L&S Course and Class Section Cancellation Policy
Courses without enrolled students may be canceled without further inquiry. Depending on instructor’s obligations to the payrolling units, departments/programs should expect to reassign instructors to other courses/duties.
Fall & Spring Term Class Section Cancellation Policy:
If a decision is made to cancel a class section with student enrollments:
- Prior to July 15 (Fall term) or January 1 (Spring Term):
- Departments are encouraged to contact students as early as possible to inform them of the cancellation (see below for information to provide in email).
- The Registrar’s Office will allow departments to cancel sections without L&S Academic Associate Dean permission, providing evidence is offered concerning notification of sudents and of the L&S Associate Dean to Teaching & Learning administration.
- After July 15 (Fall Term) or Jan 1 (Spring Term):
- If enrollment is sufficient to offer a course, departments should make every effort to do so.
- If the department decides to cancel a class section, they must contact L&S Associate Dean Teaching & Learning Administration for approval of the course cancellation. They should have a plan for contacting students, moving students to other sections or courses, reassignment of instructional duties, etc. See the section on Message to Students for more information about communicating with students.
- Departments must carry through on the plan developed in consultation with L&S Administration.
- The Registrar’s Office will not allow departments to cancel class sections without permission from the L&S Associate Dean of Teaching & Learning Administration.
- Departments must notify students (please see information that should be included in the email below).
Summer Term Class Section Cancellation Policy:
- Decisions for summer course offerings (all sessions) should be made by early May
- See L&S Summer Budget Model for discussion of financial considerations.
- The deadline to cancel an MOA for Summer 2021 is May 5, 2021.
- Departments should email Amanda Mahr to update their summer plans or make any other personnel changes.
- Class sections without enrolled students may be canceled without further inquiry. Departments should be able to do this on their own. Sections need to be cancelled, not deleted, once the Schedule of Classes is released.
- Cancellation of class sections with enrollment should be made in consultation with L&S and assistance from the Office of Registrar.
- Departments should contact their curricular contact to get the class roster with certain information that is not directly available to them.
- Departments should then submit a request for course cancellation to Amanda Mahr in L&S, explaining the rationale for the cancellation. The request will be reviewed by the L&S Summer Dean and other Associate Deans as needed.
- If L&S approves of the cancellation, the department must contact students as early as possible to inform them of the cancellation. This is particularly important for international students who must maintain enrollment to maintain their visa status.
- The department should then contact the Curricular Services team for assistance with course cancellation. Curricular Services will need to see written confirmation of L&S approval.
- Cancellation of Summer term courses that are required for year-round graduate programs should include appropriate alternatives for students who need to maintain their progress toward completion of their degrees
- Departments must notify students (please see information that should be included in the email below).
Messages to Students
Messages to students should include the following information:
- A clear statement that the course has been cancelled.
- Offer alternatives (if any exist).
- Offer departmental contact information for questions.
- Encourage students to reach out to their advisor if they need assistance selecting and enrolling in another course.
- Remind students that cancellation may affect their full-time status, and depending on their individual circumstances, may affect athletic eligibility, financial aid, veteran's benefits, visa status, or progress to degree.
L&S Contact
For more information about the L&S course cancellation policy, please contact Shirin Malekpour, Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Administration.