2012 - 2013 Academic Policies and Procedures

Withdrawing | Medical Withdrawals | Direced Study | Auditing | Advising | General Information

Registration

Credit Hours

One credit hour is given for one 50-minute class per week for 14 weeks or the equivalent. Some graduate programs, such as the MBA program, have developed 7-week modular programs, but these programs still adhere to the hour requirements.

Prerequisite Requirements

Certain graduate courses at the college have course and skill 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 coursework is in progress at the time of the registration session. 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.

Registration Sessions

Registrations are accepted via the college's web system (WebAdvisor) or in person. Students are notified of their dates to register in advance by email. Currently enrolled students are given priority registration rights.

Registration for Summer Terms occurs in February.
Registration for Fall Semester occurs in March.
Registration for Spring Semester occurs in October.

Late Registration

Students may register until the end of the first full week of classes, or for classes that start later in the semester, up until the day before the second 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 any classes by obtaining the instructor's signature on an Add Card.

Confirmations of Class Schedules

Students can check their schedule and print a confirmation at any time 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.

Withdrawing from Courses

For full-semester courses, students may withdraw from classes without penalty before the second full week of classes. For classes that meet in 7-week blocks, students may withdraw without penalty before the second class session. Please refer to the Student Accounts Services web page for the tuition refund schedule.

For full-semester courses, students may still withdraw from class through the eleventh week of class and receive a W. For classes that meet in 7-week blocks, students may withdraw from class before the sixth session and receive a W, which does not affect a student's GPA. Students who withdraw after these dates 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. See the Expenses section for information on tuition reviews.

Medical Withdrawals

Students who are unable to complete a semester due to serious health problems and who are not eligible for grades of incomplete may request a medical withdrawal. Students seeking a medical withdrawal should contact the Dean of Students. Written verification from a physician or licensed mental health professional will be required. A medical withdrawal usually constitutes withdrawal from all courses for the semester, and withdrawals are made retroactive only to the last date of attendance. Requests for medical withdrawals must be submitted within six weeks after the end of the semester in question. If a medical withdrawal is granted, reevaluation by the student's physician or counselor may be required prior to re-registration.

In order to appeal for a medical withdrawal, students must submit, in writing, to the Dean of Students Office:

1. A detailed letter (usually 1–3 pages in length) describing why the student is unable to complete his or her academic work during the semester. Because the petition is based on this written document, it is essential that the student include as many details as possible. In addition, the student should specifically state what he or she is requesting of the College regarding grades, scholarships, account, etc.
2. A written note from a medical professional (M.D., LCSW, FNP, counselor, etc.) detailing the following:
   a) Medical professional's name, title, phone number and address.
   b) A clear summary of the diagnosis and how/why this condition is affecting the student's academic pursuits.
   c) A detailed account of when the medical professional saw the student

Meetings to examine petitions are held approximately once per month. A medical withdrawal usually constitutes withdrawal from ALL courses for the semester (as it is difficult to be medically unfit in one class but medically fit for another). Approved petitions will be made retroactive only to the last date of attendance and tuition charges are adjusted according to Westminster College's posted refund schedule found on the Student Account Services' webpage. If a medical withdrawal is granted, re-evaluation by the student's medical professional will be required prior to re-registration.

Please forward all information via email, fax, or mail to Mark Ferne, Dean of Students.

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 on the campus web site through 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 are responsible for making sure they have dropped courses that they do not plan to attend.

Academic Load

Full time: 7 or more
Half time: 4-6
Less than half time: 3 or fewer

Directed Studies

A completed Application for Permission to take a Directed Studies Course form, signed by the instructor and School Dean, must be submitted to the Registrar's Office. Course numbers for graduate program directed studies are listed in the Academic Catalog.

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. Only students accepted to Masters degree programs may audit graduate classes.

Alumni Audit

Students who graduated from Westminster and who are not currently pursuing a degree may register for an Alumni Audit ($125 per class, plus a $50 technology fee for Fall or Spring semesters) according to the following guidelines:

1. Students must register through the Alumni Relations Office. Registrations accepted by the Alumni Office will be verified the first day of class and are subject to space availability. Alumni will not be added to waitlists when a course is considered full.

2. Alumni Audit applications must be received within two business days before the first day of the semester.

3. Students wishing to participate in the Alumni Audit program are required to adhere to all college deadlines for withdrawal and payment of tuition and fees. Students who fail to withdraw will be charged accordingly.
4. Students currently pursuing a graduate degree may not participate in the Alumni Audit program for an undergraduate course while taking classes at the graduate level.
5. Not all classes are eligible for Alumni Audits. For example, it is not possible to take music lessons or independent art courses at the Alumni Audit rate due to the costs of hiring instructors. Please contact the Alumni Office for eligible courses.
6. It may be possible for students to audit graduate level courses. Please contact the Alumni Office to inquire about eligibility and availability.

Academic Advising

Academic advising and mentoring is crucial to Westminster College's student-centered mission. It is a developmental process during which advisors (faculty, staff, and peer) work with individual students to create curricular choices designed to match the student's life and career goals. In partnership with students, advisors will:

• Share knowledge about the institution and the curriculum
• Link students to college and community resources
• Provide accessible advising
• Demonstrate sensitivity to differences among diverse student communities

Faculty advisors work with students to map out degree requirements and plan course sequencing to graduation. These advising sessions generally:

• Review the requirements for the degree, any special options, and possible electives
• Identify any deficiencies in the student's record and ways to correct them
• Discuss career options

General Information

Final Exams

During Fall and Spring semesters, final exams take place during the final week of the semester for 14 week courses. A schedule listing the dates and times of exams can be found on the Registrar's Office website. Students are responsible for knowing the correct day and time a final exam will be offered. Students with conflicting exams are also responsible for talking to their instructors to create an alternate schedule. Graduate programs offered in the 7 week block format do not adhere to the exam schedule.

Web Services

Students can use WebAdvisor to search and register for classes, view and print class schedules, print unofficial transcripts, print degree audits, change their address, and pay tuition. At the end of the semester, all final grades are posted in WebAdvisor. WebAdvisor requires a login name and password, which can be obtained through the Information Services department.

ANGEL is Westminster's online learning management system. It includes online tools such as syllabi, discussion boards, electronic reserves and more. Students and faculty are automatically loaded into their ANGEL courses at the start of a semester; however, as students add and drop, this may not be reflected in ANGEL. The ANGEL database is not connected to the official main college data base directly. Students dropped from ANGEL are not considered dropped from courses officially and are still responsible for all tuition charges.

E-mail Accounts

Each student is provided with a Westminster College email account. We encourage students to check their campus email frequently because important information, such as registration deadlines, campus events and activities, or general school announcements, is sent to students via email. Instructors also use email to contact students with specific class information. For instructions on how to check your student email, please refer to the Help Desk in the garden level of the Giovale Library or call the IT Support Phone at 801.832.2023.

ID Cards

Student ID cards are available in the Health, Wellness and Athletics Center. The card gives access to the fitness center and acts as a library card (giving access to all academic libraries in Utah), a meal card, an activity card, and official college identification. A semester sticker on the back of the card indicates that the card has been validated through the term indicated. Identification cards must be validated each semester. Replacement cost is $10.

Parking Stickers & Bus Passes

Please visit the campus patrol web page for information on parking passes.

Westminster offers annual bus passes, good for all UTA buses except ski and paratransit buses, for free. Visit the Health and Wellness Center (HWAC) for more details about this year's current costs as well as how to obtain a new "swipe card" to serve as a pass. In some cases, you may be asked to show your college I.D. card to use the pass.