Registration and Course Credit

Choice of Catalogue

Students are subject to the degree requirements and policies described in the Graduate Catalogue that is in effect when they first enroll, or any subsequent catalogue published during their time of study. A student who is approved for readmission to the College after an absence of more than one year will comply with the requirements of the subsequent catalogue. Exceptions may be necessary in order to conform to standards of outside accrediting agencies.

Registration

New and continuing students work directly with their Program Director/Advisor for individual academic advising. Once the student has been advised he or she may use Self Service to register online during the preregistration period. A degree- seeking student who is enrolled in six graduate credit hours per semester is defined as a full-time graduate student.

Dropping/Adding a Course

A student may add or drop a course or change sections only during the first five calendar days of the semester. The student may use Self-Service online or complete a drop/add form with the program advisor. The student may add a course if space is available, or with the approval of the program advisor.

For courses that begin later in the semester, the student may add or drop that course up until the beginning of the second class period.

Leave of Absence (LOA) and Withdrawal Policy

A student wishing to withdraw from all of their courses prior to the end of the semester consults with their Program Director/Advisor and submits either a completed withdrawal form or a request for a Leave of Absence (if he or she plans to return within 180 days). These forms can be found on the Office of the Registrar website. Tuition, fees and financial assistance adjustments are determined based on the date the form is received the Office of the Registrar.

Students who withdraw or request a leave of absence from the College in the first 5 days of the semester, during the add/drop period, will be dropped from all of their classes. Classes that are dropped within the first 5 days of the semester (during the add/drop period) do not appear on an academic transcript. Classes dropped after the first 5 days of the semester and before the last day to drop a class with a ‘W’ are dropped with a grade of W. The grade of W on the academic transcript will indicate withdrawal from a course. A grade of W does not affect a student’s GPA or earned credit hours. A grade of W is included in the calculation of attempted credit hours for academic standing and financial assistance eligibility. The deadline to withdraw or request a leave of absence from the College and receive grades of W is the last day to drop a class with a grade of W as published in the academic calendar.

Students who cease attendance in registered classes and fail to turn in either the withdrawal form or the leave of absence request will receive the calculated final grades earned at the end of the semester.

Exceptions to the deadline will be considered upon appeal for medical or other documented emergencies and must be appealed to the Senior Vice President and Provost, to whom the student will provide documentation demonstrating his/her inability to withdraw by the designated deadline. Acceptable documents include, but are not limited to, medical records, a letter from a treating physician or counselor, or documentation of a family medical emergency.

A student who has withdrawn from the College must reapply to the program. A student who receives an approved leave of absence will remain an active student and does not need to reapply for readmission to return to the College if returning within 180 days.

Leave of Absence Eligibility

A currently-enrolled student may request from the Registrar a leave of absence for up to 180 days without having to reapply to the program as long as the student is in good academic, social and financial standing at Meredith. Students receiving financial assistance should confer with the Financial Assistance Office before applying for a leave. A student on leave of absence who does not re-enroll within the allotted leave time will be officially withdrawn from the College. After any withdrawal or non-compliance with the leave policy, a student must follow the re-admission process.

A student is in good academic standing if he or she will not be on academic warning or probation at the end of the term in which he or she applied for the leave of absence. The student is in good social standing if he or she is not on social probation and if there is no honor council case pending that would involve probation, suspension, or expulsion. To be in good financial standing, a student must have paid all tuition, fees and other charges in the Accounting Office.

When granted an approved leave of absence, students may return to the program with the same status they held at the time of their departure and under the same catalogue. This policy does not change the six-year time limit (starting when the first graduate-level course was taken, including transfer courses) required for the completion of the graduate degree.

If a student withdraws, is dismissed, or is granted a leave of absence from Meredith before the end of a semester, s/he is responsible for the following percentage of the full semester tuition:

Student must pay:

Any refund due will be mailed from the Accounting Office to the student after the withdrawal or leave of absence paperwork has been processed.