Registration

Policies and Procedures

Students are responsible for their own registration (adding, dropping and changing course grading preference). By registering for courses at Elmhurst University, the student acknowledges that they are entering into a contractual arrangement with Elmhurst University, whereby they agree to comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to their registration, payment of fees, enrollment and attendance. All students are responsible for reviewing, understanding and abiding by the University’s regulations, procedures, requirements and deadlines as described in official University publications.

Degree-seeking students must be admitted to the University prior to the registration process, except for January Term and Summer Term. Students previously admitted but not registered in the current term must be re-instated or readmitted unless they have been granted a leave of absence.

Students with an administrative hold may not register until resolved. There are three types of administrative holds:

• Business holds prevent current students from registering for a new term unless all financial obligations to the University are completed or arrangements are made with the Office of Student Financial Services.

• Advisor holds may be placed if a student has not conferred with his or her faculty or academic advisor before registering.

• Judicial holds are placed by the Division of Student Affairs if a student fails to appear for an administrative hearing with a designated University official or fails to complete a sanction assigned through the University’s disciplinary process.

Credit Load

The typical credit load for a full-time undergraduate student is four units of credit (16 semester hours) for Fall Term and Spring Term and up to one unit of credit (4 semester hours) in January Term. Although registration in Summer Term is optional, the maximum load for all students is 2.25 credits at the same time.

Undergraduate students who have a 3.0 or above grade- point average are eligible to overload (enroll in a maximum of 6.0 credits) during the Fall and Spring terms. Overloads are not permitted during January and Summer terms. To request an overload, the student should submit the Add/Drop request on the portal after conferring with their advisor and the Office of Student Financial Services as there are overload fees.

Graduate students should refer to their specific program regarding typical credit load for Fall, Spring and Summer Terms. Up to one unit of credit (4 semester hours) is permitted during January Term.

Adding and Dropping Courses

During the first week of each term, students may add or drop courses via Self-Service by the deadline specified on the Registration and Records Calendar. After the first week of classes, students are expected to complete the courses for which they are enrolled. A student who finds it necessary to drop a course after the first week of classes must withdraw officially from the course by dropping it on Self-Service. For a course officially dropped on or before two-thirds of its completion, a W (withdrawal) will be entered on a student’s permanent record. A student who does not follow these procedures will receive the grade earned for the course(s) not completed.

It is recommended that students confer with their advisor before dropping courses. First-year students must obtain their advisor’s approval during their first term. Advisors should submit an Add, Drop or Grade Change Preference request on first-year students behalf to adjust their schedules.

Withdrawing From the Term

If a student needs to drop all courses after the first week of the term but intends to return for the following term, they must submit the University Withdrawal Form. This form indicates their withdrawal from the current term while maintaining an active status in their program, allowing them to register for the upcoming term. Upon submission of the form, the student's courses will be dropped accordingly and their program kept active.

Changing Course Grading Preference

To request a change in grading preference after initial registration, students must submit an Add, Drop of Grade Change Preference request found on the Elmhurst University portal. Students may request a change in grading preference up until the deadline specified on the Registration and Records Calendar for each term.

Pass/No Pass Grading Preference

A Pass grade (P) indicates a student has successfully completed the work in a course. A grade of No Pass (NP) is recorded if the work in the course is not completed at a passing level. No academic credit is awarded for No Pass courses. Pass/No Pass grades are not calculated in the grade-point average. Students may elect to take no more than a total of one unit of credit (4 semester hours) per term on a Pass/No Pass basis. No more than six units of Elmhurst University credit (24 semester hours) graded on a Pass/No Pass basis may be counted toward the minimum number of courses required for graduation. Integrated Curriculum, major/minor courses and mathematics courses required for the Bachelor of Science degree cannot be taken Pass/No Pass unless that is the only grading option. Students should confer with their advisor before choosing the Pass/No Pass option to fully understand all academic ramifications.

Audit Grading Preference

Students may choose to Audit courses in which they are enrolled and have met the prerequisites. Under this option the student’s obligation is to attend the course. Tests and other forms of evaluation are optional. No credit is earned toward graduation, but an entry of Audit is included on the permanent record. Standard fees are charged for courses taken with Audit grading. It is recommended that students confer with their advisor before choosing the Audit option to fully understand all academic ramifications.