Classification of Students
Students who carry 12 or more credit hours in a term are classified as full-time students. Those carrying fewer than 12 semester hours during a term are classified as part time.
For the purpose of determining class status, students in an undergraduate degree program are classified as follows:
Freshman - 29 credit hours or fewer completed
Sophomore - 30 to 59 credit hours completed
Junior - 60 to 89 credit hours completed
Senior - 90 or more credit hours completed
Credit Load
A semester hour is equivalent to 14 class meetings of 50 minutes each, or the equivalent in laboratory work, and a final exam session. The normal number of semester hours taken by a full-time student is 15 to 18. In order to take 19 hours, the student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5; to take 20 hours or more, the approval of the division director or dean is required.
Registration Process
Students may register online via My Cougar Connection each semester on the dates specified in the Schedule of Courses, according to the following procedure outlined by the Registrar’s Office. The student should:
- Secure approval of a schedule of classes from the advisor. Advisors must grant clearance to allow students to register.
- Register online on My Cougar Connection. If there are issues when registering, complete a Drop / Add form on Form Central in My Cougar Connection or report to the Registrar’s Office at the designated times to complete the process.
- If this process cannot be completed due to special requirements or extenuating circumstances, the student should communicate with their advisor so that adjustments may be made on a case by case basis.
With the aid of their advisor, students are responsible for selecting courses which will satisfy the degree and certification requirements of the University of Saint Francis. Students are responsible for making up required courses which they have dropped or failed. Transfer students must complete degree requirements according to university policies.
If a course section is full at the time of registration, a student may “Waitlist” for that section. “Waitlisted” students are not enrolled in a “Waitlisted” course section. Students are not permitted to attend course sections for which they are “Waitlisted.” Only students whose registration status is listed as “Current” in a course section are eligible to earn credit for that course.
The registration deadline for new students is Wednesday at 5 p.m. before the start date of Fall and Spring semester and for current students the deadline is Friday at 12 p.m before the start date of each Fall and Spring semester; students must be registered to attend a course.
Add & Drop Courses
Changes in a schedule may be made by the student on My Cougar Connection before the drop/add deadline. The drop/add period deadlines vary by course format type and are published in the course schedule.
Students who complete the desired change on My Cougar Connection are strongly advised to first secure the approval of their advisor. It should be noted that changes in full-time or part-time status may affect financial aid, Veteran’s benefits, residential status or athletic eligibility. Students should consult with the proper department before making a change.
If a student cannot complete the changes on My Cougar Connection (for example, if after the drop/add deadline), a student who desires to make any change in his/her schedule must complete a Drop/Add form . The form is available in Form Centralon My Cougar Connection. The completed Drop/Add form must then be approved by the student’s advisor (and coach if an athlete and dropping a course).The form will be automatically sent to the advisor (and coach if applicable). The completed Drop/Add form will then be sent to the Registrar’s office for processing.
In certain circumstances, the university will complete an administrative drop from courses for students who have not completed the prerequisite course successfully.
Withdrawal from Courses
After the drop/add period students who want to drop their courses must withdraw from those courses. It is important for students to settle their affairs with the university prior to withdrawal.
In order to properly complete the withdrawal process, prior to formally withdrawing, make sure you contact:
- Office of Financial Aid to make sure you understand any effect your withdrawal will have on your current and future financial aid eligibility
- Business Office to understand effect on your bill, if any
- Academic Advisor to request a withdrawal from any or all courses and to understand your academic status if leaving the university and upon potential return
If a student wants to withdraw from a course(s) and does not want to drop to 0 credit hours, they must fill out a drop/add form that can be found on My Cougar Connection in Form Central and have it signed by student, advisor, and coach if an athlete, then taken or sent to Registrar’s Office for processing.
If a student wants to completely withdraw from the university (dropping to 0 credit hours), they must fill out a complete withdraw form that can be found on My Cougar Connection in Form Central, this is automatically sent to appropriate parties for processing.
- All withdrawals are processed by the Registrar’s Office to safeguard the accuracy of the student’s permanent record.
- Changes in full-time and part-time status may affect student financial aid.
Fall and Spring Semesters
Students in traditional length courses:
- Will receive a grade of “W” after the first week and up to the Friday of the twelth week of the semester
- Must withdraw from the course by 5:00 P.M. EST on the Friday of the twelfth week prior to final exams. Withdraws will not be processed during finals week
Students in accelerated 8-week session format courses:
- Will receive a grade of “W” after Tuesday of the first week of a session and up to the end of the seventh week of a session
- Must withdraw prior to 5:00 P.M. EST on Friday of the seventh week of a session.
A student who receives an incomplete grade is not eligible to withdraw from the course.
Summer Terms
Students in 14-week summer session format courses:
- Will receive a grade of “W” after Tuesday of the first week of a session and up to the end of the seventh week of instruction in the session
- Must withdraw from the course prior to 5:00 P.M. EST on the Friday of the eleventh week of instruction. Withdraws will not be processed after 5:00 P.M. on the Friday of the eleventh week of instruction
Students in accelerated 6-week summer session format courses:
- Will receive a grade of “W” after Tuesday of the first week of a session and up to the end of the fifth week of a session
- Must withdraw from the course prior to 5:00 P.M. EST on Friday of the fifth week of a session. Withdraws will not be processed after 5:00 P.M. EST on the Friday of the fifth week of a session.
All Students
Failure to attend class does not constitute a withdrawal. If the student does not formally withdraw from any class, a grade of “F” will result.
A student may request a withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances (including medical reasons) for circumstances that are reasonably beyond the student’s control which have caused the student to be unable to attend classes, complete the semester, or otherwise become delinquent academically. All withdrawals due to extenuating circumstances are decided on a case by case basis and will need verifying documentation. The student should contact the Academic Career and Development Center at acdc@sf.edu to initiate the request and receive information about the withdrawal process. A student who is called to active military duty, after proof of the call up is submitted, will be withdrawn with no punitive grade on his/her record.
Change of Program
Students wishing to declare or change their major may do so at any time. Students are encouraged to confer with their academic advisor or contact the Academic and Career Development Center at acdc@sf.edu. If a change is desirable, the decision is formalized by completing a Change of Major form found in Form Central on My Cougar Connection. Completed forms are automatically sent to the Registrar Office for processing. The student will be subject to the degree requirements in effect at the time of the change of major, and if seeking admission to a program with specific admission requirements, the students must meet the necessary criteria and submit required materials to be reviewed for admission to the program.
Hold Policy
Various University of Saint Francis offices may place a hold on a student’s record in the Registrar’s Office when money is owed, when items have not been returned to a university office or when required information or documents have not been provided to a department by the student. Reasons for a hold on a student’s record include, but are not limited to, an unpaid past-due balance on a student’s account for which payment arrangements have not been made, unpaid library or parking fines, university equipment or keys not returned, official transcripts not received by the university, and required documents or information not supplied by the student.
The consequences of a hold on a student’s record could include any or all of the following:
- The student’s registration for classes will be deferred.
- The student will not receive a copy of his/her university transcript.
- The student will not receive a copy of his/her semester grades.
- A graduating student will not receive a diploma.
A student who has had a hold placed on his/her records is responsible for contacting the university office that assigned the hold. When satisfactory arrangements have been made to resolve the issue, the university office will inform the Registrar’s Office that the hold has been removed or waived.
Cancellation of Courses
The university reserves the right to cancel courses from the semester and summer schedules because of insufficient enrollment.
Accelerated Courses
An accelerated course is a course which is being offered in a condensed format. Whereas a traditional university course will normally meet for 15 weeks of instruction, an accelerated course will have comparable educational objectives and assignments, but will be offered in an abbreviated format. Whether the delivery of the course is face-to-face, hybrid, or online, the student should anticipate a more intense learning environment in an accelerated course.
Examinations
Mid-term grades will not be reported to the Registrar. Final examinations are given before the end date of the course.
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