O - Miscellaneous

O-1. Credit Requirements for Full-Time Students

O-1-a. Full-Time Classification for Non-Fee Related Purposes

For purposes other than fees, U of I students in all divisions except the College of Graduate Studies and the College of Law must carry 12 credits each semester or summer session to be classified as full time.

O-1-b. Full-Time Classification for Fee Related Purposes

For fee and tuition purposes only, students carrying ten or more credits (or equivalent in audits and zero-credit registrations) and all teaching/research assistants on full appointment, regardless of the number of credits they register for, are classified as full-time students.

O-1-c. Full-Time Classification for Graduate Students 

Students in the College of Graduate Studies are considered full time when:

  1. registered for nine credits (or equivalent) of course and/or thesis work; or
  2. on full-time appointments as teaching assistants or research assistants.

O-1-d. G.I. Bill Requirements

Veterans and war orphans attending U of I on the G.I. Bill® must carry certain minimum credit loads to be considered by the Veterans' Administration for benefits as indicated in the table accompanying this regulation. (Audits do not count; repeats and reviews may be included when the student's advisor certifies that the course is required in the student's curriculum or is needed to remove a deficiency or to provide essential background for the student's program; file a copy of the program with the veterans' clerk at the Office of Dean of Students.)

Benefits Academic year Undergraduate Academic Year Graduate Summer Session Undergrad & Grad
Full 12 or more 9 or more Must be Arranged
Three-fourths 9-11 6-8
Half 6-8 3-5
Fees and tuition only Fewer than 6 Fewer than 3

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

O-1-e. Full-Time Classification for Law Students

Students in the College of Law are considered full time when registered for 10 credits (or equivalent) of course work.

O-1-f. Full-Time Classification for ASUI and Argonaut Positions

The president, vice president, and senators of the Associated Students University of Idaho are considered full time when carrying at least the following credit loads: president, three credits; vice president and senators, six credits. The editor and associate editor of the Argonaut are considered full time when paying full-time student fees and carrying at least the following credit loads: editor, three credits; associate editor, six credits.

O-2. Academic Performance

Instructors and students are responsible for maintaining academic standards and integrity in their classes. Consequences for academic dishonesty may be imposed by the course instructor. Such academic consequences may include but cannot exceed a grade of "F" in the course. If the student deems the grade unfair, they may appeal through the appropriate departmental administrator and college dean, and finally to the Academic Hearing Board.

In addition to the academic consequences, disciplinary penalties for academic dishonesty may include suspension or expulsion and must be handled by the Student Judicial System, which is described in the Student Code of Conduct section of the “Policies & Information of Interest to Students booklet and the Faculty-Staff Handbook.

O-3. Application for Graduation

Degree candidates must submit an Application for Graduation to their college. Students should submit applications no later than the semester in which they will be completing their degree requirements. If two degrees are to be received concurrently, separate applications must be filed with the dean(s) of the college(s) concerned. The graduation fees will be posted on the student’s account once the graduation application has been fully processed (see "Fees and Expenses"). The deadline for filing Applications for Graduation without a late service charge is the 10th day of the semester in which the student will be graduating.

O-4. Commencement

Formal commencement exercises are held at the close of the fall and spring semesters; however, diplomas are also issued at the close of the summer session to such candidates as have completed their graduation requirements at that time. All students who graduate in the summer, fall, or spring are entitled to participate in the commencement exercises. Students must indicate on their application for degree whether they intend to participate in the formal commencement exercises so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Reservations for caps, gowns, and hoods must be made by the date specified by the registrar. Diplomas are ready about six weeks after the end of the academic session in which graduation requirements are completed.

O-5. Limitations on Class Size

O-5-a. Approval of Limitations

Limitations on class size must have prior approval by the dean of the college in which the course is offered. If it becomes necessary to limit the size of a class on a continuing basis (more than two semesters), the limitations must be approved through faculty channels—University Curriculum Committee and university faculty—and be made part of the catalog description of the course.

O-5-b. Enrollment in Limited Classes

Preference for enrollment in courses with limitations on class size is given to students enrolling in them for the first time. At the option of the department, students repeating courses for any reason may be placed on standby status. Students in that status are allowed to register for the course, if there is available space, by permission of the department offering the course. In no case may a student be held in standby status for any one course for more than two consecutive semesters.

O-5-c. Appealing Limitations

Any student denied admission to a class may appeal in writing to the provost for a review of the circumstances involved.

O-6. Students' Right to Change Course Sections

Students have the right to change from one section of a course for which they are qualified to another section of the same course during the first two weeks of classes so long as the section into which they wish to transfer has not reached the maximum number of students that may be accommodated (see appeal procedure in O-5).

O-7. Availability of Instructors' Names

As a matter of principle, students and their academic advisors and deans have the right to know the names of the instructors who will teach course sections to be offered during the immediately ensuing semester or summer session. Departments are required to submit the names of instructors for all course sections for publication in the Class Schedule. Where it is impossible to determine the teaching assignments of individual members of the instructional staff before the deadline for the Class Schedule, departments are responsible for making information concerning adjustments in teaching assignments generally available to students, advisors, and deans at such time as they occur.

O-8. Confidentiality of Academic and Counseling Records

See the student records policy in the booklet entitled “Policies and Information of Interest to Students,” available from the Office of the Dean of Students or the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Affairs (TLC 232), and other locations around the campus.

O-9. Deviations from Established Class Schedules

O-9-a. The provost periodically reminds deans and departmental administrators of their responsibility to ensure that classes meet in conformity with the course descriptions and Class Schedule. (It is the responsibility of the University Curriculum Committee to see that the time requirements stated in new or revised course descriptions satisfy general regulation D-1, "Credit Defined"; it is the responsibility of the registrar to see that listings in the Class Schedule conform to the respective course descriptions.)

O-9-b. The cancellation of a particular class session or sessions on an occasional basis, normally due to unusual circumstances affecting the instructor of or the students in the class, is a matter for the instructor's discretion. Nonetheless, instructors should keep such cancellations to a minimum, be satisfied that the grounds for cancellation are defensible, give as much advance notice of the cancellation as is possible, and, if time permits, obtain the concurrence of the departmental administrator in advance. Frequent failure of an instructor to meet classes, except for reasons clearly recognizable as adequate, may be grounds for disciplinary action.

O-9-c. The scheduling of required class meetings at times other than those specified in the Class Schedule or authorized in the course descriptions (e.g., field trips) requires approval by the provost. In addition to securing the provost's approval, the instructor must give the students at least two weeks' notice, provide alternative means of completing class requirements for students who have irreconcilable conflicts with the irregular meetings, and, normally, cancel regularly scheduled class meetings equivalent to the irregular meetings. (If it is proposed that such irregular meetings be made a continuing practice, they are to be incorporated in the course description and the revised description submitted to the University Curriculum Committee for routine faculty approval.)

O-9-d. Authorized class meetings at times other than those shown in the Class Schedule is one of the topics that instructors are to discuss at the first or second class session.

O-10. Academic Certificates

The University of Idaho offers Academic Certificates in various academic disciplines. An academic certificate is defined as a coherent body of work designed to reflect specialized expertise. The curricular requirements of an academic certificate can be found in the relevant department in the catalog.

O-10-a. Undergraduate Academic Certificates

  1. An undergraduate academic certificate must include at least 12 credits of coursework.
  2. All required coursework must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better unless the certificate specifies a higher grade requirements.
  3. A maximum of six credits of coursework which is either transferred from another regionally-accredited institution or is more than five years old at the time of graduation may be used towards completion of an academic certificate.

O-10-b. Graduate Academic Certificates

  1. A graduate academic certificate must include at least 12 credits of coursework. At least half of the credits completed towards a graduate academic certificate must be in graduate level coursework.
  2. All required coursework must be completed with a grade of 'B' or better unless the certificate specifies a higher grade requirement.
  3. A maximum of six credits of coursework which is either transferred from another regionally accredited institution or is more than five years old at the time of graduation may be used towards completion of an academic certificate.
  4. Certificates offered jointly with other Idaho institutions and with an established agreement approved by the Provost may allow additional transfer coursework, but must include at least one course from the University.

O-11. Posthumous Degrees

In the instance of a student's death prior to degree completion, it is important that the university recognize the effort made toward degree achievement.

O-11-a. Undergraduate Posthumous Degrees

Requests for the award of a posthumous degree at the undergraduate level should be referred to the Registrar's Office.

  1. Posthumous degrees may be awarded to deceased undergraduate students who have completed all but thirty (30) credit hours of the requirements for graduation and have been enrolled as a student within the past two regular semesters. The remaining thirty (30) credit hours would complete their degree requirements and meet all university, college, and department GPA requirements.
  2. Posthumous degrees must be approved by the academic department and college.

O-11-b. Undergraduate Appeal Process

If the student could not have reasonably completed all requirements in the final thirty (30) credits of attendance, but the request has the support of the academic department and college office, the request must be reviewed and approved by the Academic Petitions Committee. In instances where the award of the degree posthumously is not appropriate due to remaining requirements, the college may wish to grant a certificate acknowledging a student's course of study in a particular discipline.

O-11-c. Graduate Posthumous Degrees

Due to the nature of studies at the graduate level, requests for posthumous degrees for master's, specialist, or doctoral-level students are referred to the College of Graduate Studies. The College of Graduate Studies determines whether a posthumous degree for a particular student will be considered. If so, the College of Graduate Studies will review the request with the appropriate academic department and college office. The College of Graduate Studies will inform the Registrar of the decision.

  1. Posthumous degrees in non-thesis graduate programs or in College of Law programs may be awarded to deceased graduate and law students who have completed 75% of the required coursework, were in good academic standing, were registered within the last year, and would have likely finished the degree within one academic year.
  2. Posthumous degrees in master's thesis or doctoral programs may be awarded to deceased graduate students who have completed all required coursework, have successfully defended a proposal of their research to their committee, are in good academic standing, and would have likely defended their thesis or dissertation within one academic year. Additionally, doctoral students must have been successfully advanced to candidacy.

O-11-d. Graduate Appeal Process

If the student could not have reasonably completed all requirements in an academic year, but the request has the support of the academic department and college, the request must be petitioned for consideration to the University Graduate Council for approval. If the student does not meet the criteria for a posthumous degree or in instances where the award of the degree posthumously is not appropriate due to remaining requirements, the college may wish to grant a certificate acknowledging a student's course of study in a particular discipline.

O-11-e. Transcript Notation

Upon posting of the degree, the transcript will be annotated to indicate that the degree was awarded posthumously.