2011-2012 Catalog

ACADEMIC INFORMATION

Drop and Withdrawal Policies

Dropping Class

A student desiring to drop a course should follow this procedure:

1.     Secure a Q-Drop Request Form and instructions from www.tarleton.edu/registrar;

2.     Proceed to an academic advisor and obtain his/her signature;

3.     Return the Q-Drop Request Form along with any other necessary approval as indicated on the form to the Registrar’s Office.

      The effective date of dropping a course is the date the card is returned to the Registrar's Office.

Note: The student should attend the class until this procedure is completed to avoid penalty for absences. Students will not be allowed to drop developmental courses, except for extraordinary situations. Students will not be allowed to drop DGS 101, 102; ENGL 111, 112; or MATH 107, 108 until after mid-semester, expect with special permission (see www.tarleton.edu/registrar/specialpermissioncourses.html).  The last day for dropping courses is identified in the University Calendar.

Withdrawal from the University

An application for withdrawal from the University must be initiated in the Office of the Registrar.

Census Chart

Limit on Dropped Courses and Withdrawals

Under the requirements of Senate Bill 1231, 80th Legislature, an undergraduate student at Tarleton who enrolled in higher education for the first time in Fall 2007 and thereafter is permitted a total of 6 dropped courses, including any courses dropped at another Texas public institution of higher education. Specifics of the law are available in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Regulations, Chapter 4, Section 4.10 (a). Requests for a drop to be considered an acceptable exception will be reviewed under the guidelines given in the regulations and coordinated through the Dean of Enrollment Management. Note, if a student withdraws from the University, the courses enrolled in that semester do not count in the 6 drop limit.

A student who wishes to drop a course in excess of 6 should visit www.tarleton.edu/registrar/limitForDrops.html and contact the Registrar’s Office for appeal procedures.  The student may wish to read the circumstances justifying an exception listed in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Regulations before filing the request. Requests are not restricted to these categories but the student is asked to refer to a listed category if it is believed to apply. A student who is not satisfied with the decision of the Dean of Enrollment Management may file a written request for an administrative review by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This administrative review will be limited to verification that the student has had the opportunity to present appropriate documentation and that the provided materials and statements were considered in making the decision.

An undergraduate student at Tarleton who first enrolled in higher education prior to Fall 2007 and who initially entered Tarleton for the first time in Fall 1998 or after is covered by a similar University rule which counts only drops at Tarleton toward the maximum of 6 and which includes withdrawals from the University in the count. Specific information is available in the catalog in force at the time of the student’s initial enrollment at Tarleton.

Fee Increases from Legislative Mandates

There are legislative mandates related to increased fees for repeating courses and excessive hours to achieve an undergraduate degree for students paying in-state tuition rates. The increase to in-state tuition rates for each of the three categories is $100 per credit hour. The first category applies to students repeating the same course for the third time or more since Fall 2002. The second category applies to students enrolled for the first in Fall 1999 and thereafter who are paying in-state tuition rates who accumulate excess hours beyond that required for an undergraduate degree. The fee increase starts at 45 hours beyond the undergraduate degree for students beginning in Fall 1999 or after but before Fall 2006 and starts at 30 hours beyond the undergraduate degree for students beginning in Fall 2006 and after. Students who have not selected a major are considered, by state law, to have a degree requirement of 120 hours.  Details about each of these situations are available by visiting http://www.tarleton.edu/registrar/timelygraduation/index.html. 

Any student who is being charged additional tuition rates under either category may file an appeal. The appeal is per semester so a student who wishes to appeal must file an appeal for every semester affected by the repeated course rule and/or the excess hours beyond a degree rule. The appeal form and procedures may be obtained by contacting the Registrar’s Office or by visiting http://www.tarleton.edu/registrar/timelygraduation/index.html. 

New undergraduate students enrolling in an institution of higher education in Fall 1999 or afterward are subject to the conditions of Senate Bill 345 passed in the 76th Legislative session. The law states that a resident undergraduate student whose attempted hours exceeds, by at least 45 semester credit hours, the number of hours required for completion of the degree program may be charged tuition at a higher rate. The higher rate will not exceed the rate charged to non-resident undergraduate students. A resident student is one who pays the in-state rate for tuition purposes.

As of Fall 2006, new undergraduate students whose attempted hours exceeds, by at least 30 hours of the hours required for the completion of the degree program, may be charged tuition at a higher rate. Texas Education Code § 54.014 provides a limit on the number of hours an undergraduate Texas resident may attempt while paying in-state tuition rates. This Legislation impacts new undergraduate students enrolling in an institution of higher education in Fall 1999 or thereafter. Students who exceed the limit of attempted hours could be charged tuition not to exceed that of out-of-state tuition rates. Tarleton State University adopted a fee of $100 per credit hour for students who exceed attempted hours under the Undergraduate Funding Limit Rule.

New Undergraduate students who started Fall 1999 through Summer 2006 and attempt 45 or more semester credit hours beyond the hours required to complete their degree will be charged an additional $100 per credit hour for these excess hours.

New Undergraduate students who started Fall 2006 and thereafter and attempt 30 hours or more semester credit hours beyond the hours required to complete their degree will be charged an additional $100 per credit hours for these excess hours.

Students who have not selected a major are considered, by state law, to have a degree requirement of 120 hours.