Procedures
I. Measuring Participation
Faculty will record participation in all courses (regardless of format) during the first two weeks of fall and spring terms. For face-to-face and hybrid courses, faculty will report In-Person Participation; for fully online courses, participation is measured through Substantive Online Participation. To fulfill federal requirements, online activities which are used to track attendance for reporting purposes must be “academically related.” Non-academic assignments, such as posting a biographical description in a discussion forum or completing a syllabus quiz, do not qualify as academically-related activities.
II. Reporting Participation
By 3:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST) on the second Friday of the term (with the exception of accelerated terms lasting fewer than twelve [12] weeks), course instructors will indicate on the Attendance Roster in the myNSC Faculty Center whether each student has begun participating in their course.
III. Administrative Drop Process
The Registrar’s Office will administratively drop students reported by faculty as not participating. Whenever possible, administrative drops from courses will occur by 5:00 pm PST on the second Friday of the term (for terms of twelve [12] weeks or greater length). Delays may occur if all faculty have not completed the attendance verification process or other unforeseen issues arise. In such cases, the Registrar’s Office will prioritize completing administrative drops as quickly as possible.
Administratively dropped students will be removed from the course roster and from the course website in the learning management system; the course will not appear on the student’s transcript. The Office of the Registrar will report the student’s updated registration status and level to the National Student Clearinghouse.
The Cashier’s Office will reverse all institutional charges related to a course from which a student is administratively dropped. The Office of Financial Aid will make any necessary adjustments to a student’s award package based on the enrollment change and the Veterans Administration (VA) Certifying Official will update enrollment certifications as necessary.
The University syllabus template will be revised to describe the administrative drop process and the consequences for non-attendance.
IV. Adjusted Timelines for Accelerated Terms
The Office of the Registrar will provide adjusted timelines for accelerated classes of fewer than twelve (12) weeks in length. All timelines will be distributed via email on the Friday prior to the beginning of each term.
V. Petitions for Reinstatement
Students may petition to the Office of the Registrar for reinstatement in a course from which they were administratively dropped. Reinstatement requires instructor approval. The University does not guarantee reinstatement into a class from which a student was dropped for non-participation.