Student Records Information

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The academic year is divided into two 15-week semesters and a four-week Winter Term (see the Academic Calendar on the inside back cover). Each semester consists of approximately 14 weeks of classes, a one-week midterm break, a three-day reading period and a five-day final examination period. During the reading period there are no classes; it is a time in which term papers can be finished and work reviewed in preparation for examinations. Within each semester, Oberlin College offers first and second module courses that are approximately seven weeks in length.

Students are eligible to receive credit only in those courses for which they officially register or add through the web-based student record system or with the Office of the Registrar.

Students register for courses at assigned registration times using the web-based student record system. Times are determined by the number of completed credit hours and registered hours in progress. Registration for upcoming semesters is held in November for the spring semester and in April for the fall semester. All on-campus students are required to meet with their advisor before registering and are required to register during their scheduled registration time. New students are offered the opportunity to submit a list of course choices during June before coming to campus. From the list, a limited number of course requests will be confirmed; new students complete the registration process on campus in late August just prior to the beginning of the fall semester. New students who matriculate at Oberlin in the spring semester register on campus prior to the beginning of the spring semester.

Semester and module courses can be added or dropped no later than the eighth class day of the semester. Students may elect to withdraw from a course until the end of the eighth week of classes. The complete academic calendar is available at www.oberlin.edu/regist.

At the beginning of the semester, all students must confirm they have returned to campus through enrollment in the web based student record system. Enrollment, a separate process from course registration, is required. Any student who does not enroll by the deadline will be withdrawn. In order to enroll, a student must first resolve any outstanding obligations such as an unpaid bill, an overdue library book, or a required meeting with a dean.

A student enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program must be registered for at least twelve credit hours to qualify for official full-time standing.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music have different policies concerning the minimum number of earned credit hours required as well as separate policies about academic standing and part-time enrollment. Please see the relevant sections of this catalog for this information.

The semester’s tuition and a student’s enrollment status are based on the courses for which a student is registered at the end of the add/drop period for semester courses, the eighth class day of the semester.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory have standards for good academic standing that require a minimum number of credit hours completed each semester (for students who matriculated prior to fall 2004) and a combination of a minimum number of completed credit hours and GPA (for students who matriculate fall 2004 and later). Please see the relevant sections of this catalog for this information.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory expect that students in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music programs will maintain an average course load each semester so that a degree is earned in eight semesters. Students in the Double-Degree program are expected to maintain an average course load so that a degree is earned in 10 semesters.

Prior to initial enrollment and registration, all new students, including Language Teaching Assistants, must file with the Office of Student Health a health certificate and results of immunizations and laboratory tests as specified on the Student Health Questionnaire.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended, states requirements regarding the privacy of student records. FERPA governs release of records maintained by an educational institution and access to those records. In accordance with this legislation, Oberlin College has established standards governing the release of student “directory” information to third parties and of academic information to parents or guardians.

Oberlin College does not routinely send mailings to parents or guardians regarding a student’s academic record, except in cases of academic suspension or dismissal. The College will, however, release grades and information regarding academic progress to parents or guardians upon receiving written permission from the student.

The final examination schedule is determined by the Office of the Registrar and is posted on the registrar’s website before the beginning of each semester.

Final Examinations: An individual student may not take a final examination at other than the scheduled time (not even at the time allocated to other sections of the same course) without special permission from the Dean of Studies (for courses in the College of Arts and Sciences) or the Conservatory Associate Dean (for courses in the Conservatory).

Final projects: With the exception of certain musical performance examinations, auditions, and other Conservatory assessments, classes will not be held nor final examinations given during the reading period. Final projects are due during the evaluation period at the final examination time as scheduled by the Office of the Registrar. Any in-class component must be scheduled at the final examination time and is limited to two hours.

To view the entire final examination schedule and policy, see www.oberlin.edu/regist.

See “Transfer of Credit” in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music sections of this catalog.

Class standing is determined by the total completed hours at Oberlin and transfer hours.

For students in the College of Arts and Sciences, class standing is as follows:

For the Conservatory of Music, class standing is as follows:

PLEASE NOTE: Two grading policies exist for students at Oberlin College; students who matriculated prior to Fall Semester 2004 are covered under a “Letter Grade/Credit/No Entry grading system; students who matriculate Fall Semester 2004 and later are covered under a “letter Grade/Pass/No Pass” system. Please see the relevant Arts and Sciences and Conservatory of Music sections of the catalog for a complete explanation of the policies.

Variations in grading policies also exist between the College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music, please consult the relevant sections of the catalog for the policy for Arts and Sciences and for the Conservatory.

In 2004-2005 the completion or graduation rate for students who entered Oberlin College in 1998 on a full-time basis was 81 percent. In 2003-2004 the completion or graduation rate for students who entered Oberlin College in 1997 in the five-year, double-degree program was 88 percent.