Registration for Courses

Auditing a Course

All students are permitted to audit college courses without credit. Students interested only in personal gain and not interested in college credit may want to consider the audit option. However, tuition is assessed and course prerequisites are imposed for all audited courses. Students must indicate their intent to audit a course at the time of registration for that course. Auditors will not receive college credit nor will they be permitted to take examinations for the course audited. Change from audit to credit or credit to audit must be made no later than the end of the published late registration period. Courses for which the student is registered as an auditor will not be considered in the term total for determination of full time/part time status but will be considered in determining overload status.

Class Schedule Change (drop/add/withdrawals)

A student may request class schedule changes only during the scheduled drop/add period indicated in the academic calendar for full semester sections; course sections that meet for less than a full semester have prorated dates listed as comments for that section.  A schedule change is official only after it has been confirmed on-line or by Registrar’s Office or the Dean’s office. Until notification is received, the instructor assumes the student is registered for the course.

Dropping a class - A student may drop a class and receive tuition and fee refund anytime during the published drop/add period.  If enrolled in only one course and attempting to drop the single course for that term, please refer to “withdrawing from the University”. 

Withdrawing from a class - A student may withdraw from a class any time from the end of the published drop/add period until the date published as last day to withdraw for that class section.  Students who withdraw during the published time period earn a “WD” in the course for the first six courses. The “WD” grade does not affect the student’s grade point average. A maximum of six “WD” grades is permitted beginning fall 2015; withdrawal from the seventh course and subsequent course withdrawals will be posted with a grade of “WFL”.  “WFL” is calculated into a student’s grade point average as a failing grade. 

Students are not allowed to withdraw from specific classes after the date published as last day to withdraw except under extenuating circumstances and only with the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Anticipated course failure does not constitute an extenuating circumstance. Students can withdraw from a class in several ways.

DSU main campus students: Contact the Dean’s Office, DSU Registrar (605)256-5144, toll-free 1-888-378-9988 or use Drop Sections feature on WebAdvisor.

Students taking a DSU course, but degree-seeking at another institution: Contact your home university.

University Center students: Contact the University Center you are attending (Sioux Falls, Pierre or Rapid City).

Distance students: Contact On-line Education at (605) 256-5049, toll-free 1-800-641-4309 or email online@dsu.edu.

Graduate students: Contact DSU Registrar’s Office at (605) 256-5263, toll-free 1-888-378-9988 or email DSU-registrar@dsu.edu.

Withdrawing from the University - When a student withdraws from all their courses in any academic term, they also withdraw from the University. If a student is enrolled at more than one Board of Regents institution, the student must withdraw from all courses at all institutions. In order to initiate a student’s withdrawal from the University and to notify all appropriate University offices of that withdrawal, students contact one of the following offices-

University Center students seeking a DSU major: Contact the University Center you are attending (Sioux Falls, Pierre or Rapid City).

Distance students seeking a DSU major: Contact DSU On-line Education at (605) 256-5049, toll-free 1-800-641-4309 or email online@dsu.edu.

DSU main campus students: Contact the Vice President of Student Affairs (Tunheim Classroom Building); (605) 256-5124, toll-free 1-888-378-9988 or email Marie.Johnson@dsu.edu.

Graduate students: Contact DSU Registrar’s Office at (605) 256-5263, toll-free 1-888-378-9988 or email DSU-registrar@dsu.edu.

The effective date of withdrawal is the date the student initiates the withdrawal process officially, either verbally or in writing, with the appropriate office. Failure to officially withdraw will result in final grades in all courses, forfeiture of any possible refund of charges, and will impact Federal financial aid eligibility. Additionally, a student is withdrawn from the University if classes have begun and the University has administratively suspended a student for reasons such as non-payment of tuition and fees, disciplinary sanctions, etc.

Students who withdraw from all courses for the semester during the published time period earn a “WW” in each course.  The “WW” grade does not affect the student’s grade point average.  Students are not allowed to withdraw from specific classes after the date published as last day to withdraw except under extenuating circumstances and only with the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Anticipated course failure does not constitute an extenuating circumstances.

Late Registration - A student may register after the drop/add period only with approval of the instructor of the section that is closed.  A student paying tuition and fees later than the established deadlines may be assessed a late payment fee. Late registration is possible through the published deadline on the academic calendar found in the university catalog and on the DSU web site.

NOTE: When the deadline to make changes to a class schedule falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, students are encouraged to make those changes on-line using WebAdvisor. Students who prefer to make class schedule changes in person must deliver those changes to the DSU Registrar’s Office by the end of the work day that precedes the published date. Class schedule changes after the published deadline date will not be accepted.

Only the most unusual circumstances warrant requests for class schedule changes after the published deadline. These must be requested, in writing by filling out the Petition For a Late Drop or Withdrawal form and must be approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Class Visitor Program

The Class Visitor Program is designed to provide citizens the opportunity to visit classes without the need to complete assignment or tests. Participants in this program will not be admitted to the university system and will not be enrolled in the class(es) visited. Participants purchase a class visitor pass for $100 per course to participate in the program. Anyone interested in this program should contact the Registrar’s office at 605-256-5144 or email dsu-registrar@dsu.edu.

Classification of Students

Students are classified according to the number of credit hours earned and posted to their academic record.

Total credit hours are all hours earned at accredited institutions from which the university has received official transcripts in support of the student’s transfer. These credits affect the student’s classification, whether or not they pertain to the student’s declared program.

Course Numbering System

Every course has a three or four letter prefix indicating the academic discipline and a three-digit number indicating the academic year in which the course is intended to be taken:

Enrollment Overload

Enrollment overloads must be approved by the dean of the college at their home institution in which the student is enrolled. The student’s grade point average for the previous term is used as the minimum criteria for overload approval:

• 2.75 GPA to approve enrollment overload of 19 or 20 credit hours
• 3.00 GPA to approve enrollment overload of 21 or 22 credit hours

No student will be allowed to enroll in more than 22 credit hours in one academic term, except as authorized by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Full-time and Part-time Enrollment

Students who are enrolled in 12 or more credits are considered full-time students for calculation of financial aid and athletic eligibility. Courses for which the student is registered as an auditor will not be considered in the term total for determination of full-time/part-time status, but will be considered in determining overload status. Academic skill courses (000-level courses) do not count toward graduation or for determination of full-time/part-time status or athletic eligibility.

Interstate Passport Program

The Interstate Passport program enables successful transfer of a block of lower-level general education learning to other institutions participating in the Interstate Passport Network (Network). Students who earn their Passport at Dakota State University will not be required to repeat or take additional course work to meet lower-division general education requirements in the Passport’s nine areas when they transfer to any other Network member institution. Students with an interest in earning the Passport should see our website at www.dsu.edu or contact DSU-Registrar@dsu.edu.

Registration Hold and Restrictions

A restriction is an administrative hold placed on your student record that could prevent you from receiving transcripts, registering for classes, or changing your class schedule. The hold is the result of a financial or administrative obligation to the university and will remain in place until the obligation is met. Holds will be released once restitution or compliance has been met at the appropriate office.

Registration Policies

No student will be allowed to attend a course unless officially registered, whether for college credit, as an auditor, or designated as a visitor by deadlines specified in the academic calendar. The academic calendar is published in the university catalog and on the DSU website.

All students not enrolled in the immediately preceding semester must make application to the university. Students can apply for admission on the DSU website at http://dsu.edu/admissions/apply-now. Upon acceptance to the university, the student is eligible for registration. Specific instructions for registration are sent directly by the Director of Admissions to new students. Students registering through the mail, or on-line will be required to complete the same application and to submit the same support documentation required of on-campus registrants by follow-up correspondence.

Students are notified of the amount of tuition, fees and other charges prior to the beginning of each term. The Vice President for Administration notifies students as to payment deadlines and processes. Students failing to make payment by the published deadline will have their registration canceled. Students wanting their registration reinstated must have the permission of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Registrations after the late registration period will not be accepted without the written approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Instructors have access to class rosters and final grade rosters. The Registrar requests instructors to notify the Registrar in writing of any student attending class but not listed on the class roster or of any student on the roster who is not attending, so that necessary action can be taken by the Registrar and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Fees and penalties may also be assessed to students for failure to meet payment deadlines.