University Academic and Registration Policies

Academic Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of and to meet the requirements for graduation, and to adhere to all deadlines, rules, and regulations published in this catalog, and his/her College or Program’s policy manual or student handbook. While academic advisors or college officials assist students in interpreting policies and requirements and making plans, the final responsibility for meeting requirements and adhering to policies belongs to each student. Students may gain access to their academic records anytime through Boxer Online. Deans and Directors, in cooperation with the Registrar, handle matters of academic rules and regulations.

Academic Conduct

Students are responsible for understanding and complying with the policies listed in this Catalog, as well as within individual program sections, student handbooks, and policy manuals. Please see College-specific sections for more information.

Email/Electronic Communication

All students are issued a Pacific University email account which is the official method of communication to students.  Students are expected to check their Pacific email on a frequent and regular basis. All official emailed communication to and from students is through this account. By law, the University cannot release protected information by email unless it is certain that it is going to the intended recipient.  Because the Pacific email account is issued by Pacific and is password-protected, it is considered to be secure.

Catalog Year and Graduation Requirements

Students are governed by the catalog policies and program requirements in effect when they enroll in an academic program for the first time at Pacific University or a subsequent year of attendance thereafter.  Students should consult with department chairs for advice if the catalog requirements for their declared majors or minors have changed during any period of absence.  If more than ten years have elapsed since a student’s original matriculation, the original date of matriculation is replaced by the date of re-entry.

The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission sets requirements for prospective teachers. Students expecting to teach must satisfy those rules in effect at the time of graduation.

Continuing Enrollment for Graduate Students

Graduate students in programs with a thesis or dissertation are required to maintain continuous enrollment until the thesis or dissertation is completed, unless they are on an approved Leave of Absence.  Students register for 1-9 credits of [SUBJECT] 998 (prior to candidacy) or [SUBJECT] 999 (once candidacy has been reached).  No tuition is charged for this course, although there is a fee of $1,800 per term.  Summer registration is not required unless a program’s normal curriculum includes summer.

Transfer Credit and Admission Prerequisites

For programs that accept transfer credits, Pacific University accepts coursework and credits comparable in nature, content, academic quality, and academic level to the coursework expected of the relevant Pacific degree program, according to evaluation criteria and transfer limits determined by each College, School, and/or Program.

For admission purposes, any required undergraduate or graduate coursework or previous degree must be transcripted by a regionally accredited institution, and taken after the institution reached accredited candidacy status. Work done before an institution reached candidacy status cannot fulfill prerequisites. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Official transcripts from all institutions attended must be received by Admissions and evaluated by the Registrar’s Office before the student may register for courses.

For any work from a non-US or non-Canadian institution, a course evaluation (and certified English translation, if necessary) from a company such as WES or AACRAO must be submitted prior to any evaluation.

Maximum Transfer Work for Master’s Programs

No more than 1/3 of graduate level credits may be transferred from other academic institutions to count towards the total credits of any Master’s degree.  For courses that are repeated, only one set of credits counts toward the total credits transferred.

Minimum Graduate Admission Requirements

1. Undergraduate pre-requisite coursework and/or undergraduate degrees must be from a regionally accredited academic institution, or shown to be comparable through an evaluation made by a professional educational credential evaluation organization such as AACRAO or WES
2. Pre-requisite courses must have been completed with a grade of C or higher
3. The cumulative GPA must have been 2.75 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), with the pre-requisite and/or last 45 credit GPA of 3.0 or higher
4. A TOEFL (paper) score of 550 or IELTS score of 6.5, or evidence of successful completion of undergraduate credits or a degree with instruction in English

Individual graduate programs may have admission requirements that exceed these minimum requirements, and may determine exceptions to criteria for admission to those applicants who do not meet the above minimum requirements.

Maximum Timeline for Graduate Program Degree Completion

Master’s Programs:  All degree requirements must be completed within seven years unless the program stipulates a shorter time period. Timing begins on the date of matriculation into the Graduate program. Terms spent on a leave of absence are counted toward the timing limit. Students may petition based on extraordinary circumstances.

Doctoral Programs:  All degree requirements must be completed within ten years unless the program stipulates a shorter time period. Timing begins on the date of matriculation into the graduate program. Terms spent on a leave of absence are counted toward the timing limit.

Attendance

Students are responsible for attending classes, participating, and completing assignments. It is expected that students will attend all course meetings and course-affiliated events. Faculty members include their attendance policies on their syllabi and may lower students’ grades for poor attendance or participation. They also may drop or withdraw students from classes due to non-attendance and/or lack of participation. Students are encouraged to inform their instructors of absence in advance. Assignment or acceptance of make-up work is at the discretion of instructors.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Please see Forest Grove Undergraduate Programs Policies  , College-specific sections, and the section on University-Wide Financial Aid Information , for more information.

Graduation

Degrees are conferred to students six times during the year: January, May, June, two dates in August, and September.

Formal university-wide commencement ceremonies are held in Forest Grove in May and August, and the MFA Program holds a ceremony in Forest Grove in June. The policies regarding commencement participation for students who have not completed degree requirements vary by program. 

In order to graduate, students must submit an Application for Graduation for each distinct degree or certificate they anticipate completing. The application is available through BoxerOnline. 

Graduation Application Fee

A $100 non-refundable graduation application fee is applied to the student’s account when the Application for Graduation is submitted. The graduation application fee applies toward expenses attached to the conferring of degrees, including processing costs, diploma costs, and commencement-related expenses. Students are charged a single fee for a given degree conferral date, regardless of whether on that date they will earn a single degree, a dual degree, or multiple simultaneous degrees and certificates. No additional fee is charged if a student earns the degree(s) applied for within 12 months of the original application and on a single conferral date. 

Registration

Course registration procedures vary by Program and College. A student is considered registered only after any needed approvals from faculty advisors and instructors have been obtained and classes have been entered into the registration system. The University reserves the right to cancel or restrict the registration of students who are delinquent in meeting their financial obligations to the University.  Students who attend a course without officially registering for it will not receive any academic credit for the course.

Registration Holds

In certain circumstances, students are not allowed to register for (or attend) courses. Examples include:

• Records Hold
  If a student has not provided official transcripts of all prior coursework by the pre-registration period in the first semester attended, a Records Hold is placed on the student record.
• Business Office Hold
  If a student has outstanding financial obligations to the University and has not made arrangements regarding them, a Business Office Hold is placed on the student record.
• Health Hold
  The State of Oregon requires college students born after 1956 to provide dates of two doses of measles vaccine. If a student fails to submit the required Health History and Immunization forms prior to enrollment, a Health Hold is placed on the record.
• Administrative Hold
  In certain circumstances, university/college administrators (e.g. the Dean of Students) may enact a registration hold that precludes a current student from registering for a subsequent semester. The hold may be lifted after the student consults with the administrator.
• Conduct Hold
  If a student has outstanding sanction obligations to the University, a Conduct Hold is placed on the student record.

Adding a Course

Students may add a semester-long course through the 10th day of a 15-week semester. Add deadlines for courses of different lengths are posted on the Academic Calendar.  Any student wishing to “late add” a course after the established deadlines must submit an academic appeal to do so.

Auditing

Auditors enroll in, pay for, and attend classes, but are not required to complete assignments or take examinations. No credit is received for audited courses. Students must declare the audit option before the end of the add-drop period; once the audit option has been declared, the course cannot revert back to the graded option.

Dropping or Withdrawing from a Course

Students may drop a semester-long course (using BoxerOnline registration) through the 10th day of a 15-week semester without having the course appear on the transcript. After this point, and through the 10th week of the semester, students may withdraw from a course and a “W” is posted on the transcript. Drop/Withdrawal deadlines for half-semester (or varied length) courses are posted on the Academic Calendar. It is the student’s responsibility to drop or withdraw from a course by the established deadline; failure to do so may result in a failing grade in the course.  Graduate students must adhere to their program policies for withdrawing.

If withdrawing from all courses before the withdrawal deadline, students must contact Ingrid Unterseher in the Enrollment Management Office to complete a formal withdrawal and exit interview.  Students who do not complete the withdrawal process will receive grades earned in courses at the time of their exit.   

Students planning to return and complete their studies may take a Leave of Absence (LOA) for one (1) semester, up to one (1) year and do not have to apply for readmission; however, they must contact the Registrar’s Office no later than two weeks prior to the start of their return semester in order to enroll in courses.  Students seeking an extensions for a Leave of Absence must petition for approval.  Students request a LOA through the withdrawal process.  Students who withdraw and do not take, or are not approved for a Leave of Absence must submit an application for readmission.

Late Withdrawal

Students who are past the regular withdrawal period, or who need to withdraw due to health emergencies or other emergency reasons must submit a Petition Form to the Registrar’s Office.  A statement from a healthcare provider, counselor, or other evidentiary documentation is required for a Late Withdrawal.  Students are expected to submit the proper documentation and petition form prior to the last day of the semester, and not more than one term after the student has completed the class or classes for which they are requesting a Late Withdrawal. If a Late Withdrawal is approved, the student will receive a “W” grade on their transcript.  Graduate students must adhere to their program policies for withdrawing.

Administrative Withdrawal

Instructors may drop or withdraw students from classes for poor attendance, poor participation, misconduct, or for disruptive or endangering behavior that interferes with faculty members’ obligations to set and to meet academic and behavioral standards in their classes. Due process will be followed, and students may appeal such decisions to the appropriate committee or administrator. Instructors distribute syllabi that include clear statements of policy regarding attendance, participation and dropping/withdrawing students from class. Misconduct or disruption does not apply to the content of speech or written work protected by academic freedom.

The University may also withdraw a student if the student (a) threatens or states an intent or desire to harm another person, group of people, or the community, (b) harms or attempts to harm another person, group of people, or the community, (c) articulates a plan or plans to bring a weapon or use a weapon to harm a person, group of people, or the community, or (d) substantially impedes the activities of another member of the community. The procedure for a withdrawal is in accord with applicable federal and state law. A student may be required to undergo evaluation by a qualified health professional at the student’s own cost. Re-enrollment is at the discretion of the University in consultation with appropriate health professionals.

Readmission After Absence Policy

Students wanting to return to Pacific University after an absence of any length must apply for readmission at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the semester. Students who have attended courses at other academic institutions during their time away from Pacific must submit official transcripts, along with their application for readmission. Contact Academic and Career Advising at advisingcenter@pacificu.edu.

Grade Reports

Grade reports are not mailed, but are available to students at the end of each grading period through BoxerOnline.

Graduate Student Enrollment in Undergraduate Courses

Graduate students may enroll in undergraduate courses with approval from their academic advisor, the graduate program director and the faculty instructor(s) of the involved undergraduate course before registering for the course.  See the full Graduate-Professional Enrollment Policy for full details. 

Transcripts

Students may view their academic records through BoxerOnline, or order official printed or electronic transcripts through BoxerOnline or Parchment. 

Pacific University certifies that an e-transcript (electronic transcript) issued by Parchment is an official University transcript. The acceptability of an e-transcript is determined by the receiving institution/recipient in accordance with its policies and procedures.

Electronic Transcript Acceptance

Pacific University will accept e-transcripts for transfer of credit and admission purposes if the following criteria are met:

• The transcript is a PDF certified document that has no indication of tampering
• The transcript is certified as official from a high school, college or university using a third-party agency for the certification process
• Approved agencies currently are limited to Credentials Solutions, Common App, Avow Systems, Docufide, National Student Clearinghouse, and Scrip-Safe. Others may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
• A Pacific University official in the Registrar’s or Admission’s Offices has received the transcript directly from one of the above approved services. Pacific will not accept a forwarded transcript from an unaffiliated source unless it has been pre-approved by the Registrar.
• Pacific University has the right to refuse an e-transcript or require additional information prior to accepting an e-transcript as official if there is question about the document’s authenticity.

Credit Hour

At Pacific, 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:

1. 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
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credits.

Sealed Transcript

Upon the conferral of a degree or upon the completion of a certificate program, that part of the student’s record is considered sealed and can be amended only to correct an inaccuracy. If an amendment takes place, a notation on the transcript must be included. Graduates wishing to take additional coursework may do so as non-matriculants, or through an additional degree program or certificate program.

In rare cases, to be determined by the Registrar in consultation with the appropriate college Dean and the Dean of Students, a student who has received a degree but wishes to pursue an additional major or concentration may be allowed to do so in the year immediately following his/her graduation. All requests must be submitted in writing to the Registrar and will be considered on a case by case basis.

Program Elimination

When the decision is made to eliminate an academic program, the program’s Director and Registrar work together to develop a plan to help ensure that matriculated students are able to complete it with minimum disruption. Current options include teaching out the existing program through completion, creating independent studies comparable to courses that would have been offered, and substituting other courses for requirements.

Policy Exceptions

Students may seek exceptions to, or waivers of, College requirements or policies in extraordinary circumstances, by following the appropriate College or Program process.