Adding courses before the deadline

You may add courses after the semester has begun, but only until the deadline for adding courses. Please see the Registrar’s Academic Calendar for the final day for undergraduates to add courses each semester; this deadline is usually the 10th day of the semester. Summer and winter sessions have other deadlines.

If a course has not yet begun, you may add the course on MyUI.

For the first five (5) days of classes for a fall or spring semester, students are able to add or change sections or semester hours for semester-length courses on MyUI.

To add a course after the 5th day of the semester, or to add on or after the start date for an off-cycle, summer, or winter session course, you must obtain permission from the course instructor and your academic advisor to add the course in MyUI. After all required authorizations are received, you will have 24 hours to finalize the add in MyUI. See https://registrar.uiowa.edu/myui-course-add-tutorial.

Alternatively, you may print a Change of Registration Form and have both your academic advisor and the instructor of the course sign it. See the Academic Advising Center website for more information about obtaining the instructor signature. Then submit the signed form to the UI Service Center, 2700 UCC, registrar@uiowa.edu, before the add deadline.

For assistance with registration changes for online courses (section number 0EX_), contact Distance and Online Education Registration at doe-reg@uiowa.edu, or 319-335-2852.

Off-cycle courses that start or end at times other than the beginning and end of the semester have add deadlines different from those of semester-long courses. Deadlines for individual courses, including off-cycle courses, may be found at the Registrar's Course Deadlines look-up.

Additional information on making registration changes may be found on the Registrar's website at https://registrar.uiowa.edu/changes-registration.

Adding courses after the deadline

Students may request permission to add a course after the deadline, which for a spring semester or fall semester course typically is after the 10th day of the semester; or for off-cycle, summer, or winter session courses is on or after the start date of the course. Students may not register or add individual courses retroactively.

You may initiate adding a course in MyUI (Or, alternatively, you may print a Change of Registration Form). Adding a course after the deadline requires approval from:

• your academic advisor;
• the course instructor; and
• a dean. Request the dean's authorization last, after you have approval from your academic advisor and the course instructor. The dean who should authorize the request depends on the college that offers the course and the college of your primary program of study.
• Student-athletes also must obtain permission from Student-Athlete Academic Services.
• International students also must obtain permission from International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

Who do I contact for dean's authorization?

To add a course offered by the College of Education (identified by Admin: College of Education in the MyUI course description):

• Undergraduate College of Education Students (Program college of your primary program of study is "EDUC"): Contact your Education academic advisor; your academic advisor will request dean's authorization on your behalf.
• Undergraduate Students in other Colleges: Contact Office of Student Services, Lindquist Center (LC), ask-education@uiowa.edu, 319-335-5359.
• Graduate Students (Program college of your primary program of study is "GRAD"): Contact Graduate College, 205 Gilmore Hall (GILH), gradcoll@uiowa.edu, 319-335-2144.

Undergraduate students adding a course offered by another college can find dean's office contacts at: https://registrar.uiowa.edu/collegiate-deans-office-contact-information-students

Deadlines

Deadlines after all required authorizations are received are:

• In MyUI, you will have 24 hours to finalize the add, see https://registrar.uiowa.edu/myui-course-add-tutorial.
• With a printed Change of Registration: within three (3) days you must submit the signed form to the UI Service Center, 2700 UCC, registrar@uiowa.edu.

Dropping courses before the deadline

Please note that different deadlines exist for students wishing to drop individual courses or withdraw from an entire semester. Visit the Registrar's Course Deadlines calendar for the exact dates of these deadlines each semester.

For the first five (5) days of classes of a fall or spring semester, students (except student athletes and international students) will be able to drop semester-length courses on MyUI. However, students will not be able to drop their only (last) course on MyUI, as that is a Withdrawal of Registration.

To drop a course after the 5th day of the semester, or to drop on or after the start date for an off-cycle, summer, or winter session course, a student may indicate the desire to drop a course from the schedule page on MyUI. The student is then responsible for contacting their academic advisor to obtain authorization to drop the course. The academic advisor will not be notified automatically of the drop request.

Please note, all authorizations must be obtained by 4:30 pm on the course deadline date. After the required authorizations have been obtained, the student is notified and must log in to MyUI to complete the drop process by 11:59 pm on the deadline to drop the course.

Alternatively, a student may print a paper Change of Registration Form, have it signed by their academic advisor, then submit the signed form to the UI Service Center, 2700 UCC, by 4:30 pm on the deadline to drop the course. Paper forms are encouraged for situations in which adding and dropping should be completed simultaneously.

Dropping courses after the deadline

Students may request permission to drop a course after the deadline (listed as the “last day to drop without dean’s approval, undergraduate” or "last day for undergraduates to drop individual semester-length courses" on the Registrar's Course Deadlines look-up.).

You may initiate dropping a course in MyUI (Alternatively, you may print a Change of Registration Form). Adding a course after the deadline requires approval from:

• your academic advisor; and
• a dean. Request the dean's authorization last, after you have approval from your academic advisor and the course instructor. Which dean's authorization is required depends on the college that offers the course, and the college of your primary program of study.
• Student-athletes also must obtain permission from Student-Athlete Academic Services.
• International students also must obtain permission from International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

Who do I contact for dean's authorization?

To drop a course offered by the College of Education (identified by Admin: College of Education in the MyUI course description):

• Undergraduate College of Education Students (Program college of your primary program of study is "EDUC"): Contact your Education academic advisor; your academic advisor will request dean's authorization on your behalf.
• Undergraduate Students in other Colleges: Contact Office of Student Services, Lindquist Center (LC), ask-education@uiowa.edu, 319-335-5359.
• Graduate Students (Program college of your primary program of study is "GRAD"): Contact Graduate College, 205 Gilmore Hall (GILH), gradcoll@uiowa.edu, 319-335-2144.

Undergraduate students dropping a course offered by another college can find dean's office contacts at: https://registrar.uiowa.edu/collegiate-deans-office-contact-information-students

Deadlines

Deadlines after all required authorizations are received are:

• In MyUI, you will have 24 hours to finalize the drop. See https://registrar.uiowa.edu/myui-course-add-tutorial.
• With a printed Change of Registration: within three (3) days you must submit the signed form to the UI Service Center, 2700 UCC, registrar@uiowa.edu.

Authorization to drop a course after the deadline

Approval to drop College of Education courses after the final drop deadline may be granted only with documentation of extenuating circumstances (such as a serious illness or a crisis beyond the student's control).

Additional policies relating to dropping courses

• Students who fail to attend a class are NOT, in most cases, dropped from the course automatically. All students wishing to drop a course must obtain the necessary authorizations as described above. Only under special conditions may an instructor drop a student from a course.
• Instructor's option to drop for nonattendance. In rare cases, the instructor may drop any student who has not attended the class during the first eight calendar days of the fall or spring semester (or during the first two calendar days of the winter session, or during the first four days of the four-week, six-week, eight-week, or twelve-week summer sessions) unless the student has offered acceptable reasons for beginning the course late. Students dropped for nonattendance do not receive a “W." The UI Service Center notifies each student who has been dropped from a course, and their advisor. Students should not assume that they have been dropped automatically from a course because they have not attended it.
• Dropping a course without a “W”
  You may drop courses after the semester has begun; the first drop deadline is usually the 10th day of the semester for semester-length courses. This deadline is labeled as “Last day for undergraduates to add courses or drop courses without a W”, or "Last day to drop without a 'W'". Courses dropped by this deadline will not be visible on your transcript.
• Dropping a course with a “W”
  The second deadline to drop a course, listed as “Last day to drop without dean’s approval, undergraduate”, or "Last day for undergraduates to drop individual semester-length courses" is usually on the Monday of the tenth week of the semester for semester-length courses.  This is the final drop deadline. Courses dropped during this period remain on your transcript with a mark of W, indicating that you have dropped the course.
• Dropping an “off-cycle” course
  Off-cycle courses (courses that start or end at times other than the beginning and end of the semester) have drop deadlines different from those of semester-length courses. Deadlines for individual courses, including off-cycle courses, may be found at the Registrar's Course Deadlines look-up.

Students enrolled in College of Education undergraduate programs who are in good academic standing may request permission to register for more hours than the maximum allowed. Permission to take excess hours is not guaranteed.

You may register for a maximum of 18 semester hours for a spring or fall semester. To request an exception to the 18 semester hour maximum, begin by discussing your request with your College of Education academic advisor. The College of Education reviews requests for Excess Hours based on grade point average, and evidence of success in previous semesters with substantial registration (15 or more semester hours).

• College of Education students may repeat up to three courses taken at the UI regardless of the grade originally earned in the course. If a student repeats a course and officially requests the second-grade-only option (SGO), both grades will be visible on the permanent record, but only the second grade will be used in GPA calculations and counted as hours earned. (Unless and until the second-grade-only option is requested, both grades will continue to be counted in the grade point averages.)
• The second-grade-only option (SGO) may be used only for University of Iowa courses.  A course taken at another college or university may not be repeated at the University of Iowa under the SGO, nor may a UI course be repeated at another institution under the SGO.
• If you plan to apply to a graduate or professional program, keep in mind that these programs may require a review of all your grades. Because both the first and second grade remain visible on your permanent record, a graduate program might include the original grades in a calculation of your total grade point average.
• On the permanent record, the SGO appears as a pound symbol (#), showing that the first grade has been replaced by the second grade in the GPA calculations, and that only the hours from the second registration have been counted as hours earned.

Second-grade-only (SGO) FAQ

• How can I request the SGO?
  If you are a College of Education student, request the second-grade-only option with your Education advisor. It is recommended to request the SGO before the last day of class in order for the second grade symbol (#) to appear on the next grade report. You may also make this request after the close of the semester. However, you cannot request that an SGO be applied to coursework for which you have already been awarded a UI degree.
• How many times can I use the SGO?
  Once per course, for a maximum of three different courses.
• I requested the SGO, but now I don’t want to use it. Can I reverse my decision?
  You may reverse your decision before the close of the semester of your second enrollment in the repeated course. Once the SGO is placed on your record, it may not be retracted. (Note: If you drop the course after you have requested the SGO, the SGO will not be applied to your record.)
• Do I have to have failed the course the first time in order to request the SGO?
  No. You may repeat the course regardless of the grade you earned.
• Can I request an SGO for any course I am repeating?
  No. In order to be eligible, both courses must
  • be University of Iowa courses (including regularly scheduled on-campus courses, Guided Independent Study, distance learning courses, and off-campus courses);
  • not be considered an instance of regression;
  • have identical course numbers and titles (if the original course is no longer offered, you may be able to substitute a course, but only if this is authorized by the department);
  • have been taken in or after the 1969 fall semester.
  • NOTE: The University of Iowa has adopted a new course numbering system. A course may be identified by its current number, its legacy (old) number, or both. A course taken under the old number and repeated under the current number will be considered the same course with respect to use of the SGO.
• I took an on-campus course that I’d like to repeat online and use the SGO option. Can I do that?
  Yes, if it is the same course. Any UI course taken in any mode of delivery may be repeated in the same mode of delivery or in another mode of delivery.
• Can I request a different grading system for a course I want to retake? 
  It depends. If you took the course for a grade the first time, you must take it for a grade the second time. If you took it AUS/AUU, P/N, S/F, or S/U the first time, you can take it for a grade the second time, or for AUS/AUU, P/N, S/F, or S/U.
• Can I SGO a course I took at another school here at  UI or can I SGO a UI course at another school? 
  No. A course taken at another college or university may not be repeated at the University of Iowa under the UI second-grade-only option nor may a UI course be repeated at another institution under the second-grade-only option.
• I am not a College of Education student but am enrolled in another college at the University of Iowa. Can I still file a SGO at the College of Education Office of Student Services?
  No.  The College of Education cannot file a SGO for a student enrolled in another college even if the student is taking a College of Education course. Student records are governed by the policies of the student’s home college and the SGO must be filed with that office.

Class Attendance

Individual instructors, course supervisors, and/or departments determine the policy concerning class attendance. This policy is clearly stated on the class syllabus; students should read this policy carefully.

If an issue arises, College of Education first uses the stated policy within the syllabus to help address a problem.

Students should not expect instructors to adjust their class attendance policies or provide make-up exams so that students can leave campus before the end of a semester or to accommodate family or employment activities.
University policy does require, however, that students be permitted to make up examinations missed because of illness, mandatory religious obligations, certain University activities, or unavoidable circumstances. Please see the section below for more information.

Documentation for Absences

University Activities, Mandatory Religious Obligations, and Unavoidable Circumstances

Students participating in authorized University activities are expected to give each instructor a statement before the absence signed by a responsible official that specifies the dates and times the student will miss class. Authorized activities include participation in intercollegiate athletic teams, the marching band and pep band, and attendance at events scheduled by recognized University groups (such as mock trial competitions).

A student with a mandatory religious obligation that interferes with examination times must provide documentation to verify this obligation before it occurs in order to be permitted to make up the examination.

Unavoidable circumstances might include participation in University field trips, service with the National Guard, and jury duty, for example. (Note: Routine employment obligations are not included in this category.) In all such cases, the student needing to make up a missed examination because of unavoidable circumstances, as defined here, should provide the instructor with documentation about the circumstance before it occurs.

Students with unavoidable circumstances such as a family tragedy or involvement in an automobile accident should contact their instructors as soon as possible or ask a family member to do so. The UI Service Center, 17 Calvin Hall, 319-384-4300, will notify the student’s instructors of the emergency. The student, if able, can also email instructors to notify them of the incident.

If the student wishes, the College of Education may be contacted so that the office can help facilitate the student’s needs. Please call the Office of Student Services, 319-335-5359, N201 Lindquist Center, if assistance is required.

Short and Long-Term Illnesses

College of Education instructors generally have the right to ask for documentation for most student absences caused by illness. 

• A student with a long-term illness (or generally those who miss more than five days of classes) should be able to provide a record of appointments or documentation from a health care provider, such as a note stating the student has been under the doctor's care. 
• Students who visit Student Health have access to their electronic medical records through MyChart. If they have activated this service, they are able to print off a summary of their appointment dates and times from MyChart. Faculty requesting this documentation for a long-term illness should accept a student's summary of visits as adequate documentation. Student Health is encouraging all students to activate their MyChart account during office visits and summer orientation. UIHC also provides this tool. Students are not required to share specific medical records since they are covered by privacy laws.
• A student who is absent for more than five days due to an emergency or illness may request the UI Service Center, 17 Calvin Hall, registrar@uiowa.edu, to notify each instructor of the reason for the absence.

Some courses schedule mid-term examinations outside of the regular class period and sometimes these conflict with a student’s other classes or exams. The University has established policies to govern these situations.

• When instructors plan to give exams outside of class time, they should announce the dates and times at the first class meeting and list them on the course syllabus for distribution at the first class meeting.
• When there is conflict between an exam scheduled outside of class time and a regularly scheduled course, the regularly scheduled course will take precedence.
• During fall semester, when there is a conflict between two exams scheduled outside the regular class times, the course having the lower department number (or letter) or lower course number when the conflict is within the department will take precedence.
  During spring semester and summer session, when there is a conflict between two exams scheduled outside the regular class times, the course having the higher number (or letter) or higher course number when the conflict is within the department, will take precedence.
• When there is a conflict between an exam scheduled outside of class time and other scheduled and required course activities (e.g. performances, meetings, lectures), the required course activity will take precedence.
• When there is a conflict between an exam scheduled outside of class time and other scheduled, non-required course activities or personal obligations, the exam will take precedence. Exams not scheduled and announced in class at least 14 days in advance will not have priority under this policy.
• Instructors must offer reasonable options without penalty to students who miss exams due to conflicts described above.

A week for final examinations is set aside at the end of each semester, during which time no classes are held. With the exception of changes authorized by the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, all College of Education final examinations must be given during this week, according to the schedule announced by the Registrar.

Students who have a conflict because two or more final exams are scheduled for the same date and time qualify to request a makeup final examination time from their instructors.

• Students are required to contact the instructors of the courses involved to register their intent to take advantage of this opportunity and must do so by October 1 for fall semesters and March 1 for spring semesters.
• It is up to the instructors of the courses involved to work in cooperation with their students to schedule appropriate makeup final examination arrangements according to the makeup final examination scheduling policies.

• Student Academic Misconduct
• Student Complaint Procedures