.01 Categories of Students
A.
A student may register as a degree or nondegree
student for credit applicable to a degree, or without degree credit
as an auditor. Participation in all classes is expected of students
enrolled for degree credit. Both degree and nondegree
students normally take courses for credit. Such credit is entered permanently
on their records. A limited amount of credit earned in nondegree
status may, under certain conditions, be applied later toward a degree.
B.
A degree student is one who has been admitted to a degree program at
the university. Once admitted, the student must register for all courses
as a degree student.
C.
An auditor is a student permitted to attend classes which are of personal
or professional interest. The auditor pays the same tuition and other
charges as do students taking courses for degree credit. Credit is not
received for an audited course.
Senate action and Provost approval, December
1987. Effective fall 1988.
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.02 Registration Under Public
Laws Providing Educational Benefits
A.
A student enrolled under public laws providing educational benefits
to veterans and others may be required by the government to submit reports
certifying attendance.
B.
Certifications of attendance are obtainable from the Office of the University
Registrar.
Manual of Information, Regulations and Procedures,
Section III, Academic Regulations, third edition, p. 12; Vice President
for Academic Affairs, June 1976.
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.03 Validation Procedure
A.
Validation is normally used only to ensure that prerequisites have been
met. Occasionally the procedure may be used to verify completion of
requirements which cannot otherwise be documented (for reasons such
as the destruction of records because of wartime conditions). The university
does not undertake to validate nonacademic experiences or maturity.
B.
Validation may be based on standardized or specially developed examinations
administered by the university or on end‑of‑course examinations
administered by the colleges, schools, or departments.
Manual of Information, Regulations and Procedures,
Section III, Academic Regulations, third edition, pp. 12‑12a.
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.04 Charges
A.
Basic charges assessed by the university are established by the Board
of Trustees. They are subject to change at the beginning of any session
by action of the board. Procedures for the payment of charges are developed
and instituted by the Office of the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer.
B.
Cases involving cancellations or waivers of fees, refunds, or exceptions
to financial rules of the university should be referred to the Office
of the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer for decision.
C.
The university does not refund any part of the tuition and fees paid
by a student who is adjudged guilty of an academic offense.
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.05 Registration Procedure
The
University Registrar is responsible for informing the academic community
of the dates of registration and changes in registration, in accordance
with the academic calendar. The student must register prior to the beginning
of each session for the courses in which he or she wishes to enroll.
Before registration the student is expected to plan his or her program
with an advisor in order to ensure that the selection of courses is
appropriate to the program. The advisor must sign the student's registration
form at each registration.
Manual of Information, Regulations and Procedures,
Section III, Academic Regulations, third edition, p. 12a; Vice President
for Academic Affairs, June 1976.
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.06 Changes in Registration
A.
To initiate a change, a student must secure a Course Registration Change
Form available from the Office of the University Registrar and all deans'
offices. Various kinds of changes require different approvals as noted
below:
1.
Courses may be added as follows:
Addition
of courses requires approval of the student's advisor, and at the advisor's
discretion, of the instructor concerned. Courses may be added only through
the first two weeks of a fall or spring semester or the summer equivalent.
With the exception of independently supervised courses, students may
not add courses beyond the published last day to add without the recommendation
of the course instructor and the approval of the academic dean. Documentation
of the dean's decision to permit a late add must be furnished to the
instructor.
Senate action and Provost approval, November
1988. Effective November 1988.
2.
Courses may be dropped as follows:
a.
Withdrawal from a course will be permitted until the midterm date established
by the Registrar, with no approval required, except for courses used
to satisfy the University Mathematics Requirement. Withdrawal from these
courses requires the approval of an academic advisor based on the placement
recommendations made by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Courses dropped through the last day to add are deleted from the student's
record. After the last day to add, course withdrawal is indicated on
the student's permanent record by the single mark of W.
Senate action, April 1995 and Provost approval,
May 1995. Effective Fall 1995.
b.
After the midterm date and through the last class meeting a course may
be dropped only with the written approval of the student's academic
dean, or the dean's designee. At the discretion of the dean, the instructor's
approval may be required, but in all cases the dean must confer with
the instructor and inform the instructor in writing of the decision.
In any case, withdrawal from courses after the midterm date should occur
rarely and only in cases of well‑documented emergencies beyond
the student's control. A low or failing grade in the course is not grounds
for a late withdrawal. No course may be dropped after the last class
meeting.
Senate action and Provost approval, November
1988. Effective November 1988.
3.
Section changes may be made as follows:
Students
are permitted to drop one section of a course and enter another section
of the same course without advisor approval through the last day to
add a course, provided the student has met any special prerequisite
or permission requirements that may be listed for the new section in
the Schedule of Classes. Section changes are not permitted after the last
day to add without the recommendation of the advisor and the approval
of the instructor of the new section.
Senate action and Provost approval, November
1988. Effective November 1988.
B.
Changes to or from audit or credit, or to or from pass‑fail, are
permitted only until the end of the add period for any semester or summer
session. Students may not change grade type or status beyond the last
day to add without the recommendation of the advisor and the course
instructor, and the approval of the academic dean. Documentation of
the dean's decision to change grade type or status must be furnished
to the instructor.
Senate action and Provost approval, November
1988. Effective November 1988.
C.
Students who withdraw completely from the university must file an official
Withdrawal Request Form through the Office of the University Registrar.
In addition, all students on academic probation will be required to
obtain the signature of their academic dean before being allowed to
voluntarily withdraw.
Senate action and Provost approval, November
1988. Effective November 1988.
D.
Discontinuation of attendance at class or notification to the instructor
does not constitute an official withdrawal.
E.
Any appropriate refunds are prorated. (See “Refunds and Cancellation
of Charges” in the Schedule of
Classes.) A Refund Request form must be completed and filed with
the Student Accounts to ensure proper refunds. Refunds will not be processed
until the credit appears on the Student Accounts ledgers. Refunds or
cancellations of tuition are prorated from the date recorded on the
Course Registration Change form or the Withdrawal Request form when
it is filed in the Office of the University Registrar. Requests for
cancellation of housing charges must be processed through Residential
Life and Housing Services. Requests for cancellation of meal tickets
must be processed through Dining Services. Refunds are subject to standard
university regulations.
F.
Students who discontinue class attendance but who do not officially
withdraw during the cancellation period will be responsible for payment
of the full amount of the applicable tuition and fees.
G.
International students registering for the first time or for a new program
must have the approval of International Student Services.
Manual of Information, Regulations and Procedures,
Section III, Academic Regulations, third edition, pp. 12b‑12c.
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.07 Leaves of Absence
A.
Undergraduate students desiring a leave of absence for reasons other
than study at another collegiate institution should request an exit
interview with their dean. At the dean's discretion, based on whether
or not it seems desirable to guarantee the student an automatic readmission,
the dean will issue a Permit for Leave of Absence. This permit will
specify a limitation of one year maximum automatic readmission to the
same undergraduate program. It will also specify that the permit becomes
void if the student attends any domestic or foreign collegiate institution
during the period of leave. In such instances, the student should obtain
from the academic dean the Permit to Study at Another Institution.
B.
Graduate Students: See 55.00.17. Leaves of Absence/Maintaining Matriculation
Office of the University Registrar, January
1972.
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.08 Study Away from the University
A.
Study Sponsored by American University
Organized
study and foreign experience opportunities may be offered by departments,
colleges, or schools and the university. After acceptance into the program,
the student follows standard registration procedures at American University.
Students from other institutions may be permitted to enroll as nondegree students in these courses if they are qualified.
Any participant not a student at American University, however, must
register and pay the appropriate tuition charge for the course. The
courses must be organized and conducted by a member of the faculty of
the university.
B.
Permission to Study at Another Institution
Under
certain circumstances the student will be allowed to take courses at
another institution for credit applicable to the degree from American
University. Permission is normally granted only for summer school course
work or for study abroad programs. Any courses taken in the United States
must be at a regionally accredited college or university. (Credit
Given, published annually by the American Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admission Officers, is the accepted reference.)
1.
Attendance at a U.S. College or University or a Study Abroad Program
Affiliated with a U.S. College or University
a. Course work at a regionally accredited U.S.
college or university (or in any program at a foreign institution which
is a formal part of a regionally accredited U.S. college or university)
which is recorded on the transcript of that institution involves the
following considerations: To be eligible for transfer credit, the student
must receive prior approval of the faculty advisor and dean or dean's
designee on the Permit to Study at Another Institution. Approval is
granted for specific courses. The course number, title, and description
of course content are necessary for approval. Transfer credit is not
given for courses similar in content to those already completed. Transfer
credit is applicable toward the requirements of the major only with
specific departmental approval.
b.
Grades for transfer courses are not recorded on American University
permanent record, and they are not computed in the student's grade point
average, though approved courses will count in the total number of courses
needed for graduation. The student must request that a transcript be
sent to the Office of the University Registrar for appropriate recognition
of credit. The student is eligible for automatic readmission to American
University according to the provisions on the Permit to Study at Another
Institution.
2.
Attendance at an Institution Not Affiliated with an American College
or University
The
student will seek approval of the institution to be visited from the
dean and the International Admissions Office on the Permit to Study
at Another Institution form. The Admissions Office will give the final
approval of the institution to be attended, and will evaluate the transcript
on the student's return for the value in credit hours of the work taken.
The student's academic advisor and dean will approve the academic areas
or specific courses for study. Students must be warned of the possibility
that they might not receive credit for remedial language study if they
are found deficient in the language of the country to be visited.
3.
Attendance at a U.S. Institution which is not Regionally Accredited
or Foreign Institution not Approved by the International Admissions
Office
Should
a student decide to attend a U.S. institution which is not regionally
accredited or a foreign institution which cannot be approved for transfer
credit by the International Admissions Office, it may be possible to
arrange for competency examinations on the student's return. Specific
details should be worked out prior to departure. Arrangements and agreements
should be in writing between the student and the academic dean, with
one copy of the agreement filed in the student's permanent file in the
Office of the University Registrar. (A fee is charged for competency
examinations.)
4.
For additional information regarding transferability of credit for study
at another institution, see 35.00.03 Transfer of Credit.
C.
Independent Study
If
a student plans to be in a part of the world where there are no collegiate‑level
institutions, arrangements may be made prior to departure for normal
American University independent reading courses or study projects or
both. In this case, the student would be registered at American University
for one or more xxx-x90 courses, and would be in all respects an American
University student, although not in residence on the campus in Washington.
Dean for Academic Development, January 1972.
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.09 Interruption of Studies
as a Direct Result of Hostilities or War
A.
It is the policy of American University that a student in good standing
whose work toward a degree is disrupted as a direct result of hostilities
or war shall be given every possible consideration. Included in the
categories of students affected are those who are drafted, are called
to active duty, enlist in the armed forces, are assigned to nonmilitary
service (as conscientious objectors), or are incarcerated because of
their refusal as conscientious objectors to accept induction.
B.
Such students, on presentation of evidence that they are obliged to
interrupt their studies for the reasons indicated, will be given a refund
of their tuition and other charges prorated on the basis of the weeks
they have been registered for classes during that session. If they have
completed at least ten weeks of a session they may be given full credit
for any course in which their performance indicates such action is appropriate.
In this event, a student may be required to complete additional work,
if the student's instructor and the head of the teaching unit concerned
agree. Such students will not, of course, be entitled to any refund
for courses for which credit is given.
C.
Such students may resume their studies at the university, provided arrangements
are made for their return within the six months following the completion
of their enforced absence, and provided their degree program is still
offered by the university. They may continue to work for the same degrees
in which they were enrolled at the interruption of their studies in
accordance with the regulations in effect at the time they left. Such
students should communicate with the appropriate academic dean's office
and the Registrar's Office as soon as they know the date of their return
so that the students' records can be reactivated. Graduate students
who, upon their return to the university, wish to embark on a different
degree program must apply for readmission, with qualifications to be
evaluated in terms of the requirements and standards in effect at the
time they apply for readmission.
D.
Graduate students who have been awarded or who hold an American University
fellowship or other graduate award, and whose work toward a degree is
disrupted as described in 75.00.09.A (see above) during the tenure of
the award, will be given priority in the award of the funds available
upon their return.
Manual of Information, Regulations and Procedures,
Section III, Academic Regulations, third edition, pp. 12e‑12f.
Senate action and Provost approval, February
1990.
