Registration (Add, Drop, Withdraw, Waitlisting, Attendance)

An individual student is responsible for registering into a course for each semester and managing their degree completion requirements. Registration dates are available on the Academic Calendar website. A student with an account hold is not permitted to register until the hold has been rectified. Registration is determined by the student’s class level - see Student Class Level, which is based on hours passed. Registration is opened by a student’s class level.

A student has the ability to add and drop courses via Banner Web within policy statements. Official dates are listed within the Academic Calendar on the University Website. Each undergraduate student within a campus-based program is assigned a registration pin, provided to the student by the academic advisor, to complete a course add/drop or course withdraw transaction. A student identified as needing additional intervention prior to registration by the Academic Achievement Center or the advisor may be placed on a Registration Hold status. When a Registration Hold is imposed, the individual imposing such action will notify the student including how to rectify the status. If the Registration hold is not resolved by the end of Add period, the student may not be permitted to enroll. For any course registration, course add, drop or withdrawal, refer to the billing policies posted from the Bursar’s Office.

To receive credit, a student must register for any course to be pursued during a semester; otherwise, there is no official record of the course.

Course Add

A student is permitted to add a course up to six business days from the start of the first day of class. For a course offered in a compressed term (i.e. part-of-term, eight-week session, five-week session, etc.) refer to the posted Academic Calendar on the University Website. A student may complete an Academic Petition to late add but no later than the last day of the regularly-scheduled classes, with approval from the course instructor, the advisor, chair of the department and Dean.

Course Drop/Course Withdraw

Dropping or withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. A course that is dropped within six business days of the start of the semester will earn no academic record. For a course that is offered in a compressed term, refer to the posted dates on the University Website. If a student wishes to drop a course beyond the course drop deadline, which is referred to as a “course withdraw”, the student will earn a grade of “W” recorded on the student’s official transcript. A student is permitted to withdraw from a course prior to 60% of the semester; the specific date differs for each semester and is calculated based on the posted first day of class. Dates are posted on the University Website.

After the posted deadline to withdraw from a course with a “W” the student is allowed to withdraw with a grade of “WF”. “WF” grade is recorded and calculated into the student’s official transcript (see also course quality points). A Course Add/Drop/Withdrawal form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. A student has a right to appeal the grade of “WF” through the Academic Petition policy when circumstances surrounding the withdrawal request are beyond their control. 

Course Drop - Administrative

Dropping or withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. However, to meet federal student aid guidelines, a student who is enrolled in a course and is reported as never attended within the Add/Drop period will be Administratively dropped from any or all courses.

The Associate Provost for Academic Affairs or Vice President of Student Affairs may administratively withdraw a student for behavior or when a student shows indifference to studies. 

Course Drop/Withdrawal - Last Course

A student is not permitted to drop or withdraw from the last course for any semester or term of enrollment. To drop or withdraw from the last course, a student must meet with the Center for Student Success. The Center for Student Success will determine if the course drop results in a Withdrawal from the University or if the student wishes to continue in the immediate following (summer excluded) semester. The final course drop will be communicated to the Office of the Registrar who will update the student record according to the outcome with the Center for Student Success and will follow the Course Drop and Course Withdrawal deadline policy. 

Course Levels

Course descriptions are located within the Course Descriptions section of this catalog. The level of a course is indicated by its number. If the course has a pre-requisite, co-requisite or a restriction, the Course Description will include this information along with the typical semesters the course is offered. 

Course Offerings 

The times and days for class sessions and the rooms in which they are held are listed in the Schedule of Courses located in Banner Web. When limited numbers of students enroll in an elective course, or if unforeseen difficulties arise, the University reserves the right to remove the course from the schedule without further notice. Demand for certain courses or staff conditions may also necessitate a change in the typical sequence.

Course Override

When a student wishes to enroll into a course but is unable to register due to one or more of the reasons below, the student may contact the instructor of record, the department chair or director with a request to consider an override. The department chair or director, in consultation with the instructor, is under no obligation to approve the override request.

• The course is full.
• The course requires instructor, department, or instructional location approval.
• The course has prerequisites (e.g., another course is to be taken first) or corequisite (e.g., courses are to be taken at the same time).
• The course is linked to another course (e.g., a laboratory).
• The course is only open to majors or a specific program, etc.
• The course is open only to students in a specific class or level (e.g., sophomore status,undergraduate, graduate).

Time Conflict - If a student wishes to enroll in two courses that are offered at the same time or at overlapping times, the student must request a Time Conflict Override. The form must be completed by instructors in both courses and submitted to the designated administrator and the Office of the Registrar for processing. The Time Conflict Course Contract is available in the Office of the Registrar or on the Registrar’s website.

Course Waiting List

A course section that has met the seat limit may offer a course waiting list. A student may add the course as a Waiting List (WL) status via Banner Web. When or if the waitlisted seat becomes available, the student will receive an email notification stating the student must take action on the waitlisted seat within 24 hours. Should the student not register within 24 hours, the course will be administratively dropped from the waiting list. The next student will be notified. Waiting lists are cleared/erased the start of the semester or after the Course Add period. A College Dean may override a student with a higher waiting list number when they have determined there is a higher priority to enroll. See also Withdrawing from the University.

Course Load

A typical course load for students in campus-based programs ranges between 15-18 credit hours per semester. For a student to graduate in four years, an average of 15 credit hours per semester is needed. Please review a sample curriculum map for a specific degree to determine the number of credits needed. Full-time status begins at 12 credit hours per semester. A student is permitted to register for a maximum of 22 credit hours (19 academic credits plus up to 3 ROTC credits) without special permission; excluding MU 260 (see also Tuition and Fees section for credit hour charges published on the Bursar's website). Hours beyond the registration limit might be approved under limited circumstances through an Academic Petition (Registrar’s Office SharePoint website).

To receive credit, a student must register for any course to be pursued during a semester; otherwise, there is no official record of the course.

Internships

A student must register for an internship during the designated registration period for a fall or spring semesters and by 1 May for summer internships. Departmental or School permission is required for an internship. Enrollment for internships will not occur unless the faculty member has received written confirmation from the field supervisor that internship arrangements are complete. Internships will be scheduled to coincide with the opening and closing dates of the semester of internship enrollment. Summer internships will coincide with the beginning and ending dates of the appropriate summer session.

Independent Study

To support a course registration for an independent study, the affirmative recommendation of the student’s academic advisor and the course Department Chair/School Director must be present on an Independent Study form.

Academic Participation

Face to face modality- participation may be associated with such actions such as, but not limited to, in-person class attendance, submission of a graded assignment or a test (in person or via Learning Management System, LMS), email discussion of an academic topic with the instructor.

Online modality - Academic participation includes any point earning activity in the classroom, including but not limited to posting to a discussion board, submitting an assignment, a student initiated contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course, or submitting an exam or quiz.

Activities that do not constitute academic participation include logging in to the classroom, emailing the professor about grades, submitting a video introduction, counseling related to academic progress in the course or program, communicating via email with the student support advisor, financial planning, bursar, or other university staff.

Student Course Attendance in Face-to-Face Modality

A student is expected to be on time for each scheduled class and laboratory, when applicable. A student must comply with the syllabus provided by the faculty. The syllabus will clearly state the course attendance policy. Unless stated otherwise, the University has adopted that the maximum number of permitted absences (excused or unexcused) is twice the number of times the course meets per week. Faculty may allow a student with a course passing grade to exceed the maximum number of permitted absences beyond the limit outlined in the syllabus.

Course Absence

If a student does not participate in an academic activity for at most 14 consecutive calendar days while school is in session, after the course add period, the faculty will notify the Center for Student Success via an online reporting system (Navigate/EAB), or as appropriate by the College. The notification will include the date of the student’s last academic activity. The Center for Student Success will reach out to the student to discuss challenges and counsel the student to resume attendance or consider a course drop. A student may be subject to financial aid re-payment, based on the date of the last academic participation when a failing grade or course drop/withdraw is initiated.

Student Course Excused Absences

The following are considered excused absences, by the Provost, who is the authority on academic policy:

• documented debilitating illness.
• emergency leave, as approved by the Commandant or Dean of Students.
• single-day course field trips, military obligations for students contracted for commissions in the US military and other military obligations beyond the student’s control, varsity athletic contests, and regimental band appearances.

For these types of excused absences, a student is required to submit a formal notice of the expected absence to each instructor at least six calendar days in advance. The course Faculty may deny an excused absence for a student currently earning a D+ if they believe that the absences will be a serious detriment to the student. The Faculty member must promptly notify the student and the coach, group, faculty member or appropriate official causing the absence, of their denial.

Faculty will, in conjunction with the student, schedule a make-up exam or a make-up lab, or other appropriate work in lieu thereof, for the student with the excused absences. The student is responsible for all missed coursework. 

Cancellation of Class Meeting

A class is canceled if a faculty member is not present ten minutes after the scheduled beginning of a class. The class will select one class member to report the cancellation to the Department Chair/School Director of the appropriate academic department/school or the Dean of the College.

Student Course Discipline

The faculty member shall have jurisdiction over the classroom and shall take measures to maintain discipline in conformity with the regulations of the University.