Office of the Provost: Memorandum
To: Students on the Quarter System*
From: N. John DiNardo, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Subject: Key Policy Reminders for the Spring Quarter
Date: 27 March 2008
Key Reminders for Students: Spring 2007-2008
Welcome to the Spring Quarter at Drexel!
- Spring Quarter classes begin on Saturday, March 29th for Saturday Scholars
- Spring Quarter classes begin on Monday, March 31st for all other full-time and part-time students
Please take a moment to review key policies and dates for the upcoming quarter.
* Except College of Law
NEWS
• Commencement 2008
• Blue Line: Virtually All Electronic Resources for Students in One Location
• Register Today: Mobile Alert Notification System
CRITICAL DATES
• Course Add
• Course Drop
• Course Withdrawal
• Closed Section Override
• Holds
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
• Excused Absences
• Classes During Co-op
• Final Examinations
KEY PRACTICES
• Office of Equality and Disability
• Disability Accommodations
• Religious Observances
NEWS
Commencement will be held on the University City Campus Saturday, June 14, 2008 in the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Ceremonies include:
- 8:30 AM
- Bennett S. LeBow College of Business
- Noon
- College of Nursing and Health Professions
- Richard C. Goodwin College of Professional Studies
- School of Public Health
- 4:00 PM
- College of Engineering
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
- School of Education
- 8:00 PM
- Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
- College of Information Science and Technology
- College of Arts and Sciences
For further information and the latest updates on Commencement 2008, please visit http://www.drexel.edu/commencement
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.
Register Today: Mobile Notification Alert System
Recent events highlight the need for fast and far-reaching campus communication.
An upgrade to DrexelOne has enabled instant alert notification capabilities via cell phone text messages. To protect the privacy of students, faculty and staff the University offers them the choice to provide their cell phone information to receive mobile alerts. Users can choose to receive messages based on preferences.
To learn more and to register for mobile notification, login to DrexelOne and click on the “Drexel” tab, the find “Mobile Notification” in the “Technology Services” channel.
CRITICAL DATES
The last day to add a course via DrexelOne is Sunday, April 13th at 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 Friday, April 11th at 5:00 PM 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, that is Sunday, April 6th at 11:00 PM.
- The last day to add an accelerated course (part of Term B) is Sunday, May 11th 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, April 4th at 5:00 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, May 16th at 5:00 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, April 6th 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 Friday, April 11th. 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, April 6th at 11:00 PM.
- 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, May 11th at 11:00 PM.
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, April 4th at 5:00 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, May 16th at 5:00 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, that is Friday, May 9th, 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, April 18th at 5:00 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, May 23rd at 5:00 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, April 18th at 5:00 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, May 30th at 5:00 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, April 10th.
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 Friday, April 11th, at 5:00 PM 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) at no charge. Registration for the Spring term opens March 24th 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 Provost's Office in Main 308.
- For the Spring 2007-2008 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
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.