Attendance Policy

Attend all your classes regularly. We do not have a system of permitted "cuts."

Students are expected to attend the first meeting of class, or have permission from the instructor or chair of the department to be absent. Those who do not attend the first one or two days of class may be required to drop the course if there are others who wish to add the course. If required to drop the course, it is the student's responsibility to officially drop the course through the Registration & Records Office or on the web.

If you enroll in a course and cannot begin attending until after classes have already started, you must first get permission from the department offering the course. Otherwise, you may be required to drop the course.

Your instructors will explain their specific attendance policies to you at the beginning of each course. Be sure to follow them. If you must be absent, tell your instructor why. If you can't reach your instructors in an emergency, visit the Student Academic Advising Center, Room 103, SSC, or call them at 715-346-3361.

If you don't make satisfactory arrangements with your instructors regarding excessive absences, your dean may dismiss you. If you are dismissed from a course, you receive an F in that course. If you are dismissed from the university, you receive an F in all the courses you are taking.

If you take part in an off-campus trip by an authorized university group such as an athletic team, musical or dramatic organization, or a class, make appropriate arrangements in advance with the instructor of each class you will miss.

If you are absent from classes because of emergencies, off-campus trips, illness, or the like, your instructors will give you a reasonable amount of help in making up the work you have missed.

Study Overloads (Fall/Spring)

STUDY LOAD and CREDIT OVERLOADS:

The typical study load is 14-16 credits per semester (including courses through correspondence, at other campuses, and distance education). You may take 17 credits with the permission of your advisor.

Study loads of 18, 19, or 20 credits must be approved prior to registration. Check the table below for the appropriate authorizing official for your department/program. Permission may be granted electronically or in writing but must be obtained before you will be permitted to register for the overload.

The dean of your college must approve study loads of 21 credits or more. Requests are granted only for extraordinary reasons and only for students with outstanding academic records. Permission must be obtained in writing and brought to the Registration and Records Office.

Graduate students enrolled for 16 or more credits must have the approval of their adviser and the college dean. Permission must be obtained in writing and brought to the Registration and Records Office.

If you add enough credits during the ADD period to result in a credit overload, you must obtain the appropriate authorization at that time. Forms for obtaining written authorization are available in the academic departments and the Registration and Records Office.

Note that you will be limited to 12 credits IF you: (1) do not complete required remedial courses before you earn 30 credits; or (2) do not complete freshman English, Math 100 or 105 before you earn 60 credits. Check with the Registration and Records Office for more information.

In order to qualify for either Social Security Benefits or full Veterans Benefits (Public Law 550), you must carry at least 12 semester hours of courses.

Authorizing Officials for Credit Overloads

Study Overload (Summer)

You may register for no more than 9 credits (6 credits in any four-week period) for the summer session. If there are exceptional circumstances, you can appeal to the dean of your college for permission to carry more than the maximum load. To do this you will need to submit an overload form for your dean's signature BEFORE you register for the overload. You will not be allowed to register unless your overload has had prior approval. The normal graduate course load for the eight-week summer session is 6 credits (3 credits in each four-week term or 6 credits in the eight-week term). If you register for 5 or more credits in the summer you are considered a full-time graduate student. You may register for up to 9 credits in the summer. However, be aware that the concentrated nature of summer courses with the extra commitment of time and energy places a strain on your academic performance. Taking more than 6 credits in the summer is not advised.

Credit overloads must be authorized. Such authorization must be obtained in writing, on a SPECIAL REGISTRATION AUTHORIZATIONS form, before registration. As a general rule, you should plan to carry no more than one (1) credit per week of instruction. For example, 3 credits in a three-week session, 4 credits in a four-week session, 8 credits in an eight-week session, 11 credits in the combined three-week and eight-week session. Combining work in the eight-week session with work in a concurrent short session or taking more than one course in a short session can mean a substantial credit overload. For example, two 3-credit courses in the same four-week session is equivalent to 24 credits in a regular semester.