Important Policies, Alternative Credit, and Graduation

Intent to Enroll and New Student Orientation

http://www.uakron.edu/nso/
330-972-2622
orientation@uakron.edu

The University of Akron requires students to submit a University Confirmation fee, indicating their acceptance of the University’s offer of Admission. When the Confirmation fee is received, students are emailed their orientation information. All incoming students (first year, transfer, adult, and College Credit Plus) are required to complete an orientation program prior to registering for classes at The University of Akron.

For first year students, this email includes two important onboarding dates: New Roo Advising (when students register for classes with an academic advisor) and New Roo Orientation (a full-day program on campus to get acclimated to UA, discover resources, and meet current and new students). They also receive full student access to UA’s online services, where they can view their class schedules, financial information, grades, and more. The weekend before classes begin, all incoming freshmen are also encouraged to attend New Roo Weekend for a chance to meet the rest of the incoming class, find out about campus involvement opportunities, and kick off their Akron Experience.

For transfer and adult students, this email includes instructions on accessing their online orientation and information about meeting with an advisor after the online course is complete.

For College Credit Plus students, this email includes information about their orientation program, during which they will register for their UA courses.

All students should complete the required orientation experience as soon as possible to ensure the best selection of classes.

Veterans Policy 

To prevent institutions from charging late fees or preventing facility access to student veterans due to delay in payment for Chapter 33 Post 9/11 and Chapter 31 Vocational Rehab by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the following policy has been adopted. While this policy addendum takes effect August 1, 2019, The University of Akron is already complying with the requirements.

SEC. 103. DISAPPROVAL FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF CERTAIN COURSES OF EDUCATION THAT DO NOT PERMIT INDIVIDUALS TO ATTEND OR PARTICIPATE IN COURSES PENDING PAYMENT.

  • (a) In General.—Section 3679 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
  • “(e) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, beginning on August 1, 2019, a State approving agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of the State approving agency, shall disapprove a course of education provided by an educational institution that has in effect a policy that is inconsistent with any of the following:
  • “(A) A policy that permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
  • “(i) The date on which the Secretary provides payment for such course of education to such institution.
  • “(ii) The date that is 90 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies for tuition and fees following receipt from the student such certificate of eligibility.
  • “(B) A policy that ensures that the educational institution will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.
  • “(2) For purposes of this subsection, a covered individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of this title.
  • “(3) The Secretary may waive such requirements of paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate.
  • “(4) It shall not be inconsistent with a policy described in paragraph (1) for an educational institution to require a covered individual to take the following additional actions:
  • “(A) Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance not later than the first day of a course of education for which the individual has indicated the individual wishes to use the individual's entitlement to educational assistance.
  • “(B) Submit a written request to use such entitlement.
  • “(C) Provide additional information necessary to the proper certification of enrollment by the educational institution.”.
  • (b) Prompt Payments.—
  • (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure that the Secretary makes a payment to an educational institution on behalf of an individual, who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 of title 38, United States Code, and who is using such assistance to pursue a program of education at the educational institution, not later than 60 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies to the Secretary the applicable tuition and fees for the individual.
  • (2) SEMIANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than May 1 and October 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a semiannual report summarizing any cases in which the Secretary failed to make a payment described in paragraph (1) within the period set forth in such paragraph and an explanation for each delayed disbursement of payment.
  • (c) Rule Of Construction.—In a case in which an individual is unable to meet a financial obligation to an educational institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary under chapter 31 or 33 of such title and the amount of such disbursement is less than anticipated, nothing in section 3679(e) of such title, as added by subsection (a), shall be construed to prohibit an educational institution from requiring additional payment or imposing a fee for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the financial obligation and the amount of the disbursement.

Registration

Each term it is necessary for a student to select courses, formally register for those courses, and pay the appropriate tuition and fees. The student must register online via My Akron.  

Student Enrollment Status

Status Undergraduate Credit Hours
Full-time 12 or more hours
Three Quarter-time 9-11.99 hours
Half-time1 6-8.99 hours
Less than half-time 0.5-5.99 hours
1

For undergraduate aid award determination purposes, a three-quarter time student is registered for 9 - 11.99 credit hours.

Level Status

The level status of each student is dependent upon the number of credit hours earned. The University identifies the following levels:

Will be Designated If the Overall Credits Earned Are
Senior 90 credit hours or higher
Junior 60-89.99 credit hours earned
Sophomore 30-59.99 credit hours earned
Freshman 0-29.99 credit hours earned

Class Attendance

A student is expected to attend all class meetings for which the student is registered. A student may be dropped from a course in the current term by the dean if absence is repeated and the instructor recommends this action; a student can gain re-admission only with permission of both the instructor and the dean. A student dropped from a course receives an “F” which counts as work attempted whenever grade-point ratio calculations are made.

Student Schedules

Adding Courses

A student must register for a course in person before the end of the fifth day of a fall or spring term or online via My Akron by the end of the first week of the fall or spring term. Additions to the student’s official schedule may be made through the end of the 14th calendar day, only with the permission of the student’s advisor, instructor and dean or the dean’s designee. Students who have not registered by this deadline may not attend classes or receive credit for the course. This deadline applies to all regular 15-week courses offered in the fall and spring semesters. For all other courses, such as those in intersessions or those which are flexibly scheduled, courses must be added, with appropriate permission, by the date when 20% of the course has been completed. Details regarding Summer session information may be found via My Akron.

Withdrawal Policy

Students may drop a course through the second week (14th calendar day) of a semester or proportionally equivalent dates during summer session, intersession, and other course terms. No record of the course will appear on the student’s transcript. For purposes of this policy, the course term for a course that meets during a semester but begins after the beginning of a semester and/or ends before the end of a semester begins when its class meetings begin and ends when its class meetings end. After the 14-day drop period, and subject to the limitations below, students may withdraw from a course through the seventh week (49th calendar day) of a semester or proportionally equivalent dates during summer session, intersession, or other course terms. A course withdrawal will be indicated on the student’s official academic record by a grade of “WD.”

Withdrawing from courses – applicable to undergraduate students only:

  1. Undergraduate students may not withdraw from the same course more than twice. If a student attempts to withdraw from a course after having withdrawn from it twice before, he or she will continue to be enrolled in the course and will receive a grade at the end of the semester.
  2. Full-time undergraduate students who need to withdraw from all courses for documented extraordinary non-academic reasons (e.g., medical treatment or convalescence, military service) must obtain the permission of the dean of their college. For purposes of this paragraph:
    1. Students are considered full-time if they were enrolled as full-time students at the beginning of the term; and
    2. Courses for which the student has completed all requirements are excluded.
  3. Undergraduate students who withdraw from two courses either before they have earned 30 credits, or after they have earned 30 credits but before they have earned 60 credits, are not permitted to register for additional courses until they have consulted with their academic advisor. The purpose of this consultation is to discuss the reasons for the course withdrawals and to promote satisfactory academic progress by helping students develop strategies to complete their courses successfully.
  4. Except as otherwise provided below, undergraduate students may not withdraw from more than four courses before they have earned 60 credits. Students who attempt to withdraw from more than four courses will continue to be enrolled in those courses and will receive grades at the end of the semester.
  5. Undergraduate students who need to withdraw from all courses for documented extraordinary, non-academic reasons (e.g. medical treatment or convalescence, military service) may, after consulting with their advisor, submit a written petition to the dean of their college requesting that these courses not be counted toward the four-course withdrawal limit. The dean may grant this permission if, in the dean’s judgment, it is consistent with the best academic interests of the student and the best interests of the University.
  6. After the withdrawal deadline, undergraduate students may submit a written petition to the dean of their degree-granting college requesting partial withdrawal, after the deadline, for documented extraordinary, non-academic reasons (e.g. medical treatment or convalescence, military service). If the student is not yet admitted to a degree-granting college, the withdrawal request must be submitted to the dean of the student's intended degree-granting college or, if the student has not declared a major, from the deans of the degree-granting colleges offering the courses. The dean may grant this permission if the dean finds that the withdrawal is necessitated by circumstances beyond the student's control and is consistent with the best academic interests of the student and the best interests of the university.
  7. Undergraduate students who have reached the four-course withdrawal limit as noted above may, after consultation with their advisor, submit a written petition to the dean of their college seeking permission to withdraw from one or more additional courses. The dean may grant this permission if the dean finds that the withdrawal is necessitated by circumstances beyond the student’s control and is consistent with the best academic interests of the student and the best interests of the University.
  8. Withdrawing from a course shall not reduce or prevent a penalty accruing to a student for misconduct as defined in the Student Code of Conduct.
  9. Degree granting colleges may supplement this policy with more stringent requirements.

Campus Free Speech and Use of Outdoor Space

https://www.uakron.edu/ogc/outdoor-space-reservation/

Student Complaint Policy

It is the policy of The University of Akron to provide the best educational experience possible for all students consistent with all applicable Board of Trustees’ rules and university polices. In the event that a student, student family member, faculty, staff or others have a complaint about conduct or the educational experience while at the university, a complaint may be made either in writing or verbally. For more information, please refer to the Office of Academic Affairs' Student Complaint Policy page.