Masters of Science in Bioethics | Einstein College of Medicine

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The Einstein-Cardozo Master of Science in Bioethics

Director: Tia Powell, M.D. Tel: 718.920.4630
Fax: 718.920.4989
bioethics@montefiore.org

PROCEDURES FOR CERTIFICATE AND MASTERS STUDENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Administrative Procedures

Course Registration Procedures

Course Add, Drop and Withdrawal

Graduation

My YU Online (Banner®)

Records and Transcripts

Time within the Program

Transfer of Course Credit

Tuition Procedures

Web-Based Course Management (ANGEL, etc)



ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES		STUDENT IDs: All students will be issued student IDs, which should be worn at all times. MBE students will be issued Einstein student IDs for a period of 2 years. If additional time is needed to complete the degree, IDs will be renewed in one-year increments until degree requirements have been satisfied. Certificate students will be issued Einstein Student IDs for a period of 1 year. BANNER: Banner® is the student information system Yeshiva University uses to track information about students and alumni. The student information held in Banner is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). The location on the web where you can access Banner and view all your student information is www.yu.edu/myyu. You can view information pertaining to your admission to the program, grades, print unofficial transcripts, and your tuition/bill. You can also log in to My YU to update your contact information, marital status, etc. First time users will need to create an account by designating a login ID and PIN. Please see MyYU section below for further instructions. OBTAINING AN EINSTEIN/YU EMAIL ADDRESS: All students will be assigned an Einstein Yeshiva University email account. Information regarding your Einstein/YU account will be distributed through an Orientation email. Please note that your Einstein/YU email addresses will be used in all communications to students from faculty and program administration. Note: If you wish to use another email address, you will have to set up email forwarding. Students who need assistance with forwarding are welcome to contact the Center. CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS: A student who wishes to change either a first or last name on Center for Bioethics records must file a Request for Change of Name on School Records form. Students who change their home or local residences are required to notify the Office of the Registrar of the change within ten (10) days by filing a Notification of Change of Address form. A student is responsible for all mail sent to the old address if the University has not been so notified.



COURSE REGISTRATION PROCEDURES		ACADEMIC CALENDAR(S): Seminars offered through the Center operate on the semester system. Detailed academic calendars for these seminars are posted each year on this website, under tabs for the Certificate and Masters programs. The calendars posted here do not describe semesters at other Yeshiva's constitutive schools (such as Cardozo Law School or Einstein College of Medicine). It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about beginning and end dates for non-Center calendars and courses. OBLIGATION TO REGISTER: Students not on preapproved leave must register, each term, according to the published deadlines for relevant academic calendars. Students not registered by the deadlines will be considered non-matriculants and pertinent offices will be notified. Failure to register can also lead to dismissal from the program. The Program Director can grant deferred registration, but a request should be made prior to deadlines. Note: As a reminder, instructions for registering are emailed to all students prior to each registration period, but students are responsible for registering before deadlines even if this email message is for some reason not received. MONTHS PRIOR TO EACH SEMESTER: Information will be sent early to students informing them of the courses that are available and deadlines for registration in the semester to come. Well before the beginning of term, students must discuss their curricular plans with the Program Director, then confirm their specific decisions about courses. ACTUAL REGISTRATION: Registration for all Certificate and Masters students will be done by the Einstein Registrar. Students are required to confirm their specific course choices no later than the first week of the semester in question. If a student wishes to take an external course, all efforts to have the course approved for credit toward the MBE must be resolved at that point or be considered unsuccessful. Student confirmation of course choices are to be done by filling out the Course Registration form and sending it via email, cc-ing the Einstein registrar, Center for Bioethics administration and faculty advisor. AFTER SUCCESSFUL REGISTRATION: An email confirming course registration will be sent to each student. Registration information will also be available through Banner. It is the student's responsibility to verify the information and bring any issues to the attention of the Registrar, the Center and faculty advisor.



COURSE ADD, DROP AND WITHDRAWAL		ADDING A COURSE: Students have two (2) weeks after the beginning of a semester to register for a course. A student adding a course should have already been attending the course, since the Center's strict attendance policy will still be in effect. As always, it is the student's responsibility to keep in mind slight variations in semester calendars for Yeshiva's University's constitutive centers and schools. DROPPING A COURSE: Excepting the initial non-refundable deposit upon acceptance into the Certificate and Masters programs, students can drop a semester-long course without financial penalty within the first week of school. After that, tuition refunds will be pro-rated as follows: after 1st week at 75% after 2nd week at 50% after 3rd week at 25% after 4th week 0% refund. Note: The above applies only to semester-long seminars. For intensive courses (typically of 4-5 sessions and limited enrollment), dropping one week before the 1st session leads to the forfeiture of a $500 deposit. There will be no tuition refund of any amount after having attended the first session. WITHDRAWING FROM A COURSE: A semester-long course dropped after the seventh (7th) week of class will be given a grade of W (Withdrawal), which will be reflected on the transcript. A *Course Withdrawal form* must be filled out and signed by the student, course leader and program director. Students should refer to the academic calendar for exact dates of each semester, and the weeks they have until a course may be dropped without academic penalty.



GRADUATION		CEREMONIES: Commencement exercises are held once a year in June at the close of the academic year. APPLYING FOR GRADUATION: A student applies for a degree by filing an Application for Graduation form prior to anticipated graduation. If the degree is not awarded at the end of the term indicated on the form, a new application must be filed every term until the degree is awarded. APPLICATION FEES: On submitting an Application for Graduation, the student will be charged a Graduation fee of $150.00, by the Office of Student Finance. Graduation fees initially paid remain valid for an additional three (3) consecutive semesters, and do not need to be paid again, unless more than two (2) years elapse between payment and award of degree. CLEARANCE FOR GRADUATION: An application for graduation and degree conferral will be successful only if the student has fulfilled all degree requirements, maintained the Center's standards for academic integrity and professionalism, and been cleared by the Office of Student Finance, with no outstanding tuition, library fines or other account balances.



MY YU ONLINE		BANNER OVERVIEW: Beginning with the Fall semester of 2012, every continuing student must register online, using Banner®: the student information system Einstein/Yeshiva University uses to track information about students and alumni. You will be able to obtain your grades, print unofficial transcript, also update your addresses (except Campus Address), telephone numbers, emergency contacts, ethnicity, check your standing (holds, etc.), and obtain enrollment verification certificate. You can view information pertaining to your admission to the program, requirements, and your tuition/bill. The student information held in Banner is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Note: Students with a hold on their accounts will not have access to Web Registration. BANNER REGISTRATION: You can access Banner at www.yu.edu/myyu. First time users will need to create an account by designating a login ID and PIN. You will need the following to participate in Web Registration: — User ID number. Your User ID number is your Banner ID. — Personal Identification Number (PIN) If this is the first time logging on: your temporary PIN will be emailed to your Einstein email address prior to registration. Note, you will be prompted to change your PIN. If you have previously logged on, your pin is what you chose your first time logging on. If you have forgotten your pin, you can click on the “Reset PIN” link on the BannerWeb login page. You must provide your student ID and your valid Einstein email address. Other email addresses cannot be used for this purpose. The new reset pin will be emailed to your Einstein email address. YOUR SECURITY ON BANNER: Here are important tips about security that you should keep in mind while using Banner: — Always exit Web Registration by clicking on EXIT at the top right of the screen. For maximum security, always close your browser. To protect your privacy, BannerWeb will automatically terminate a session if there are more than thirty minutes of inactivity. Should this occur, repeat the login process and start your session again. — It is strongly recommended that you change your PIN number frequently. Your PIN will automatically expire every 6 months. — BannerWeb will not allow you to be logged in from different computers at the same time. If this occurs, your session will be terminated. QUESTIONS?: If you have questions or need assistance with any aspect of Web Registration, please contact Wanda Arzola, our center and program administrator.



RECORDS AND TRANSCRIPTS		MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS: Course and grade records will be maintained for every student in the form of a permanent transcript. Einstein has formulated its student record policy to guarantee the rights of privacy and access as provided by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). This policy is consistent with policies of Yeshiva University and applies to all students. Students may review their academic record and transcript on-line (using the Banner system) at any time. Students who wish to obtain an official copy of their transcript must do so upon written request to the Registrar. ACCESSING FINAL GRADES: Final grades will be entered by the Registrar into Banner®, the student information system Einstein/Yeshiva University uses to track information about students and alumni, all protected by FERPA. Students can obtain their grades and print an unofficial transcript from this site, located at www.yu.edu/myyu. First time users will need to create an account by designating a login ID and PIN. Please see MyYU section below for further instructions. TRANSCRIPTS: Records of students are sent only in the form of a transcript. No partial records are sent, nor ones listing only courses without grades (remember that unofficial transcripts can be obtained through Banner®). Requests for official transcripts must be done by completing the Transcript Request form. Note that transcripts are not issued for a student who has an overdue debt to the University or has failed to return all books to its libraries. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RECORD: A student who believes that there is an error in his or her academic record (e.g., in a grade, average, credit value, or course description) must promptly call this to the attention of the Registrar. Even if there has been a mistake on the part of the University, no request for a correction will be considered unless the student notifies the Registrar within three months. It is therefore essential that students review their academic record regularly, at the end and beginning of semesters.



TIME WITHIN THE PROGRAM		TIME GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETING THE PROGRAM: A student should ideally complete the requirements for the Master of Science in Bioethics within five (5) years of admission to the program. The Certificate Program, however, must be completed within one year of admission, unless a leave of absence is granted. LEAVE OF ABSENCE: Students who need to interrupt their course of studies, but who expect to return at some future time, must file a Request for Leave of Absence form (download here). Such leaves are normally granted for a maximum of 2 semesters. Sympathetic consideration will be given to a request by a student returning from an official leave, who wishes to continue a course of study under the requirements in force at the time the leave was granted. Leaves of absence, except for the purpose of government service, do not extend the time limits set for completion of degree requirements. A student who neither registers for courses nor secures an official leave of absence for any semester will be considered as having withdrawn from the School. A student who withdraws and then wishes to resume studies is required to apply for readmission. Please note that under current Immigration and Naturalization Service regulations, foreign students in F-1 classification are not permitted to be on leave of absence. OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL: A student who is withdrawing from the program and does not expect to return at some future date must fill out an Application for Official Withdrawal form. Completion of this form is necessary for the student's record to bear the notation that an official withdrawal was granted. (A student who plans to return at some future date should instead file a Request for a Leave of Absence; see above.) A student who has withdrawn, and wishes to resume studies, is required to apply for readmission.



TRANSFER OF COURSE CREDIT		PARAMETERS FOR CREDIT TRANSFER: Credit for work completed at another institution of higher education is not automatically granted. No credit is given for any course transferred from another institution with a grade below B. Only credits from graduate level programs will be considered. Students may transfer a maximum of ten (10) credits toward the Master of Bioethics degree. No transfer credit is allowed for any external courses completed more than five (5) years before entering the program, whether or not the credit was earned toward a formal degree. APPLYING FOR CREDIT TRANSFER: Students have the strongest chance of being granted credit for successfully completed graduate courses with clear equivalents within the MBE program. The determination of equivalency will be decided by the Program Director, who acts upon the recommendation of the faculty member who is the leader of the course for which equivalency and/or academic credit is being sought. The student who wishes to apply must complete the *Request for Transfer of Credit form, and also present the syllabus, related course information, pertinent written work and evidence of successful completion of exams and course requirements (official grade). The application is complete when all the aforementioned is submitted to the Center for Bioethics and the Einstein Registrar. For courses taken prior to enrollment in the MBE program, this request must be made during the first semester in attendance.* All official actions concerning transfer of credit are taken by the Registrar after all records are checked and subsequent to written approval by the Program Director. After careful review, the applicant will be informed of the number of credits that have been accepted to this program. TAKING EXTERNAL COURSES FOR MBE CREDIT: Matriculated students who wish to take a course not listed as part of the MBE program (either in another YU graduate program or at another institution), while enrolled in the MBE program, must receive prior approval from the Program Director. No transfer credit will be approved if prior approval is not obtained. Students may not take more than one (1) course per semester outside the pre-approved list. No more than two (2) outside courses may be used toward satisfying requirements for the MBE. Note: Registration for outside courses is the sole responsibility of the student in accordance with the procedures of the other institutions. It is also the responsibility of the student to have an academic transcript sent from the other institution directly to the Center and Einstein Registrar. The course number, title, semester-hour equivalents, and the name of the institution will be entered on the student's transcript as a transfer course subsequent to successful completion of the course. CERTIFICATE PROGRAM CREDITS: All Certificate Program credits must be taken at the Center for Bioethics. No transfer credits are permitted in the Certificate Program.



TUITION PROCEDURES		TUITION: Tuition charges for 2011-12 are set at $1,125 per credit, with the one exception being the Certificate Program (6 credits), charged separately at a rate of $6,000 for the complete program. Tuition is payable by semester and is due before the beginning of classes. Invoices will be generated through the Office of Student Finance, before each semester, based on the number of credits to be taken. Students who have an overdue debt to the University will not be able to register for courses. DEPOSIT AND TUITION REFUND: Each new Certificate and Masters student will provide a non-refundable deposit of $500 upon accepting our admissions offer. The deposit will be applied toward the first semester's tuition, which as always is due in full before classes begin. Where applicable, tuition refunds for individual courses are given on a prorated basis, according to the drop policy above. FINANCIAL AID, ETC: For very helpful details concerning tuition reimbursement, payment plans and student loans, please see the Handbook's section on Financial Aid. For all counseling and assistance please contact Damien Jackson, Director, Office of Student Finance, at 718.862.1813 or damien.jackson@einstein.yu.edu.



WEB-BASED COURSE MANAGEMENT (ANGEL, ETC)		USING ANGEL: ANGEL is a web-based course management and collaboration portal that enables educators to manage course materials and to communicate with students. The portal can function both as a complement to traditional courses and as a site for distance learning. Please use the following link to access ANGEL. Here, you can take surveys, quizzes, and tests; send and receive course mail; post messages to threaded discussions and chat rooms; upload assignments using online drop boxes; and more. You can check your progress and grades at any time during a course. You can also create groups and teams for project or committee work. Note: All user names and passwords are lower case. Once you log on you will be asked to change your password. For additional information and guidance regarding ANGEL please review the Student Quick Start Guide. DROPBOX, GOOGLE DOCS, ETC: Instructors are also utilizing a limited number of well-tested Web-based file hosting services, and thus benefiting from current advances in cloud computing to enable the rapid sharing and synchronization of course materials. When asked to use a given service, students should receive clear and specific instructions. Under no circumstance should the program in question require students to either pay for the service or download a program onto the hard drives of their own computers (though students may choose to do so). Students must also have clearly offered alternatives to the service in question, such as ANGEL or course material placed on CDs to be distributed, and a means for the student to make timely requests.