Student Rights and Responsibilities

Rights:

1. Students have the right to complete the general education Common Core in 30 credits.

2. Students may choose freely among the courses the campuses have designated for the different areas of the Common Core, assuming students meet course qualifications. If more than one course is offered in a Common Core area, no single course in that area may be required or prohibited, again assuming that students meet course qualifications. Please note that students in A.A.S. programs, some A.S. programs, B.Tech. programs, and other programs with special licensing or accrediting requirements may be required to take specified courses in some areas of the Common Core if they wish to complete their overall degrees within the regular number of credits. Colleges may specify that the sixth Flexible Core course be taken in a particular area of the Common Core and may specify foreign language requirements for students who do not meet proficiency levels.

3. Students have the right to have three-credit courses available to them in all areas of the Common Core, every semester. Students are not guaranteed a seat in any individual course or section, but each area of the Common Core must have courses available each semester. If transfer students enter a college that has created a Common Core framework that includes courses linked across Common Core areas, or with linkages between the Common Core and the College Option, course options must be available that allow these students to complete the Common Core within 30 credits and the College Option within the number of credits specified for their transfer category.

4. In three areas of the Common Core (Math and Quantitative Reasoning, Life and Physical Sciences, and Scientific World) colleges may offer STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) variant courses that may be more than three credits and that meet the requirements for at least one major. Students have the right to choose to take a STEM variant course, assuming they meet course qualifications, to fulfill a Common Core area if colleges have made such courses available, with the understanding that taking such courses will probably make it necessary for students to exceed 30 credits to complete the Common Core.

5. Colleges with “overlay” requirements (such as writing intensive courses or courses that meet diversity education requirements) must have enough such courses available that students can fulfill them while simultaneously completing other requirements for the Common Core, College Option, or their major. Courses must be available such that overlays will not entail students taking more credits than would otherwise be required.

6. All courses taken for credit at an undergraduate CUNY college will be accepted for credit at every other CUNY undergraduate college, regardless of whether a specific equivalency exists at the transfer college.

7. Students who satisfactorily complete courses within the Common Core will have those courses certified by the college where they took them as having met Common Core requirements, as appropriate. That certification will transfer among all CUNY colleges.

8. Students transferring from outside CUNY to an undergraduate CUNY college have the right to have their courses evaluated expeditiously for transfer credit and to have their courses evaluated by receiving colleges in terms of the Common Core learning outcomes. If students transfer to another CUNY baccalaureate college, the second (or later) college must accept Common Core designations as determined by the sending college. The receiving college may also evaluate other courses as fulfilling Common Core requirements as appropriate.

9. Students who have completed the College Option, or any part of it, will have the College Option requirement remain fulfilled (or partially fulfilled, as appropriate), regardless of any future transfers to another CUNY college or other changes in status.

10. Students enrolled in baccalaureate programs are required to take from six to twelve College Option credits. Such students have the right to fulfill their College Option requirements within the credit range specified for their category of transfer students as presented in the Board of Trustees Resolution on Creating an Efficient Transfer System. No College Option credits are required for second bachelor’s degree students.

11. Students who satisfactorily complete courses designated under Pathways as “gateway” courses for a particular major are guaranteed to receive credit toward the major and/or credit as prerequisites for the major at all CUNY colleges that offer the major.

12. Courses taken to fulfill Common Core requirements may also fulfill requirements for a major. Students who fulfill major requirements through Common Core courses will not be subject to additional requirements as a result.

13. Students in A.A.S. programs are guaranteed that liberal arts requirements for their degrees will be drawn from Common Core courses. If A.A.S. students transfer to an A.A., A.S., or baccalaureate program, they will need to complete the remainder of the 30-credit Common Core, but those courses that such students have satisfactorily completed in the Common Core before transferring will apply to their Common Core requirements in their new programs. The same applies to students in B.Tech. programs.

14. Students who enrolled in CUNY before Fall 2013 have the right to opt in to the Pathways Common Core curriculum at the college in which they are currently enrolled. Students who enter a CUNY college in Fall 2013 or thereafter, either as first-time freshmen, transfer, or readmitted students, will be enrolled in the Pathways curriculum. Some readmitted students and others in exceptional circumstances who may be required to complete additional credits under Pathways and could be disadvantaged by the new curriculum may choose to fulfill the general education requirements that were in effect before Fall 2013.

15. Students in all degree programs have the right to accurate and timely information provided by the colleges to clearly identify program requirements and courses that are part of the Common Core or the College Option.

16. Students transferring from a SUNY college to an undergraduate CUNY college have the following rights in accordance with the CUNY Policy on Granting Transfer Credit for SUNY GER towards CUNY General Education:

    • SUNY transfer students who have completed a bachelor’s, Associate in Arts or Assoicate in Science degree from SUNY will be deemed to have completed Pathways Common Core requirements.

    • SUNY transfer students who completed the entire 30-credit GER requirement will be deemed to have completed Pathways Common Core requirements.

    • In cases where a SUNY GER course has been deemed equivalent to a CUNY Pathways course, the Pathways requirement will be marked as fulfilled.

    • In cases where a SUNY GER course is not equivalent to a CUNY Pathways course the transfer credit evaluator will utilize pseudo course codes or update the Pathways area manually to apply the course toward the Pathways Common Core.

    • SUNY transfer students who completed any GER requirements will be granted Pathways Common Core areas based on course equivalencies.

    • Non-equivalent SUNY GER courses will be applied to the Pathways Common Core.

    • In cases where a SUNY GER course may apply to more than one CUNY Pathways area, courses will be applied to maximize the number of Pathways areas that are fulfilled.

    • Coursework completed as part of local general education requirements, for a student’s major, or for elective credit may also be applied to Pathways requirements based on whether the course meets the area requirements.

17. Prior Learning Credit (PLA Credit) granted shall be accepted as transfer credit by all of the CUNY colleges in accordance with the CUNY Policy for the Use of Credit for Prior Learning.

18. CUNY colleges shall grant academic credits to any student earning a score of 3 or higher on any AP examination in accordance with the CUNY AP Policy.

19. CUNY students have the right to take courses via epermit and have those courses applied toward degree requirements in accordance with CUNY Policies on Epermit.

20. Students may appeal a decision of denial or restriction of transfer credit. Click here for the Student Appeals Process >>

Responsibilities:

Students are responsible for reviewing their curricula and programs and confirming their degree requirements with the assistance of an advisor and the degree audit tools provided for such purposes.

1. Students are expected to take advantage of the range of academic support services and resources that are made available to assist them in preparing their academic plans and programs.

2. Students must inform their colleges of changes in their enrollment status and contact information in a timely way.

3. Students are expected to stay informed of changes in policies, procedures, deadlines, programs, and other changes by reading their college email and other communications from their campuses.

4. Students are responsible for monitoring their transcripts and progress reports in order to address concerns as they arise and resolve them in a timely fashion.

5. Students are responsible for asking for help when they need it and for taking responsibility for their own educational experience.