Administrative Changes, Change of Major, Removal of Previous Major Courses, Transcript Request, Transient
Authorization, Cross Registration, Appeals Procedure, Student Records

Administrative Changes
Students are expected to keep the university apprised of changes to their postal address, email address, and phone number.  Students are required to maintain an email address and to check it for official communications at least twice per week.  Email is the official means of communication between the university and the student.  Students may either update such information through the student information system (Banner) or by visiting the Registrar’s Office.
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Change of Major
Students who desire to change their major degree program may do so by completing a Change of Major form, available at the Registrar's Office.  The student should then obtain the signature of the new Department Chair, and return it to the Registrar's Office for processing.
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Removal of Previous Major Courses
Students may request deletion of previous major courses for graduation scholastic average and hours purposes by completing a Petition to the Faculty. Students should discuss this action with their program advisor first to determine its benefit potential.
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Transcript Request
Students must request transcripts in writing from the Registrar's Office. There is no fee for transcripts.  All transcripts will include the entire academic record; no partial or incomplete record will be issued as a transcript.  Though transcripts are normally issued promptly, requests should be made several business days before the document is required, particularly at the beginning or end of a semester.  A transcript will not be issued when a student's record shows financial indebtedness to the institution.  Transcripts may be ordered in person in the Registrar’s Office, or by faxing or mailing a signed request.
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Transient Authorization
Southern Polytechnic State University students planning to attend another institution for one semester and then return to Southern Polytechnic State University should complete a transient letter authorization form, available in the Registrar's Office.
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Cross Registration
Students may not attend Southern Polytechnic State University and another institution concurrently for transfer purposes, except under the cross registration program.

Southern Polytechnic State University participates in the cross registration program established among the member institutions of the Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education (ARCHE). The purpose of cross registration is to provide opportunities for enriched educational programs and experiences by permitting students at any ARCHE institution to take courses at any other member institution.  A student may cross-register only for:

(1) Courses for which the student has met the prerequisites and
(2) Courses not offered at the home institution for the given term.

Withdrawals after the deadline
A request for a grade of "W" (past the deadline date) is properly made on a Petition to the Faculty form, available in the Registrar's Office.

• The petitions must be completed and signed by the student's instructor(s), instructors' Department Chair(s), and major Department Chair.
• The petition must be accompanied by documentation sufficient to support the extenuating circumstances claimed.

No student will be allowed to withdraw from a course after the final class day of the term except via the petition process.

Students withdrawing from all classes during the refund period are entitled to a refund of a portion of the fees paid for the course(s). Students should check the Registration Bulletin to determine the date and amount of refund (if any) available. No refunds are made for partial withdrawal.
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Appeals Procedure

Grade Appeals
To appeal a grade, a student must present clear, uncompromising evidence that a grade was assigned by some criteria other than an evaluation of academic performance.  Check with the Registrar's Office for the procedure to follow.

Catalog and Curriculum Appeals
Matters requiring Petitions to the Faculty include requests for consideration for exceptions to policies published in the catalog or as formal institutional Policies and Procedures.  Examples include:

• Receiving a grade of "W" past the withdrawal date
• Extension of the time limit for converting a grade of "I"
• Exceptions to residency requirements
• Others

Students desiring to petition the faculty for an exception should see the registrar’s office for information on how to proceed.

If the petition is approved, the matter should be resolved. If the petition is denied, and the student feels that he or she has grounds for an appeal, the following steps are followed:

• The student should discuss the petition with the Registrar to determine the basis for refusal, to be informed of the appeals procedure in his or her particular case, and to be informed of any additional information or documentation that may be desirable, helpful, and/or required.
• Upon written request for appeal to the Registrar's Office, all related information is forwarded to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for review. The Vice President may approve or refuse the appeal.
• If the Vice President for Academic Affairs denies the appeal, upon written request to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the student may appeal to the President.  All related information will at that time be forwarded to the President for review.
• The President may approve or deny the appeal. The President is the final level of appeal.

Student Records
In accordance with the policy of the Board of Regents of the State of Georgia and under the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Southern Polytechnic State University maintains various educational records for each matriculating student.

These records are considered confidential and will not be released for use outside the institution without the written consent of the student.  Exceptions as authorized by the Act are noted.

Directory Information
Southern Polytechnic maintains student information in various forms.  Students who desire that "directory information" not be released without consent should so notify the Registrar's Office in writing.  The following may be included as "directory information" unless notification is received to the contrary:
 

Policies and procedures
Specific policies and procedures for the maintenance of student records according to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the test of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 are available for review in the Registrar's Office.

Destruction of Records
The complete academic record of all matriculating students will become permanent records of the institution.  Following the third continuous term of non-enrollment by a student, the nonacademic records will be placed in an inactive, but accessible status. Following the end of the ninth year of inactive status, the nonacademic records will be purged and destroyed by the official responsible for their maintenance.

Students also have the right to file complaints with the FERPA Office of the Department of Education, Washington, D.C., 20201, regarding alleged violations of the Act.
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