ENROLLMENT AND REGISTRATION
Students may refer to the University’s Guide to Registration (formerly known as the Schedule of Courses booklet) for information related to enrollment. They are also encouraged to review registration details online at http://www.umw.edu/registrar/default.php for the most up-to-date enrollment information.
Course Registration Policies and Procedures
Add
Students may add courses during the official add period after the initial registration period. The official course-add period is published in the University’s Guide to Registration each term.
Audit
Students may attend a course but receive no academic credit by completing the audit registration process and paying the appropriate fees. Auditing of courses is permitted in nonrestricted courses on a space available basis. Audit registration procedures, dates and costs are published in the University’s Guide to Registration.
Drop
Students may drop courses before classes begin without financial or academic penalty.
However, once classes begin, students may withdraw from courses based on the calendar
included in the Guide to Registration. The amount of refund, if any, is based on the
refund schedules published in the Guide to Registration. Nonattendance in a course does
not constitute a course drop; a course drop is official only if the student has completed
the course drop process through the Office of the Registrar.
Courses cannot be dropped after the published deadlines unless a student withdraws
completely from the term. Courses that are taught in short time frames or that have
either beginning or ending dates which are different from the beginning or ending dates
of the regular full academic term will have published drop/withdrawal guidelines specific
to the dates of the course.
Students who drop all registered courses must withdraw from the University.
Information on Voluntary Withdrawal is available in this section.
Instructor-Initiated Drop
Instructors have the authority but are not required to initiate a drop for students
during the first week of classes if the student does not attend:
• the first and second meetings of a class that meets three times per week.
• the first and second meetings of a class that meets two times per week.
• the first meeting of a class that meets once each week.
Load
Student load definitions, as determined by the U.S. Department of Education and the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, are:
Undergraduate
full time .......................................................12 or more credits
part time .....................................................fewer than 12 credits
3/4 time .......................................................9 to 11 credits
1/2 time .......................................................6 to 8 credits
less than 1/2 time ........................................1 to 5 credits
Graduate
full time .......................................................9 or more credits
part time .....................................................fewer than 9 credits
3/4 time .......................................................6 credits
more than 1/4 but less than 1/2 time ..........3 credits
Overload (Undergraduate)
Students with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or with a 3.0 GPA for the most recent term at
CGPS may register for up to 18 credits. To register for more than 18 credits, permission
must be obtained—by signature—from an academic advisor in the Office of Advising and
Student Services. Students who have less than a cumulative 3.0 GPA or less than a 3.0
GPA for the most recent term and who want to register for more than 18 credits must
submit a written request, with justification for the overload, to the director of advising
and student services. If the overload is approved, the director of advising and student services will grant the permission in writing, which will include the number of credits
approved.
The Office of Advising and Student Services may grant permission for an overload to
students who present evidence of strong academic achievement at their prior institutions.
Degree-seeking and certificate students who are on academic probation will not be
allowed to enroll in more than 16 credits for the term.
Nondegree students may not register for more than 10 credits in any single term
without permission of the Office of Advising and Student Services.
Repeating Courses (Undergraduate)
Students may repeat a course to improve a grade of C- or lower, with permission of
the director of advising and student services. Although both the initial grade and the
new grade will appear on the permanent record, the new grade in the repeated course
is the grade that determines the student’s grade-point average (GPA) and the amount
of credit earned for the course. Students may not repeat a course that is prerequisite or
introductory to a previously completed course. A repeated course must always be taken
for graded credit and not on a pass/fail basis. No course may be repeated more than
once.
Only courses repeated at the University can improve a student’s GPA. Courses taken
and passed with grades of C or higher at other institutions to make up credits for a failed
University course will be recorded as transfer credit, but the permanent academic record
still will include the quality points from the failed University course. All transfer courses
must receive preapproval from the Office of Advising and Student Services.
For information concerning repeat of graduate credit, students must consult the
appropriate program director, program handbook, and/or the Office of Advising and
Student Services.
Requests for Graduate Courses
An undergraduate student who has attained senior status or program honors may carry graduate courses for undergraduate credit provided, prior to registration, the student (1) has earned an overall cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher, (2) carries a course load of no more than 15 credits, and (3) has advance approval of the associate vice president for academic affairs, the program director, and the instructor offering the course. All registration paperwork must be certified through the Office of Advising and Student Services prior to submission to the Office of the Registrar. For credit toward an undergraduate degree program, undergraduate students may complete no more than six graduate credits.
Section Change
Students may officially change sections of a course during the add period (usually the initial week of the course) by dropping one section and adding the new section of the course in accordance with Office of the Registrar procedures. Attending the new section and not attending the old section does not constitute an official change of section. Section changes are official only if the student has completed the course change process. The official last day to change sections is published in the University’s Guide to Registration.
Withdrawal
Students may withdraw from a course until the date published in the University’s
Guide to Registration. However, any financial refund will be determined based on the
withdrawal date. A grade of W will be recorded on the permanent record. Students are
required to obtain approval from the Office of Advising and Student Services. Students
may not withdraw from courses after the deadlines published in the University’s Guide to
Registration.
Withdrawal, Administrative
The administrative withdrawal of a student from a given term is an action required as a result of either a disciplinary or Honor violation, or improper course enrollment as deemed by the University administration, and is not a voluntary action taken by the student. Such withdrawals may be noted on the student’s permanent record, including whether the student is eligible to return to study.
Withdrawal, Voluntary
Regardless of the date, students who wish to drop all of their courses are voluntarily
withdrawing from study for that term. Such withdrawals must be completed by the
last day of class for the session or term. If students have received grades in a completed
session of the term, they are not eligible to withdraw. In this case students may drop
courses registered for in the upcoming or current session; however, they are subject to
drop policies for the courses, and grades received for courses in completed sessions will be
recorded as part of the student’s permanent academic record for the term.
Students must complete a withdrawal form and obtain the required approvals.
Students must pay any outstanding financial obligations before the withdrawal can be
completed. A degree student who withdraws may return to study within three terms
if the student’s cumulative grade-point average is 2.0 or higher. Information on
Readmission is available in the Academic Rules and Regulations section. Any
refunds due at the time of withdrawal are based on the refund schedule for the term
published in the University’s Guide to Registration. Such withdrawals are noted on the
student’s permanent record.
Definitions Related to Enrollment and Registration
Corequisite/Prerequisite Courses
Corequisite courses are two or more courses that must be completed concurrently. A course that is required to be completed before enrollment in another course is considered a prerequisite course. Prerequisite courses must be taken in the appropriate sequence to count toward graduation. No student may enroll in a course with prerequisites unless the prerequisite courses have been successfully completed, or waived by the program director. The appropriate program director, in consultation with the Office of Advising and Student Services, will resolve prerequisite rule violations.
Course Numbering
The course number is a four-letter discipline code plus a three-digit number delineating the course level. Courses numbered below the 100 level do not carry credit that may be applied to a degree. Lower level undergraduate courses are numbered in the 100s and 200s and are typically introductory courses requiring little or no prior study in the field. Upper level undergraduate courses are numbered in 300s and 400s and require some previous course work in the field or a level of competence in the subject. Courses offered at the 500 level are advanced undergraduate- or graduate-level courses. Courses that are numbered in the 800s and 900s are nondegree professional development courses either at the pre- or post-baccalaureate level. These courses cannot be used toward the completion of degree programs at the College of Graduate and Professional Studies.
Directed Study
Degree or certificate students may undertake a directed study for academic credit to investigate a topic that is not covered by course offerings. Permission for a directed study project is granted by the program director of each area of study, if there is an appropriate faculty member available to guide the student’s work. Students register for directed study projects with the Office of Advising and Student Services by completing a directed study form signed by the supervising faculty member and the program director. Nondegree students may not enroll in directed study.
Schedule of Courses
The Office of the Registrar maintains the official listing of courses offered each term on its web site. All University courses adhere to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ accreditation guidelines and provide contact hours commensurate with the credits earned.
Semester Credit
A semester credit is the University’s recognized unit of instructional contact between faculty and students. A three-credit course meets for 35 contact or clock hours.
Student Records
Confidentiality of Student Records
All student records maintained by University academic and administrative offices are confidential. Only such information that is necessary to maintain appropriate business and academic procedures is maintained in the official student record. University officials may access student records for the purpose of conducting student business.
Directory Information
The University may release “Directory Information” as defined by the University
under the authority of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), unless
the student informs the University’s Office of the Registrar that all or part of such
information should not be released without the student’s prior consent. Directory
Information includes a student’s addresses (home, mailing, e-mail, etc.) and telephone
numbers, class level, previous institution(s) attended, major fields of study, awards, honors
(including Dean’s List and President’s List), degree(s) conferred (including dates), dates
of attendance, names of parents, past and present participation in officially recognized
sports and activities, physical factors (e.g., height, weight of athletes), and date and place
of birth. A request to withhold Directory Information must be received in writing on
an annual basis by the Office of the Registrar. A form is available for this purpose from
the Office of the Registrar. If this form is not received in the Office of the Registrar
by July 1 preceding the academic year, selected Directory Information will appear in
the University’s telephone directory due to press deadlines. Note that “name” is not
considered Directory Information and will appear in the telephone directory, along with
the designation “Unlisted.”
Medical and Psychological Services Center records are not included in that category
of records open to inspection; however, such records may be personally reviewed by a
physician or other appropriate professional of the student’s choice.
Confidential records maintained by the director of disability services are open to
inspection with limitations. Students may request a copy of disability documentation that
is generated by the office, but may not request access to the director’s personal notes, to
test protocols or to information released by private practitioners or by other agencies.
Disclosure related to the student’s disability is released neither to any faculty member nor
to another University office without the student’s permission. With the student’s written
permission, disability documentation generated by the Disability Services Office may be
released to any specified persons and agencies.
Custodians of educational records are not required to give access to financial records
of parents or any information contained therein, nor are they required to give access to confidential letters and statements of recommendation that were placed in the
educational records prior to January 1, 1975, or to which the student has waived the
right of access.
Directory Information may not be provided to any individual, company or entity for
commercial purposes unless the release of this information is specifically authorized by
the student or approved in writing by the Office of the President.
Permanent Record
The permanent record consists of the documents that are maintained for each student that must be kept in perpetuity either in hard copy or electronically. Examples include admission applications, any exception granted by the University, and records of disciplinary action. Letters of recommendation are excluded for undergraduate students but included in the records of graduate students. Students may view their permanent record, in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, by contacting the University’s Office of the Registrar.
Verification of Enrollment
Verification of enrollment for a specified time period can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar by submitting a written request authorizing the release of the verification.