University of New England

Candidates for admission to the University of New England may be surprised to discover that we spend as much time and effort helping them to evaluate the University as we do in evaluating their own credentials. We are interested in establishing a good match between the applicant's needs and goals and the University's ability to meet them.

Interviews and Campus Tour
Prospective students, their friends, and families have an open invitation to visit the University's two campuses. The pleasant drive to scenic Maine and the opportunity to meet the University's students, faculty, and admissions staff results in a day that is both interesting and informative.

Tours and interviews may be scheduled by contacting the Admissions Office, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Prospective students are encouraged to visit on a weekday if at all possible. We do offer tours and information sessions on Saturdays during the months of October, November, December, February, and March. Please call in advance, (800) 477-4863, extension 2297.

Admissions Criteria
To determine an applicant's qualifications as a candidate for admission to the undergraduate programs of the University of New England, we carefully consider the following criteria:

• The secondary school program.
• The secondary school grades and class standing.
• The SAT1 or ACT scores.
• Extracurricular involvement.
• The admissions interview (optional unless required by the dean of admissions or departments).
• Qualified students with equivalency certificates are also considered for admission.

Students interested in applying to the health science programs (Dental Hygiene, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy, should refer to those sections in this catalog for additional admissions requirements.

The University of New England supports the efforts of secondary school officials and governing bodies to have their schools achieve regional accredited status in order to provide reliable assurance of the quality of the educational preparation of applicants for admission.

All first-year applicants are required to

• Complete an application form and submit it to the Admissions Office early in the fourth year or well in advance of the beginning of the academic term for which application is being made.
• Submit the nonrefundable application fee of $40.

  Request that the secondary school forward all academic records to the Admissions Office.

• Forward all SAT1 or ACT scores to Admissions Office.

Admissions Decisions
Applicants to all programs are evaluated as they are received (rolling admissions policy). Decisions are made upon receipt of all required information and are mailed out on a weekly basis, as long as space remains available.

Reservation Agreement
The rolling admissions policy ensures every applicant of a prompt and definitive answer to the question of admission. Once accepted, students are required to submit a $500 deposit that will guarantee their place in the entering class. In order to give accepted students enough time to hear from all colleges to which they have applied and to eliminate any undue pressure that may affect their final decision, the reservation deposit is refundable through May 1st for students entering the fall semester. After this date, the deposit is either credited toward the expense of the first semester's tuition (and room for residential students) or forfeited for those students withdrawing.

Conditional Acceptance
Each year the University admits a small number of first-year students whose record of achievement and/or degree of preparation lies below general standards. Such students gain admission because of other positive indicators in their record. To help develop these students' academic skills, the University offers a program of activities in which the students agree to participate as a condition for acceptance into the University. Individual or group tutoring and counseling can be integral parts of the program.

Early Admissions
Qualified applicants who display exceptional ability and maturity are admitted to the University of New England upon successful completion of the third year of their secondary school program. Early admission applicants must have the consent and cooperation of secondary school officials. A personal interview is required.

Physical Examination and Immunization
The University requires all entering students to have a physical examination prior to enrollment. The necessary form, along with an immunization record, will be sent to all entering students following admission and receipt of the reservation fee. The forms must be completed by an approved health care provider and returned to the University Health Center prior to matriculation. Maine State Law requires all students born after 1956, who wish to register and matriculate for seven or more credits, to produce proof of immunization against those diseases listed on the immunization record form. The University of New England requires additional immunizations, over and above state mandates, for health profession students. That information will also be available on the health forms.

Advanced Placement and CLEP
The University of New England participates in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) and the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) administered by the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey. Both of these examinations provide academic credit for students qualified for advanced standing. The CAS and CHP undergraduate programs may accept courses toward graduation via these two types of examinations, excluding courses required in an academic major with the exception of the Department of Biological Sciences, which will accept AP and CLEP credit in biology in accordance with the tables which follow.

To receive academic credit from the University of New England through the CLEP and advanced placement examinations, the student must be admitted to the University, and must provide UNE with official transcripts from the organization(s).

Advanced Placement Equivalencies
Qualifying scores necessary to receive credit for advanced placement are recommended by the academic departments and are approved by the University Registrar. They are treated as transfer credit in accordance with the following table.

If an advanced placement examination has been taken on a subject not listed in the table above, the student should contact the Registrar's Office at  uneregistrar@une.edu.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) minimum score standard for each examination, and its UNE equivalent course, is individually determined by the Department in which the course is offered.

If a CLEP examination has been taken on a subject not listed in the table above, the student should contact the Registrar's Office at  uneregistrar@une.edu.

DANTES
DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) provide an opportunity for people to obtain college credit for what they have learned in non-traditional ways. The DSST Program is made available by The Chauncey Group International® and is used by adult education programs, the United States Department of Defense, and two and four-year colleges. Designed originally for the military, DSSTs are available to civilian students and adult learners as well. The DSST program is used by colleges and universities to award college credit to those who demonstrate that they have knowledge comparable to someone who completed the classroom course in the subject.

Recommended credits and minimum scores are based on evaluation by qualified individuals in the American Council on Education (ACE). The symbol B signifies credit to be awarded at the bachelor's level; the symbol BU signifies recommended credit at the upper division (3rd and 4th year) level.

International Baccalaureate (IB) & International Examination
Students are eligible to receive a minimum of 3 credits for each Higher Level (HL) courses with a score of 5 or higher.  No credit is awarded for Standard Level (SL) exams. The university will determine the number and equivalence of actual transfer credits after evaluating the applicant's individual program of studies. Students must have an official IB transcript sent to the Office of Admissions along with a course syllabus for each course being considered for transfer credit.

Transfer Admissions
Students applying for transfer admission are required to forward the completed application form and application fee of $40, and official college transcripts of ALL academic work to the Admissions Office. College Board scores, secondary school records, and an interview may also be requested by the dean of admissions.

All undergraduate students accepted to the University will be expected to fulfill both the University and program requirements prior to being awarded a degree from the University of New England. Transfer students will be individually advised by the Registrar of all such requirements left outstanding after the evaluation of transfer credit has been completed prior to registration. A transfer student's grade point average (GPA) is based only on grades received at the University of New England.

Transfer students are evaluated on the basis of their collegiate records according to the following guidelines:

• All students who have earned an associate degree in a program of study from an accredited institution that is parallel or related to the academic offerings at the University of New England are eligible for admission to the University. The student will receive credit for all courses therein, up to a total of 65 credits. However, not all of those credits will necessarily apply towards core or degree requirements.
• Students who have earned less than an associate degree will be granted transfer credit for those courses completed at an accredited institution that parallel or relate to courses offered by the University with a grade of C- or higher. Some restrictions may apply. Refer to program descriptions for further information.
• All eligible students with a grade point average of at least 2.5 will be considered for admission to the University; students with a grade point average below 2.5 are considered on an individual basis.
• Class standing is determined by the University Registrar.
• Transfer credit is given for courses graded C- or higher. Some restrictions may apply. Refer to program descriptions for further information.
• While credits may transfer in based on the criteria above, grades and/or grade points do not transfer into the student's UNE academic record. Grades for accepted transfer courses are identified on the UNE transcript with a "TR" symbol in the grade column, which denotes credit accepted but no GPA calculation value.

Note: Matriculated UNE students who wish to have college-level credits transferred back (for course work taken at institutions away from UNE) must follow policy identified under the Academic Policy section of this catalog.

Portfolio Assessment Credit for Prior Experiential Learning
The University of New England will consider, for credit equivalency, prior experiential learning which a matriculated student might possess, which is considered by the faculty to be college-level learning. It is imperative that the experience relate directly to specific course work in the student's program of study and has occurred within five years of the student's matriculation at UNE. Experience gathered after matriculation at UNE will not be considered under this policy. A maximum of eight credits, not to exceed two courses, can be awarded for prior experiential learning, which will be documented from an approved portfolio initiated and prepared by the student. An individual portfolio must be submitted for each course equivalency. Individual departments may designate courses exempt from this policy. There is a $50 processing fee for each portfolio assessment.

Note: Nursing students should contact the Department of Nursing and Health Services Management for further information concerning this area of assessment credit.

Portfolio Assessment Application Procedure Outline
The student is responsible for the following procedure of portfolio assessment.

• Portfolio assessment packets are available from the Registrar's Office at the University Campus, or from the Student Registration and Financial Services Center at the Westbrook College Campus.
• A request for credit equivalency, and the subsequent portfolio submission, must occur during your first two semesters at UNE.
• Secure a faculty sponsor from UNE or within the Greater Portland Alliance of Colleges and Universities. The faculty sponsor will provide guidance in the preparation of the portfolio.
• Complete the portfolio per the Guidelines for Portfolio Assessment document available in the Registrar's office.
• Submit portfolio to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The dean will notify Student Accounts that the request for experiential learning has been submitted and the student will be billed for a $50.00 non-refundable portfolio assessment fee. The dean will forward the portfolio to the chair of the department in which the course is offered. The chair of the department will select a faculty member to review the portfolio. Faculty selected must have either taught the course for which credit is requested or have proper qualifications to teach the course if/when it is offered at UNE. The faculty reviewer may interview or test the student, or request further information from the student, in order to assess if course objectives have been met. The faculty reviewer will then make a decision and forward it to the chair of the department and the dean for approval or rejection of the credit equivalency request, or may return the portfolio to the student for suggested revision.
• The decision of the faculty reviewer is final. A reconsideration for the same course equivalency may not be made.
• If approved, the Registrar records course equivalency as prior experiential learning credits.
• Course equivalency credit approval for an individual course does not result in a waiver or equivalency credit for any prerequisites of that course. A separate portfolio must be submitted if credit equivalency is requested for the prerequisite.
• Student is billed by Student Accounts for portfolio assessment, regardless of the decision rendered by the faculty reviewer.

International Student Admission
The University welcomes applications from qualified international students to the undergraduate and graduate programs. We encourage diversity and global awareness on campus. International applicants need to do the following:

At UNE, an international student is someone who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. (holder of a "Green Card"). Prospective international students must meet the same admission criteria required of all other applicants. In addition, international students must also meet the following criteria:

1. All official secondary school and college/university scholastic records submitted in support of your application should include English translations. English translations do not need to be official but they should be literal (word-for-word, not interpretive) translations. UNE recommends that students seek foreign educational credential evaluations from NACES® members. NACES® is an association of private foreign educational credential evaluation services committed to formulating and maintaining ethical standards in the field of foreign educational evaluation. A list of NACES® members can be found on their website at http://www.naces.org/members.htm or by Email at naces@ierf.org.

2. Federal law requires that we document how you will finance your education in the United States prior to issuing the appropriate student visa application form. In addition to the application for admission to your program of interest, all international students must complete the International Student Supplemental Application Form along with a Bank Statement which must be officially certified or notarized indicating that the applicant has sufficient funds to cover the annual cost of attendance at UNE. Undergraduate applicants seeking financial support for their educational expenses should complete the International Student Financial Aid Application. Limited scholarships and campus employment are available for qualified students.

3. International applicants must be able to understand and communicate in English to gain full admission to the University of New England. If English is not your native language you will need to submit documentation that indicates your level of English proficiency. The University of New England accepts several methods of English proficiency including the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Students who have attended an accedited U.S. high school or U.S. Department of Defense school overseas for at least 3 years, or received an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree from an accredited U.S. college or university meet English proficiency requirements. Specific English language proficiency can be found at /admissions/intl/proficiency.asp.

UNE also waives the English proficiency requirement for students who graduated from an accredited school in other English-speaking countries: Anguilla, Antigua/Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Guyana, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica/other West Indies, Liberia, Montserrat, New Zealand, South Africa, St. Helena, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caico Isle, United Kingdom, and Virgin Islands.

*International Student Admission section updated March, 2008

Veterans
Programs of the University of New England have been approved for persons eligible for Veterans Administration Benefits by the Maine State Approving Agency for Veterans' Education Programs. The University encourages active and retired military, National Guard and reservists, as well as veterans, to become matriculated students. For further information concerning veterans admissions and benefits, please contact the University Registrar.

Applicants who are requesting Veterans Administration educational benefits are required to have all previous postsecondary education and training evaluated for transfer credit.
Applicants with military service should send a copy of an Army/ACE Registry Transcript Service (AARTS) or a SMART (Sailor/ Marine Corps American Council on Education Registry Transcript) to the University Registrar for credit evaluation.

Veteran students can receive application and maintenance assistance on VA benefit issues from either the Financial Aid Office, the Office of the Registrar, or from the Student Registration and Financial Services Center at the Westbrook College Campus.

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This Catalog documents the academic programs, policies, and activities of the University of New England for the 2007-2008 academic year. The information contained herein is accurate as of date of publication August 1, 2007.

The University of New England reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its programs, calendar, or academic schedule whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable, including changes in course content, the rescheduling of classes with or without extending the academic term, canceling of scheduled classes or other academic activities, in any such case giving such notice thereof as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

While each student may work closely with an academic advisor, he or she must retain individual responsibility for meeting requirements in this catalog and for being aware of any changes in provisions or requirements.