Academic & Grading Policies 

When interns are struggling in any aspect of the MAT (academics, placement, professionalism), the MAT Council is there to support the student or, in rare cases, penalize or dismiss the student. The council consists of the Director or Associate Director of Teacher Education, the Supervisor of Student Teaching, and all MAT faculty who have concerns or information that may be useful.

MAT Council interventions include:

Conversation with a faculty member

Used in situations including:

• Concern about affect/disposition in classes

• Unprofessional behavior & conversations on or off campus

• Concern about engagement in classes

• Course-specific problems (but no issues initially in other classes)- late assignment, multiple revisions on work, etc

• Not responding to faculty communication

MAT notice of concern summoning intern to Council meeting

Used in situations including:

• Missed deadline (multiple in one class or across multiple classes)

• Tardy/absent (across multiple classes or multiple in one class)

• Unprepared for classes

• Late assignments without contact

• Not responding to faculty communication after faculty conversation.

• Failure on a minor assignment

• Unprofessional interactions/actions at placement

• Failure to implement plan developed in response to previous Faculty Conversation

MAT Council letter of probation (may involve Council meeting with intern)

Used in situations including:

• Any consistent problem that would fall under “notice of concern” (e.g., missed assignments; continued unprofessionalism)

• Not meeting academic/internship expectations

• Failure on major assignment or a combination of minor & major assignments

• Failure to implement plan developed in response to previous MAT Notice of Concern

MAT Council letter of dismissal

Used in situations including:

• Failure in course(s)

• Academic dishonesty

• Egregious behavior in internship or program

• Failure to adhere to conditions in MAT Council Letter of Probation

MAT Council meeting processes

1. The MAT Council meets before the official meeting and drafts a letter listing reasons for the meeting.  Unless there is an emergency, the letter is provided to the intern at least 48 hours before the meeting.

2. Introduction: The Council explains the procedures for the meeting and answers any questions about the procedure itself (5 minute maximum)

3. Presentation of evidence/concerns: The Council explains reasons for concern. Any evidence is provided at this stage.  (15 minute maximum).

4. Presentation of defense: Intern is allowed to explain reasons for behaviors and provide any evidence to support their claims. (15 minute maximum).

5. Questions/ Answers: The Council and intern engage in a dialogue to clarify points raised on both sides. (20 minute maximum).

6. Ruling: The intern is excused and the MAT Council discusses and votes on (a) whether an action/warning is appropriate, and (b) the nature of the action/warning.  The Council may also vote to postpone ruling in the event that relevant new evidence is brought to light during the meeting that merits further investigation.  The intern is informed of the result within a week of the final ruling. 

Look here.

The Department of Educational Studies believes all students, from pre-kindergarten through graduate school, have the right to a safe education, one free from threat, bias, hate speech, or other words or actions that contribute to an unsafe environment. We will not tolerate these things in our SMCM classrooms and we will not tolerate them from our undergraduate and MAT students who will be placed in SMCPS classrooms around the county. Participating in these things will be considered a violation of the SMCM Code of Student Conduct, specifically, Articles II.E.3 and II.E.5. We also expect our future educators to adhere to The Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) which outlines educators’ responsibilities to the profession, professional competence, students, the school community, and ethical use of technology.

If we learn that an SMCM student has used language or actions that could be construed as threatening, racist, biased, or hateful, that student’s placement in an SMCPS (or another district) school will be suspended pending an investigation and may result in a delay in or forfeiture of completing course requirements. The SMCPS Board of Education policy states in section GBCC.II, “school system employees are expected to serve as positive role models for our students at all times including non-working hours” and “all staff members are expected to maintain a standard of dress, personal appearance, general decorum, moral standards, and behavior that conforms to their professional status in the community.” SMCM students are expected to uphold the same standards as SMCPS staff while they are assigned to a school. Behavior, as described above, will be considered to be in violation of the SMCPS BoE policy.

Students who have been otherwise found to have participated in threatening, racist, biased, or hateful speech or actions may not be placed in an SMCPS school. This will result in an inability to participate in course requirements for an EDST or EDSP minor or the MAT.

This policy is based on:

https://www.smcm.edu/tothepoint/code-of-student-conduct/

II.E.3: Intimidation: Subjecting an individual to intentional action that significantly threatens and induces a sense of fear and/or inferiority.

II.E.5: Threats: Physical, written, verbal, or electronic conduct which reasonably expresses an intention to cause an individual injury, harm, or damage.

SMCPS Policies and Regulations

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/smcps/Board.nsf/Public#

PROFESSIONAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

All staff members are expected to maintain a standard of dress, personal appearance, general decorum, moral standards, and behavior that conforms to their professional status in the community.

As stated in the St. Mary's Way, the College is a place where people foster relationships based upon mutual respect, honesty, integrity, and trust.  As such, the College is committed to providing an educational, living, and working environment free from all forms of harassment and discrimination for all members of our community.  The College prohibits all forms of sexual or gender-based harassment, discrimination or misconduct, including sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, and stalking.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual misconduct, you may find information about resources and options on the Campus Rights webpage (www.smcm.edu/campus-rights) or by contacting the College's Title IX Coordinator, Michael Dunn (mkdunn@smcm.edu or 240-895-4105).  Please note that under College policy, faculty members are required to share any reports of sexual misconduct with Michael Dunn in order to make sure that the College is responding appropriately to address the health and safety needs of members of our community.  There are on-campus confidential resources available, including the counselors at the Wellness Center (240-895-4289) and the Sexual Misconduct Advocacy and Resource Team (SMART) student-run 24/7 hotline (301-904-2015).  More information about on- and off-campus confidential resources, as well as medical treatment, law enforcement, and other support services, may be found on the Campus Rights webpage.

Secondary and K12 certifiers are required to major in the subjects they will teach. Some certification areas have additional breadth requirements. Elementary certifiers can major in any discipline but must meet particular breadth requirements. World language certifiers who are heritage speakers of the language they will teach may substitute passing ACTFL scores for a major in the language they will teach and could be asked to demonstrate advanced English proficiency as well. Specific details can be seen on advising sheets for each certification area. Advising sheets are located here.

A    =  95.00-100%

A- = 90.00-94.99%

B+ = 87.00-89.99%

B    = 83.00-86.99%

B- = 80.00-82.99%

C+  = 77.00-79.99%

C     = 73.00-76.99%

C-   = 70.00-72.99%

D+  = 67.00-69.99%

D      = 60.00-66.99%

The grades of CR, NC, I, W, and AU do not enter into the computation of the grade-point average. The GPA is computed on the basis of all courses taken at St. Mary’s College for which a letter grade has been received. The grade-point average is computed on both a semester-by-semester basis and on a cumulative basis. Transfer credits are excluded from the GPA computation.

Students are required to earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be considered eligible for graduation.  The MAT Council will review all students’ GPAs at the end of each session of the program (GR01-GR04), and if a student’s GPA is below 3.0 at those review points, the MAT Council will decide the candidate’s continuation in the program.   Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses to be considered eligible for certification. Students who earn a C-, D+, D or F in any course may be asked to leave the program.

An “I” (Incomplete) may be given by the instructor only at the request of the student.  The I may be given for one of the following reasons, only:

• Extended illness or other serious emergency beyond the control of the student prevent the student from completing a course within the graduate session. 

• Issues within the internship site/placement preclude the student from completing key course assignments tied to the internship experience.

To qualify for an Incomplete, the student must have been attending the course regularly throughout the term up until that point and otherwise fulfilled course expectations. To assign an Incomplete, the instructor must discuss with the student the work that must be completed and the deadline for submission of that work. In addition, the instructor will indicate the reason for the Incomplete by checking the appropriate box on the “MAT Incomplete Request Form” submitted to the registrar at the time grades are due for that session. 

The instructor will also indicate the grade the student should receive if the conditions for completion of the course work are not met by the appropriate deadline. If no grade is specified on the Incomplete Request Form or if the reason for the Incomplete is not checked on the form, a grade of “F” will be recorded on the student’s transcript. 

The timing of the MAT requires that Incompletes be fulfilled on the following schedule:

  For Graduate Session 1:  No later than 1 week after the start of Graduate Session 2

 For Graduate Session 2:  No later than the day before the start of Graduate Session 3

 For Graduate Session 3:  No later than 1 week after the start of Graduate Session 4

The student must submit all designated work to the faculty member no later than the dates mentioned above. The deadline for submitting the grade change to the registrar is ten days after the student submits the work to the faculty member. 

Any Incomplete that is not removed prior to that date will revert to the grade specified by the contract granting the Incomplete.  Unless there are extenuating circumstances, an extension for fulfilling the requirements of the Incomplete will NOT be granted.  

No Incomplete may remain on an MAT student’s transcript, and MAT students are ineligible for Incompletes in the session that the degree is conferred (GR04).  

If a student is unable to finish a course in the last graduate session due to emergency or illness, he/she will not graduate with the current cohort.  The student will work individually with the MAT faculty to determine the final submission date for missing work.  This date shall be no later than August 1 of the same calendar year, so as to facilitate graduation in time for employment.

A change of the final grade in a course may occasionally be justified for extraordinary reasons, such as computational error. Such a change may be initiated by either the instructor or the student. A request initiated by a student must be a formal one, submitted in writing with justification to the instructor by the end of the SECOND week of the following GRADUATE SESSION. Any changes initiated or approved by the instructor must be approved by the department chair AND DIRECTOR OF TEACHER EDUCATION and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the end of the FOURTH week of the subsequent GRADUATE SESSION. The registrar will record the grade change on the student’s permanent record.

 If you have a documented learning need that requires additional attention on my part, please see me as soon as possible.  If you suspect that you have learning need that has not been properly identified, I can refer to you members of our college community that can help you learn more about how to proceed in this instance as well. You will only be able to receive any accommodations to which you might be entitled if you have all documentation in place with the Office of Academic Services. 

As a component of assessment procedures, students’ writing and oral language skills will be evaluated throughout the program.  If an instructor determines a student would benefit from targeted support (which could range from enrichment exercises to a systematic plan of support from the Writing & Speaking Center), the student is required to meet those expectations in addition to all other course expectations.  If a student fails to complete the required interventions to the instructor’s satisfaction, the student’s course grade will not be recorded for the transcript. A non-recorded grade has the same impact as an F on progression in the program.

As stated in the MAT Handbook, students are permitted 2 hours of absence from a course, and students are required to submit an absence notification form to the instructor as quickly as possible.  Late arrivals may count towards the absence total, and if a student is absent for more than 2 hours from a course, he/she will be referred to the MAT Council.  Final course grades will be impacted by excessive absence, at the discretion of the instructor.

Unless the student has received prior approval from an instructor to turn in work past an established deadline, a late penalty will be assessed to the work.  An instructor may refuse to accept an assignment if it is not submitted on time, thereby resulting in a grade of 0 for the assignment. Further, across the program, the MAT Council monitors late work submissions.  If a student has perpetual challenges meeting deadlines, the student will be referred to the MAT Council to determine an appropriate course of action regarding progress in the program, including the possibility of a leave of absence or withdrawal.

Student work may be revised/resubmitted under several circumstances.

• If an assignment is submitted on time and adheres to the established criteria, an instructor has the option to accept a revision/resubmission of the student’s work, if the student would like to improve the assignment.  The instructor has the discretion to determine how the grade of the resubmission is to be considered relative to the original submission.

• Instructors may require a student to revise and resubmit an assignment, if the quality of work is deemed as unacceptable for the graduate level. 

• If the assignment is a “signature assignment” for the program (assessed on the four-point rubric), the student is allowed a maximum of two rounds of revisions.  If the student does not achieve an acceptable score on the final round of revisions, he/she will not pass the assignment. There is instructor discretion as to what score is entered for the final grade; it can be an average of all three versions of the assignment or the score earned on the final submission.

  • The weight of the assignment in the overall course grade will determine the impact of the assignment’s grade on the course grade; it is possible that the unacceptable grade could have broader implications on continued involvement in the program.

• There is no limit to the number of times a student can revise/resubmit non-signature assignments for a course.  However, the instructor has the discretion to determine how the grade of the revisions are to be calculated into the final grade for the assignment.

As indicated in the SMCM Student Handbook, To the Point (http://www.smcm.edu/judicial/tothepoint.html), academic misconduct is a serious offense.  Though the student handbook offers a more detailed description than what is provided here, you should be aware that academic misconduct takes several forms:

1. Plagiarism (appropriating words/ideas of others without proper citation)

2. Cheating (using unapproved assistance on an assignment)

3. Falsification (misrepresenting or falsely reporting data)

4. Resubmission of work (use of an assignment in multiple courses w/out permission to do so)

Students who are found to have engaged in academic dishonesty will be reported to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Services.  If the dishonest work is linked to a “signature assignment” in the program (i.e., an assignment evaluated with the MAT Rubric system), it is automatically considered a “major violation,” and will also be referred to the Academic Judicial Board of the college for further disciplinary action beyond that of an “F” for the course.  The MAT Council will also be notified; this notification is due to the interconnected nature of these assignments and the fact that they are part of our data pool for accreditation as well as the fact that assignments may count for more than one course.  

The MAT program spans 10 months. Progress in the MAT programs depends on meeting all academic, internship, and professional behavior requirements for the program throughout the program.  To earn an MAT degree at SMCM means that you are able to become an initially certified teacher under Maryland regulations at graduation. (For certification requirements, look here.)

Progress in the MAT may be stopped by the Director of Teacher Education for any of the following reasons:

1. The student earns a grade lower than a C for an academic course, which reflects the state standard for certification courses.  This means the student is no longer eligible for graduation on his/her original timeline. Please refer to the policy on “Repeating Classes” for how a student may be able to move forward again in the program after a grade lower than a C.

2. The student engages in unprofessional behavior in the internship setting and/or is no longer welcome at the internship site.  

3. The intern violates the Model Code of Educator Ethics or the Educational Studies anti-bias policy.

4. The student has failed to adhere to the agreements with the MAT Council, and has received an MAT Council Letter of Dismissal.

Because of the pacing and structure of the MAT program, courses may not be repeated for the purpose of improving a grade, unless the student earned a grade lower than a C (the state minimum requirement for courses counting towards certification).

In most situations, the student will need to wait until the following MAT year to retake the class, when it is offered in the next program year.   This adjusts the graduation timeline for the student, which may also have financial implications.

If the course can be offered sooner than the following year, the student’s graduation date will be accordingly adjusted.  Though most MAT degrees are conferred in May, graduation dates of August and December can be accommodated. This change may have financial implications.

All courses in the MAT program are required for graduation.  As such, if a student withdraws from a course, he/she will not be able to graduate from the program.

A student withdrawing from a course after 3 class meetings in a graduate session will earn a W for that course.

A student may not withdraw from a course and be eligible for graduation. The graduation timeline would need to be adjusted.

A student may take a leave of absence from the MAT at any time during the session on or before the last day of classes provided the student is not under temporary suspension. Any degree student may be granted leaves of absence up to a total of three sessions during his or her MAT career, including the semester in which the leave is initially taken. 

In cases of unusual need, the Director of Teacher Education, following consultation with the Department of Educational Studies, may grant degree students additional leaves of absence. If a student is academically dismissed or expelled from the MAT during the semester preceding the semester for which a leave of absence is conditionally granted, the approval of the leave is canceled automatically. 

When a student on leave of absence returns to the MAT, he or she is reinstated as a degree student, but may need to adopt a new MAT program path in the event of any changes to program and/or state requirements for graduation and certification. Applications to request a Leave of Absence are available in the office of the Director of Teacher Education and must be filed by the student no later than the last day of classes in the session in which the leave of absence is to begin. 

However:

1. If a student pays a deposit and subsequently is granted a leave of absence before the deposit deadline, the deposit, at the student’s discretion, may be held until such time as the leave of absence is terminated.

2. A student who requests a leave of absence after the deadline forfeits the deposit.

3. A student who does not return at the conclusion of the leave of absence will forfeit the deposit.

4. A student who does not return at the conclusion of the leave of absence, but who subsequently wishes to return, must reapply to the MAT through the Director of Teacher Education. Re-admission under these circumstances would be under the catalog of the year in which the student returned.

A student may withdraw from the MAT at any time during the GRADUATE SESSION on or before the last day of classes provided the student is not under temporary suspension. To withdraw from the MAT, the student must receive the approval of the Director of Teacher Education and Department Chair of Educational Studies. A student suspended on an interim basis or against whom a temporary suspension or expulsion may be initiated may not withdraw from the MAT before the conclusion of his/her judicial case. A student who withdraws from the MAT or is suspended or expelled will be assigned a grade of W in each course for which he or she is currently registered. It is assumed that students who withdraw from the MAT do not plan to return.

On rare occasions, interns may be offered full-time teaching positions during their internship. We will decide on a case-by-case basis whether they may complete their MAT year while teaching full-time. The following will be taken into account in making this decision:

1. Their performance in MAT classes has been outstanding: All work has been turned in on time and has been of excellent quality; they have been unfailingly collaborative and professional in their interactions both inside and outside of classs.

2. They have been cleared by the Director of Student Teaching, their supervisor, their mentor teacher, and their PDS liaison.

3. We are confident that the hiring school can offer thorough mentoring and will provide the support the candidates need to finish edTPA and their Masters Research Projects.

4. The position starts after GR03 class meetings end.

In considering whether an intern is appropriate for a midyear hire, we use these guidelines and intern agreement.

In order to graduate from the MAT, students must complete all coursework and all MSDE certification requirements for their certification area. Their overall GPA must be 3.0 or above, with no individual course grades below a C.

Students may participate in the MAT hooding ceremony and college commencement ceremony before completing all graduation requirements (they may "walk") under some circumstances:

1) Students who have completed all MAT course requirements, but who may be missing one or more Maryland certification requirements (Praxis, edTPA, etc.) may participate in MAT hooding and college commencement activities, but will not receive their diploma until all certification requirements are satisfied. Their graduation date will be the August or December after all requirements have been satisfied.

2) Students who have delayed the completion of their internship time but will complete their internship requirements by the end of the SMCPS academic year in which they started may participate in MAT hooding and college commencement activities, but will not receive their diploma until all internship requirements are satisfied. Their graduation date will be the August or December after all requirements have been satisfied.

3) Students who have not completed all course requirements, who need to retake part or all of a course, or who have deferred the completion of their internship until the following fall semester may not participate in MAT hooding or college commencement activities.

4) Students who meet the criteria in points 1) or 2) (but not both) and will therefore defer graduation but still want to participate in hooding and commencement activities will provide the EDST department chair with a written plan/timeline for how they intend to complete the requirements.