performance and Communication Arts
•Sports Studies and Exercise Science

Program Minors
•African Studies
•Applied Statistics
•Asian Studies
•Canadian Studies
•Caribbean and Latin American Studies
•European Studies
•Film Studies
•Gender Studies
•Multi-field
•Native American Studies
•Outdoor Studies
•United States Cultural and Ethnic Studies