General Information & Policies

The information below applies to all credit students, on-campus and at a distance.

Auditing

A student wanting to participate in a class without earning the credits may register as an auditor. Most courses are available for audit. Auditing a course requires prior approval of a student's advisor and the instructor. Audits or pass/fail do not count toward a degree, but are recorded on the student's academic record if an instructor determines that an auditor's participation in the course is satisfactory.

When computing course loads and assessing fees, audited courses are counted the same as if taken for credit. Tuition is the same as for credit courses. Changes to or from an audit status must be made during the registration period.

College Opportunity Fund (COF)

The College Opportunity Fund stipend does not apply toward any Continuing Education courses or programs. Continuing Education is cash-funded and self-supporting and does not receive state support.

Find more information about the program, visit the CSU College Opportunity Fund website.

Corequisites (lab and recitations)

Some courses have labs and/or recitations that are required to be taken with the lecture section. Corequisites use the same delivery method as the lecture section.

DANTES

DANTES mission is to support the off-duty, voluntary education programs of the Department of Defense and to conduct special projects and development activities in support of education-related functions of the Department. Colorado State University courses are approved for the DANTES program. Eligible military personnel may process DANTES applications through their education office.

Degree-Seeking Status

Once a student is officially admitted to Colorado State University to earn a degree, the student's status is termed degree-seeking.

Enrollment Status Full-time/Half-time

Enrollment status is determined by the number of credits which the student has completed or is pursuing for the term in question. Courses from which the student has dropped or is auditing are not included. Credit requirements are as follows:

Spring and Fall

  • Undergraduate
    Full-time: 12 or more credits
    Half-time: 6 - 11 credits
  • Graduate
    Full-time: 9 or more credits
    Half-time: 5 - 8 credits

Summer

  • Undergraduate
    Full-time: 6 or more credits
    Half-time: 3 - 5 credits
  • Graduate
    Full-time: 5 or more credits
    Half-time: 3 - 4 credits

Tuition is not affected by enrollment status; however, there are other departments such as Student Financial Services that are affected by enrollment status.

Graduation

Students graduating from degree programs offered through Continuing Education are welcome and encouraged to walk in the on-campus graduation ceremony.

Undergraduate

Students applying to graduate must complete an intent-to-graduate form with the Registrar's Degree Office, (970) 491-7159, no later than the third week of the term prior to the graduating term. By the first week of their graduation term, students must sign a contract for graduation. View CSU commencement dates.

Graduate

Students applying for the first time to graduate must complete the Application for Graduation (GS Form 25) and submit it to the Graduate School. Students who applied to graduate in a previous term, and did not graduate, are required to file a Reapplication for Graduation and register for Continuous Registration.

Further information about graduation deadline dates, commencement information, and other forms is available at the Graduate School.

Holds

Academic and administrative offices can place holds on your registration. These holds prevent you from registering or changing your registration schedule. Colorado State University makes every effort to notify students of their holds.

If a hold on your account exists, you must clear each hold with the office involved. Contact information for the offices involved will be listed with each hold.

In compliance with Colorado state laws and Health Department regulations, Colorado State University requires persons born January 1, 1957 or later to show proof of immunity against measles (two doses), mumps (two doses), and rubella (two doses). If a distance student does not attend on-campus classes or use on-campus resources, the immunization hold is not applicable.

Parking on Campus

Find a campus map at the University Parking Services website.

Before 4 pm

Students parking on campus between 7:30 am and 4 pm Monday through Friday must purchase a parking permit, use meters, or park in the open parking areas.

After 4 pm

Students visiting campus after 4 pm Monday through Friday may park in designated "Z" parking zones or in metered spaces without charge. Some "A" zones are also available after this time; however, be watchful of posted areas where parking restrictions are enforced until later times. Lots "W", "Q" and "X" are residence hall lots and are not available for free parking until after 8 pm.

For additional information, contact University Parking Services at (970) 491-7041.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites for each course are listed with the course information. A department may limit the enrollment in a class to particular students.

Continuing Education typically offers courses that are required prerequisites for other courses.

Permission (consent) of the instructor for a student to attend a class is implied when the student has met specified prerequisites. All prerequisites may be considered to have been met if a student presents evidence of credit earned in equivalent courses or if knowledge equivalent to the prerequisites indicated is demonstrated.

Written Consent of the Instructor

If written consent of the instructor is required, submit the signed Faculty Consent Form with your completed registration.

Repeat/Delete Policy

Repeat/Delete is a one-time per course grading option that may be used by undergraduate students to repeat a course in an effort to achieve a better grade. The following rules apply:

  • The grade received the second time will be used to calculate the student's grade point average (GPA), regardless of whether the repeated grade is higher the same as, or lower than the initial grade received. The initial grade remains on the student transcript but is not used in calculating the GPA.
  • The student must request the Repeat/Delete option from the Registrar before the expiration of the W-drop period in the first semester in which the course is repeated.
  • May be used for a maximum of ten (10) credit hours.
  • If a course is repeated at any time after using the Repeat/Delete option, all grades received for that course, except the initial grade, are used in computing the student's GPA.
  • Although a course may be repeated as often as a student chooses, the Repeat/Delete option can be used only the first time a course is repeated.

Senior Visitation Privilege

At the discretion of the instructor in charge, seniors 62 years of age or older may attend any University class as a visitor without formal registration, provided on campus classroom space is available. Contact the Registrar's Office for more information.

Student Records (FERPA)

Developed by the Family Policy Compliance Office

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students these rights:

  1. Inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access.
    • Students should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate Official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The University official will make arrangements for access and notify the students of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
  2. Request the amendment of the students education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
    • Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the University official responsible for the records, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
    • If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
  3. Consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the students education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
    • One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
    • A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
    • Upon request, the University discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
  4. File a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Colorado State University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

    Family Policy Compliance Office
    US Department of Education
    400 Maryland Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC 20202-4605

Tax Incentives

The 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act provides education tax incentives for U.S. citizens. Education tax incentives are available for adults who want to return to school and for parents who are sending or planning to send their children to school.

Education tax incentives include:

  • Hope Scholarship Tax Credit (this is not a University scholarship but a tax credit.)
  • Lifetime Learning Credit
  • Deductibility of Student Loan Interest
  • Education IRA Account
  • Employer-provided Educational Assistance

More information:

Textbooks & Materials

The textbooks and materials that you will need for a course are listed with the course information. All textbooks and materials are considered to be required unless noted as being optional.

Unless otherwise indicated, it is the responsibility of the student to obtain the textbooks and additional materials. Required textbooks, videotapes, and study guides for credit and noncredit Continuing Education courses are available through the University Bookstore.

University Policies

Each student is responsible for being completely familiar with the policies and procedures of Colorado State University and the Division of Continuing Education.

All distance courses are conducted in accordance with the established policies of Colorado State University. Specific information concerning these policies can be found in the General Catalog and the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.

All statements made on this website and other publications distributed generally to prospective or admitted students shall be for information purposes only and should not be interpreted as contractual for any purpose. Colorado State University reserves the right at any time, without notice, to change, modify, or cancel any course, program, procedure, policy, financial requirement, or disciplinary arrangement set forth on this website whenever, at its sole discretion, it determines such action to be appropriate. Furthermore, Colorado State University is not responsible for any failure to present or complete any course or program, or to perform any other activity, function, or obligation mentioned on this website.