Enrollment, Registration, and Course Policies

Academic Advising

Full-time faculty serve as academic advisors and assist in course selection, selecting and declaring a major, and as mentors to support and help if the advisee is experiencing difficulties with his or her program of studies. Prior to the first semester of matriculation, students are assigned a faculty advisor based on their expressed academic interest. After that, students may select another advisor, often when officially declaring a major through the Office of the Registrar. The advising program is administered by the Office of Undergraduate Studies. The University maintains membership in the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), and regularly updates an Academic Advising site in Brightspace, the University’s learning management system. Its online advising and registration system is called Student Planning.

Registration for Courses

Students register in order of seniority: seniors, juniors, sophomores, first years. Registration follows advising and advisor course approval in Student Planning in late March/early April (fall semester) and early November (spring semester). Students may not register for any course that has not been approved by an academic advisor. Payment of all tuition and fees is required before registration is considered complete. A student not enrolled in a degree program must submit a visiting student application on the Office of the Registrar’s website. Intersession (January Term) courses are planned, approved, and registered for along with spring courses. Summer Semesters I and II courses are planned, approved, and registered for along with fall semester classes each spring.

Course Load

The expected course load for a full-time undergraduate student is five courses, which equals 15 credits or more. Students should be aware that withdrawing from a course or registering for fewer than 15 credits will necessitate summer, intersession, or additional fall/spring courses in order to graduate. Most courses meet for 150 minutes per week, either three times a week for 50-minute sessions or twice a week for 75-minute sessions.

Course Overload

Students in good standing may carry a sixth 3 or 4-credit course for the semester. Students who earn Dean’s List after the fall semester are permitted a free sixth course in the spring semester. Students who earn Dean's List after the spring semester are permitted a free sixth course over the summer or in the fall, but not both. The Dean's List credit does not apply to Intersession. During add/drop, students must contact the Office of the Registrar to be registered for the sixth course. Students who study abroad in the semester subsequent to their Dean’s Listing may request a free sixth course for the following fall or spring semester, only. Students are responsible for any special, non-tuition fees associated with a Dean’s List free course, such as a lab fee or studio art fee. Students not on the Dean’s List will be billed per credit after the normal load of 15 credits. These students are required to make payment before they are registered for the sixth course. All students requesting more than six courses will be required to obtain permission from the Office of the Registrar.

Course Adjustment

After the initial course registration, students may adjust their course selection during all-school adjustment periods or during drop/add in the first week of fall or spring classes. Summer Semesters do not have an add/drop period, but students may drop a summer course on the first day of class without the course appearing on their transcript as a withdrawal. After that, the only way to change one’s schedule is by withdrawal from a course, permitted through the 12th week of classes in fall/spring semesters, and through the second to last day of class in summer semesters. Failure to attend classes or to participate in online work does not constitute a withdrawal. Students must submit the Withdraw from a Course form found on the Registrar’s webpage. In fall/spring semesters, students are not permitted to withdraw from more than one course if this changes their status to that of a part-time student, carrying fewer than 12 credit hours. Students should be aware that withdrawing from a course or registering for fewer than 15 credits will necessitate summer, intersession, or additional fall/spring courses in order to graduate, which adds to the overall cost of a completed degree.

Full-Time and Part-Time Status

To qualify as a full-time student, a student must be enrolled for least at least 12 credits per semester. Only full-time students (carrying at least 12 credits) are eligible for federal, state, or University financial aid and for on-campus housing. In order to complete the bachelor’s degree in eight semesters (four years), however, students must register for 15 credits per semester. A full-time, matriculating student is charged the full-time tuition rate. Students carrying fewer than 12 credits per semester must request a part-time status form from the Registrar’s Office to be considered part time; otherwise, they will be charged full-time tuition. Part-time students are not eligible for any non-need-based university funding (e.g. merit scholarships/grants) or on-campus housing. Part-time students may be eligible for federal, state, or university need based financial aid. A part-time student is subject to the same academic regulations and degree requirements as a full-time degree candidate. In addition, part-time students must maintain an acceptable degree of academic progress and continuity of studies. Part-time students are not eligible for the Dean’s List. Part-time students are charged per credit. A full-time, matriculating student may become a part-time degree candidate by requesting a part-time student form from the Office of the Registrar; the form must be renewed each semester.

Non-Matriculation Status

A non-matriculating student is one who is not a candidate for a degree. Non-matriculating students should complete the Visiting Student Registration form available on the Office of the Registrar's webpage. A non-matriculating student is subject to the same academic regulations and discipline as a degree candidate; however, they are given no class rank and are not eligible for academic honors. A non-matriculating student is charged at a per-credit rate, plus additional fees as determined by the University. A non-matriculating student may request to become a full-time or part-time degree candidate by officially applying through the Admissions Office. The usual policy is to permit a maximum of 12 credits to be transferred from the non-matriculated status to the matriculated status.

Auditing

To register as an auditor in a course, students must obtain the written permission of the course instructor and the University Registrar. Auditors pay the regular tuition charge. An auditor attends the class but does not receive a grade or credit.

Undergraduate Registration in Graduate Courses

Seniors are permitted to enroll in a graduate course numbered 500 and above if the course is in their declared major or minor field or in a related discipline. Undergraduate students who enroll in graduate courses must meet the criteria established by the graduate program that offers the course and obtain written permission from the relevant department chairperson and the relevant graduate program director. The class, once approved, will be added by the Registrar’s Office.

Teach-Out Policy

In the event the University can no longer sustain operations, or if an existing University academic program closes, sunsets, or loses external accreditation, a plan for teaching out currently matriculated students will be determined in accordance with NECHE policies and federal law and will be provided to the affected students.

Attendance Regulations

Students are expected to be prompt and regular in their attendance at all classes and laboratories, to prepare assignments with care, to turn in reports and papers on schedule, and to take an active part in class discussions. Students who have been absent from class for medically documented reasons or for other very serious life occurrence for two or more consecutive classes should notify the Provost Office, provide documentation, and specify the days absent. The Provost Office notifies faculty members of the documented absence but does not excuse the student from meeting course requirements set by the instructor. For absences of fewer than two consecutive classes the student should contact instructors directly, providing whatever documentation is requested.

A student who is absent from a final examination because of serious illness or emergency may request a make-up examination. Such a request must be presented in a timely fashion to Office of Undergraduate Studies, and such a request cannot be for a course the student has completed. Sitting an examination indicates the student is in good enough health to take it and understands it will be counted. Documented serious illness or emergency are the only acceptable excuses for missing an examination. Any exception to this rule must be authorized by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs after consultation with the student’s professor. To evaluate intellectual progress and mastery of knowledge and skills, the University requires students in all courses to fulfill the final requirement by taking an examination (written or oral), or writing a paper, or completing a project. This concluding exercise must be completed during the end-of-semester final examination period.