Credit Hour Definition
Regardless of course duration, delivery, or instructional method, Stevenson University awards academic credit in compliance with Maryland state requirements outlined in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) and with the Department of Education’s federal credit-hour definition, as defined in the Federal Code of Regulations.
State credit hour definition (COMAR 13b.02.02.16.D)
(
1) An in-State institution shall award 1 credit hour for:
(a) A minimum of 15 hours, of 50 minutes each of actual class time, exclusive of registration, study days, and holidays;
(b) A minimum of 30 hours, of 50 minutes each of supervised laboratory or studio time, exclusive of registration, study days, and holidays;
(c) A minimum of 45 hours, of 50 minutes each of instructional situations such as practica, internships, and cooperative education placements, when supervision is ensured and learning is documented; or
(d) Instruction delivered by electronic media based on the equivalent outcomes in student learning in §D(1)(a) of this regulation, and may include a combination of telelessons, classroom instruction, student consultation with instructors, and readings, when supervision is ensured and learning is documented.
(2) One quarter hour of credit is awarded for instruction equivalent to 2/3 of the contact hours required for 1 credit hour.
Federal credit hour definition (34 CFR §600.2)
A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
- one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
- at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other activities as established by an institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading toward to the award of credit hours.
For additional information please see the
Academic Affairs portal page.
Registration
Registration takes place on the days scheduled in the academic calendar. Students may register on or after their assigned appointment time, and registration is done online using Student Planning, a software package designed for registration. For those unable to access a computer, in-person registration is also available in the Registrar’s Office. Prior to registration, all students are required to meet with their advisor. It is the advisor’s responsibility to check the student off in Student Planning so that registration will be enabled for the student.
There are several circumstances that could cause a student's registration to be blocked. Students who have not completed the required Student Health Profile will not be allowed to register as well as those students who have not met their financial obligations to the University. Those students who have not been cleared by Student Accounts prior to the start of the semester will be removed from their classes.
Courses may be canceled for insufficient enrollment, and students will be notified via email regarding course cancellations.
All prerequisites, including any minimum grade requirements, for a course must be fulfilled prior to starting the course. Students may be removed from a course when the prerequisites have not been met. Students are not permitted to "sit in" on classes for which they are not registered.
For more information about registration, please see the Registration Guide on the Registrar's webpage and information on the Registrar's portal page..
Students in traditional undergraduate programs are not eligible to take accelerated, eight-week online courses offered by the Stevenson University Online in fall or spring, although students may enroll in 15-week online courses. During the summer session, any traditional undergraduate student with a GPA of 2.00 or better is permitted to enroll in one 8-week (1) course and/or one 8-week (2) course. No permission is required. No traditional student is permitted to enroll in more than one online course per 8-week summer session. Completion of GPS 101 is required for all first-time traditional students taking an online course.
Course Load
For full-time status, a student may take 12 - 18 credits each semester; however, the normal full-time undergraduate course load is 15 to 17 credit hours per semester. Credits earned during Winterim do not count toward a student’s regular fall or spring course load for the purpose of determining full-time status or financial aid. Students must take a minimum of 12 credits in fall or spring to be considered a full-time student for that semester, regardless of Winterim enrollment.
A student may not register for more than 18 credit hours in any one semester without the permission of the student's advisor and the department chair or program coordinator. There is an additional tuition charge for credits over 18. If the total number of credits taken by a student in any given fall and Winterim semesters exceeds 18, then the student will pay standard tuition rates for any credits taken in excess of 18 in Winterim.
Non-Credit Courses
The University offers non-credit developmental courses that provide support for basic skills. If, as a result of placement testing, a student is required to complete such a course, the course will count for determining charges and course credit load. However, no credit is applied toward the degree requirements.
MATH 005# - Foundations of Quantitative Reasoning is a four credit course for billing and credit hour load, but no credit is applied to the degree requirements. It is designed to review the foundational mathematics which students need to succeed in introductory MATH courses. The University also offers co-remediation courses for all introductory credit-bearing Math courses. If, as a result of placement testing, a student is required to complete such a course, the student will take the credit-bearing course along with the matching co-remediation course. These co-remediation courses will be considered equivalent to two credits when determining fees and course credit load. However, no credit for the co-remediation portion of the course is applied toward the degree requirements.
ENG 006# - College Reading Lab emphasizes college-level reading, effective study skills, and methods of developing a college-level vocabulary. This is a three credit course for billing and credit hour load, but no credit is applied to the degree. The University also offers a co-remediation model in ENG 150. This course is a three credit course but students receive four hours of instruction each week. ENG 150 fulfills the first semester composition requirement.
Attendance
Each student is responsible for his or her own class attendance and regular attendance is expected. Every student is responsible for the material covered or the skills exercised during scheduled classes. Grades will be based on demonstrated achievement of the objectives of the course, not on attendance in class as such. Although attendance alone does not determine grades, students should be aware that grades may depend on class activities, experiments, discussions, or quizzes for which consistent attendance is necessary. Students who stop attending and fail to officially withdraw from a class will be given a grade of "FX" which calculates as an "F" in the GPA.
Course Add/Drop
Students may add or drop classes only during the published add/drop period. Course changes during the add/drop period will not be reflected on the student’s transcript.
Course Withdrawal
To withdraw from a course, students must complete a Course Withdrawal form and submit the form to the Registrar's Office. Students may not withdraw from courses online through Student Planning. Notice to the instructor of intent to withdraw is not sufficient. Students who stop attending and fail to officially withdraw from a class will be given a grade of "FX" which calculates as an "F."
Students may withdraw from a course only during the published withdrawal dates. Students withdrawing from class during this period will have a "W" recorded on their transcript; a grade of "W" does not affect the GPA. The last date for withdrawal from a course without penalty is listed in the enrollment calendar for each semester which can be found on the Registrar's Office portal page. Withdrawing from a course after the published withdrawal date results in a grade of "WF." Students may not withdraw from classes during exam week.
Traditional students who withdraw from an accelerated course that is offered any time during the semester must do so during the published drop/add period. After drop/add ends, students will be able to withdraw based on the published schedule, but no refunds of tuition will be given even if the class has not started.
A student may be administratively withdrawn from the University if his or her absences in a class are excessive.
Auditing Courses
A student may audit a class if it is open for enrollment. Students may change an audit to a credit course only during the drop/add period. Students may change a credit course to an audit until the last day to withdraw with a "W." A student can change a course to audit status by using the Course Audit form that is available on the Student Menu on WebXpress. Changing a course to "audit" may have financial aid implications and will also make an athlete ineligible if the athlete is no longer full-time. Courses that are audited are the same cost as courses that are taken for credit, and no academic credit is given for an audited class. Students who change a course to audit status are expected to attend the class.
Repeating Courses
A undergraduate student may not register for the same course more than two times without prior approval of the Academic Dean of the school in which the course is offered. Withdrawals and audits count as attempts. If a student repeats a course, only the latter grade will be used in calculating the cumulative grade point average. However, all courses taken remain on the student's transcript. If a student withdraws from a course that has already been taken, the grade of “W” does not replace the original grade in the calculation of the student’s grade point average.
Athletic Department Class Conflict Information
Stevenson would like to provide the best education possible for those individuals who have chosen to represent the University in intercollegiate athletic participation. Student athletes will, on occasion, have varsity athletic conference National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) games scheduled at times that conflict with regularly scheduled academic classes. Student athletes should keep in mind their athletic schedules when registering for classes each semester. The NCAA Compliance Officer issues the Stevenson University Athletics Department Class Conflict Confirmation Form each semester to validated student-athletes participating in their NCAA traditional season. The Class Conflict Confirmation Form outlines comprehensive information on student-athlete, faculty, and athletic department staff responsibilities. If a student athlete or faculty member has any questions regarding the form or is in need of further information, please contact the Athletic Department office manager at 443-352-4251.
Change of Catalog Year
If a student elects to move to a new catalog year, all policies of the new catalog will apply to the student, and the student must fulfill all requirements of the new catalog year. Students may not change to a prior catalog year. If a student desires to change to a new catalog year, the student should discuss this with his/her academic advisor so that all implications of the change are fully reviewed. A Change of Catalog Year form is available on WebXpress under Student Forms – Traditional Students Only.
Final Examinations
All students are required to take final examinations. If a student misses an examination because of an emergency or illness, the student must contact the faculty member as soon as possible. If the student cannot reach the faculty member, the student should contact the Office of Student Success. The faculty member will work with the student to provide an opportunity for the student to take the examination at a rescheduled time. At that point, the student should contact the Academic Link to reschedule the examination. Students will not be permitted to reschedule for reasons other than documented emergencies or illness. A student who is scheduled to take three or more exams in one day should contact the Registrar's Office no later than the Monday of the last week of classes regarding rescheduling an exam. The Registrar’s Office will work with the student’s faculty to determine which exam will be rescheduled. Requests received after the Monday of the last week of classes cannot be accommodated.
Leave of Absence
A degree-seeking student who finds it necessary to cease enrollment at the University (for one or more consecutive semesters with the intent of resuming studies at a later date) must complete the leave of absence section of the Withdrawal from the University form that is available through the Student Menu in WebXpress under the Forms - Traditional Students Only link. This request will ensure that the student will not need to reapply for admission when he or she returns. This leave of absence is effective for two consecutive semesters. A student who is on leave of absence for three or more consecutive semesters must reapply for admission and will be under the requirements of the new catalog year of readmission.
Withdrawal from the University
A degree-seeking student who wishes to withdraw from the University must do so in writing. The official Withdrawal from University form is available through the Student Menu in WebXpress under the Forms - Traditional Students Only link. A student may be administratively withdrawn from the University if his or her absences in a class are excessive.
Military Service Withdraw and Refund Policy
Stevenson University students who are called to active duty during the course of a term or session should contact the Assistant Registrar, VA Programs to formally withdraw for military service. For the purpose of this policy, military service is defined as “service, whether voluntary or involuntary, in the armed forces, including service by a member of the National Guard or Reserve, on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under federal authority for a period of more than 30 consecutive days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 consecutive days” (ED 34 C.F.R. 668.18).
Students who withdraw from the University for military service during the course of a term or session are eligible for a 100% refund of tuition and fees. Room and board expenses will be prorated based on the official date of withdrawal.
Students must supply a copy of military orders to be eligible for any tuition, fees, or room and board adjustments. Students receiving financial aid will be subject to the refund policies as provided by the federal or state agency sponsoring the aid. Department of Defense Military Tuition Assistance and Veteran’s Education Benefits will be returned to the government agency as required.
Students who have to withdraw from the University after the add/drop deadline will receive a grade of W or I, depending on the amount of coursework completed and the expected length of the absence.