Policies and Procedures

In the College of Architecture, Art and Planning .

AAP College Policies

The following policies apply to all undergraduate (B.Arch., B.F.A., and B.S.) and professional master’s and delegated graduate degree students (M.Arch., M.F.A. Image Text, M.F.A. Visual Arts, M.R.P., M.S. AAD, and M.S. AUD) students in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning.

Student Laptops

AAP has moved to a mobile, cloud-based computing environment. As a result, all students are expected to have a personal laptop computer powerful enough to support the demanding video and computational requirements necessary for coursework, as well as have adequate storage to accommodate new software releases. For additional information, please refer to the AAP Student Laptop Recommendations on the college website. 

Course Enrollment

Students use Student Center to request classes for the upcoming semester during the pre-enrollment period* and to add or drop classes for the current semester during the add/drop period. Detailed information regarding course enrollment is available in the Course Enrollment section of this catalog and in Student Essentials.

*Pre-enrollment is an enrollment request; it is not a guarantee of enrollment. Prior to the beginning of each semester, changes can be administratively made to a student’s pre-enrollment request without the student being notified. At the beginning of the add/drop period, it is the student’s responsibility to confirm their schedule in Student Center. Students are responsible for knowing and fulfilling the requirements for graduation and for alerting the college to any problems with their records.

Enrollment Changes Outside the Add/Drop Period

Any changes to enrollment outside of the add/drop period require an approved petition. Petition forms are available online on the AAP Academic Forms page. This policy also applies to independent study classes. Petitions should be submitted only if there are clearly extraordinary circumstances that merit special consideration.

Course Withdrawals

After the drop deadline, and by the last day of classes (which is published in the academic calendar), students may petition the college to withdraw from a course, if no issue of academic integrity is at stake. Courses officially withdrawn after the drop deadline will be noted on the transcript with a “W” where the grade would normally appear. Petitions to withdraw from courses may not be submitted after the published deadlines, except in exceptional circumstances.

A meeting with a college Student Services advisor might be required if there are questions about the above criteria or if a student petitions to drop below 12 academic credits.

It is expected that all enrollment changes to “W” will be completed prior to the end of each term. Any retroactive change to a “W” after the end of the semester is a revision of record and should only occur for exceptional circumstances (e.g. in response to health leaves) and with college and university approval.

Enrollment in Required Courses for the Major

AAP students may be administratively pre-enrolled in required courses. It is expected that students follow the prescribed semester-by-semester curriculum, and any deviation from the prescribed curriculum requires an approved petition in advance. It is also expected that students will be present for all classes. Students who have been administratively enrolled in a required class and do not attend by the add deadline (or earlier, depending on the faculty member’s grading policy) may be administratively withdrawn from the class.

Studio Attendance

All AAP students enrolled in studio classes are expected to be present during regular class hours for instruction and critique.

Nonacademic Credit

Nonacademic credit refers to all Cornell courses numbered 1000–1099, all physical education courses, and Reserve Officer Training courses offered under the subjects of Air Force science (AIRS), military science (MILS), and naval science (NAVS) unless cross-listed with an academic department.

• Courses numbered 1000–1099 count toward the minimum 12 credits/semester required for good academic standing and full-time status; however, they do not count toward the total number of academic credits required for graduation.
• Physical education courses and Nonacademic Reserve Officer Training do not count toward the minimum 12 credits/semester required for good academic standing or the total number of academic credits required for graduation.

Only graduate course work (at the 5000-level or higher) can be applied towards a graduate degree. Graduate students may enroll in 1000 to 4000-level courses but these shall not count towards their degree. Students may not count ELSO courses toward their degree requirements.

All courses completed at Cornell University are included on the official transcript. Courses taken for a letter grade will be factored into cumulative GPA.

Repeated Courses

Repeated courses are courses taken a second (or subsequent) time, even if a passing grade was earned.

• Repeated course credits count toward the minimum credits per semester required for good academic standing.
• Credits earned from repeating a course do not count toward the minimum number of credits required for graduation.*
• If a course is repeated, both courses and both grades are included on the official transcript (i.e., if a course is repeated, the second course does not replace the first course on the official transcript).
• If taken for a letter grade, both grades are included in the calculation of the GPA. 
• Some courses, such as special topics courses in which content is significantly different, do grant credit when the course is taken more than once (ex: CRP 3850 /CRP 7850 , ARCH 3819 /ARCH 5819 ).

*Exception for architecture studio courses: In the case of architecture studio courses which are repeated because the minimum grade of ‘C’ or better was not achieved, the credits from the course with a non-advancing grade will count toward the minimum number of credits required for graduation if a minimum grade of D- was achieved. Those credits will be applied as departmental free elective credits.

Grading

The following college grading policies apply to all AAP students, in addition to all university and program grading guidelines .

Minimum Grades

For letter graded courses, a minimum passing grade is a D-. For S-U-graded courses, a grade of S is equivalent to a grade of C– or higher; a grade of U, which is equivalent to any grade below C–, is a failing grade equal to an F. Grades appear on a student’s transcript. 

The following programs have specific grade requirements:

• Architecture studio courses require a minimum grade of C in order for the credit to be applied toward the design sequence and to advance to the next design studio in the sequence.
• MFA students must earn a minimum grade of C- in studio courses in order to meet degree requirements and advance to the next studio sequence
• M.R.P. students must receive a C or better in all core courses; no grade below a C- is acceptable for meeting the 60 credit requirement; and no more than 6 credits of grades of C-, C, or C+ will be accepted for meeting the 60 credit requirement.

Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory Grade Option

For classes that satisfy any specific requirement (i.e., distribution requirements, core requirements for the major, and department required courses), the class must be successfully completed with a letter grade, unless a particular class is offered exclusively under the satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading basis (SX/UX). Otherwise, the satisfactory-unsatisfactory grading option may be used only with free electives. For additional information, please refer to the university S/U guidelines .

Grade Changes

Each semester’s work is an entity and grades are to be assigned for work completed during the normal period of the semester. As a matter of equity, grades must not be changed after the end of a semester because a student may have subsequently done additional work.

To avoid the influencing of grades by improper consideration or student pressure, a grade, once given, may only be changed if an error in the original grade is claimed by the instructor. The instructor should be willing to review the basis of an assigned grade with an inquiring student and correct the grade if an error is found.

Incompletes

The grade of incomplete (INC) is appropriate only when two basic conditions are met:

1. The student has substantial equity at a passing level in the course with respect to work completed. As a guideline, at least two-thirds of all course requirements should have already been satisfactorily completed, or all work should have been completed except for a final paper, final exam, or final project.

2. The student has been prevented by circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as illness or family emergency, from completing all of the course requirements on time.

Ordinarily, the request for an INC must be submitted by the last day of classes, and an INC should be resolved within one calendar year from when it was assigned unless otherwise indicated by the program. An instructor may set a shorter time frame for completion, if appropriate. An instructor would need approval from the college to set a time frame longer than one year.

When assigning an incomplete grade, the instructor must complete an Explanation of Incomplete Grade form in which they provide a default grade that the student would receive if no further work is completed, along with other essential information. The instructor can update the assigned grade, factoring in additional work the student completes by the deadline, by completing a Change of Grade form.

Ordinarily, a student cannot re-enroll in a course in which they have an unresolved INC. This does not prevent the student from attending some of the course sessions if that aids the completion of the INC. If under exceptional circumstances, a student would benefit from re-enrolling in the class, the student would need to submit a petition to request permission to enroll. Once the INC is resolved, the college policy on repeating a course applies.

Transcripts indicate when a grade has been awarded following an incomplete grade. A grade that was obtained following an incomplete designation becomes a permanent part of the student record even after the incomplete grade has been resolved.

All academic work must be completed by the official conferral date in order to receive a degree on that date. Incomplete academic work will result in a later conferral date.

Additional information regarding the grade of Incomplete:

An incomplete may not be given merely because a student fails to complete all course requirements on time. Such a practice would be open to abuse; by deferring completion of some major course requirement, a student could gain advantage over his or her classmates by obtaining additional time to do a superior job.

An incomplete is not an option that may be elected at the student’s own discretion. While it is the student’s responsibility to initiate a request for a grade of incomplete, reasons for requesting one must meet the above conditions and be acceptable to the instructor, who establishes specific make-up requirements and deadlines for completion within the above parameters.

Students should be aware that they will not have access to college or university resources to complete an incomplete unless they are officially registered with the university.  The AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services can advise students on options.

The consequences of failure to complete all coursework within the time permitted or prior to graduation should be determined when the incomplete is assigned and should be documented on the Explanation of Incomplete form. Once a grade has been assigned, the option to make up the work is lost.  It is the responsibility of the student to see that all incompletes are made up within the deadline and that the grade change has been properly recorded with the AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services. 

Important note regarding sequence courses: The grade of incomplete in a sequence course prevents a student from enrolling in the next course of the sequence unless the student petitions the appropriate program committee to be allowed to continue in the sequence.

For additional information, please refer to university guidelines on incompletes .

Audited Courses

Undergraduate students may not audit any classes. Graduate students are permitted to audit a course, if the course grading option exists, but those credits do not count towards degree requirements.

Academic Review

At the end of each semester, the college’s Academic Review Committee (ARC) reviews the record of each student who is not in good academic standing and decides an appropriate action. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of any potential academic actions given to them if they do not meet the good academic standing criteria. These actions are not necessarily sequential. A student who has received a warning may be placed on a required leave of absence or required withdrawal at the end of the next semester if the performance during that semester is deemed to be grossly deficient. Similarly, a student may be placed on a required leave of absence without first having been issued a warning or placed on final warning.

Warning: This means the student’s performance does not meet expectations. Unless improvement is shown in the subsequent semester, the student may be placed on final warning or given a required leave of absence or required withdrawal from the college.  A student on warning may be required to meet with an advisor in Student Services or the program director to discuss their academic plans.

Final Warning: This indicates the student’s record is unsatisfactory. Unless considerable improvement is shown in the subsequent semester, the student may be given a required leave of absence or required withdrawal from the college. A student on final warning may be required to meet with an advisor in Student Services or program director to discuss their academic plans. They may also need to achieve a specific semester GPA and no failing grades in a subsequent semester.
 

Required Leave of Absence: The student may not continue studies in the college and may not attend classes at Cornell University, including through the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions. The ARC and department may set conditions appropriate to the student’s individual circumstances. Conditions could include the successful completion of coursework (new or incomplete), involvement in community service or an internship, or the submission of evidence that the factors that necessitated the leave have been addressed. The maximum length of a required leave of absence is five years for undergraduate students and three years for professional master’s and delegated degree graduate students.  Students who do not return to study within this time period will be withdrawn from the college.

A return to study in the college after a required leave is at the discretion of the college’s ARC. Students wishing to return from a required leave should submit a Request to Return from Leave of Absence form, found online on the AAP Academic Forms page, an academic plan for completing all remaining degree requirements, and evidence that all conditions have been satisfied and the time has been well used. If employed, the student must submit a letter from the employer(s) verifying employment. If coursework has been completed, official transcripts should be included with the request to return. Requests for spring-semester return must be made by October 1, and requests for fall-semester return must be made by March 1. The ARC decision regarding readmission is final and cannot be appealed. Students denied readmission can reapply the following semester.

A second required leave of absence is a de facto dismissal, and the student will be permanently withdrawn from the college.
 

Required Withdrawal: The student is dismissed from the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning and is permanently prohibited from continuing studies in it.

Appeals: A student who has been placed on a required leave of absence or a required withdrawal from the college has seven days from the time of the decision notification to appeal the ARC decision in writing. The appeal should explain any extenuating circumstances that contributed to the student’s academic performance. Only new information will be considered in the appeal. To ensure timely receipt of the appeal, the appeal should be submitted to the AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services at aap-studentservices@cornell.edu. The college decision on the appeal is final. No further appeals will be considered.

A student who has been denied readmission from a required leave cannot appeal that decision. The student can reapply for readmission in a subsequent semester.

Leaves of Absence

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning grants three types of leaves of absence - personal leave of absence, health leave of absence, and required leave of absence. In absentia status is not currently an option for AAP undergraduate, professional master’s, or delegated graduate degree students. 

Students on any type of leave of absence from AAP are not permitted to enroll in courses at Cornell during their leave, including through the College of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions. Students may take courses at other institutions while on a leave. Credit for courses completed at foreign institutions during a leave of absence will not be accepted for transfer credit unless the student is enrolling in an institution in their country of permanent residence. Before enrolling in classes while on leave, students are strongly encouraged to discuss options and policies with the AAP Registrar in the Office of Student Services.

Students who are considering taking a personal leave or health leave, as well as those who are placed on a required leave of absence, should check with other university offices including the Bursar’s Office, Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment, and Housing and Dining to find out about financial implications. It is recommended that international students connect with the Office of Global Learning regarding any visa implications. It is particularly important for students who have educational loans to contact the Office of Financial Aid. Eligibility for other services, such as insurance, may also be affected during a student’s leave of absence. It is the student’s responsibility to communicate with relevant offices and service providers regarding the leave. 

Students who are granted a leave of absence during the affected semester are responsible for any outstanding tuition or other university charges incurred through the effective date of the leave of absence. Some charges, such as on-campus housing and dining, may continue to accrue until the student no longer utilizes the services, regardless of the official leave date.

All leaves of absence have a maximum term limit dependent on the degree. The maximum length of a leave of absence is five years for undergraduate students and three years for professional master’s and delegated graduate degree students. Students who do not return to study within the time limit will be withdrawn from the university.

1. Personal leaves of absence may be granted for a variety of reasons. The student may request a personal leave of absence by submitting a completed Leave of Absence Request form. If a personal leave is being requested for health reasons, the college may recommend that a health leave of absence be requested instead. Students considering a personal leave request after the drop deadline are strongly encouraged to meet with the AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services to discuss options prior to submitting the request.
   
   The student’s academic status is subject to review at the time of the leave and upon the student’s return. The college and department may approve the leave with conditions. Conditions could include the successful completion of coursework (new or incomplete), involvement in community service or an internship, or the submission of evidence that the factors that necessitated the leave have been addressed.
   
   Students wishing to return from a personal leave should submit a Request to Return from Leave of Absence form with an academic plan for completing all remaining degree requirements to the AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services. The Request to Return from Leave of Absence form can be found online on the AAP Academic Forms Page. Requests for spring-semester return should be made by October 1, and requests for fall-semester return should be made by March 1.
   
   If the leave of absence was granted with conditions, the request to return should clearly state how the conditions of the leave have been satisfied and should include any required documentation. If it is determined that the conditions of the leave have not been satisfied, the request will be denied. The student may appeal in writing within seven days of the decision.  The decision on the appeal is final.  Students denied readmission can request a return in the following semester.
    
2. A health leave of absence is recommended when a student’s medical or mental health condition is found—collaboratively with the student and their health care provider(s)—to significantly impair their ability to function successfully or safely as a student. It is expected that the student uses the time away from the university for treatment and recovery. A health leave of absence will be granted by the college upon the recommendation of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) or Cornell Health. 
   
   The student’s academic status is subject to review at the time of the leave and upon the student’s return. 
   
   Students wishing to return from a health leave of absence must notify both Cornell Health and the college. The college strongly encourages students to follow the college deadlines as they differ from those of Cornell Health and are earlier. Completing the request to return process as early as possible affords students more time to prepare for their return to study. 

A checklist for returning from a health leave of absence can be found online on the Cornell Health website. Please note that Cornell Health deadlines and procedures may change, and students should always refer to the Cornell Health website for the most up-to-date information regarding health leaves of absence.

3. Required leaves of absence for academic reasons may be required by the Academic Review Committee if the student is not in good academic standing. A required leave may supersede a previously approved personal leave of absence. Please see the detailed description in the Academic Review section.

Prorated Tuition

In exceptional circumstances, students may be eligible for prorated tuition in their final semester of study. Students must have already completed the minimum number of semesters expected by their degree program.

Specifically:

• B.Arch. students who have completed ten full-time semesters (or equivalent) may be eligible for prorated tuition in the eleventh and final semester;
• B.F.A. students who have completed eight full-time semesters (or equivalent) may be eligible for prorated tuition in the ninth and final semester;
• B.S. students who have completed eight full-time semesters (or equivalent) may be eligible for prorated tuition in the ninth and final semester;
• M.Arch. students who have completed seven full-time semesters (or equivalent) may be eligible for prorated tuition in the eighth and final semester;
• M.R.P., M.F.A. Visual Arts, and M.S. AAD four-semester students who have completed four full-time semesters (or equivalent) may be eligible for prorated tuition in the fifth and final semester;
• M.S. AUD and M.S. AAD three-semester students who have completed three full-time semesters (or equivalent) may be eligible for prorated tuition in the fourth and final semester;
• M.F.A. Image Text students do not qualify for prorated tuition. 

Students applying for prorated tuition are required to meet with the AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services to confirm eligibility. Eligible students may apply to prorate up to 9 credit hours during the final semester. The application deadline for prorated tuition is the third week of classes in the affected semester, and earlier submission is strongly encouraged. Applications require both college and university approval. 

For students in the AAP Professional Master’s and Delegated Graduate Degree programs, approval of the student’s Program Director (or designee) and the college registrar is required for all prorated tuition requests. Approval is conditional until grades are finalized for the semester immediately preceding the semester for which prorated tuition is requested. If final grades indicate more than the approved number of credits is required for graduation, the application to prorate tuition must be reconsidered. In the case where graduation requirements are not met during the semester of prorated tuition, full tuition will be charged for subsequent study at Cornell during the fall or spring semesters.

Deviating from the Curriculum, Policies, or Procedures

Students wishing to deviate from degree requirements and/or request exceptions to any college or department policy or procedure must petition the academic department for permission. All petitions must be submitted prior to the act and with the faculty advisor’s signature. Course enrollment petitions may also require the instructor’s signature. Petitions should be submitted only if there are clearly extraordinary circumstances that merit special consideration. Petitions that are granted can only be reversed by subsequent petition. Petitions that are denied, can be appealed, but cannot be re-petitioned. Petition forms are available online on the AAP Academic Forms page.

Appeals: A student has seven days from the time of the petition decision notification to appeal the decision in writing. Late appeals will not be considered. Appeals should be submitted directly to the academic department for review and vote by the faculty. Appeal forms are available online on the AAP Academic Forms page. The faculty decision on the appeal is final. No further appeals will be considered. Failure to comply with any petition decision may result in review by the ARC.

AAP Undergraduate Academic Policies

 The following academic policies apply to all undergraduate students (B.Arch., B.F.A., and B.S.), in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning in addition to program-specific policies. 

Academic Standing

To be in a good academic standing, an AAP undergraduate student must:

1. Successfully complete a minimum of 12 academic credits* each semester; and
2. Earn a minimum semester grade point average (GPA) of 2.300; and
3. Comply with college and department curriculum and rules.

In addition, a minimum GPA of 2.000 is required for graduation.

*Please note the following college policies on nonacademic credit and repeated courses with regard to academic standing

Course Load and Credit Limit

Each semester, students are expected to enroll in the courses stipulated in their published curriculum. AAP students are required to enroll in a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20 academic credits.

Transfer Credit

In order for transfer credit to be accepted by AAP, the coursework must:

• Be completed at a regionally accredited* institution in the United States or the student’s country of permanent residence;
• Be completed for a letter grade of C or better; and
• Be equivalent in rigor to a Cornell course, as judged by:

o Course content and/or
o The use of a textbook similar to that used in the parallel Cornell course and/or
o The use of examinations, writing assignments, projects, portfolios, or other submitted work that is substantially similar to those required in a similar Cornell course and/or
o Substantial similarity in meeting hours of the Cornell and non-Cornell course

The AAP Registrar in the Office of Admissions and Student Services reviews all transfer credit to ensure that it meets the minimum college and university transfer credit criteria.  This requires the submission of an official, sealed transcript. If the coursework meets college and university criteria, it will be applied as free/out-of-department elective credit. 

Current AAP students wishing to receive credit toward a specific degree requirement must submit a petition. Consult with the AAP Registrar regarding this process. Please note that First-Year Writing Seminars and mathematics and quantitative reasoning courses have their own approval processes. More information is available at the following links:

• First-Year Writing Seminar Transfer Credit
• Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning Transfer Credit

Questions about transfer credit should be directed to the AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services.

* Regional accrediting organizations include: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC); Commission on Institutions of Higher Education; Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC-CIHE); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Transfer Credit for Courses Taken While in High School

Cornell University DOES NOT ACCEPT credit for courses sponsored by colleges or universities but taught in the high school to high school students, even if the college provides a transcript of such work.

Course work completed while in high school may be considered for credit if there is sufficient evidence that:

1. The course was a standard course available to all students registered at the college/university;
2. The course syllabus, text(s), examinations, and evaluation processes are the same for all enrolled students at all teaching sites;
3. The course instructor is a faculty member (includes adjunct) at the offering college; and
4. The course was not used to fulfill high school requirements

Students must submit an Application for Credit Earned while in High School and an official college transcript to the AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services. The Application for Credit Earned while in High School is available online on the AAP Academic Forms page.

After all documentation has been verified, coursework will be applied as free/out-of-department elective credit as outlined above. Please contact the AAP Office of Admissions and Student Services for additional information.

Advanced Placement Credit

Advanced placement credit refers to college credit that students earn before they enter Cornell as first-year students. Credit may be earned from Advanced Placement Examinations (AP Exams) from the College Examination Board (CEEB), General Certification of Education Advanced Level (“A” Level Exams) and International Baccalaureate Examinations, and Cornell department examinations (CASE). Its primary purpose is to exempt students from introductory courses and to place them in advanced courses. Its value is that it allows students to include more advanced courses in their course of study.

Advanced placement credit is applied as free/out-of-department elective credit only, with the exception of up to one First-Year Writing Seminar for B.F.A. and B.S. URS students. B.F.A. and B.S. URS students earning a score of 5 on one English literature and English language exam will receive 3 credits which will be applied towards one First-Year Writing Seminar. B.F.A. and B.S. URS students earning a score of 5 on both English literature and English language exams will receive 3 credits towards one First-Year Writing Seminar and 3 credits towards the free elective requirement. B.Arch. students cannot apply Advanced Placement credit towards their one required First-Year Writing Seminar. B.Arch. students earning a score of 5 on either English literature or English language will have the corresponding credits applied towards the free/out-of-department elective credit only.

Advanced placement credit may not be applied toward core major requirements or requirements in the humanities and social sciences (CA, FL, HA, KCM, LA, SBA), physical and biological sciences (PBS, BIO, PHS), or mathematics and quantitative reasoning (MQR, SDS, SMR).

For additional information, please refer to the university guidelines regarding advanced placement credit .

AAP Professional Master’s and Delegated Graduate Degree Academic Policies

The following academic policies apply to all professional master’s and delegated graduate degree students (M.Arch., M.F.A. Image Text, M.F.A. Visual Arts, M.R.P., M.S. AAD, and M.S. AUD) in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning in addition to program-specific policies. 

Academic Standing

To be in a good academic standing in a professional master’s and delegated graduate degree student must:

• Successfully complete a minimum of 12 academic credits for full-time programs; and 
• Earn the minimum semester grade point average (GPA) as outlined by program; and
• Follow the prescribed program curriculum and comply with all university, college, and program policies including any grade requirements for core courses.

Course Load and Credit Limit

Students are required to follow the semester-by-semester required curriculum outlined in this catalog by program. Full-time students are required to enroll in a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 22 academic credits per semester unless otherwise indicated by the program. M.R.P students may enroll in a maximum of 18 academic credits. Part-time students are required to enroll in a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 11 academic credits per semester unless otherwise indicated by the program. Students must petition the program committee for permission to enroll in over or under the credit limit. Petitions must be submitted prior to enrollment. Students deviating from the schedule of non-elective courses outlined in the curriculum must have an adjusted curricular plan approved by petition.

Online Instruction Limit

Students have a 3 credit limit of online instruction for the duration of their program.