ELC Program Policies 2005-6
Attendance and Participation
Koç University policy requires attendance in all classes.
The English Language Center (ELC) program is a six Track program. The first four Tracks are seven week sessions followed by exams; the last two Tracks are four week intensive summer sessions. A student who enters the ELC must attend all six Tracks until he or she is recommended by the Director of the ELC. Recommendations are made only at the end of Tracks 2, 4, 5, and 6.
Attendance in all classes is mandatory. If any student misses more than five classes in any Track (excused or unexcused), that student will fail the course/s. Failing any course during Tracks 2,4,5, or 6 means that the student will not be eligible for recommendation to the undergraduate program at that time.
If a student misses a class:
Missing any class means that the student will get no points for participation and attendance for that day, and the student will receive a zero for any work done in class that day which the student does not or cannot make up. For example, if a student is scheduled to give a presentation with a group and fails to do so, the teacher shall give the student a ‘0’ for the presentation.
Students are responsible for contacting their instructor about any work missed and students are responsible for making up assignments as soon as possible after any missed class. Instructors will not search for students who have missed classes in order to give them their homework assignments.
If a student misses several classes without explanation, the ELC Advisor and the ELC Director’s office will contact the student or the student’s parents to warn the student that he or she could possibly fail the Track.
ELC-Leave Policy:
If a student needs to leave the English Language Center for one or more Tracks – or any extended period of time, that student must obtain formal permission from the ELC Director. If a student does not attend ELC classes (including summer courses) and has not obtained official leave, that student will receive an ‘F’ for each and every course missed.
If, during the Summer Tracks (5 & 6) only, a student wishes to study outside the ELC, that student must have above a 2.0 GPA and must submit a letter of application for Leave and attach a dated and signed receipt for enrollment in a quality English Language program in an English-speaking country.
Being absent for an extended period of time without formal permission from the ELC Director and the Registrar puts any student at risk regarding entering the university.
University Extracurricular Activities:
If a student wishes to participate in any university-sponsored extracurricular activity that requires the student to miss any classes, that student must first apply to the ELC Director for permission. If a student has below a 2.5 GPA, permission will not be given to participate in any activity that means missing classes. If a student has a 2.5 GPA or higher, but has not reached a reasonable TOEFL level (above 500), permission may not be given.
If student does receive permission to participate in extracurricular activities, that student must contact each of his or her instructors at least one full day before they miss class and get the homework assignments for the time they will be absent. The homework assignments are due upon the student’s return to class.
Disruptive or Uncooperative Behavior:
All students are expected to contribute to a positive atmosphere for learning. Behavior that keeps other students from having the opportunity to learn will not be tolerated. If a student is disruptive in class, that student will be asked to leave and will be counted absent for the class. If this happens, it is the student's responsibility to meet with the instructor immediately after the class to discuss the problem and work out a solution before coming to the next class. If asked to leave, a student must leave quietly and not start or continue an argument with the instructor. If repeated problems occur, the instructor must submit a written report to the Director of the ELC. Serious problems will then be reported to the Dean of Students and the Dean of the student's department, who will proceed with the appropriate action (see Koç University Handbook for more information on University Disciplinary Policy).
Academic Honesty :
Students are expected to follow international standards of academic honesty and ethics. It is important to be aware of the penalties for plagiarism, cheating, or other instances of academic dishonesty. “Ignorance of the rules” will not be accepted as a defense.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
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plagiarism: this can be defined as using other people’s words or ideas without proper acknowledgement. (This may include information from a published source, or written work bought/copied/borrowed from another person.);·
copying from, or providing to another student, answers or information during a quiz or exam;·
using unauthorized materials during an exam;·
submitting the same paper or assignment for more than one class;·
collusion, or getting unauthorized help from another person in writing a paper or assignment.Incidents of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero on the assignment, the exam, and/or in the course. Serious infractions will be reported to academic committees who will review the offence and take disciplinary action as outlined in “Academic Regulations and Regulations for Student Disciplinary Matters” (Koç University Handbook).
Disciplinary action for academic dishonesty will include some or all of the following:
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Student receives a zero on the assignment·
Student is dropped from the course with a failing grade·
Report is filed with the ELC Director·
Report is filed with the Dean of Students·
Report is filed with the Dean of the student’s department·
Student is suspended or expelled from the universityInternational Copyright :
Koç University supports international copyright laws with regard to published works. Therefore the university will not tolerate the piracy of books, articles, software or audio-visual materials. Students are required to bring original, unmarked texts to class. Students who bring ‘pirated’ or copied books to class will have those books confiscated and will be required to buy legal texts.
Promotion and Recommendation Policies
ELC Grades, Course Credit, TPA and GPA :
The English Language Center uses the following grading scale to evaluate student performance:
Grade Points and Explanation
A = Superior 4.0
B = Above Average 3.0
C = Average 2.0
D = Below Average 1.0
F = Failing 0.0
Track Point Average (TPA) and the Grade Point Average (GPA) are determined by multiplying the number of credit hours by the points for the grade. Points for all the courses are added together and divided by the number of credit hours.
Mid-Track Reports:
Students are responsible for contacting the teacher(s) of any class in which they are experiencing difficulty to find out whether their grades are satisfactory. However, the ELC has a Mid-Track reporting process that helps students understand how the teachers view their progress. Teachers complete forms for students at Mid-Track and arrange to meet students to discuss any problems and work out solutions. Students sign the form which is then submitted to the Director, and it remains in the student's file.
Promotion within the ELC
Promotion to successive levels in the ELC program is NOT automatic.
Final grades are calculated at the end of each track for each individual course. The criteria for each course grade are outlined in the course description handed out by teachers at the beginning of each course. These criteria may include attendance, participation, homework assignments, in-class assignments, quizzes, mid-track exams, and final exams.
Grades are submitted to the ELC Director after the last exam day. These are then posted on each teacher's office door, listed by Student ID Number only. Grades are submitted to the Registrar's Office to calculate ELC student TPAs and GPAs. Any student exhibiting poor performance in their classes or receiving an ‘F’ in any Track may be required to repeat that level.
All Koç University students are expected to maintain a 2.0 GPA or better. Students with GPAs of less than 2.0 are placed on probation, which restricts participation in extracurricular activities.
If an ELC student’s GPA drops below 2.0 for one Track, that student will be placed on probation. If a student’s GPA is below 2.0 for two consecutive Tracks, that student will be called to appear before the ELC Director to explain why they have performed so poorly and the Director will prescribe what the student must do to remain a student at Koç University.
Be constantly aware that a student’s GPA is a factor influencing whether or not that student will be admitted to the university undergraduate program.
TOEFL, ELC Writing Exam and GPA Requirements for Recommendation to the Undergraduate Program
As explained in the Koç University catalog, to be promoted to the freshman program from the English Language Center all students must meet the following three minimum requirements:
(1) minimum 550 score on the institutional TOEFL (CB 213)
(2) minimum score of 4 on either the ELC Writing Exam or the TWE
(3) minimum 2.0 grade point average in ELC courses
After a minimum of two Tracks in the ELC, IF a student’s TOEFL score is within one standard deviation (between 537 and 550,) IF that student has a score of 4 or better on the ELC Writing Exam or the TWE, and IF that student has not failed any course during the Track, he or she may use the following formula to take advantage of the standard deviation for the TOEFL exam:
(Actual TOEFL score) + (GPA - 2.0) x 50 = GPA adjusted TOEFL score.
There is a strong correlation between GPA and increase in TOEFL score from one semester to the next. That means if students do well in their classes they are very likely to do better on the TOEFL. There is also a strong correlation between GPAs in the ELC and later success in the university program. That is, students should work hard in the ELC if they wish to pass the TOEFL and succeed in the university program.
(*PMBA students are also required to submit a satisfactory GMAT score in order to be admitted to the MBA program.)
Second Semester (end of Track 2) Recommendations
Students who fulfill the requirements to be promoted to the undergraduate program at the end of the Fall semester with their GPA, TOEFL and TWE scores are subject to the following regulations:
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they may enroll as Spring Freshmen, OR·
they may enroll in the ELC Transition program which consists of 12.5 hours of ELC courses and two undergraduate core courses, COMM 101 and the first COMP (Computing) course in the requirements for their major.Successful ELC students may not leave the university for the second semester.
The considerations for full promotion to the undergraduate program for Transition students are as follows:
Transition students who successfully complete all their courses in the Spring term are promoted to the undergraduate program. The grades and credits they earned in the two freshman courses count towards the completion of their undergraduate degree. In addition, they earn the right to carry an underload in each of their first two semesters, provided they understand that if they carry an underload, they cannot qualify for any Honor award.
Students who do not successfully complete all of their courses (ELC courses, COMM 101 and/or their COMP course) in the Spring term are subject to Article 18 of the Koç Üniversitesi Lisans Eðitim ve Öðretim Yönetmeliði. The undergraduate courses will not count towards their undergraduate degree program even if they earn promotion to the undergraduate program at a later time. These students must successfully re-take the TOEFL and TWE and must have an above 2.0 GPA in the ELC to be recommended to the undergraduate program. If their ELC GPA falls below 2.0, they must attend summer Tracks to raise their GPA.
Options for Students NOT Recommended at end of ELC Program
Koç University's English Language Center offers a one-year, six-Track-only program. The university's regulations state that a student has one year in which to complete his or her English language training. The final Institutional TOEFL exam for the academic year is in August. The English language requirement must be fulfilled for the upcoming year before the Add/Drop deadline. If students do not meet the language requirements before this deadline, but wish to have the opportunity to continue at Koç University, they must freeze their tuition.
If students choose to freeze tuition, they are taking up to only one year's leave of absence. They may, of course, study English elsewhere; however, they may not continue to attend ELC classes. These students still must submit valid TOEFL and TWE scores to meet the English requirement.
A student who does not have a 2.0 or better GPA by the end of Track 6 may not enter the university until the Spring semester of the following year at the earliest. At that time the student may enter the undergraduate program if he or she has a TOEFL score of 550 (CB 213) or better as well as a TWE score 4 or better.
If the English requirements have not been met within two years, the student’s registration is void. The student may then transfer to a Turkish-medium university, provided certain conditions are met. Please see the Office of the Registrar for more details.