Students at the University of Virginia are subject to the University's academic, financial, and non-academic rules and regulations. In addition, students are subject to the academic policies of the school in which they are enrolled. The information contained herein and any other information conveyed to students is subject to change at any time by the authorities responsible for making these rules and regulations.
The University reserves the right to suspend, enforce the withdrawal of, or expel a student whose academic standing is in its judgment unsatisfactory or who violates the University's Standards of Conduct. In addition, the University will automatically enforce the dismissal of a student certified by the Honor Committee to be guilty of a breach of the honor system.
Requests should be supported by appropriate documentation of the relevant disability filed with the Learning Needs and Evaluation Center. Personnel at the Center are available to counsel students in preparing their requests for academic accommodations and to help them get other necessary support services. Assistance in preparing requests for reasonable academic accommodation is also available through the University's "504 Network" which includes a representative from each of the University's schools. Deaf and hearing impaired students may dial 982-HEAR to receive telecommunications accessibility.
Students who have disabilities that may interfere with their performance in a course or require special and reasonable accommodation in the conduct of the course are encouraged to inform the instructor of that fact at the beginning of the course. Any questions concerning the propriety of particular accommodations should be referred to the student's dean's office and/or the Director of the Learning Needs and Evaluation Center, (924-3139 or 982-HEAR).
After the deadline for dropping courses has passed, the symbol W (withdrew), WP (withdrew passing), or WF (withdrew failing) will be assigned by the instructor of the course depending on the policies of the school in which the student is enrolled. The W, WP, or WF will appear on the official academic record.
Persons receiving diplomas must be registered at the University during the semester in which they receive the degree. Those not carrying any courses must register as non-residents and pay the non-resident fee in order to graduate from the University.
Students who lose their diplomas may have them replaced upon payment of $10 plus a mailing fee. The University reserves the right to withhold the diplomas of financially delinquent students.
Students are not permitted to take a final examination before the regularly scheduled examination. When genuinely serious conditions exist, students, with the consent of the course instructor, may be allowed to postpone a final examination until after the regular examination period. When the instructor concurs, a student must submit a request on a form provided in the student's dean's office. Students will then take the examination at the instructor's convenience, usually no later than March 15 for a course taken in the fall semester and no later than October 15 for a course taken during the spring semester.
Unexcused absence from a final examination results in an automatic grade of F in the final examination. An instructor may also give a student a grade of F in a course irrespective of other previously graded work if a final examination is missed without prior permission.
Credit The unit of credit at the University is the semester hour. Each semester hour represents one class period of a minimum of 50 minutes per week for each week in the semester. Lecture-recitation courses require a minimum of one 50-minute class period each week in the semester for every one hour of credit earned. Laboratories and field work require a minimum of two 50-minute class periods (or the equivalent amount of time) for each week in the semester for every one hour of credit earned.
Grades Each school determines its own grading system. Students will be graded according to the grading system of the school in which they are registered, not according to the grading system of the school through which the course is taught. (Additional regulations apply to courses taught on a credit/no credit and a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. See section on credit/no credit and satisfactory/unsatisfactory grades.)
Grades used by each of the schools are listed below:
Graduate Arts and Sciences A+, A, A-, B+, B, B- C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F. Lowest grade accepted for degree credit: B-.
Graduate Architecture A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, F. Lowest passing grade: B-. Studio grading: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.
Graduate Education A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F. Lowest passing grade for degree credit: B-.
Graduate Engineering A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F. Lowest passing grade: C.
Graduate Business Administration A, B+, B, B-, C, F. Lowest passing grade: C.
Graduate Nursing A, A-, B+, B, B-, C, F. Lowest passing grade: B-.
Law and Graduate Law A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, F. Lowest passing grade: D.
Incompletes The symbol IN (Incomplete) is used when additional course work is required or examinations need to be taken in order to fulfill the requirements of the course. Some schools have time limits for the removal of incompletes. Students should consult with their dean's office concerning the length of time an incomplete may remain on their records.
Grade Changes No grade may be changed after it has been submitted to the University Registrar without the approval of the dean. The dean is not authorized by the faculty to change a grade submitted to the University Registrar except when an instructor certifies that, because of an error in calculation or in transcription, an incorrect grade has been submitted.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grades In some courses, only the grades of S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) are used to evaluate students' performance. Students do not have the option of receiving a regular A-F grade in a course which is being graded on an S/U basis.
Credit/No-Credit Grades Students have the option of receiving the grades CR (credit) or NC (no credit) in place of the regular grades A through F. The option is taken at the time the students register for the course. Instructors have the right to refuse to permit students to take courses on a CR/NC basis. In these cases, students may either change back to the regular grading option or they may drop the courses entirely.
The CR/NC option is not permitted in Graduate Business Administration, Graduate Education, and Graduate Nursing. The Graduate School of Architecture allows students to take undergraduate courses on a CR/NC basis; however, those credits may not be offered toward the graduate degree. Students in other graduate programs should check with their dean's offices before selecting the CR/NC option since additional restrictions may apply to the use of the option.
Symbols Additional designations are used on a student's transcript to reflect a student's status in a particular course. These symbols are as follows:
| W | (withdrawal) |
| WP | (withdrew passing) |
| WF | (withdrew failing) |
| AU | (audit) |
| IN | (incomplete) |
| IV | (invalid grade) |
| NG | (no grade) |
| NR | (non-resident) |
| YR | (year long course) |
Educational Leaves of Absence Students who wish to take a leave of absence to pursue educational interests elsewhere (e.g., study abroad or study at another educational institution) must apply for a leave of absence at their dean's office. While on such an approved leave, students must register at the University of Virginia as a non-resident and pay a non-resident fee. Students registered for an approved leave do not have to apply for readmission to the University although they must notify their dean's office when they intend to return.
Exclusion From Courses A student who is making no real progress in a course or whose behavior is detracting from the course may be excluded from the course by the Dean with a grade of WF or F.
Enforced Withdrawal Students may be forced to withdraw from the University for habitual delinquency in class, habitual idleness, or any other fault which prevents the student from fulfilling the purpose implied by registration at the University. Students who are forced to withdraw during a given term will have the notation Enforced Withdrawal (date) entered on their permanent academic record following the semester in which the action occurred. Grades of W (withdrawal) will be entered for each of the courses in which the students were registered. Students who have been forced to withdraw must apply for readmission to their dean's office in the same manner as a suspended student.
Medical Withdrawal Students who withdraw for reasons of health must obtain permission from the Department of Student Health. Grades of "W" (withdrawal) will be entered for each of the courses in which the students were registered. Subsequent medical clearance from the Department of Student Health is required for readmission.
Voluntary Withdrawal Students may withdraw from the University before the conclusion of a semester under the following conditions:
A late registration fee of $25 is charged to students who register after regular registration through the end of the tenth class meeting day of the semester. After the tenth class meeting day, a $50 late registration fee is charged.
Payment of tuition and fees is considered to be part of the registration process. Failure to pay tuition and fees by the dates established by the University Bursar will result in suspension from the University. See the section of this catalog on tuition and fees.
All suspensions -- financial, disciplinary, or academic -- must be cleared before a student will be permitted to register at the University. Students who are terminated for non-academic reasons during the semester and who seek reinstatement in the same semester will be readmitted and reregistered by the University Registrar in coordination with the student's dean's office. The student is required to present the termination clearance form approved by the termination authority to the University Registrar prior to the tenth class day before the last day of scheduled classes. Students will not be allowed to be readmitted or re-registered after this deadline and will not be allowed to receive credit for that semester or to receive a degree in that semester.
Students who fail to register are not considered to be students at the University and will not be certified as being enrolled at the University for any purpose.
Full-Time Students Registration for nine or more credits in a semester constitutes full-time status for the purpose of loan deferments and enrollment certification.
Part-Time Students Any student carrying fewer than nine credits is considered to be enrolled part-time. For the purpose of loan deferments, students carrying six to eight credits are considered half-time and students carrying five or fewer credits are considered less than half-time.
Part-Time Student, Division of Continuing Education Under certain conditions, students may enroll in regular daytime classes through the Division of Continuing Education as a Citizen Scholar. Application for this status should be made through the office of Charlottesville Regional Programs. Students are generally limited to two courses up to 8 credits per semester. Apply to the Coordinator, Citizen Scholar Program, Office of Charlottesville Regional Programs, Box 3697, 104 Midmont Lane, Charlottesville, VA 22903, or call (804) 982-5313.
Access to student records is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Any student attempting to gain access to or gain possession of another student's record will be subject to disciplinary proceedings and suspension from the University.
