1125 Willis Avenue, Albertson, NY 11507
ACADEMIC POLICIES
Please refer to the policies below.
Student Policies
Student Registration
First time registrants are required to participate in a student orientation program, which will review all registration policies at LIC/LISMA Language Centers. At that time they will also meet with a student counselor to thoroughly review the process of entering the United States for the purpose of study, how best to study. An introduction to living in the United States and places of importance in the surrounding areas are also discussed.
Students should register for classes as soon as they are eligible to do so. Following an advisement session with of the each student a student, a placement exam is given. It will be graded by a qualified teacher on staff and placement will be determined.
Registration for classes
Students are to register for classes as soon as they are eligible to do so with the assistance of an Admissions Counselor. Before registering for the first time, all students participate in an orientation, which includes an academic advising session. During the advising session the Counselor provides a complete overview of the enrollment and registration process. The Counselor carefully reviews an enrollment agreement with each student. The enrollment agreement contains information relevant to registration, hours of school operation, cost of the program, course schedule, attendance policy, leave of absence information, withdrawal policies, graduation information and program refunds, if necessary. This document also contains grading system for the school. If the student has very limited English language skills, there school provides a person who can clearly explain the process in their native tongue.
Continuing students must register in person, before the start of the next session.
Attendance
F-1 students must attend 80% of classes in order to maintain their F-1 status. F-1 students who do not maintain a minimum of 80% attendance, will have the option to attend a six-week Summer session at the school. Placement in the summer session will be based on your Spring course placement. If a student has fallen below the 80% attendance requirement and does not enroll in the six-week summer program, their F-1 status will be terminated for "otherwise failing to maintain status - Low Attendance.” Students will be notified that they are required to attend the Summer session within three weeks of their final exams. In general, students are expected to attend classes for the number of hours for which they have enrolled.
Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence may be granted if the reason is determined to be valid by school officials. A written request for a leave must be submitted prior to the leave of absence. A leave of absence cannot exceed thirty (30) days. Only one leave of absence may be granted to a student in any 12-month period.
Re-Admission
Any student who has withdrawn from the school and desires re-admission must sign a new enrollment agreement for the hours remaining to complete the program. The student will be retested to determine his/her level of proficiency. Any tuition due to the school will be determined and payment must be arranged before re-admittance. Students will be charged the hourly rate for the hours that they need to complete the program. Students will be permitted to re-enter at the discretion of the Executive Director and after a careful review of their academic records. A student requesting re-admittance after failing to maintain satisfactory progress will not be admitted for one grading period. If reinstated as a regular student, he or she will be placed on academic probation until at least the following grading period.
Examinations
Students will be given tests and quizzes throughout each term as well as a mid-term and final.
Completion of Program
A student must have completed all required courses, passed each level of proficiency, and satisfied all financial obligations before he/she is eligible to graduate. The school awards a certificate of completion for all courses.
Please refer to the Student Handbook for more details!
Student Grievance Procedures
Students should try to resolve their complaint directly with the school unless they believe that the school would penalize them for the complaint.
To make a formal complaint, students must submit their grievance in writing, to either the Director of ESL or the President of the School, as indicated below.
Students are encouraged to follow the following steps if they feel they have an issue that needs to be resolved:
1. Meet with your instructor to discuss the issue. The instructor and the student should both sit down and discuss the issue at hand and explore possible solutions.
2. Notify the director in writing. If the student is unable to resolve the issue with the instructor he or she should notify the director of the campus in writing. After receiving the complaint, the director will, within 72 hours schedule a meeting with the student to address the concern. The meeting will take place within 5 business days of the complaint being received. The director will meet with both the student and the instructor (either individually or jointly) and make a reasonable attempt to resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of both parties.
3. Notify the President/Owner of the school in writing. If the complaint still has not been resolved, then the student should notify the president/owner of the company in writing. Upon receiving the complaint, the president shall respond to the student within 5 business days. The president will meet with the student, instructor, and director, either separately, or jointly, to satisfactorily resolve the issue at hand. If the situation still has not been resolved, the student should continue to the final step of the grievance process:
4. Contact the NYS Licensing Body; The school is licensed by the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision, BPSS.
The steps you must take to file a complaint with the New York State Education Department are:
1. Write to the New York State Education Department at 116 West 32nd Street, 5th Floor, New York, New York 10001, or telephone the Department at (212) 643-4760, requesting an interview for the purpose of filing a written complaint. Bring all relevant documents with you to the interview, including an enrollment agreement, financial aid application, transcripts, etc. An investigator from the Department will meet with you and go through your complaint in detail.
2. If you cannot come for an interview, send a letter or call the office to request a complaint form. You must complete and sign this form and mail it to the office. Please include with it copies of all relevant documents. You should keep the originals. You must file a complaint within two years after the alleged illegal conduct took place. The Bureau cannot investigate any complaint made more than two years after the date of the occurrence.
3. The investigator will attempt to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible and may contact you in the future with follow-up questions. You should provide all information requested as quickly as possible; delay may affect the investigation of your complaint. When appropriate, the investigator will try to negotiate with the school informally. If the Department determines that violations of law have been committed and the school fails to take satisfactory and appropriate action then the Department may proceed with formal disciplinary charges.
Where can students file a complaint or get additional information? Contact the New York State Education Department at:
New York State Education Department
116 West 32nd Street, 5th Floor
New York, New York 10001
Attention: Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision
CEA Standards
http://cea-accredit.org/about-cea/standards
Filing a Complaint Against a CEA Accredited Program
Emergency Action Plan
LIC/LISMA Language Center takes proactive measures to protect the safety of all of our students and staff members. The actions taken during any type of emergency situation depends on the specifics of the incident. The main objective is the protection of the students and the staff members.
Please refer to the below Emergency Action Plan for more details!