Policies

The academic year at Purchase College comprises two 15-week semesters. The unit of credit is the semester hour, which represents:

50 minutes per week (12.5 hours per semester) of instruction in lectures, seminars, and discussions*
100 minutes per week (25 hours per semester) of instruction in studios, labs, field trips, and practica*
150 minutes per week (37.5 hours per semester) of instruction in studios, labs, field trips, and practica with little or no outside preparation expected of students
37.5 hours per semester of academic work in part-time, supervised independent studies

In credit-bearing courses that meet for fewer than 15 weeks (for example, short-term courses, winter session and summer session courses, and study abroad courses), the hours per week are proportionately increased.

*For each credit, students are expected to complete a minimum of two hours of academic work (study, preparation, etc.) outside of class each week. Some courses may require three or more hours of outside work each week for each credit. In particular, the BFA and MusB programs are intensive professional training programs and require students’ full-time commitment. Students in all majors are advised to limit their job and social commitments in order to give their coursework adequate attention.

Student Workload and Remote Instruction

While the use of remote instruction (distance learning) in either some or all of a particular course reduces or even eliminates the amount of in-person instruction engaged by a student in that course, expected student workload is still calculated on a per-credit basis.

Assuming a 15-week semester, for each week of a course offered in a distance format, regardless of the subject of the course or original mode of delivery (e.g. lecture, studio), students are expected to complete 3 hours of course-related activities for each credit awarded in the course. Thus, a fully online course requires 45 hours of course-related student activity for one semester credit, and a 4-credit fully online course requires 180 total hours of student activity (or, 12 hours per week).

These course-related (Time on Task) activities are normally devised and monitored by faculty, and may include listening to a lecture, watching an instructional video, posting to a group discussion board, reading an article, preparing assignments, taking online quizzes, etc.

Additional guidance on student workload and remote instruction is provided by the NY Department of Education.

For more information on transitioning courses to distance format, please see this helpful information from the Purchase College Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLTC).

Updated: September 8, 2020

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS)

Earn a minimum of 120 credits. Of the 120 credits, a minimum number of credits in the liberal arts are required: 90 for the BA, 60 for the BS. See the New York State Education Department’s requirements about types of courses that count for Liberal Arts credit.
A total of 45 credits must be earned in upper-level (UL) coursework. These are credits in courses numbered 3000-4999 at Purchase.
Complete a minimum of 60 credits outside the student’s major.
Complete Purchase College’s General Education requirements.
Complete the health and wellness requirement. NOTE: A maximum of 4 physical education [PED] credits may be applied toward the degree.
Complete all requirements for the major.
Earn an overall minimum 2.0 (C) cumulative grade point average [GPA] at Purchase College.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Music (MusB)

Earn a minimum of 120 credits that include a minimum of 30 credits in liberal arts. See the New York State Education Department’s requirements about types of courses that count for Liberal Arts credit.
Complete Purchase College’s General Education requirements.
Complete the health and wellness requirement. NOTE: A maximum of 4 physical education [PED] credits may be applied toward the degree.
Complete all requirements for the major.
Earn a minimum 2.0 (C) cumulative GPA at Purchase College.

Purchase College is committed to acknowledging the diverse and inclusive community of our campus. This student policy is intended to align with current SUNY guidance with the purpose of encouraging an environment of personal expression within community standards.

Chosen First Name

The chosen first name policy allows students to officially notify the college of their chosen first name and have this reflected in campus systems. The chosen first name cannot be used for the purpose of misidentification, fraud or misrepresentation and the chosen first name must meet community standards (e.g. not profane, obscene, or derived from hate-speech; and conform to technical requirements).

This policy is consistent with current Title IX guidance and New York State Human Rights Law protecting students against discrimination based on gender identity and expression, and is a best practice for supporting transgender and gender non-conforming members of college communities. This service is not limited to use by transgender and gender non-conforming students and is available to anyone who uses a chosen first name on a daily basis other than their legal/primary first name.

The college affirms that an individual’s chosen first name can and should be used where possible in all aspects during the course of college business and education. The chosen first name is used for all internal and external communications where possible and will appear in all systems, where possible, including but not limited to;

Advising lists
Brightspace
Class rosters
Housing lists
Starfish
Student ID More Card
Official purchase.edu email account name (upon request)

At the college’s discretion and as may be required by law, certain official correspondence may use the legal name.

The college is obligated to use the legal name for many official records and reports, including, but not limited to, payroll records, billing records, financial aid documents, official transcripts, medical records, enrollment reporting, and federal immigration documents. A student may request that a chosen name be entered or changed no more than once an academic year and twice during a student’s tenure at Purchase.

Request a Chosen First Name

To submit documentation for a legal name change, complete a Name Change form with the Office of the Registrar.

Pronouns

Purchase College recognizes that displaying gender pronouns is important to individuals in our community in their communications with others and to present as authentically as possible.

In alignment with the SUNY and Common Applications, the college has made available the following personal pronoun options at this time:

He/Him/His
She/Her/Hers
They/Them/Their

To update your pronoun information: Go to MyHeliotrope -> Personal Information Tab-> View Edit/Personal Information -> Personal Pronoun

Gender Identification

In addition to chosen first name and pronoun information, students can select their chosen gender identification in the college’s system.

In alignment with the SUNY and Common Applications, the college has made available the following gender identification options at this time:

Female
Male
Non-Binary
Other

To update your gender identification: Go to MyHeliotrope -> Personal Information Tab-> View Edit/Personal Information -> Gender Identification

Additional Information

Adjusting the college’s various information systems to include the use of the chosen first name, pronouns and gender identification is a multiyear effort, due to the complexity and interrelated nature of systems and record sources. Thank you for your patience as we continue the ongoing process of updating our systems to reflect this important information.

Purchase College, SUNY is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and follows the complaint resolution policies and procedures outlined within the SARA Policy Manual and summarized on the SARA Student Complaints page.

Consumer protection complaints resulting from distance education courses, activities, and operations may be submitted to the appropriate campus office following the procedures outlined on the college’s website for investigation and resolution.

If a student is dissatisfied with the campus-based resolution, a concern may be submitted to System Administration of the State University of New York as outlined at Student Concerns. And, if still not satisfied, a complaint may be submitted, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the New York State Education Department as outlined on their SARA-Student Complaint Process webpage, Effective July 1, 2026, a student may submit a complaint to the SARA State Portal Entity of the state in which the student is located and this entity will provide to the student the contact information of the SARA office at the NY State Education Department.

Please note, this process is only for consumer protection issues (for examples, see section 4 of the SARA Policy Manual) and this does not include complaints related to grades or student conduct violations, both of which are to be addressed via non-SARA processes. Additionally, this process is only for distance education students located in another SARA-participating state (as of January 1, 2026, this includes all states except California), whereas other distance education students, including those located in New York State, should follow non-SARA processes (see the following policies outlined on the Purchase College website and the SUNY website).

The minimum full-time semester workload is 12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students. Certain forms of federal, state, and institutional financial aid require full-time status by the end of the add/drop period. Only full-time students are permitted to live on campus.

Overload Approval

To receive overload approval for a given semester, approval must be obtained from the appropriate assigned advisor:

students in the performing arts BFA and MusB programs who wish to register for more than 22 credits (a maximum of 30 credits is allowed each semester); and
students in all other undergraduate degree programs who wish to register for more than 18 credits (a maximum of 24 credits is allowed each semester).

Part-Time Status

Undergraduate students who pursue fewer than 12 credits (and graduate students who pursue fewer than 9 credits) per semester have part-time status. Part-time matriculated students meet the same admission and degree requirements as full-time matriculated students. Students who wish to pursue part-time studies should consult with the chair or director and department faculty to determine whether a part-time program is available.

Nonmatriculated, Winter Session, and Summer Session Students

Course Load and Overload

During the academic year (fall and spring semesters), nonmatriculated students may take a maximum of 18 credits each semester without special permission.
Overloads are not permitted in winter session. Given the intensive pace of winter session courses, all students are limited to a maximum of 4 credits—no exceptions.
During summer term, students may enroll for a maximum of 12 credits in total but may only enroll for a maximum of 8 credits in any one 4-week session.

Students pursuing a single degree (e.g. BA, BS, BFA, MusB) who seek a double major within that degree may do so by meeting the following requirements:

All General Education and college-wide requirements must be completed.
All program requirements for both majors must be completed satisfactorily. Note that in some cases a student may be required to complete more than 120 credits to obtain their degree.
Complete one Senior Project, which may incorporate aspects of both majors.
Upon completion of all requirements the student will be granted one degree with two majors noted on the transcript.

Students may complete a maximum of two majors within any single degree program (e.g. BA, BFA). Students pursuing two bachelor’s degrees simultaneously (e.g., a BA and a BS or a BS and a BFA) should refer to the Dual Degree Policy.

A student may earn two different bachelors degrees simultaneously (BA, BS, BFA, MusB). These dual degrees will be awarded at the same time upon completion of all coursework for both degrees.

Students who plan to receive two bachelor’s degrees from Purchase College must satisfy the academic requirements for each degree and major.
The minimum number of Liberal Arts credits must be met for each degree as follows:
- BA: 90 liberal art credits
- BS: 60 liberal art credits
- BFA and MusB: 30 liberal arts credits
Complete the signature work/final project (e.g Senior Project, Capstone, Senior Recital) that is required for each of the degrees.
Upon completion of all requirements for both degrees students will be granted two degrees and two diplomas.

Students may complete a maximum of two majors within any single degree program (e.g. BA, BFA). For students double majoring, see the Double Major policy.

Honors Criteria

College honors are awarded as summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude. The Educational Policies Committee has approved the minimum grade point average (GPA) needed to qualify for graduation with honors in each category. Undergraduate students are eligible to graduate with honors if they have:

completed at least 55 credits at Purchase College, graded A+ through WF and
achieved the following minimum GPA:
Summa Cum Laude: 3.90
Magna Cum Laude: 3.75
Cum Laude: 3.50

College honors are noted in the commencement program with a statement that the notation is based on seven semesters’ work or the equivalent. This is necessary because the program is printed before the final semester’s grades are available.

In order to graduate at the end of any given semester at Purchase, a student must be registered at Purchase for that semester. A student may satisfy this requirement either by (a) being registered for coursework at Purchase College until graduation or (b) registering for Maintenance of Matriculation (MOM) at Purchase and paying $50 to maintain matriculation. Students must receive permission from the Registrar to register for a MOM.

Student records policies are designed to ensure that the college has a student record-keeping system that achieves an effective balance between the student’s right to privacy and the college’s need to use the same information in carrying out its educational mission.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment)

The college’s policies governing student educational records conform to and are in full compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, also known as the Buckley Amendment and referred to hereafter as FERPA. These policies are a declaration of existing practice and assure students’ rights of privacy, while providing them with access to their own records.

In these defined policies, the term “student” refers to any person who has completed the registration process for any semester at Purchase College and for whom the college has developed an educational record. Applications for admission are not included in the term.
“Educational records” are all collections of personally identifiable information pertaining to students; these records are maintained by the college or by parties acting for the college. This includes computer files and written materials contained in a file folder in a traditional manner. As stipulated by FERPA, the following files are not considered “educational records” and, as such, are not available to students:
1. Records maintained by the New York State University Police, the Counseling Center, and Student Health Services
2. Financial records of parents
3. Employment files (i.e., applications for resident assistant and student manager positions and job-related materials)
4. Records developed and maintained by faculty and staff that serve their individual record-keeping purposes and remain exclusively in their individual possession
A “school official” is a person employed by Purchase College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of Purchase College who performs an institutional service or function for which the college would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the college with respect to the use and maintenance of personally identifiable information from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent or a student volunteering to assist another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for Purchase College.

The essence of these guidelines and FERPA is that all students have the right to inspect their own educational records, irrespective of age or economic dependence on parents, with the exceptions listed above. Although the college is not required to release records maintained by the Counseling Center and Student Health Services, on written request by the student, information maintained in these files must be released to the appropriate professional of the student’s choice.

There is a general limitation that a student may not review letters or statements of a confidential nature included in any of their files before January 1, 1975. These materials are removed before a student reviews the folder and are returned to the folder after the review, if relevant to the file. (Refer to VI. Expunging.) All materials included after January 1, 1975, are available for student inspection unless there is written evidence in the folder that the student has waived the right to review a particular item.

A request to inspect an educational record should be made directly to the office holding the record. For those unable to come to the campus because of geographical location, requests by mail are honored. Copies are available to all students at the cost of reproduction. (Contact the Office of the Registrar for further information.)

Parents and legal guardians have access to their dependent’s records if the student is a dependent in the Internal Revenue Service definition of the term or if the student has given written consent. Thus, it is the parents’ or guardians’ responsibility to present evidence of dependency before a student record may be released. If such evidence is presented, the student is notified.

Student records are accessible to employees of the college whose primary job responsibilities require access to some or all of the information included in a student’s educational record and to employees with a legitimate educational need to review a student’s educational record.

A student who discovers what he or she may feel to be an inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete recording of information in the personal record may request that a change be made by the appropriate submitting office. If the request for change is denied, the student may request that the hearing be conducted within a reasonable period of time by a person who is not directly involved in the issue, appointed by the vice president for student affairs and preferably approved by the student. In controversies related to a grade, the debate is limited to accuracy and completeness, and may not entail the justification for a particular grade. Complaints concerning the conduct of the hearing or the aspects of these guidelines may be directed to:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Office
Department of Education
330 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20201

Students who differ with the decision rendered in the hearing are entitled to include a statement explaining their dissent in their file.

Students may waive their right to inspect a particular file or portion of a particular file. Individual referees may require that students waive their right to review a particular letter of reference they have been asked to write. Faculty or staff involved in advising may recommend that students waive their right to review recommendation letters, in the belief that a waiver effectively increases the credibility and usefulness of the reference when reviewed by the admissions committee or prospective employer. The college may not, however, require that any student waive the right of access to a file or any part of the file.

Student waiver of access to letters of recommendation is generally exercised on a letter-by-letter basis. This may be done by affixing a signed, dated statement to the letter before its inclusion in a folder; or, in the case of letters included in the credential file maintained by the Career Development Center, by signing the candidate’s waiver of right of access to confidential reference letters, printed on the confidential reference form.

Except with respect to directory information or as otherwise allowed by law, there shall be no oral or written release of personally identifiable information from any student educational record without the signed and dated consent of the student, except to:
1. school officials, as previously defined, who have a legitimate need to know
2. state and federal education authorities to whom information must be made available by statute and/or for the audit of federal programs
3. officials of another institution of postsecondary education where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled to the extent that the disclosure is for purpose related to the student’s enrollment or transfer
4. organizations and educational agencies involved in testing, administering financial aid, or improving instruction, provided the information is presented anonymously
5. accrediting agencies
6. parents and legal guardians of students regarded as “dependent” by the IRS definition of the term, if dependency is demonstrated (access is “view only”)
7. comply with with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena, in which case an attempt is made to notify the student in advance;
8. parents or other appropriate persons in the case of a health or safety emergency
9. authorized representatives of the comptroller general of the United States and the Department of Education
Directory information is information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Specific items regarded by the college as directory information are listed in the Registration Guide as part of an announcement informing students of their rights to exclude themselves form any or all such releases. Items currently regarded by Purchase College as directory information are noted below. Students also receive an annual FERPA notification through their official Purchase College email account. Students must notify the registrar in writing if they do not want their directory information to be available to the public.
Directory information:
Name
Local campus mailbox number
Campus telephone number
Home address
Email address
Home telephone number
Date of birth
Matriculation status
Class level
Current full-time or part-time status
Photographs
Dates of attendance and graduation
Major fields of student and degree
Awards and academic degrees given at Purchase
Participation in recognized college activities (e.g., election outcomes, membership in athletic teams, participation in plays and performances)
Personal information on members of college athletic teams (e.g., height, weight, high school)

Also refer to the Solomon Amendment
Information may be released in an anonymous manner or in a way that does not infringe on any individual”s right to privacy for research and for purposes of research or to protect the health or welfare of certain groups.
Information regarding alcohol or drug use or possession may be released to parents or guardians of students under the age of 21. The guidelines regarding such release are published in the Alcohol or Drug Use/Possession Disclosure Policy.

Student records should be free of extraneous data that no longer serve the purpose(s) for which they were gathered. Therefore, systematic attempts should be made to expunge extraneous materials in student records. Another recommended means is to purge files on an ad hoc basis in the review given each file before the student inspects it. Judgments concerning the relevance of materials should be made by the person who is responsible for the particular file.

Students are informed annually through their Purchase College email account of the rights provided to them by FERPA. This information is also published in the Registration Guide each semester to inform students of their rights and responsibilities. This information is provided to each student entering the college.
The registrar is responsible for establishing these guidelines and monitoring their implementation. Questions, concerns, and suggestions should directed to the Office of the Registrar, Student Services Building, First Floor, (914) 251-6361.

Academic Records: Registrar, Dean of Enrollment Management, academic departments, Advising Center, faculty offices
Student Services Records: Counseling Center Director, Dean of students, Director of Student Activities, Vice President for Student Affairs, Director of Residence Life
Financial Record: Director of Student Financial Services, Chief Financial Officer

Educational records available for inspection do not include:

Financial records of the student’s parents or guardians
Confidential letters of recommendation which were placed in the educational records of a student prior to January 1, 1975
Records of instructional, administrative, and educational personnel which are kept in the sole possession of the maker, and are not accessible or revealed to any other individual except a temporary substitute for the maker
Records of law enforcement units
Employment records related exclusively to an individual’s employment capacity
Medical and psychological records
Thesis or research papers
Records that only contain information about an individual after the individual is no longer a student at the institution.

Students must not be allowed access to:

Education records that contain information on more than one student (the student may review only the specific information about himself or herself)
Financial records of the student’s parents
Letters of recommendation or reference received after January 1, 1975, for which the rights of inspection have been waived

In compliance with both federal and state law, the college makes available to students or prospective students information about instructional programs, costs of attending the institution, financial assistance available to students, the refund policy, qualifications of faculty members, graduation rates, and placement of graduates. The college’s Your Right to Know site is a centralized portal to the available information. The vice president for academic affairs and the vice president for student affairs are also available to assist students or prospective students in obtaining information specified in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, Chapter 2, Sections 53.1–3.4.

The 1996 Solomon Amendment provides for the U.S. Secretary of Defense to deny federal funding to institutions of higher learning if they prohibit or prevent ROTC or military recruitment on campus. Directory information that must be released to the military as it is presently defined under the Solomon Amendment:

Student’s name and address
Telephone listing
Date and place of birth
Class level (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
Academic major
Degrees received
The educational institution in which the student was most recently enrolled

Eligibility

This process is for students who are newly accepted into a degree program or are currently matriculated in baccalaureate programs at Purchase College, SUNY, and who request a re-evaluation of transfer credits earned at a prior institution.

Who to Contact

Newly admitted students who have not yet begun their studies at Purchase and wish to pursue a transfer appeal should contact SUNY Transfer Liaison Beatriz Martin-Ruiz, Associate Director of Admissions, at beatriz.martin-ruiz@purchase.edu for guidance.

Currently matriculated students who wish to pursue a transfer appeal should send an email to creditevaluator@purchase.edu indicating their request. If a request is not resolved through informal communication, the process outlined below is available.

Appeal at the Purchase College Campus Level

You must submit an appeal request form, along with a Course Description and Syllabus of the course(s), to the Senior Credit Evaluator in the Office of the Registrar. (Paper/printable forms available by request: contact beatriz.martin-ruiz@purchase.edu.)

Transfer Credit Appeals Form

Once the completed form with the documentation listed above has been received, you will receive an email response with a decision within ten business days (or 15 business days when school is not in session).

Appeal at the SUNY System Level

If you have not received a response from Purchase College within 15 days or are not satisfied with the decision, you can submit an appeal to the SUNY Provost for additional review.

Office of the Registrar

Policies

Policies

Student Workload and Remote Instruction

Master of Arts (MA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), and Master of Music (MM)

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS)

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Music (MusB)

Purchase College is committed to acknowledging the diverse and inclusive community of our campus. This student policy is intended to align with current SUNY guidance with the purpose of encouraging an environment of personal expression within community standards.

Chosen First Name

Pronouns

Gender Identification

Additional Information

Overload Approval

Part-Time Status

Nonmatriculated, Winter Session, and Summer Session Students

Course Load and Overload

Honors Criteria

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment)

Eligibility

Who to Contact

Appeal at the Purchase College Campus Level

Appeal at the SUNY System Level

Information for:

Need Assistance?

Other Resources:

Office of the Registrar

Policies

Policies

Academic Credit and Student Workload

Academic Requirements for Graduate Degrees

Academic Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees

Chosen Identity Policy

Complaint Resolution for Out-of-State Distance Education Students

Credit Overload Information

Double Major Policy

Dual Degree Policy

Graduation with Honors

Maintenance of Matriculation

Policies Governing Student Records (FERPA)

Transfer Credit Appeal Policy

Information for:

Need Assistance?

Other Resources: