Registration is the way in which you become a student at the university. Registration includes enrolling in classes via RSVP, the telephone registration system; paying fees and other financial obligations; filing your current address with the Office of the Registrar; and completing and filing other information forms. Every UC Davis student must register each quarter.
If you are a new or reentering student you must also:
New graduate students who have been registered previously at Davis as undergraduates are considered to be new students.
Change of Name. Petitions to change your name on official university records may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. (Students planning to graduate should file this petition no later than the fifth week of the quarter in which they intend to graduate.)
Change of Address. Be sure to inform the Office of the Registrar of any change of address. Important registration materials, information and announcements are mailed to students throughout the year, so keep your campus/local mailing address, your billing address and your permanent address up to date. Change of Address forms are available at the Office of the Registrar and in the Class Schedule and Room Directory. You may also change your address by calling 754-9427.
Late registration privileges extend through the tenth day of instruction, but you will be assessed a fee of $50 to defray the extra clerical costs of late registration. Registration after the deadline will be allowed only under conditions where action or inaction on the part of the university delays registration. A recommendation from an appropriate administrative unit will be required, and the registration fee must be paid with cash, cashier's check, credit union check, university check or fee credit.
| Class Level | Unit Breakdown |
|---|---|
| Freshman | 0.0 -- 44.9 |
| Sophomore | 45.0 -- 89.9 |
| Junior | 90.0 --134.9 |
| Senior | 135.0 -- |
You are officially registered in all courses listed on your individual study list. You are responsible for completing each of the courses. To confirm the courses on your official study list, call RSVP.
You may adjust your schedule by adding or dropping courses using RSVP until the published deadlines.
To drop a course after the deadline, you need approval of the dean of your college or school. Graduate students must have their adviser's approval in order to drop courses. To add a course after the deadline, you need approval of the department. Certain fees may apply to late adds and drops. A course that is on your study list and for which you did no work that could be graded is reflected on your official transcript by the notation "E-NWS" (Enrolled-No Work Submitted).
See the Academic Calendar in the front of this catalog for the deadlines each quarter to add or drop courses. The Class Schedule and Room Directory for each quarter explains how to use RSVP to add and drop courses and what add/drop procedures and fees apply after the published deadlines.
Occasionally, in exceptional circumstances, students are allowed to drop a course after the course is completed. Reasons for seeking a retroactive drop are very specific: medical problems, severe emotional difficulties, or death or severe illness in the immediate family. Petitions are available from the Office of the Registrar and should include a detailed account of the problem, appropriate documentation and an adequate explanation of why an "I" grade or late drop was not taken during the quarter in which the problem occurred. The instructor's signature is required on the petition. A $3.00 fee is applicable on all retroactive drops.
In some rare circumstances, students are allowed to add a course after the course is completed. Petitions for retroactive adds are available from the Office of the Registrar. Each petition must include the reason for the student's failure to add the course during the quarter in which it is offered. The petition must be supported by the instructor's signed approval, together with a statement from the instructor indicating knowledge of the student's participation and performance during the presentation of the course in question and the instructor's understanding as to the reason for the student's failure to add the course before the end of the quarter. A course grade must be assigned by the instructor. A $3.00 fee is applicable on all retroactive adds.
Minimum Progress Requirements. Minimum progress is defined as an average of 12 units (including workload units) passed per quarter, calculated at the end of every quarter for the preceding three quarters of enrollment. Undergraduate students falling below this required average may be subject to academic disqualification. Minimum progress requirements do not apply to students who have been granted part-time status or to students who have their dean's approval to carry less than the minimum progress load because of medical disability, employment, a serious personal problem, a death in the immediate family, or a serious accident involving the student.
College of Letters and Science. Freshman students in their first year and transfer students in their first quarter of residence may not take more than 17 units each quarter. For all other Letters and Science students, the study list may not exceed 21 units each quarter. These unit limitations include non-credit remedial courses and repeated courses, but not make-up work to remove incomplete grades.
Units of credit are assigned to courses based on the "Carnegie unit,'' which assigns 1 unit of credit for three hours of work by the student per week. Usually this means one hour of lecture or discussion led by the instructor and two hours of outside preparation by the student. In laboratory courses, two or three hours of work in the laboratory are normally assigned 1 unit of credit.
In most courses at Davis the standard procedure prevails, so that a 3-unit course meets for three hours a week, a 4-unit course for four hours, and so on. Courses that are an exception to this pattern may require additional class time or give more demanding assignments. If you have questions about the number of units assigned to a course, you should check the expanded course descriptions (if your college or department provides them) or ask the instructor what is required in terms of outside reading, term papers, problem sets or field trips. These are not always spelled out completely in the General Catalog. By knowing the amount of work that will be required, you can plan your course load more systematically and realistically.
Under certain prescribed conditions, currently registered students in good standing may receive course credit by taking an examination without formally registering in a course. You may obtain a petition and a copy of the prescribed conditions from the Office of the Registrar. The petition is subject to the approval of the instructor giving the examination and the department involved.
The completed petition, accompanied by a fee of $5.00, must be presented for final approval to the dean of your college or school, or if you are a graduate student, to the dean of Graduate Studies.
The credit received for the examination may not duplicate any credit you have already earned toward your degree. You may not use credit by examination to repeat any course you have taken previously, regardless of the grade you received in that course. The final results will be reported to the Office of the Registrar, which will assign you the appropriate grade and grade points. Since failure to pass the examination will be recorded as an F, you are encouraged to prepare fully for such an examination before attempting it.
You may also receive credit for learning in nonacademic settings through credit by examination.
Students may gain credit for courses taken during the summer at other institutions, provided the courses parallel those given in the University of California. Assurance that such credit will be accepted, however, can be given only after the courses have been completed. You should arrange to have the transcripts of your summer session grades sent to Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services for evaluation. See the Summer Sessions bulletin for detailed information.
Senate Bill 1914, also known as the Killea Bill, requires that UC, CSU and the California Community Colleges permit students to enroll in one course per term at a campus of either of the other two systems on a space available basis at the discretion of the two campuses. This program aims to encourage community college students to enroll concurrently in courses offered at local universities, potentially increasing the number of community college transfers, including students from underrepresented groups.
Students must meet certain qualifications and be certified by their home campus as to eligibility, residence, fee, financial aid and health status. Generally, students will be allowed to add a class, if space is available, after the add/drop period on the host campus. To add a course, students must obtain the faculty member's approval and signature on a Cross-Enrollment form, available at their home campus Registrar's Office. The student takes the signed form to the Office of the Registrar at the host campus for processing. If you are interested in participating, come to the service counter at the Office of the Registrar, 12 Mrak Hall, for more information.
We welcome your comments.
UC Davis 1996-97 Online General Catalog