Office of the Provost: Memorandum
To: Students on the Quarter System (except School of Law)
From: N. John DiNardo, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Subject: Key Policy Reminders for the Fall Quarter
Date: 19 September 2008
Key Reminders for Students: Fall 2008-2009
Welcome to the Fall Quarter at Drexel!
- Fall Quarter classes begin on Saturday, September 20th for Saturday Scholars
- Fall Quarter classes begin on Monday, September 22nd for all other full-time and part-time students
Please take a moment to review key policies and dates for the upcoming quarter.
NEWS
• Convocation 2008
• Seniors Graduating in the Fall
• Blue Line: Virtually All Electronic Resources for Students in One Location
CRITICAL DATES
• Course Add
• Course Drop
• Course Withdrawal
• Closed Section Override
• Holds
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
• Classes During Co-op
• Excused Absences
• Final Examinations
KEY PRACTICES
• Code of Conduct and Academic Honesty Policy
• Office of Equality and Diversity
• Disability Accommodations
• Religious Observances
NEWS
Drexel University's Convocation is scheduled for Friday, October 17, 2008. Convocation celebrates the beginning of the academic year. The Convocation ceremony is scheduled for 11 AM in the auditorium of the Main Building (31st and Chestnut Streets). All Classes are cancelled from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Seniors Graduating in the Fall
For students planning to graduate at the conclusion of the Fall 2008-2009 quarter, please submit your Application for Degree by September 26, 2008. Indicating your graduation status will assist in ensuring that you receive an accurate bill for your final year/term at Drexel.
Blue Line – Virtually All Electronic Resources for Students in One Location
Blue Line is a new University website created to give students a one-stop shop for important information regarding every aspect of their Drexel University experience. The site is updated several times a week with new information and tips for making the most of your time in college. It’s a great resource for students that can be used on a daily basis to navigate the Drexel web.
The site was developed by students and continued student participation is highly encouraged. Email blueline@drexel.edu with ways the site could be improved – with the frequent updates, quality suggestions can be implemented so that all students can access useful information quickly.
To access Blue Line, visit http://www.drexel.edu/blueline.
CRITICAL DATES
• The last day to add a course via DrexelOne is Sunday, October 5th by 11:00 PM. Students whose accounts are on "hold" will not be able to add courses until the hold is removed.
Students on hold have until 5:00 PM on Friday, October 3rd to resolve their hold in time to add courses. Please review the hold policy.
Special dates for accelerated courses:
- The last day to add an accelerated course (part of Term A) is the close of the first week of the course session, which is Sunday, September 28th at 11:00 PM.
- The last day to add an accelerated course (part of Term B) is Sunday, November 2nd by 11:00 PM.
Special dates for Saturday Scholars:
- The last day for students enrolled as Saturday Scholars (part of Term A) to add a course is the close of the adjustment period, Friday, September 26th at 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor assistance or via DrexelOne by 11:00 PM.
- The last day for students enrolled as Saturday Scholars (part of Term B) to add a course is the close of the adjustment period, Friday, November 7th at 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor assistance or via DrexelOne by 11:00 PM.
Special consideration for Students enrolled in Saturday sections:
Students enrolled in Saturday classes who wish to add/drop a course may also submit a completed Add/Drop/Withdraw form to the SRC by dropping it into the after hours box. Add/Drop requests (for Saturday courses only) that are in the SRC after hours box within two days of the established deadline will be accepted effective the opening of business on Monday morning at 8:00 AM.
• The last day to drop a course via DrexelOne is Sunday, October 5th at 11:00 PM. Dropping a course will result in all evidence of it being removed from the student's transcript. Approval of the instructor is not required for students to drop a course.
Those students whose accounts are on "hold" will not be able to drop courses using DrexelOne. Students seeking to drop a course while on hold will need to coordinate an appeal with their Academic Advisor by 5:00 PM on Friday, October 3rd. Please review the hold policy.
Special dates for accelerated courses:
- The last day to drop an accelerated course (part of Term A) is the close of the first week of classes that is Sunday, September 28th at 11:00 PM via DrexelOne.
- The last day to drop an accelerated course (part of Term B) is the close of the first week of the course session that is Sunday, November 2nd at 11:00 PM via DrexelOne.
Special dates for Saturday Scholars:
- The last day for students enrolled as Saturday Scholars (part of Term A) to drop a course is the close of the adjustment period, Friday, September 26th at 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor assistance or via DrexelOne by 11:00 PM.
- The last day for students enrolled as Saturday Scholars (part of Term B) to drop a course is the close of the adjustment period, Friday, November 7th at 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor assistance or via DrexelOne by 11:00 PM.
Special consideration for students in Saturday courses:
Students enrolled in Saturday classes who wish to add/drop a course may submit a completed Add/Drop/Withdraw form to the SRC by dropping it into the after hours box. Add/Drop requests (for Saturday courses only) that are in the SRC after hours box within two days of the established deadline will be accepted effective the opening of business on Monday morning at 8:00 AM.
Withdrawal from a course will be reflected by a "W" on the student transcript; courses from which students have withdrawn will count as attempted credits on the transcript. Thus it is important for students to explore the financial aid implications of withdrawal on their financial aid eligibility. Please review federal financial aid guidelines for Satisfactory Academic Progress at http://www.drexel.edu/financialaid/academic_progress.asp.
- The last day to withdraw from a course is the close of the sixth week of classes, which is Friday, October 31st, at 5:00 PM. Approval of the instructor is required. In order to make a reasonable judgment about withdrawal, students should have information regarding performance on their first midterm by the close of the fifth week of classes.
Special dates for accelerated courses:
- The last day to withdraw from an accelerated course (part of Term A) is the close of the third week of the course that is Friday, October 10th at 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor assistance or via DrexelOne by 11:00 PM.
- The last day to withdraw from an accelerated course (part of Term B) is the close of the third week of the session that is Friday, November 21st at 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor assistance or via DrexelOne by 11:00 PM.
Special dates for Saturday Scholars:
- The last day to withdraw from classes for Saturday Scholars (part of Term A) is the close of the third week of the course that is Friday, October 10th at 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor assistance or via DrexelOne by 11:00 PM.
- The last day to withdraw from classes for Saturday Scholars (part of Term B) is the close of the third week of the course that is Friday, November 21st at 5:00 PM with Academic Advisor assistance or via DrexelOne by 11:00 PM.
Special consideration for Students enrolled in Saturday courses:
Students enrolled in Saturday classes who wish to withdraw from a course may submit a completed Add/Drop/Withdraw form to the SRC by dropping it into the after hours box. Withdrawal requests (for Saturday courses only) that are in the SRC after hours box within two days of the established deadline will be accepted effective the opening of business on Monday morning at 8:00 AM.
In the event that a course has reached its maximum capacity as established by the Office of the University Registrar and the department offering the course, a student must appeal to be added into the course, that is appeal to override the established maximum capacity for the course section. Authorization to add a student to a section that has exceeded maximum enrollment capacity must be secured by Thursday, October 2nd.
The appeal to be overridden into a course must be advanced to the collegiate advisor/Dean's Office/Graduate Studies office. The appeal will be reviewed against established criteria for override consideration (click here to review criteria for override consideration). If the student meets the Criteria, he or she must then complete an Add/Drop/Withdraw form and obtain the instructor's signature for the course.
The instructor's signature on this form is provided as an indication that the addition of the student will not negatively impact his/her ability to achieve learning goals for the course and that the seating capacity of the room has not been exceeded. An instructor's signature is not final approval.
Once the instructor's signature is obtained, the student must return the Add/Drop/Withdraw form to his/her Advisor.
Please note that a student who has not registered for a course by the add deadline will not be permitted to attend that course after the end of the second week. Accordingly, students must resolve all "holds" on their accounts by the deadline. Please review the hold policy.
Those students whose accounts have been placed on hold are prohibited from sitting in courses for which they are not registered. Students placed on hold cannot add courses until the circumstances contributing to the hold are resolved. Those students on hold have until 5:00 PM on Friday, October 3rd to resolve their holds in order to add courses by the deadline.
"Being on hold" during the adjustment period is not considered an acceptable reason for a late or retroactive add.
To resolve a financial hold, students are encouraged to visit the Student Resource Center in Main Building, Room 222.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
The Classes During Co-op policy affords students on co-op the privilege of taking one course (up to four (4) credits face to face) at no charge. Registration for the Fall term opens September 15th and continues until the end of the add/drop period. It is important to understand the guidelines that apply to the policy so that you do not incur additional charges to your bill.
For more information on the policy and guidelines, please reference the Classes During Co-op policy and contact your academic advisor.
Unforeseen events may occur that cause a student to be absent from class. These may include bereavement, accident or catastrophic event such as fire. In the event of such circumstances, students are encouraged to notify their instructors as soon as possible in order to notify them of the circumstances leading to their absence from classes and to develop a plan and timetable to make up missed coursework. Faculty are expected to make reasonable accommodations for these class absences including administration of make-up assignments and exams whenever possible.
Students are strongly recommended to alert their academic advisor to notify them of the circumstance and pursue discussion regarding potential next steps, such as course withdrawal or securing an incomplete in the course.
Excused Absences due to University Sponsored Activities
Many students participate in University-sponsored activities where they represent the University or their academic college or department. These activities may cause a student to be absent from class. Students are responsible for notifying instructors at least two (2) weeks in advance of such University-sponsored absences.In order to determine if an event qualifies for excused absence, students are encouraged to seek perspective from their academic advisor. Some examples of events that may qualify for excused absence are: athletic competition; research or presentation in which the student is an integral member of the presenting team, musical or performing arts event.
It is expected that students seeking an excused absence will develop a plan and timetable to make up the missed coursework with their instructors. Faculty are expected to make reasonable accommodations for these class absences including administration of make-up assignments and exams whenever possible.
During finals week, no student is obligated to take more than two finals on any given day. The Final Examination policy states that students may appeal to the Office of the Provost for accommodation at least three (3) days before the examination date. Students may download the appeal form and submit it to the Office of Academic Advising, Retention and Diversity in Main 308.
- For the Fall 2008-2009 term, courses instructors for those courses with the highest course number will be asked to give a special exam.
Please take a moment to review the Final Examinations policy.
The Office of the Provost will communicate any new or revised policies separately. These will appear in a special section of the policy website at http://www.drexel.edu/provost/policies.
KEY PRACTICES
Code of Conduct and Academic Honesty Policy
Undergraduate Students
We encourage students to review and abide by the University policy on Academic Honesty. The Academic Honesty policy is written in support of the University's strong commitment to high academic standards and integrity and has been endorsed by the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA). The Academic Affairs Committee of the USGA has authored a Statement of Honor, which furthers these ideals; the Statement of Honor was approved by the USGA on August 4, 2006.As members of the Drexel University undergraduate student body, we seek to uphold a learning environment that embraces preeminent standards of education, integrity, and community. We strive to conduct ourselves in a manner that is beyond reproach, adhering to the University's Code of Conduct and Academic Honesty policies. Devoted to the principles of mutual respect, equality, and honor, we assume an obligation to serve one another.
Graduate Students
As a Drexel University graduate student and aware of the University’s mission, I commit myself to excellence in research, teaching, and service. In furtherance of that aim and because I understand that my actions affect all members of the Drexel community and my profession, I pledge to conduct myself with the highest integrity, honor, and respect in all my endeavors.
Office of Equality and Diversity
The mission of the Office of Equality and Diversity is to promote, support, and sustain a living, learning and working environment of diversity, equality, fairness, inclusion, and respect. The Office of Equality and Diversity is responsible for ensuring equality of opportunity and compliance with University policies and federal, state and local laws prohibiting discrimination based upon race, color, religion, gender (sex), marital status, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability and veteran status. University policy and the City of Philadelphia also prohibit discrimination based upon sexual orientation, identity and expression. The Office of Equality and Diversity investigates and attempts to resolve complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
Students, faculty and staff with questions about or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation should contact Michele M. Rovinsky, J.D., Executive Director of Equality and Diversity at 215-895-1403 or mrovinsky@drexel.edu. The Equality and Diversity website can be found at www.drexel.edu/oed.
It is the University's policy to provide a learning environment that provides all students with the opportunity to realize their full potential. To this end, the goal of the Office of Disability Services (ODS) is to assist students with disabilities in becoming self-sufficient, independent, and successful members of the University's community and to provide students with disabilities with equal opportunity of access to University courses, programs, facilities, services, and activities.
Students seeking reasonable accommodations for their disabilities must first register with ODS. The staff of ODS will work closely with students to review medical documentation, assess their individual needs, and link them with the services necessary to ensure them the opportunity to participate fully in college life. The Office of Disability Services website can be found at http://www.drexel.edu/ods.
The University is committed to promoting an environment that supports cultural and spiritual diversity.
It is essential that students contact their instructors at the beginning of the term for religious observance accommodation requests.
For more information, please review the Office of the Provost Statement on Religious Observances.