Academic and General Regulations

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All students are expected to seek, and the University is expected to provide, appropriate advising resources. These resources may include (but are not limited to) general university advisors, specific faculty advisors, special program advisors, career development counselors, advising seminars, advising workshops and advising publications. General advising is available at the Academic Advising Center located in Hertz 107. Faculty advisors are responsible for providing general education, as well as major program advising. Students are also encouraged to seek advice from various faculty concerning specific areas of interest or from faculty who serve as general advisors.

Continuing freshmen are required to meet with their UNIV 101 instructor or departmental advisor during Advising Week, which takes place the week prior to early registration. During this meeting the student and advisor will discuss the appropriateness of the student’s schedule in obtaining their career and academic goals. Students are required to meet with their advisor the quarters after they have obtained their 75th and 115th credits. During this meeting the student and advisor will discuss the students’ academic plan for either being admitted into the major or for completing the major and university requirements needed to graduate. It is strongly suggested that all other continuing students also meet with their advisors during Advising Week.

As a student progresses, identification with a major or pre-major program of study becomes necessary for effective advising. Students are required to apply for admission to the program in which they want to major. Application forms are available in department offices. After completing the form, students should submit it to the department office which administers the major. A major or pre-major advisor will be assigned by the major department at the time a student is admitted into a major or pre-major program.

Students who have earned 100 or more credits and who have not applied and been admitted to a major or pre-major will not be permitted to register for classes until they submit a completed report of pre-major advising to Registrar Services indicating that they have discussed a major with a faculty advisor. Otherwise, students who have not been admitted to a major or pre-major prior to 100 credits will be given last priority during early registration.

Students are bound by the major requirements which became effective with the fall quarter Online Electronic Catalog (OEC) for the academic year in which they are accepted into their major.

If a student does not enroll for two or more consecutive quarters at Central (excluding summer), he or she will be required to reactivate his or her major status. Reactivation must be done with the concurrence of the department and in accordance with department and the OEC requirements current at the time of readmission.

Currently enrolled students may register early for courses by using Safari, the Web registration system. Registration for new and readmitted students will take place during new student orientation.

Registration for new or readmitted students that did not register during the new student orientation or continuing students that did not register during their designated enrollment appointment, can register during the open enrollment period designated in the annual registration handbook.

Students may change their schedule during the designated change of schedule period. Students are encouraged to use the Safari Web registration system to complete all registration transactions.

Registration, in-person, by telephone or Web, obligates students for payment of all tuition and fees. If tuition is not paid by the due date, students will be liable for a late fee and for any other reasonable collection costs and charges.

Consult the annual registration handbook that is available at Registrar Services or the University center administration office to determine exact dates for early registration, open enrollment, tuition deadlines and the change of schedule period. The registration handbook is also available on the Web at www.cwu.edu/~regi

The rule for determining academic credit is: one credit represents a total time commitment of three hours each week of the quarter. A regular load of 15 credits requires 45 hours of work per week. The total time includes class time, studying, conferring with the instructor, writing, performing laboratory work, exercising or performing any other activity required of students. A minimum of 180 credits is required for a degree.

CWU operates on a quarter system and give quater credit. Other colleges operate on a semester basis (i.e., divide the academic year into two parts, exclusive of summer) and give semester credits. Quarter credits multiplied by two-thirds equal semester credits. Semester credits multiplied by one-and-one-half equal quarter credits.

Courses are numbered sequentially from 100 through 700. Those numbered 100 are pre-collegiate and credits earned in such courses are not accepted toward meeting degree requirements. Undergraduate courses are numbered 101 through 499 and graduate courses are numbered 501 and above. Courses numbered 500 are professional development courses and are not accepted toward meeting degree requirements.

Lower Division

Upper Division

Students may enroll in courses one year ahead of their present status except when otherwise specified in the course description. A student’s class standing is determined by the number of credits earned and/or accepted upon transfer. The following table lists the credits required for each class:

Students holding bachelor’s degrees are considered post-baccalaureate if the student is pursuing a second degree or CWU certification program. Students that are admitted to a master’s degree program are considered graduate students. Satisfying graduation requirements depends not only on the number of credits completed (a minimum of 180) but also on completion of all other degree requirements.

Schedule Change Form (Add/Drop Form)

Full-time and part-time students are determined by the number of credits for which they register. Full-time undergraduate is 12 credits or more. Three-quarter time undergraduate is 9-11 credits. One-half time undergraduate is 6-8 credits. Full-time graduate is 10 or more credits. One-half time graduate is 5-6 credits.

Undergraduate:

15 credits - Standard undergraduate load
18 credits or fewer - No permission required
19-20 credits - Major advisor and major department chair approval required, or Advising Center for undeclared majors.
Over 21 credits - Major advisor and major department chair approval as well as the appropriate college dean.

A 2.8 or higher cumulative GPA is recommended for students seeking an overload.

Graduate:

15 credits - Normal graduate load
16 credits or less - No permission required
17-19 credits - Major department chair or dean approval required
20 or more credits - Associate vice president for graduate studies, research and continuing education approval required

Students will be assessed for placement into ENG 101 and MATH 101 and above upon entering CWU. Students with deficiencies in English usage/reading or mathematical computation must correct them prior to enrolling in ENG 101 or MATH 101 and above. Students should review requisites for courses listed in the catalog. Not having the appropriate pre- or co-requisite may result in being disenrolled.

Seniors may enroll in graduate level courses (501 and above) with the approval of both the instructor of the course and the department chair. Credit earned in these courses may meet undergraduate or graduate program requirements, but not both. Students wishing to designate the course for graduate credit must obtain approval from the associate vice president of graduate studies, research and continuing education.

Add/Drop Form for Audit Signature

Students eligible to enroll in a course for credit may enroll as an auditor provided space is available and permission is secured from the instructor prior to registration. To receive credit for an audited class, students must enroll for credit in and repeat the same course in a subsequent quarter. Students are assessed full tuition for audited courses. Instructors may not compel auditors to write papers or take examinations, but may insist upon other course requirements. Instructors may request that the college dean withdraw the auditor from the course if these requirements are not met. Students receive neither credit nor grades for audited courses. Course participation requirements are set by the faculty member responsible for the course.

Credit for work taken while simultaneously enrolled at CWU and other educational institutions may be transferred to Central. Any student who has obtained an F-1 visa from CWU must obtain permission from the executive director of the Office of International Studies and Programs (or designee) prior to enrolling in any other institution.

Choices and Limitations

The official Online Electronic Catalog (OEC) is the University’s compilation for all curriculum. Undergraduate catalogs are valid for five years. A student should expect to complete general education requirements as listed in the OEC current at the time of first enrollment at either Central or a community college in the state of Washington (provided he or she transfers directly to CWU from the community college and has not attended another four-year institution). The student should also expect to meet the specific requirements of the departments for majors and minors in the OEC current at the time he or she is accepted by the department into the major or minor program.

Graduate students admitted to the master’s degree program may use the catalog they are admitted under or the current one.

Leave of Absence Form

Students who do not enroll for consecutive academic quarters (exclusive of summer) must reapply for admission. However, if students meet the criteria below, they may be granted a leave of absence, which means that they do not have to reapply for the following quarter and that they may register early for classes as continuing students at the designated time.

1. The application for leave of absence must be submitted to Registrar Services on or before the last day of the quarter (including summer) prior to the quarter for which the student is seeking leave.
2. Leaves will be approved only if attending consecutive quarters would present an exceptional hardship or loss of opportunity.
3. Students seeking leave for more than one quarter must re-apply each quarter for the following quarter.

Peremptory (uncontested) withdrawals will not be permitted after the first six weeks of instruction. Students who withdraw after the change of schedule period from 25 percent or more of the coursework for which they have registered for two or more quarters each academic year are subject to dismissal. Students who have been dismissed under this policy may not enroll for courses without submitting an approved plan of study signed by an academic advisor to the Office of the Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. To continue enrollment, the student must satisfactorily complete all credits enrolled during the first quarter of readmission. Students who do not meet this requirement will not be allowed to register for one calendar year.

Peremptory withdrawals will be noted on the student’s transcript with “+W.” Class rosters will reflect the +W for students who have used their peremptory withdrawal.

Withdrawals after the sixth week of instruction will be granted only for reasons of hardship and then only upon written petition to and written approval by the registrar. The student must contact the course instructor and obtain the faculty member’s signature on the hardship withdrawal petition. The signature serves merely to acknowledge the petition and implies neither support nor rejection of the request. The registrar may consult with affected faculty when evaluating a petition and will notify the instructor if the hardship withdrawal has been approved. Hardship withdrawals will be noted on the student’s transcript with an “HW” (hardship withdrawal). Hardship withdrawals from individual courses will not be permitted during or after the final examination period.

Conversions of incompletes to withdrawals must be petitioned as if they were hardship withdrawals. They may be changed only upon petition to the registrar. Withdrawals will not be included in calculating grade point averages. There are no tuition refunds in cases of withdrawal from individual courses.

A student may withdraw from the University for reasons of illness or other extenuating circumstances at any time prior to finals week. An official withdrawal form is available at Registrar Services or University center offices. A student may not withdraw from the University during finals week except with approval of the registrar. A complete withdrawal from the University will be noted on the student’s transcript with a “W.” The registrar will notify affected faculty members when a student has withdrawn from the University. Students who plan to leave the University must complete the official withdrawal form. Failure to do so may result in failing grades. There is no refund of tuition and fees if total withdrawal occurs after the 30th calendar day of the beginning of the quarter. See refund policy for specific details.

Students who have been called into military service of the United States due to a national emergency will be eligible for withdrawal from the University or the granting of credit. The policy does not apply to regular National Guard or Reserve duty or to annual active-duty requirements.

• Students who must withdraw from the University during the first third of the quarter will be granted a total University withdrawal (W).
• Students who must withdraw from the University during the second third of the quarter may request either an uncontested withdrawal (+W) or an incomplete (I) in each course with specified deadline for completion to be determined by the dean in consultation with the instructor or a total University withdrawal from all courses (W).
• Students who must withdraw from the University during the last third of the quarter may request an uncontested withdrawal (+W) or an incomplete (I) or credit if the coursework is satisfactory, to be determined by the dean in consultation with the instructor or a total University withdrawal from all courses (W). Withdrawals granted by this policy do not count toward the uncontested withdrawal limitations per CWU policy. If credit is awarded, the instructors must report either a letter grade or a satisfactory (S) for each course depending upon the quality of the student’s work. If credit is received and the course(s) complete(s) all requirements for the baccalaureate degree, the degree will be awarded.
• In all circumstances, students will be expected to attend classes up to fifteen (15) calendar days prior to induction.
• Students need to contact Registrar Services or their University center office as soon as possible to complete the appropriate paperwork, and to submit a copy of the Federal Activation Orders.

“Grade Points” are assigned to each grade as follows:

The following symbols are also used. No “grade points” are assigned.

All grades are frozen upon award of degree.

Financial aid may be affected by certain grades and/or grading symbols. It is incumbent upon students to be aware of the impact of all grades on their financial aid. Financial aid information policies are available from the Financial Aid office.

The “I” grade is used when the student was not able to complete the course by the end of the term, but has satisfactorily completed a sufficient portion of it and can be expected to finish without having to re-enroll in it. The instructor will designate what a student must do to complete the course and set a specific date up to one calendar year for the completion of the coursework.

Registrar Services will send notification of the incomplete grade to the student based on the information provided by the instructor. If the work is not completed within one (1) calendar year from the last day of the quarter in which the “I” was received, the registrar will automatically convert the “I” to an “F.” However, instructors may require the work to be completed prior to the end of the calendar year. In these cases the registrar will convert the grade according to the date indicated by the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the professor and make arrangements to complete the course. To earn a grade, a student must complete the work for the course as prescribed by the instructor by the indicated date on the incomplete. Students may not re-register for a course in which they receive a grade of incomplete.

All incomplete changes exceeding the one calendar year limit, including extensions, must be submitted by the instructor to Registrar Services for approval.

For undergraduate students, the “IP” grade is used when the student was not able to be evaluated by the end of the term, usually because instruction is not yet completed. “IP” is used for special circumstances within programs such as flight technology, international studies and cooperative education.

For graduate students, “IP” is used for thesis, project study and organization development courses that normally extend beyond a single term.

All uses of the “IP” grade must be submitted to and approved by the registrar. A letter grade is issued when the course is completed and recorded by the registrar, upon receipt of the Change of Grade form submitted by the instructor. If a grade is not submitted to the registrar within one calendar year, the “IP” will automatically be changed to “F” by the registrar.

Grade point averages will be calculated by dividing grade points earned by the credit hours attempted. Here is a typical example:

Dividing 42.4 by 17 gives a grade point average of 2.49. In computing cumulative grade point averages, only work attempted at Central will be included in the computation, with the following exception: cumulative grade point average for students in the Teacher Preparation Program will include all coursework from all colleges attended. Within the major, minor and professional education option, grades earned in all allowed courses are used. Credits earned at other institutions are accepted in meeting degree requirements according to the limits described under bachelor’s degree requirements.

Students are urged to use the credit/no credit option as a way to explore academic areas of interest. All students except first quarter freshmen and students on academic probation may select one class per quarter under this option. A maximum of 15 credits earned in credit/no credit courses may be allowed toward the 180 required for the bachelor’s degree.

The courses must be selected from free electives; they must not be courses in general education, major or minor concentrations, or the professional education sequence. Students may designate the course as credit/no credit until the end of the change of schedule period. Courses may not be repeated on a credit/no credit option.

Credits earned under the credit/no credit option are not included in computing the grade point average. The grade recorded on the student’s transcript will be “CR” if the course grade is C- or above; if below C-, the entry will be “NC.”

Grade changes may be filed until the end of the quarter following the one in which they were recorded. Spring quarter grades may be changed until the end of the fall quarter.

A report of the final grades assigned in courses will be available on Safari at the end of each quarter. Students may request a hard copy be mailed by contacting Registrar Services or their University center office.

Undergraduates who achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or higher will be named to the honor roll. To be eligible, a student must complete a minimum of 12 graded credits in the quarter earned. Post-baccalaureate students are not eligible for the honor roll.

Students who believe they have been improperly graded should first attempt to resolve the matter with the instructor. If resolution is not achieved, the student may appeal the grievance to the department chair. Failing resolution at that level, the grievance may be submitted to the college dean. Finally, if the grievance is not resolved at the dean level, the student may petition for a hearing with the board of academic appeals. For details, contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

Repeat Approval Form

Some CWU courses are approved for repetition with credit awarded each time the course is taken and passed. Such approval is indicated in the course description in the University catalog. Full tuition is assessed for all repeated courses. Other courses may be repeated under the following conditions:

• Students are allowed to take a course a second time. Students attempting to take the same course a third time may do so only with permission of the course instructor and the department chair. Unless otherwise designated as repeatable, courses may not be taken more than three times without permission of dean of the college and department chair.
• Credit will be awarded only once, including credit for transfer courses that are repeated at Central.
• When a course is repeated, only the last grade earned will be used in the computation of the cumulative and major grade point averages. All grades will remain in the student’s official record.

Any CWU course repeated at another institution is subject to the following requirements:

• May be transferred in for CWU credit.
• Will be used in calculating both the CWU and the transfer GPA.

Academic standards are established by the faculty. The vice president for student affairs and enrollment management has responsibility for implementing these standards. A student’s academic standing appears on the quarterly grade report or unofficial transcript located on Safari. Questions about academic standing should be directed to the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management (Bouillon 204).

Good Standing: A student is in good standing when both the quarterly and cumulative grade point averages (GPA) are 2.0 or higher.

Academic Warning: A student who has been in good standing will be placed on academic warning when the GPA for the previous quarter is below 2.0.

Academic Probation: A student who has been on academic warning will be placed on academic probation if either the quarterly or cumulative GPA is below 2.0.

Academic Suspension: A student who has been on academic probation will be placed on academic suspension if the GPA for the previous quarter is below 2.0. If the GPA for the previous quarter is 2.0 or above, but the cumulative GPA remains below 2.0, the student will remain on academic probation.

Immediately after grades are submitted, the vice president for student affairs and enrollment management reviews the academic files of all suspended students and makes one of three decisions:

• The student may be allowed to register for one more quarter with an academic standing of probation.
• The student may be allowed to submit a petition presenting evidence of circumstances beyond the student’s control which adversely affected the student’s performance during the preceding quarter(s). If the petition presents convincing evidence of such extenuating circumstances, the student will be referred to the academic standing committee. The committee will hear the student’s case and may decide to allow the student to enroll for one more quarter on academic probation.
• The student may be denied enrollment for one year, following which a written petition for readmission must be presented to the vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. Readmission, however, is not guaranteed.

A letter will be sent to the student informing him/her of the vice president’s decision.

An undergraduate student may petition the registrar in writing for academic forgiveness if all of the following criteria are met:

1. The student returned to CWU after an absence of at least five years;
2. The student’s CWU cumulative GPA at the time of leaving CWU was below 2.0; and
3. The student has earned at least a 3.0 GPA in at least 45 credits since returning to CWU.

If academic forgiveness is granted, the previous credits and grades at CWU will remain on the student’s transcript, but will not be used in the calculation of the cumulative GPA, and the student will be in good standing. Only the grades earned since returning to CWU will be used in computing the CWU cumulative GPA.

The student may request a review of the registrar’s decision by the board of academic appeals and academic standing. A petition for academic forgiveness may be granted only once. Unless academic forgiveness is granted, the GPA at CWU will include all CWU grades for all courses. The forgiveness policy does not extend to calculating GPA of major or to honors.

Instructors may require regular class attendance. The first day of the quarter is the first day of instruction listed in the University calendar. An instructor may drop a student from the class by notifying the registrar if the student has failed to attend the class by the end of the third day of the quarter or the first class meeting if the class does not meet during the first three days of the quarter.

A student who does not meet course prerequisites may be required to drop the course. Instructors are not required to offer makeup work for absences.

Sponsors of University-approved activities requiring absence from campus will prepare and sign an official list of the names of those students who plan to be absent. It is each student’s responsibility to present a copy of the official list to the appropriate instructors and make arrangements for the absence(s). Instructors are encouraged to make accommodations.

Members of the University community directing or arranging such activities must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Scheduling of such activities shall not overlap with official final examination periods.
2. Scheduling of such activities shall not require an absence of more than three (3) consecutive class days.
3. Scheduling of such activities shall be announced to the students far enough in advance for them to plan to fulfill course requirements.
4. If an exception to these guidelines is needed, the sponsor of the activity will contact instructors to determine whether or not participation in the activity will negatively affect the student’s performance or grade
5. Seeking permission for an exception lies with the sponsor and not with the student(s).

Central Washington University athletics is governed by the rules of the NCAA Division II and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Further information on those rules is available through the Athletic office, or the office of the faculty athletics representative. University academic requirements for participation require the student athlete to meet the requirements of those athletics organizations as well as:

• Maintain a 2.00 accumulative grade point average at all times
• Be in good academic standing at all times
• All incoming freshmen and transfer students must complete Health Education 205, “Drugs and Sport,” by the end of their third year (or junior status) in order to remain eligible for participation in varsity sports

Under certain circumstances, the University may award credit or waive requirements based on course challenges or prior learning experience. Matriculated students, enrolled on a full-time basis, may challenge any course which appears on the current course challenge list. The following rules apply:

• A course challenge application form, available in Registrar Services, must be completed.
• A fee of $15 per credit, with a minimum of $30 per course, must be paid.
• The challenge is conducted according to procedures established by the appropriate department.
• The result of the course challenge is recorded as “S” or “U” on the transcript and is not used in computing grade point average.
• The application to challenge a course will be denied if credit for the course has been received previously at this or another college, the course was previously failed, the student previously withdrew from the course, the course was previously unsatisfactorily challenged, audited or if registration was canceled.
• Credit by examination will not be allowed toward meeting the residence study requirements by the University (see Graduation Requirements section).
• Graduate students who have been admitted to a graduate program must obtain permission from their advisor and the course instructor to challenge it.

Course Challenge List

Special courses such as “Individual Study,” “Special Topics,” “Cooperative Education,” “Workshops” and “Seminars” may not be challenged for credit.

Accounting: all undergraduate courses.
Aerospace Studies: no courses are offered for challenge.
Administrative Management: 146, 201, 271.
Anthropology: all undergraduate courses with chair’s approval.
Art: all undergraduate courses with chair’s approval except 101.
Biological Sciences: no courses are offered for challenge.
Business Administration: all undergraduate courses.
Business Education: 389, 458.
Chemistry: all undergraduate courses except laboratory courses.
Communication: 101, 250, 252, 340, 350, 445.
Computer Sciences: all undergraduate courses with chair’s approval.
Early Childhood Education: no courses are offered for challenge.
Economics: all undergraduate courses.
Education: all undergraduate courses with chair’s approval.
English: no courses are offered for challenge.
Environmental Studies: no courses are offered for challenge.
Ethnic Studies: all 100 and 200 level courses with the director’s approval.
Family and Consumer Sciences: FCSA 150,
Flight Technology: all courses with departmental approval.
Foreign Languages: all undergraduate courses with chair’s approval.
Geography: no courses are offered for challenge.
Geology: no courses are offered for challenge.
Health, Human Performance and Nutrition: all undergraduate courses.
Health Education: HED 101.
History: 101, 102, 103, 143, 144.
Humanities: 101, 102, 103.
Industrial and Engineering Technology: all undergraduate courses with chair’s approval.
Information Technology: 101, 204, 228, 248, 258, 268, 288, 361, 452, 458, 459.
Law and Justice: all undergraduate courses with chair’s approval.
Leisure Services: no courses are offered for challenge.
Marketing Education: all undergraduate courses except 331, 445
Mathematics: all undergraduate courses numbered above 170.
Military Science: all 100 and 200 level courses.
Music: all undergraduate courses except applied lessons, class lessons, and performing groups.
Paramedics: EMS 245, 319, 345.
Philosophy: all undergraduate courses.
Physics: no courses are offered for challenge.
Political Science: no courses are offered for challenge.
Psychology: all undergraduate courses with the chair’s approval.
Recreation and Tourism: no courses are offered for challenge.
Religious Studies: all undergraduate courses.
Safety Education: no courses are offered for challenge.
Social Science: no courses are offered for challenge.
Sociology: all 100 and 200 level courses with the chair’s approval.
Theatre Arts: 107, 166, 363, 364, 365, 371, 373, 381, 383.

Permit to Substitute Form

Students may petition the appropriate department chair if they wish to substitute courses within degree requirements. Course substitutions may not contravene general University policy.

The student should be aware that procedures have been established to hear complaints regarding academic matters. The board of academic appeals exists to guarantee due process for academic grievances involving students, faculty, staff and administrators. The academic appeals policy is established by the faculty senate and is administered by the vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.

Students are required to participate in assessment activities at several points during their academic careers. They will be assessed for placement into English 101 and Math 101 and above upon entering CWU as freshmen. Students with deficiencies in English usage/reading or computation must correct them prior to enrolling in ENG 101 or MATH 101 and above respectively.

Unless otherwise stated, all courses at CWU are taught in English.

Once accepted, international students may be evaluated by the ESL staff to determine whether additional English-as-a-Second-Language coursework will be required during attendance at CWU.

Students will be tested for proficiency in English usage, reading and computation after the student has completed 90 credits but prior to accumulating 110 credits. Departments may establish their own requirements as long as they meet or exceed University standards. Departments may also require students with deficiencies to correct them before being accepted into their major.

Students will participate in an assessment of intended student outcomes of the general education program. End-of-major assessments are required prior to graduation.