/Institutions/Marietta-College/json/2021-2022/2021-2022-Catalog-and-Student-Handbook-local.json

/Institutions/Marietta-College/json/2021-2022/2021-2022-Catalog-and-Student-Handbook.json

Individualized Study of a Catalogued Course

In the event that a student should need to take individualized study of a catalogued course, the following actions should be taken.

1.  First the student should meet with the academic advisor to determine what other options exist.
2. If the advisor determines that the student should pursue an independent study, the student and the advisor will meet with the chair of the department in which the desired course is housed to determine if a faculty member is available to conduct the individualized study. The department chair may decide that no one should do an individualized study due to other departmental demands, if it does not interfere with the student's ability to graduate. If the department chair approves moving forward, the chair will contact the faculty member(s) to gauge interest in doing an individualized study.
3. In the event that a faculty member agrees to teach the individualized study, the faculty member will work with the student to develop a learning contract, available from the Records Office, which will specify the following:
   1. Course objectives and the criteria / rubrics that will be used to evaluate whether these objectives are met.
   2. Course name, description and credit hours
   3. Text(s) to be used
   4. Meeting times, contact hours, assignments, and exams
4. The student will then submit the learning contract along with a petition to the Registrar.
   1. This petition should address the need for taking the individualized study as well as an explanation as to why the student cannot complete the degree plan without the individualized study. The primary reason for arranging individualized studies is to assist students who would otherwise not be able to graduate on time. Students will need to demonstrate that they have made a good faith effort to arrange their graduation plan without individualized study.
   2. This petition must be approved by the academic advisor, the department chair in which the course is housed, the faculty member identified for teaching the independent study, and the Registrar, who will confirm both the need for the individualized study as well as that the learning contract demonstrates that the individualized study will be substantially the same as a course taught in a regular class format.
   3. The Provost then will review the petition and will make the final decision regarding approval of the petition. The decision of the Provost is not appealable.