Registration

Official registration is required for each semester and summer session. Students must be officially registered in order to receive credit for a course(s). Therefore, the student must complete registration procedures, including satisfactory arrangement of payment for fees by cash, financial aid, or other means in accordance with University policy and procedures. A full-time student is one who is enrolled for at least 12 credit hours. A student enrolled for more than 18 hours must secure approval from the Department Chair, Academic Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Academic Advisement

Students are assigned to a faculty advisor by the Department Chair to ensure accurate advisement during matriculation. Faculty advisors are encouraged to meet with their student advisees at least twice per semester, either in person or electronically.

Students are required to complete a schedule of classes for the ensuing semester with their academic advisors. To ensure that students meet with their advisors, an advising hold is placed on the student’s record and can only be removed by the advisor after the advisement, thus allowing the student to register for classes. Each student is provided a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by the Office of Records and Registration that is used to access their records via the web. The intent is to ensure that students receive good academic advisement, take courses in the correct sequence, and maintain approved course loads. Students who do not complete registration prior to the deadline are fined a late registration fee.

Eligibility for Registration

Eligibility for registration is determined by the following categories:

New Student - Upon receipt of a letter of admission, the new student is eligible for registration on the stated days of registration.

Re-admitted Student - A student previously registered at the University who was not registered during the preceding semester must apply for and be granted readmission by the appropriate office before being eligible for registration.

Continuing Student - A student registered in the immediately preceding semester or the summer session proceeding the Fall semester is eligible to register, assuming good standing and enrollment in a continuing program.

Completion of Registration - Registration is not complete until financial obligations have been fulfilled. Attendance in class is not permitted until registration has been completed.

Changes in Registration (Add/Drop/Withdrawal)

Any change in a student’s registration must have the official approval of the Director of Records and Registration and the student’s advisor. Changes in registration can normally occur only within the prescribed dates shown on the academic calendar. Exceptions must receive special permission from the Vice President for Academic Affairs. A student may drop/add a course electronically during the prescribed period. However, after the drop/add period, a student cannot change his/her schedule electronically. To change a schedule after the drop/add period, a student must obtain written approval through use of a registration transaction form. A student can only withdraw from a course after the drop/add period; they cannot add a course. If a student withdraws from a course, he/she will receive a grade of “W.” A student cannot withdraw from all courses using this procedure. To withdraw from all courses, a student must withdraw from the University using that procedure.

Interinstitutional Registration - CRC

Interinstitutional registration among Cooperating Raleigh Colleges (CRC) must be approved by the faculty advisor, the Department Chair and the Academic Dean. The student is required to meet registration requirements and to follow procedures being used at Shaw University and the college to be visited. Credit for courses taken at CRC institutions is processed and posted for Shaw University students the same as for courses taken in residence. Official registration at the home institution is required for a student to be eligible to participate in the program. A student may enroll at a CRC for a course not offered at Shaw University.

Student Status

For the purpose of defining student status, undergraduates taking 12 or more credit hours are considered to be full-time students. All other undergraduates are considered to be part-time.

Buckley Amendment

The University policy for the administration of student educational records is in accordance with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 (P.L. 93-380). Personally identifiable information contained in student educational records will not be disclosed to persons outside the University without the prior consent of the student. Under this policy, the student also has the right of access to student educational records maintained by the University or any department within the University. A copy of the University policy dealing with the privacy of student educational records is maintained in the Office of Records and Registration.

For the purposes of this Regulation, “student” means an individual who is or has been in attendance at the university. It does not include persons who have been admitted but did not attend the university or individuals enrolled solely in non-credit courses. “Attendance” starts when the individual matriculates or declares their intention to enroll at the university, whichever comes first.

Access to Student Educational Records

Students who want to inspect their education records should direct that request to the Office of the Registrar. The Registrar shall provide access to the records during regular business hours. However, parts of their records may not be inspected by students (e.g., students may not review financial records of their parents, certain letters of recommendation, or certain medical records). The University will comply with the request from a student to review his/her records within a reasonable time, but in any event not more than forty-five days after the request is made.

Generally, students may obtain copies of their education records if circumstances make on-site inspection impractical and the student is in good standing. For example, a request for copies may be denied if the student lives within commuting distance of Shaw University, or there is a “hold” on the student’s records, or an unresolved disciplinary action against the student, or the requested records include exam or test questions.

When copies are provided, the student may be charged a reasonable fee for the actual copying expense.

A student who believes that his or her educational records contain inaccuracies or misleading information may provide information to challenge that record, and may have his or her own statement of explanation in the record. Any complaint pertaining to student records should be made directly to the Office of the Registrar.

Directory Information

Shaw University may disclose “directory information” without student consent. Directory information consists of:

• Student’s name
• Address
• Telephone listing
• Electronic mail address
• Photograph
• Date and place of birth
• Major field of study
• Dates of attendance
• Grade level
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• The most recent educational agency or institution attended
• Student ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier used to communicate in electronic systems that cannot be used to access education records without a PIN, password, etc. (A student’s SSN, in whole or in part, cannot be used for this purpose.)

Privacy of Records

Shaw University shall not disclose the education records of a student to other persons unless that student has given consent in writing or an exception exists under FERPA:

• “School officials” including employees or agents of the university, advisors, faculty, university committee members
• Other educational institutions seeking information for the purpose of admission or enrollment
• Persons or companies with whom the university has contracted may inspect a student’s records regardless of consent, but only the specific student information needed provided they have a legitimate educational interest in the records. “Legitimate educational interest” means an activity that a school official, agent or contractor is undertaking in the name of the university for which access to an educational records is necessary or appropriate to fulfill that individual’s responsibilities for the university. Contractors are bound by the restrictions on redisclosure under FERPA.
• The university may disclose the final results of campus disciplinary proceedings in which a student respondent is charged with a violent crime or non-forcible sex offense. Upon the request of the complainant, disclosure may be made regardless of whether the respondent was found responsible. Disclosures to third parties may be made only if the student respondent is found responsible. Disclosure in this situation is limited to the name of the violator, the type of student code violation found to have occurred, and the sanction imposed by the university.
• Other exceptions when the university may disclose educational records without the student’s consent include, but are not limited to, the following situations: parents of dependent students, other educational institutions, to comply with a lawfully issued subpoena or court order, to protect the health and safety of the student or others in an emergency, in litigation and implied waivers by the student.

Students may block disclosure of directory information. To block disclosure of directory information, a student must notify the Registrar’s Office. Even if a student blocks directory information, it may still be disclosed or inspected by those persons authorized to inspect education records without consent.

Enrollment Verification, Degree Verification, and Electronic Requests for Official Transcripts

Shaw University utilizes the services of the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to provide enrollment verification, degree verification, and electronic requests for official transcripts. NSC receives data (i.e., for enrollment and degree verifications) electronically from Shaw University and, in compliance with FERPA, dispenses the information electronically to requesting lending institutions, prospective employers, background investigation firms, and credit granting agencies.

Course Credit

Shaw University uses the Federal Definition and the Carnegie Unit to determine semester credit hours awarded to students for coursework. The University awards a Carnegie Unit of credit to students for satisfactory completion of one (1) fifty (50) minute session of classroom instruction or direct faculty instruction. A unit of credit equates to three hours of student work per week (1) hour lecture plus two (2) hours of homework or three (3) hours of lab) for not less than 16 weeks or the equivalent time in non-traditional terms.

For distance education courses, the same process and criteria are used to determine credit hours. Shaw University does not award for coursework taken on a noncredit basis.

Credit for Special Educational Experience

Credit for life experience, military experience, military schools, and similar educational experience is awarded based on recommendations of the American Council of Education and approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Credit by Examination

Shaw University recognizes the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Departmental Examinations, Credit-by Exemption Examination, College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB), Defense Act for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), Advanced Placement Programs, and the Shaw University Portfolio of Life Experiences (for CAPE students only). These programs permit the qualified student to earn, by examination, up to a combined maximum of 60 semester hours. Students taking the CLEP examination must score 50 or better to receive credit for the examination.

Students must file for these examinations within two weeks after the scheduled closing date for registration within that same semester. Applications must be approved by the Department Chair and submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for final action. Credit by Examination is authorized in all areas, but it is the prerogative of the departmental faculty to exclude specific courses that are demonstrably unsuited for credit by examination. Any course that a student has previously taken or is currently enrolled in cannot be taken by Credit by Examination. Credits earned through Credit by Examination are not used in the computation of a student’s grade point average (GPA), which means that final grades may be “S” or “U.”

For additional information on procedures, fees, and courses exempted by examination, consult the Office of Records and Registration.

Repeating a Course

A student cannot receive credit twice for the same course. If a course is repeated in which credit hours are earned, the student’s permanent record will be adjusted by subtracting the hours of the lower grade from the total hours earned. Credit hours will then be recorded only for the higher grade. Students are responsible for notifying the Office of Records and Registration, via the appropriate space on the registration form, regarding which course is being repeated. Only the new grade/quality points will be used to factor the resulting cumulative GPA. The previous grade, e.g. “F” (0), will be deleted as a factor and the new grade, e.g. “B” (3), will be used - thus increasing the cumulative GPA.

GPA is determined by multiplying the number of credit hours a course yields by the grade point value of the letter grade received, and dividing the total number of semester hours attempted (minus those courses repeated) into the total number of grade points earned. For instance, the student receiving the grades shown in the following example has a GPA of 2.53.

Independent Study

Independent Study is restricted to juniors and seniors and is to be used only when particular courses are needed to meet graduation requirements. Courses taken through Independent Study must have the approval of the Chair of Department in which the student is enrolled as a major, the Academic Dean and the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. No student may take more than six semester hours through Independent Study, nor take a course that was previously failed. Veterans cannot be certified for payment for Independent Study.

Course Waivers or Substitutions

Recommendations to waive a course requirement or to substitute one course for another must be sent to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for final action. Students may substitute no more than two courses in a program. Substitutions must contribute educational value to the program in which the student is enrolled and be judged to contribute toward the student’s primary objective. The authorization to waive or substitute a requirement does not reduce the total hours required for a degree. The student is still held responsible for the total aggregate of hours shown in the curriculum outline.

Auditing a Course

A person who has been admitted to the University may be registered, with the permission of the instructor, as an auditor in a class (no academic credit). An auditor is not required to take an active part in class activities or to pass examinations. A student who takes a course as an auditor may not repeat it later for credit. Tuition is charged at the prevailing rate. Students who audit a course submit no daily work, take no examinations or quizzes, and receive no credit for the course. The instructor is not required to give a final grade or final evaluation of the student’s progress.

Formal application must be processed prior to the student’s entering a class for audit. The student applies for admission to the class by writing to the instructor; after receiving the approval of the instructor and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the student presents such approval to the University Cashier with the required payment. The Cashier validates the request and provides a copy for the Director of Records and Registration.

Advanced Academic Placement

Shaw University participates in the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program. Students who earn advanced credit in high school based on exam scores and criteria submitted by the College Board are accepted by the University – and, count towards satisfying both core curriculum (General Education) and Departmental Degree requirements – consistent with published institutional policy.