Pass/No-Credit
The pass/no-credit option is designed to permit you to take a select number of courses for which no traditional letter grade (of "A" through "F") is recorded on your grade report and transcript. If you wish to take a course on a pass/no-credit basis, you must complete the proper forms at the registrar's office within the first 14 calendar days of a regular semester or the first 7 calendar days of a 5-week term. Your decision to take a class on a pass/no-credit basis is not subject to change.  To be eligible for the pass/no-credit option, you must have earned a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0 or better. First semester freshmen are considered as having met the above requirement.

The pass/no-credit option is subject to the following restrictions:

Audit (Non-Credit)
You may elect to take a course for non-credit (audit) during the first 35 class days of a semester. (17 days of the 5-week summer sessions) by completing the proper forms in the Office of the Registrar. Election of this option may affect federal financial aid eligibility.

Course Credit by Arrangement
Students have the opportunity to fulfill requirements for selected courses offered at Shawnee State University via independent study or specially arranged instruction. If you are interested in pursuing this educational option, you should first secure the advice of your faculty advisor as to its appropriateness for your program of study. You should then contact the appropriate dean, director, or chairperson. This individual, after consultation with appropriate faculty, makes a determination as to the feasibility of your request. You may earn up to 12 credit hours toward graduation in this manner, with all credit being considered resident credit, but you are limited to 6 hours of credit by arrangement per semester. Students enrolling in a course by arrangement have until the end of the semester to have all work completed in the course.

In addition to regular tuition and fees a credit by arrangement administrative fee of $30.00 per credit hour will be charged for course credit by arrangement.  See the fee schedule for course by arrangement fees.

Add/Drop
Adding a Class

You may add a class to your schedule during the first 7 calendar days of the semester (3 days of a summer session) by completing a registration form in the Office of the Registrar or registering online via MySSU.

Dropping a Class

You may withdraw from a class through the 7th calendar day of the semester by completing the proper form  in the Office of the Registrar or by dropping the course via the MySSU website. During the first 7 calendar days, if class withdrawal affects fees, a refund is possible. Any withdrawal after the 7th calendar day results in a WD being placed on your academic record. Withdrawing from courses may affect Title IV student financial aid funds.  Please read the Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress section on pages 35 and 36 of our catalog.

You may withdraw from a class through Wednesday of the tenth week of the semester by obtaining the signature of the instructor on a form obtained from the Office of the Registrar.

In case of emergency, as determined by the college dean, you may withdraw from a class after the above deadline, but no later than 5:00 p.m. on the final day of class, by obtaining permission from the college dean and completing appropriate forms.  Faculty members are notified by the college dean of these emergency withdrawals.

Withdrawing Completely
Should your circumstances warrant a complete withdrawal from the University, you must contact the Office of the Registrar to complete the proper forms.  The staff will direct you to the Student Success Center where proper information is given regarding the possible academic and financial aid ramifications of complete withdrawal.  Many times, staff in the Success Center can provide alternatives so that departure can be avoided.  It is never advisable to withdraw from the University without first speaking to a representative from the Success Center.  Additionally, reentry into the University is made more convenient for you by the Center's staff.

Upon withdrawal from the University, grades for scheduled classes are recorded as withdrawals (WD).  See the fee schedule for our refund policy.

If you do not follow the withdrawal procedure, you are considered enrolled in the class and are graded accordingly.

Name/Address Change
Students who change their address during the semester should immediately report that change to the Office of the Registrar, University Center room 230.  You may change your permanent address via the MySSU website.

Change of name via marriage or other legal action should be reported to the Office of the Registrar as well.

Change of Major
Students desiring to change academic majors are directed to the Department housing that major.   (Exception: those changing to Undecided or Pre-Health are sent to the Student Success Center).  The new academic department assists the student in completing the “Change of Major” form.  Once completed the staff of the new department initials the form in the designated location.  The completed form (all three copies) are sent to the Office of the Registrar (Tracie Shaw) via inter-office mail or hand delivery.  Forms should be forwarded on the same day as received.

Upon receipt, the Office of the Registrar changes the major in the student’s record and forwards a copy of the form to both the old and the new academic departments.  Student’s name will appear on departments advisor assignment list.  New department assigns advisor and notifies student. 

Note:   Students in Pre-Health Science admitted to a Health Science major do NOT complete a change of major form. 

Graduation Petition
Petitions are available in the Office of the Registrar, University Center room 230. You must petition to graduate by the deadline published in the calendar. A $55.00 graduation fee is required. You are not billed for this fee. It is your responsibility to pay this when you submit your petition. Your eligibility to graduate is determined by the Registrar after you petition to graduate.  For questions regarding graduation please call (740) 351-3377.

Transfer Students/CAS - Course Applicability System
Students who have attended other regionally accredited colleges or universities may transfer to Shawnee State University provided they were in good academic standing at the institution attended most recently. Students interested in transferring to Shawnee State University may Access CAS (Course Applicability System) online at www.transfer.org for information on how your coursework will transfer from another institution.  In addition to the application for admission, application fee, and high school transcript from each college or university previously attended. College transcripts must be received directly from those institutions. Photocopies, fax, and hand-carried transcripts are not accepted. You may be admitted as a "provisional student" until such time as the official transcripts are received from all previous colleges. Lastly, if you are applying for financial aid at Shawnee State University, you must have each college/university previously attended send your financial aid transcript to the financial aid office at Shawnee State.

Credits applicable to the curriculum for which you are applying which were earned at regionally accredited colleges or universities are accepted at the time of admission. Generally, courses completed with a grade of "D" or better are eligible for transfer.  Contact the Registrar's office for further information at (740) 351-3540. The credit hours transferred do not become a part of the grade point average at Shawnee State University.

To receive transfer credit, you must file an official transcript of previous college work. You must earn a minimum of 16 credit hours at Shawnee State University to be considered for the award of an associate degree and a minimum of 30 credit hours to be considered for the award of a baccalaureate degree.

If you have attended non-regionally accredited colleges or universities, you may transfer to Shawnee State University provided you meet all admission standards applicable to other transfer students.  Credits applicable to the curriculum for which you are applying which were earned at non-regionally accredited institutions will be considered for acceptance as transfer credit if:

• You have completed the associate degree at that institution, and
• You validate the award of credit by completing, with a grade of "C" or better, a planned program of courses totaling a minimum of 20 credit hours applicable to a four-year curriculum as approved by the Registrar. For students transferring credit from non-regionally accredited colleges or universities, a maximum of 60 semester hours will be considered for transfer.

State Policy on Articulation and Transfer

Institutional Transfer. The Ohio Board of Regents, following the directive of the Ohio General Assembly, has developed a new statewide policy to facilitate movement of students and transfer credits from one Ohio public college or university to another. The purpose of the State Policy is to avoid duplication of course requirements and to enhance student mobility throughout Ohio's higher education system. Since independent colleges and universities in Ohio may or may not be participating in the transfer policy, students interested in transferring to an independent institution are encouraged to check with the college or university of their choice regarding transfer agreements.

Transfer Module

The Ohio Board of Regents' Transfer and Articulation Policy established the Transfer Module, which is a specific subset or the entire set of a college or university's general education requirements. The Transfer Module contains 36-40 semester hours of specified course credits in English composition, mathematics, fine arts, humanities, social science, behavioral science, natural science, physical science, and interdisciplinary coursework.

A transfer module completed at one college or university will automatically meet the requirements of the transfer module at the receiving institution, once the student is accepted. Students may be required, however, to meet additional general education requirements that are not included in the Transfer Module.

Conditions for Transfer Admission. Students meeting the requirements of the Transfer Module are subject to the following conditions:

Admission to a given institution, however, does not guarantee that a transfer student will be automatically admitted to all majors, minors, or fields of concentration at that institution. Once admitted, transfer students shall be subject to the same regulations governing applicability of catalog requirements as all other students. Furthermore, transfer students shall be accorded the same class standing and other privileges as native students on the basis of the number of credits earned. All residency requirements must be successfully completed at the receiving institution prior to the granting of a degree.

Responsibilities of Students

In order to facilitate transfer with maximum applicability of transfer credit, prospective transfer students should plan a course of study that will meet the requirements of a degree program at the receiving institution. Specifically, you should identify early in your collegiate studies an institution and major to which you desire to transfer. Furthermore, you should determine if there are language requirements or any special course requirements that can be met during the freshman or sophomore year. This will enable you to plan and pursue a course of study that will articulate with the receiving institution's major. You are encouraged to seek further information regarding transfer from both your advisor and the college or university to which you plan to transfer.

Appeals Process

 A multi-level, broad based appeal process is required to be in place at each institution. A student disagreeing with the application of transfer credit by the receiving institution shall be informed of the right to appeal the decision and the process for filing the appeal. Each institution shall make available to students the appeal process for that specific college or university.

If a transfer student's appeal is denied by the institution after all appeal levels within the institution have been exhausted, the institution shall advise the student in writing of the availability and process of appeal to the state level Articulation and Transfer Appeals Review Committee.

The Appeals Review Committee shall review and recommend to institutions the resolution of individual cases of appeal from transfer students who have exhausted all local appeal mechanisms concerning applicability of transfer credits at receiving institutions.

Historical Context

On November 16, 1990, the Ohio Board of Regents passed a resolution mandating that public institutions of higher education establish a multilevel appeal procedure to be followed by students dissatisfied with the applicability of transferred credit. The following multilevel appeal procedure at Shawnee State University is designed to meet the needs of these students and to comply with the Ohio Board of Regents' mandate.

Acceptance of Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is awarded and posted to your Shawnee State University transcript in accordance with accepted national and state standards. Generally, all courses satisfactorily completed at regionally accredited institutions are transferable. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for posting this credit to your transcript.

Applicability of Transfer Credit

After transfer credit has been posted to your transcript, the Office of the Registrar posts the courses to your Degree Audit and provides you with a copy of the audit.

Multilevel Appeals Procedure

State mandate requires that you be notified of your right to appeal a transfer credit applicability decision. You must file your written appeal within ninety days following receipt of your Degree Audit. The University must respond to your appeal within thirty days of receipt of the appeal, at each appeal level. The appeal levels are defined below.

Level 1

You meet with the dean of the college in which you are enrolled to discuss the course(s) in question. If both the dean and you are in agreement that a change in applicability is desirable, the dean reports the necessary change with rationale to the Registrar. If the dean determines that an applicability change is not warranted, the dean notifies you, the Transfer Credit Appeals Committee chair, and the provost regarding the decision and the rationale.

Level 2

If you and the dean are unable to reach a mutually agreeable resolution, you present your case before the Transfer Credit Appeals Committee. The Transfer Credit Appeals Committee is charged with reviewing the manner in which transfer credit has been applied to your degree program when you and the appropriate dean are unable to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement. The committee may vote to support the dean's position, your position, or suggest alternatives for the dean and you to consider. This committee reports to the provost and is composed as follows:

• The Registrar and the GEP coordinator serve as voting ex officio members of the committee.

If the committee determines that a change in applicability is desirable, the committee chair reports the necessary change with rationale to you, the dean, and the Registrar. If the committee determines that an applicability change is not warranted, the committee chair notifies you, the dean, and the provost regarding the decision and the rationale.

Level 3

If you and the Transfer Credit Appeals Committee are unable to reach a mutually agreeable resolution, you present your case to the provost. If the provost determines that a change in applicability is desirable, he or she reports the necessary change with rationale to you, the dean, the Transfer Credit Appeals Committee chair, and the Registrar. If the provost determines that a change in applicability is not warranted, the provost notifies you, the dean, and the Transfer Credit Appeals Committee chair of the decision and the rationale. You have no further recourse within the institution. However, if you wish to pursue the matter further, a statewide appeals procedure is available.

Transfer Credit Appeals Committee Membership. Faculty representatives to the Transfer Credit Appeals Committee are determined by a procedure agreed upon by the faculty within their respective units as indicated in Level 2. Committee members annually elect a chair. The committee chair votes only in the event of a tie. Staggered terms of three years begin January 1. Elected representatives may be required to meet during the summer months if a student submits an appeal during that time period. Deans may appoint alternates if necessary. The Registrar and the GEP director serve as voting ex officio committee members.