Orientation and Registration

ORIENTATION

All new undergraduate students, both freshmen and transfer students, are expected to attend an orientation session preceding their enrollment. The orientation program is designed to provide students with information about the University and their academic programs and to prepare them to register. Students who attend the orientation program register at that time. Students admitted with developmental course requirements should attend an orientation session during which they will participate in skills assessment and, in some colleges, develop a semester learning plan to specify the courses they are required to take by the terms of their admission.

REGISTRATION

All undergraduate students, including those students not declaring a major, must enroll in one of the six academic units: Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; the Colleges of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, Business Administration, Education, and Engineering; or the School of Architecture. Information regarding registration periods and procedures is included in the schedule of classes published for each term.

Registration Periods

Students must register during one of the formal registration periods. Currently enrolled students are expected to register during the priority registration held each semester for the following semester. New students (freshmen and transfers) are expected to register during the registration held in conjunction with orientation. Students, new or returning, who have not already registered should register during the two-day registration session which immediately precedes the beginning of classes each semester. There is a late registration period of five days at the beginning of fall and spring semesters and a one- or two-day late registration period at the beginning of the summer sessions, but students may find that many classes are filled.

Proper Address of Students

It is the responsibility of all students to maintain and correct their addresses with the University and to report any change of address promptly to the Office of the Registrar. Failure to do so may result in undelivered grades, registration notices, invoices, invitations, and other official correspondence and announcements.

Identification Cards

Identification cards are made by the Division of Student Services during each registration period and at scheduled times and places during the year. Consult the schedule of classes for the times and locations. Several privileges on campus require an I.D. card and it can be used as a debit card for purchases at the Bookstore or the Servery. Part-time students are also eligible for a card.

Academic Advising

Academic advising is a process, ideally one of continuity and commitment, which involves both students and faculty. In addition to helping students plan course schedules, advisers use the medium of the curriculum to facilitate the intellectual, ethical, personal and social development of college students. Advisers help students explore academic options and personal goals and the relationship of these to the practical world of work. Advisers are accountable for the information and advice they provide.

To be effective, faculty advisors must

- Disperse correct information regarding academic rules and regulations, University and college requirements, and course requirements in the student's selected major.

- Understand admission requirements and the relationship of ACT scores to placement in remedial or honors courses.

- Provide extended office hours during registration periods so students receive the information and guidance to complete the course selection process.

- Keep thorough records to chart academic progress toward graduation and to maintain the continuity of the advising process.

- Be able to relate the student's academic major to areas of future employment.

- Be sensitive to the diversity of students being advised and knowledgeable of campus tutoring and support services available to them.

- Be aware of current developmental theory as it pertains to college students so that student/adviser communication is based in reality.

- Be a resource and student advocate in the sometimes intimidating world of academia.

The University is committed to developing each student to his or her fullest potential. To this end, programs in each college have been established to improve the academic achievement and persistence of students on academic probation and other students in need of academic assistance. Such assistance is provided through a variety of instructional and information services.

Arkansas State Requirements for Developmental Course Placement

Arkansas law specifies that all first-time entering freshmen who are enrolled in a bachelor's degree program will be placed in either college-level credit courses in English and mathematics or remedial courses in English composition, reading, and mathematics on the basis of their scores on specified tests. Students who score below 19 on the English section of the Enhanced ACT, below 40 on the TSWE section of the SAT, or below 400 on the SAT II: Subject Test in Writing must enroll in Remedial English 0003, which does not carry degree credit. Students who score below 19 on the reading section of the Enhanced ACT or below 340 on the verbal score of the SAT must enroll in Developmental Reading 0003, which does not carry degree credit. Students who score below 19 on the mathematics section of the Enhanced ACT or below 390 on the quantitative portion of the SAT must enroll in Remedial Math 0003, which does not carry degree credit. However, students whose Mathematics Placement Test (MPT) scores qualify them for placement in a higher-level mathematics course, such as MATH 1203, may enroll in that course. Students will be required to register for these courses during their first term at the University and, if necessary, in subsequent terms until passing grades have been earned in all required courses. Students must successfully complete any required developmental course in English before degree credit for freshman English can be awarded; students must successfully complete any required developmental course in mathematics before enrolling in a college-level mathematics course. Students who need further information or clarification regarding this law should consult with their academic adviser or academic dean.

Courses Which Do Not Count Toward Degrees

ANTH 0003, PHSC 0003, ENGL 0003, MATH 0003, and RDNG 0003 do not count toward degree credit in any college or school.

MATH 1203 (College Algebra), 1213 (Plane Trigonometry), 1285 (Pre-calculus Mathematics), and ENGL 3003 (Intermediate Composition) do not count toward degrees in the College of Engineering.

Registration for Grades of Pass-Fail

Students in some programs may register to take certain courses on a pass-fail basis. In such cases, a mark of "CR" or a grade of "F" will be recorded rather than a letter grade.

Students in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Architecture, and the College of Agricultural, Food & Life Sciences are eligible to enroll for certain courses on a pass-fail basis under the following conditions:

1. That such registration be approved by the student's adviser. (Students in Agricultural, Food & Life Sciences must also have the approval of their Academic Dean.)

2. That the student has attained sophomore rank, or higher.

3. That the student is not on academic probation, and has achieved a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00.

4. That such enrollment be limited to one course per semester.

5. That the total enrollment on a pass-fail basis be limited to no more than 18 hours in any student's degree program.

6. That the courses involved are not part of the student's major and are not specifically required as part of the student's degree program.

7. Normally, registration for pass-fail credit will be completed prior to the final date for changing registration by adding a course.

Grades for students enrolled on a pass-fail basis will be reported on final grade rosters in the usual manner. The dean's office will review each report and will authorize the Registrar to record "CR" or "F" on the student's official academic record, as appropriate. The "CR" marks will not be counted in grade-point averages.

College of Education students may enroll in courses on a pass-fail basis under the same conditions but only in courses offered in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and in the College of Education. Business Administration and Engineering students may not take courses on a pass-fail basis.

Undeclared Major

Degree-seeking students who are undecided about their choice of a major field of study will be considered to have an undeclared major. However, all undergraduate students must still enroll in one of the colleges or schools. Each of these academic units makes provisions for undeclared majors and each has its own rules concerning the point at which a student must declare a major.

College of Business Administration students have the pre-business administration classification with an intended major until they complete specific lower-division courses, a process which normally takes about four semesters.

Students entering the College of Engineering must declare an intended major. All engineering students are classified pre-engineering students until they have satisfied the pre-professional program, which is normally completed during the freshman year.

Registration for Audit

Students wishing to audit a class should contact the instructor teaching that class and request permission to audit. If the instructor approves the audit, the academic department will register the student in that class as an audit. Auditing a class is allowed on a space-available basis and the student must pay fees for that class. The instructor shall notify the student of the requirements for receiving the mark of "AU" for the course being audited. The instructor and the student's dean may drop a student from a course being audited if the student is not satisfying the requirements specified by the instructor. The student is to be notified if this action is taken. The only grade or mark which can be given is "AU."

Adding and Dropping Courses

A currently enrolled student who has registered during the advance registration period should make any necessary or desired schedule adjustments such as adding or dropping courses or changing course sections during the schedule-adjustment period scheduled for the same semester. Students may also add or drop courses during the first five class days of a semester.

A student may drop a course during the first 10 class days of the semester without having the withdrawal shown on the official academic record. After the first 10 class days, and before the drop deadline of the semester, a student may drop a course, but a mark of "W," indicating withdrawal, will be recorded. A student may not drop a full-semester course after the Friday of the tenth week of classes in a semester.

Drop-add deadlines for partial semester courses are published in the schedule of classes. Drop-add deadlines for summer sessions are published in the summer sessions schedule of classes.

Withdrawal from Registration

Withdrawing from the University means withdrawing from all classes that have not been completed up to that time. A student who leaves the University voluntarily before the end of the semester or summer term must drop all classes by telephone registration or must file and have accepted by his or her academic dean and the Registrar a Petition for Withdrawal from Registration. Withdrawal may occur anytime during the semester through the last day of classes. Withdrawal deadlines for summer sessions are published in the summer schedule of classes. Students who do not withdraw officially from a class which they fail to complete will receive an "F" in that class.

Student Standing

Definitions of undergraduate student classification are as follows:

Freshman--a student who has passed fewer than 30 semester hours of course work

Sophomore--a student who has passed more than 29 hours and fewer than 60 hours

Junior--a student who has passed more than 59 hours and fewer than 90

Senior--a student who has passed 90 or more hours

Full-Time Students

While University offices and services typically recognize the full-time status of students who have enrolled for a minimum of 12 semester hours, students should bear in mind that this minimum number of hours is insufficient to allow them to complete a four-year degree program in eight academic semesters (four years). Since most University degree programs require a minimum of 124 semester hours, or 31 hours per year, a student should earn 15 to 16 hours per semester to complete most degree programs in four years (eight semesters).

Number of Hours Allowed Per Semester

1. Students who wish to carry more than 17 hours per semester must first obtain the permission of their academic advisers.

2. Students who wish to carry more than 18 hours must first obtain the permission of their academic dean(s).

3. Students who wish to carry more than 21 hours must first receive favorable action from the Academic Standards Committee on such requests.

4. Students on probation may not carry more than 15 hours.

5. Students who wish to exceed the normal summer school load must have the approval of their academic deans to take seven hours in 5- or 6-week sessions or 13-14 hours in 10- or 12-week sessions. Students who wish to take more than 7 hours in one 5- or 6-week session or more than 14 hours in one 10- or 12-week session must first receive favorable action from the Academic Standards Committee on such requests.