Registration

Change of Registration

In 16-week courses, students may add classes through the first week of the semester. Students may drop classes through the second week of the semester. No grade will be assigned for such dropped courses, and any refunds will be applied according to the University Course Schedule .

Students may make all registration changes in person in the Office of the Registrar or online. The schedule of tuition refunds for dropped courses is published in the section on “Financial Information” of this catalog as well as each semester in the University Course Schedule .

Lower-and Upper-Division Courses

All University courses are assigned numbers which designate their general level of difficulty. Courses numbered 100 to 299 are lower-division courses and are generally taken by freshmen and sophomores. Courses numbered 300 to 499 are upper-division courses and are generally taken by juniors and seniors, usually after they have taken lower-division courses in the department. Upper-division courses often have prerequisites. Courses numbered 500 and above are graduate level courses and are open to undergraduate students only under special conditions.

Student Course Load

Students may register for no more than 18 credit hours each semester, unless a greater number is approved by their advisor and the dean prior to registration. Students requesting to register for more than 18 credits should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Full-time/Part-time Status

Students attempting 12 or more hours during a semester are considered full-time students. Those attempting fewer than 12 hours during a semester are considered part-time students.

Independent Study

Independent study is defined as an individual course of study designed by the student together with a faculty member, and directed by a faculty member. Independent study requires agreement of a plan of study and approval of the faculty member, department chair, and dean prior to registration. The program of reading, exams, research, experimentation or field work, along with discussions, is mutually agreed upon. Independent study is offered by a department or program only to its majors or minors. A student applying for independent study should be a junior or senior with at least a 3.00 GPA. Students can obtain the independent study form from the office of the dean of the college. All conditions and approvals of independent study must be completed prior to the registration period, and late registration is not permitted for independent study. The independent study form must accompany the registration form in order for the registration to be processed.

Auditing Courses

Students may audit courses for a fee. See the University Course Schedule . The instructor’s permission on the audit form is required. The fee must be paid at the time of enrollment and is non-refundable. Auditors are subject to the conditions of enrollment established by the instructor, but do not take course examinations. Students who audit a course must establish regular attendance during the first two weeks of class or they will be submitted as a “No Show.” No credit is earned for audited courses, but the course name and the designation “AU” are listed on the transcript. Students who do not follow the attendance policy in the syllabus may earn a “W” as a final grade. Students can obtain the audit form from the Office of the Registrar. Nursing courses may not be audited.

Students may audit most courses offered in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School for Professional and Continuing Education. Ordinarily, students may not audit studio or laboratory performance-based courses. Students’ work in audited classes will not be formally assessed and no grades will be issued. Auditors are expected to read required texts and are permitted to ask and answer questions in class.

Courses taken for audit do not apply toward any academic degree and do not count as part of a student’s full or part-time course load for purposes of financial aid or loan deferments.

The following policies apply to auditing:

1. Auditing is permitted only if classroom seating is available.
2. Potential auditors must receive written permission from the instructor and in some cases, permission of the department chair, or program director.
3. Auditors receive only provisional permission to attend classes until course registration is completed at the end of the add/drop period.
4. A student’s total number of for-credit and audited courses may not total more than 18 hours without approval from the appropriate academic dean’s office.
5. Once auditor status is invoked for a course, the student may not change auditor status to for-credit status.
6. Students may not register for a course for credit in the same semester they are auditing that course.

Audit forms obtained in the Office of the Registrar should be signed by the student, instructor (and perhaps chair or director) and then submitted to the Business Office.

Pass/Fail Courses

Students may take no more than one course per semester on a pass/fail basis. Courses taken pass/fail cannot be among those required by the major, the minor or the General Education curriculum. Approval of the course instructor and permission of the dean of the college in which the student is a major is required in order for a P/F grade to be attempted. A few courses are offered exclusively on a pass/fail basis.

Application forms to take a course on a pass/fail basis are available in the office of the dean. Completed application forms must be returned to the Registrar before the third Friday of the semester.

Under the pass/fail option, a student is responsible for attending and participating in all scheduled classes and class activities, as well as completing all course requirements listed in the syllabus, including quizzes and examinations. The instructor evaluates the student who is exercising the pass/fail option in the same manner as other students in the class. At the end of the course, instead of the standard letter grade, a “P” will be posted for those students who achieve a performance level of poor through excellent (“D-” or better). The grade of “P” does not affect the grade point average. However, if a student fails a class, the “F” will be included in calculating the GPA.

Class Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all classes as part of the normal learning process. Students bear the ultimate responsibility for all missed class material as the result of an absence and can be required to make up any work missed. In addition, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission also requires attendance as a “demonstration of academic progress toward a degree” as one criterion for retaining financial aid awards.

Students must be especially consistent in attendance, both on-ground and online, during the first two weeks of the semester to confirm registration and to be listed on the official course roster.  Students who fail to attend the first two weeks and who have not received prior approval from the instructor for absences will be withdrawn from the courses in question by certification of the instructor on the official class lists.

Faculty members have a right to establish their own rules and regulations concerning class attendance consistent with program and institutional policies. Students may receive a grade reduction or failing grade if they do not observe attendance requirements set for their classes.

Excused Attendance Policy

The University will normally excuse an absence when it is required by: (1) the student’s mandatory participation in University activities and events; (2) a student’s religious beliefs, observances and practices; (3) mandatory military and civic obligations such as responding to a subpoena; (4) as a reasonable accommodation to a student’s disability; (5) a student’s or family member’s significant illness or injury;  or (6) a death in the student’s immediate family.  Students may be required to provide valid documentation of adequate cause for excused absences.  

It is the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with the faculty member about the absence in advance when possible. Student Athletes should provide their instructors with their competition schedule during the first week of the semester.  Coaches and students will update faculty on any changes or additions to the athletic schedule during the semester. An excused absence does not excuse the student from learning course material or fulfilling other course requirements. Students may be required to provide valid documentation of an excused absence. 

Normally, a student’s grade may not be reduced solely as the result of an excused absence. However, if a student has an excessive number of excused absences, considered alone or in combination with any unexcused absences, which adversely impacts the student's ability to fully attain the course learning outcomes, the instructor may, after meeting with the student, issue the student a reduced grade, a grade of  "Incomplete"  or recommend that the student withdraw from the class. The number of excused absences allowed for a specific class will be identified in the course syllabus and approved by the program. 

In addition, the nature of some classes may make attendance mandatory. Examples of this type of class include:

1. Classes in which there are attendance requirements from an external accreditation organization;
2. Labs with specific activities that cannot be made up and are an essential component of achieving the course student learning outcome;
3. Courses with performances or productions that cannot be made up and are an essential component of achieving the course student learning outcomes;
4. Courses with frequent student discussion or group work that cannot be made up and is an essential component of achieving the course student learning outcomes.

It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the excused absence policy in every class. Students should work carefully with their academic advisors to prepare a course schedule to minimize attendance issues and conflicts.

Grievance Policy

A student who believes his or her rights under this policy have been violated will follow the standard grade appeal process.

Withdrawing from a Course

Once registration is complete, all registered students will receive grades for courses in which they are enrolled. A student who is unable to complete a course may withdraw and receive a grade of “W.” Because students may not have an accurate idea of their current grade, they should consult with both their instructor and their advisor before withdrawing from a course. To withdraw from a course, you must complete a Withdrawal Form from the Office of the Registrar. A student cannot withdraw from a course simply by not attending. Non-attendance will result in a grade of “F.”

Withdrawal from courses with the grade of “W” is allowed through the tenth week of the semester. The date is published officially by the Registrar and is listed in the University Course Schedule . Withdrawal involves the loss of tuition and credit hours and may change the student’s status from full-time to part-time.