Upon formal enrollment as a major the student will meet with the chair of the department, at which time the student may choose an advisor from among the regular faculty or, in lieu of this, the chair will assign an advisor. The student has the right to change advisors at any time while a major. Minors do not have formal advisors but are encouraged to seek the advice of the chair or a faculty member.
Up to 6 credits for participation in field schools, workshops, internships or similar credit-bearing activities (such as independent study, directed study or directed readings) may be counted toward the requirements of the major. No more than 4 of the 6 credits allowed may be from any one of these types of activities. Any additional credits beyond the 4 for any one activity or the 6 for multiple activities may be counted as elective credits outside the major.
The Anthropology Department adheres to college policy on the use of the "I" grade. That policy, as it appears in the Rhode Island College Manual of Academic Policies and Procedures is reprinted below:
A grade of "I" (incomplete) may be reported if, in the instructor's judgment, a student is unable to complete the work of the course within the semester due to unusual or extenuating circumstances. Normally the student must initiate a request for an "I" grade; however, in extreme circumstances, faculty members may assign this grade at their discretion, i.e., without discussing it with the student.
Incompletes are only appropriate if most of the work has already been completed and the student is able to complete by the end of the succeeding semester (excluding Summer Sessions) the remaining requirements with a minimum of faculty supervision. The end of the semester is defined as the last day of classes; however, the instructor may stipulate an earlier deadline for completion. "Sitting in" on a course again is not a valid way of rectifying an incomplete grade.
Instructors who assign an "I" grade have the option of indicating a default grade other than "F" (A- to D-) on the grade sheet. The default grade will only appear on internal work copy transcripts and not on student grade reports or official transcripts. In addition, the instructor will indicate on the Incomplete Grade Report all the work to be completed, the deadline for completion, and any default grade. Copies of this form will be given to the student and forwarded to the department chair. The original will be retained by the instructor.
At every mid-term, the Registrar's Office will notify each faculty member of the outstanding "I' grades. If by the date grades are due for the semester, the instructor has not assigned a grade for the course or has not notified the Registrar's Office in writing of an extension of the deadline for completion, the "I" grade will change automatically to an "F" or to the default grade indicated. Departmental provision shall cover unavailability of the instructor.
Faculty in the Anthropology Department will not post grades in public places, regardless of the method used to identify students. Papers, projects, and exams (whether graded or ungraded) are not to be left in public places. Students should be informed to contact the instructor to receive grades (if the instructor is willing) or to submit or retrieve tests, projects, papers, or other course materials.
Grades or other evaluation information should not be sent to students via email or other electronic means unless the student has specifically requested that this be done and has provided the address or other information for the sending of this information. This policy shall not apply to the use of grade or evaluation components of programs such as WebCT, provided that such programs provide secure access and that the student can only access information specific to them and not of any other student.
The Anthropology Department adheres to college policies on independent and directed study with the additional provision that these policies and procedures shall also apply to directed readings courses. Further, all applications for independent study, directed study, or directed readings shall be reviewed by the faculty at a department meeting or a meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee and a recommendation made to the department chair. The college policy, as it appears in the Rhode Island College Manual of Academic Policies and Procedures is reprinted below:
Guidelines for the administration of courses in independent or directed study are as follows:
(a) Faculty seeking to supervise independent studies may do so only with the prior approval of the department chair and appropriate dean/director (and graduate dean for graduate students).
(b) Students seeking to take independent study should complete an Application for Independent Study. If the instructor and department chair approve, the application should be forwarded to the appropriate dean/director along with a copy of the faculty's course assignments and load credit for both semesters of the academic year. The application of a graduate student shall then be forwarded to the graduate dean for review and action. When the application is approved, the Registrar's Office shall then register the student for the course.
(c) Normally, students shall complete an application for independent study by November 15 for the subsequent spring semester or April 15 for the subsequent summer sessions or fall semester.
(d) No undergraduate student shall be permitted more than three or four credit hours of independent study per semester nor a total of more than six credit hours toward the total credits needed for the degree, except for programs where independent study is part of the degree plan.
Normally, no master's degree candidate shall be permitted more than three credit hours of independent study toward the degree requirement and no CAGS candidate shall be permitted more than six credit hours of independent study toward the graduate degree.
(e) Independent study may be offered on topics for which the department does not have a course offering or to provide for a required course which is not offered when required by the student.
(f) Ordinarily, independent study courses will be offered to undergraduates in the department of their major and to graduate students only in degree programs and in the department or field of that degree program.
(g) Independent study is appropriate only for students with outstanding academic records and clear evidence of an academic interest that cannot be met in the traditional course structure.