Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy 2023-24
Contents
1. Introduction
The information in this Policy is only applicable to students at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Central, or the School) in receipt of Federal Title IV funding from the US Department of Education.
In order to be in receipt of Title IV funds at Central you must be seen to be making satisfactory academic progress. Although the School’s Academic Regulations define its own methods and processes for measuring and assessing academic achievement, this Policy relates specifically to US students in receipt of Title IV funding. This notwithstanding, the standards for any student in receipt of Title IV assistance are the same as the standards for students not receiving Title IV funding.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) checks will be carried out at the end of each academic term. Satisfactory Academic Progress for term one will be determined by your offer and acceptance of a place at Central as well as fully enrolling by providing all the necessary documentation during registration.
Satisfactory Academic Progress is assessed using both quantitative, time-based measures (attendance, and the maximum time-frame for completing a programme) and qualitative, grade-based measures.
The School measures both of these components together when making a decision about Satisfactory Academic Progress and a student’s continued eligibility for Title IV funding. Students must meet both the qualitative and quantitative requirements outlined below in order to demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress.
2. Quantitative Requirements
Unless otherwise stated in the Programme Specification, the School operates a 100% attendance policy for all students on all programmes.
In the event that a student has missed a series of scheduled events (including, but not limited to, classes, seminars, tutorials, rehearsals, performances, or other contact points - with or without informing the Programmes Office) and the School believes that this continued absence is detrimental to the learning of the student or other students that might be part of group work, then a formal written warning will be issued to the student. The warning may specify that they must “sign in” to each and every event at the Programmes Office for a given number of weeks.
If the absence continues after the issuing of a formal written warning, then the student may be required to suspend their studies for the remainder of the academic session or to be permanently excluded from their studies and deregistered as a student of the School with immediate effect. This will result is the student not being eligible to receive Federal Aid.
Students must progress through their programme at a pace which ensures that they will graduate within the maximum timeframe. This pace is calculated and assessed at the end of each academic term, by dividing the cumulative credit hours a student has successfully completed by the cumulative number of credit hours that they have attempted. If a student’s pace of completion falls below 67% the student is no longer deemed to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Maximum timeframes are measured in credit hours, and students must complete their programme in a maximum of 150% of the standard number of credit hours in order to maintain Federal Aid eligibility.
Undergraduate students studying a three-year (360 credit) programme must complete that programme in no more than 4.5 years (540 credits attempted). Postgraduate students on the School’s one-year (180 credit) MA programmes must complete within 1.5 years (270 credits attempted). Postgraduate students on the School’s two-year (240 credit) MFA programmes must complete within 3 years (360 credits attempted).
These time scales include any previous period of study at other institutions where a student has withdrawn from a degree programme prior to its completion. For example, an undergraduate student with 1 year of previous study (120 credits attempted) at another institution must complete their studies within 3.5 years (420 credits attempted) at the School. Time spent on a course that was left incomplete or repeated for course credit will count towards these time scales. Transfer credits count towards the number of credits needed for an award, but will only be used towards the classification of an award where marks have been agreed as part of the transfer process (and the credit must have been awarded within the last five years). Refer to the School’s Academic Regulations (Accredited Prior Learning) for more information.
The standard length of Central’s taught research degrees is 4 years, so in order to maintain
Federal Aid eligibility a student must complete the programme in no more than 6 years.
Students who take a break in studies will not have this period of interruption counted
towards the 150% maximum timescale, as no credits are being attempted. However,
Central’s Academic Regulations stipulate that the maximum period of registration for a
programme is inclusive of all periods of study, including any periods of agreed break in
studies.
Students who are permitted to retake an entire unit, or an entire year of study, as a result of
a successful claim for mitigating circumstances, will also not have this period counted
towards the 150% maximum timescale.
The 150% calculation for students studying below full-time intensity (i.e. on a part-time route) is based on the full-time equivalent of their study. For example, two years of study at 50% intensity is the equivalent of 1 year of full-time study.
3. Qualitative (Grade-based) Requirements
The table below outlines the grading used for individual assessment components and units:
| Grading 0-100 | Undergraduate Degrees | Postgraduate Degrees | US Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | First Class | Distinction | A |
| 60-69 | Upper Second Class | Merit | B |
| 50-59 | Lower Second Class | Pass | C |
| 40-49 | Third Class | Fail | D |
| Less than 40 | Fail | Fail | E |
For undergraduate students, the minimum overall pass mark for a unit is 40% (Grade D).
In order to progress to the next year of study, all undergraduate students must have passed all prescribed units for the programme in the current year: that is, they must have achieved a minimum of 40% (Grade D) in each unit. Students’ achievement is reviewed by the Examination Board to determine whether they have met all of the requirements to progress to the next year of study.
The failure of a student to complete a mandatory element of assessment may result in them failing that unit, subject to the assessment requirements of the relevant unit specification. This will be considered as part of the qualitative measurement and may result in the student being evaluated as not making Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Students are permitted to retake assessments within the relevant academic year, in line with the School’s Academic Regulations (Failure in Assessment and a Unit). This will not have any effect on the quantitative measure of progress but may be taken into consideration for the final assessments in the relevant academic year.
Satisfactory progress is recorded by the Programmes Team and checked by the Student Funding Manager prior to each disbursement.
For postgraduate taught students, the minimum overall pass mark for a unit is 50% (Grade C).
In order to progress to the next year of study, MFA and part-time MA students must have passed all prescribed units for the programme in the current year: that is, they must have achieved a minimum of 50% (Grade C) in each unit. Students’ achievement is reviewed by the Examination Board to determine whether they have met all of the requirements to progress to the next year of study.
The failure of a student to complete a mandatory element of assessment may result in them failing that unit, subject to the assessment requirements of the relevant unit specification. This will be considered as part of the qualitative measurement and may result in the student being evaluated as not making Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Students are permitted to retake assessments within the relevant academic year, in line with the School’s Academic Regulations (Failure in Assessment and a Unit). This will not have any effect on the quantitative measure of progress but may be taken into consideration for the final assessments in the relevant academic year.
Satisfactory progress is recorded by the Programmes Team and checked by the Student Funding Manager prior to each disbursement.
Research Degrees (Doctoral) Students
Research Degrees (Doctoral) students’ progress is recorded by the Head of Research Services and this is checked prior to each disbursement.
4. Federal Aid Warning
A Federal Aid Warning will be issued in writing by the Student Funding Manager to any student who is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress. They will be informed that the warning will last for one full payment period, until the next loan disbursement, during which time a student can still receive Financial Aid. Students who fail to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress during their Federal Aid Warning period will lose their eligibility for Federal Aid and be sent a Termination of Federal Aid Eligibility notification.
Any student who loses their Federal Aid eligibility may appeal to be placed on Federal Aid Probation.
Reasons for an appeal are specified as:
- the death of a family member (parent, spouse, sibling, or child);
- an extended period of illness of the student;
- an extended period of illness of a family member (parent, spouse, sibling, or child);
- significant injury to the student.
- The appeal must be received in writing by Hugo Burchell, Academic Registrar and Director of Academic Services (academic.registrar@cssd.ac.uk) within 14 days of receiving the Termination of Federal Aid Eligibility notification.
The appeal should include:
- The reason for why Satisfactory Academic Progress was not met;
- What has changed in the student’s situation, and why this will now enable them to make Satisfactory Academic Progress;
- Any evidence or documents to support the appeal.
The outcome of the appeal will be delivered to the student, in writing, within 20 working days. The decision of the Academic Registrar and Director of Academic Services is final, and no further appeal will be permitted. A successful appeal will result in the student’s Federal Aid eligibility being restored for one payment period. If the student achieves the required standard by the end of the warning/probation period, they will be placed in good standing for financial aid. If the marks/progress do not meet the required standard at the next attempt, then financial aid will be terminated unless they are successful in a further appeal and develop an academic plan that is approved by their Programme/Course Leader.
An unsuccessful appeal means that the student’s Title IV loans will remain terminated, and they will be liable to pay any remaining tuition fees and/or living costs as appropriate. If a student, who continues to attend their studies after an unsuccessful appeal and pays for their tuition costs without the aid of a Title IV loan, subsequently meets all of the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards for one academic term, they will regain their loans eligibility.
Students who exceed the 150% time limit to complete their programme will not be able to receive Federal Aid and cannot be reinstated in the future.
In registering, students agree to be bound by the Academic Regulations and associated policies and procedures found in the Handbook of Academic Regulations, available on the School’s website.