What Academic Deadlines Should I Be Aware of?
There are three important quarterly enrollment deadlines you will always want to be aware of: the Preliminary Study List Deadline, the Final Study List Deadline, and the Change of Grading Basis and Withdrawal Deadline.
Resources for Tracking Deadlines
For the specific dates and additional deadlines, always consult the Academic Calendar. Deadlines are always at 5 p.m. Pacific Time of the given day. Also, pay attention to your email: the The Student Services Center (SCC) usually sends reminders of these major deadlines.
Major Deadlines
Preliminary Study List Deadline
First Day of Classes is the Preliminary Study List Deadline. You need to be enrolled in at least 12 units by 5 p.m. on the first day of classes, or there will be a $200 fee. These 12 units can change after the first day.
Final Study List Deadline
Friday of Week 3 is the Final Study List Deadline and Change of Unit Deadline. By 5 p.m. on Friday of Week 3, be sure that you have checked Axess and that you are enrolled in the classes you want to be in, that you are taking the right number of units, that you are in the correct section, and that you aren’t enrolled in anything you decided not to take. A lot of changes can happen in the first three weeks—by Friday of Week 3, make sure that the computer reflects what you are actually doing. All students need to be enrolled in 12 units unless they have already filed paperwork to allow fewer units.
Change of Grading Basis and Withdrawal Deadline
Friday of Week 8 is the Change of Grading Basis and Withdrawal Deadline. As you see how the quarter goes and evaluate the upcoming workload in the last few weeks of the term, you may start thinking about withdrawing from a class, or changing the grading basis from Letter Graded to Credit/No Credit. This is a complicated decision with a number of factors, and you should be sure to talk it over with an Academic Advisor, such as your Undergraduate Advising Director or Undergraduate Advising Director for Student Athletes, before making any changes, so that you will know all the ramifications of such a change (there is a lot of misinformation out there about these questions).
Summer Quarter Note
Be aware! In most academic years, Summer Quarter is generally 8 weeks (instead of 10 weeks) long, and therefore the enrollment deadlines are compressed. In Summer Quarter, the Final Study List Deadline is generally around the end of Week 2 of the quarter, and the Change of Grading Basis and Course Withdrawal Deadlines are generally around the end of Week 6 of the quarter.. Pay special attention to the Academic Calendar in Summer Quarter, especially since many classes are offered on non-standard schedules.