EDUCATION POLICIES AND STATISTICS

Williamson is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges and is approved and authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to confer the Associate in Specialized Technology Degree.

An institution’s accreditation does not guarantee that credits earned at that institution will be accepted for transfer by any other institution. Decisions concerning the acceptance of credits by any institution other than the granting institution are made at the sole discretion of the receiving institution. Students considering continuing their education at or transferring to other institutions must not assume that credits earned at this School will be accepted by the receiving institution. Students must contact the registrar of the receiving institution to determine what credits, if any, that institution will accept.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Accreditation

“Middle States accreditation is an expression of confidence in an institution’s mission and goals, its performance, and its resources.  An institution is accredited when the educational community has verified that its goals are achieved through self-regulation and peer review. The extent to which each educational institution accepts and fulfills the responsibilities inherent in the process of accreditation is a measure of its commitment to striving for and achieving excellence in its endeavors.

MSCHE Accreditation Standards and Requirements of Affiliation serve as an ongoing guide for institutions. Accredited institutions are expected to demonstrate compliance with these standards and requirements, to conduct their activities in a manner consistent with the standards and requirements, and to engage in ongoing processes of self-review and improvement” (MSCHE, Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, 13^th ed., p.1).

MSCHE Requirements of Affiliation and Standards

To better serve its students, to provide additional opportunities for self-reflection, and to enhance partnerships with other institutions of higher education, Williamson College of the Trades is pursuing MSCHE accreditation. This webpage provides information about this process.

In 2018, Williamson applied for candidacy and submitted an Accreditation Readiness Report (ARR).

In 2020, the revised ARR was accepted.

Current phase: Candidate

Accreditation status: Candidate status granted

In Spring 2022, Williamson submitted its Self-Study Design. The revised Design was accepted, signaling the start of the Self-Study in 2022-2023.

Self-Study Evaluation: 2023-2024

Because Williamson’s curriculum is specifically oriented toward trade and technical applications, the College does not exempt students from courses on the basis of having successfully completed advanced placement courses or similar courses at other post-secondary institutions.

If a student would like to know the availability of comparable program information related to tuition, fees, and program length, he should contact the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges;

Mailing address: 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302, Arlington, VA 22201;
Phone: (703) 247-4212;
Fax: (703) 247-4533;
Website: www.accsc.org

  COPYRIGHT PROTECTED MATERIAL  
The purpose of this policy statement is to establish guidelines for faculty, staff and students of Williamson College of the Trades whose work requires the reproduction, use, display, or distribution of any copyrighted or licensed material. The guidelines affirm the proper use of such material in compliance with the Copyright Act, Title 17, United States Code, that governs the photocopy or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Williamson does not condone or support any form of copyright infringement.

  COMPLIANCE WITH COPYRIGHT LAWS   
The copyright law is in place to foster a balance between the creation and dissemination of information, so individuals are encouraged to make use of copyrighted information in a reasonable and lawful manner. It is understood that during the course of their work, research, and/or instruction, faculty, staff and students of the college will need to reproduce copyrighted information for use or distribution of that information.

The Fair Use Doctrine: There are certain circumstances under the Copyright Act where it is permissible to reproduce or display copyrighted works without the permission of the copyright owner. These circumstances are governed by the “Fair Use” doctrine. The following factors are considered when determining if duplication or use of copyrighted material by a third party constitutes a fair use:

• The Purpose and Character of the Use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for a Non-Profit Educational Purposes: A non-profit educational purpose or non-commercial use generally allows for the fair use of the copyright material.
• Nature of the Copyrighted Work, generally fall into the categories of published or unpublished, fact or fiction. Published factual works, such as books, dictionaries or other factual works, by their nature more readily support a finding of fair use than do unpublished works or non-factual, fictional, creative works.
• Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used in Relation to the Copyrighted Work as a Whole: If the portion of the work copied or used in relation to the entire work is quantitatively and qualitatively insignificant a case can be made for fair use. Copying of a minor portion of a work however may be found to in violation if the portion constitutes the essence or critical part of the copied work. In such cases, users should post links to articles and materials whenever possible rather than duplicating complete works.
• The Effect of the Use upon the Potential Market for or Value of the Copyrighted Work: This factor is considered the most important element to be considered under the fair use analysis. Duplication or use of a copyrighted work that is not detrimental to and does not diminish the potential market for the work will support the fair use policy.

  FAIR USE GUIDELINES:  

Audiovisuals

Permitted Uses: Legally produced and obtained audiovisual works may be used in non-profit educational institutions under the following conditions:

1. The work must be part of the educational program;
2. The work must be shown by a student, instructor, or guest lecturer;
3. The work must be shown in a classroom or other school location devoted to instruction;
4. The work must be shown only to students in the class, that is, no guest viewing the work for entertainment or enrichment.

Prohibited Use of Audiovisuals: Use is prohibited in non-profit educational institutions when:

1. The work is used for entertainment, recreation, or even cultural or intellectual value unrelated to teaching activities;
2. The work is transmitted by radio or television (this includes closed circuit) from an outside location;
3. The work is shown in an auditorium before an audience not confined to students.

Off Air Taping

Permitted Uses: Off air taping (tape or other electronic means) has specific regulations that permit classroom use:

1. The material may be retained for 45 days from the airing but then must be erased;
2. The material may be shown in class only during the first ten days after the broadcast. (Some PBS programs can only be used and retained for seven days);
3. The material may be shown to students no more than two times during a ten-day period. After the ten-day period, only teachers may view the material;
4. The contents may not be altered or combined to form anthologies, but need not be shown in their entirety.

Rental sources (e.g. borrowed from the library may be shown in class. Libraries have the right to loan, sell, or otherwise dispose of legally obtained tapes. The “for home use only” labels do not prevent library or classroom use of legal tapes. Back-up tapes are only permitted when the original is deteriorating and is no longer available on the market.

Photocopying

Permitted Uses: Teachers preparing to teach a class may make a single copy of:

1. A book chapter;
2. An article;
3. A short story, essay, or short poem;
4. A chart, graph, diagram, cartoon, drawing, or picture.

Teachers may duplicate enough copies to provide one copy for each student in a course, as long as each copy includes a notice of copyright and as long as they meet the following three tests:

1. Brevity. For poetry, the suggested maximum is 250 words. For prose, the guidelines offer two different limitations. Educators may copy any complete story, essay, or article under 2,500 words or excerpts of not more than 1,000 words or 10% of the text. For illustrations, the guidelines suggest no more than one chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture per book or periodical issue;
2. Spontaneity. The “inspiration and decision to use the work” must occur so soon prior to classroom use that it would not be feasible to write for and receive permission from the publisher to duplicate the material. It is also imperative that the copying occur at the request of the teacher, not at the directive of an administrator or other “higher authority”;
3. Cumulative Effort. Generally, only one copy may be made of a short poem, article, story or essay. No more than three of these items may be from the same collective work or periodical volume during one class term. The most limiting restriction further specifies no more than a total of nine instances of such multiple copying for one course during one class term. Finally, all multiple copying of a particular work is limited to one course; in other words, copying a work to be used in several courses is not likely to be considered a fair use of the material.

Prohibited Copying:

1. Educators are not to create, through photocopying, their own anthologies, compilations or collective works whether brought together in one collection or reproduced and used separately.
2. Copying must not substitute for the purchase of books, periodicals, or reprints; this prohibition especially applies to the duplication of “consumable” materials such as workbooks, test booklets and standardized tests.
3. Students must not be charged more than the actual cost of copying the material.
4. A teacher must not duplicate the same item from one term to another.

  FILE SHARING AND PEER-TO-PEER SOFTWARE PROGRAMS  
Williamson College of the Trades prohibits the installation and use of peer-to-peer file-sharing programs that violate copyright material on computers using the college network. Users will be considered in violation of this policy if their internet traffic is identifiable as using a prohibited peer-to-peer file sharing program or protocols. The college reserves the right to suspend or terminate network access to any campus user if the violation is deemed severe. Repeat or severe violations are also subject to appropriate corrective action and may be reported to appropriate authorities for criminal or civil prosecution.

  SOFTWARE  
The fair use doctrine generally does not apply to computer software. Rather, the terms of the software license accompanying the software will dictate the usage terms. Thus, unless the software has been placed in the public domain deliberately by its creator, all software should be assumed to be protected by copyright law.

Possessing software for which an individual does not own a license is a violation of the Copyright Act, and may subject to disciplinary action, to include dismissal for students or termination for employees. In addition to application software and operating systems, federal copyright protection also extends to the data files created for use with or by these systems. Unauthorized creation, copying and distribution of these materials are violations of the federal copyright statute, unless they can be construed as fair use.

  TEACH Act  
The Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH Act) (Section 110(2) of the U.S. copyright law) is a copyright exemption that addresses teaching conducted through digital transmission.

Under the TEACH Act, faculty may use the following copyrighted materials when teaching a class through a digital transmission:

1. Performances of nondramatic literary works;
2. Performances of nondramatic musical works;
3. Performances of any other work, including dramatic works and audiovisual works, but only in “reasonable and limited portions”; and
4. Displays of any work “in an amount comparable to that which is typically displayed in the course of a live classroom session”.

When using the copyrighted materials listed above in a digital transmission, faculty have the following obligations under the TEACH Act:

1. The performance or display is made by or under the supervision of an instructor;
2. The use is limited to performances and displays. The TEACH Act does not apply to materials that are for students’ independent use and retention, such as textbooks or other readings;
3. The work is part of systematic mediated instructional activities;
4. The transmission must be made solely for and limited to students officially enrolled in the course;
5. Only lawfully acquired may be used;
6. The instructor should use reasonable efforts to prevent copying and retention of the work (e.g., streaming for video; thumbnails, watermarks and disabling right click copy function for images);
7. The materials to be used should not include those primarily marketed for the purposes of distance education (i.e. an electronic textbook or a multimedia tutorial);
8. A digital copy may be made from an analog copy when no digital version is available or when the digital version is technologically protected;
9. The work must carry a notice to students that the works are copyrighted.

  DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT  
The purpose of this policy statement is to set forth the college’s procedures pertaining to the receipt and response to reports of alleged copyright infringement utilizing the Williamson network in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (P.L. 105-304).

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provides an opportunity for college and universities to shield themselves from liability for the actions of users that infringe on the copyrights of others. Any use of the Williamson network, computers, technology equipment, email system, or websites to illegally transfer copyrighted material including, but not limited to, software, text, images, audio and video is strictly prohibited and will lead to serious consequences, including disciplinary action, suspension, and possible lawsuits resulting in substantial financial penalties.

In accordance with the DMCA, Williamson College of the Trades has designated the Senior Vice President/Chief of Staff and Dean of Education as the principal college officers to receive and respond to reports of alleged copyright infringement. This designation will be listed on the Williamson web site.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act specifies that all infringement claims must be in writing (either on paper or electronic mail) and must include the following elements:

1. A physical or electronic signature;
2. Description of the work claimed to be infringed;
3. Description of the allegedly infringing work and the location on the Williamson network;
4. Contact information for the complaining party;
5. A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner or law;
6. A statement that the information contained in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

For more information on United States Copyright Laws, see: The US Copyright Office.

All programs at Williamson College of the Trades require full-time attendance for three school years. There are at least two 16-week semesters each year, and the normal attendance schedule is 39 hours per week. The college’s trade/technical programs require 116 credits on average. Lecture (academic) classes meet approximately the same number of hours each week as the credits they are assigned. Applied education and shop (technical) courses meet approximately two to three times the number of hours each week as the credits they are assigned.

The Dean’s List is announced after each semester to recognize academic excellence. Students who achieve a 3.67 grade point average or higher are placed on the Dean’s List.

Statistics for the past five years allowing for 150% time-to-completion:

PDF DOWNLOAD: Graduation and Graduate Employment Rate for each program as reported to ACCSC for the last five years.

Williamson uses the traditional grading system based on the four-point scale, including plus and minus marks. A grade of Pass or Incomplete does not affect the calculation of grade point averages. If a student receives a grade of Incomplete for a class, he has one semester following the conclusion of that class to satisfy the requirements for that class, at which point, if he fails to remove his Incomplete, his grade reverts to a failure.

The School has established the following cumulative grade point average (GPA) standards:

If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below the standard, he will be required to meet or exceed the cumulative GPA standard for all ensuing semesters at the School. Failure to do so will result in enrollment termination. If a student fails to meet the School’s cumulative GPA standard in the last semester of his senior year, he cannot graduate from the School. Please reference Williamson’s Student Academic Progress Policy on this page for additional information.

To qualify as a candidate for the Associate in Specialized Technology Degree a student must have satisfactorily completed a program of study as described in this catalog and must conclude his studies with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher. In order to complete a program successfully, students must complete all the credit requirements of that program. Students have a maximum time of three years at Williamson to complete their program requirements; in rare cases approved by the School President, students may take a leave of absence for a semester or year, completing the entire program in four years.

Rates for the past five years allowing for 150% time-to-completion:

PDF DOWNLOAD: Graduation and Graduate Employment Rate for each program as reported to ACCSC for the last five years.

Retention rates for the past five years:

Freshman to Junior

Junior to Senior

Senior to Graduation

A student who does not meet School requirements with regard to minimum cumulative grade point average or course failure will have his Williamson Scholarship cancelled. Any appeal of scholarship cancellation or request for readmission must be submitted to the Dean of Education, who will arrange a review by the Scholastic Standards Committee, composed of the Dean of Education, the Registrar, and the Director of the student’s trade program. The committee may confirm the scholarship cancellation, allow continuation with specified conditions, or may permit a transfer to another curriculum for which the student may still be eligible.

Williamson Student Academic Progress Policy (PDF)

Student attendance is taken at multiple times throughout the standard academic day with a daily evening accountability check Sunday through Thursday evenings while the College is in session. Additional information regarding student attendance policy can be found in the College Catalog or Student Handbook.

Williamson College of the Trades Current Diversity and Financial Aid Statistics.

The office of the Dean of Education coordinates with faculty, staff, and administration to assist students with a qualified disability in meeting their academic and personal goals. Within the bounds of our resources and in support of program curriculum requirements, Williamson will provide reasonable accommodations to meet the challenges and needs of students with a qualified disability.

Students can request an accommodation pertaining to learning, psychological, and/or physical disabilities at the time of your acceptance to Williamson College or any time thereafter. The request must be made by you, the student, to the Dean of Education. Please note that other forms of contact such as phone calls or disclosures to other College staff or faculty are not recognized as requests for accommodations. Students are responsible for submitting appropriate documentation supporting their accommodation request. Please allow sufficient time for administrative processing of your request.

Accommodation requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Accommodations are tailored to the individual student’s unique need and the College’s capability to support the accommodation.

  DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:  

All documentation in support of a disability should be reflective of the current, functional impact of the condition or impairment. Current testing and evaluations should be completed within the past five years. Additionally, updated documentation may be requested, in some circumstances, where documentation is outdated or when ongoing treatment is being provided. Students should also include any Individual Education Plan (IEP) generated by other schools if available. Please note providing documentation is the responsibility of the student and not the College.

Williamson does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, national origin, religion, sex or disability in the administration of its educational, admission, or scholarship policies.

  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES  

To learn more about learning disabilities and Higher Education, consult the following resources:

• AHEAD, the national organization for students with learning disabilities
• LD online and LD resources are two websites with information for students with learning disabilities
• Learning Ally, readings for the blind and dyslexic
• The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has information about the rights and responsibilities for students with disabilities

Given the cohort structure of Williamson’s degree programs, the College does not generally accept transfer credits from other institutions. Transfer credits to fulfill specific course requirements are approved on a case-by-case basis through the office of the Dean of Education.

Williamson College of the Trades has established articulation agreements with a number of other universities and colleges in the Philadelphia region: Delaware County Community College, Eastern University, Neumann University, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Temple University, and Widener University. For more information, please contact the office of the Dean of Education

Students and alumni in good standing may request official copies of their transcripts by submitting a signed Transcript Request Form to the Registrar. To have the transcript sent to a third party, the request must include proper forwarding directions. Requests by phone will not be honored.

To obtain a copy of your transcript, CLICK HERE.