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Accreditation

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) Accreditation

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) Accreditation

Williamson is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges and is approved and authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to confer the Associate in Specialized Technology Degree.

An institution’s accreditation does not guarantee that credits earned at that institution will be accepted for transfer by any other institution. Decisions concerning the acceptance of credits by any institution other than the granting institution are made at the sole discretion of the receiving institution. Students considering continuing their education at or transferring to other institutions must not assume that credits earned at this School will be accepted by the receiving institution. Students must contact the registrar of the receiving institution to determine what credits, if any, that institution will accept.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Accreditation

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Accreditation

“Middle States accreditation is an expression of confidence in an institution’s mission and goals, its performance, and its resources. An institution is accredited when the educational community has verified that its goals are achieved through self-regulation and peer review. The extent to which each educational institution accepts and fulfills the responsibilities inherent in the process of accreditation is a measure of its commitment to striving for and achieving excellence in its endeavors.

MSCHE Accreditation Standards and Requirements of Affiliation serve as an ongoing guide for institutions. Accredited institutions are expected to demonstrate compliance with these standards and requirements, to conduct their activities in a manner consistent with the standards and requirements, and to engage in ongoing processes of self-review and improvement” (MSCHE, Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, 13th ed., p.1).

To better serve its students, to provide additional opportunities for self-reflection, and to enhance partnerships with other institutions of higher education, Williamson College of the Trades is pursuing MSCHE accreditation. This webpage provides information about this process.

Current phase: Candidate

Advanced Placement Credit

Because Williamson’s curriculum is specifically oriented toward trade and technical applications, the college does not exempt students from courses on the basis of having successfully completed advanced placement courses or similar courses at other post-secondary institutions.

Availability of Comparable Programs

If a student would like to know the availability of comparable program information related to tuition, fees, and program length, he should contact the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges;


2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302
Arlington, VA 22201

Phone: (703) 247-4212
Fax: (703) 247-4533
Website: www.accsc.org

Copyright Protected Material

The purpose of this policy statement is to establish guidelines for faculty, staff and students of Williamson College of the Trades whose work requires the reproduction, use, display, or distribution of any copyrighted or licensed material. The guidelines affirm the proper use of such material in compliance with the Copyright Act, Title 17, United States Code, that governs the photocopy or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Williamson does not condone or support any form of copyright infringement.

Compliance with Copyright Laws

The copyright law is in place to foster a balance between the creation and dissemination of information, so individuals are encouraged to make use of copyrighted information in a reasonable and lawful manner. It is understood that during the course of their work, research, and/or instruction, faculty, staff and students of the college will need to reproduce copyrighted information for use or distribution of that information.

The Fair Use Doctrine: There are certain circumstances under the Copyright Act where it is permissible to reproduce or display copyrighted works without the permission of the copyright owner. These circumstances are governed by the “Fair Use” doctrine. The following factors are considered when determining if duplication or use of copyrighted material by a third party constitutes a fair use:

Fair Use Guidelines

Audiovisuals
Permitted Uses: Legally produced and obtained audiovisual works may be used in non-profit educational institutions under the following conditions:
Prohibited Use of Audiovisuals: Use is prohibited in non-profit educational institutions when:
Off-air Taping
Permitted Uses: Off air taping (tape or other electronic means) has specific regulations that permit classroom use:

Rental sources (e.g. borrowed from the library may be shown in class. Libraries have the right to loan, sell, or otherwise dispose of legally obtained tapes. The “for home use only” labels do not prevent library or classroom use of legal tapes. Back-up tapes are only permitted when the original is deteriorating and is no longer available on the market.

Photocopying
Permitted Uses: Teachers preparing to teach a class may make a single copy of:
Teachers may duplicate enough copies to provide one copy for each student in a course, as long as each copy includes a notice of copyright and as long as they meet the following three tests:
Prohibited Copying:

File Sharing and Peer-to-Peer Software Programs

Williamson College of the Trades prohibits the installation and use of peer-to-peer file-sharing programs that violate copyright material on computers using the college network. Users will be considered in violation of this policy if their internet traffic is identifiable as using a prohibited peer-to-peer file sharing program or protocols. The college reserves the right to suspend or terminate network access to any campus user if the violation is deemed severe. Repeat or severe violations are also subject to appropriate corrective action and may be reported to appropriate authorities for criminal or civil prosecution.

Software

The fair use doctrine generally does not apply to computer software. Rather, the terms of the software license accompanying the software will dictate the usage terms. Thus, unless the software has been placed in the public domain deliberately by its creator, all software should be assumed to be protected by copyright law.

Possessing software for which an individual does not own a license is a violation of the Copyright Act, and may subject to disciplinary action, to include dismissal for students or termination for employees. In addition to application software and operating systems, federal copyright protection also extends to the data files created for use with or by these systems. Unauthorized creation, copying and distribution of these materials are violations of the federal copyright statute, unless they can be construed as fair use.

TEACH Act

The Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH Act) (Section 110(2) of the U.S. copyright law) is a copyright exemption that addresses teaching conducted through digital transmission.

Under the TEACH Act, faculty may use the following copyrighted materials when teaching a class through a digital transmission:

When using the copyrighted materials listed above in a digital transmission, faculty have the following obligations under the TEACH Act:

Digital Millenium Copyright Act

The purpose of this policy statement is to set forth the college’s procedures pertaining to the receipt and response to reports of alleged copyright infringement utilizing the Williamson network in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (P.L. 105-304).

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provides an opportunity for college and universities to shield themselves from liability for the actions of users that infringe on the copyrights of others. Any use of the Williamson network, computers, technology equipment, email system, or websites to illegally transfer copyrighted material including, but not limited to, software, text, images, audio and video is strictly prohibited and will lead to serious consequences, including disciplinary action, suspension, and possible lawsuits resulting in substantial financial penalties.

Williamson’s Provost’s office receives and investigates to resolution all reports of alleged copyright infringement.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act specifies that all infringement claims must be in writing (either on paper or electronic mail) and must include the following elements:

For more information on United States copyright laws, see The US Copyright Office.

Credit Hours

All programs at Williamson College of the Trades require full-time attendance for three school years. There are at least two 16-week semesters each year, and the normal attendance schedule is 39 hours per week. The college’s trade/technical programs require 116 credits on average. Lecture (academic) classes meet approximately the same number of hours each week as the credits they are assigned. Applied education and shop (technical) courses meet approximately two to three times the number of hours each week as the credits they are assigned.

Dean’s List

The Dean’s List is announced after each semester to recognize academic excellence. Students who achieve a 3.67 grade point average or higher are placed on the Dean’s List.

Employment Statistics

Statistics for the past five years allowing for 150% time-to-completion:

Graduating Class of

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

Graduates (In 3-4 years)

72

78

72

73

62

357

Further Education

0

0

0

0

1

1

Available for Employment

72

78

72

73

61

356

Employed in Related Field

69

72

66

62

52

321

Employed in Unrelated Field

3

6

6

8

6

29

Unemployed

0

0

0

0

0

0

Unknown

0

0

0

3

3

6

Employment % (Related)

96%

92%

92%

85%

85%

90%

Employment % (Related & Unrelated)

100%

100%

100%

96%

95%

98%

Grading System

Williamson uses the traditional grading system based on the four-point scale, including plus and minus marks. A grade of Pass or Incomplete does not affect the calculation of grade point averages. If a student receives a grade of Incomplete for a class, he has one semester following the conclusion of that class to satisfy the requirements for that class, at which point, if he fails to remove his Incomplete, his grade reverts to a failure.

Grade Point Requirements

The School has established the following cumulative grade point average (GPA) standards:

At the end of:

GPA

At the end of:

GPA

1st semester

1.5

4th semester

2.0

2nd semester

1.7

5th semester

2.0

3rd semester

1.9

6th semester

2.0

If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below the standard, he will be required to meet or exceed the cumulative GPA standard for all ensuing semesters at the School. Failure to do so will result in enrollment termination. If a student fails to meet the School’s cumulative GPA standard in the last semester of his senior year, he cannot graduate from the School. Please reference Williamson’s Student Academic Progress Policy on this page for additional information.

Graduation Requirements

To qualify as a candidate for the Associate in Specialized Technology degree a student must have satisfactorily completed a program of study as described in the college catalog and must conclude his studies with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher. In order to complete a program successfully, students must complete all the credit requirements of that program. Students have a maximum time of three years at Williamson to complete their program requirements; in rare cases approved by the college president, students may take a leave of absence for a semester or year, completing the entire program in four years.

Graduation Rates

Rates for the past five years allowing for 150% time-to-completion:

Enrollment Cohort Start Year

Three-year Graduating Class of

2014

2017

2015

2018

2016

2019

2017

2020

2018

2021

Total

Freshman Start

97

98

100

101

99

495

Graduated in 3 years

71

75

71

73

62

352

Graduated in 4 years

72

78

72

73

62

357

% Graduated in 3 years

73%

77%

71%

72%

63%

71%

% Graduated in 4 years

74%

80%

72%

72%

63%

72%

Retention Rates

Retention rates for the past five years allowing for 150% time-to-completion and accreditation reporting guidelines:

Freshman to Junior

Enrollment Cohort Start Year

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

Freshman Start

101

99

95

98

100

493

Junior Start

82

77

86

80

87

412

Retention %

81%

78%

91%

82%

87%

84%

Junior to Senior

Enrollment Cohort Start Year

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Total

Junior Start

88

82

77

86

80

413

Senior Start

75

76

70

68

66

355

Retention %

85%

93%

91%

79%

83%

86%

Senior to Graduation

Enrollment Cohort Start Year

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Total

Senior Start

80

75

76

70

68

369

Graduation (3-year)

75

71

73

62

65

346

Retention %

94%

95%

96%

89%

96%

94%

Scholarship Cancellation and Appeal

A student who does not meet the college’s requirements with regard to minimum cumulative grade point average or course failure will have his Williamson Scholarship cancelled. Any appeal of scholarship cancellation or request for readmission must be submitted to the vice president of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer, who will arrange a review by the Scholastic Standards Committee, composed of the vice president of Academic Affairs, the registrar, and the director of the student’s trade program. The committee may confirm the scholarship cancellation, allow continuation with specified conditions, or may permit a transfer to another curriculum for which the student may still be eligible.

Student Academic Progress Policy

A student’s academic progress is reviewed each term by the Office of Academic Affairs and Office of Financial Aid. Student academic progress is measured both by cumulative grade point average and by term course grades. Williamson’s Student Academic Progress Policy is described in the College Catalog, available both in hard copy format from the college or electronically on the college’s website or student management system (Blackbaud) portal.

Student Attendance Policy

Student attendance is taken at multiple times throughout the standard academic day with a daily evening accountability check Sunday through Thursday evenings while the college is in session. Additional information regarding student attendance policy can be found in the College Catalog or Student Handbook.

Student Diversity

Williamson welcomes a diverse group of students to our campus. For information on student diversity, including the breakdown of self-identified members of specific racial and ethnic groups, and federal Pell Grant recipients, click on the link below.

Students with Disabilities - Student Accessibility Services

The Office of Academic Affairs coordinates with faculty, staff, and administration to assist students with a qualified disability in meeting their academic and personal goals. Within the bounds of our resources and in support of program curriculum requirements, Williamson will provide reasonable accommodations to meet the challenges and needs of students with a qualified disability.

Students can request an accommodation pertaining to learning, psychological, and/or physical disabilities at the time of their acceptance to Williamson or any time thereafter. The request must be made by the student to the vice president of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer. Please note that other forms of contact such as phone calls or disclosures to other college staff or faculty are not recognized as requests for accommodations. Students are responsible for submitting appropriate documentation supporting their accommodation requests. Please allow sufficient time for administrative processing of the request.

Accommodation requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Accommodations are tailored to the individual student’s unique need and the college’s capability to support the accommodation.

Documentation Requirements

All documentation in support of a disability should be reflective of the current, functional impact of the condition or impairment. Current testing and evaluations should be completed within the past five years. Additionally, updated documentation may be requested, in some circumstances, where documentation is outdated or when ongoing treatment is being provided. Students should also include any Individual Education Plan (IEP) generated by other schools if available. Please note providing documentation is the responsibility of the student and not the college.

Williamson does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, national origin, religion, sex or disability in the administration of its educational, admission, or scholarship policies.

Additional Resources

To learn more about learning disabilities and higher education, consult the following resources:

Transfer of Credit Policy/Articulation Agreements

Given the cohort structure of Williamson’s degree programs, the college does not generally accept transfer credits from other institutions. Transfer credits to fulfill specific course requirements are approved on a case-by-case basis through the Office of Academic Affairs.

Williamson College of the Trades has established articulation agreements with a number of regional colleges, universities, and apprenticeship programs. Among these, is a unique agreement with Rowan University in New Jersey. For more information on the college’s articulation agreements, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs.

Transcripts

Students and alumni in good standing may request official copies of their transcripts by submitting a signed Transcript Request Form to the registrar. To have the transcript sent to a third party, the request must include proper forwarding directions. Requests by phone will not be honored.