Information for Study Center Directors and Staff

Note: In this chapter, references to “SC Director” are meant to include Liaison Officer and Administrative Director as well, unless otherwise stated. Exceptions to the use of “SC Director” for all three types of Study Center administrators are primarily in the sections on grades.

References to the use of MyEAP are tentative; explanations and instructions regarding academic procedures and schedules are still in flux. Academic Specialists are available to clarify questions regarding implementation of MyEAP for academic records, including which forms and processes are not yet part of the online system.

300. ON-SITE ORIENTATION AND INTENSIVE LANGUAGE PROGRAM (ILP)

300.00 On-Site Orientation and ILP, General

Student exposure to the realities of study in a foreign context begins with the SC Director’s on-site orientation and, in countries where a command of a foreign language is essential to the curriculum, with the ILP. The orientation and ILP are crucial to the student’s early adjustment to the new cultural and academic environment. On-site orientation officially begins with the initial SC Director-student contact and continues throughout the year. It is advisable to provide opportunities for orientation and reflection at intervals throughout the duration of the program. (See Section 231.00, On-Site Orientation by the Study Center Director.)

300.01 Academic Concerns during On-Site Orientation by the Study Center Director

The following topics should be covered in the on-site orientation and in subsequent meetings during the ILP. For more details on these points, see Section 231.00, On-Site Orientation by the Study Center Director.

300.02 Intensive Language Program

Preparation for the ILP begins far in advance of the actual event. By the end of a given academic year, UOEAP and the on-site SC Director, in consultation, should have arranged the main aspects of the next year’s ILP. Details to be settled include:

When there is an SC Directorship change, the outgoing SC Director arranges the next year’s ILP. Newly appointed SC Directors may wish to follow the ongoing arrangements before assuming their posts; outgoing SC Directors should remain available, whenever possible, to answer questions and help their successors with problems.

In principle, all students, regardless of language competence, must enroll in and complete the ILP that is part of the program in which they are participants.

Arrangement of language sections for the ILP is the SC Director’s responsibility.

It is the responsibility of the SC Director to arrange for on-site tests to determine the appropriate level of placement into ILP sections. Students should be placed according to language ability to create as homogeneous a group as possible in each language section.

Students who are close to exceeding the maximum number of units at their UC campus must receive some credit for the ILP.

With the approval of the SC Director, a student may exercise the variable units option and enroll in the ILP for fewer than the full approved number of units, but in no event for fewer than 3 UC quarter units total. There will be no reduction in the quantity and quality of work expected. (See Section 340.04, Registration Study Lists, Assigning Units, regarding minimum course units for UCB students.)

All ILP course work must be taken for a letter grade. The purpose of this policy is to create a disciplined environment during the ILP that will help strengthen the students’ language acquisition. This policy is based on existing UC grading procedures in required courses that are deemed essential to a student’s academic curriculum. Exceptions to this policy are courses offered by a host institution on the pass/no pass basis only. Graduate students may take ILP courses S/U (see Section 385.06, Graduate Students, Grades).

The ILP is a complete term in itself and must not carry over into the regular academic year. Students who are prevented from completion of the ILP due to serious illness or an accident may petition for a reduction of units appropriate to the work completed; an “I” grade is not permitted.

The duration and unit values of ILP courses vary among Study Centers. These differences have evolved over time because of idiosyncrasies of Study Center constraints, expectations concerning student preparation, prior experience with student enrollment in host university courses, and cooperative arrangements with co-sponsoring consortia institutions.

315. CREATING UC CREDIT COURSES

315.00 Credit for Courses at the Host University

In order for EAP participants to be enrolled at the host university and on their home UC campus, foreign courses must be translated into UC credit courses. This process resembles that for creating new courses at UC campuses.

SC Directors should submit for course approval only courses taught by regular host university faculty at the host university or at institutions directly associated with the host university.

Enrollment for credit at institutions with which UC does not have an agreement approved by the Regents is not permitted. EAP may make exceptions when negotiations are underway to enter into an agreement with an institution or when an institution with which EAP currently has an agreement routinely permits enrollment in another institution as part of their own institutional processes.

In no case will a UC student receive UC credit for any courses abroad that require tuition fees in addition to those paid by EAP on behalf of the student. Students may, however, be assessed equitable contributions to cover the cost of labs, field trips, etc.

315.01 Selecting Courses

The SC Director selects host university courses that best meet the needs of UC students. When considering courses for UC credit, the SC Director should consider such factors as:

315.02 Studying Foreign Languages Abroad or Studying English in a Non-English Speaking Country

In some non-English speaking countries, students continue study of the host country language after the ILP. Learning a language in a country where it is spoken is one of the great opportunities EAP provides.

EAP students are not permitted to study languages that are not official languages of the host country except if they have compelling academic reasons. Students who attempt to study a foreign language other than one spoken in the host country may be doing themselves a grave disservice. Such study often detracts from their immersion into the host language and culture, and the language instruction they receive will not necessarily be compatible with expectations at their UC campus. Students must have the SC Director’s approval to study a foreign language other than that of the host country. Approval is normally granted only in the following cases:

In all cases, foreign language study in a language other than that of the host country is permitted only when it is a pertinent part of the student’s academic program and will not impede the student’s progress in other course work.

In no instance should a student be permitted to enroll in more than one first-year language course in the same term.

Non-English language programs have UC restrictions on the number of courses taught in English in which students may enroll.

In immersion programs, where EAP students work alongside students from the host university, students generally are expected to do all course work in the language of the country. If there are good academic reasons for a student to enroll in a course taught in English, the SC Director may grant an exception, but generally students are limited to one course taught in English per term. English literature majors should review the Academic Planning Form with their advisors before departure and consider the available course options taught in the language of the host country; if necessary, they can communicate with the SC Director through UOEAP.

In programs where the host language is not English and students take regular host university courses as well as courses designed specifically for EAP or foreign students, the number of courses taken in English may vary.

315.03 Information Needed for Course Approval

The SC Director is responsible for preparing new course descriptions for approval on Course Approval Request (CAR) forms. Students assist with collecting this information by providing details as part of the MyEAP study list process, and staff may provide clerical assistance, but the SC Director is required to verify and assume responsibility for the final CAR form. In order to present a course for UC approval, the following information must be provided for the MyEAP online CAR:

One form is used for all courses. Lower-division courses are numbered 1 to 99; upper-division are 100 to 189; and graduate are 200 to 289. Course numbers 190 to 199, 290 to 299, and 590 to 599 are reserved for independent study and research courses. Select the appropriate division from the pull-down menu on the CAR form in MyEAP. (See Sections 315.06, Special Study Projects; and 315.07, Special Study Project Course Numbers.)

It is imperative to clearly identify lower-division and upper-division courses. A minority of courses taken on EAP are lower-division. These normally are elementary and intermediate language courses (with exceptions), introductory performance courses in the arts, and survey or other general courses that do not have prerequisites. The course title does not always adequately convey the level of complexity of the course as it is taught. A detailed course description is crucial in order to establish the proper type of credit for such courses.

Note: Senate Regulation 762 states: No student, by merely performing additional work, may receive upper-division credit for a lower-division course, or graduate credit for an undergraduate course. Related courses may share lectures, laboratories, or other common content, but must have clearly differentiated and unique performance criteria, requirements, and goals.

A regular course taken by students enrolled at the host institution. Type the host institution course number, department, and title in the boxes provided. The partner units text field is used for universities that have a particular identifying unit scheme, such as ECTS.

EAP special study projects (independent study, readings, research, and internships).

A course given by a school or program for non-native international students. Type the host university department, course number, and units (if any) in the boxes provided for host university data.

Enter the campus branch, special division, institute, academy, or other affiliated unit through which the course is taught, if applicable; otherwise leave the field blank.

Select from the pull-down menu, including English, and click the “add” button.

The SC Director verifies the subject area submitted by the student or assigns it and the number. To assign or add a subject area, select from the pull-down menu and click the “add” button. The list of subject area codes is also provided for reference in the Study Center Academic Manual along with additional instructions about assigning appropriate subject areas. The subject area may be revised at UOEAP to more closely correspond with UC usage.

Two or three digits (usually avoid numbers 1 through 9). Valid numbers for new courses are those that are not already being used for currently approved courses and that have not been used for courses that expired or were canceled during the past three years. The MyEAP find a number feature may be used to find a free number, especially for cross-listed courses, but the SC Director or UOEAP may change that number after searching the Master Course Catalog. (See also, Section 315.07, Special Study Project Course Numbers.)

Lower-division Language Courses: The basic policy for numbering EAP lower-division language courses is to avoid numbers 1 through 6, which are widely used by UC campuses, and to use numbers above 9 instead. This policy is based on the need to facilitate students’ obtaining UC credit for language courses taken on EAP. First, campus language departments have noted that if EAP course numbers are the same as campus course numbers, a student’s record would appear to have duplicate courses and the student would not receive credit for the EAP course. Campus language departments and advisors have requested that EAP not use the numbers 1 through 6. Second, because many of the language courses offered on EAP are structured quite differently from usual UC language courses (e.g., many more levels, division into types of skills, specialized subject content), it is important that they be clearly distinguished from home UC campus courses. For example, a lower-intermediate Japanese conversation course cannot be equated with a standard UC intermediate Japanese course; it helps a student to receive UC credit if the EAP course number does not duplicate the standard UC numbering of 1 through 6.

Introductory language courses are numbered 10 through 49; intermediate language courses are numbered 50 through 99 (with some exceptions); and advanced language courses are numbered 100 through 189.

Exceptions: 1) A program developed by or specifically for EAP that tailors the language courses to match the UC campus courses in content and structure may deliberately use the 1 through 6 course numbering scheme (e.g., Siena). 2) A program in which the EAP course numbers have been used for many years and changing them would cause confusion or conflict with the numbering scheme for other courses at that university may continue to use established numbers (e.g., Sweden ).

A, B, C, Y, etc.: Y = year and is used to designate a two-semester or three-quarter course sequence that is indivisible. When a host university sequence contains discrete segments, the CARs for each segment should be submitted as a student takes the particular part of the course.

The SC Director provides an abbreviated course title of a maximum of 19 characters. It is important to keep in mind that this is the title that will appear on the student transcript. It must be the full title or an abbreviation of the full title, which is given elsewhere on the CAR form. Spaces between words in the abbreviated title are counted in the 19-character maximum.

All EAP courses inherently carry variable quarter units; therefore, only the maximum number of units should be specified on the CAR form. Each segment of a course must have its own CAR form. (See Unit Evaluation Method below and Section 315.04, Assigning Unit Value.)

While all courses are approved for their maximum number of units, the SC Director and student may elect to exercise the variable units option and enter a reduced number of units for the course on the MyEAP Study List. A note should be typed in the comment field explaining the variable units. The variable units option is normally used to provide the student flexibility to conform to UC campus regulations on maximum permissible units. Taking courses for fewer units, however, does not imply any concomitant reduction of the student’s obligations to attend class and complete all required work. (See Section 315.05, Variable Units.)

Approval is requested for a five-year period unless the course will be given for only one year or should be taken only by the currently enrolled students, in which case one-year approval may be requested. The one-year approval request should be noted at the end of the course description. A changed CAR retains the original begin date (the date the course was first requested), which is given on the CAR as Original begin date. The action and expiration dates are entered at UOEAP.

All course requests, whether for a new course or to change an existing course, are assigned a unique identification number by MyEAP.

If cross-listing a course in additional areas is appropriate, add the additional subject areas using the pull-down menu and the add button on the online CAR form. When cross-listing a course, all information about the course must be exactly the same, except the subject area. The same course number is applied to all cross-listings of a given course. Where this is impossible—that is, if no number is available in all of the fields of study to be cross-listed—the SC Director should consult with the relevant Academic Specialist at UOEAP to resolve the problem. Ordinarily, a course is limited to three subject areas. With rare exceptions an interdisciplinary course may be cross-listed in more areas, as appropriate.

EAP strongly discourages cross-listing of a course (other than literature or linguistics) in a language subject area unless UC language and literature departments offer similar courses. An example of an acceptable cross-listing would be a history or geography course offered in the French language at a French university that includes the development of language skills. A student who requests to have such a course cross-listed under French and is denied may later petition the home campus language department for major credit approval. A few language subject areas include “studies”; for example, the subject area JAPAN includes both Japanese language and Japanese studies.

Term length varies considerably among Study Centers. Even at a given Study Center, the terms and individual courses are not always of equal duration.

In some cases, it may be an unusual period (e.g., ILP). Term information is essential since readers cannot be expected to know the academic system of the host country.

Indicate the number of hours of contact time in the spaces provided and select the hr/week or hr/term. “Direct” refers to hours of instruction by faculty, such as lectures, seminars, or tutorials in which there is concentrated instruction. “Indirect” refers to educational situations in which faculty are not always present or students may work with less supervision or instruction, such as labs, discussions (including tutorials, which are comparable to UC discussion sections), preparation of performances, art studios, field trips, etc.

The relationship between units, class hours, and quantity and difficulty of course work is similar to that expected at UC campuses. Unit evaluation should be conservative in order to satisfy home campus unit limitation rules and maintain the credibility of EAP.

Three basic methods are used to assign units for EAP courses. For each host university, one of these methods is used consistently. Any deviation from the established method must be explained on the CAR form.

Note: For some subject areas, such as physical education activity, art studio, performance arts, and other courses with a large number of indirect contact hours, the final units may be reduced to more closely correspond to UC comparable quarter units. Specific examples are provided in the Study Center Academic Manual.

After using one of the methods listed below, the result of the unit evaluation process should be entered in the box labeled UC quarter units; the process is further explained in Section 315.04, Assigning Unit Value.

This method uses formulas to calculate the number of units for a course based on hours of direct and indirect instruction. The formulas are as follows:

Direct contact time: to arrive at correct quarter units, multiply the contact hours per week by the course duration and divide by 10.

Indirect contact time: to arrive at the correct quarter units; multiply the contact hours per week by the course duration and divide by 30.

This formula reflects that each 10 hours of lecture and each 30 hours of lab are worth 1 unit of credit. This method allows for the evaluation of terms of any length; for example, a course having 3 one-hour lectures per week for a 15-week semester would be: (3 x 15 = 45) divided by 10 = 4.5 quarter units. Round off all fractions to the nearest half unit.

MyEAP can calculate the unit based on contact time, but the hours must first be accurately recorded.

This method refers to evaluating UC quarter units in terms of host university units. Where such a unit system exists, it is most often semester units that are to be converted to quarter units to achieve equivalency for EAP. For instance, to convert semester units to quarter units, multiply the number of semester units by 1.5. MyEAP can calculate the UC quarter units if accurate partner university units are given.

This method is used when the system of instruction at the host university utilizes instructional and credit time in a fundamentally different way from the American system (e.g., in the United Kingdom , Ireland , Australia , and South Africa ). The number of UC units for a given course is calculated by comparing the normal full-time load of a host university student with the normal full-time unit load of a UC student (i.e., about 45 to 48 quarter units per year). Each course is counted as a fraction or a percentage of the full-time load. Thus, a course that is worth one-eighth of a host university student’s annual load receives 6 UC quarter units.

Any other method of assigning units must be described on the CAR form and approved at UOEAP. For example, language courses offered by an international student center are not assigned units, so EAP assigns units based on the comparable host institution courses for which units are assigned and then compares them to similar UC courses and units. A student’s need or desire for a certain number of units is not a permitted method of unit evaluation. The EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean must approve exceptions to the established unit evaluation method.

Provide the full name of the instructor or instructors. Put the name in direct order, i.e., first name followed by surname (family name), and put the surname in all capital letters.

Provide the full course title in English without abbreviations. If the host university title does not clearly convey the subject matter of the course in terms appropriate for the UC record, the SC Director should compose an appropriate title and list the host university title in the partner course title space on the CAR.

It is the SC Director’s responsibility to provide a thorough description that adequately represents the course content. It should be more detailed than the usual UC catalog descriptions, but still a concise summary of the course. It should describe the content of the course, not ruminate on the discipline or the current situation in the world, country, field of study, or other context.

The description should give reviewers, students, and advisors all the necessary information to evaluate the course. Any particular methodology, special requirements, or notable texts studied should be noted in this section of the form. If possible, include the means of assessment (basis for grade). A syllabus or reading list should be sent to UOEAP whenever available.

The SC Director must describe anticipated course variability. For example, the course may include a lecture and lab, but some students may be able to elect the lecture segment only for fewer units. Terms at the host university may vary in length, or the course may run for the entire year, but some students may take only one semester.

Tutorial-type courses may vary widely depending on the objectives of the student. In preparing the CAR form, the SC Director should keep in mind that the course is being approved for a specific maximum number of units. If tutorials have different units, a CAR should be submitted for each one. (See Section 315.09, Tutorials.)

Submit an optional tutorial that supplements a regular course and is taken for credit on its own CAR form.

Inclusion of student names and home campuses on each new or changed course assists UOEAP in verifying changes to Study Lists, but this field, including privacy security, is not yet available in MyEAP.

315.04 Assigning Unit Value

It is the SC Director’s responsibility to calculate the unit value of each course according to the method established for the host institution. Once a method has been established for a host institution, the method does not vary. All units are calculated in quarter units even when the host university is on a semester system.

The primary methods for unit assessment are contact time, host university units, and host university full-time load (see Section 315.03, Unit Evaluation Method). In addition to these three methods, alternate methods may be established for each host institution. The unit evaluation method for each host university is recorded in the UOEAP authority notebook and is provided in the printed Study Center Academic Manual customized for the particular Study Center.

The units for courses in certain subject areas, such as physical activity (PA), language instruction, studio art, and the performing arts, are calculated to correspond to equivalent UC quarter units for similar work when the unit evaluation method of the host institution results in units that exceed UC practice. Units for PA courses are reduced to .5 units per term. Units for studio art and performing arts courses, which tend to be high in contact time or in translations of partner units to UC quarter units, are assessed using the established method for the host university but may be reduced to correspond with comparable UC units for a similar term. Any such reduction or other deviation from the established unit evaluation method must be noted on the CAR form.

Units for ILP language courses are based on contact time and may be adjusted to correspond with UC standards if the units exceed comparable units for similar instruction or achievement at UC.

It is the responsibility of the SC Director to verify the information upon which the unit calculation is based. Student reports should be verified with the course instructor or department or through available publications.

315.05 Variable Units

All courses inherently carry variable quarter units, but the units shown on the CAR form are the maximum allowable units for that course. During registration the SC Director and the student together may decide upon the number of units taken by the student for each course. The units recorded for courses on the student’s Registration Study List are variable, but the amount and type of work required is fixed. All courses (except special study project courses) have fixed requirements for the amount of class work, assignments, exams, etc., regardless of the units shown on the individual student’s study list. (See Section 340.04, Registration Study Lists, Assigning Units; and Section 335.02, Deficit Load Petition.)

The variable units option is not available to students in stand-alone summer programs. All courses taken in summer programs must be taken for the maximum approved units.

315.06 Special Study Projects

EAP does not approve traditional 199 and 299 independent study courses; instead, EAP organizes independent study under special study projects numbered as outlined in Section 315.07, Special Study Project Course Numbers.

Special study courses are used most frequently under one of the following seven conditions:

The guidelines for special study projects focus on three aspects of a project: 1) formulation, 2) supervision, and 3) credit. All requests for special study projects must be accompanied by a completed and signed Special Study Project form with the required attachments. Retain copies of these completed forms in Study Center files.

The student plans the special study project with a UC faculty member before going abroad or with the SC Director or a host university faculty member while on EAP. This formulation is stated on the Special Study Project form and includes the project objectives, reading list, and requirements for a final report of the project. In all cases, the SC Director must approve the project.

Students are required to consult on a regular basis with a faculty member at the host university or the SC Director during the term of the project. The faculty advisor may also help the student modify those objectives when the project does not proceed as initially envisaged. Before approving the study project, the SC Director should be satisfied that adequate supervision will be available.

The special study project cannot be recorded on the Registration Study List until the SC Director receives the completed Special Study Project form, which must be submitted in conjunction with the Registration Study List. At UOEAP, an Academic Specialist reviews each special study project independently to verify appropriateness of unit allocations. Except in cases of illness or university closure, a special study project represents only a part of the undergraduate student’s academic load. For undergraduates, replacement of more than one course per term with a special study project is rare and requires a General Petition. In the case of internships, the maximum units cannot exceed 12 for the year. The special study project may be taken on the letter grade or P/NP grade option (within the limit of one-third of the total units per term), except if the particular program requires a letter grade. The grade for the project will be based on tangible evidence of work submitted by the student to the faculty member who supervised the project.

315.07 Special Study Project Course Numbers

The guidelines for special study projects using these numbers are outlined in Section 315.06, Special Study Projects; additional guidelines are in the Study Center Academic Manual. When a student enrolls in a special study course that is not currently in the Course Catalog, the SC Director includes a note on the Registration Study List for UOEAP to create the new CAR for the approval process.

190 Special Study in [Subject Field]: This number is used for unique course situations, courses in exceptional circumstances, or short duration courses that will never be offered again.

192 Special Study in [Subject Field]: This course requires substantial independent study or guided reading, worth upper-division UC credit. Maximum credit has been established at 4 units per quarter, or 6 quarter units for a semester program.

193 Advanced Special Study in [Subject Field]: This course involves independent study of a quantity and quality that may result in a substantial, preferably publishable, research paper and should reflect college or departmental honors-level work. Maximum credit has been established at 6 units per quarter, or 9 quarter units for a semester program.

196 Special Study, Research: This course involves extensive time conducting lab work or field research and requires a substantial paper. The project must be supervised and follow established research methodologies. Maximum credit has been established at 8 units per quarter, or 12 quarter units for a semester program.

197 Special Study, Internship: This course is one in which the study consists of serving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization. The internship normally involves approximately 20 hours per week of work and one hour per week meeting with the project supervisor; it should result in a substantial academic paper or a series of reports, if those would be more appropriate. Maximum credit is 8 quarter units per quarter, or 12 quarter units for a semester or year-long program. The units may be taken in one or more terms, but the total units may not exceed 12 quarter units for the year (except as specifically provided in certain programs).

292: MA or PhD regular independent research and special study projects not directly related to an MA thesis or PhD dissertation (normally 4 quarter units per quarter or 6 quarter units per semester)

293: MA or PhD advanced independent research and special study projects not directly related to an MA thesis or PhD dissertation

295: MA or PhD directed readings not directly related to a thesis or dissertation

596: Preparation for PhD qualifying examination or PhD level dissertation research

293–596: Courses normally carry a maximum of 8 quarter units per quarter or 12 quarter units per semester.

315.08 Internships

Internships offered through the Study Center for UC credit are serious academic activities that present students the opportunity to combine practical experience with intellectual activity that is demonstrated by a paper or other written evidence. Internships are considered EAP special study projects. They may be taken for a letter grade or P/NP unless the particular program requires a letter grade. To enroll, students are required to complete the Special Study Project form and include supporting material as described in the Guidelines for Special Study Project courses in the Study Center Academic Manual. Even if a student has fulfilled the other requirements, enrollment is not complete and a grade cannot be given unless this form is properly completed. (See Section 315.06, Special Study Projects.)

An internship involves work with a sponsor—a corporate, governmental, public, or private organization or institution—for approximately 20 hours per week plus one hour per week scheduled individual consultation with the internship supervisor regarding the academic substance of the project.

A student enrolled in an internship must write a substantial paper or series of reports. While this is not necessarily a normal academic research paper, it is a serious exercise that includes a description of the work performed, a thoughtful analysis of what the student has learned on the job, and demonstration that he or she has completed some investigation and analysis beyond the mere performance of duties.

Regularly scheduled individual consultation time between the student and the direct internship supervisor is required. This consultation time is not to review work assignments or for training; it is for discussion of what the student is learning from an academic point of view (e.g., developing knowledge about the general field of work, addressing the broader context of the specific work, comparing the activity in the host country with experience in the US, and so forth).

The internship supervisor will prepare a schedule for the individual consultations and submit it to the SC Director within the first week of the term. The internship supervisor will keep a record of each student’s attendance at the individual consultations and other information pertinent to the evaluation of the student’s work. The internship supervisor will provide the SC Director with a narrative evaluation of the student’s performance and a suggested grade. The SC Director assigns the final grade.

If problems arise between an intern and his or her sponsoring organization, the internship supervisor will consult the intern and the other persons involved in the problem to determine an appropriate solution. The internship supervisor must maintain a detailed record of these conversations and keep the SC Director informed on a regular basis. If the sponsor terminates an internship through no fault of the intern, the SC Director or the internship supervisor will endeavor to find a new internship for the student or will explore alternatives, including dropping the course. If the sponsor terminates an internship because of dissatisfaction with the intern’s performance, the student may present an explanation in writing to the SC Director. If the SC Director determines that the explanation is acceptable, the student’s petition to drop the internship will be considered. If it is determined that termination was justified, a grade of F (or NP) will be assigned.

315.09 Tutorials

When necessary, tutorials may be arranged for UC students to supplement the host university course. These tutorials are often taught by native graduate students or junior faculty of the host university who are selected by the SC Director upon recommendation by host university faculty. Tutorials are designed to serve several important purposes:

Although good tutors may be hard to find and funds are limited, experience has demonstrated the value of tutorials. SC Directors should do everything possible to see that tutorials are continued and steadily improved. In the event of a civil disruption that leads to closing the host university, tutorials sometimes enable the SC Director to keep the program going. (See Section 510, Student Demonstrations and Strikes.)

315.10 Course Approval Process

After meeting with the student to determine a course of study appropriate to the student’s needs, considering current host university offerings or special EAP courses, and receiving the student’s online study list, the SC Director submits new Course Approval Requests to UOEAP (see Section 315.03, Information Needed for Course Approval).

315.11 Approved Courses for the Study Center’s Reference

When a course has received final approval, the official CAR is available in the Master Course Catalog of MyEAP online for viewing by Study Center staff and UOEAP; it is also included in the Public Course Catalog for students and others to view. The SC Director should check the newly approved CARs and note any changes made during the approval process. For example, titles, subject areas, and units may have changed or approval may have been granted for one year only.

315.12 Renewal and Discontinuance of Courses

Because the Public Course Catalog that students use does not include expired courses, students do not know whether a course has expired; therefore, the SC Director must check the Master Course Catalog for the course. If a student-submitted course is actually a preexisting expired course, the SC Director reviews all details of the course and submits a “change CAR.” A current syllabus, if available, should be sent to UO.

The SC Director, the EAP Academic Dean, or the Associate Dean may recommend the discontinuance of courses that are no longer offered at the host university, have proven unsuitable for UC students, or seem unlikely to generate student demand in the future.

315.13 Repeated Use of a Course Number

When a course is discontinued or expires, a period of three years must elapse before that course number can be used again. An expired course can be reactivated using the old number at any time during the three-year holding period, provided a “change CAR” with updated information is submitted. Expired courses are listed in the Master Course Catalog, but not in the Public Course Catalog.

320. ACCEPTANCE OF EAP CREDIT BY HOME CAMPUSES

320.00 Acceptance of EAP Credit by Home Campus Academic Units for Degree Requirements

All approved EAP courses are taken for UC unit credit towards graduation; however, academic departments, schools, colleges, and interdisciplinary programs reserve the right to assess the nature, amount, and quality of work done on EAP in determining if students can use particular EAP courses to fulfill specific degree requirements.

When applying to participate in EAP, all students are required to file an Academic Planning Form (APF) with their application materials. These individual APFs list the courses that students plan to take on EAP and must be reviewed and signed by the campus advisor for the student’s academic program. As part of this planning process, students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisors about the requirements potentially fulfilled by the planned program abroad.

Whether courses taken on EAP are applied to general education or major requirements is determined at the student’s home campus by the appropriate academic unit—not by EAP. Students are responsible for knowing their home campus and departmental regulations, many of which are found on department, college, or school websites. The SC Director is neither empowered nor expected to counsel students on the fulfillment of general education and major requirements on their home UC campuses. Students will raise questions regarding the applicability of their EAP course work to home campus requirements, particularly when they are selecting courses for registration. Although the SC Director can assist the student with making a reasonable choice of courses, the SC Director is instructed to refer students to their college and major advisors, usually via e-mail, to ascertain if particular EAP courses will fulfill general education or major requirements. It is important for students to confer with their home campus advisors as early in the term as possible so that they can either register for appropriate courses or make adjustments, based on home campus advice, to their Registration Study Lists before General Petition deadlines.

Students generally receive approval for EAP courses to count toward degree requirements by filing petitions with the appropriate campus academic units after they return to their UC campuses. In some cases, however, EAP has worked with individual campuses, colleges, schools, or departments to list EAP courses that have been approved for fulfilling particular requirements in the past or EAP courses that have been preapproved by particular academic units for specific degree (breadth or major) requirements. Where they exist, these lists can be found by accessing the EAP Academic Integration Resources web page).

It is important that students return from their program abroad with comprehensive evidence of the academic work completed. It is imperative that students complete a Student Course Information Form (SCIF) for each course they take. This form, together with reading lists, syllabi, term or research papers, graded exams, or anything else that helps describe the course, are useful to colleges, schools, or departments in making their evaluations regarding the applicability of EAP course work to degree requirements. Students should be urged to collect this material for all their courses and carry it with them when they return to the US.

325. CHANGE OF MAJOR

325.00 Change of Major

Students who wish to change their major while abroad should make a direct request to their home school or college. In the United Kingdom and Ireland , because of the unique tutorial system, a letter from the SC Director indicating approval and willingness to make the necessary adjustments at the host university must accompany the student request for a change of major.

330. THE INDIVIDUAL MAJOR

330.00 The Individual Major

Individual majors may be pursued on several UC campuses. The regulations vary considerably, however, and in most cases require extensive consultation with home campus faculty. Consequently, it is not advisable for students to undertake individual majors while on EAP. In those rare cases where it seems feasible, students are told to plan carefully in advance, consulting with a faculty advisor before going abroad and paying particular attention to their home campus regulations and deadlines.

335. COURSE LOAD

335.00 Enrollment

During initial and subsequent academic counseling sessions, the SC Director should be sure that each participant is enrolled in an adequate course load for an appropriate number of units (see Sections 315.03, Information Needed for Course Approval; and 315.04, Assigning Unit Value).

335.01 Course Load

The Universitywide Committee on International Education (UCIE) requires EAP participants to carry a normal full-time load and UC funds EAP on that basis. Requiring a normal full-time load is essential to maintaining the academic integrity of the programs and to meeting the agreements with EAP host universities. The UC normal full-time load (one that enables an undergraduate student to make normal progress toward graduation) is 42 to 48 UC quarter units for an entire academic year.

To achieve a UC normal full-time load, EAP students are required to carry at least a minimum number of units. In programs without an ILP and most short-term language programs, as well as language and culture programs, the required minimum unit load is 21 to 24 quarter units per semester term or 14 to 16 units per quarter term, depending on the particular program. In programs with an ILP, the minimum load is 18 UC quarter units per semester or 12 UC units per quarter. Certain programs are exceptions to these rules and have specific required loads.

When Registration Study Lists are filed each term (either by quarter or semester) the required minimum unit load is required for each term of the program. Units received in an ILP do not count toward the unit load requirements of a subsequent quarter or semester term. Financial aid students are required to maintain their full-time student status. They should be warned that a deficit load would have serious consequences with respect to their financial aid awards. A student who is unable to carry the required minimum load for any term must seek the counsel of the SC Director regarding a General Petition for a deficit load. (See Section 335.02, Deficit Load Petition.)

SC Directors should counsel students to enroll in more than the minimum course load at the beginning of each academic term. This will help ensure that students are able to take maximum advantage of their course work abroad and that they will not risk falling into a deficit load situation if it is necessary to drop a course later in the term.

335.02 Deficit Load Petition

A General Petition for a deficit load is used to document both a true deficit load and a variable units deficit load. A true deficit load exists when a student’s units for an academic term fall below the required minimum load for the particular program despite the fact that all courses are registered on the student’s study list for the full, approved units.

Students whose program of courses results in a true deficit unit load must submit a General Petition marked for policy exceptions and for deficit program (see Section 335.01, Course Load). The deficit load petition requires the approval of the SC Director and the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean (usually delegated to the relevant Academic Specialist). Whenever a deficit load petition is anticipated, the SC Director should immediately inform the Academic Specialist at UOEAP. The petition must clearly state cogent reasons for requesting a lighter load than the required minimum load and should be forwarded to UOEAP as soon as possible and prior to releasing the Registration Study Lists to UOEAP.

The SC Director is not required to approve a deficit load program. If a student refuses to carry at least the number of units required in the particular program, the SC Director may refuse to approve and release the Registration Study List, which could result in the student being dismissed from the Program. After discussion with the relevant Academic Specialist at UOEAP, who consults with the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean, the SC Director may be asked to submit the Registration Study List to UOEAP with an explanation noted.

Only students with bona fide health problems or learning or other disabilities are exempted from the required load for a program. In these cases, however, students must have received and forwarded an approval for a specified deficit load to UOEAP prior to departure. If that approval is on file at UOEAP, the petition for a deficit load is considered approved and is submitted to UOEAP in conjunction with the Registration Study List.

Petitions for deficit loads below 18 UC quarter units per semester or 12 units per quarter are generally approved only when circumstances beyond the student’s control are responsible for the deficit or when a student has prior approval from his or her college and UOEAP.

Students who are concerned about exceeding campus unit maximums may take advantage of the variable units option to reduce the number of units on one or more courses and carry a deficit unit load without reducing the actual course load. For example, a student in a program that requires 24 units per term (four courses of 6 units each) may reduce the units on one or more courses so that the total is 18 units (but may not reduce the number of courses). The variable units option may be used to reduce units to a minimum of 18 UC quarter units per semester or 12 UC quarter units per quarter. Any reduction below the minimum is treated the same as a true deficit load (see above, “Deficit Load Petition”).

Note: The deficit load petition should make it clear that the deficit is based on the variable units option and that the student is, in fact, taking the required course load. (See Sections 315.05, Variable Units and 340.04, Registration Study Lists, Assigning Units.)

For war orphans and students on the GI Bill, more than 36 units are required. Prior to departure, a war orphan or GI Bill student should verify with a financial aid counselor the minimum load for which he or she will be held responsible. This information should then be communicated to the SC Director at the time of enrollment. Neither the SC Director nor EAP will accept responsibility for the financial consequences of a deficit load undertaken by a student in one of these categories. (See also Section 805.01, Academic Requirements for Financial Aid.)

335.03 Excess Program

Regulations of the UC campuses and their various schools and colleges differ with respect to the maximum permissible annual course load. These are summarized as follows (unless otherwise indicated, references are to quarter units per year):

UC Campus	Units / Year	Details
Merced	54	36 Merced semester units per year (inquire about ILP units); students may petition for more units.
Berkeley	61.5	41 UCB semester units per year (excluding ILP units)
Davis	No limit	Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Letters and Sciences, Biological Sciences
Davis	75	Engineering students exceeding 25 units in any quarter must get approval from the dean.
Irvine	60	Students may be allowed to take more than 60 units if they petition the dean of the school of their major.
Los Angeles	48 + ILP	UCLA allows a maximum of 48 quarter units during the year, plus 8 units of ILP only toward the BA degree. Additional EAP units may be applied toward the BA by petition to Honors Programs for the College of Letters and Sciences or to the respective school.
Riverside	54	Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences: up to 60 units per year with dean’s approval; Engineering: up to 22 units per quarter with dean’s approval; Natural and Agricultural Sciences: up to 24 units per quarter with dean’s approval
San Diego	No limit	College advisor must approve more than 21.5 units in a given quarter.
Santa Barbara	54	Engineering students can take no more than 18 units per quarter.
	No Limit	College of Creative Studies
	63	Letters and Science students may petition to take more.
Santa Cruz	57	No limit, but the college academic preceptor must approve a program over 57 units per year.

In general, students should be discouraged from taking an excessively high unit load. A course load that will result in more than 60 quarter units for the regular academic year requires a student petition countersigned by the SC Director, the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean, and the student’s campus dean or provost. Subsequent terms must adhere to minimum unit loads appropriate to the program. (For units earned in the ILP, see Sections 300.02, Intensive Language Program; 335.01, Course Load; and 335.02, Deficit Load Petition.)

335.04 Unit Accumulation Limitations before Graduation

UC campuses impose limits on the number of units that students may accumulate before graduation. Students are responsible for consulting with their college or school academic advisor before departure regarding the specific unit limits that apply to them. In some cases, students may be able to petition their college dean or provost for waiver of these regulations. Students who need to reduce their units below 18 UC quarter units per semester (or 12 units per quarter) to avoid the graduation unit ceiling must file a letter from their college advisor prior to departure requesting a specified deficit load, and the request must be approved by UOEAP. Students should also take a copy of that request when they go abroad. If the student does not file such a request and receive approval, the student will be required to take the program’s minimum load (see Sections 335.01, Course Load; and 335.02, Deficit Load Petition).

All questions regarding graduation unit ceilings that arise after the student is abroad should be referred to the student’s college or school on the home campus.

335.05 Senior Residence Waiver for Graduation

Academic Senate Regulation 630 requires that students must be in residence at their UC campus during all or part of their senior year; number 630D describes the exception that is available to EAP students. A student who will be a senior on EAP must investigate the home campus interpretation of the senior residence requirement and petition for a waiver, if permitted, before departure for the program. All questions regarding the senior residence requirement that arise after the student is abroad should be referred to the student’s college or school on the home campus.

340. REGISTRATION AND STUDY LISTS

340.00 Registration

While on EAP, students are enrolled both at the host university and at their home UC campus. For the purpose of crediting course work taken abroad to their UC academic records, all students must fill out a Registration Study List on MyEAP at the beginning of each term abroad, including the ILP (if applicable). All course work undertaken for credit by an EAP student must be listed on the EAP Registration Study List. Students normally are not allowed to register at their home campus for courses in addition to and separately from those on the EAP Registration Study List. In exceptional cases, a student may be able to take advantage of a special opportunity at the home campus while on EAP, in which case the SC Director should consult with UOEAP about how to handle the registration and determine the student’s unit load.

Any Special Study Project forms must be sent by airmail or express service to UOEAP. The Study Center copy must be retained in the files for a minimum of three years after the student has completed the year abroad. (See Section 340.13, Retention of Files at UOEAP.)

340.01 Registration Study Lists, When to Submit to UOEAP

Each Study Center will have a deadline by which UOEAP should receive the Registration Study Lists each term. Requests for new courses or changes to existing courses should be submitted at the same time the Registration Study Lists are released to UOEAP. No preparation of grade reports can take place until each course shown on the Registration Study List is accounted for (either as an existing approved course or as a new or revised one submitted on a CAR form and approved). Undue delays in completing and releasing Registration Study Lists and CAR forms and in sending Special Study Project forms to UOEAP will result in delayed finalizing of grade reports to be used by the Study Center and transmittal of final grades to the UC campus registrars.

340.02 Program Changes, Authorized

At most Study Centers, students are officially enrolled in specific courses at the partner university; therefore, students must follow partner university procedures to drop or add a course within the university’s deadline. If the action is after the Study Center has closed the study lists to student changes and released them to UOEAP, students must request the change to the study list on a General or Retroactive Petition.

340.03 Program Changes, Unauthorized

An unauthorized program change will result in problems involving credit, grades, and possibly financial aid allocation. All students should be warned during the orientation and academic conferences that a grade of F will be given for any course on the Registration Study List that has not been officially dropped by petition, completed by the end of the term, or approved as an Incomplete on a Contract for “I” Grade. (See also Section 375.06, No Reports (NR).) Likewise, courses that were taken but not listed on the Registration Study List cannot be added retroactively.

340.04 Registration Study Lists, Assigning Units

All EAP courses are approved for a maximum number of quarter units. Within the maximum, the SC Director and the student decide together the number of units for which each course is to be registered. Exercising the variable units option, the student may register for fewer than the maximum approved units for one or more courses. The minimum unit value for each course is 1 (1.5 for UCB and Merced students). The agreed upon units are recorded on the official Registration Study List before the list is released to UOEAP, and a note explaining the variable units is included in the comments box of the study list. The SC Director should be sure that the total unit load meets the minimum requirement for the program (see Section 335.02, Deficit Load Petition).

The SC Director and student may choose fewer than the maximum number of units for a variety of reasons (the student is close to exceeding campus maximum unit rules for graduation, the student wishes to balance the unit weight of various disciplines on the Registration Study List, etc.). While the unit assignment for courses is variable, the amount and type of work required is not. With the exception of Special Study Projects, for which the unit value is assigned in proportion to the amount of time and effort required, all other courses have fixed requirements of effort, assignments, and exams. (See also Section 335.02, Deficit Load Petition.)

Note: Students should consult their departmental advisors about the means of applying courses of less than 4 or 5 units toward their major.

Note: UCB and Merced students must carry a minimum of 1.5 units per course, which will appear as 1 semester unit of credit on their UCB record, except for language courses that are only 1 unit and can be combined to equal a 3-, 4-, or 6-semester-unit course.

340.05 Auditing

Although most partner institution agreements allow UC students to audit courses throughout the university, auditing in place of registering for courses should be discouraged. Experience has shown that students rarely are able to audit a course regularly and complete the reading or writing connected to the course. There are circumstances, however, when auditing constitutes the only form in which a student may learn from a well-known professor or work in a field of strong academic interest. All auditing is subject to the approval of the SC Director and the instructor of the course. Audited courses are not listed on students’ Registration Study Lists and, therefore, do not appear on their UC records.

340.06 Course Duplication

Courses for which a student has already received credit prior to EAP participation cannot be repeated on EAP.

SC Directors should remind students that their home UC campus will not grant credit for courses that duplicate previous college-level course work. Students may not enroll in courses that duplicate the content of courses taken at any college-level institution. For example, if a student has completed Introduction to Microeconomics at UC, the student may not enroll in an introductory microeconomics course at the EAP host university.

This is a particularly easy oversight with regard to language courses, especially where a number of language levels are offered. Students should be sure to keep comprehensive records of their work so that they can demonstrate substantial differences of content from previously completed work.

340.07 Repeating a Course

In rare instances, a student who fails a course may have the chance to repeat the course the following term. Generally, SC Directors should approve a petition to repeat a course only in cases where the student failed the course or received a D grade. The repeated course should be noted as a repeat in the comments box of the student’s Registration Study List. It must be listed for no more and no fewer units than the original course. If the original course was taken for a letter grade, the repeated course must also be taken for a letter grade; if the course was taken on the P/NP option, the repeated course must also be taken P/NP.

The approval of the petition to repeat the course relates only to EAP enrollment and does not determine the final disposition of credit and grades on the student’s permanent UC record. UOEAP will alert the relevant campus registrar’s office to the repeated course when the final grades report is sent. Because regulations and procedures regarding the repetition of courses vary by campus and depend on a student’s individual academic record, UOEAP cannot determine how the courses and grades will finally be recorded at the home UC campus. Students should be directed to contact their Campus EAP Advisor to learn the regulations and procedures for repeated courses at their campus.

340.08 P/NP Option

The P/NP grade option must be noted on the Registration Study List at the time of enrollment or added by a General Petition. Retroactive change of the grade option is permitted only in exceptional circumstances. Undergraduate students may neither take ILP courses on a P/NP basis (see Section 300.02, Intensive Language Program) nor may they take language courses in summer stand-alone programs or short-term language and culture programs on a P/NP basis. Exceptions to this policy are courses offered by a partner institution on the P/NP basis only. (See Section 385.06, Graduate Students, Grades, for rules applying to graduate students.)

During the regular academic year students may elect up to one-third of their total unit load to be taken P/NP. To take more than one-third of their units P/NP in any given term, students must submit a General Petition and EAP’s Academic Dean or Associate Dean must approve it. Such petitions are granted when it is demonstrated that the annual total or total for the program of P/NP units will not exceed one-third. The student should be advised that many UC departments prohibit the use of the P/NP option for any course in the major.

A “pass” includes grades of C and above (or C– and above where the student’s home UC campus permits it). A “no pass” is assigned for grades of C– (or D+ where the student’s home UC campus considers C– a pass) and below, regardless of the host university grade policy.

Note: Because UC campus policies vary with respect to P/NP grades, SC Directors must submit a letter grade for each course taken on the P/NP grading option. MyEAP converts the letter grade to the appropriate P or NP. If a course is offered on the P/NP basis only, the grading option must be marked on the CAR as pass/no pass and the “letter grade available” field must be unchecked.

Note: Grade option changes by petition after the add/drop deadline will be approved by the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean only when the SC Director provides valid academic reasons based on what is best for the student’s overall academic progress.

It is the student’s responsibility to know any campus regulations or limitations on allowable P/NP courses and units and to choose grading options on the Registration Study List accordingly. Although the SC Director might remind the student of the need to consider campus regulations, the SC Director is not responsible for knowing or enforcing campus P/NP policies. The student should clear these matters early with the home campus advisor since retroactive petitions to change the grading option are rarely approved.

340.09 Registration Study List, Failure to Register or to File

A student who fails to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the Student Agreement, including failure to register within the prescribed partner university registration time limit, failure to submit a Registration Study List that meets EAP requirements by the deadline set by the SC Director, refusal to take the prescribed course of study, failure to attend classes, or leaving the program before the end of the term without the SC Director’s approval, is subject to lapse of student status and dismissal from EAP. Students should be warned that such actions might have serious financial consequences. SC Directors are requested to inform UOEAP immediately of a student’s failure to register or submit an approved Registration Study List, to explain the circumstances of such failure, and to make a recommendation as to any action required.

If a student fails to comply with the deadline, the SC Director should inform the student, in writing, that if the approved Registration Study List is not submitted to UOEAP by the extended deadline set by the SC Director (no later than four weeks after the prescribed Study Center deadline), his or her EAP student status will have lapsed and the student will be administratively dismissed from the program. The SC Director will issue the written notice of dismissal to the student and send a copy to UOEAP (see Section 370.07, Administrative Dismissal). Should the prescribed deadline prove unworkable, the SC Director may request an extension from UOEAP.

If the SC Director believes that dismissal from the program or other disciplinary action is appropriate, he or she is empowered to take such action after consulting with and obtaining approval from the EAP Regional Director. The SC Director must inform the student in writing of the action to be taken and of the appeals process available to the student. The appeal must be initiated within 48 hours from the time the student is informed in writing of the action to be taken; an appeal must be in the form of a letter to the EAP Universitywide Director (see Section 500.05, Student Conduct and Discipline, Procedures for Investigation, Discipline, and Appeal).

340.10 Reinstatement and Readmission to EAP

An EAP participant who loses student status on EAP because of an unauthorized failure to register at the host institution or submit a Registration Study List, is normally ineligible to apply for reinstatement and readmission to EAP. If there are extenuating circumstances, however, a former EAP participant student may apply for EAP reinstatement provided the student is still enrolled or has been readmitted as a student on the home campus.

An application for EAP reinstatement by a former student who is enrolled at the home campus will be reviewed by the Campus EAP Director, who recommends action concerning the student’s EAP reinstatement to the EAP Universitywide Director. The EAP Universitywide Director, in consultation with the SC Director, will make the final decision.

340.11 Correspondence Concerning Academic Matters

Since UOEAP functions as the link between the EAP participant and the home campus registrar’s office, SC Directors should address questions or problems concerning enrollment, Registration Study Lists, petitions, course work, grades, etc. to the relevant Academic Specialist at UOEAP only, and not directly to UC campus registrars, departments, or Campus EAP Offices. SC Directors should not correspond with parents or other family members about a student’s academic record, activities, or performance without the explicit written permission of the student.

340.12 Graduate Courses for Undergraduates

Undergraduate students must obtain special permission to register in graduate courses. This requires a General Petition that the SC Director and the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean must approve and sign (see Section 360.00, Registration Study List Changes or Policy Exceptions by Petition). The SC Director should make sure that the student has the course instructor’s permission and that the course is appropriate to the student’s background and needs, as required by Academic Senate Regulation 740C, which states, in part, that graduate courses are “ordinarily open only to students who have completed at least 18 upper-division units basic to the subject matter of the course.”

340.13 Retention of Files at UOEAP

Registration Study Lists (electronic or printed copies) are retained at UOEAP for five years after completion of the academic year or term. Hard copy grade records are retained for at least five years and may be transferred to microfiche or an electronic storage medium. MyEAP records will be retained indefinitely. It is the responsibility of each student to make and keep a copy of the submitted Registration Study List, any petition submitted to make changes, and any other documentation that might be needed to verify records or clarify a discrepancy in case a question arises.

340.14 Request to Review Student EAP Record

SC Directors should remind all students to check their campus transcripts carefully within six months following EAP participation. If a student believes there is an error in a course number or title, units, grade option, or grade, as shown on his or her UC campus academic record, the student should submit to UOEAP a Request to Review Student EAP Record form, available at the Campus EAP Office. Evidence supporting the suspected error should be included with the request. The request must be submitted no later than 18 months after the last term in which the student participated in the program.

340.15 Student Course Information Form

Students should complete a Student Course Information Form (SCIF) for every course they take. The SC Director should direct students to copy these forms from the EAP website and to retain them along with course syllabi, bibliographies, corrected exams, papers, and other course information to be used by home campus advisors in evaluating course work for general education, major, or other requirements. The SC Director may request a copy of the completed SCIFs, if desired, for assistance in completing CAR forms.

360. ACADEMIC PETITIONS

360.00 Registration Study List Changes or Policy Exceptions by Petition

Students on EAP use a General Petition to change their Registration Study Lists or to request approval of exceptions to academic policy before the end of the term. After the end of the term, after final exams have begun, or after the grade is known to the student, the student uses a Retroactive Petition to request changes. Both kinds of petitions are submitted on paper petition forms.

Students use a General Petition to make changes to the Registration Study List after the deadline set by the SC Director. This deadline is normally the same date that the study lists are closed to further changes by students; at the latest, it is the date that study lists are released to UOEAP. The exact schedule and sequence of deadlines may vary depending on the particular program and agreement between the SC Director and the Academic Specialist. UOEAP provides a target deadline for release of the study lists based on the academic calendar of the host institution and particular factors about the program or at the Study Center.

Standard procedures and schedules will be established when MyEAP is completely functional and Study Centers and academic staff at UOEAP have sufficient experience with MyEAP and the academic workflow. Normal changes that are within EAP policy (add or drop a course, change a grade option, change the number of units) are within the authority of the SC Director, but a General Petition must be filed at UOEAP. Prior to releasing the study lists to UOEAP, the SC Director should make the requested changes on the study list and use the notes section of the study list to explain the changes made by the petition, including the date of the petition. Both the student and the SC Director must sign the General Petition. After releasing the study lists to UOEAP, the petition is considered late and academic staff at UOEAP make the changes (see Late General Petition below).

The signed original copy of the petition should be sent immediately to UOEAP by airmail, express service, fax, or as a scanned copy via e-mail.

A student’s request for an exception to academic policy is submitted on a General Petition and requires approval by the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean. Exceptions include:

The signed original copy of the petition should be sent immediately to UOEAP by airmail, express service, fax, or as a scanned copy via e-mail to obtain approval of the exception and to effect the change to the study list.

The General Petition is also used for changes to a student’s academic program occurring after the deadline set by the SC Director or after the release of study lists to UOEAP and up until final exams begin or grades are known to the student, whichever occurs first. This also applies to late petitions for year-long courses in which final exams are at the end of the year. The SC Director should recommend approval for late petitions based on valid academic reasons and on what is best for the student’s overall academic progress.

Although the SC Director recommends approval of late petitions, final approval is granted by the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean, as delegated to the Academic Specialist. Excess load petitions are sent to the student’s dean or provost for final approval. The original petition should be sent by airmail, express service, fax, or as a scanned copy by e-mail to UOEAP immediately upon submission by the student.

The Retroactive Petition is used for academic program changes or policy exception requests submitted at any time after finals begin or grades for the relevant courses have been assigned by instructors, whichever occurs first. The SC Director must recommend approval or disapproval and provide a written justification, either on the petition or in a message accompanying it. Retroactive petitions to change the grading option or number of units once the student’s grades are known are strongly discouraged unless there are special circumstances, such as serious health problems, that justify such a change. A retroactive grade option change, if recommended for approval, must carry a cogent, convincing recommendation from the SC Director. Requests will not be hastily approved and should be supported only if the SC Director believes without doubt that the student has been the involuntary victim of some crisis (health, closure of the host university, etc.) or target of unreasonable expectations or prejudice. UC campus deans or provosts rarely approve retroactive grade option changes. (See also Section 340.08, P/NP Option.)

The SC Director does not have final authority over retroactive petitions. The completed petition form is sent to UOEAP, where the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean evaluates it and recommends approval or disapproval. It is then forwarded (via the Campus EAP Office) to the home campus dean or provost. The dean or provost has final authority over retroactive changes, but consideration usually favors advice received from the SC Director and EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean. After the action by the dean or provost, UOEAP notifies the campus registrar if the student record is to be amended.

Retroactive petitions after the student’s return to California may be initiated through the Study Center, Campus EAP Office, or UOEAP, depending on whom the student contacts first. The Retroactive Petition process is managed by UOEAP, but requires actions by the SC Director and Campus EAP Office. Retroactive petitions may be initiated no later than 18 months following the end of the program in which the student participates. Copies of the petition are made and distributed as noted below. (See also Section 340.02, Program Changes, Authorized.)

In the event that any petition (normal, late, or retroactive) is denied, the decision is final and appealing the same action is not permitted.

360.01 Academic Petitions, Forwarding to UOEAP

The student and SC Director should complete the petition and send it immediately to UOEAP. Petitions should never be held at the Study Center. On a General Petition, the SC Director should indicate on the line labeled “Action” whether the petition is Normal or Late and/or the policy exception. A retroactive request is made on a separate petition form.

The type of action determines the number and distribution of required copies, as follows:

For those petitions that do not require the approval of EAP’s Academic Dean or Associate Dean, the original is sent to UOEAP by the Study Center’s deadline. The student should receive a copy. One copy is kept at the Study Center.

For late petitions and petitions for exceptions to policy, which require the approval of the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean, the original is sent to UOEAP as soon as possible and before final exams are completed. One copy is kept at the Study Center. After the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean’s action, the Study Center will be notified of the outcome.

The original of the Retroactive Petition is sent to UOEAP with the student’s justification and the SC Director’s comments and recommendation. After the EAP Academic Dean or Associate Dean’s recommendation and the dean’s or provost’s action, the campus registrar will be notified of any changes to the student’s record, and UOEAP will send copies of the completed petition to the student’s Campus EAP Office and the SC Director.

365. EXTENSIONS

365.00 Extensions

Requests by students after they are abroad to extend their participation for an additional term or year are handled by petition or by activation of the Departmental and College Pre-Approval to Extend form (DPA). Procedures are described under the subject of Student Welfare and Logistics. (See Section 440, Requests for Extension of Program Participation.)

370. WITHDRAWAL FROM EAP

370.00 Voluntary Withdrawal after Enrollment

Withdrawal from EAP after the Official Program Start Date is an important matter with the potential for academic, financial, and personal consequences to the student. It is also a formal process whereby a student notifies EAP and the University of California that he or she is leaving the university for the term in question. Failure to submit the Petition to Withdraw in accordance with the procedures outlined below can jeopardize the student’s registration privileges for future terms at UC.

370.01 Voluntary Withdrawal, Reasons for

Approximately 2 to 3 percent of EAP participants withdraw voluntarily before the end of their programs each year. EAP carefully considers withdrawal petitions and helps interpret students’ situations to the home campus.

370.02 Withdrawal, Counseling Students

In counseling students who are contemplating withdrawal from EAP and who do not have an obvious or clearly urgent external motivation such as a serious accident, illness, or family emergency, the SC Director must find a balance between contradictory factors.

On the one hand, it is common for students experiencing transitory adjustment problems to consider withdrawal; issues of cultural adjustment may be reflected in or magnified by anxieties regarding course work or living situations, loneliness, homesickness, financial strain, physical or mental stress, etc. With some support and assistance from the Study Center, many of these students may decide to stay and successfully complete the program. In discussing possible withdrawal, the SC Director should ensure that the student is aware of relevant resources available locally and from the home campus, for example: personal counseling, academic advising, social activities, assistance from the Study Center in resolving specific issues, Study Center emergency loans (see Section 820.01, Student Loans), professional medical or psychological evaluation and treatment, etc. If it is early in the EAP term and the student’s situation may be related to adjustment, past SC Directors have found it helpful to encourage a student to delay the decision for a short period, thereby allowing time for the situation to improve. SC Directors are encouraged to consult with the Academic Specialist in these cases to discuss possible academic and financial consequences to the student for delaying a decision to withdraw.

On the other hand, many circumstances that lead a student to consider withdrawal are necessarily subjective, and whether or not to withdraw is ultimately the student’s decision. If, despite encouragement and support from the SC Director, a student determines that withdrawal is the best resolution, the role of the SC Director is to ensure that the student fully understands the possible implications of withdrawal and to determine the disposition of any academic work in progress at the time of withdrawal. Specifically, the following points should be addressed with the student:

370.03 Consultation with UOEAP Prior to Submission of the Petition to Withdraw

Specific consequences of withdrawal will depend on a number of factors. However, if the student would like some general feedback on possible academic and financial consequences for withdrawal before actually submitting a petition, the SC Director should write to the relevant Academic Specialist at UOEAP for counsel, enclosing a statement from the student as well as the SC Director’s own appraisal of the situation. After reviewing the problem, UOEAP will advise the SC Director of the possible academic and financial consequences of the withdrawal.

370.04 Completion and Submission of the Petition to Withdraw

If the student’s final decision is to withdraw from EAP (and UC), a Petition to Withdraw must be completed. This petition is vital for four reasons:

The SC Director should ensure that the student completes and signs the student’s section of the petition and states the term for which he or she wishes to be readmitted to UC.

3. ACADEMIC MATTERS