Policies and Procedures

Class Attendance

It is University policy that a student is expected to attend every meeting of his or her classes. If an absence from class should prove necessary, regardless of the reason, the student will be held accountable for all academic activities missed due to the absence. A faculty member may, at his or her discretion, include class attendance as a criterion in the determination of final grades.

Graduation

Students who expect to complete degree requirements in a particular term must file an application for graduation. We recommend that students inquire about graduation at least one term in advance of their term of graduation in order to ensure all required steps are completed in a timely manner. (Note: Students receiving federal loans through the University must participate in an "exit" interview prior to graduation.)

Academic Load

Any student who registers for an overload without permission of his/her dean will be required to drop the excess hours. After the close of registration, no refund of tuition or fees will be made when a person is required to drop excess hours taken without permission.

Notice Concerning the Inspection and Release of Student Records

Appalachian State University complies with all provisions of the Family Educational right and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). The full statement of the University's policy is available in the Office of the Registrar.

Within the limits prescribed by FERPA, students have the right to inspect and challenge the contents of their education records. Access to education records is coordinated through the Registrar's Office. Students who wish to inspect their records should contact that office between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

The University routinely releases to the public ONLY "Directory Information", as follows: the student's name; local telephone listing; University post office box number; E-mail address; academic classification; enrollment status during a particular academic term (i.e., full-time or part-time); field(s) of study; dates of attendance; degrees, honors and awards received; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight, height, athletic statistics and photographic representations of members of athletic teams. Any student who wishes to have the above Directory Information withheld must complete and sign the appropriate request form in the Registrar's Office.

Release of Grades

A student may obtain information regarding his/her grades at the end of each academic term through the TRS or WRS systems.

It is a policy fo the State of North Carolina, however, that the University cannot release a transcript or diploma to a student with an unpaid account. In order to comply with this policy, the University will audit the account of every enrolled student aproximately two weeks prior to the end of each academic term. Students with unpaid accounts will be so notified and expected to clear the account, the University will, in accordance with State policy, release neither a transcript nor (if applicable) a diploma. (Please note that a charge made against a future term - i.e., a charge made for "early registration" - does not constitute an "unpaid account" in this context.)

Incomplete Grades

When a student receives a grade of incomplete, he or she has, at the discretion of the instructor, a period of up to one term to complete the course work. For additional information regarding procedures to be followed when an incomplete grades is given see http://www.registrar.appstate.edu/faq/faq_s.html

Annual Notification of Rights: Students' Education Records
at General Administration of The University of North Carolina

Certain personally identifiable information about students ("education records") may be maintained at The University of North Carolina, which serves the Board of Governors of the University system. This student information may be the same as, or derivative of, information maintained by a constituent institution of the University; or it may be additional information. Whatever their origins, education records maintained at General Administration are subject to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

FERPA provides that a student may inspect his or her education records. If the student finds the records to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student's privacy rights, the student may request amendment to the record. FERPA also provides that a student's personally identifiable information may not be released to someone else unless (1) the student has given a proper consent for disclosure or (2) provisions of FERPA or federal regulations issued pursuant to FERPA permit the information to be released without the student's consent.

A student may file with the U.S. Department of Education a complaint concerning failure of General Administration or an institution to comply with FERPA.

The policies of The University of North Carolina General Administration concerning FERPA policies of the institution. Policies of General Administration may also be accessed in the Office of the Secretary of The University of North Carolina, General Administration, 910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC.

Further details about FERPA and FERPA procedures at General Administration are to be found in the referenced policies. Questions about the policies may be directed to Legal Section, Office of the President, The University of North Carolina General Administration, Annex Building, 910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC (mailing address P.O. Box 2688, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688; tel: 919-962-4588).