Liberal Studies Student Handbook

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Administration
Requirements and Progress through the Program
Courses
Grades
Tuition
Student Services and Support
Hooding Ceremony and Commencement
After Graduation

 
Administration

The Liberal Studies program is supervised by a Director who is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. The current director is Eric G. Wilson, Ph.D. Dr. Wilson is the Thomas H. Pritchard Profeesor of English in the English Department of Wake Forest University. In addition to the Director there is an Administrative Coordinator. The current Administrative Coordinator is Wanda Duncan. The Liberal Studies Office is located on the first floor of Reynolda Hall, Room 124 (please see map). The phone number is (336) 758-5232 and the FAX number (336) 758-4669. The email address is mals@wfu.edu and the mailing address is — MALS Program Director Wake Forest University P. O. Box 6103 Reynolda Station Winston-Salem, NC 27109-6103 Office hours: 8:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday The Liberal Studies program also has an Advisory Committee of three faculty members. The Advisory Committee meets annually to consider policies and recommendations for the program. The 2008-2009 Advisory Committee includes Dr. Peter Kairoff (Music), Dr.Neal Walls (Divinity), and Dr. Olga Valbuena (English). Graduate School oversight. Each year an annual review of the program is submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School. The program also receives an extensive internal and external review by the university every seven years. The last review was done in 2003. The Graduate School Office is located in Reynolda Hall, Room 5. The phone number is (336) 758-5301 and the FAX number (336) 758-4230 — Dean of the Graduate School Wake Forest University PO Box 7487 Reynolda Station Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7487 gradschl@wfu.edu Wake Forest University is accredited through the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award master's degrees.

Requirements and Progress through the Program

Core Requirements. To obtain the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, a student must obtain at least a 3.0 grade point average across 27 hours of graduate work, receive a grade of Satisfactory in a three-hour Thesis Research course, and complete an acceptable thesis project. Advising. The Liberal Studies Director serves as advisor to all Liberal Studies students throughout their program. After the ninth course, a thesis advisor is selected and serves as primary advisor on the thesis itself. Students should feel free to contact the Director at any time with any questions about their status, course selection, requirements, or any matter which has bearing on their participation in the Liberal Studies program. Every semester the student will receive a letter or note from the Director indicating the progress the student is making toward the degree. Continuous enrollment. Starting with the fall of 2002, all students are required to be continuously enrolled in the fall and spring semesters. We understand that sometimes situations arise which make it difficult to take a course in one semester. In that case a student may register for one semester under "Graduate Fee" to maintain continuous enrollment. Under this designation a student stays on the active rolls of the university and may use its services. The student should also inform the Administrative Coordinator of this situation. If a student needs to take a second semester off, he/she should contact the Director of the program. It may be appropriate to arrange a leave of absence or to withdraw from the program. A leave of absence may only be for one year and a student will have to request to be re-admitted. A request should be submitted to the Director. All requests must be approved ultimately by the Dean of the Graduate School. Details about the withdrawal and leave of absence procedures can be found in the Graduate School Bulletin. Good academic standing. Throughout the program, the student must remain in academic good standing. This means a student must maintain a 2.5 grade point average and be making progress toward the degree. If the grade point average falls below 2.5 the Graduate School will send a letter of warning. The student will have a maximum of two semesters to bring his/her grade point average to 2.5 or greater. Progress toward the degree is indicated by the student actively taking courses that fulfill the degree requirements or actively working on the thesis project. Time to complete the program. The usual pace for students in this part-time program is one or two courses a semester. At this rate, the program usually takes about two to three years to complete. The maximum amount of time given by the university to complete the degree is six years. If a student has almost completed the degree, a one-year extension may be given to complete the degree. In this case, the student must write an official request for an extension to the director, explaining the reason for the need for the extension and an indication that the program can be completed within the one extra year. If appropriate, this letter should be approved and signed by the advisor. The Graduate School requires continuous enrollment for the fall and spring semesters. If for occupational or personal reasons a student cannot take a course in a fall or spring semester, he/she must register for "Graduate Fee" ($30) to maintain enrollment in the program. Graduate Student Academic Honor Code. The Academic Honor Code is located on the Graduate School website, in the "Current Students: Academic Affairs" secion. Effective August 1, 2006, all new students are required to sign a statement indicating that they have read the Honor Code and agree to abide by it.

Courses

Attendance. All Liberal Studies students are expected to attend all meetings of the courses. Many instructors have formal attendance policies but even those who do not will assume regular attendance is a basis for participation in the course. If the student cannot make a class or anticipate any attendance issues, he/she should contact the instructor as soon as possible. Liberal Studies Seminars. These courses are numbered at the 700- and 800-level and are designed specifically for the Liberal Studies program. These seminars are regularly scheduled classes, and normally meet once a week from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. The enrollment in Liberal Studies seminars is limited to fifteen students in order to encourage student participation and discussion. The minimum core of four Liberal Studies seminars of the student's choice ensures that all students will have the experience of getting to know their professors and classmates in an informal and intellectually stimulating setting where ideas can be discussed, developed, and challenged by those with other points of view and assumptions. Many Liberal Studies students treasure as their most valuable experiences in the program being exposed to ideas contributed by other Liberal Studies students. Liberal Studies seminars are designed to be interdisciplinary, of broad general interest, and to require no prerequisites to benefit from the course. This last guideline means that students should not hesitate to take courses where they have no knowledge, but should be willing to explore areas they have not previously had the chance to study. The purpose of Liberal Studies is to expand one's knowledge, and faculty members welcome students willing to venture into new fields. Most Liberal Studies seminars are not repeated more often than once every three years. This policy is in place for two reasons. First, most Liberal Studies students are in the program for two to three years. Repeating courses would limit the choice of continuing students. Second, the faculty who teach the courses are not available on a regular basis, as their primary obligation is to their home departments. Directed Study. Students may take a maximum of six hours of directed study (typically a directed study is a three hour course). Directed study courses are a valuable addition to the Liberal Studies program as they allow a student to pursue in depth a topic of interest not otherwise available in the regular curriculum. A directed study should not be done on the exact topic of the student's intended thesis. It should be noted that directed studies courses do not count toward the required four Liberal Studies seminars. There are two approaches to setting up a directed study. The first approach is for a Liberal Studies student to select a topic of interest to him or her, and then search to find a faculty person willing to supervise a directed study on this topic. If a student needs help identifying such a faculty person, he/she can contact the Liberal Studies Director for suggestions. The second approach is to use a departmental course as a basis for a directed study. Any departmental course with a course number of 300 or above can be used as the basis for a directed study, but supplemental readings and requirements will be necessary for the directed study to be worth graduate credit. In either case, the student must complete and submit a Directed Study form to the Liberal Studies Office for the approval of the Director. The form must be signed by the instructor. The chair of the instructor's department must also sign the form to indicate that he/she is aware of the departmental faculty member taking on this obligation. Faculty are not allowed to take on extra obligations during semesters in which they have received a course reduction either for research or administrative work. Faculty who supervise directed studies do not receive additional compensation. The approval by the Liberal Studies Director must be obtained by the last add date for the given semester and must be obtained before the student registers for the directed study course. Graduate Level Courses (700) in Other Departments. Liberal Studies students may take up to 15 hours of graduate credit in 700 level courses offered by other departments at WFU. Students should be aware that graduate courses in other departments may have prerequisites that students will have to fulfill in order to enroll in these courses. These prerequisites will be listed in the Course Schedule. Courses with 600 Level Numbers. Students may take up to 12 hours of 600 level courses. These courses are designated at both the 300-level for upper-level undergraduate credit and at the 600-level for graduate credit. A Liberal Studies student should sign up for the 600-level section. Under requirements established by our accrediting agency, the following statement applies to all such courses: "Because graduate study occurs at a level of complexity and specialization exceeding that of undergraduate education, the work required of graduate students in any course in which instruction is combined with undergraduate students will reflect this difference." Thus, if a student takes a 600-level course, he/she must do additional work above and beyond the work required for an undergraduate in the 300-level version of the course. There is a form (600 Level Course Form) which the student should use to describe the additional work. The faculty instructor's signature must be obtained on this form. This form should be submitted to the Liberal Studies Director for approval before the last add date for the semester. Failure to do this may mean that the course will not be counted toward the required number of courses. Liberal Studies students are expected to begin the program by taking Liberal Studies seminar courses for the first semester, before registering for Directed Studies or courses offered by other departments. Transfer Courses. A maximum of six hours of graduate course work may be transferred from another accredited graduate program to count towards the Wake Forest Liberal Studies degree. These courses must be on topics relevant to the Liberal Studies program, and be taken within the five years previous to acceptance into the Wake Forest University Liberal Studies program. There are two scenarios that apply to transfer courses. In one case, the student took courses at another institution before he/she entered the Liberal Studies program. In this case, the student should write a letter to the Liberal Studies Director requesting that credit be given for these courses. Attached to the letter should be an official transcript showing the grade(s) received in the course work and also an official description of the course or a course syllabus. In the second case, the student is already enrolled in the Liberal Studies program and wishes to take a course elsewhere. In this case, the student should submit the materials for review by the Liberal Studies Director. If the Director indicates that the course, based on its description, will be acceptable within the Wake Forest MALS program, then the student may proceed to take the course. Once the course is completed, the student should submit an official description of the course, proof that the course was at the graduate level, and an official transcript. Travel Courses. The Liberal Studies program offers overseas courses. In the recent past, the Liberal Studies program has offered courses at the WFU House (Casa Artom) in Venice and the Flow House in Vienna as well as a course in Dublin, Ireland. These courses typically meet once a week for half of the semester and then go overseas for one week. These courses require readings, papers, and presentations as do regular courses. Family members are not allowed to participate in these courses unless they are also enrolled students. Students are expected to attend all class activities held during the travel portion. Students will also need to follow the security measures for a safe trip as required by the university. A set of guidelines is set out by the Liberal Studies program. The cost for these courses is included in the Tuition section of this handbook. Auditing. Auditing means that the student listens to a course but does not write papers, do presentations, or receive a grade. Students may sign up to audit a class on the first day of the course if there is room. Permission of both the instructor and the Liberal Studies Director is required. A student auditing a class should plan to attend as regularly as if he/she were enrolled. Unclassified students are not permitted to audit classes. Thesis course. The Liberal Studies program at WFU requires a capstone project or thesis. The thesis allows the student to explore in depth a topic of interest to him/her under the guidance of a faculty advisor. There are three acceptable formats for the thesis project. The first is a traditional research paper of approximately 60 pages. The second is a field study or research project. The third is an original production such as writing prose, poetry, music, producing a painting, etc. For this last type of project, there will also need to be a 25 page paper to provide background and context. For more information, please consult the thesis handbook on this website. While the thesis research course is often the last course to be taken, a student may enroll in this course and work on the thesis after seven of the nine courses have been completed.A student must have at least a 3.0 gpa after taking seven courses in the program before submitting a thesis proposal. A student should develop a set of topics which interest him/her and should schedule a meeting to discuss these ideas with the Liberal Studies Director. The student may wait until after this meeting to approach faculty to be an advisor or may do so on his/her own. The MALS student should sign up for MLS 791 in a semester in which he/she plans to work actively on the thesis. The advisor will be assigning a grade (satisfactory or unsatisfactory) on the basis of the effort the student expends on his/her thesis during this semester. If a student receives an unsatisfactory grade (due to lack of time and effort spent on the thesis), he/she will need to sign up for this course again and receive a grade of satisfactory to graduate. If the student does not finish the thesis during the semester in which MLS 791 is taken, the student can still receive a grade of satisfactory. The student will need to register for Graduate Fee for following semesters until he/she completes the thesis. To sign up for MLS 791, the student must have an approved thesis proposal by the last add date of that semester. The guidelines for preparing the proposal are available on this website. (live link) The thesis proposal should be approved and signed by the thesis advisor before it is sent in to the Liberal Studies Office. In addition to the advisor's signature, the Liberal Studies Office will need a signature from the advisor's departmental chair indicating he/she is aware that the advisor has taken on this responsibility. An advisor can not work with a student in a given semester if he/she is has a course reduction for research or administrative duties during that semester. Advisors must be full or part-time faculty at Wake Forest University and they receive compensation for working with the student on the thesis. The proposal and form should be sent to the Liberal Studies Office after the advisor has signed it. The Director will notify the student either with approval of the proposal, or a need for revision. Throughout the thesis process, the student should consult the Thesis Handbook or contact the Director or Administrative Coordinator with any questions. Graduate Fee. The Graduate School requires that all students be continuously enrolled in the fall and spring semesters. If a student is not taking any other course during a fall or semester, he/she must remember to sign up for Graduate Fee. Graduate Fee enables the student to continue to use the university facilities such as the library or an advisor's services. In particular, a student must be enrolled either in a course or registered for Graduate Fee for the semester in which the oral defense is held. Also, students must be enrolled in the semester in which they graduate. If a student has already finished his/her courses and MLS 791 Thesis Research but has not yet finished the thesis, he/she will need to register for Graduate Fee for every semester until the thesis is completed.

Course requirements. Of the nine courses, four courses must be the Liberal Studies seminars, each worth three hours of credit. Directed studies courses (MLS 786), transfer courses, and MLS 693/694 (American Foundations) do not count for these four courses. The first course taken in the program should be one of the Liberal Studies seminars. Of the remaining 5 courses or 15 hours of the program, some or all of the five courses may be taken in WFU departments other than Liberal Studies; six hours may be transferred from another accredited university; six hours may be taken in Directed Study; and 12 hours may be taken at the 600 level (advanced undergraduate). Courses which are not appropriate for the graduate humanities orientation of the program (such as foreign language courses, classes on teaching technique, business school classes, computer skills classes) cannot be taken as part of the Liberal Studies program. Also, students may not take more than the required number of courses unless approved by the Director. Liberal Studies courses are announced at the midpoint of the preceding semester. Emails of course announcements are sent to each actively enrolled student and are posted on the Liberal Studies website. The posting will include the meeting time and place of the course, a course description, a brief bio of the instructor, and contact information for the instructor. An abbreviated listing will also be provided of non-Liberal Studies courses which are open to Liberal Studies students. Transferring to another program. If a Liberal Studies student decides to transfer to another program within the university, he/she must follow the guidelines detailed in the Graduate Bulletin. Such students should be aware that it is not likely that the specially-developed Liberal Studies courses will transfer to other programs. Withdrawal from the program. Students may need to withdraw from the program for personal or occupational reasons. There is a formal withdrawal procedure which requires notifying the Liberal Studies program in writing and completing a form. A student must be cleared by Financial and Accounting Services, the library, and must have turned in his/her ID badge. This form can be found on the Graduate School web site. Students who have withdrawn and wish to re-enter should also consult the Graduate Bulletin for the requirements and appropriate process. It should be noted that if a student wishes to re-enter the program after five years, the courses taken previously will no longer count toward the degree.

Grades
 

Grading Scale. Following is a list of the grades used in the WFU Graduate School. For complete information, consult the Graduate School Bulletin for the year the student entered the Liberal Studies program.   A 4.00 Excellent   A- 3.67   B+ 3.33   B 3.00 Good   B- 2.67   C+ 2.33   C 2.00 Low Pass   F Failed (counted as hours attempted)   I Incomplete (requires form)   NR Grade Not Reported   S Satisfactory progress on thesis research   U Unsatisfactory progress on thesis research Incomplete. A grade of "incomplete" can only be given by a course instructor if a student has a personal or occupational emergency. It can not be given simply because it is not convenient for the instructor or student to finish the course on time. The course instructor must fill out a Graduate School form (Incomplete Grade Form) justifying the grade of incomplete and this sheet must be turned into the Graduate School. The grade of "incomplete" becomes an "F" automatically if the instructor does not change the grade within 45 days after the beginning of the next semester in which the student registers is registered. For spring courses graded as incomplete, the 45 days is after the beginning of the fall semester. A student who needs to take an incomplete should discuss with his/her instructor a way to complete the course in a timely manner. NR. Grades of "Not Recorded" (NR) also must be justified to the Graduate School and are reviewed by the Dean of the Graduate School and will automatically become an F if the instructor does not change the grade within 45 days after the beginning of the next semester. Thesis Grades. A grade of Satisfactory is required in this course. If a grade of Unsatisfactory is earned, the student will need to take the course again and obtain the grade of Satisfactory in order to graduate. Repeating a Course. If a student earns a grade of B- or less, he/she may be allowed to repeat a course. The student will have to have the permission of the instructor and the Liberal Studies Director. The course will only be counted once for the grade and the higher grade will be used.

Tuition
 

Tuition Rates. Most Liberal Studies students take one or two three-hour classes a semester. This makes them part-time students. The university offers a special tuition rate for part-time Liberal Studies students. This rate is approximately one-third of that of the tuition rate for part-time students in other graduate programs. As of fall 2008, the part-time tuition rate for the Liberal Studies program is $280 per graduate hour. Therefore, a three hour course costs $840. This Liberal Studies tuition rate is the same for courses taken during the regular academic year and for courses taken in the summer sessions. This tuition applies to courses taken by Liberal Studies students in other departments as well as in the Divinity School. Liberal Studies provisional students and unclassified students also pay this tuition rate. As part-time students, Liberal Studies students are entitled to the use of libraries, access to tickets for certain athletic events, the use of student sports facilities, Benson Student Union, the University Theatre, and the Secrest Artist Series. Please see the Directory on this web site for more information. If a Liberal Studies student registers for three courses a semester, the student then is considered to have full-time status which requires him/her to pay the full Graduate School tuition rate ($29,190 in 2008-2009). It should be noted, though, that the Liberal Studies program is intended for part-time study. In the rare instance that a student is full-time, it is typically because the student is international and must take nine course hours to fulfill their visa requirement or is a fifth-year athlete who must be full-time to maintain eligibility. The tuition for auditing a course costs $50 an hour or $150 for the typical three hour class. The tuition for Graduate Fee is $30 for the fall and spring semesters, and $15 for each of the summer sessions. Travel Courses and Tuition. The cost of travel classes includes the standard tuition charge for a Liberal Studies course and an addendum. The addendum will be an amount charged to cover the cost of housing, meals, and events. In the past these addenda have been in the $900 range. The student will also need to pay for his/her own travel separately Tuition Concessions for Teachers. The Graduate School grants a one-half tuition rate for educators teaching full-time in public schools or state-approved non-public schools. This policy covers only educators who teach in grades kindergarten to 12th and community college instructors. To receive this concession, the student must send the Liberal Studies Administrative Coordinator a copy of the current teaching contract. This must be done for each year in which the teacher is enrolled in the Liberal Studies program. Tuition Concessions for Wake Forest Employees. Wake Forest University employees (both Reynolda and Bowman Gray Campuses) are eligible for special tuition concessions. Spouses of employees are also eligible for a tuition concession. Employees should check with the appropriate Human Resources Office for details (Human Resources - Reynolda Campus, Bowman Gray Campus). Employment-Based Tuition Concessions. In some cases employers will pay the tuition for their employees. It is the responsibility of the Liberal Studies student to arrange these tuition concessions. The Liberal Studies Office will provide validation of registration and grades to employers with a written request from the student giving permission to release this information. Graduation Fee. Students pay a fee at the time of graduation which covers the binding of five copies of the thesis, a cap and gown, and a standard diploma. Additional copies of the thesis may be purchased for $7.50 each. Refund of Tuition. If a student decides to drop a class, a partial tuition refund may be available. The amount depends on how early in the semester the student drops the course. The student should go on-line and register to drop the course as soon as is feasible. Within the first week of the semester (which is considered to start on the Monday before classes start), the refund is 100%. Within two weeks, the refund rate is 75%. Within three weeks, the refund rate is 50%, and within four weeks 25%. After four weeks there is no refund of tuition. Questions about refunds should be directed to the Financial & Accounting Services Office. Financial Aid. The Liberal Studies program does not offer any financial aid. However, students are encouraged to discuss applying for federal and private loans with the Financial Aid Office. Billing. Tuition bills are issued before each semester. Payments should be returned directly to Financial and Accounting Services (FAS). All questions about tuition bills should be sent directly to FAS. All overdue charges and parking fees are also handled by FAS. If their records do not show full payment of bills, a financial hold will be put on the account restricting registering for further courses.

Student Services and Support

Academic help. Liberal Studies students will need to have well-developed writing skills for the papers required in courses and for the thesis. The Writing Center, located in 117 Reynolda Hall (next to the Liberal Studies Office) is available to assist students. The center can provide students with feedback and guidance on how to improve writing style, and they offer evening hours for consultation. Typically this is done in the context of the student and a tutor working on a specific paper. In addition to this service, the Liberal Studies Office has a library of books on the topic of successful academic writing. Students are welcome to check these books out. The Learning Assistance Center (located next to the Liberal Studies Office in Reynolda Hall) provides academic counseling and disability services to graduate students. Arts and Cultural Activities. Liberal Studies students are eligible to access student publications, the Student Union, the University Theatre, and the Secrest Artist Series among others. Please see the Useful Contacts page for links. Athletics. Liberal Studies students are entitled to the use of athletic facilities and to attend certain athletic events. Awards. Liberal Studies students are eligible for the annual Richter Fellowship and for the Outstanding Master's Student Award. The Richter Fellowship is given for a graduate student to have a "life enhancing experience". The maximum award is $5000 and has been typically given for travel and study abroad. In the past a Liberal Studies student has received one of these awards. More information about the fellowship and past recipients can be obtained at the Graduate School web site at: Research/News/Events The Gordon A. Melson Outstanding Master's Student Award is awarded in the year that a student graduates. The student sends in materials and requests the advisor and two other Wake Forest faculty members to support the nomination. The Graduate Council reviews the nominations and determines the annual recipient. More information on this award can be found at on the Graduate School website at: Research/News/Events. Career Services. There is an Office of Career Services in Room 8, Reynolda Hall. Appointments can be made at 758-5902. Services included resume consultations, mock interviews, vacancy listings, and library resources. Computer Use Policies. Students who use the computer facilities and resources of the university should act in compliance with WFU's rules on computer use. This policy is found on Information Systems web site. Counseling Center. The University Counseling Center is located in Room 118, Reynolda Hall. This service provides short-term counseling and consultation service. All services are free and confidential. The Center provides services for concerns such as personal adjustment, managing stress, and relationships issues. Disability. Students with disabilities should contact Van Westervelt, PhD, Director of the Learning Assistance Center or Michael Shuman, Assistant Director. This office can be used to provide services, accommodations, and resources for the student. The phone number is 758-5929. The office is located to the left of the Liberal Studies Office in Reynolda Hall. Drugs and Substance Abuse Policies. Please see Rights and Responsibilities below. Electronic Thesis. Liberal Studies students are invited to participate in the Graduate School initiative to create a database of WFU theses and dissertations. Please consult the Graduate School web page to participate in this program. The advantage of having the thesis in electronic format is that it is widely available to interested parties nationwide. Email. Each MALS student receives a Wake Forest University email account. Students may prefer to use a different email address. In this case, students should inform the Administrative Coordinator and their professors of their preferred email address. Occasionally, however, email is sent by the Graduate School and the university as a broadcast to university email accounts. Therefore it is important that the "official" WFU account is automatically forwarded to the preferred email account. Food Services. Cafeterias are available in Benson and Reynolda Halls. In addition, there is a Subway located on the upper quad, a Sundry Shop in Reynolda Hall, a Bodega in Benson Hall, Shorty's located next to the Benson cafeteria, and a food court located in the Information Systems building. The student ID card functions as an on-campus debit card, known as the Deacon One Card. Funds can be placed on account, with a minimum deposit of $25 with cash or check, and $100 for MasterCard or Visa. Forms. Forms for adding courses, dropping courses, withdrawing, and the Intent to Graduate form may be found on the Graduate School website. Graduate Student Association (GSA). All Liberal Studies students are encouraged to participate in the social events staged by the GSA, which has its own web page as part of the Graduate School web site. The GSA also produces a "Survive and Thrive" handbook with a great deal of useful information. One helpful feature is the list of stores which will give discounts to WFU graduate students. The GSA asks annually for a representative from the Liberal Studies program. If a student is interested, please contact the Liberal Studies Administrative Coordinator who will pass the student's name along to the GSA. Besides the GSA there is also a Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) with its own web page. Harassment Policies. Please see Rights and Responsibilities below. Health Insurance. All graduate students are required to have health insurance. For students who do not have their own policies, there is a company that offers a policy to WFU Graduate students. Identification Cards. All students are required to obtain a card and carry it at all times when on campus. Cards can be obtained at the Deacon OneCard Office in Room 101, Benson Center. Please call 758-1949 for information. A photo can be sent electronically for creating the card. This card can be used to check books out of the library. Funds can be loaded on the card to pay for meals and for copying expenses on library copy machines and at the Copy Center in Benson Center. The card can also be used for admission to certain university athletic and cultural events. Please be sure to report a lost or stolen card as soon as possible. Inclement Weather. If classes on the Reynolda Campus are cancelled due to inclement weather, this announcement will be posted on the Wake Forest University homepage. If day classes are cancelled, then evening classes for that day are cancelled as well. This announcement is also made to the local radio stations WFDD (88.5 FM) and WSJS (600 AM). The University also sends a broadcast email (to WFU email addresses) to all students with the announcement. If you have any questions about the status of your class (for example, if day classes have not been cancelled, but inclement weather seems to be developing during the day), you may call your professor or the Liberal Studies Office in order to determine if your class will be held. Information Systems. Liberal Studies students are given free email accounts and have access to the many electronic resources of the university. The Wake Forest Information Network (WIN), accessed through the WFU homepage, provides class schedules, directories, and more. Libraries. The Z. Smith Reynolds Library has many resources. There is an Information Technology Center which has digital imaging and scanning services. Small group study rooms can be reserved. There are two 24-hour study rooms, one of which has a cyber café. The Reference Department provides instruction as well as access to a large number of electronic databases. Inter-library loan of books is quick and free of charge. The library also has a large selection of popular DVDs and VHS tapes for students to borrow without charge. In addition to the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, students also have access to the other libraries (Coy C. Carpenter Library, Bowman Gray Campus) ) at Wake Forest. Listservs. The Liberal Studies uses a listserv to send materials and information to students. The Liberal Studies Office will send announcements about courses for the next semester, reminders about policies, etc. Orientation. Orientation Sessions for new Liberal Studies students are held in January and August. Orientation provides an opportunity for new students to become acquainted with one another. General information about policies and procedures within the Liberal Studies program is distributed at Orientation, a brief campus tour and overview is given, and students have a hands-on session in the Z. Smith Reynolds Library where they learn about University computer resources. Parking. All vehicles must be registered within 24 hours of when the vehicle is first brought to campus. On-campus parking during the day is billed at $115 per semester. If the student will be on campus only after 5 p.m., he/she may request an "Off-campus Student Parking" sticker, without charge. This sticker allows the student to park in the on-campus student lots after 5 p.m., or before 5 p.m. in the off-site lots. Registration for parking on Reynolda Campus is done through WIN (Wake Information Network) System under the "Personal Section". More information is available at the Parking Management website. Contact them at 758-6123. Their hours are 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday. The university map includes a list of parking lots. If the student needs a shuttle ride to his/her car at night, he/she can call 758-5591 during the day (when it runs a fixed route) or 758-7433 after dusk. Research Code. Please see Rights and Responsibilities below. Rights and Responsibilities. Graduate students have certain academic rights and responsibilities. These rights are outlined in a document on the Graduate School website. The Grievance procedure for students in available on the website. This website also describes the university's policy on sexual harassment, substance abuse, and a Research Code which graduate students should be aware of (Graduate Student Handbook of Rights and Responsibilities). Stores. A Sundry Shop is located in Reynolda Hall (entrance is outside, next to the Pit Dining Hall, facing the lower Quad) and the Bodega is located in Benson Center. A Subway sandwich shop, the Campus Bookstore with textbook section, a UPS store, Wachovia Bank (with ATM), and the Deacon Shop for memorabilia are all located on Hearn Plaza (the main quad). Shorty's pub and the University copy center are located in Benson Center next to the food court area. The Deacon Shop also operates a store at Hanes Mall. Student Health Services. A health care clinic is located in the basement of the WFU gym (across the street from Reynolda Hall). Information about its services is available on its web site. Student Records. Student schedules and grades can be found on the WIN system. There is also a set of demographic information for each student which should be checked for accuracy. WFU policies for privacy of student records can be found at Rights and Responsibilities above. Textbooks. Instructors will require textbooks and/or copied materials. These materials will often be made available through the Library's Reference services. Textbooks can be bought at the College Bookstore. Instructors will provide information about how to obtain non-textbook materials. Websites. The Liberal Studies website should be consulted for up-to-date information about the program. All forms and handbooks are maintained on this web site. In addition, the WFU Graduate School website contains useful information. A copy of the current WFU Graduate School Bulletin can be found on this web site as well.

Hooding Ceremony and Commencement

Graduating from the program. A Liberal Studies student may complete the degree in May, August, or December. Formal graduation ceremonies, however, are held only in May. A student who graduates in August or December will be mailed the diploma after graduation. These graduates are welcome to attend the formal ceremonies in May. In May there are two major events. The first event is the Hooding and Awards ceremony which is held on a Saturday afternoon, and the second event is Commencement which is held on the following Monday. Typically both of these ceremonies are held during the second week of May. Appropriate academic regalia are worn for both events. Details regarding these two ceremonies will be sent to all graduating students by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Hooding and Awards ceremony. The Hooding and Awards ceremony includes only candidates for graduate degrees and is held in Wait Chapel on a Saturday afternoon from 3 pm to 5 pm. At the ceremony, all graduates receive their master's hood, and awards are given to the outstanding master's and doctoral student candidates. There is a reception immediately following the ceremony held in the Green Room in Reynolda Hall. Commencement. Commencement is held on the following Monday and includes all the graduates from the College and the professional schools. The ceremony takes place on a Monday morning between 9 am and 11 am and is held on the plaza in front of Wait Chapel. At this ceremony, students have the degree conferred upon them by the President of the University and the graduates receive their diplomas.

After Graduation
 

The Liberal Studies program values it alumnae/alumni and is pleased to maintain an association even after completion of the degree. If interested, the graduating student can request from the Administrative Coordinator that he/she remain on the mailing list for course offerings. If a graduate of the program wishes, he/she can also audit MLS courses. The cost of auditing a course is $50 per hour or $150 for a three hour course. Auditors are registered on the first day of class if there is room left in the course. To register for a course, a person will need to contact the Administrative Coordinator directly.