L&S Course and Class Section Cancellation Policy

Fall & Spring Term Class Section Cancellation Policy:

• 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 appointment for Faculty or renewable Academic Staff instructors for Summer 2022 is May 6, 2022.
  • 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 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.

See Also:

• L&S Policy Guidance: Course or Class Section Cancellation
• L&S guidance on "low enrollment" course sections