Undergraduate Registration

Students who complete a semester course or who leave a yearlong course at the end of the first semester must register again in January. When students leave a yearlong course at midyear, they must submit a yearlong course drop form with the Office of the Registrar before the end of the first semester so the teacher can submit a final grade and credit report. If the course is not dropped at the appropriate time, students can only change their registration during the Add/Drop period the following semester.

Any student who has a disability and requires accommodations at any point in the registration process should contact the director of access and disability services at disabilityservices@sarahlawrence.edu or 914.395.2235. Students with mobility impairments requiring accessible classrooms should choose their classes without regard to location. The registrar will work with the director of access and disability services to arrange a location for the class in an accessible classroom or lecture hall. Interviewing faculty during registration is an integral part of the Sarah Lawrence course selection process. Any student who has a disability and requires accommodations to participate in the interview process should contact the director of access and disability services. The accommodations will be determined by the director of access and disability services and the student to ensure that the student meets with the faculty for interviews in a manner equivalent to all other students. The director of access and disability services will assist the student in contacting the faculty and setting up the interview, whether in person, via email, or by phone.

The Add/Drop period begins on the first day of classes and continues for the next three weeks. Once classes begin, interviews are no longer necessary. Students should attend the class if possible and speak directly with the teacher in whose class they are interested. During this time, students who wish to change their programs must submit Add/Drop forms approved by the relevant faculty and their don.

Students seeking to enter a course in the third week of classes may do so only with the teacher’s written permission on a form specially designed for registration during the third wee. The student must make up all of the work missed prior to joining the class. The teacher has the discretion not to admit a student into a course in the third week. All students are expected to register for at least 12 credits.

No credit will be given in any course for which a student has not registered by the end of the Add/Drop period.

All students must complete their registration by the end of the Add/Drop period. This includes registration for directed study options (conference courses, independent studies, and fieldwork) to which earlier deadlines may apply. Any program changes submitted after the Add/Drop period has ended will be subject to a late registration fee of $50.

Neither first-year students nor students on academic probation may exceed 15 credits of course work each semester. All other students may enroll in 12–18 credits. Students are encouraged to consult with their dons when considering extra course work (beyond 15 credits) during an academic semester.

A student wishing to enroll in more than 18 credits must consult with their don and be approved by the Dean of Studies office. Registration for more than 18 credits takes place after the first week of registration. Any enrolled course credits in excess of 18 for the semester are charged at the regular per-credit tuition rate. Students must receive approval from their don for any academic program plan above 18 credits.

Students may audit one course each semester with the permission of the instructor but should not expect to have conferences with the teacher nor to have written work evaluated. Audit requests will be reviewed and approved by the Office of the Dean of Studies on behalf of the Committee on Student Work. If approved, the audit will be listed on the student’s transcript if the student registered for the audit within the registration period and if the instructor has informed the Office of the Registrar that classes have been attended throughout the semester. There is no charge for auditing by matriculated Sarah Lawrence students. Students cannot convert an audit into a credited course, or vice versa, after the registration period has ended.

Students may take one course each semester on a pass/fail basis. The arrangement must be made during the Add/Drop period, and the teacher must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing by the end of the third week of classes. The arrangement cannot be made retroactively, and students cannot ask at the end of the semester or in a subsequent year to have a pass instead of the grade that was given or to receive a grade in a course for which a pass/fail arrangement had been made. Practicum and fieldwork courses are taken on a pass/fail basis only.

Second-semester seniors are eligible for partial programs (and prorated tuition) in their final semester only when the College has transcripts of all their prior degree credits and their residence, lecture, and distribution requirements have been fulfilled. Those transcripts must be received by the Office of the Registrar by December 1 for May graduates and September 1 for December graduates. Special arrangements cannot be made on the basis of transcripts expected but not received.

Seniors who register for less than a full course load are billed only for the credits in which they enroll and must notify the Office of the Dean of Studies of their part-time status by December 1. This request must be made no later than the end of the Add/Drop period for spring semester. In applying for a part-time load, students should consider implications for scholarships, loans, health insurance, and housing, some of which may require full-time status. Seniors who register for a directed study over the summer to complete their remaining credits will be billed for those credits.

Second-semester seniors who are enrolled full time may take one additional course (not to include directed study) beyond the 120 credits required for graduation without charge if they were registered as a full-time student during the preceding semester. To receive this benefit, they must register for the additional course during the second week of the semester. Generally, seniors who enroll in credits exceeding 126 will be billed for those credits.

Under exceptional circumstances and after discussion with their don, a matriculated student may request part-time enrollment (i.e., 11 or fewer credits) for a semester.

Apart from possible interruption of advancement toward degree completion, part-time status has significant implications in multiple areas including visa eligibility, external scholarships eligibility, loan repayment, athletic team participation, and health insurance. Students are advised to discuss these implications with all relevant parties before making a decision. Requests for part-time status must be made via email to the Office of the Dean of Studies (deanofstudies@sarahlawrence.edu).

Part-time enrollment reminders:

• Request must be made by July 31 for enrollment preceding fall semester and December 1 preceding spring semester.
• Students may request part-time enrollment for a maximum of two semesters over the course of their undergraduate year.
• Unless granted a reduced course load by the director of access and disability services, first-year students are not permitted to be part-time students
• Part-time students are not permitted to live on campus.
• Part-time students may not enroll concurrently at another institution.

After completion of the Add/Drop period, students may request to withdraw from a course. The Course Withdrawal form is available on the Registration page of MySLC. The deadline to withdraw from a course is the end of the seventh week of the semester. Students may request to withdraw from a course for a maximum of two semesters over the course of their undergraduate years. First-year students are not permitted to withdraw from a course. Course withdrawal may change a student’s enrollment status to part time. Please see “Part-Time Enrollment” for further information regarding the conditions pertaining to part-time status.

First-Year Studies Program

Assignments to First-Year Studies courses are made by the Office of the Dean of Studies during the summer on the basis of the First-Year Studies selections and the student’s college application.

Transfer and guest students are assigned temporary dons and must meet with them prior to registration.

When transfer students meet with their dons, they will be able to review their transfer credit evaluation. Transfer students should be aware of the distribution requirements in order to plan an appropriate program of study.

If transfer students have any questions about their transfer credits, they can contact the Registrar’s Office.

Transfer students may not take Directed Studies courses in their first semester.

Guest students should consult with their home institutions about their academic programs to ensure they will receive credit and meet institutional requirements.