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John Carroll University / Academics / Resources & Advising / Advising / Advising Resources for Students

Common Concerns, FAQs, and Resources

Students are expected to attend every scheduled meeting of all courses in which they are enrolled and to be present for the full class period. In the second week of the semester faculty submit to the Registrar’s Office a list of students who have not attended any class meetings. These students will be automatically withdrawn from those courses.

A student who must miss a scheduled class meeting may be granted an excused absence at the discretion of the instructor. An excused absence entitles the student to make up any required activity that took place on the day of the absence. The student is still responsible, however, for any material covered during the class period that was missed. Grounds could include illness, accident, serious emergency, or the observance of a religious holiday that prevents the student from attending class. Documentation supporting a student request for an excused absence should be submitted directly to the Office of Academic Advising for students in the College of Arts and Sciences, or to the Boler Dean’s Office for students in the Boler College of Business.

The normal course load for full-time students is 15 to 18 credit hours per semester, but will vary with students’ curriculum and scholarship record. Additional tuition is charged for a course load of more than 18 credit hours. Permission to carry excess credit hours (more than 18) requires, among other considerations, at least a 3.0 average in the previous semester and permission of the assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or the Boler College of Business. Requests for course overload should be submitted through an Academic Petition.

Important guidelines about waitlisting:

  • Department Chairs and Deans have the authority to force students at any time, regardless of the waitlist.
  • How to find out if a student can get on a wait list
  • Students are waitlisted and given priority to register on a first come, first served basis.
  • Waitlisting a course does not guarantee enrollment in the course; therefore, it is important to register as if you will not be able to enroll in a course for which you are waitlisted.
  • Students will have 24 hours to register for a course once their seat on the waitlist has opened up.
  • Students may not waitlist for a section if they are registered for another section of the same course.
  • Students may not waitlist multiple sections of the same course.
  • Waitlists will enforce the same registration restrictions when it comes to prerequisite or co-requisite courses as regular enrollment. You must have the needed prerequisite or co-requisite courses to waitlist. Another waitlisted course will not count as a prerequisite or co-requisite.

Grade Exclusion is intended to help students in their first year of enrollment at the University recover from unsuccessful course work specifically related to their academic major. Courses taken to fulfill Core, minor, and elective credit are not eligible under this policy. Students who received a C- or below in courses required for their intended major, including major support courses, taken during the first two semesters of enrollment, are eligible to petition for Exclusion. A successful Academic Petition for Exclusion allows a student to remove the deficient grade or grades from their cumulative GPA. A student who makes this choice may not continue in the academic major for which they requested Exclusion or a major requiring Excluded course work. If a student elects to return to the discontinued major, Excluded course grades will be reapplied toward the degree. A petition for Exclusion will be reviewed by the chair of the relevant academic department and the assistant dean for the College of Arts and Sciences or the Boler College of Business. The petition must be submitted before the start of the third term of enrollment at the University. Courses for which Exclusion has been granted remain listed on the student’s permanent record (transcript) with the designation EX. Grades and credit hours of Excluded courses no longer apply toward the degree.

The terms “drop” and “withdrawal” are not interchangeable at John Carroll. A student drops, or removes a registered course from their schedule, during the Add/Drop period specified by the Office of the Registrar. Dropping a course leaves no record of registration on the transcript. After the Add/Drop period ends, a student withdraws from a course to remove it from their schedule. A course withdrawal is noted as a W on the transcript and does not impact a student’s grade point average. Students are considered enrolled in a course until they have completed formal drop and/or withdrawal procedures. Students who never attend or stop attending a course without following proper drop and/or withdrawal procedures automatically receive a WF, which is a failing grade and is computed in the cumulative average.

New, first-year and transfer students in their first term of enrollment who wish to drop or withdraw from a course must first consult with their advisor. The advisor will provide a signed Academic Program Recommendation (APR) form, which is to be submitted to Student Enrollment and Financial Services in order to complete the drop or withdrawal. All other continuing students are not required to use an APR, but must still visit Student Enrollment and Financial Services to process the drop or withdrawal.

Registration guidelines, dates, and deadlines for part-term and full-term courses are posted on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage.

Withdrawal from John Carroll University requires completion of the Withdrawal/Leave of Absence Form, which must be submitted to Student Enrollment and Financial Services. Students may initiate a withdrawal from all courses with no intent to return (“Permanent Withdrawal”) or a withdrawal with the intent to return (“Leave of Absence”). A withdrawal initiated by a student will be superseded by appropriate University action in the event of dismissal or suspension.

Please visit the following link for additional information on the Permanent Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Policy and the appropriate forms.

Registration guidelines, dates, and deadlines for part-term and full-term courses are posted on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage.

Late course adds will not be permitted without providing documentation to, and obtaining approval from, the appropriate academic dean, department chair, and instructor, and then only for serious reasons.

Changes in enrollment or registration after initial registration for classes will be permitted only through the formal procedures prescribed by the Office of the Registrar. Students should be aware of possible financial aid implications when making changes in registration, and consult the Office of Student Enrollment and Financial Services as necessary.

Students may attempt to take a course twice at the University. In the case of a course repeat, the first attempt grade must be a C- or lower, including Withdrawal. Requests to repeat a course must be submitted through an academic petition. The highest graded attempt will be factored into the grade point average. Students receive credit once when repeating a course, and all attempts remain on the transcript. In addition, only course work repeated at John Carroll impacts the grade point average. Requests to take a course for a third time will be considered only in serious, extenuating circumstances and will be reviewed by the academic advisor, the chair of the department in which the repeat course was taught, and the assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or Boler College of Business. In cases of a third attempt, the first and highest graded attempts will be factored into the grade point average. Students are encouraged to consult with their advisor and the Office of Financial Aid before registering for a course repeat.

Students planning to take courses at other universities are strongly encouraged to meet with their advisers before registering for those courses. Classes already approved for transfer to JCU may be found here.

Courses not already approved for transfer to JCU require approval through Academic Petition. 

If the school where you intend to take a course requires written permission/approval, please use the form you find here.

Most academic forms (Information Requests, Registration forms, Update Student Record forms, Information/Instructions, Transfer Credit Information) can be found on the Registrar’s website.

More information regarding the total cost of attendance can be found here.