Academic Policies

UNC Asheville's Academic Policies

UNC Asheville’s current catalog details the university’s academic regulations. The following policies  concerning enrollment and grades, included in the catalog under the sections Registration and Schedule Changes and Grading, Evaluation, and Academic Progress, are especially pertinent to composition faculty.

Dropping, Adding, and Withdrawing from a Course    

Students may adjust their schedule (drop or add courses) for regular semester courses using web registration during the first five days of the semester. It is the responsibility of students to process the proper forms and paperwork for all schedule changes made after the registration period in the Student OneStop Center in University Hall. After the 5th day of classes, students may adjust their schedules as follows:

• Add – Under exceptional circumstances, a student may add a regular semester course during the 6th through the 10th days of the semester by obtaining the signatures of approval of the instructor and department chair on a Late Add form. The form must be received in the Student OneStop Center by 5 p.m. on the tenth day of t he semester.

• Withdraw – A student may withdraw from a semester course up to the end of the ninth week of class. A student who withdraws in this way will receive a grade of W for the course. Withdrawal (W) hours count as Attempted Hours. A student who wants to withdraw from a course must meet with his or her advisor to review the student’s record, future plans and possible effects upon graduation date, eligibility for financial aid, veteran’s benefits, intercollegiate athletics and tuition surcharge. The recorded withdrawal date is the date on which the student submits the Withdrawal Form, signed by the student and his/her advisor, to the Student OneStop Center. Requests for withdrawal after the deadline will be considered only for documentable emergencies beyond the student’s control. Students requesting Withdrawal after the deadline must obtain the proper forms from the Student OneStop Center and submit the completed forms with appropriate documentation prior to the final two weeks of the semester. Final approval rests with the Enrollment Services Committee and/or its designee. When the student’s situation is unusually severe, or an emergency, the committee may consider petitions that are retroactive for a prior semester; however, proposals will not be considered if submitted one calendar year beyond the date the initial grade was earned.

• Students who withdraw from all of their courses are exiting from the university. There are special procedures for doing this.

Failure to Attend the First Class/ Students who ask to be added to a Full Section

Instructors have the discretion to administratively drop students on their roll who do not attend the first class meeting without contacting you. If you choose to drop a student, notify the Registrar’s Office immediately after class.

Please do not agree to add anyone to your composition class. Refer all requests to the Department Chairman or to the Director of First-Year Writing, who will decide if the student may add the class. It is much better to keep enrollment in composition sections within the enrollment limits and to have similar enrollment in all composition sections.

Examinations and Evaluations

Each instructor arranges examinations in courses as appropriate. The student should receive the results of at least one evaluation by the end of the fifth week of each course. A week at the end of each regular semester is reserved for final examinations. Classes will meet for a single 2 ½-hour period during which an exam or other form of evaluation may be given. The exam schedule is online and publicized well in advance. Plan to use the final exam time productively. Students in composition classes may write an in-class essay, give oral reports, read from their work, or engage in other meaningful activities. The exam time and date should be included on the syllabus so that students know you plan to meet during that time. Exam schedules are online.

Incompletes

An instructor may give a grade of Incomplete (I) at the student’s request, on the grounds of some occurrence beyond the student’s control causing him or her to miss final examinations or some other limited amount of work at the end of the semester or term. The request must be made before the end of the last class day and must state the reason in writing or, if necessary, by telephone to be followed up in writing. If the reason is acceptable, the instructor will fill out a Request for Incomplete Grade form stating the reason, the precise work to be made up (not an additional amount of class time), and the date due (no later than four weeks prior to the end of the term immediately following, summer terms not included). The instructor should also assign the grade to be recorded in the event that the student fails to make up the work. The form is to be signed by the instructor, with a copy sent to the student. The original copy of the approved form must then be submitted to the Registrar. If a Change of Grade Form is not submitted to the Registrar to remove the incomplete by the deadline, the default grade specified on the incomplete contract will be posted. Requests for extensions of the completion deadline will not be routinely approved. In the event of extraordinary circumstances, the instructor and student may petition the Dean of Academic Administration for consideration. Students cannot graduate with an outstanding I on their record.

Change of Grade

If a student or instructor discovers that an error has been made in recording a grade, the instructor must request a change of grade. The only acceptable grounds for such a change are the instructor’s error in the calculation of the grade or misjudgment in the evaluation of the student’s work. To change a grade, the instructor must state the reason for the requested grade change on the appropriate form, indicate the correct grade, sign it, and receive the approval of the department chair, who will sign the form. The deadline for such a request is no later than the last day of the third week of class in the semester immediately following the recording of the original grade, summer terms not included.

Snow Line/Late Start Schedule