Registration
You must register and pay tuition and fees to attend classes and earn credit. Registration is held each semester on dates published in the academic calendar (see inside front cover for the Fairbanks campus). For special programs, short courses, seminars and other classes not part of the regular academic calendar, registration is as needed.
Details about procedures and schedules for registering are published online and in separate publications at each campus and branch campus. Registration instructions for the Fairbanks campus are provided in the UAF class schedule, available in April for the upcoming fall semester and in November for the upcoming spring semester. The same information is available online at http://alaska.edu/uaonline or www.uaf.edu/schedule/.
If you register for courses, the university holds you financially responsible for payment of your tuition and fees. The university will not drop your registration if you do not pay. Other consequences for non-payment include not being able to receive your grades or transcripts.
Academic advising is an important part of planning for your education. Degree-seeking students must obtain an advisor's signature every semester to begin the registration process. All degree and certificate students are required to have an academic advisor. You will work in tandem with your academic advisor to develop a viable educational plan that reflects your academic interests and goals. Your advisor will assist you in determining the best options, alternatives and sequences of classes to take. Non-degree students may also see an advisor, and it is recommended for those taking 9 or more credits in a semester or for those who have accumulated 30 or more UAF credits. Academic advising is available at several campuses. See Services and Resources, page 73, for more information.
Test results are required for first-time degree or certificate students, transfer students with fewer than 30 acceptable credits, or students planning to take 100-level English, reading, mathematics, natural sciences core and perspectives on the human condition core courses. Results from American College Testing Program (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or, for associate degree or certificate students, the ASSET, ACCUPLACER or COMPASS test must be on file with the Office of Admissions before you can register for classes. A hold may be placed on your ability to register if you have not submitted required test scores.
Anyone who wants to attend classes at UAF as a non-degree student can as long as they have the appropriate permissions. Students under the age of 18 can take courses as a non-degree student. Upon turning 18, they may apply for admission to an associate or certificate program. Current high school students should refer to the High School and Secondary School Students section below. Non-degree students are subject to placement examination requirements for freshman courses, and they must maintain a 2.0 GPA to remain in good standing. Any non-degree student who wants to be considered a degree candidate must submit an application for admission, meet regular admission requirements and submit transcripts. Non-degree students are not eligible for financial aid or priority registration.
It's important for potential graduate students to understand that credits earned as a non-degree student might not be accepted for use toward a graduate degree program. Please see the transfer credit section of How to Earn a Graduate Degree (page 201).
High School and Secondary School Students
High school and secondary students may take classes at UAF. One program, Alaska Higher Education Admission Decision (AHEAD), requires formal admittance to UAF (see Admissions Requirements). Secondary student enrollment and TECH PREP, however, do not entail formal admission.
- Secondary Student Enrollment
The secondary student enrollment process allows secondary school students to register for UAF classes. A student meeting course prerequisites may enroll in university classes with permission of the instructor or the department head. Students must consult their appropriate school district officials and school counselors for approval prior to registration if they wish to use university courses to meet high school graduation requirements.
Registering for courses at UAF establishes a permanent academic record that reflects student academic performance in all courses attempted.
Note: Enrollment in UAF courses as a secondary student does not constitute formal admission to the university for the purposes of earning a certificate or degree.
- Tech Prep Opportunities
The Tech Prep program allows students to earn credits toward a UAF certificate or associate degree by completing career and technical education classes in high school that have been approved for college credit by UAF. The classes available for credit vary from school to school, but in general, they are taken from the following areas: applied business; automotive; airframe and powerplant; human services; computer information office systems; allied health; drafting; emergency medical services; and welding. For more information, contact your high school counselor or Tanana Valley Campus at 907-455-2800.
Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Classes
Information about the add/drop process can also be found at http://alaska.edu/uaonline, in the current class schedule at the Registrar's Office or at www.uaf.edu/schedule/. Adds, drops and withdrawals are not final until the student has completed the appropriate procedure, paid any relevant fees or tuition and submitted all necessary paperwork to the Registrar's Office. If you drop a class within specified time frames, the course will not be part of your academic transcript. Important deadlines are listed here.
Students are expected to begin attending classes on the first day of instruction. Some departments, in trying to find space for students on wait lists, require that you attend the first class session or notify the department in advance that you cannot attend the first class. If you miss the first class without notifying the department, you may be dropped from the course, and the space may be assigned to a student on the wait list.
At the Fairbanks campus, the class schedule provides information on which courses use the non-attendance drop policy.
Because of the high demand for composition (ENGL F111X, 211X, 213X, 313 or 414) and basic speech (COMM F131X or 141X) courses, students who fail to attend either of the first two meetings of a basic course will be dropped even if they registered in advance and paid their fees. If space becomes available in a class from which you have been dropped by the department, you need to follow the add procedure to re-enroll.
- Withdrawing from a Class
If you withdraw from a class later than the third Friday after the first day of instruction (last day to drop classes), a grade of W appears on your academic record. The W grade does not affect your GPA. The last day you can withdraw from a class is the ninth Friday after the first day of instruction. For specific dates, see the academic calendar on the inside cover of this catalog. - Total Withdrawal from All Your Classes
If you want to withdraw from all your classes later than the third Friday after the first day of instruction (last day to drop classes), use a Total Withdrawal form available at www.uaf.edu/reg/ or from the Registrar's Office. You'll receive a W grade for all classes, which does not impact your GPA. A student-initiated total withdrawal is subject to the same deadlines as withdrawal from a class. For specific dates, see the academic calendar on the inside cover of this catalog.
Withdrawals After the Deadline
Appeals for a late withdrawal after the student-initiated withdrawal deadline -- the ninth Friday after the first day of instruction -- are exceptions to policy and are allowed only in exceptional cases. Approval is not automatic, and you need to provide documented evidence to support your request. Acceptable serious and compelling reasons may include: 1) death in immediate family; 2) serious illness or injury of student or immediate family; and 3) factors outside of student's control (for example, major employment change, fire, flood). Failing a course or avoiding an unsatisfactory grade is not a serious and compelling reason for seeking a late withdrawal and will not be approved.
Appeals for late withdrawals must be submitted within 30 class days after the beginning of the next regular semester. Forms for an appeal for late withdrawals are available online at www.uaf.edu/reg/forms/, through the Registrar's Office in Signers' Hall at the Fairbanks campus or through local campus student services offices. Once received, the appeal will be evaluated by a campus-wide committee which will return a decision to the student. The decision of the university is final and a student who files a written appeal under these procedures shall be expected to abide by the final disposition of the review, as provided, and may not seek further appeal of the matter under any other procedure within the university.
Faculty-initiated Drop or Withdrawal
Class instructors have the right to drop students who do not meet course prerequisites, did not obtain a grade of "C" or better in all prerequisite courses or who have not participated substantially in a course. Faculty-initiated drops submitted through the third Friday after the first day of instruction will be treated as a dropped class and will not appear on any student transcript. The faculty-initiated withdrawal may occur after the third Friday but before the ninth Friday after the first day of instruction. A grade of W will appear on a student's academic record for faculty-initiated withdrawals.
Registrar's Office
University of Alaska Fairbanks
102 Signers' Hall
P.O. Box 757495
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7495
E-mail: registrar@uaf.edu
Online: www.uaf.edu/reg/
Telephone: 907-474-6300