Session Schedule
Advising
Each student is assigned an advisor to work with them and foster comprehensive support throughout the student’s time at Eastern University. Students entering from high school are assigned advisors based on their INST 150 Introduction to Faith, Reason, and Justice course enrollments with whom they will meet periodically to discuss their academic programs, career goals, and personal problems or needs. When a student formally declares a major, they will be advised by an academic advisor within their department. Students transferring in more than 24 semester hours of credit from other colleges are assigned faculty advisors in their major areas; they must still formally declare their majors.
Advisors serve as a resource for students and faculty. Students are encouraged to visit their advisors for assistance with course planning, registration, guidance in understanding academic policies and procedures, and any other questions they may have during their time as students. Transfer students are strongly encouraged to visit their advisors in their first week on campus, so staff can facilitate a smooth transition.
Registration
Two registration periods are scheduled each year: one in October or November for the following spring and summer terms; one in March or April for the following fall term. Summer sessions are voluntary sessions and carry additional fees and charges. All students are expected to register for classes during the registration period, which is announced to students on the Registrar’s webpage and through electronic communication to each student. Students are required to meet with their faculty advisors or advisors to choose classes and to have their course selections formally approved in Student Planning. Students may not register for classes until all advising, financial, and reporting obligations are met.
Classes are open to all students as long as space is available, and as long as all criteria is met. The size of classes is limited in some cases because of the nature of the courses being taught. In some courses, preference is given to upper-class students or students who have majors or minors in certain fields. (In the admission of students to classes, as in all other policies, Eastern does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, color, handicap, marital or parental status, or national or ethnic origin.)
Please note that any disputes regarding your student account or registration activity must be filed within one year of the transaction in question. After one year, any disputes must be accompanied by appropriate documentation and are reviewed at the discretion of the Vice President.
Financial Clearance
Students are considered to be registered for a session when the session bill is paid in full or when satisfactory financial arrangements have been made with the Student Accounts Office. This office certifies to the Office of the Registrar that students have made satisfactory arrangements for the payment of all bills and are, therefore, eligible to attend classes.
Course Loads
In the regular fall and spring semesters, the normal academic load for traditional baccalaureate students is 15 credits. A full-time student may take up to 18 credits without special approval or overload credit fees, provided that the student is not on probation with a limit of 16 credits. A nontraditional accelerated student may take up to 7 credits in each 7 week term, or 3 credits per 7 week term if on probation.
A traditional baccalaureate with a 3.00 grade-point average or better may take additional credits with the Registrar’s approval. The maximum load is 20 credits. There is a per credit charge for every credit over 18 credits up to the maximum of 20 credits.
In a summer term, the maximum course load is seven credits. All maximum load restrictions include college work taken elsewhere in a given period. The maximum credits taken at Eastern and elsewhere in a given period may not exceed the maximum credits allowed at Eastern in that same period.
Student Responsibility
Students are responsible for all courses for which they are registered except for courses that they have officially dropped within the drop period. A student who stops attending a course for which they are registered must officially withdraw from the course by the withdraw deadline.
Students are not normally entitled to receive a refund of any special fees, including the fee for taking more than 18 credits or a refund for courses for which they have registered even if they officially withdraw from the course within the withdrawal period (see Withdrawal and Refund Policy).
Students are required to notify the University when their home address changes.
Adding, Dropping, Withdrawing from Course Work
To add, drop, and withdraw from courses officially, a student must do so in Student Planning or by using an add/drop form in the Registrar's Office.
To add: A student may add courses only during the first week of a semester or during the first week of a seven-week term. Some programs require advisor approval prior to registration.
In order to drop or withdraw from a course, a student must take action. Notifying faculty or failing to attend class is not sufficient to drop or withdraw from a course. Deadlines for adding, dropping, and withdrawing classes are available on the published calendar.
To drop: Through the second week of a semester, or the equivalent time in other sessions, a student may drop a course online through Student Planning or by submitting a signed Add/Drop Form to the Registrar’s Office. Courses that are dropped will have charges removed, and there will be no grade on the student’s record.
To withdraw: After the drop period, a student may withdraw from a course by submitting a signed withdrawal form to the Office of the Registrar. A grade of “W” will be entered on the academic record of any student who withdraws from a course before the course has been completed. Courses carrying a grade of “W” receive no credit and are not counted in the grade-point average, even though they carry a financial obligation and do count towards the course repeat policy.
Students are advised to contact the Financial Aid Office to determine the impact of the drop or withdrawal on overall aid eligibility.
When a student drops or withdraws from a course, access to the course in Brightspace will be removed with immediate effect.
Note: A student who fails to officially drop/withdraw from a registered course will receive a grade of “F” for the course.
The ability to withdraw and receive refunds for programs vary based upon the established policies of these courses. Grades of “W” are taken into consideration in the calculation of Federal Title IV eligibility. They are also taken into consideration when determining if a student has made Satisfactory Academic Progress. Questions about financial aid and implications on adding, dropping, or withdrawing should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid.
The ability to withdraw and receive refunds for programs vary based upon the established policies of these courses.
Academic Warnings
Students not making sufficient progress in courses will receive an academic warning at various points in the term or semester. Students receiving warnings are to meet with their instructor(s) as soon as possible. Faculty advisors will be notified of warnings given to their advisees.
Final Examinations
In the traditional baccalaureate programs, final examinations are given at the close of each semester. Students must take their final examinations at the assigned times, which are published with the Schedule of Classes at the time of registration each semester. The schedule of final examinations is also regularly posted to the Office of the Registrar Web page. Exceptions are made only in the case of documented medical emergency or family crisis, such as a death in the immediate family, or when a student has three final exams scheduled on one day. Conflicts should not occur between final examinations since they are scheduled on the basis of course meeting times. Students seeking re-scheduling should submit a Petition to Change Time of Final Exam form to the office of the Dean of their college. The petition must be received at least two weeks prior to the first day of final exams in order to be considered.
Exams will not be given early in order to meet the travel plans of students. Students are to arrange all transportation well in advance in order to avoid conflict with the exam schedule. A student who misses a final exam must report the situation to the Registrar as soon as possible. Dishonesty in a final examination shall be treated according to the policies on academic dishonesty and may be referred to the Judiciary Committee for further action.
Final Grades
At the end of each semester the faculty will file grades with the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar does not report grades to students or others over the telephone. Students may view their grades by accessing Student Planning or Self Service on Eastern’s Web site www.eastern.edu. (Self Service and Student Planning offer secure access through password protection.)
Requests for Transcripts
Persons may request transcripts of their academic record at Eastern. Official transcripts bear the University seal and the Registrar’s signature in a sealed envelope and are sent directly to authorized recipients. Unofficial transcripts, without seal and signature, may be requested for a student’s personal use and can be accessed on Eastern's Self Service site. The University will withhold official documents if financial obligations have not been met.
Students may request official transcripts using www.eastern.edu e-mail or by completing the transcript request form. Transcripts are issued within five business days. A special processing fee of $10.00 is charged when a student requests an official transcript to be picked up in the Office of the Registrar on the same day as the request is made. For a $5.00 fee, a student may request an e-transcript by creating an account in Parchment. (See Transcript Request on the Registrar’s page of www.eastern.edu).
Instructional Delivery of Accelerated Courses
Courses consist of at least 14 hours of instructional time for each credit awarded. Each undergraduate accelerated course is seven weeks in length. Each week of instructional activity begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Courses are delivered in the following formats in addition to on-ground classroom instruction:
Online: Online instruction occurs when the learner and the instructor are not in the same physical location, and the instruction is delivered through asynchronous and/or synchronous modalities via the Internet. Synchronous modalities allow individuals to interact online at the same time versus asynchronous modalities that allow individuals to log on at different times.
Blended: Blended instruction includes a combination of online (asynchronous and/or synchronous) delivery and on-ground classes (when the learner and the instructor are in the same physical location and meet in real time as scheduled). Online synchronous classes and on-ground classes are offered in real time as scheduled. Online delivery will not be greater than 49% of total class time.