Academic Affairs

Commencement
Information

Lecturer / Part-time Faculty Information

Section III: Student Course Registration & Grading

Note: This site is currently under re-construction while the handbook is being updated. Please contact us if you have any questions.

		Academic Appeals			Unauthorized Withdrawal (WU)
		Adds/Drops, Change of Program			Late Add Policy
		Adjunct Enrollment			Petitioning
		Administrative Drops			Report Delayed (RD)
		Audit (AU)			Satisfactory Progress (SP)
		Grades/Grading (Policies & Practices)			Withdrawal Policy
		Incomplete Authorized (I)/Incomplete Charged (IC)			Grade Symbols and What They Mean at Cal State Fullerton
		Unauthorized Withdrawal (WU)

Academic Appeals

A student who alleges capricious or prejudicial treatment by a faculty member or university administrator has a right to file an appeal of that course grade. In such cases the student assumes the burden of proof and must provide evidence in support of the charge. Procedures for both actions are described in UPS 300.030 and UPS 300.031.

Back to top

Adds/Drops, Change of Program

Procedures for adding or dropping classes (Change of Program) are described in the Class Schedule and the University Catalog.

D During the first week of classes all classes must be added through TITAN, expect for those courses indicated as restricted by TITAN. For these restricted classes, an electronic permit must be placed in the registration system by the department. After the permit is placed, students must complete the registration process through TITAN by 12 midnight on Tuesday, September 4.

During the second week of classes, the student must obtain an electronic permit, which is posted by the academic department and the student must access TITAN to use the permit. The permit expires at the end of the second week of classes.

During the third and fourth week of classes (Late Add period), the student must submit a Petition for a Late Addition of Classes form signed by the instructor, department chair and dean (or designee) to the registration center in Langsdorf Hall, Room 114.

Students who wish to drop a course may do so during the first and second weeks of classes using TITAN. After the second week of classes, students may drop a course only due to serious and compelling reasons (documented physical, medical, emotional condition) by submitting a Request for Withdrawal form withal of the required signatures to the registration center in Langsdorf Hall (LH-114). The final deadline for a withdrawal is Friday, November 9th.

For any question, please call the Admissions and Records Service Center 278-7601.

Back to top

Adjunct Enrollment

Many university degree credit courses listed in the Class Schedule. Schedule on a space-available basis to extension students through Adjunct Enrollment. Matriculated students may not enroll through this program. Refer to the Class Schedule for additional information. Instructors should check with their department office before starting a semester for the department’s adjunct enrollment procedures.

Back to top

Administrative Drops

Students who do not attend the first meeting of a course and who fail to notify the instructor within 24 hours of that class may be administratively dropped by the instructor from the class roster. An administrative drop form for this purpose is available in department offices and Admissions and Records provides multiple copies of the class rolls. These documents may be used to annotate and submit Administrative Drops. Because the administrative drop is optional, student should be advised that failure to attend does not automatically cause them to be dropped. Those students who wish to drop a course should follow the usual class withdrawal procedures as provided for in the “Change of Program” instructions included in the Class Schedule each semester.

Back to top

Audit (AU)

The AU is used by the Registrar in those instances where a student is enrolled in a course either for information or other purposes not related to the student’s formal academic objective. Enrollment as an auditor is subject to the permission of the instructor, provided that enrollment in any course as an auditor shall be permitted only after students otherwise eligible to enroll in the course on a credit basis have had an opportunity to do so. An auditor may not change to credit status and a student who is enrolled for credit may not change to audit after the third week of instruction. An auditor is not permitted to take examinations in the course; therefore there is not a basis for evaluation nor a formal grade report.

Back to top

Grades/Grading (Policies & Practices)

The university statement which defines letter grades and their corresponding grade points is found in the University Catalog and UPS 300.020.

Faculty have the option of using plus/minus grading to make finer distinctions in assigning grades. Course outlines must include the grading standards and criteria used as well as a statement indicating whether or not plus/minus grading will be used.

With respect to final examinations, faculty have the right and the responsibility to provide careful evaluation and timely assignments of appropriate grades each term. The faculty shall record grades for their students on final grade forms distributed by the Office of Admissions and Records. Completed forms, including the signatures of the instructors, shall be due in the academic department offices on the date announced in the academic calendar, which shall be no fewer than six days after the day of final examinations.

Department chairs and program coordinators shall be responsible for assuring that instructors record, sign and forward the forms to the Office of Admissions and Records. For additional information, consult UPS 300.010, UPS 300.016, UPS 300.020, UPS 300.030, and the University Catalog.

Back to top

Incomplete Authorized (I) and Incomplete Charged (IC)

The symbol “I” signifies that a portion of required course work has not been completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period owing to unforeseen but fully justified reasons and that there is still a possibility of earning credit.. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the request, bring pertinent information (including, if applicable, any substantiating documentation) to the instructor and to reach agreement on the means by which the remaining course requirements will be satisfied to covert the ”I” to a letter grade. Forms are available in the Department offices and the Admissions and Records Services Center (LH-144).

An Incomplete (I) must be made up within one year following the end of the term during which it was assigned. This limitation prevails whether or not the student maintains continuous enrollment. An extension of this time may be granted upon request for extraordinary reasons.

If the Incomplete is not converted within the prescribed time limit, or any extension thereof, it will be replaced by “IC” (Incomplete Charged) and shall be counted as a failing grade in calculating grade point average and progress points.

Please see UPS 300.017.

Back to top

Unauthorized Withdrawal (WU)

The symbol U indicates that an enrolled student did not withdraw from the course but failed to complete course requirements. It is used when, in the opinion of the instructor, completed assignments or course activities or both were insufficient to make normal evaluation of academic performance possible. For purposes of grade-point average computations, this symbol is equivalent to an F.

Students may petition for retroactive withdrawal from individual courses or from an entire semester, provided they can document both the serious and compelling reasons or circumstances that required the withdrawal and the date of such withdrawal. Such a petition must be filed within 30 days after the first class day of the following semester. Petitions are reviewed by the University Petitions Committee and approval is not guaranteed.

Back to top

Late Add Policy

No student shall be allowed to add any course subsequent to the census date, except upon the approval of the department chair and the dean. For more information, consult with the chair of your academic department and UPS 300.013.

Back to top

Petitioning

Petitioning

Beginning the second week of classes, and continuing through the university Census date, students may, with the instructor’s permission, enroll in closed classes using a Change of Program form which is signed by the instructor or has been affixed with the department stamp. After the Change of Program is signed by the instructor or stamped by the department staff, it is the student’s responsibility to file the form at the Registration Center in Langsdorf Hall in a timely manner. Additional information is available in the Class Schedule.

Back to top

Report Delayed (RD)

The RD symbol is used when a delay in the reporting of a final grade is due to circumstances beyond the control of the student. The symbol is assigned by the registrar and will be replaced as soon as possible. An RD is not included in calculation of a grade-point-average.

Back to top

Satisfactory Progress (SP)

The SP symbol is used in connection with thesis, project or similar courses that extend beyond one academic term. It indicates that work is in progress, and has been evaluated and found to be satisfactory to date, but that assignment of a final grade must await completion of additional course work. Cumulative enrollment in units attempted may not exceed the total number applicable to the student's education objective. Work is to be completed within a stipulated period which may not exceed one year except for graduate degree theses or projects for which the time may be longer, but may not exceed the overall limit for completion of all master’s degree requirements.

Back to top

Withdrawal Policy

Withdrawal is permitted during the first two weeks of instruction without record of enrollment and maybe accomplished using the normal drop procedures administered by the University Registrar. Authorization to withdraw after the end of the second week and prior to the last three weeks of instruction shall be granted for only the most serious reasons. A serious reason is defined as a physical, medical, emotional, or other condition which has the effect of limiting the student’s full participation in class. Such reasons must be documented by the student. All requests for permission to withdraw after the first two weeks and all approvals shall be made in writing on a withdrawal request form and drop form, which shall be filed at the Registrar’s Office by the student or his/her proxy. For additional information, consult the University Catalog, Class Schedule, and UPS 300.016.

When a student has not withdrawn from a class in a manner described in the Class Schedule, University Catalog, or UPS 300.016, and when there is no clear indication of the student’s academic performance in the class, the instructor may assign the administrative grade of WU—unauthorized withdrawal. This grade has the same effect on the student’s GPA as a grade of F. Any WU grades assigned during a student’s first semester of enrollment at CSUF will be automatically converted to a W. For additional information, consult the University Catalog, the Class Schedule, and UPS 300.018.

Back to top

Grade Symbols

Back to top

Beginning with the Spring semester of 2005, plus and minus grading were permitted. Included will be the following options*:

* Pursuant to UPS 300.004, there should be a statement in the course syllabus indicating whether or not the +/- system wll be used.

Return to Handbook Contents Page

This page is maintained by the Cal State Fullerton Vice President for Academic Affairs. Report problems to VPAAtech.

California State University, Fullerton ©2003. All Rights Reserved.

This site may contain links to Web sites not administered by California State University, Fullerton, or one of its divisions, schools, departments, units or programs. California State University, Fullerton, is not responsible or liable for the accuracy or the content of linked pages.