Academic Policies

All students must have a 2.75 grade point average at the time of application and maintain this GPA during the semester before studying abroad at the JFRC. It is not permitted to study at the John Felice Rome Center with multiple outstanding incompletes. Any student with a pending incomplete in the previous semester before attending the JFRC will be required to submit an appeal to the Office of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the JFRC.  

The collective health of the JFRC community is everyone’s responsibility. The JFRC will conduct all activity according to policies and best practices as prescribed by the Italian Ministries of Health and Education, and in consultation with the Loyola University Chicago main campus. These policies will be subject to change as the situation warrants.

Students are responsible to ensure that all pre-requisites have been met with the assistance of their academic advisor at the main campus (for Loyola students) or at their home school (partnering students) before coming abroad.   

Except for those students who have previously successfully completed the equivalent of a university-level course in the Italian language or those who demonstrate native fluency and proficiency, all students are required to register for Italian 101. Enrollment in ITAL 101 is the JFRC’s program requirement and it cannot be waived or replaced by another language. Auditing ITAL 101 and/or withdrawing from it is not permitted.   

The JFRC considers electronic mail an official form of communication between the JFRC and the student, using the official @luc.edu e-mail address that is provided by the university to every enrolled student. Students are responsible for all communications sent by the JFRC to their Loyola e-mail accounts. 

Certain courses at the John Felice Rome Center are subject to supplemental fees. These fees are in addition to the tuition and room and board fees that appear on a student’s bill for the semester, and they are charged to the student’s Locus account shown as “JFRC Course Fees.” These mandatory fees are highlighted on the course schedule and on the Rome Center website.  They are required for various reasons including covering the costs of course materials, on-site visits and entrance fees, and other expenses related to courses.   

Some JFRC courses require textbooks, novels and other course materials that need to be purchased by the student. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm the required materials needed in their classes and to purchase those within a timely manner at the start of the semester in Rome. The JFRC administration will provide information for several locations in Rome where English-language versions of books will be available for purchase.   

No special accommodations will be made for individual student travel. The Rome Center supports travel as an opportunity for personal growth by offering excursions and trips throughout Italy and Europe. In addition, there are no classes on Friday (with the exception of 2-3 Friday class days per semester) to facilitate individual travel. Personal travel, including travel that incurs delays back to campus, is not a permitted excuse for absences or lateness. For that reason, no exams or quizzes are to be made up if missed for reasons of travel. Students are responsible for communicating any lateness or absence due to travel to the correct parties at the JFRC (Student Life, faculty, etc.). 

Simultaneous enrollment in JFRC courses and LSC/WTC courses is not permitted while studying at the Rome Center. Simultaneous enrollment in JFRC courses and LUC online sections is not permitted while studying at the Rome Center. The minimum of 4 courses must be taken at the Rome Center campus in person to comply with student visa regulations. Enrollment in sections outside of the JFRC is not permitted.  

The Rome Center holds classes four days a week, Monday through Thursday. On average, 2-3 Friday class days will be scheduled during any given semester. These Fridays will be indicated in the semester’s academic calendar (both on the website and on campus, on the academic bulletin board on campus, and on course syllabi. The purpose of these Friday class days is to recuperate any class time lost from any holidays. These classes are obligatory for all students and no exemptions will be granted for travel or any other personal reason. Should a student choose to travel during these or any other scheduled class days, he or she will simply be marked absent. Note that individual courses may occasionally include events or visits on Fridays or otherwise outside the typical schedule that are obligatory for that course; students should check syllabi for such instances in order to avoid unexcused absences.  

Final examinations are given during the scheduled examination period each semester. Additional tests or examinations may be given during the semester as often as deemed helpful by the instructor. Students who miss any scheduled exam or quiz, including a final exam at the assigned hours will not be permitted to sit for a make-up examination without approval of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Permission is given rarely and only for grave reason; travel is not considered a grave reason. Make-up exams will only be given for documented absences.  

Mid-term examinations and/or assignments are administered around the mid-semester break. Student progress is assessed after mid-term so that students who are not performing to established academic standards may be informed of their academic progress far enough in advance to take corrective steps. Early academic alert notices are issued to students who are not performing at acceptable levels; notices may also be sent to the students' deans and/or study abroad coordinators if deemed appropriate. The policy concerning travel and make-up examinations for missed mid-term exams is identical to that for all exams.  

Absence due to a serious illness must be reported to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs prior to the examination and later substantiated by a written statement from the physician in attendance. Absences due to quarantine will be handled on a case-by-case basis. In cases where proper permission has not been granted, a grade of "F" will be assigned. In instances where proper authorization has been granted, the student may take a make-up exam by following the make-up procedure outlined above.  

In accordance with established policy at the home campus, exams must be held at the time and location indicated on the academic calendar and final exam schedule. Faculty have been instructed not to hold exams during the last week of class. With the exception of a short quiz, no exams are permitted during the last week of classes before final exams.    

If students have more than three examinations in the same day, they may appeal to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to shift one of the exams to another day. After securing advance permission and in consultation with the Associate Dean and faculty member, an alternative time can be arranged at a mutually agreed upon time.   

It is expected that students will attend and participate actively in all class meetings both on-campus and on-site. Class participation is an essential part of the grading policy of each instructor. All JFRC courses have the same attendance policy as is indicated explicitly on course syllabi.   

JFRC Attendance Policy is as follows:  

In accordance with the JFRC mission to promote a higher level of academic rigor, all courses adhere to the following absence policy. Prompt attendance, preparation and active participation in course discussions are expected from every student.   

• For all classes meeting once a week, students cannot incur more than one absence.   
• For all classes meeting twice a week, students cannot incur more than two absences.   
• For all classes meeting three times a week, students cannot incur more than two absences.   

The final course grade will drop by 1% for each absence beyond the allowance specified.  

Attendance is mandatory in class including on all scheduled Friday class days. Students should consult the on-campus nurse or call the on-call doctor if they are sick. The collective health of the JFRC is everyone’s responsibility. DO NOT ATTEND CLASS IF YOU ARE ILL. In the event of missed classes due to sickness or the obligation to quarantine, the offices of the JFRC Academic Dean and Student Life will work with students and professors to ensure access to course content.   

Should a student’s home university have certain requirements or regulations regarding academics while abroad, it is the student’s responsibility to familiarize him or herself with such policies. While studying at the Rome Center, all students are considered Loyola University Chicago students, and are therefore subject to LUC policies and requirements.  

Any student that is registered with the Student Accessibility Center (SAC) at Loyola Chicago’s home campus, or any comparable office at another institution, will be accommodated at the Rome Center as reasonably and as closely to their accommodations at their home campus as possible.   

To request academic accommodations, official documentation from LUC’s Student Accessibility Center is required. Verification of such services must come directly from Student Accessibility Center personnel (not the student) to the Office of the Academic Dean at the JFRC. It will then be the students’ responsibility to confirm the use of their academic accommodations where applicable at the JFRC, after which the Office of the Academic Dean will provide written verification of the approved accommodations to the students’ faculty members. Examples of applicable accommodations may include extended time for tests and quizzes, priority seating, use of audio recording software, and a distraction-reduced testing space. Students should know that certain accommodations are not applicable while studying at the JFRC.   

Specific instructions for coordinating accommodations related to a distraction-reduced testing space will be provided by the Office of the Academic Dean, but students should note the following:    

• Scheduling and proctoring of exams and quizzes in a distracted-reduced testing space will require coordination between the student, instructor and the Academic Dean’s Office. Please note that the JFRC does not have access to the “Accommodate” system.
• Students are responsible for communicating with their individual instructors and the Dean’s Office to schedule their examinations. Accommodations will not be provided to students who neglect to reach out about scheduling. Below please find the timeline for scheduling a distraction-reduced testing space and proctor:   

• Students can choose to opt out of using SAC accommodations and/or opt back in, but only if the request comes seven (7) days before the exam/quiz (for those other than midterm/final) or two (2) weeks before the midterm/final exam. No petitions for SAC accommodations will be granted beyond those dates and no accommodations are retroactive.   

With the JFRC’s limited resources, collaboration and flexibility is appreciated during this procedure. The Rome Center is committed to providing all reasonable accommodations where possible.  

As one of the campuses of Loyola University Chicago, the Rome Center is committed to academic rigor and excellence. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty of any kind are unacceptable and will not tolerated. Students are advised to familiarize themselves with Loyola’s standards here: http://www.luc.edu/academics/catalog/undergrad/reg_academicintegrity.shtml. Students are responsible to comply with the LUC Student Handbook.  

Students should register for all courses as regularly graded courses. For inquiries about pass-no pass and/or audit, please inquire with the JFRC dean’s office for additional information.  

Students may withdraw from class with the final grade of “W” provided this is done before the conclusion of the tenth week of class. Withdrawal after the change of registration period but before the withdraw deadline will result as a “W” on a student’s transcript. Withdrawal after the deadline will result in a “WF” on a student’s transcript. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for further information on dates and deadlines.   

Students may not withdraw from class if doing so will drop them below the 12 semester hour credit minimum required of students in attendance at the Rome Center. Official withdrawals can be made via the LOCUS system or with guidance from the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs.   

Please note that withdrawal from Italian 101 is not permitted, as this course is a requirement for all Rome Center students with no previous Italian experience  

Students are encouraged to seek resolutions for any course-related complaints directly with their course instructor. If a student feels that the issue has not been sufficiently resolved, they can bring their issue forward to the attention of the Dean’s office. If a resolution cannot be found between the student and the instructor, students are required to follow Loyola University’s Academic Grievance Policies as indicated here: https://www.luc.edu/academics/catalog/undergrad/reg_academicgrievance.shtml  

Students must register for a total of 6 credits (2 courses) as regularly graded courses. During the first two days of classes, students will be permitted to elect a change of registration with the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs.  After that publicized deadline, no changes will be made to a student’s schedule.   

To promote the academic rigor of the John Felice Rome Center curriculum, students are not permitted to elect the pass/fail option during a summer session.

Students are expected to arrive in Rome with their required course materials already in their possession. Summer course texts are available for purchase at the LUC bookstore (both online and in person). There is no guarantee that the required materials will be available in Rome if a student neglects to obtain them before they come. 

In accordance with the JFRC mission to promote a higher level of academic rigor, all courses adhere to the following attendance policy. Prompt attendance, preparation and active participation in course discussions are expected from every student. Any lateness or leaving class early will impact the final course grade.  

Attendance is mandatory at every class meeting for each course. Absence due to sickness or injury needs to be corroborated by a doctor’s note. Students late to class twice will be credited with one absence in accordance with the JFRC’s Attendance policy. Three (3) absences will result in an automatic failure (F). Travel does not constitute reason to miss class.  

Students studying at the Rome Center during the summer semester must be enrolled in two (2) classes for credit. Students will have until the end of the business day on the second day of classes to make any changes to their course schedule. Any changes after the second day of classes may result in “W” or “WF.” Students may not withdraw from a class if doing so will drop them below the six (6) semester credit hour minimum required of students in attendance at the Rome Center summer program.  

All students must sit for their final examinations on the day and time scheduled.  No exams are to be given on another day or at another time without consent from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.  Travel plans or other personal commitments may not interfere with already scheduled finals.