SP 17-10 - Policy on Undergraduate Unit Load Limitation

Approve Date: March 27, 2018
Effective Date: Fall 2018
Policy File:
SP 17-10 Policy on Undergraduate Unit Load Limitation

Drafted By: Student Academic Policies and Procedures: Jose Garcia, Tiina Itkonen, Paul Murphy, Elizabeth Sowers, Brian Thoms (Chair); Colleen Forest, Ernesto Guerrero
Purpose: To broaden the pool of advisors who can approve requests to take more than 18 units in a semester.

Background: SP 14-17 establishes unit load limitations for undergraduate students and provides a means for exceeding such limitations. This revised policy maintains existing limits while adding academic advisors to the pool of individuals authorized to approve requests for undergraduate students in good academic standing with declared majors wishing to take more than 18 units.

Currently, students in good academic standing with declared majors who wish to take more than 18 units must have written approval from the chair or a faculty advisor in the student’s declared major. Adding academic advisors in addition to the chair and faculty advisor to the pool of authorized individuals makes it easier for students to get these requests reviewed in a timely basis if the faculty advisor and/or chair is not immediately available. During the school year these requests are often time-sensitive, happening shortly before enrollment deadlines, therefore having advisors who are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 - 5:00 gives students more flexibility to make these requests. In the same way, this change makes it easier for students to submit these requests over the summer when the availability of faculty advisors and chairs is more limited. For students double majoring, notifications will be sent to each chair.

Accountability: Academic Advising

Applicability: CSU Channel Islands undergraduate students

Policy:

An undergraduate student in good academic standing may enroll in up to 18 units without advisor approval.
An undergraduate student on academic probation may enroll in up to 14 units without advisor approval.
Undergraduate students in good academic standing who wish to enroll in more than 18 units are required to have
1. written approval from the chair or a faculty advisor in the student’s declared major, as specified by the major program, or an academic advisor, or
2. if the student has not yet declared a major, written approval from an academic advisor
Program chairs will be notified of decisions made by academic advisors within 1 business day for students in their major and chairs will retain the authority to override these decisions.
1. Programs may coordinate with Academic Advising regarding specific guidelines for approving excess units.
Undergraduate students on academic probation who wish to enroll in more than 14 units are required to have an academic advisor’s written approval.

Exhibits:
No Exhibits