Students needing assistance with registration, please contact the Office of Records and Registration, Administrative Services Building, Room 118, (320) 308-2111 or registrar@stcloudstate.edu
Registration
Prior to Start of Class
Priority registration is granted for the following groups:
- Students with disabilities
- Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from SCSU
- Students admitted to graduate level programs
- Student athletes
- Student veterans
- Students admitted to the honors program in good standing
- Students with dependents (effective starting with Spring 2019 registration period)
Students in the above groups may register at the time indicated on the registration schedule or anytime thereafter.
Students may change their class registrations prior to the start of classes. These changes will not be recorded in the student’s record.
Students should only register for classes they wish to attend. Registering for the same class in multiple sections may result in reduction in registration privileges, deletion of registered courses, and/or disciplinary action.
After Start of Class
Fall/Spring semesters: Students may add or drop courses using the e-service system through the first five (5) calendar days.
Summer session course(s): Add/Drop/Withdrawal dates are only available through the e-services system and may be shorter than the first five calendar days of the term.
*Alternate arrangement courses (e.g., late start, weekend, short session) add/drop/withdrawal dates could be different and are available through the e- services system.
Late Registration: Permission is required from the section faculty or department to be registered in a section after the drop window. Late registrations are permitted only until the end of the term in question.
Late Drops, Course Exchanges and Late Withdrawals
Late drops, course exchanges and late withdrawals require submitting the Late Enrollment Change Request e-form (see Supplemental documents). Late Drop and late withdrawal requests will be reviewed and determined by a panel of individuals appointed by the Registrar based on their role in the university.
Course Exchange Window [Second week of Fall/Spring semesters]
For full Fall/Spring courses, students can seek a course exchange whereby they can drop a course past the five calendar day window and add a different course in its place. This window is available from the first Saturday through the second Friday. Students cannot process this exchange via e-services but must submit the request through the Late Enrollment Change Request e-form [see Supporting Document section of policy]. Approval to be added late is solely at the discretion of the section’s faculty. In the event a student has already withdrawn from the desired course to be dropped, and a faculty has approved late add, upon receipt of the Late Enrollment Change Request e-form Records will update said course to reflect a drop. Note: in the event a student has a financial hold, please contact Business Services before submitting the Exchange Request.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal may impact academic standing and create financial consequences. A student should consult an academic advisor prior to withdrawing from a course.
Fall/Spring semester: Following the fifth day and until 80% of the semester has elapsed a student may withdraw from a full-term class and receive a grade of 'W'.
Summer session course(s): Students should refer to the e-service system to determine withdrawal deadline for a specific course.
For all semesters/sessions, specific course deadlines are available through the e-services system.
A student who withdraws from all classes may be eligible to receive a refund or partial refund of tuition and fees paid for that semester. All federal and state policies and procedures regarding financial aid eligibility will be enforced. Details of dates and percentages are available from Business Services. Withdrawal can impact student financial aid and may result in students being required to repay awards. Students are advised to contact the Business Services Office (Administrative Services Building ("AS"), room 123) and the Financial Aid Office (AS 106) before withdrawing from any course. Short courses (less than five (5) weeks duration) are not eligible for a reduction in charges after the course has begun.
Late Withdrawal (after 80% of a course has elapsed)
Late Withdrawal: A change in registration that happens when a student attempts the course but is unable to complete the course or change their enrollment status in a timely manner (i.e. more than 80% of the class has been completed) will be considered a “Late Withdrawal” and a “W” will be reflected on the transcript.
If there are significant circumstances beyond the student’s control which affected both the ability to complete the course and the ability to withdraw by the published deadline, a student may appeal for a late withdrawal. The circumstances must be well documented. Requests without appropriate documentation or without extenuating circumstances will not be considered.
Late withdrawal requires completion of a Late Enrollment Change Request e-form [see Supporting Document section of policy].
Before submitting an appeal, the student must first consult the instructor, research director, or test administrator and gather input from academic advisors and/or Student Relations Directors. In most instances it is expected that the student communicates with the instructor, research director, or test administrator to complete the course through an “Incomplete” option rather than appeal for a late withdrawal.
An appeal for late withdrawal must be submitted preferably in the same semester or by the following deadlines after the term has ended:
Fall Semester: February 15 Spring Semester: June 15 Summer Term: September 15
If a late withdrawal appeal is denied, the earned grade will remain/appear on the transcript. If approval is granted, a “W” will appear on the transcript. The determination is at the discretion of the Late Withdrawal Appeal Panel, and the ultimate decision is final and is not subject to further appeal. The Late Withdrawal Appeal Panel is comprised of appropriate University partners providing objective and consistent standards to all submission reviews and meets semi-semesterly. Students will receive a copy of the determination at their university-provided email address.
Examples of rationale to determine approval of a late withdrawal request beyond the respective deadline(s) include(s) but is/are not limited to: Significant issues, an emergency, and circumstances beyond the control of the student.
A late withdrawal is not intended as a means for a student to substitute a “W” for a poor grade on their transcript. Exceptions can only be made if there are significant extenuating circumstances supported by documentation.
Late withdrawal appeals are intended to be rare and for all courses in a single term. A circumstance serious enough to warrant an appeal is generally assumed to have affected performance in all courses. An appeal for one or some courses but not others within a given semester is typically not acceptable and may not be reviewed. Repeated submissions over numerous semesters seeking adjustment to the record are not allowed.
For Title IX-related incidents, including matters related to sexual assault, sexual violence, inter-partner/dating violence, stalking, and other harassing or discriminatory behaviors, please contact the Office for Institutional Equity and Access (OEA) before submitting any materials. OEA can help you complete the petition process and will make recommendations to the Registrar regarding your petition's approval.
Withdrawal for Military Service
Students who are members of any branch of the U.S. military reserves or National Guard and who are unable to complete a semester due to having been called to active duty and veterans with a service-connected disability; who are students and whose service connected medical condition or medical treatment requirements reasonably prevent the person's attendance or progress in higher education, shall to the extent possible be provided one of the following options:
- The student may withdraw from one or more courses for which tuition and fees have been paid and be given a full refund of tuition. The tuition and fees must be credited to the individual's account at the post-secondary institution. Any refunds are subject to state and federal financial aid requirements. A student receiving financial aid may be liable for the required repayment of funds. A student selecting this option must not receive credit for the courses and must not receive a failing grade, an incomplete, or any other negative annotation on the academic record. A student's grade point average must not be altered or affected in any manner.
- The student may be given a grade of incomplete in a course and complete it upon release from active duty or upon sufficient medical recovery. The course may be completed by an independent study or by retaking the course without payment of tuition. If retaken, the course will not be counted in student enrollment load for financial aid calculation.
- The student may continue and complete the course for full credit. Class sessions missed due to performance of active military duty or medical treatment must be counted as an excused absence and must not be used to negatively impact the student's grade or standing in the class. Any student who selects this option is not automatically excused from completing assignments due during active duty, medical treatment, or recovery.
A letter grade or a grade of "satisfactory" must only be awarded if, in the opinion of the faculty member teaching the course, the student has completed sufficient work and has demonstrated sufficient progress toward meeting course requirements to justify a grade. The student may be given credit for completing the course when, in, the instructor's judgment, the student has completed sufficient course work to earn a grade of "C" or better.
A student should contact the Office of Records and Registration to complete the necessary forms (Minnesota State Board Policy 5.12)
- Students must provide copies of their military orders, including notification of date of departure.
- The provisions of this policy do not apply to 14-day annual active-duty training requirements.
- See Minnesota Statutes 2012, Chapter 192.502 for current statutory provisions.
Prerequisite Classes
Certain courses may be required to provide the necessary foundation to subsequent courses. When prerequisite courses are required, they must be completed prior to the start of the subsequent course unless the student obtains permission from the department offering the course to waive the prerequisite. Failure to complete the prerequisite can result in cancelation of registration for the subsequent course.
Credit Load
Credit load is the number of credits in which a student would generally enroll. Credit load is used to determine student status as a full-time or part-time student. An undergraduate student enrolled for 12 credits or more per semester is considered a full-time student for academic purposes.
- The recommended normal load in a semester is 15-16 credits.
- The maximum allowable load without special approval is 18 credits.
- The recommended normal load during summer (the combined total for Intersession, Summer Session I, and Summer Session II) is 15 credits.
- The recommended maximum load in any summer term is two courses.
- The maximum load for the summer terms combined without special approval is 18 credits.
- Load includes the total credits of all courses carried, including on-campus, off- campus, on-line, and any other college courses taken concurrently with those at St. Cloud State University.
- Courses offered during summer have the same content compressed into a shorter time compared to courses offered during a regular semester.
- A student who wishes to enroll for more than the established maximum must obtain approvals from their advisor and college dean.
- Applications for overload are available in the Office of Records and Registration and on the Registrar’s website.
- An advisor would not normally approve an overload for a student with a cumulative GPA below 2.75.
Non-Degree (Special) Students
- Undergraduate special students are limited to 30 undergraduate semester credits. A hold will be placed on the student record to prevent registration beyond 30 Undergraduate students who want to register for more than 30 semester credits should apply for admission as degree seeking.
- Graduate special students are restricted to registering for a maximum of 9 graduate semester credits per term. Normally, there is a limit of 6 graduate credits earned at SCSU prior to formal acceptance to the graduate program, or the credits completed in the first semester of registration (whichever is greater) will be permitted to apply toward completion of a student’s graduate program.
- Registration is on a space-available basis and, in some cases, may require departmental approval.
- Special students are subject to the same tuition and fees as degree seeking students and special students are subject to SCSU academic regulations and policies.
- Students who enroll as special students (non-degree seeking) are not eligible for federal or state financial aid and may not be eligible for scholarships offered by SCSU.
- Students must be formally admitted as a degree-seeking student to earn a degree or certificate. Students should visit the admissions webpage to discover more information about earning a degree or certificate at SCSU.
To register as a non-degree seeking student complete the non-degree seeking student application form (see supporting URLs). Confirmation and registration instructions will be provided by email after the application is processed.
Correspondence, Extension, Workshop or Field Trip Credit
Correspondence credits to be applied toward the baccalaureate degree routinely are accepted in transfer from institutions holding regional accreditation.
- Credits from non-regionally accredited institutions will be evaluated for transfer, but additional documentation may be
- No more than 6 credits in either workshop or field trips (tours) may be applied to a major, no more than 3 credits to a minor, and no more than 12 credits overall toward graduation.
- These 12 credits cannot be earned exclusively in either workshop or field trips.
Auditing of Classes
A student who wishes to attend the class sessions of a course but who does not wish to receive credit for it must register as an auditor.
- The same registration procedure is followed and the same fees charged as for credit courses.
- Auditors must attend class but the taking of quizzes and examinations is optional.
- Auditors who fail to meet the attendance requirements may receive a mark of "U" (unsatisfactory) rather than a mark of "AU" (auditor).
- Auditing courses cannot be counted toward graduation requirements.
- Courses audited are counted as part of the student load.
- The audit option must be designated at the time of registration for the course.
- To change the grading method in a course to audit after the 5th instructional day of the term, written permission from the college dean must be obtained.