Grinnell College, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), recognizes that qualified students who have diagnosed disabilities are entitled to benefit from the educational programs of the College, if reasonable accommodations can be arranged. Grinnell is committed to making accommodations for students with physical, learning, or psychological disabilities to provide equal access to the full educational experience.

The Academic Advising office coordinates this process, and students in need of accommodations should contact this office. Students are required to provide current documentation of the disability from a qualified diagnostician, including a specific diagnosis and recommendations for appropriate academic accommodations. Some types of accommodations may include reduced course loads, extended time on exams, note takers or books in auditory format. Planning for academic accommodations is the responsibility of the student in conjunction with his or her adviser and the Director of Academic Advising.

Special students are, by definition, students who are not degree candidates. Such students may be registered either part-time (fewer than 12 credits) or full- time (12 or more credits). Students seeking classification as special students must petition the Committee on Academic Standing. Any student who receives approval to register as a part-time special student is entitled to the per credit tuition fee for special students. Full-time special students must pay full tuition.

The normal course load for students graduating in eight semesters is 16 credits per semester. To remain in good standing, all students are expected to register for and complete a minimum of 12 credits per semester. The maximum load is 18 credits, including music performance and all practica. A student requests permission to carry more than 18 credits in a semester (or fewer than 12 credits) by submitting a written request to the Registrar for action by the Committee on Academic Standing. Students registered for more than 18 credits per term are billed the per credit rate for the credits in excess of 18. Studio instruction in music or theatre or sport performance is not counted when determining credits in excess of 18.

Some first-year students may be advised to enroll for fewer than 16 credits. Students will not be allowed to drop below 8 credits.

Students are expected to participate actively in classes. It is important that students avoid class absences. A student who has been absent for any reason is still responsible for all work in the course. Individual instructors determine the effect of absences upon course grades. An instructor may recommend to the Committee on Academic Standing that a student be dropped from a course because of excessive absences.

If a student is ill and must miss classes, the student is responsible for seeing that instructors are provided with verification of the illness. The Health Center will verify an illness if the student is seen by a nurse at the center or contacts the center by phone to arrange for an assessment within 24 hours. The contact must be made each day a class is missed. This verification is given only if the student contacts the Health Center and/or is admitted to a hospital. If a student bypasses the Health Center and is seen by a physician, the student must obtain written verification of illness from the physician. The student must provide a copy of the medical statement to the professors and the Health Center. A student who is ill and is not seen by a Health Center nurse or a physician must work directly with instructors regarding absence from class. If absence from class is the result of reasons other than illness, students should notify the Office of Student Affairs. Student Affairs will inform the designa ted professors of the absence. In all cases, it is the instructor's decision whether to excuse the student from class.

Grinnell acknowledges and supports/embraces the religious diversity among its students. The administration is aware that the academic calendar occasionally conflicts with religious high holidays. The faculty has no written policy to accommodate the religious obligations of some students, but are asked to consider student requests for excused absences on these days. Students are asked to notify faculty of syllabus conflicts early in the semester and to request permission to make up work or to reschedule examinations if necessary.

Faculty advisers assist students in understanding college regulations. But the responsibility rests with the individual student to make certain that all necessary procedures are followed properly. All students receive detailed instructions before confirmation of registration and preregistration dates.

Students currently enrolled and those on leaves may preregister for the succeeding semester if they have paid the advance tuition deposit prior to preregistration. Tuition, fees, room and board are billed two months prior to confirmation of registration.

Confirmation of registration for courses takes place at the start of each semester (See the current semester calendar for these dates). A late registration fee is charged to students who do not confirm by 4:00 p.m. on registration confirmation day. Students must contact the Office of the Registrar if they are unable to confirm on registration day. Students must arrive on campus and complete confirmation of registration or registration no later than 5:00 p.m. on the fifth day of classes.

The administration reserves the right of final determination of an individual student's academic registration when institutional interests are involved: for example, when class size is limited for educational reasons or when disruption of a class or personal intimidation is a consideration.

Students must register for a short course (that is, courses of less than six weeks in length) by no later than the end of the first class day of the short course, or drop it by no later than the second day of the short course. S/D/F and audit options for a short course must be submitted no later than the end of the second day of the short course. Only emergency withdrawals are allowed.

Students must register for a half-semester course (that is, courses of six to eight weeks in duration) by no later than the second Friday of the course, or drop it no later than the second Friday of the course. This shall also be the period during which students may change between regular and S/D/F grading and between credit and audit options in their registration. After the second Friday of the course, students may withdraw from half-semester courses through the Friday of the fourth full week of the course with a transcript entry of W. Beyond this date only emergency withdrawals are allowed.

Students contemplating the "S/D/F" grading option should discuss this with their adviser."S/D/F" forms are available in the Office of the Registrar or from the Registrar's website. "S/D/F" grading is available at the student's request with the following limits:

• A student may elect the "S/D/F" grading option any time before the deadline for adding (see the current semester calendar for these dates) a regular course.
• he short course deadline for electing "S/D/F" grading option is the end of the second day of class.
• The half semester course deadline for electing "S/D/F" grading option is end of the second Friday of the class.
• A grading change to or from the "S/D/F" option is not permitted under any circumstances after the above stated deadlines.
• Only one course of 6 credits or fewer per semester may be taken "S/D/F." This one-course limit does not include 1-credit courses such as practica and all 1- or 2-credit courses offered only "S/D/F."
• A course in the student's major field or interdisciplinary concentration cannot be elected for grading on the "S/D/F" basis.
• Any course elected for such grading before the student's declaration of a major or interdisciplinary concentration does not count toward the minimum credit requirement for the major or concentration.
• The tutorial, or a writing course used as a replacement for a tutorial, may not be taken "S/D/F."
• The "S/D/F" option applies only to course work and internships and is not available for independent study in any form (297, 299, 387, 397, 399, 499, "Plus-2s").
• A student may not elect the "S/D/F" grading option for a main course when registered for the companion "Plus-2."
• A student may not elect the "S/D/F" grading option when repeating a course.
• A grade of "S" is not included in the student's semester or cumulative GPA. A grade of "D" is included at 1.0 grade points per credit. A grade of "F" is included at 0.0 grade points per credit.
• A student who is contemplating graduate or professional study should note the following: if a course is taken "S/D/F", the Office of the Regis- trar does not record a letter grade other than "S," "D," or "F" on anyform, either on a student's permanent record or in a student's folder.Changes from "S" to a letter grade will not be made on the transcript or on any official form under any circumstances.
• A course elected for grading on the "S/D/F" basis does not satisfy any part of the professional courses in education required for certification in Iowa and certain other states.

After consulting with the instructor about course requirements, students may elect to register for some courses on the audit basis. The audit option is not available for independent study in any form, including group independents. Individual faculty members determine their own course requirements for auditors. A grade of "AU" is recorded for each audit satisfactorily completed. Unsatisfactory audits are not recorded on a student's transcript. Audited courses do not count toward a degree.

Independent Study, Directed Research, or a MAP may not substitute for a course regularly offered by Grinnell College even though the course is not offered every year.

Directed Research (299) may be undertaken after completion of the first year; Independent Study (297 or 397) and Directed Research (399) may be undertaken when a student has attained second year standing. A MAP may be undertaken after completion of the second year.

Students having less than third year standing who have satisfied the tutorial requirement or its equivalent may take one Plus-2 or an Independent Study/Directed Research course (297, 299, 397, 399, and 499) per semester. There is no semester limit for third- and fourth-year students.

A "Plus-2" may be added any time during the first five weeks of a semester (See the current semester calendar for these dates). The signatures of the adviser and the instructor on a "Registration Change Form" are necessary. Credit is not granted for a "Plus-2" if a student does not successfully complete the related course.

An application for Independent Study, Directed Research, or a MAP must be completed with the required project statement and with all faculty signatures before submission to the Office of the Registrar. All applications are subject to the approval of the Dean of the College. An application for Independent Study, Directed Research, or a MAP (297, 299, 397, 399, and 499) is due the term prior to that in which such work is to be performed. All such applications for the following term will be due in the Office of the Registrar two school days after the end of preregistration for each term. A completed application for a summer Directed Research or a MAP is due in early June.

The "S/D/F" grading option is not available for Plus-2, Independent Study, Directed Research, or MAPs.

Although students are not limited in the total number of Individual Study/Directed Research courses (Plus-2, 297, 299, 397, 399, and 499) they may take, they (students who matriculate after July 2006) may apply only twelve of these credits in any one department toward satisfaction of graduation requirements.

For a student who matriculated before July 2006 he/she may count no more than 10 credits of independent study earned in any one department in 297, 387, and 397 toward satisfaction of graduation requirements. Credits earned through completion of Plus-2 projects, 299, 499, or 399 are not included in this 10-credit limit.

An application for a Guided Reading (297) requires a description of the topic accompanied by a bibliography. Arrangement for a Guided Reading project must be made before the work is done; credit is not given for reading done in the past.

An application for Independent Study (397) or Directed Research (299 or 399) requires a thesis statement or equivalent, an outline of the project, and a bibliography. After consultation with the potential faculty director, a student submits an application first to his/her academic adviser for approval and then to the proposed faculty director, who will decide whether to accept the application. The registration process is completed when the application is accepted by the faculty director and is approved by the Dean of the College.

A Mentored Advanced Project (499) has the most formal and developed application. In consultation with the potential faculty mentor, a student develops a thorough description of the topic and project, a clear statement of the relation of the project to his or her previous studies, a bibliography or list of sources, and an explanation of the planned product of the project. After securing the approval of the faculty mentor, a student submits the application for approval to the faculty adviser, the academic program in which the MAPs takes place, and the Dean of the College. The final product of a MAP should be worthy of dissemination to the wider scholarly community.

The internship program provides a field learning experience as part of the liberal arts education. The academic year internship is a part-time program in which students spend 14 hours per week at the work site and receive four credits. Summer internships may be pursued throughout the United States or abroad, and students may receive two or four credits.

Information, applications, and internship guidelines may be obtained from the Career Development Office. After discussing a preliminary internship proposal with the academic adviser and an adviser from the Career Development Office, the student asks a faculty member to serve as faculty sponsor. Completed learning contracts between student, faculty sponsor, and work site supervisor are due at the time of application. The Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College and the Curriculum Committee review applications for internships requesting credit.

A student may normally undertake part-time internships when he or she has declared a major, is a third- or fourth-year student, is in good academic standing, and has completed departmental requirements for participation in internships. The Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College may grant individual exceptions to this policy.

Students may earn a maximum of 8 semester credits through internships that can be counted toward graduation requirements. Students may not participate in more than two internships.

Grinnell College's academic policy states that students cannot withdraw from internships after registration because of the special nature of an internship placement that involves community commitment. All site obligations must be completed within the semester of registration. For rules regulating incompletes, see the section titled Incomplete Work.

Except in the case of short courses or half-semester courses, a course may be added or changed from credit to audit, during the first three class weeks of a semester (See the current semester calendar for these dates).

To add a course or change from credit to audit, a student must complete a Registration Change Form, obtain permission from his or her faculty adviser and the instructor of the course, and return the completed form to the Office of the Registrar. Registration Change Form can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar or from the Registrar's website.

A few courses may be taken more than once for credit. Those courses can be identified in the Grinnell College Catalog: It states "may be repeated for credit" within the descriptive text for these courses.

A student may repeat any course in which he/she has earned a grade of D or F. For any repeated course only the grade and credits earned the second time are counted toward graduation or in the student's grade-point average, but the first attempt remains on the student's transcript.

A student must have permission from the Committee on Academic Standing to repeat any other course already taken. Permission to repeat is usually not granted for courses in which a student has earned a grade of "C" or better.

Any course that repeats the content of a Grinnell course in which a student initially received a "D" or "F" grade may not be pursued at another institution.

A student may withdraw from a course without transcript entry within the first three class weeks of the semester (See the current semester calendar for these dates).

From Monday of the fourth week through Friday of the ninth week of the semester, a course may be dropped with a transcript entry of "W"(See the current semester calendar for these dates). "W"refers to withdrawing from a course without credit or academic penalty, and the "W"designation carries no grade point. A student who drops a course after the ninth week will receive the grade assigned by the instructor.

A failing grade may be assigned to any student who drops a course without permission and without filing the "Registration Change Form"with the Office of the Registrar.

Students should consult their advisers or the Director of Academic Advising before dropping courses, since students are expected to earn 16 credits in any semester to maintain normal progress toward graduation and are not allowed to drop below 8 credits. If dropping a course results in a load of less than 12 credits, the student may be placed on academic probation for the next semester.

Students considering withdrawal from all their courses or from the College during a semester should see the sections of this Student Handbook titled "Leaves of Absence"and "Withdrawing from the College."

Emergency course withdrawals may be granted by the Director of Academic Advising in exceptional and extreme circumstances that are both beyond the student's control and impossible to foresee. Students are not allowed to drop below 8 credits, however. Students granted approval for emergency course withdrawals after the ninth week of classes will receive the transcript notation of "W." No student may withdraw from a course after 5:00 p.m. of the last day of classes.

The Committee on Academic Standing, on the recommendation of the instructor, may drop a student from a course for cause, which includes excessive absences. If this action is taken during the fourth through ninth weeks, a grade of "W" is recorded. After this period, the grade assigned by the instructor is recorded, although in cases of illness or other emergency situations, the Committee on Academic Standing may approve a transcript entry of "W" upon recommendation by the Director of Academic Advising.

Students withdrawing from the College during a semester must indicate their intentions in writing to the Office of Student Affairs, and if possible, discuss their reasons for withdrawing with the Dean for Student Life. Refunds for a semester in progress are granted according to the policy in the Grinnell College Catalog.

If a student withdraws from the College by the end of the third week of the semester, all courses enrolled in for the semester and not yet completed are deleted from the student's record. If withdrawal occurs from Monday of the fourth week of classes through Friday of the ninth week of classes, a transcript entry of "W"is recorded for each of the courses not yet completed. Students withdrawing after the ninth week of classes or after the end of the semester will receive the grades assigned by their instructors; in these cases, any CAS action based on grades earned for the semester will be posted along with the withdrawal on the student's official College transcript.

Students who withdraw cannot apply for readmission to the College unless they have been away for a minimum of two semesters. Withdrawn students wanting to return to the College must submit a request to the Registrar by the transfer student application deadline. A student who has been readmitted may request permission to count a maximum of 6 credits completed while withdrawn from the College toward satisfaction of Grinnell degree requirements. The student submits a "Transfer Course Approval Form"to the Registrar. Semesters during which a student was withdrawn do not count toward the residency requirement. Students who withdraw while on probation or suspension must meet the terms of their probation, if readmitted. All readmitted students must satisfy the graduation requirements in effect at the time of their readmission.