Course Policies

Students must register for courses in RamPortal, an online tool available to all active students at West Chester University.

Registration Order

The Registrar’s Office assigns students scheduling times in compliance with the University’s Priority Registration Policy. Students are not eligible for enrollment into courses prior to their enrollment time.

Registration Timeline

Students are expected to register at their assigned registration time. All semester registrations should be completed prior to the start of the semester. Final registration must be completed by the add/drop deadline for the semester.

Waitlists

If there are no seats available in a course, students may add themselves to the waitlist if one is available. Students are permitted to waitlist up to 7 credit hours. Students are not officially registered in the class when on the waitlist nor are they guaranteed enrollment into waitlisted courses.

General Policies

• Students can only attend courses for which they are registered. Individuals not registered for a course may attend classes on a temporary basis at the discretion of the faculty member. *For students requesting in-classroom support, contact the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA).
• Students are financially responsible for all courses in which they are registered. To reduce or eliminate financial responsibility, students must officially drop courses prior to the add/drop deadline or completely withdraw from the University for the term in accordance with the University’s Policy on Adjustment of Tuition and Fees.
• Students must meet all course prerequisites and co-requisites to register for courses. Exceptions may be considered by the Department chairperson.
• Students with a hold on their records will not be allowed to register until the hold is cleared.
• Students should discuss course registrations with their academic advisor. Undergraduate students will have an Advisor Hold applied each semester, which will prevent registration until they have consulted with their academic advisor.

An overload is enrollment in more than 18 credit hours in the fall or spring semester, or more than seven credit hours in an individual summer or winter session. The minimum cumulative GPA required to carry an overload is 2.75.

Permission will not be granted for more than 24 credits in a fall or spring semester or 10 credits in an individual summer or winter session.

Student may request an overload through RamPortal. All requests must be made prior to the add/drop deadline. Detailed instructions are available on the Registrar’s website.

Students who carry more than 18 credits in a fall or spring semester will be responsible for additional tuition charges at the standard rate per credit hour.

Remedial courses, designated with a “Q” number (e.g., MAT Q30), are developmental in nature and help to establish a foundation for success in future coursework. These courses do not count as earned credit or apply toward the 120 minimum credits required for graduation, but they are calculated into a student’s cumulative GPA.

Policy Covering Developmental Courses

Policy Covering Undergraduate College-level Courses

Repeat Course Procedure

1. All degree students who are sophomores, juniors, or seniors with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 are eligible to take courses pass/fail.
2. The pass/fail privilege is limited to one course per semester; only free electives may be taken on a pass/fail basis. Free electives may not be used to satisfy major, core, cognate, or general education (including distributive) requirements. Interdisciplinary, diverse communities, and writing emphasis courses taken to satisfy these requirements may not be taken pass/fail.
3. A grade of pass carries credit value but does not affect the cumulative grade point average.
4. A grade of fail is computed into the cumulative grade point average.
5. After contracting for pass/fail, the student may not request or accept any grade other than a P or an F.
6. This process must be completed by the course's withdrawal deadline. Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Anyone may attend the University for the sole purpose of auditing courses by first scheduling for the course, paying the regular fee, and then completing an audit application form available from the Office of the Registrar. An undergraduate student must declare "audit" status by the course's withdrawal deadline and may only audit one course per semester. Faculty may refuse to grant auditor status. Full-time students have the privilege of auditing, provided they obtain approval from the course instructor and the course does not create an overload situation. If an overload results, students are assessed the per-credit rate for each credit in excess of 18. Part-time students may audit, provided they obtain the instructor's approval, enroll in the course through the Office of the Registrar, and pay the regular course fees.

Credit is never given to auditors. The auditor status may not be changed after it has been declared. The grade of audit (AU) is recorded on the student's transcript. An audited course will not fulfill any requirement toward graduation including interdisciplinary, diverse communities, and writing emphasis attributes.

Forms to register for credit by examination are available from the Office of the Registrar. Credit by Exam fees will be equivalent to the College-Level Examination Program fee. Contact the Office of the Registrar for current information.
Credit by examination is a privilege subject to the following conditions:

1. Application occurs during the Drop/Add Period. If the student has already scheduled into the course, the course will be dropped from the schedule for that term. Grade notification for credit by exam will occur at the end of the semester. Therefore, if the student fails, the course will have to be taken in a later term.
2. The student has a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00.
3. The student demonstrates evidence of satisfactory academic background for the course.
4. The student has not already completed a more advanced course that presupposes knowledge gained in the course. For example, credit by examination cannot be given for FRE 101 after the student passed FRE 102.
5. Credits taken as credit by examination will be counted in the course load and will carry "0" billing credits. Therefore, courses will not count toward financial aid, athletics, dorms, insurance, etc.
6. A course cannot be repeated by using credit by examination.
7. A course that fulfills the interdisciplinary, diverse communities, or writing emphasis area may not be taken as credit by examination.

NOTE: Students who have taken a course but have not achieved a satisfactory grade may not apply for credit by examination for the same course.

Purpose and Scope

This policy outlines requirements and expectations for undergraduates seeking to take graduate level courses that are not part of an accelerated program.

Policy Statement

An undergraduate student who is pursuing a bachelor's degree and has completed  90 credits may enroll in up to six (6) credits of graduate-level course work with approval. Applications require an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.00, permission of the major advisor, course professor, course department chair, and the Dean of the Graduate School, and must be filed in the Registrar’s Office before the end of the Drop/Add period. Students are considered undergraduates until the undergraduate degree is conferred. They are thereby held to policies in the undergraduate catalog, and all fees will be charged at the undergraduate level. Students not meeting University or departmental standards will not be permitted to enroll. If a student is admitted to a graduate program at WCU, up to six (6) earned graduate-level credits may be applied to the degree program subject to the approval of the graduate department.

PURPOSE

Class attendance is a critical component of student success and one of the most important ways students engage with and understand course materials.  Students may need to miss a class to participate in a regularly scheduled university-sanctioned curricular or extracurricular activity or due to unavoidable or other legitimate circumstances (including participation in local, state, and federal governmental elections and religious observances). 

This policy provides guidance to faculty and students as it relates to student attendance in all course delivery modalities and teaching locations. 

POLICY ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ATTENDANCE

I.  Each faculty member will determine a class attendance policy and publish it in their syllabus.

• The class attendance policy must differentiate University-Excused Absences from Instructor-Excused Absences and indicate whether there is a maximum number of Instructor-Excused Absences allowed without a course grade penalty.
  • University-Excused Absences are defined as those sanctioned by the university and afford students the opportunity to make up missed work when proper university documentation is provided.  It is incumbent upon the student to provide university documentation and communicate in a timely manner to ensure compliance with this policy. In these cases, faculty will provide accommodation to make up scheduled examinations or quizzes, or a fair alternative to the missed work.
  • Instructor-Excused Absences are those not defined in the University-Excused Absences Policy and subject to an individual faculty member's stated course attendance policy. Faculty are encouraged to consider allowing some number of Instructor-Excused Absences without required documentation. Faculty should provide equity-minded guidance to students concerning how they should handle short-term challenges that impact course work.
• The instructor’s attendance policy should clearly state expected communication timelines for students to report absences, recognizing that in some situations prior/immediate notification may not be possible.
• The instructor’s attendance policy must specify whether class attendance is part of the final course grade.  If attendance is part of the final course grade, the attendance policy and grading scale must indicate the maximum grade reduction based on attendance.  This fraction may not exceed 40% of the final course grade such that no student can fail a course solely based on a lack of attendance. 
• No attendance policy may result in the reduction of a student’s final course grade by more than 5% per single unexcused absence. 
• If faculty differentiate attendance from participation in grading, this distinction must be explicit in the attendance policy.
• Several religions prohibit working on certain holidays. Faculty should try to avoid conflicts in scheduling major meetings, exams and other major events and work with students, faculty, and staff to accommodate these observances. Students are required to communicate in a timely manner about the need for such accommodations. This link includes a list of Holidays and Religious Observances.   

II.  University departments or programs may establish common attendance policies to govern their sections as long as those policies fall within these guidelines.

Policy Statement

Undergraduate and graduate students with a university-excused absence will be allowed to make up, at an alternative time to be determined by the professor, scheduled examinations or quizzes that will be missed. The professor will designate such times prior to the event and the make-up should be as soon as possible following the missed class. Professors can provide a fair alternative to taking the examination or quiz that will be missed. Students must recognize that some activities cannot be directly made up (e.g., a laboratory, group presentation, off-campus experience), and faculty will arrange a fair alternative to the missed work. Students in programs with external accrediting bodies must also be aware that there may be attendance requirements that cannot be made up.

Examples and Implementation

The following are examples of university-excused absences:

I.  Students participating in university-sanctioned events, such as the Marching Band and NCAA athletic events, will be granted an excused absence(s) by the respective faculty members for class periods missed. Students must submit university-excused absence documentation on university letterhead signed by the activity director, coach, or advisor detailing the specifics of the event in advance.

Specific requirements include the following:

1. Responsibility for meeting academic requirements rests with the student.
2. Students are expected to notify and provide the required documentation to their professors as soon as they know they will be missing class due to a university-sanctioned event.
3. Students are expected to complete the work requirement for each class and turn in assignments due on days of the event prior to their due dates unless other arrangements are made with the professor.
4. If a scheduled event is postponed or canceled, the student is expected to attend class.
5. Students are not excused from classes for practice on nonevent days.
    

The following are specifics for the student athlete:

1. The student athlete is expected, where possible, to schedule classes on days and at hours that do not conflict with athletic schedules.
2. Athletes are not excused from classes for practice or training-room treatment on non-game days.
    

II.  West Chester University recognizes required service in the United States military, including but not limited to the Pennsylvania National Guard, as a legitimate reason to miss up to 2 weeks during a 15-week semester, or the equivalent. Service members must submit a copy of their orders to the Registrar's Office. The Registrar's Office will communicate with respective faculty members and the student will be granted a university-excused absence(s) for the class period(s) missed. Service members required to miss more than 2 weeks during a 15-week semester, or the equivalent, can withdraw from the term in a non-punitive manner in accordance with Pennsylvania state law. Students are expected to work closely with faculty and the Registrar’s Office to ensure their academic success.

III.  In the event of a student’s medical emergency, including serious health conditions as outlined in the Family and Medical Leave Act, or the death of a student's immediate family member, faculty members are expected to provide, within reason, an opportunity for students to make up work. Students are responsible for contacting Student Assistance for documentation as soon as possible to facilitate make-up course work.

IV.  Consistent with guidelines set forth by the Family and Medical Leave Act, students who become parents of new children or have children with serious health conditions that require the student-parent to miss up to 2 weeks during a 15-week semester, or the equivalent, will be given a university-excused absence for the courses that are missed. Students are responsible for contacting Student Assistance for documentation as soon as possible to facilitate make-up course work. Students required to miss more than 2 weeks during a 15-week semester, or the equivalent, can withdraw from the term up until the term-withdraw deadline.

V. West Chester University acknowledges excused absences in accordance with federal and state legal statutes, including but not limited to compliance with jury duty, subpoenas, and notices of deposition. Students are responsible for contacting Student Assistance for documentation as soon as possible to facilitate make-up course work.

West Chester University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities as defined by Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  Individuals with hearing deficits or other documented disabilities can contact the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) to set up alternative forms of classroom assistance.

The University recognizes that the most efficient means of providing equal access to video media is through use of products with open or closed captioning and/or subtitles. When faculty utilizes essential video material, they should ascertain if a captioned version is available. If such a version is available, the faculty member is required to use it.

Students are assigned early field and student teaching experiences at schools with which the University has a formal agreement. Students will not be assigned to schools that they attended or where members of their families are employed or attend.

Special requests for school assignments will be considered by the student's major department.

Before an undergraduate student may register for independent study or research, practicum, internship, externship, or any field placement, they must have an overall GPA of 2.00 or higher, and a GPA of 2.00 or higher in their major courses.

This policy does not supersede current departmental policies that have established higher standards. This policy does not prevent departments from setting higher GPA standards for undergraduate students within their major. Departments may also establish a minimum required GPA for all cognate courses for undergraduate students who wish to register for any of these courses.

Students may not enroll for credit in a more elementary course in a sequence after having satisfactorily passed a more advanced course in that sequence. For example, a student may not enroll for credit in FRE 101 after having satisfactorily passed FRE 201. Similarly, students who enroll in a course that requires less proficiency than placement or proficiency tests indicate they possess may be denied credit towards graduation.

All students participating in West Chester University academic courses that require participation in observation, practicum, field experience, or student teaching must provide up-to-date criminal background clearances prior to the fourth day of the semester in which they are enrolled in such courses. Students will provide clearances to the University in a manner stipulated by the dean of the College of Education and Social Work in accordance with the WCU Professional Education Unit Policy Requiring Current Criminal Background Clearances for Enrollment in Field Experience Courses and Student Teaching. Students who fail to provide the proper clearances, as stipulated, will have their enrollment in the course revoked.

Definition of DE at WCU

In Person (IP): Face-to-face instruction at scheduled times and in scheduled room; may include less than 15% of instruction via distance (which may be synchronous or asynchronous).
Blended (BL): Combination of in person and between 15-79% of instruction via distance (which may be synchronous or asynchronous).
Distance Majority (DM): Combination of in person (1-19%) and between 80-99% of instruction via distance (which may be synchronous or asynchronous).
Distance Synchronous (DS): fully remote (100% distance) with at least some synchronous instruction.
Distance Asynchronous (DA): fully remote (100% distance) with no synchronous instruction.

The approved method of delivery indicates the highest allowable percentage of distance instruction; however, a course approved at a particular level of distance instruction can be taught at a lower percentage. For example, a course approved as blended may be taught in face to face or blended formats, but not in Distance Majority (DM) format or higher. A course approved to be taught 100% distance can be taught via in person, blended, or distance majority formats.

A.     Purpose

To establish university policy on recording of classroom activities including notetaking.

B.     Policy on Course Materials

Copyright protection (Copyright Act; 1976, Section 102) applies to original works of authorship fixed in tangible mediums of expression. Works of authorship include the following categories: literary works; musical works, including any accompanying words; dramatic works, including any accompanying music; pantomimes and choreographic works; pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works; motion pictures and other audiovisual works; sound recordings; and architectural works. These categories include dictionaries, directories, computer programs and databases. Copyright protection does not extend to ideas, procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation, concepts, principles, or discoveries.

An original, tangible work of authorship prepared by a faculty member is subject to copyright protection. The Copyright Act prohibits the unauthorized reproduction and/or sale of original, tangible works of authorship prepared by a faculty member, and presented, offered, or distributed during a class lecture or via official course delivery methods (e.g., a learning management system such as D2L). A faculty member's oral lecture presentation generally is ephemeral, and not subject to copyright protection. However, a faculty member has a privacy interest over the unauthorized recording of their lecture presentation, and the faculty member may generally prohibit the unauthorized recording of lecture presentations (see Exceptions section of this policy for more information about required student disability accommodations).

C.      Policy on Recording of Classroom Activities

Student-Initiated and Faculty-Initiated Recordings include audio and video recordings of classroom lectures, activities, and course material. This includes closed captioning and audio transcripts as well as any communication technologies of instructional content or communications between faculty and students. If recordings include student activities, in advance the faculty member should inform anyone whose activity is being recorded and explain the use of the recording.

1.       Student-Initiated Recording

All student recordings in classrooms or other instructional settings must be authorized in advance by the faculty member responsible for instruction of the course. Student-Initiated Recordings may be used only for the education of the students enrolled in the class during the period in which the student is enrolled in the class. Authorized Student-Initiated Recordings are not available to anyone other than the students enrolled in the class without the written consent of the faculty member responsible for the course or university administrator.

2.       Faculty-Initiated Recording

When the faculty member responsible for a course initiates the recording of lectures or other classroom activities in that course, and when such recording does not require university resources in excess of what would normally be allocated in similar instructional settings, the faculty member shall have copyright ownership rights to and plenary control over the subsequent use of the recordings subject to the university’s authorization.

Faculty who plan to record portions of their class shall include the following statement in their syllabus:

This class or portions of this class will be recorded by the faculty member for educational purposes. Recordings in which student activity is included may be subsequently performed, displayed, or made available online only via official course delivery methods (e.g., a learning management system such as D2L) or only with the informed written consent of the recorded students or if all student activity is excised. A Faculty-Initiated Recording that includes student activity may be retained by the faculty member only for their individual use.

All decisions regarding current and subsequent use of recordings should further the university's purpose of developing graduates that succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good. Faculty-Initiated Recordings may be archived by the university and made accessible to the university community for internal use. Before any recordings are used in subsequent classes or made otherwise available, the recorded faculty member must give permission/consent to ensure academic quality and to verify the currency of the recorded content.

D.    Policy on Student-Initiated Notetaking

Only students that are formally registered for the course in question may take original hand-written or typed notes during an oral lecture presentation and may sell those notes in the free marketplace. The notes may be subject to copyright protection, provided the notes represent an original, tangible work. Such copyright would not impact the faculty member's ownership of the material presented orally, nor the tangible materials presented and/or distributed during the lecture. Audio or video recordings of classroom activity by students for the purposes of notetaking are subject to the rules governing Student-Initiated Recordings in this policy and multi-party consent laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The following statements have been developed from an interpretation of the federal Copyright Act and university policy, to serve as a guide to faculty rights on notetaking issues:

1. Any reproduction of a faculty member's original work(s) of authorship is prohibited by the Copyright Act and subject to a copyright infringement action brought by the faculty member, as copyright owner; or by the university, as copyright owner, in the case of works for hire.
2. Notes taken during an oral lecture presentation should be an interpretation of, and not a verbatim transcript of the lecture material. Such notes generally are construed to be original. Students have no copyright ownership of verbatim transcripts or substantially verbatim notes.
3. If notes taken during an oral lecture presentation can be shown to be original, they may be copyrighted by the notetaker/notetaking service and sold to third parties, but this copyright does not transcend the ownership rights of the faculty member to the original lecture material, nor the future uses of that subject material.
4. Only students that are formally registered for a course may attend class and qualify as a notetaker. The policy basis of excluding non-registered students, or non-students, from attending class is two-fold:

• Such individuals are not contracted for the educational services provided in the class, and
• University policy prohibits the use of university facilities and/or property for commercial sales activities by individuals or non-university organizations.

Nothing contained in this policy is intended to restrict a faculty member's right to conduct a class as they deem most appropriate, such as electing to distribute class notes, the use of recorded lectures, etc.

E.      Privacy Policy

Implementation of this policy shall be in keeping with WCU’s Student Privacy and FERPA Policy and shall recognize the University's obligation not to infringe upon the reasonable privacy expectations of faculty, staff, and students in classrooms and other instructional settings, subject only to applicable state and federal laws and University regulations.

Student-Initiated and Faculty-Initiated Recordings of student activity online, in classrooms, or in other instructional settings may be used by the faculty member and registered students for class purposes and only by the students during the period in which the course is being offered. Recordings in which student activity is included may be subsequently performed, displayed, or made available online only via official course delivery methods (e.g., a learning management system such as D2L) or only with written consent of the recorded students.

F.      Exceptions

Any accommodations for a disability, granted as a result of engaging in the interactive process with the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) as required by federal, state, or local law or University Policy shall be an exception to the foregoing policy requirements. Contact the OEA for current legal requirements and details on the services provided for such students. Faculty are not required to provide accommodation in the absence of a current accommodation letter.

Purpose and Scope

This policy outlines syllabus requirements and expectations for student evaluation required within a course. 

Policy Statement and Framework

Syllabus Requirements

By the first scheduled day of class for the semester, all faculty must post a course syllabus to the WCU learning management system. A course syllabus must include the following information:

1. Official (catalog) course name and number
2. Instructor’s name, office location, office telephone number/department contact number, email address, and scheduled office hours
3. Statement of course mode of instruction (e.g., in person or distance education; if distance, the nature of the distance instruction, including percentage synchronous and/or asynchronous). Distance courses must follow the expectations outlined in the ‘Distance Education Course Policy’.
4. Time and location of courses taught in person and distance synchronous
5. Course description that aligns with the catalog description (does not need to be verbatim, but must include the key information from the catalog)
6. Required and/or recommended textbook(s) and other materials
7. Course student learning outcomes that articulate what students should be able to do, achieve, demonstrate, and/or know upon completion of the course. Course-level student learning outcomes in required courses must also show connection to programmatic student learning outcomes.
8. Information about the activities and/or assignments that will contribute to the development and assessment of these competencies/student learning outcomes -- i.e., outcomes and assessments must be explicitly aligned. For more information refer to the policy on ‘Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes within Academic Programs at West Chester University’
9. For approved General Education and Additional Baccalaureate Requirement courses, the syllabus must include the following:
   1. A statement that identifies the type of General Education or Additional Baccalaureate Requirement the course meets
   2. A listing of the relevant General Education goals and student learning outcomes to which the course contributes (as previously approved by CAPC), and information about the class activities and/or assignments that will contribute to the development of each of these goals. Outcomes and assessments must be explicitly aligned at the level of the General Education Student Learning Outcomes, not at the Gen Ed Goal level. Visit CAPC General Education Program for information about the requirements for all General Education courses.
10. Instructor attendance policy that complies with the ‘Undergraduate Student Attendance Policy’ (for undergraduate courses) and the 'University-Excused Absences Policy' (all courses)
11. Course Evaluation Policy, including reference to the university grading scale. The course evaluation policy must include an explicit breakdown of how final grades are determined and should follow the requirements listed in the next section of this policy.
12. Tentative course schedule that is compliant with the academic calendar for that term and the 'Pre-Course Assignment Policy', and that does not assign coursework beyond the last day of the term
13. Statements common to all WCU syllabi:
    1. Statements Common to All WCU Syllabi (Undergraduate)
    2. Statements Common to All WCU Syllabi (Graduate)

Course Evaluation Requirements

A. Nature and Timing

1. Students should be provided with on-going evaluations and feedback throughout the term so they can assess their learning progress. This includes courses such as off-campus internships, field experiences, independent study, and research courses where such feedback may come from approved site supervisors. For courses below the 400-level that use a limited number of major evaluations, students must be notified of the results of each major evaluation prior to the next scheduled major evaluation. In all courses, at least one major evaluation or substantive feedback must be provided to students no later than one week before the end of the course withdrawal period for that session (i.e., assessments delivered and graded, and grades provided to students, e.g., using D2L grade book) so that they can make an informed decision about continuation.
2. Faculty must publish the nature and number of evaluations in their syllabus by the first scheduled day of instruction for the semester.
3. Faculty are required to retain the results of all evaluations, including final examinations, for a period of one full semester before discarding them.

B. Final Examinations

1. Courses with any synchronous meeting pattern (in person or distance) are assigned a final examination time.
2. Individual faculty members may not change officially published final examination times.
3. No final examination may be given outside of the scheduled final examination time; no final examination time can be extended by individual faculty members.
4. Any course not having a final examination will meet as directed by the instructor during the scheduled examination time for a continuation of the regular class work.
5. Fully asynchronous courses are not assigned a final examination time. Asynchronous courses that include a final examination will indicate so on the syllabus and will administer that assessment asynchronously during the final examination period for that term.
6. Any student who has three or more final examinations scheduled for the same day may, no later than one week prior to the scheduled final exam time, work with the individual instructors to arrange alternative examination times.