2003 - 2004 Registration Policies

Credit Hours | Prerequisite Requirements | Web Services | GroupWise E-mail Accounts | Registration | Late Registration | Confirmations of Class Schedules | Wait Lists | Adding Courses | Withdrawing from Courses | Holds | Class Attendance | Credit/No Credit Option | Auditing Courses | Academic Load

Credit Hours

One credit hour is given for one 50-minute class hour per week for 14 weeks or equivalent. Most courses at the college vary from 2 to 4 credit hours.

Prerequisite Requirements

Certain courses at the college have prerequisites. The prerequisites for a course are listed in the academic catalog, the class schedule, and the course syllabus. Students are permitted to pre-register for a course that has prerequisites provided the prerequisite course work is in progress at the time of the registration session. Only grades of C- or better are considered to satisfy prerequisite requirements. Students are responsible for making sure they have met prerequisites and grade standards prior to the beginning of each semester. The college reserves the right to withdraw a student from any course for which prerequisites and grade standards have not been met.

Web Services

It is now possible to search for available classes, register for classes, view and print student class schedules, print unofficial transcripts, change your address, and update your directory information release preference on the Web using WebAdvisor. WebAdvisor requires a login name and PIN number, which are both sent regularly to student e-mail accounts in GroupWise.

GroupWise E-mail Accounts

Each student is provided with a GroupWise e-mail account when he or she registers for the first time. This campus e-mail system provides the e-mail address of all the students, staff, and faculty at Westminster. We encourage students to check their campus e-mail frequently because important information is sent to students via e-mail, such as registration deadlines, campus events and activities, or general school announcements. Instructors also use GroupWise to contact students with specific class information. For instructions on how to check your student e-mail, please refer to the Help Desk in the garden level of the Giovale Library or call the IT Support Phone at 832-2023.

Registration

Students are registered in order of class standing at the time the registration session begins. One week prior to each registration, students are sent their Student ID numbers, their PIN numbers, and class standing information by e-mail. Registrations are accepted via the college's web system (WebAdvisor) or in person.

• Registration for Fall Semester occurs in April.
• Registration for Spring Semester occurs in November.
• Registration for May/Summer Terms occurs in March.
  

Late Registration

Students may register in person only until the end of the first full week of classes; however, a $25 late registration fee is assessed beginning with the first day of classes. Specific dates are listed in the Academic Calendar. Beginning with the first day of classes, students must obtain instructor permission to enroll in a class.

Confirmations of Class Schedules

Students can check their schedule and print a confirmation at any time via the web using WebAdvisor, or they may come to the Registrar's Office during office hours to receive a copy. Students are expected to check these confirmations carefully and report discrepancies to the Registrar's Office. The computerized confirmation reflects the courses for which the student is actually registered.

Wait Lists

Once a class has closed, a student has the option of being put on a wait list for that class. As space becomes available, students are added in the class automatically by the Registrar's Office during the pre-registration period. Once classes begin, a student must turn in an add card with the instructor's signature in order to be officially enrolled in the class. Although many students get into their classes from the wait list, students are encouraged to choose alternate courses whenever possible.

Adding Courses

Students may add courses until the end of the first full week of classes. Specific dates are listed in the Academic Calendar. Beginning the first day of classes, students must obtain instructor permission before adding and can no longer add courses via the Web (WebAdvisor).

Withdrawing from Courses

Students may withdraw from class through the eleventh week of class. Students who withdraw after the end of the first full week receive a grade of W. Students who withdraw after the eleventh week receive a grade of WF which is calculated as an F in the GPA. Specific withdrawal deadlines are listed in the Academic Calendar. In case of illness or injury, family members may complete the student withdrawal from the college. In case of duress or special need, an administrative withdrawal may be initiated by the Dean of Students.

Students who fail to withdraw from courses they have not attended are liable for all tuition and interest charged to their accounts. Grades of F are assigned at the end of the semester for any classes that students fail to drop.

Holds

The college may place administrative holds for students with outstanding financial obligations, overdue library books, library fines, bad checks, or other obligations to the college. Once a hold has been placed, students may be prevented from registering or obtaining diplomas or official transcripts until the obligation is met. Unofficial informational transcripts are available in the Registrar's Office and on the campus web site (WebAdvisor).

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all sessions of each class. Specific attendance requirements are established by each instructor, and such requirements are enforced by the college. Students who do not attend class during the first week may be considered "no-shows" and dropped from the course by the instructor to make room for students on wait lists.

Electing the Credit/No Credit Option

Students must elect the credit/no credit option by the deadline posted in the Academic Calendar, approximately seven weeks after classes begin. The credit-no credit option may not be changed after the deadline, except in cases where students change majors or minors and the major or minor department does not require that the course be taken again for a letter grade. See Credit/No Credit Option under the Grading and Academic Standards section of this catalog for details.

Auditing Courses

Students may elect to audit courses at Westminster according to the guidelines listed below. Courses that are entered on students' permanent records as audited (AU) earn no credit and fulfill no requirements.

Regular Audit

Students may register for a regular audit (one-half of credit tuition) according to the following guidelines:

1. Subject to space availability, students may sign up to audit a class on the first day of class.
2. Students wishing to audit an activity course such as a physical education, art, theater, writing, or computer science course must obtain written permission from the instructor.
3. Only students accepted to Masters degree programs may audit graduate classes.
4. Students who are not nursing majors may audit nursing courses with permission of the instructor.

Alumni Audit

Students who graduated from Westminster in the past and who are not currently pursuing a degree may register for an alumni audit ($100 per class) according to the following guidelines:

1. Students must register through the Director of Alumni. Registrations accepted by the director will be verified the first day of class and are subject to space availability.
2. Because an audit of an activity course such as a physical education, art, theater, writing, or computer science course requires the instructor's approval, the Director of Alumni will contact instructors for permission.
3. Only students who have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Westminster may audit MBA classes as alumni. Students may audit Master of Education and Master of Professional Communication classes with permission of the instructor.
   

Academic Load

Undergraduate Students

Overload Hours

Students who wish to register for more than the maximum number of hours must have at least a 3.0 GPA. Students who wish to take more than 20 credit hours in a regular semester (fall or spring) must also have the permission of their academic advisor and the dean of the appropriate school.