Academic Standards

Assignment Retakes

The GSW doesn't give retakes just because an Apprentice isn't happy with or wants to improve their score. The only times a retake would be allowed would be if the Apprentice failed the assignment, or if the teacher made some sort of error in grading. In either case, the Apprentice should contact the Instructor by email.

What if I Fail a Test or Assignment?

If you fail a test or assignment, it’s likely because you rushed, weren’t quite ready, or made unintended errors. Poor writing or an assignment filled with html tags may also result in a failing grade.

If you fail a test or assignment, contact your teacher immediately to arrange for a retake. Your teacher will probably ask you to spend some additional time studying or may assign you extra work before allowing you to do so. You may also have to expand or redo an assignment if the teacher feels that you did not include enough detail.

Once you retake the test, your new grade will replace the old (failed) grade. 

Academic Probation

Academic Probation is a disciplinary option for Apprentices having difficulty with class progress and/or behavioral problems that affect class performance. AP grants the school staff more control over an Apprentice's class activities as a means of solving problems.

The Dean of Curriculum may place Apprentices on Academic Probation as needed. (If the Dean of Curriculum is unavailable, the Assistant Dean of Curriculum may approve Academic Probation, with the matter to be reviewed by the Dean of Curriculum upon return.) Other Administrators and faculty may recommend AP to the Dean of Curriculum as part of a disciplinary proposal.

When Academic Probation is proposed or activated, there should be a statement of the problem(s), a description of the terms of AP as applied to that situation, and some clear goal(s) to be achieved which will mark the end of AP.

Grounds for placing an Apprentice on Academic Probation may include but are not limited to:

• Poor performance across multiple classes, necessitating a cohesive effort to improve the Apprentice's academic skills and progress.

• Chronically slow progress.

• Intentional violation of school rules about the interaction between academic and other spheres, such as club participation, newspaper work, challenges, etc.

• Behavioral problems that make it difficult for teachers to work with the Apprentice.

• Failure or refusal to engage appropriately with the study or test materials even after guidance from one or more teachers.

Academic Probation may involve such things as:

• Appointing an Academic Advisor to monitor the Apprentice's academic performance, if the Apprentice doesn't already have one.

• Dropping one or more current classes, or even all of them, for a time; in order that the Apprentice may focus on correcting the factors that led to AP.

• Adding one or more specific classes intended to improve the Apprentice's academic and/or social skills.

• Freezing the Apprentice's class activity (see Academic Suspension, below) temporarily.

• Restricting the Apprentice's choice of classes, either requiring or ruling out broad categories by Level, Department, teacher, topic, etc. 

Emailing GSW Staff and Faculty Members

Your teachers care about you—if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be teachers!

That said there There are hundreds of Apprentices and a few faculty members. Your teachers deal with large volumes of email each day, and it’s a good idea not to add to it unless you really need to. Please do not include faculty in chain emails and remember - The best first response is through the "Office Messaging" system in the class.

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• If you have a general question about a class, try to solve it yourself first. Read the class materials over carefully — including the syllabus (which many Apprentices seem to pass over).

• If the question is minor (i.e., not critical to your assignments or progress), post a question on your Lodge forum, and see if your mates can help answer it.

• If the question is general and non-critical, you could post it in the appropriate Department Office (not in General Chatter) so that others in the same discipline can participate in the information sharing.

• If you still can’t find an answer, or if your question is critical to your work, go ahead and email the teacher. You can use the "Contact" button near their name on the "GSW Faculty" page 

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• All emails to GSW staff and faculty should be professional and respectful. Begin with a salutation, e.g., “Dear Professor Bobbington.” Keep the email as brief as possible, and conclude your email with a thank you, along with your magickal name and your Lodge name — these help if the teacher needs to look up your record. 

If You Can’t Reach Your Teacher

First, make sure you’ve waited long enough.  You should also check the Dean of Faculty forum to see if your teacher is signed out as “On Vacation.” If a week passes without you hearing back from the teacher, or without your work being graded or class entrance approved, contact the Dean of the relevant department or the Headmaster.