Student Schedules, Registration, and Academic Regulations

*Adding or Dropping Courses

Any change in a student’s planned program must be approved by the adviser. Each change should be submitted to the registrar’s office on a form provided by that office and approved by the Committee on Academic Policy and Procedures.

*Administrative Drop

If a student registers but does not attend the first class of the semester, the Office of the Registrar will administratively drop the student from the course(s). For billing and financial aid purposes, an administrative drop will be recorded as a dropped course effective the first day of the semester, and the student will not be responsible for charges for the course(s).

However, it is still the student’s responsibility to complete the process by submitting a Drop/Add Form to the registrar’s office. Failure to do so may result in a grade of F for the course(s).

*Admitting Students into a Course

Admission of a student into a class without the prerequisite or after the first week of classes is at the discretion of the instructor.

*Approval of Student Schedules

Each student is responsible for consulting with and obtaining approval of the academic adviser for planning a program.

Attendance

Students are responsible for attending classes and all other meetings required for the course, as well as for making whatever arrangements are necessary for missed work. An instructor may establish special attendance policies that are essential because of the nature of the course. In the case of a medical absence or for similarly unavoidable reasons, an instructor will provide assistance, as possible, in making up the work if a student requests it. A member of the faculty may designate in advance certain important class meetings at which attendance is required. Announcement of such a requirement will be made at least one week in advance. Students should not expect to receive permission for exceptions to this regulation.

*Auditing Courses

An auditor is defined as a student who attends a course regularly without being required to take part in recitation, written work or final examination, and without receiving credit for the course.
Students requesting permission to audit a course must receive prior approval from the appropriate faculty member.
The request to audit a course must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of the add/drop period.
Students who audit courses are required to pay all additional or established fees associated with the class. A student receiving financial aid should contact the financial aid office to determine what impact, if any, enrolling in a course for audit will have on the student’s aid.
Courses taught one on one, by virtue of their participatory nature, do not qualify as classes that may be audited. These courses include, but are not limited to: independent studies, guided studies and applied music.
A student who has audited a course may not request permission to receive Credit by Examination based on the audit alone. The fact of the student’s attendance in a course as an auditor will be noted on the student’s permanent academic record if, in the opinion of the instructor concerned, the student’s regularity of attendance merits such a notation. The instructor will indicate this fact by the letters “P.R.” (permanent record).

Canceling Classes Prior to Vacation

Classes are to be held as scheduled at the first and last scheduled session of each course and in the periods immediately preceding and following designated vacation periods. Except with the approval of the dean of the faculty, no member of the faculty should omit or change from the scheduled hour, or dismiss early the last session in any course before or the first session in any course after the stated vacations.

*Catalog Policy for Matriculated Students

Degree-seeking students must complete requirements as outlined in the College catalog for the year in which they matriculate into a degree program. If there are curricular changes (general education, major or minor), a student may choose to meet the requirements as outlined in the new catalog. The student must provide a statement in writing to the Office of the Registrar that she or he intends to complete the new curriculum. Should a student decide to change her/his degree, major or minor, the student may be required to follow the most current requirements as determined in consultation with the registrar.

Classification

For classification as a sophomore, a student will have completed satisfactorily at least 27 semester hours; as a junior, at least 60 semester hours; as a senior, at least 90 semester hours.

Course Evaluation

Student course evaluations are distributed to all students in every course two weeks prior to the start of final exams. Course evaluations are required to close by midnight the night before final exams begin. This process is overseen by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. The student course evaluations should assist in the on-going assessment of student learning, as defined by institutional, program, and course objectives, and provide feedback to the faculty member with respect to teaching effectiveness and the strengths and weaknesses of individual courses. In addition to the faculty member, division chairs have access to all course evaluation summary reports for courses in their division.

Course Load

A student normally takes 30 semester hours per academic year. A student will carry a minimum of 12 semester hours in each semester to be considered full time, a minimum of six semester hours in each semester to be considered half time, and a minimum of nine semester hours in each semester to be considered three-quarter time.

Course Overload

A student may enroll in more than 18 semester hours, but not more than 21 semester hours, in any semester provided that she/he: (a) has a 3.3 grade-point average in the preceding semester or a 3.3 cumulative grade-point average; (b) was enrolled as a full-time student in the preceding semester; and, (c) has the approval of her/his adviser.

Full-time tuition is charged for students enrolled in for 12 to 18 semester hours. Students enrolled in more than 18 semester hours will incur an additional charge per semester hour.

Accessibility Services Course Substitution Policy

General Information

In meeting graduation requirements, it is sometimes necessary to substitute one course for another, for various reasons. A course substitution is considered an accommodation for a student with a documented disability. To avoid prerequisite issues or a delay in graduation, this request should be submitted as early as possible; the student should work with their academic advisor initially, to confirm course requirements prior to submitting the completed form to the Accessibility Service Coordinator. Note that Wilson College may not consider requests in the last semester, so it is best to submit prior to application for graduation. Courses that are considered for substitution are handled case by case, the student should contact the Accessibilities Service Coordinator prior to registering for any course that may require substitution.

Approval is not guaranteed, nor does approval for the individual student imply that the same request will be approved for others. The student will be notified via email once the request is approved or denied.

Student Responsibilities

Before submission of a course substitution request, the details of the request should be discussed first with your academic advisor, prior to consulting accessibility services. In some circumstances, substitution of a course requirement may be determined to be a reasonable and appropriate accommodation, by the accessibility services coordinator, for a student with a properly documented disability. An accommodation of this nature is considered only when it has been confirmed that the student's disability has strong objective evidence that the student will be unable to fulfill the requirement. Consideration of a course substitution is done on a case-by-case basis. Course waivers are not granted.

Gaining approval for a course substitution is often a lengthy process. Therefore, it is recommended that the student initiate the request as early as possible in their academic career.

The final decision regarding a course substitution will rest with the Registrar working on behalf of the Committee on Academic Procedures. The full Committee will only be consulted on an as needed basis.

A student with a qualifying disability who would like to request a course substitution as a reasonable accommodation should:

Submit the appropriate information outlined in the eligibility process, verifying a disability that substantially limits the skills required for the successful completion of the required course. Please refer to the Accessibility Services page for information as to what constitutes appropriate written documentation. Students may be asked to provide additional documentation upon review. If additional documentation is needed to further justify an accommodation request, the student will be notified via email. The documentation should be submitted electronically or to the office of Accessibility Services in the John Stewart Memorial Library, Room 207.
Complete a Course Substitution Request by completing the Course Substitution Request Form describing difficulties encountered in past attempts to perform successfully within the subject area. The student should explain how the disability has impacted these attempts. The student is not required to identify the specific diagnosis in the written substitution requests, in order to protect confidentiality. This statement form should be submitted to the Accessibility Services Coordinator in the John Stewart Memorial Library, room 207.
Sign a waiver allowing the Accessibility Services Coordinator to share only relevant related information on behalf of the student, with appropriate faculty/staff members and the Committee on Academic Procedures as part of the decision-making process.

The Registrar on behalf of the Committee on Academic Procedures will then review the student's request; students will receive a response in a timely manner.

*Course Syllabi

Early in the semester, instructors will distribute the general work requirements and grading policies of the course. These include statements, as appropriate, concerning attendance, participation in class, quizzes, papers and an examination.

Cross-Registration

Wilson College has arrangements with Shippensburg University and Gettysburg College that allow Wilson College students to take courses on the two campuses that are not offered at Wilson. In addition, through a cooperative agreement between Wilson College and the Council on Independent Colleges (CIC) Consortium, qualified students may request to register for online courses on a space-available basis.

The course credit, along with the grade earned, appears as regular credit (not as transfer credit) on the student’s official record. Students register and pay tuition and fees through Wilson College. See the registrar for specific details and procedures.

Declaration of Major

A bachelor’s degree candidate should declare a major during the semester in which 60 semester hours will be completed. An associate degree candidate should declare a program during the semester in which 27 semester hours will be completed. The student must obtain written approval from her/his current adviser and submit the form to the registrar when registering for the following semester.

Declaration of a Minor

A bachelor’s degree candidate should declare a major during the semester in which 30 semester hours will be completed. An associate degree candidate should declare a program during the semester in which 27 semester hours will be completed. The student must obtain written approval from her/his current adviser and submit the form to the registrar when registering for the following semester.

*Dismissal from a Course

An instructor may, based on a disregard for the stated policy for a course, request that the Committee on Academic Policy and Procedures dismiss a student from a course with the designation of W entered on the records. Conditions for readmission to the course will be granted only by the Committee on Academic Policy and Procedures.

Declaration of a Minor

Exceptions to Major Requirements

Any exception to a requirement in a major area must have the approval of the division chair of the major area, who will submit the approval in writing to the registrar.

*Leaves of Absence

A leave of absence is a period of time approved by the College during which the student is not in attendance but is considered a student of record.

A leave of absence may be granted to a matriculated Wilson College student on completion of the leave of absence form available in the registrar’s office. A leave of absence may not exceed one year. When a student returns from a leave of absence, the student returns under the catalog she/he followed before leaving.

A leave of absence is terminated in one of the following ways:

Return to the College – The student must notify the registrar’s office to register for courses.
Withdrawal from the College – The student must notify the College of the intent to withdraw. After one year, the student is automatically withdrawn from the College and will need to reapply in order to return.

A leave of absence is not granted for the purpose of taking a course for transfer credit from another institution. A student, working with an academic adviser, must get prior approval from the academic dean for any course from another institution if it is to apply toward Wilson College’s graduation requirements. The student must complete the off-campus study form available in the registrar’s office.

Students may take a leave of absence, provided they complete a leave of absence form and return it to the registrar’s office or the Dean of Students by the last day of class in the semester. Students who complete this process will receive a “W” for each course that semester. After this date, students may take a leave of absence without academic penalty only for reasons of illness, family crisis or other problems outside of the student’s control and only with prior approval of the Committee on Academic Policy and Procedures.

The official date of the leave of absence will be the date the completed form is returned to the College, not the date the student stopped attending classes. Students who stop attending classes and fail to officially take a leave of absence or withdraw from their course(s) will be assigned the grade of F (failure) for all courses in which they were registered.

Note: Regulations for financial aid and Veteran’s education benefits may differ from academic regulations. A student should meet with a financial aid counselor to determine the impact of a leave of absence.

*Short-Term Student Absences

Policies relating to short-term student absences (i.e., funerals, illnesses, medical treatments, pregnancies, etc.) will be determined by individual faculty members.

*Students Called to Active Duty

Students enrolled in the U.S. military who are called into active duty may be eligible to withdraw from classes without penalty and receive a refund of tuition and fees and room charges and a prorated refund of unused board. A copy of the military orders must be provided to the Registrar’s Office and a leave of absence/withdrawal form must be completed. If the orders are not available until after a student leaves for active duty, s/he should submit a copy to the Registrar's Office when they become available. Filling out the form requires exit meetings with staff in several offices, including Financial Aid, who can provide advice about available options. In accordance with federal regulations, students who receive financial aid benefits may be required to repay a portion of the financial aid received depending upon the point in the semester when the student withdraws. The student would be informed of any repayment obligations during the exit interview with Financial Aid. Students are responsible for all charges made to the College Store. Students may receive some credit at the Virtual Bookstore depending on the condition of the textbooks and submission of the receipt.

Students who are able to complete most of the semester before they report for active duty may be able to complete the semester rather than withdrawing from their courses. In this case, arrangements for incompletes must be made with their instructors. Permission to take additional time to complete courses beyond the six weeks allowed through the Academic Regulations may be granted, depending upon the circumstances.

*Student-Athletes: Missed Work

The college has a strong commitment to its NCAA-affiliated athletics program. While academics must take precedence over athletics, we recognize the importance of athletics in the education of Wilson students. Generally, an absence for scheduled athletic events shall be considered an *excused absence, permitting the student to make up the work. However, for appropriate academic reasons, a faculty member may refuse to grant an excused absence. As mandated by the NCAA, the college must have a Faculty Athletics Representative whose duties are listed in this section under number 4.

Responsibilities of the Athletics Director (or designee):
- Make athletic schedules and rosters available.
- Confirm the academic eligibility of student- athletes.
- Review attendance of student-athletes during their season.
- Require study hours of freshman athletes and athletes on academic probation.
- Meet with athletes on academic probation and with any athlete appearing to have academic difficulties as requested
- Convey academic regulations, policies and expectations to student-athletes.
- Attempt to reduce academic conflicts via strategic scheduling of competition and class registration
- Monitor academic progress.
Responsibilities of the Faculty:
- Grant *excused absences to student-athletes for dates of competition whenever possible.
- Inform the student of any dates where attendance is mandatory before the final withdrawal date for the course. Ideally these dates should appear on the course synopsis form or on the course syllabus.
- Attempt to resolve any conflict without imposing an academic penalty on the student.
- Communicate student-athlete attendance concerns with the Athletics Director and/or the Faculty Athletics Representative.
- Recognize that postponed games must be made up within 72 hours and in some instances the next day—athletes should inform the faculty as soon as a change is made but the notice may be short due to conference make up regulations.
Responsibilities of the Student-Athlete:
- Recognize that academics take priority over athletics.
- Attend all classes and complete all assignments in a timely manner.
- Provide faculty with the Academic Conflict Form to inform them of absences necessitated by scheduled athletics events.
- Request *excused absences based on the following timeframes:
  - *Home games: Maximum of 90 minutes prior to game time and 30 minutes after the game is completed.
  - *Away games: Maximum of 15 minutes prior to bus departure and return.
- Inform faculty immediately if a game is postponed and provide the rescheduled date.
- Expect to make-up all work due to athletics-related absences and initiate communication with faculty member to do so.
- If a conflict cannot be resolved with the faculty member, inform the Faculty Athletics Representative.
Responsibilities of the Faculty-Athletics Representative. The Faculty Athletics Representative position is a requirement for membership in the NCAA. As stated by the NCAA, the primary duties of the Faculty Athletics Representative are:
- Maintain the academic integrity of the athletics program.
- Monitor performance of student-athletes in conjunction with the Registrar.
- Monitor and facilitate the delivery of academic services to student-athletes.
- Serve as an ombudsman in the resolution of conflicts relevant to the academic affairs of the student-athlete.
- Meet with athletics teams to discuss academic policy and expectations of student-athletes.
Responsibilities of the Coach:

Recognize that academics take priority over athletics.
Communicate schedules to athletes at the beginning of season, including leaving and return times.
Support and enforce the academic regulations policy.
Conduct team based study hours

*Waitlist Policy During Priority Registration/Open Registration Period

During the priority registration period, students who are interested in taking a closed class should place themselves on the course waitlist. The computer automatically ranks waitlisted students in the order they are added to the waitlist.

When priority registration closes, the registrar and the vice president for academic affairs will review all closed courses with waitlists. When appropriate, and with faculty consultation, waitlisted students may be added to existing courses or additional sections may be added.

If it is not possible or reasonable to make accommodations for waitlisted students, the students will remain on the waitlist until the first day of class. If there are drops in a waitlisted course, students will be accommodated in order of their standing on the waitlist.

In cases of extreme circumstances – those circumstances completely beyond a student’s control (e.g., severe illness, hospitalization, death in the immediate family, etc.) – the registrar or the vice president for academic affairs may accommodate a student who is a junior or senior, regardless of her/his priority on the waitlist. Please note that failure to register during the appropriate priority period or procrastination does not constitute extreme circumstances.

*Waitlist Policy During Add/Drop Period

During the add/drop period, each faculty member will determine who will be added to her/his courses. Priority ranking on the waitlist does not apply during the add/drop period. Students who had been waitlisted for a course should contact the instructor directly to inquire about adding the course.

*Withdrawal From a Course

Withdrawal from a course requires approval by the adviser and the instructor. Students may withdraw from a course through the 10th week of the semester with the designation of W (withdrawn). It is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from any course scheduled, whether or not they have ever attended. If the student does not attend and does not withdraw, the name will remain on the class list and a grade of F will be recorded for the course. A student who wishes to receive the designation of W for medical reasons must submit such evidence to the dean of the College.

*Withdrawal From the College

A student who withdraws from the College plans to leave the College and does not intend to return. If a student is contemplating withdrawing from the College, an appointment should be made with the registrar for advice concerning procedures to be followed. Because such a decision has numerous and broad implications for the student, she/he is advised to discuss the matter with her/his academic adviser, family and the appropriate faculty and staff members.

Students may officially withdraw from the College provided they complete a Withdrawal Form that includes all the appropriate signatures and return it to the registrar’s office by the last day of class in the semester. Students who complete this process will receive a W for each course that semester. After this date, students may withdraw from the College without academic penalty only for reasons of illness, family crises or other problems outside of the student’s control, and only with prior approval of the Committee on Academic Procedures.

The official date of the withdrawal will be the date the completed form is returned to the College, not the date the student stopped attending classes. Students who stop attending classes and fail to officially withdraw from the College will be assigned the grade of F (failure) for all courses in which they were registered.

In order to re-enroll in the College, a student must reapply and follow all the appropriate admissions procedures. When a student is readmitted to the College, she/he must follow the current catalog.

Note: Regulations for financial aid may differ from academic regulations. A student should meet with a financial aid counselor to determine the impact of withdrawing from the College.

Workload Guidelines

The instructor will be guided by the suggestion that an average student will spend approximately nine hours per week per course, including all preparation and time spent in the class, laboratory and/or studio. The distribution will depend on the nature of the course.

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Academic Policies and Procedures