About Peirce:

Compliance/Consumer Information

The following is a brief overview of the information that Peirce College is required to provide to current and prospective students, faculty, and staff. The list provides links to other departmental sites that disclose specific information that is in compliance with:

  • Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics
  • Pennsylvania Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990
  • Higher Education Amendments of 1965, as amended
  • Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • The Student Right-to-Know Act
  • Drug-free Workplace Act of 1988
  • Drug-free Schools and Communities Act

If you have any questions please refer to the department or person listed at each site.

Acceptable Use Policy
Accreditation and Licensing
Alcohol and Drugs
Costs of Attending
Bookstore
Degree Programs and Catalogs
Disability Services
Equal Opportunity
Graduation Rates
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
Security and Safety Services
Withdrawal
How to Register to Vote

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Acceptable Use Policy

The purpose of the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is to give the employees and students of Peirce College an understanding of the guidelines for acceptable usage of technology at Peirce College. Access to the Peirce College computing, networking facilities and resources is a privilege granted solely to Peirce faculty, staff, and students. Students and employees are responsible for checking this website periodically to learn about and read the AUP.

Acceptable Use Policy
Student Handbook (pages 43-48)

Employee Handbook Section E (secure access)

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Accreditation and Licensing

The College is authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to award the Associate in Science and Bachelor of Science degrees. Peirce College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, phone 215-662-5606. The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accredits the Business Administration program. The Paralegal Studies program is recognized and approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

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Alcohol and Drugs

Student Handbook (pages 66 - 69)

Employee Handbook Section G (secure access)

Peirce complies with all federal, state, and local laws which prohibit the use, possession, and sale of illegal drugs. The College neither condones nor shields from prosecution students, faculty, staff, or visitors found in violation. Peirce College prohibits its students and employees from using, possessing, manufacturing, selling, distributing, or dispensing illegal drugs while on the premises of the College and while off campus participating in any College sponsored activity or event.

Peirce College complies with all federal, state, and local laws which regulate the sale, possession, and use of alcohol while on the premises of the College and while off campus participating in any College sponsored activity or event. The College neither condones nor shields from prosecution any individual found in violation of the Pennsylvania liquor control laws. Peirce College maintains a strong commitment to programs that promote the health, well-being, and safety of its students and employees and the security of its premises. To sustain this commitment successfully, the College has established its Alcohol and Illegal Drugs Policy to protect students from the adverse effects of alcoholic beverages and the use of illegal drugs. The Handbook for Employees of Peirce College contains a similar Substance Abuse Policy.

See also: Counseling at the Walker Center for Academic Excellence, the Alcohol Education site of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs site of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

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Costs of Attending

The Student Financial Services site presents a thorough, detailed overview of the costs associated with attending Peirce College, including:

  • Tuition and fees, books and supplies, and applicable transportation
  • Refunds and repayment policies
  • Additional costs for certain programs of study

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Bookstore

The Peirce College Online Store offers students a high-capacity electronic commerce system over the Internet employing the latest Internet security technology. Through eCampus.com, you can purchase textbooks and related course materials, track previous orders, sell your old textbooks and much more.


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Degree Programs and Catalogs

Click on the hyperlinks for access to current (2006-2007) and past (2005-2006, 2004-2005, 2003-2004) Peirce College catalogs that contain summaries of campus facilities, programs, and services; description of the college, departments, major programs of study, degree requirements, course descriptions, and faculty listings.

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Disability Services

Peirce College is committed to ensuring that students with persons with disabilities are provided equal access to educational programs and activities.

If a prospective or current employee believes that he or she requires a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Manager, Compensation, Benefits and Risk, who is a member of the Human Resources Department and is available at 3R Alumni Hall (215-670-9277).

If a prospective or current student believes he or she requires a reasonable accommodation or has a question regarding educational services, activities, programs, or facilities that are accessible to or usable by students with disabilities, please contact the Facilitator, Perkins Grant/Student Disability Services Coordinator, who is available at the Mary W. Walker '33 Center for Academic Excellence, 2 Alumni Hall (215-670-9251).

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Graduation Rates

In order for students to make more informed decisions about attending college, Peirce College makes the following completion and graduation rates available in accordance with the federal Student Right-to-Know Act.

The following completion and graduation rates are based upon a limited cohort of 92 first-time, full-time, degree/ certificate-seeking students who entered during the Fall 2000 term. These students were tracked over a six-year period to determine their academic outcomes. Please note that these rates may not be representative of the entire student population of the College. [The graduation rates represent the cohort only and do not include students who completed their degree or certificate after the six-year tracking period, or students who attended the College in a part-time capacity.]


Definitions

First-time undergraduate student: An entering undergraduate who has never attended an institution of higher education. Includes a student enrolled in the fall term who attended a postsecondary institution for the first time in the prior summer term, and a student who entered with advanced standing (college credit earned before graduation from high school).

Completer: The student completed an AS, BS, or certificate by August 31, 2005.

Normal time: The amount of time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate according to the College's catalog. This is typically:

  • four years (eight 14-week semesters or 16 seven-week sessions) for a bachelor's degree
  • two years (four 14-week semesters or 8 seven-week sessions) for an associate degree
  • one year (two 14-week semesters or 4 seven-week sessions) for certificate programs

The following formula was used to calculate a completion rate for the fall 2000 entering cohort: Number of entering students who completed their program within 150% of the normal time for completion: six years for a bachelor's degree, three years for an associate's degree, and one and one-half years for a certificate program

34% of the Peirce College 2000 entering cohort graduated within 150% of normal time

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The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Peirce College Family Educational Rights and Privacy policy explains your rights with respect to your education records at Peirce College. Peirce College complies fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (FERPA), and makes public notification of the law. This "official notice" is incorporated into the Peirce College Student Handbook (pages 58-60) and is available in the Center for Enrollment Services, the Library, the Walker Center for Academic Excellence and the security desks.

See also: The U.S. Department of Education, Family Policy Compliance Office, and General Guidance for Students at
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/
fpco/ferpa/students.html.

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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to date, most reported cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the United States have been acquired during international travel to countries where SARS is being transmitted in the community. In this country, only a small number of suspected or probable cases of SARS have been detected among exposed health-care personnel and household contacts of SARS patients. Casual contact with SARS patients at schools, other institutions, or public gatherings (e.g., attending the same class or meeting) has not resulted in documented transmission in the United States.

Please go to the CDC web site for more information about SARS: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health, http://www.phila.gov/health located at 500 South Broad Street, is an additional resource and may be reached at 215-685-6740.

If you have visited a country that is identified as an area with documented or suspected community transmission of SARS and exhibit symptoms as described by CDC, please contact a Peirce College representative.


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Security and Safety Services

This page provides the information necessary to comply with the Campus Security Act of 1990 including the Jeanne Cleary Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and includes:

  • The annual Safety Services report , which is submitted to the U.S. Department of Education and the Pennsylvania State Police
  • Types and locations, on and off campus, of crimes for the past three years
  • Policy regarding procedures for reporting crimes
  • Policy concerning security of and access to campus facilities
  • Policy concerning campus law enforcement
  • Types of security and crime prevention programs offered:
    • Emergency Telephone Number
    • Identification Cards
    • Safety Tips
    • Walking Escort Service

  • Policy concerning the monitoring of criminal activity at off campus locations
  • Policy concerning the use, sale, and distribution of alcohol and illegal drugs
  • Description of drug and alcohol abuse and sexual assault programs

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Withdrawal

Students who wish to withdraw from full-time or part-time study at the College are eligible for a refund of tuition as described in the Student Handbook. By registering, students accept responsibility for paying for the entire term, regardless of the method of payment used and number of days of class attendance. Accordingly, students are responsible for completing the required paperwork to withdraw from a course.

Withdrawal forms are also available through Program Advisors, online at Enrollment and Advising Forms, and in the Office of Enrollment Services. Student Handbook (page 24). Any student, who decides to withdrawal, should talk with his/her financial aid representative, as it could have financial ramifications, and their program advisor.

There are the two electronic ways to drop/add/withdraw from a class:

1. To Drop/Add/Withdraw On Campus classes only:

  1. Go to the registration form
  2. Complete the form
  3. Click on the Submit button
  4. Peirce Enrollment Services (215-670-9380) will process your form and email a confirmation to you.

2. To Drop/Add/Withdraw Online classes only:

  1. Log into www.peirceonline.net
  2. Click on the Enrollment and Drop tab at the top of the page
  3. Follow the steps to complete the form and submit it
  4. Peirce Enrollment Services (215-670-9380) will process your form and email a confirmation to you.

A schedule of courses can be found here. If you need a copy of your check-off sheet (your master list of which classes you need to take), please contact your Program Advisor.

To Drop/Add/Withdrawal Corporate College classes only:

a) Contact your program advisor via phone or e-mail (advisor contact information can be found on your program grid) to notify them of the course of action you would like to take.

If you are unable to locate your grid or would like to contact the Corporate College department to provide the correct contact information, please call 1-888-GO-PEIRCE, ext. 9414 or e-mail corporate@peirce.edu.

b) Your advisor will complete and process the appropriate form on your behalf.

To Drop/Add/Withdrawal Open Access classes, only:

a) Contact your program advisor via phone or e-mail (advisor contact information can be found on your program grid) to notify them of the course of action you would like to take.

If you are unable to locate your grid or would like to contact the Hotline, please call 1-888-GO-PEIRCE, ext. 9142 or e-mail registration@peirce.edu

b) Your advisor will complete and process the appropriate form on your behalf.

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How to Register to Vote

In order to vote in a local, state, or national election in Pennsylvania, you must register to vote. The Department of State administers voter registration for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Information about how to register to vote can be found by clicking on the link Voter Registration Information.

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