Center for Academic Support and Advising

The Center for Academic Support and Advising (CASA) provides support and assistance to students and advisors in the planning and achievement of academic goals. Toward that end, CASA monitors students' academic progress and offers a number of helpful services to faculty and students at all divisional levels.

Often the CASA deans can assist students and faculty with questions and concerns about a range of advising issues. Sometimes it makes more sense for students to talk to the dean most familiar with a particular area of concern. The CASA deans are both generalists and specialists.

Services
CASA, the Center for Academic Support and Advising, provides a variety of services to students and faculty including:


 * Recording change of advisor
 * Certification of academic good standing for other institutions, potential employers and auto insurance firms
 * Copies of materials submitted by a student during the admissions process other than examples of work that are returned by the admissions office
 * Meetings with students whose registration has been blocked because of insufficient academic progress
 * Consultation with faculty advisors in the course of preparing academic planning and probation contracts for students making insufficient academic progress
 * Coordination of readers, proofreaders, etc. for students with documented learning disabilities
 * Liaison work with Hampshire and Five College faculty regarding classroom accommodations for students with learning and/or psychological disabilities
 * Verification of graduation for students taking the bar exam

Information for Students
COURSES


 * Course listings
 * Hampshire course websites
 * Course registration

FIELD STUDY, EXCHANGE, LEAVE OF ABSENCE, OR WITHDRAWAL

Students completing a semester’s work at a site away from Hampshire College, which has been pre-approved by their Division II or Division III committees for inclusion into their Division II or Division III, are placed on field study or exchange status. Students who temporarily suspend enrollment at Hampshire for a semester are placed on leave status. Leave status is not a semester of enrollment, and work completed while on leave may not count as one of the necessary four semesters of Division II or two semesters of Division III. Students who participate in academically relevant experiences during the summer or while on leave of absence may use these as evidence of learning activities. With the prior approval of the Division II committee, they may request that these activities be included as part of the Division II portfolio.

Students on field study or exchange away from Hampshire College or on a leave from full-time enrollment must file forms with the Center for Academic Support and Advising (CASA) by the enrollment notification deadline. Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing to qualify for a semester of field study or exchange. The enrollment notification deadline is listed each year in the online academic calendar with tuition information available on the student financial services website. It is also advertised by CASA. All forms must be submitted by that date. This is an absolute deadline; a $500 late enrollment notification fee is assessed against those applying late.


 * Field Study

Field study may be granted for academic study that requires the student to be away from the Hampshire campus for an entire semester. It assumes that the student is engaged in academic work away from the College, not just living off campus, and that the study or work to be carried out is of such a nature that it cannot be done while the student is in residence at Hampshire. Residence in or around the surrounding communities is not permitted. In general, field study is the term used to describe work for which there has been adequate academic preparation and that must be done in a particular place away from the College: a “field site.” More information on Field Study


 * Exchange

Exchange is the term for participation in a Hampshire-sponsored program at another site away from the College. All Hampshire Exchange programs are administered by the global education office (GEO). Students interested in participating in exchange must follow the GEO application procedures. The Hampshire Exchange application deadlines (fall and spring term) are listed each year on the GEO Web site and extensively advertised around campus. Students who enroll at a program or institution where Hampshire has an exchange agreement must do so through Hampshire College exchange status. Students may not enroll with Hampshire partners while on field study status. More information on Exchange


 * Leave of Absence

If a student needs to be away from Hampshire College and will not require faculty supervision or a formal Hampshire record of activities while away, a leave of absence may be appropriate. Leave of absence for one or two terms may be granted to any student in academic good standing. Automatic readmission is assumed unless otherwise noted.

Note: A leave of absence is not an active enrollment status, regardless of the nature of activities pursued. More information on Leave of Absence


 * Withdrawal

Students who want to withdraw from Hampshire College must complete a withdrawal form, which is available from CASA. Members of the staff are available to talk with students about their plans. The form requires signatures from the student’s advisor, the housing coordinator, the director of financial aid (for financial aid students), the manager of student accounts, and a dean from CASA. More information on Withdrawal

Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS)
Please find more information about disability support and accommodation services on the Hampshire College website: https://www.hampshire.edu/oars/office-of-accessibility-resources-and-services

Divisional System
DIVISION I

Division I Introduces students to a broad sweep of knowledge through highly specific, experiential courses and substantial project work. Students sample topics broadly through courses before choosing a concentration. More information on Division I.

DIVISION II

Students explore their chosen field(s) of emphasis (the concentration) through an individually designed program of courses, independent work, and internships or field studies. Students work closely with a faculty committee to design and carry out a personalized concentration of study. More information on Division II.

DIVISION III

Students complete a major independent project: a body of writing, art, or performance: or scholarly or scientific research. They take advanced seminars, teach classes, mentor younger students. They enroll in graduate-level courses. More information on Division III.

Evaluations
Narrative evaluations are at the heart of Hampshire’s educational philosophy. Our assessments of student work and progress are detailed, personalized and qualitative, and paint a far richer picture of the student than a grade-point average. They provide invaluable information about advisees’ strengths and weaknesses. Ask to see them, or have a look at your advisee's files on TheHub.

EVALUATION DEADLINES

Criteria for evaluation are established at the beginning of any learning activity, including courses, independent studies, field studies, teaching assistantships, and other educational activities between instructor and student. Evaluations of internships, field studies, and community service activities written by non-Hampshire supervisors must be submitted to the student’s file in central records. Such activities must be approved in advance by the student’s Division II or III chair to be included in the student’s divisional work. Throughout the semester, there needs to be continuous contact between the student and the instructor or supervisor of these activities. The instructor or supervisor prepares a written final evaluation of the student’s work if student requests it and has completed the course requirement.


 * COURSES

Course Summary Evaluations: Faculty indicate whether students will be receiving evaluations, no evaluations, or incompletes by the end of each semester.

Fall Term: Summaries are due 10 days after the end of classes.

January Term: Summaries are due three days after the end of classes.

Spring Term: Summaries are due 10 days after the end of classes.

Course evaluations are due according to the following schedule:

Fall Term: Course evaluations are due for all students by January 15.

January Term: Course evaluations are due for all students by February 15.

Spring Term: Course evaluations are due for all students by June 15.

Incomplete courses: If an incomplete is granted, up to one term of active enrollment is allowed for incomplete work to be completed. The evaluation is then due by that            semester’s course evaluation deadline. If the work is not submitted within one term of active enrollment, the incomplete will be changed to no evaluation in the student’s transcript.


 * DIVISIONAL EVALUATIONS

Division I and II: Evaluations for Division I and II work passed during a fall term are due January 30. Evaluations for Division I and II work passed during a spring term are due June 30.

Division III: Evaluations for Division III work passed at the end of a fall semester are due by the Friday of the second full week of January Term classes. Evaluations for Division III work passed at the end of a spring term are due by the Monday prior to commencement. No student can formally be awarded the degree unless all Division III evaluations have been filed.

EVALUATION OF DIV I


 * Course evaluations will document the kind and degree of progress the student has made and the level of achievement the student has attained in mastering the skills, knowledge, experiences, and modes of inquiry developed in first-year courses. In addition, a summary assessment of the student’s work will be incorporated into the student’s first-year portfolio assessment, prepared after the successful completion of the first-year program. The portfolio should include eight first-year course evaluations, representative samples of work, and a retrospective essay that reflects on their studies in the first year.
 * Portfolio Assessment (the Division I exam) should indicate the degree to which the student has satisfied the distribution requirement and has achieved the first-year learning goals (see description in The Divisional System). Students will be expected to make satisfactory progress in achieving these goals, as demonstrated in the body of work they develop during their studies in the first year. During the first year, students who are determined by their advisor to need extra support, additional coursework, or special preparation will be counseled by their advisors and referred to appropriate campus recourses. Since the purpose of the first-year experience is to prepare the student for advanced work in the concentration (and ultimately for independent work at Division III), students are expected to demonstrate sufficient progress with respect to the learning goals for their first-year studies. An overall assessment of the student’s academic profile the first year is made by the student’s advisor, and noted in the portfolio review. Students not in good academic standing at the end of the first year may, at the discretion of the advisor, be asked to strengthen their academic profile prior to entering into advanced study in Division II. In some cases, this work may require an extra semester of study where substantial additional preparation for advanced work is indicated.

Contact Information
Address:

HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE Center for Academic Support and Advising (CASA) Amherst, Massachusetts 01002 Lemelson Building Phone: (413) 559-5498 Fax: (413) 559-6098 Email: advising@hampshire.edu

Website: http://www.hampshire.edu/academics/index_casa.htm

Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30p.m.

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