INFORMATION FOR AMHERST STUDENTS TAKING FIVE COLLEGE COURSES

The last day to add a Five College course is Friday, February 8.

BEGINNING OF CLASSES - SECOND SEMESTER, 2007-2008

Amherst: Monday, January 28

Hampshire: Wednesday, January 30

Mount Holyoke: Wednesday, January 30

Smith: Monday, January 28

U. of Massachusetts: Monday, January 28

Since the five institutions do not begin classes on the same date, it is the responsibility of the student to check with the instructor in order to arrange for making up any work missed at the opening of college.  Similarly, the student is individually responsible for arranging to keep up with course work despite calendar disjunction including, in some cases, arranging for food and lodging when dormitories at the home campus are closed.

FIVE COLLEGE BUSES

The Five College bus schedule can be found at: www.umass.edu/campus_services/transit/schedules_maps.html .  A limited number of printed schedules are also available at the Registrar's Office, 101 Converse Hall.

MEALS

If you will require lunch on one or more week days at another college, you should first go to the Food Service Office in Valentine Hall to complete the requisite authorization form.  You will then be directed to the food service office at the other institution for assignment to a dining hall.

If you require a meal off-campus at any other time, you should follow the same procedure, but you must also present evidence that a legitimate academic activity makes it necessary that you eat that meal at the other campus.  A scheduled class is, of course, the most obvious legitimate academic activity.

GRADES

The grade in the course will conform to the grading system current at the receiving institution.  No student can receive a grade in an interchange course that is not valid at the institution where the course is taught. (Hampshire is the only other college that uses A+.)

Five College interchange grades are recorded on the Amherst College transcript as given by the institution offering the course. For the purpose of determining averages, these grades are accorded the same value on Amherst’s 14-point scale as the corresponding Amherst grades. D+ and D-, which are not used by Amherst, are accorded 5 points and 3 points respectively. Grades of Fail from Hampshire, NP from Mount Holyoke and E from Smith are treated as F’s. A grade of Pass, like the Amherst grade P, does not affect the average.

PLEASE NOTE:

Students taking interchange courses at another Five College institution are, in those courses, subject to the academic regulations including the grading system, calendar, deadlines, and academic honor system of the host institution.  It is the responsibility of the student to become familiar with the pertinent regulations of the host institution.  Inquiries should be addressed to the Registrar at the appropriate institution.

Amherst College Registrar’s Office November 2007