Academic Policies

The MFA in Theatre has been designed to be completed within three academic years. As per the School’s policy, “All students must complete all work within  three years of commencing coursework. Exceptions are granted only in cases of an approved medical leave of absence. For more information, see Leaves of Absence, Withdrawals, and Reinstatement policies. Other exceptions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but approval is rare and appeals are actively discouraged.”

For additional information, see the School of the Arts Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

The grading system of the School of the Arts is “P” (pass), “LP” (low pass), and “F” (fail). Students who cross-register into other University programs or enroll in undergraduate (3000 level) courses will receive traditional letter grades (A through F) unless they designate Pass/Fail during registration. Honors grades are not given for any School of the Arts courses.

Receiving a failing grade (“F”) will result in immediate Academic Probation. Depending on previous academic status, it may also result in academic suspension, the loss of financial scholarship, warning or failure of Satisfactory Academic Progress, and/or the inability to matriculate or graduate.

Incomplete Grades

At the discretion of the faculty, students who are unable to complete work for a given course may be given the grade of an Incomplete (“IN”) for the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to work with the faculty member to establish a new date for the work and communicate that deadline to the Director of Academic Administration. If the work is not completed within one calendar year, the incomplete grade will be converted into an “F”.

The mission of the Theatre Program is to prepare students to be productive, innovative, and professional theatrical contributors to the field. This is done through rigorous, constant practice in creation, collaboration, and feedback. In order for faculty and advisors to adequately push students’ work further, they must see the true measure of each student’s strengths and weaknesses; that is the only way learning happens. Undermining this interaction through cheating or plagiarism is strictly prohibited. It is considered a major breach of standards as a Theatre Program student and a member of the School of the Arts community. What follows are definitions of these infractions and details their consequences. It also provides suggestions on how to avoid these grave violations.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another’s work, words, or ideas as if they were one’s own or doing so without properly crediting the source. This can be done in a myriad of ways, including, but not limited to, using without attribution:

1. a sequence of words quoted without quotation marks
2. a paraphrased passage from another writer’s work
3. ideas, sound recordings, computer data, or images composed or created by someone else.

What counts as another’s work or idea varies greatly depending on the assignment, but the list certainly includes readings, lectures, websites, presentations, information gathered from interviews, and other students’ papers. Instructors should make clear which style conventions students must use; if they do not, it is the student’s responsibility to ask. In all situations, students must make clear in written work where they have borrowed from others—whether it be a matter of data, opinions, questions, ideas, or specific language, regardless of whether the formatting standards are unclear, or if the sources are published or unpublished.

It is expected that one’s work is often built upon the work of others; that is part of the creative process. However, the difference between creation and plagiarism can be as simple as giving proper acknowledgement credit to the original creator.

Self-Plagiarism, or Multiple Submissions

Students are not allowed to submit the same paper, or substantial sections of the same paper, for an assignment in more than one course.

Cheating

Cheating is any attempt to give a faculty member a false impression of one’s mastery of a subject through duplicitous means. These means may include, but are not limited to:

• using notes, books, electronic media, or electronic communications in an exam or independent assignment without permission
• talking with fellow students or looking at another person’s work during an exam or any assignment meant to be done independently
• fabricating a citation or using a false citation
• purchasing a paper or hiring someone else to write a paper
• having someone take an exam for a different person, or taking an exam for someone else
• allowing another student to present a different student’s work as their own
• altering or forging academic documents, including but not limited to admissions materials and medical excuses
• unauthorized collaboration on work intended to be done individually.

For take-home examinations and assignments, and for examinations for which the questions are distributed in advance, faculty members should make the rules of collaboration clear, and students should obey them to the letter. If a student is in any doubt as to the meaning of the instructions governing such exercises, they should seek explicit clarification from the faculty. In all cases, the work submitted must represent the student’s own understanding of the issues.

Investigation and Penalties

Any student suspected of plagiarism or cheating will be subject to the School of the Arts’ Policy on Conduct and Discipline.

How to Avoid Plagiarism and Cheating

Violating the policy on academic integrity can happen intentionally or unintentionally, and the consequences for both are just as dire. So then, how can one avoid breaching this policy?

1. Manage time. Experience shows that many students who committed breaches of academic integrity were tempted to do so when the due date for an assignment was approaching, or the time for an exam was approaching, and they were unprepared.
2. Connected to the above point, ask for help. If an assignment is feeling overwhelming, contact the faculty member and ask for an extension. Submitting a late assignment pales in comparison to being put on academic probation, or being dismissed from the Program for cheating.
3. Learn how to cite sources properly. There are several excellent guides to proper citation available online. Find out in advance the preferred citation style of the faculty, if not already indicated in the course syllabus.
4. When in doubt as to whether to cite or not cite a source…cite. The feedback on an assignment will alert the student if they are being too cautious, but it is best to let the faculty member decide.
5. Take careful and complete notes while conducting research, and save them in case the work’s integrity is challenged. Also keep copies of successive drafts of papers or versions of artistic work.
6. Make sure the instructor’s expectations about collaboration in a course or on an assignment are clear. Do not assume that because collaboration was permitted on one assignment, it is permitted on another.
7. If there is uncertainty about the assignment, ask the instructor for clarification.

Classes

It is the policy of the Theatre Program that attendance in all classes is mandatory, unless otherwise specified by the faculty member. Absence due to illness must be communicated to the student’s professor and concentration head in advance of the class meeting. One or more unexcused absences may result in a grade of an LP or F or the student being placed on academic probation.

It is unacceptable to arrive to any class or class-related activity late. Consistent lateness will be considered an unexcused absence and the student may be subject to the penalty listed above.

Production Assignments

All first-year students will be assigned to work on a production crew of a thesis production (approximately 65 hours) and a changeover team (approximately 8 hours). Full and professional participation in this assignment is required, including attending every call. Participation in other projects – curricular or extra-curricular – will not be seen as a valid reason to miss any part of the crew assignment.

Assignments will be emailed during the first three weeks of the semester. If you have a scheduling conflict, you may switch with a colleague who has the same assignment on another show. If successful, you must send a fully executed Crew Switch Form to the Assistant Director of Production for final approval in advance of the first scheduled assignment.

At the end of each semester, students will receive notice from the University with a link to complete evaluations for all courses in which a student is enrolled. Faculty will set aside time during their last class to allow for students to complete them. These evaluations are anonymous and are not released to the faculty member until after grades have been submitted.

A student who is not contributing positively to the Theatre community or who is not progressing at a rate deemed satisfactory by faculty may be placed on academic probation. Examples of conditions and behavior that may lead to academic probation include, but are not limited to:

• excessive absence from classes

• chronic tardiness

• late assignments

• unsatisfactory academic conduct

• earning a failing grade

Students will receive written notice of their probationary status before the start of the following semester. Unless otherwise noted, academic probation lasts for the semester following the infraction; the student’s status will be reviewed at the end of that time. Students on academic probation may lose departmental scholarship funds, to be determined by the Chair, the Concentration Director, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, and the Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs (in consultation with the Director of Academic Administration).

The following principles of attitude and behavior apply to all learning environments involving Theatre Program students. The Theatre Program expects students to:

• come to every class on time, prepared, and ready to work.

• support all colleagues and take an active interest in their work.

Much of a career in theatre is spent watching other people work in rehearsals and performance, thus it is important to acquire strong habits of observation. Training for the theatre involves risk, vulnerability, and trust. When critique is appropriate, the faculty member will provide the forum and moderate discussion. The most useful feedback is specific, phrased in the first person, and, if negative, accompanied by concrete suggestions for improvement.

• maintain an attentive attitude throughout class.

An attentive attitude leads to a deeper, more complete learning experience, and a positive contribution to the classroom environment. Lounging, sleeping, texting, or talking while others are working is disrespectful and counterproductive.

• respect all classroom and rehearsal spaces by keeping them clean and damage-free.

Most of you will spend more time in these spaces than in your own apartment. Not only that, you are sharing these spaces with your colleagues and faculty members. Damaging the spaces and the furniture within them, leaving your personal belongings and trash behind, and not resetting the space to neutral shows disrespect for your colleagues and for your education. If you bring something into a room, take it out with you or throw it in the trash containers. If you are aware of any damage to a room or its furnishings, please report it to a staff member or Space Team Member as soon as possible.

• refrain from bringing food and drink – with the exception of bottled water – into any theatre, classroom, or studio unless as part of an official Theatre Program event.

• smoking is not permitted in any Columbia University building.

Click here to read the University Smoking Policy.

• refrain from the following behaviors:
  • harassment of other students, faculty, or staff
  • negative or disrespectful attitude
  • unprofessional behavior (including texting or web surfing during class)
  • unethical academic conduct
  • plagiarism or cheating
  • intentionally endangering the well-being of another student, faculty, staff, or audience member