2013-2014 Undergraduate Catalog

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Registration

Audit

When students audit a course, there is no need to complete assignments or exams, but students are expected to attend class. If students don’t attend class they may be removed from the roster. If students successfully complete the class, they will be given a grade of "NC" (no credit). Tuition and fees are charged for audited courses and the course is not eligible for the COF stipend. Current students registered for an audit course should contact the Registrar's Office to change their registration status to an audit. Students may not change the status for any course, including audit courses, after the add deadline for a given term. For visiting students, please contact the Registrar's Office at 970-351-2231.

If you are age 65 or older and wish to audit a course, you may do so with no tuition charge (course fees may apply).

Registration may occur beginning the first Monday following the last day of pre-registration for UNC students. Registration is subject to space availability. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Registrar's Office at 970-351-2231.

Classes for Personal Interest

Non-degree seeking students must submit a Student Information Form online. Students cannot have been previously denied admission by the Admissions Office.

High School Concurrent Student

The University of Northern Colorado offers enrollment options for current high school juniors and seniors. Please refer to www.unco.edu/admissions for more information.

Instructional Methods

The University of Northern Colorado delivers courses through various instructional methods as prescribed by the Department of Education. The following list provides a description of the delivery methods of course offerings at UNC:

  1. Face to Face: Instructors interact with students in the same physical space for 75 percent or more of the instructional time
  2. Mixed Face to Face: Instructors interact with students in the same physical space for less than 75 percent of the instructional time with the remainder of the instructional time provided through distance or correspondence education (as defined below)
  3. Directed Study: Instructors interact with students through a flexible format
  4. Internships/Practica:
    1. Internship: Applied and supervised field-based learning experience where students gain practical experience following a negotiated and/or directed plan of study
    2. Practicum: Practical student work under the supervision of a faculty member or under supervision of a professional in the student's field and regular consultation with faculty member
  5. Correspondence: Instructors interact with students through mail or electronic interface according to a typically student self-paced schedule
    1. Instructional materials are provided by mail or electronic transmission including exams
    2. Students are separated from the instructor
    3. Interaction between instructor and student is not regular and substantive and is primarily initiated by the student 
    4. Typically self-paced 
    5. Is not distance education 
  6. Distance Education: Instructors interact with students exclusively through one or more forms of distance delivery
    1. Students are separated from the instructor
    2. Interaction between the student and instructor is regular and substantive  
    3. Technologies:
      1. Internet
      2. Oneway and two way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communication devices
      3. Audio-conferencing
      4. Videocassettes, DVDs, and CD-Roms, if the videocassettes, DVDs or CD-Roms are used in conjunction with any of the technologies listed in a. through c.

Interim Session

Currently enrolled, new and returning students, visiting students and transfer students are eligible to register for the Interim Session. Students on academic probation are not eligible to register for the Interim Session.

Registration Procedures

A student must be registered to attend class. The Schedule of Classes can be found by accessing Ursa "Look Up Classes" or www.unco.edu/sched. Registration is continuous. Current students are assigned times during the last part of the academic semester when they may register for courses offered in the following semester. Registration dates can be found on URSA under "Important Links." Registration consists of the following processes:

  • Check Registration Status on the Student Tab/Registration Tools in Ursa. This will show any holds that need to be cleared up prior to registration. 
  • Undergraduate students require a new Personal Identification Number (PIN) each semester; distributed by a students's assigned advisor, with the exception of Nursing majors and Junior/Senior Business majors. Declared students are assigned a faculty advisor in the program. Advisor names can be found in URSA, under "Registration Tools," by clicking on "View Student Information." If an advisor name is not present, call the department of the specified major to have an advisor assigned. Students declared as Exploring and selected "seeking" majors are advised by Academic Support and Advising. ISET majors should contact the Interdisciplinary Studies, Liberal Arts Office for an advising appointment. 

The PIN changes each semester and is required in order to register for upcoming semester classes. For a misplaced PIN, contact the advisor who issues the PIN. Summer and Interim sessions do not require a PIN. Students changing majors must meet with an academic advisor in the newly declared major to obtain a PIN.

  • Colorado Resident Undergraduate should authorize Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF).
  • Payment of student account.

New Student Orientation supports the successful transition of incoming students to the University of Northern Colorado through a collective effort of the campus community. New freshmen are expected to attend an orientation program that provides essential information about the University and special assistance in registering for classes.

The Office of Academic Support and Advising will conduct the undergraduate New Student Orientation program throughout the year www.unco.edu/asa. The Graduate School conducts orientation for new graduate students. Contact the Graduate School for orientation dates.

Returning UNC Students

Students who have not attended UNC within the last 12 months will need to update their student information before they can register. Returning students must submit a Student Information Form online. https://apps.unco.edu/StudentInformationForm/

Summer Account Balances

Students who do not pay past due summer balances will be dropped from the subsequent Fall semester course schedule. Students will be notified via the UNC Bear email account when courses will be dropped. If a student’s courses are dropped and the past due summer balance is subsequently paid, the student is responsible for registering for courses that were dropped on a space available basis.

UNC and AIMS Community College Cooperative Registration Agreement

Graduate or undergraduate students enrolled for 12 on-campus credits and paying full-time tuition to UNC or Aims Community College are eligible to take one undergraduate class (maximum 5 credits) at the other school during the corresponding term without additional tuition charges. Interim term is not included.

The free course at the host school must not be offered at your home school during that same term you are taking the class.

Please refer to the Colorado Transfer Guide to determine which courses will transfer between Aims and UNC. Equivalent course titles between institutions are listed on the course equivalency guide available at the UNC Admissions Office or Aims Admissions Office. Remember:

  • Students must meet prerequisite requirements and must pay any course fees other than tuition.
  • Continuing Education courses do not count in the 12 credit full-time requirement.
  • Continuing Education courses cannot be taken as the free class. 
  • Aims students register for UNC courses at the UNC Registrar's Office 3002 Carter Hall. Students will be allowed to register the Monday following the last day of pre-registration for UNC students. 
  • UNC students register for Aims course via normal procedures outlined in the Aims Schedule of Classes; however, in place of payment, the UNC student completes a certifying form at the Aims Cashier’s Office. 
  • At the end of the term, students found to be ineligible will be billed for and must pay tuition charges to the host school. 
  • Once the course has been completed, please have an official transcript sent to your home institution in order to receive transfer credit.

Unclassified Graduate and Visiting Students

Undergraduate students admitted to another university may take classes at UNC to transfer back to their respective home institution. Unclassified graduate status refers to a student who has at least a Bachelor's degree and has either applied to the Graduate School or wanting to take classes but not pursue a degree. To register for either status, students must submit a Student Information Form online. https://apps.unco.edu/StudentInformationForm/

Directed Studies

Directed Studies are available in most disciplines. These are identified within this publication by course number 422. The Directed Study course provides a vehicle to allow a qualified student to receive University credit for an individualized investigation under the direct supervision of a UNC faculty member. Directed Studies cannot be used for Liberal Arts Core credit. For more information, refer to the UNC Catalog or contact the Registrar’s Office, (970) 351-2231. No faculty member will be authorized to supervise a directed study during a semester that he/she is not actually employed on-campus at UNC.

The investigation must be on a specific topic that is not duplicated by an existing course within the University’s curriculum. The nature of the study must involve intensive use of relevant literature, materials, or techniques, and the study report must reflect a synthesis of the information or techniques acquired. The following policies apply for registration in Directed Studies courses:

  1. A Directed Study course may be for not more than four semester hours of credit per academic semester, with no more than six credits of Directed Studies taken in any semester. A study may be further limited to the maximum number of credits listed in this catalog.
  2. The student should apply through the program in which he or she is doing the study.
  3. Permission to engage in a directed study for credit must be approved by the student’s program advisor, the faculty member supervising the study, and the school director of the major program. The Directed Study form to be presented at the Registrar’s Office at the time of enrollment must bear the signatures of the supervising faculty member and the school director. A rationale for course credit form should be completed and filed in the academic program office. Forms are available only through the school in which the study is supervised.

Schedule Changes (Adds/Drops)

Schedule changes may be handled through Web Registration http://www.unco.edu/regrec/Current%20Students/Registration/Index.html or at the Registrar’s Office. After the deadline posted on the Registrar’s website, students may not enroll in additional full term courses or drop full term courses in which they are currently registered.

Students may add courses using URSA through the 5th day of the semester for full semester courses. After the 5th day of the semester all adds require the signature of the instructor and must be processed at the Registrar’s Office on or before the drop deadline to be considered. Short course add deadlines are available online at www.registrar.unco.edu/calendars.html

  • Days 6 – 10: The instructor may add the class by accessing URSA, then selecting the Faculty tab and electronically submitting the add request form to the Registrar’s Office. Students may also access the add request form on the Registrar’s web site and fax it to 970-351-1870 or submit it to the Registrar's Office. The add request form will only be available on the Registrar’s website during days 6-10.
  • Only in unusual circumstances can a student add a course(s) after day 10. Students must complete a Petition for Extension of the Add Deadline form and either fax or submit it to the Registrar's Office.

A course late add will only be approved when there were extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control that kept the student from adhering to the published deadline. Student lack of knowledge of the published deadlines does not warrant an appeal.

In order to use the COF stipend, students must be registered for a course before the course census date (add deadline). There may, however, be legitimate administrative reasons that may allow COF eligibility. UNC will adhere to the Colorado Department of Higher Education College Opportunity Fund guidelines.

Students may drop courses using URSA through the 10th day of the semester for full semester courses. Tuition and fees are adjusted if applicable. Short course drop deadlines are available online at www.registrar.unco.edu/calendars.html

The number of credits for which a student is registered at the time of the add/drop deadline determines tuition and fee charges. Drops differ from withdrawals since drops are not recorded on the student's transcript and withdrawals are recorded on the transcript (see next section).

Overloads

More than 18 credit hours per semester for undergraduate students is considered an overload. Students requesting overload credits must have a 3.00 or higher cumulative grade point average.

  • In addition, specific colleges, schools and programs may have additional conditions regarding overloads. It is the student’s responsibility to meet these conditions.
  • Undergraduate students who have lower than a 3.00 GPA but have extenuating circumstances may petition for an overload from the program advisor and school director. See additional overload information.

Overloads of more than 21 hours require approval by the student’s major advisor and school director. All approvals must be forwarded to the Registrar. The Registrar will assure that these procedures have been followed.

Two-Class-Hour Drop Requirement

A faculty member may drop a student from a class during the Drop period if the student has not attended the first two-50 minute sessions. The student must notify the instructor if he or she cannot attend during this time. Not all instructors will exercise this option; thus, a student cannot expect that the failure to attend the class will automatically cause him or her to be dropped. Consequently, the student must follow the procedures listed on the Registrar’s website at www.registrar.unco.edu.

Withdrawal from Class

When a student registers for a class, he or she is considered to be a member of the assigned class. Students are responsible for confirming their schedule by web or in person.

The student may drop a class during the Drop period, normally the first 10 class days of a semester for full-term courses. The dates of the Drop period each semester are listed on the Registrar’s website at www.registrar.unco.edu.

Students may withdraw from individual classes in person or on the web. The first date to withdraw from an individual course is the first class-day immediately after the drop deadline. The last date to withdraw from an individual course is the midpoint of the semester. The withdrawal deadline for an individual short-term class occurs when the class has held 50% of its meetings. Withdrawal deadlines for each semester are also noted on the Registrar’s Website. A “W” appears on the transcript for each class from which a student withdraws. Students may withdraw from all classes at the Registrar's Office through the twelfth week of the term.