Advising and Registration

Academic Advising

Although each student is responsible for planning a course of study and fulfilling the requirements for graduation, faculty advisors must be consulted at all levels.

All students with fewer than 30 hours will be advised through the Academic Advising and Assistance Center (AAAC). Pre-Nursing majors and students who have not declared a major will also continue to be advised through the AAAC after completing 30 hours.

After completing 30 hours and declaring a major, students will be assigned an advisor in the college of their major. Any student seeking a degree (associate’s, bachelors, or master’s) from SAU must work with that advisor to develop an official degree plan, which must then be approved by the dean of the appropriate college. Failure to complete this process may hinder or jeopardize the student’s completion of the requirements for a degree and graduation.

The Office of the Registrar approves and maintains the official approved degree plan. A transfer student must have transcripts and records evaluated by the appropriate dean prior to their initial registration and enrollment in classes at SAU.

Summer Advising

Southern Arkansas University provides summer advising for beginning freshmen and transfers. Students who fulfill all admission requirements will receive a card from the University informing them about registration procedures.

New Student Orientation

New student orientation, “Becoming A Mulerider” (BAM), occurs in two phases. Phase I will take place on selected dates during the summer. The orientation sessions will include registration and general information needed to begin a student’s college career. Mulerider Round-Up occurs the Sunday through Tuesday prior to the first day of fall semester classes. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday focus on the incoming SAU students with mini courses in campus safety, student activities, and computer access. Mulerider Round-Up occurs prior to the first day of spring semester classes. Evening social events add to the excitement with entertainment and cookouts. All activities are designed to give incoming SAU students a warm welcome and a great start to a successful college career.

Mandatory Enrollment Requirements

Full-time students must complete the following three graduation requirements at the time prescribed below:

1. Full-time students whose test scores and/or high school GPA places them into transitional coursework must enroll in the appropriate General Studies reading, writing, and math every semester until they have successfully completed these courses.

2. All full-time students must enroll in a writing course each semester until they have completed
   ENGL 1123 - Composition II
    .
3. All full-time students must enroll in a mathematics course each semester until they have completed
   MATH 1023 - College Algebra
    , 
   MATH 1053 - Mathematical Literacy
    , or a higher level mathematics course.

General Education Placement Equivalencies

Registration Procedures

After being admitted to the University, each student must register for courses at the time designated by the University. The student is responsible for the accuracy of the registration schedule, which should correspond with planning a program of study and meeting the requirements of graduation. No credit will be granted for courses for which the student has not been duly registered.

The last day a student will be allowed to register is the sixth class day of a regular semester or the second class day of a summer session. Students registering on or after the first day of classes must pay a $50 late registration fee and may be required to take a reduced class load. A student’s registration is incomplete until all admissions requirements are met and all fees have been paid.

Credit Hours and Maximum Load

The unit of credit at the University is the semester credit hour. A credit hour is defined as the credit earned upon completion of one hour per week in class for one semester, or two or three hours of laboratory, shop, or field work per week per semester.

An undergraduate student must be enrolled for 12 or more credit hours during a regular semester or five or more credit hours during a five-week summer term to be defined as a full-time student. Any other student is considered a part-time student.

An undergraduate student may not enroll (including correspondence courses, extension courses, and by concurrent enrollment at another college or university) for more than 18 credit hours in a regular semester or seven credit hours in a summer term without prior written approval.

A student with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher may request approval from the dean of the college in which the student is majoring to take an overload (for additional hours). This request may be denied because of the student’s academic history or because of accreditation standards.

Off-Campus Enrollment

Any degree-seeking student taking a course off campus while enrolled at SAU may not exceed the maximum combined class load of 18 hours without prior written approval. Any student who does not follow this process may not receive credit for the course(s).

Official articulation agreements and seamless transfer between SAU and other state institutions and the state minimum core agreement will be honored.

Independent Study

Independent study is coursework that may be available and is not listed in the regular course offerings. For information on the availability of independent study, a student should contact the chair of the department involved.

Change of Registration

A student’s schedule may be changed during the first six days of classes of a regular semester or the first two days of a summer term, subject to the approval of the advisor and the charge of a $10 fee to their student account.

Dropping a Course

A student may drop a course without penalty until the deadline stated in the SAU Academic Calendar, subject to the consultation with the advisor and the charge of a $10 fee to their student account. A student will not be allowed to drop a course after this deadline except for circumstances beyond the student’s control, which are approved by the registrar.

A student who stops attending class but does not officially withdraw may receive a final grade of WN (“withdrawn non-attending”) or F in the course at the course instructor’s discretion.

A student receiving VA benefits will be governed by Veterans Administration regulations regarding the dropping of courses and should contact the Office of the Registrar for information. Other agencies furnishing financial assistance to a student may have regulations affecting the dropping of courses which differ from those of the University policy.

Withdrawing from the University

Any student who pre-registers and saves their schedule online or by signing a statement with the Business Office MUST follow the below withdrawal process in order to be removed from their courses.

Early to Mid-Semester Withdrawals

Until the deadline stated in the SAU Academic Calendar, a student who chooses to leave the University for any reason must officially withdraw from that semester/term. The student should submit a request to withdraw via their mySAU account or by contacting the Office of Student Life. The process is not complete until the withdrawal has been approved by each of the following administrative areas: 1) Office of Housing, 2) Post Office, 3) Dean of Students, 4) Magale Library, 5) Business Office, 6) Financial Aid, and 7) Registrar’s Office. The official date of withdrawal will be the date on which the withdrawal request was originally submitted.

Late Semester Withdrawals

If a withdrawal from the University is necessary after the deadline stated in the SAU Academic Calendar, the withdrawal must be initiated by the dean of students.The process is not complete until the withdrawal has been approved by each of the following administrative areas: 1) Office of Housing, 2) Post Office, 3) Dean of Students, 4) Magale Library, 5) Business Office, 6) Financial Aid, and 7) Registrar’s Office. The official date of withdrawal will be the date on which the withdrawal request was originally submitted.