Policies & Regulations

From admission to graduation there are academic regulations for guidance. By educating yourself about university regulations you will be aware of the available options, existing restrictions, and university requirements.

Some academic regulations afford you the opportunity to request certain actions be taken. In these instances the university provides structured general university policies by which requests can be submitted, reviewed, and decisions rendered.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (known of as FERPA) restricts what information can be released about students and in what capacity that information is to be used. The university takes the privacy of records very seriously. Please review this information, refer to it regularly, and contact our office with any questions.

Exams & More

Exams

Learn more about when and where you will take your midterm or final exam here. This page also explains how to handle a time conflict with exams.

Learn more about the rules governing Finals Week by reading Academic Regulation 16.

Any student that wishes to pursue an exam for credit or waiver should familiarize themselves with the rules. Academic Regulation 23 provides the rules for Special Examination for Credit, while Academic Regulation 24 addresses the Special Examination for Waiver requirements. To request an exam for credit or waiver they must carefully read and follow all instructions to complete the Examination for Credit or Waiver form. The completed petition is returned to the Office of the Registrar.

Relevant information 

FERPA: Privacy of Records

FERPA – Right to Privacy

What is FERPA? FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This federal legislation protects the privacy of your student records and regulates how information is used. Release of student records at Oregon State University is bound by FERPA, the Oregon Revised Statutes, and by the Oregon Administrative Rules.

Important Note: Students' FERPA rights begin when they are considered a student at OSU. The institutional definition of a student is when an individual has registered for START or has registered for classes, whichever comes first. This applies to all students, regardless of age or degree status.

To learn more about FERPA, please review these sources:

Student Consent to Release Information (formerly known as Joint Consent Form)

Student Consent to Release Information: This form is used by the Office of the Registrar, Office of Financial Aid, Office of Business Affairs, Office of Admissions, and Academic Advising for sharing information with designated third parties. Filling out this form does not initiate any action to send information; third parties will need to request information from the relevant department(s).

Confidentiality

NO information may be released about students who have established confidentiality of their records.

Students may restrict the release of their student information by completing a Confidentiality Request form. The Confidentiality Restriction prevents employees of OSU from providing any information, directory or confidential, to anyone who does not have a legitimate educational interest. When a confidentiality restriction is in place we can only discuss a student’s record with the student if they are present in person with picture identification or via live video chat. For students who have a confidentiality restriction in place but are unable to visit the office in person, the student may communicate with OSU offices via their OSU-issued email address (ONID name @ oregonstate.edu). Confidentiality does not mean anonymity in classes at OSU. 

CORE Reports on FERPA Training

Two CORE reports help in identifying if an employee (including student employees) has taken and passed their FERPA training.

BIC2910: searches all employees in a selected organization

BIC2911: search by ID numbers to see who has taken and passed their FERPA training.

Note: Results do not display immediately. Please allow up to 48 hours after the passing of one's training for information to appear in CORE.

Using Secure Credentials at OSU

OSU provides all employees and students with oregonstate.edu email accounts that have been vetted for appropriate security measures to protect data. These oregonstate.edu email accounts link to a verifiable identity established with the University and meet the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act for authentication. Third-party, personal accounts are not able to be verified as linked to a particular individual and, therefore, should not be used in discussing any student record information.

Guidelines for Release of Information

If you receive a request for information follow these guidelines to determine what, if any, information can be released.

Data Security

The Office of Information Security provides comprehensive education on securely storing and transmitting data.

Retention & Statistics

This provides information about record retention requirements and statistical information available for the university.

Power of Attorney

The OSU Office of the Registrar does not accept Power of Attorney documents as a substitute for a consent to release information. If a student is unable to conduct their required interactions with the University for a particular reason, the student or student's representative should contact the Office of Student Life.

 

FERPA FAQs - Faculty & Staff

The Office of the Registrar serves as the steward of student education data. Part of responsible stewardship is ensuring that those to whom the stewards provide access to student education data demonstrate proficiency in understanding their responsibilities under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. To ensure we are in compliance with federal law, the institution must have documentation that employees with access to student education data have successfully passed FERPA training. If someone completed FERPA training prior to January 2005, we will not have record of their proficiency and the employee or designated agent will be asked to take the training and quiz, as the law has changed since 2005. Additionally, we highly encourage parties to reengage in FERPA training biannually to remain current with one's FERPA knowledge.

Use of students' email addresses is acceptable for academic and educational purposes; the students' oregonstate.edu addresses are the only officially recognized OSU email addresses and are available on Banner and Canvas rosters. Further, OSU-issued email addresses for faculty and staff are the only officially recognized email addresses and should be used for all university-related business. Email addresses other than OSU-issued email addresses are not directory information and cannot be released. Use of students' OSU-issued email addresses is acceptable for academic and educational purposes, and they must only be distributed to people who have an educational need to know.

Yes, it does. When you send email to a list of students in the To: line, then everyone can see all of the members on the list. It is important to exclude confidential students from the list. Then, you can send an individual email, with the same content as for all the other students.

Unfortunately, this does not display in Canvas. To check if a student is confidential, you will need to go to Online Services -> Faculty & Advisors -> Summary Class List. There you will see if a student is confidential, as displayed in the image below:

 

inkedeileenconfidential_li.jpg

image showing how to see that a student is confidential

You cannot add the other instructor as a CanvasTA, as that instructor can see student education data to which they do not have an educational interest. However, you can still allow the instructor to see the course content by adding the instructor as a Designer. For more information on this, please contact the Canvas Support team.

You may post grades as long as only you and the individual student know who the grade is for. That is, you cannot use the students' names or their Student ID numbers. You can create a unique identifier (such as a number, NOT part of the Student ID number) for each of your students and post grades by that identifier. Be sure NOT to arrange the list in alphabetical order, even though the names are not printed.

Confidential status is not the same as anonymity. If a student fills out a confidentiality request at OSU, that means that OSU will not release any information, non-directory or directory, to anyone outside of OSU and/or anyone that does not have a legitimate educational interest. For example, if a confidential student does an internship for credit with a local school district, the internship supervisor would know that the person was a student at OSU because that supervisor has a legitimate educational interest since the supervisor would be providing input on the grade for credit. However, if that same school district asked for a list of graduating Education majors from which to recruit, we would not release that student's name.

Distributing students' exams and papers in this way violates their confidentiality by making confidential records available to the public. This is not an acceptable practice.

Yes, you can. However, there are some guidelines to consider. Please see this resource guide on how to do so while maintaining students' FERPA rights.

Yes, you can. You may ask to see documentation of a medical visit or other visit to justify the excuse. We, however, advocate that you do not keep the documentation, as then you become responsible for the proper and secure storage of the documentation.

You cannot discuss any specifics about the student's grades. Use a conditional response: "If a student in my class earned a D-, I would suggest…" You also can advise the parent on how the student can see their grades: Web or student transcript from the Office of the Registrar.

When someone becomes an OSU student, regardless of their age, they must consent to the release of their records. The K-12 FERPA rules do not apply to a student under the age of 18 who enrolls in an institution of higher education. The student must provide consent to release information, even to their parents.

While federal law authorizes the release of records to parents of dependent students, it does not require it. Oregon statute does not include release to parents as an authorized disclosure; since state law is more restrictive than the federal law, the university is bound by the state law. Without explicit student consent, only directory information may be released to parents of dependent or independent students. This includes those students who are under age 18.

Only the same information as if the person were still enrolled as a student. Be sure to check whether the student had requested record confidentiality before leaving the university; if so, the confidentiality remains in effect.

No. A student, whether current or former, remains confidential until they revoke the confidentiality request.

When a student dies, FERPA no longer applies, but since there may be other issues related to disclosure, the inquiry should be referred to the Office of the Registrar.

A student's permission is required to release their records to these representatives. Refer the caller to the Office of the Registrar.

The USA PATRIOT Act (2001) and other legislation specify guidelines for release of information. Refer all such inquiries to the Office of the Registrar so that we can assure appropriate compliance.

You can discuss information provided to you by the student, such as information from their resume, and information that you have gained in your academic relationship with the student. You cannot discuss any non-directory information (e.g. their grade in a course you taught) without the student's specific written consent.

It is best practice to have a clause about FERPA on your scholarship application to expedite this process. This phrase may read something like: "The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects students' privacy over their education records. With some scholarships, the donor wishes to know who received the scholarship, as well as information about the recipient. Additionally, our College wishes to publicly celebrate our recipients on our various media. Do you consent to the release of your scholarship application information for these purposes?"

Yes, major is directory information as are student name and current address. The current address is maintained by the student, and may be the student's address in Corvallis or at some other location. Other addresses are not releasable. You should address your request for this information to the Office of the Registrar. For more information on requesting information, see our Data Requests page.

Recognized Student Organizations should work with the Student Organizations and Activities Office (SOA) on submitting requests for this data. Information about submitting a request is available at https://clubs.oregonstate.edu/manage/data-requests or reach out to [email protected] for support.

Refer all such requests to the Office of the Registrar.

Have a question you think should be added here? Email us!

FERPA Training Module

Overview

The Office of the Registrar hosts a FERPA training module and a required quiz for employees and courtesy appointees to gain access to student information systems. The training is recommended for any employee or courtesy appointee who works with students.

  • Individuals should participate in the training relevant to their designated role.
  • If you are a supervisor of a student serving in a role that encounters student data and the student is not an employee of OSU, please contact the Office of the Registrar for assistance.
  • In order to gain access to student information systems, including Canvas sections in which you are not a student, you must have a formalized role with the university.
  • If you have just joined the university as an employee, wait until you have the training tab in your MyOregonState employee tab before taking the training.

FERPA Training Access

There are three training modules:

  1. General employees (staff, teaching and professional faculty, administration, courtesy appointees) and,
  2. Student employees (TAs, GTAs, student workers)
  3. Non-OSU employees

 

Employees & Courtesy Appointees
EMPLOYEES & COURTESY APPOINTEES STUDENT EMPLOYEES
Step 1: Once in the “Employee” section of MyOregonState, select 'Resources' Step 1: Once in the “Employee” section of MyOregonState, select 'Resources'
Step 2: Select the 'Employment' tag Step 2: Select the 'Employment' tag
Step 3: Locate and select the appropriate link for “Faculty/Staff FERPA Training” Step 3: Locate and select the appropriate link  for “GRA, GTA, & Student Employee FERPA Training” 
Step 4: You will be directed to a Qualtrics survey that may ask you to authenticate if you are not currently logged into DUO Step 4: You will be directed to a Qualtrics survey that may ask you to authenticate if you are not currently logged into DUO
 
Non-OSU Employees
NON-OSU EMPLOYEES (Results of this training are not registered with the University; do not take this training if you are teaching a course section)
Step 1: Take this FERPA training
Step 2: Send proof of your training to your department leadership.
 
Verifying an Employee's FERPA Training

You can check to see if an employee or courtesy faculty member has completed their training by checking these CORE reports.

Guidelines for Release of Information

What can I release?

The following steps provide a simple means to determine what information may be released. Release of any information other than that listed in Step 3 may have serious legal implications. If you receive a request for information other than what is covered in these steps, refer the inquirer to the Office of the Registrar. Refer ALL inquiries under the USA PATRIOT Act to the Office of the Registrar.

All access and use at Oregon State University of the Social Security Number is prohibited except for meeting federal or state requirements, compliance and reporting.

You may copy these guidelines as needed, or request additional copies from the Office of the Registrar. We suggest that you keep a copy for  reference.

Step 1

Check the confidentiality of the student's records. Has the student restricted the release of all information?

  • Look at the grade roster or class roster. If a student's record is confidential you will see a dash before the student's name.
  • Sign on to Banner. If this student's information is confidential, Banner will show *CONFIDENTIAL* in the upper left portion of the form.
  • If you do not have access to Banner, ask someone who has access to check the student's record for you, or call the Office of the Registrar for help.

Step 2

If the student's record is CONFIDENTIAL, you must respond to the inquiry in a way that does not acknowledge the student's existence on campus. Example: "There is no information available on that person." If the person inquiring persists, you might suggest that they ask the student in question to contact the Office of the Registrar directly, or refer the caller to the Office of the Registrar.

Step 3

If the student's records are NOT confidential, then determine what information about the student is being requested. Oregon State University will provide only the following  Directory Information to all inquiries without students' written consent. Non-directory Information may not be released without written consent.

Step 4

If anything other than the above information is requested, the request should be denied. Refer all inquiries from law enforcement officials directly to the Office of the Registrar.

NO information may be released about students who have established confidentiality of their records.

 

OtR Guidance on Student Access to Other Students' Education Data

At OSU, we take protecting student education data seriously. In each instance where we provide an individual access to student education data (other than their own), we must assess what legitimate educational interest exists to justify providing access. The following are guidelines we follow when considering requests to provide students access to other students’ education data:

First, we consider whether the student is an employee of the institution.

  • If the student is an employee of OSU, does the student need access to the data requested in order to fulfill their professional responsibilities?   

If the student is not an employee of OSU, we ask about the level of the student (e.g. undergraduate, graduate).

  • If the student is a graduate student and needs access to student information to complete a curricular requirement (e.g. practicum or internship credit), we need documentation of the experience. This will likely take the form of a learning contract, where the description of duties and how those duties require access to student education data are clearly described. Further, this should include a statement about how the student accepts their responsibilities to protect student data under FERPA. This document also requires both the signature of the student and the student’s supervisor/advisor for the experience.
  • If the student is an undergraduate student who is not an employee of OSU, there is no permissible access to identifiable student data.

 

Directory Information

The following directory information is public record and may be released to any inquiry, unless the record in Banner is marked as confidential.

Student's name

Current mailing address (CM address in Banner) and telephone number 

OSU ONID email address

Campus office address

Student's home city, county, state, country

Class standing (e.g., freshman, sophomore, etc.)

Student level (undergraduate, graduate, etc.)

College

Major field of study 

Honors

Full-time or part-time enrollment status

Status as a graduate teaching assistant or graduate research assistant and hours of service

Participation in officially recognized activities and sports

Dates of attendance

Anticipated graduation date

Degrees and awards received

Date(s) of degree(s)

Most recent previous educational institution attended by student

These policy guidelines are in accordance with Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS 351.065), the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (PL 93-380) [34 CFR Part 99], and Oregon Administrative Rule 576-020-0005.

Limiting what appears on the directory

You can still limit what appears on the directory even without a confidentiality request. To do so, go to MyOregonState, click Resources, and click on 'Directory Profile.'

This will take you to your Profile. Scroll down to the bottom of the page where you see the 'Other' section and click 'Directory Profile.'

This will show you a list of directory items. With the exception of your name and, if you are an employee, your employee data, you are able to check or uncheck what information you want displayed in the directory. Click 'Update' to save these changes.

Non-Directory Information

This information is protected and MAY NOT BE RELEASED. If there are unusual and extraordinary circumstances refer the request to the Office of the Registrar, B102 Kerr Administration Building, 541-737-4048.

Student's Gender

Current email address (not ONID email address)
Month and day of birth

Transcript: Official or unofficial

Transcript: Student copy

Social Security Number (complete or partial)

Student ID Number (whether SSN or generated ID). All access and use at Oregon State University of the Social Security Number is prohibited except for meeting federal or state requirements, compliance and reporting.

Grades earned

Credits earned

Graduation status; course work yet to be completed (Cannot report whether student has applied for graduation)

Residency status

Fees paid

Holds (registration or other)

Class rank

Current academic status (probation; suspension; petitions; readmit status. That a student has applied can be released, but the status of the application cannot be released.)

VA, Social Security Status

GPA (Grade-Point Average)

Class schedule

Parent or guardian name or address

All other information about a student

These policy guidelines are in accordance with Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS 351.065), the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (PL 93-380) [34 CFR Part 99], and Oregon Administrative Rule 576-020-0005.

Records Retention & Statistics

Information Online

Learn more about alert notification, directory information, registration information, and more at Student Records-Right to Privacy in the Academic Catalog.

Records Retention

What records do we retain? How long do we keep them? Refer to the General Records Retention Schedule that govern the maintenance of Curriculum and Instruction Records, Financial Aid Records, Students Records, and more. [Note: This link may not work in IE. Try Firefox and Google Chrome.] The Oregon Secretary of State records retention schedule is located here. It offers more specific retention requirements.

Statistical & Historical Data (Institutional Research)

Enrollment rates, graduation rates, and other data are provided by Institutional Research.

FERPA Resources

FERPA can be confusing at times. We created this page to provide you with resources to better understand and uphold FERPA as it pertains to your professional responsibilities at Oregon State University.

FERPA tips for Instructors/Teaching Faculty

FERPA release template: This can be used by departments for releases for letters of recommendation, job references, et. al. These should be customized for and retained by the department.

Audio and Visual Recording in an Education Setting

Instructional Use of Social Media Policy

EdSurge article: The Unintentional Ways Schools Might Be Violating FERPA

Resources will be added periodically. If there's something you'd like to see here, please contact us!

  • class rosters
  • student course schedule/enrollment in courses
  • graded assignments (in any medium)
  • emails exchanged with a student concerning their academic progress (i.e. in a class, as an advisee)
  • card swipe data (e.g. in advising offices, at campus events)
  • signed ESET data
  • field site/internship evaluations for experiences done for course credit
  • advising notes
  • clicker data
  • student registration holds
  • student ID photos
  • audio or video of students participating in a class activity

Audio and Visual Recording in an Education Setting

FERPA protects the privacy of students education records.

Education records are defined as records that are: (1) directly related to a student; and (2) maintained by an educational agency or institution, or by a party acting for the agency or institution. A/V recordings made in an education settings meet this definition.

This decision tree is intended to assist the OSU community in determining whether consent of the students is required prior to the recording and whether the Office of the Registrar and/or the Institutional Review Board must review the project.

Details Related to the Decision Points

Any institution that receives federal funds from the DoE, which is most institutions of higher and secondary/elementary education, is subject to FERPA. The institution includes spaces that may be beyond the campus or regularly designated space of the institution. For example, prior consent of students must be obtained if recordings of fieldwork will be made or used for research purposes. Review and approval must be sought from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Office of the Registrar (OtR).

Any student who is captured in a recording in some way is protected by FERPA. Plans to segregate students, blur captured images, or omit data from recordings taken of non-consenting students miss the point of requiring informed consent.

If yes, researchers will need to fill out a data feasibility form for the OtR and submit an application to the IRB.

Audio and video recordings of students in an education setting cannot be used for purposes other than evaluation and assessment without prior informed consent from each student in the setting. Student participation must be voluntary and their decision not to participate must be respected. Students may choose not to participate for a variety of reasons and those reasons need not be shared with the researchers. Strategies to avoid recording students who do not want to be recorded disrupt the learning experience, do not uphold the principle of respect for persons, and fail to adequately address the requirements under FERPA. 

Student consent may also be required when recordings are intended for non-research purposes but may result in disclosure of student education information to parties outside of the institutional setting. Contact the Office of the Registrar for more details.

When recordings are strictly for internal evaluation, assessment, or to improve services or instruction, consent may not be required. Please contact the OtR via data request for a determination.

If these recordings are not used for research, nor are they for assessment, evaluation, or services improvement reasons, please contact the IRB and OtR to ensure no further oversight is required.

OSU Office of the Registrar:  http://registrar.oregonstate.edu/

OSU Human Research Protection Program & IRB Office:  http://research.oregonstate.edu/irb

Data request form: http://bit.ly/OtR_data

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Ask the FERPA Professor:  https://www.aacrao.org/resources/newsletters-blogs/aacrao-connect/article/ask-the-ferpa-professor-5-30-2017

University of Wisconsin - Madison IRB Guidance: Video Recording in Campus Classrooms:  https://kb.wisc.edu/sbsedirbs/page.php?id=42377

Instructional Use of Social Media Policy

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) outlines the protections of a student’s education record. This includes any graded work completed as a part of the student’s registration in a course. Courses that use social media or other online tools for course engagement must either: a) create an environment only accessible by those in the class, b) obtain student consent to display identifying information about the student and their enrollment in the course or c) anonymize the student’s enrollment in the course.

**Note:  FERPA violations involve releasing education data that is not considered directory information. E.g., You write the name of the course on a blog and ask students to post on the blog—this displays that a student is enrolled in the course, which is protected data under FERPA. This would not be acceptable unless students consent to having their names appear on the course blog. However, you may remove the name of the course on the blog and ask students to post on the blog. Note that any student with a confidential flag cannot be expected to use their name for course work that will appear publicly.

Methods for obtaining consent:

In your course syllabus, note that the course will engage with online tools that may display the name of the course, the University, and/or student name(s). Ask students to provide consent to determine if they would like to participate in the public forum. If there is no way for students to participate without consenting to release their education data, the use of the tool is not permitted. Students cannot be penalized for refusing to consent.

Other ways to use online tools without obtaining student consent:
  • Create a private environment that will not be accessible to those not registered for the course.
  • Ask students to create a pseudonym at the beginning of the term that only you will know.
  • Remove any course and University designation from the page, group, hashtag, et. al.
  • Ask students to turn in their submissions to the site, forum, or other online tool directly to you.

 

General University Policies

OSU has policies to govern operation of the university. They are published by the administering offices for easy reference.


OSU’s President and the President’s Cabinet have established general university policies to apply to faculty, staff, and students at Oregon State University. Be aware of these policies and refer to them during the course of your career at OSU.

Computing Resources

Policies regulating use of computing resources

OSU has defined an Acceptable Use of University Computing Resources policy to ensure that computing resources are used in a manner befitting the standards of the OSU community. Educate yourself regarding the policy and use resources responsibly.

Examination Policies

Guidelines for Release of Email Addresses

The following guidelines, defined by the vice provost for information services and the university registrar, apply to the release of email addresses in compliance with FERPA and OSU’s policy, Acceptable Use of University Computing Facilities, which states, "The electronic mail system shall not be used for "broadcasting" of unsolicited mail (unless authorized by the department chair or unit head) or for sending chain letters. ('Broadcast' means more than one person as recipient; 'Unsolicited' means without authorization.)

The communication system shall not be used for sending of material that reasonably would be considered obscene, offensive, or threatening by the recipient or another viewer of the material." See Acceptable Use of University Computing Resources.

Authorizing Agents:
  • Unit heads can authorize unsolicited broadcast emails to recipients within the unit.
  • The special assistant to the provost can authorize unsolicited broadcast emails to faculty and staff.
  • The Registrar's Office can authorize unsolicited broadcast requests to the entire student body or to subsets of students.
Criteria for Authorization of Student Email Messages:
  • The purpose of the email must be related to the university's educational mission with specific relationship to the students being contacted.
  • The email must be memo style, not promotional, and must not appear to be advertising.
  • Parameters used for selecting the student recipients should be so defined that only students who possibly might be interested will be contacted.
  • Student surveys may be approved if the survey will provide data that will improve the unit's services or offerings to students.
Prohibited Messages:
  • Sales of any kind.
  • Anything for profit.
  • Anything viewed as advertising, even for academic or university business, even if there is no fee.

If a request is denied, the requestor will be encouraged to use postal mail.

OSU Discrimination and Harassment Policies

OSU is committed to fostering a welcoming and diverse community environment. OSU Discrimination and Harassment Policies define the behavioral expectations of members of the OSU community.

OSU Policy of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability

OSU is committed to providing equal opportunities for all of our students. This policy defines the university's commitment to providing equal opportunity and support to disabled students, as well as faculty and staff. The offices of Equal Opportunity and Access and Disability Access Services are available to assist individuals with requests for access.

Prerequisite Policy

Re-Use of Course Numbers

Six-Year Moratorium on the Re-Use of Course Numbers

If a non-credit or academic credit-bearing course is discontinued, that course number may not be re-used within six years of the last time that course was offered at Oregon State University. Any exceptions to this rule are solely at the discretion of the University Registrar.

Student Bereavement

Academic Advising Council Guidelines
for Students, Faculty and Professional Staff Regarding Student Bereavement

Oregon State University (OSU) recognizes students may experience times of grief and bereavement due to the loss of someone close. The development of the Student Bereavement Guidelines was a collaborative effort of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Academic Advising Council, Academic Affairs and the Office of Student Life. The guidelines are intended to help students and faculty navigate a difficult situation while supporting academic success.

Students: In the unfortunate event that you experience the loss of a parent, guardian, sibling, spouse, roommate, or other person close to you, please notify or have a friend or family member notify your instructor(s) and academic advisor(s) if an absence is needed. Should you need to be absent from classes, please remember that you are responsible for providing documentation of the death or funeral services attended to your academic advisor(s). Documentation may include, but is not limited to a memorial service program or newspaper/website obituary notice.

If you are absent, upon your return to OSU please arrange to meet with your instructor(s) and advisor(s) to discuss options and strategies for catching up with missed academic work and for completing the term successfully, if possible. Consideration for academic assistance and the opportunity to complete the course are at the discretion of your instructor(s) and dependent on the nature of the course. Your advisor(s) can also help you access support resources in the OSU community, such as the staff of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Spiritual Life @ OSU. OSU recognizes that in the immediate aftermath of a tragic loss, the farthest thing from your mind may be your academic situation. However, when you are ready and able to resume your studies or to take appropriate steps affecting your academic future, we in the OSU community are available to help you.

For additional information regarding absences from classes or Academic Regulations, please refer to the Office of Student Life FAQs page: http://studentlife.oregonstate.edu/main/student-faq

Faculty: The student is responsible for providing academic advisor(s) with documentation of the death or funeral service attended. The advisor(s) will notify instructors of the receipt of documentation. Documentation may include, but is not limited to, a memorial service program or newspaper/website obituary notice. Given proper documentation, the instructor may choose to excuse the student from class absences and provide the opportunity to earn equivalent credit and to demonstrate evidence of meeting the learning outcomes for missed assignments or assessments. Consideration for academic assistance and the opportunity to complete the course through alternate arrangements are at the discretion of the instructor and dependent on the nature of the course.

In support of these guidelines, it is hoped that OSU instructors will not penalize students who have provided verification of their bereavement needs. Additionally, OSU instructors are asked to offer reasonable compensatory experiences if appropriate, to ensure that students’ academic progress in the course will not be unduly compromised. These might include extending deadlines, allowing make-up exams, recalculating the weighting of scores from other course assignments or exams, or offering an incomplete, to name a few. The Center for Teaching and Learning is available to consult with instructors about options for designing compensatory experiences (541-737-2816, [email protected]). It is up to the instructor to determine what constitutes a reasonable compensatory experience in a given course.

Student Conduct and Community Standards

Students at OSU are expected to behave in a manner consistent with the code of Student Conduct and Community Standards, which stresses abiding by the law and treating one another with dignity and respect. Please familiarize yourself with the established standards and conduct yourself in a manner that will maintain and grow the special community that exists at OSU.

Student Jury Duty Service

Guidelines for Faculty and Professional Staff Regarding Student Jury Duty Service

Oregon State University supports students’ civic and legal responsibilities if called to serve on a jury while enrolled at OSU. Within this context, students who are called to serve on a jury should consult with their faculty and academic advisors about the impact of their jury service on their academic progress. In appropriate cases, students may ask the court to defer their service to a later term. In the event a student serves on a jury, the student is responsible for reporting her/his service and expected absences to instructors as soon as possible.

In support of this service, OSU faculty should not penalize students who have provided verification of their jury duty assignment under course attendance policies. Additionally, OSU faculty are expected to offer reasonable compensatory experiences to ensure that students’ academic progress in the course will not be unduly compromised. These might include extending deadlines, allowing make-up exams, or recalculating the weighting of scores from other course assignments or exams, to name a few. The Center for Teaching and Learning is available to consult with faculty about options for designing compensatory experiences, 541-737-2804; [email protected]). It is up to the instructor to determine what constitutes a reasonable compensatory experience in a given course.

If a student is forced to withdraw from a course or a term due to a prolonged term of service on a jury, the University will work with the student to mitigate any potential institutional academic and/or financial hardship. Under these guidelines, university offices may consider jury duty among the legitimate reasons to consider granting an exception to policies regarding student financial obligations. Again, it will be up to the student to initiate changes in her/his enrollment in consultation with academic advisors, the Office of the Registrar, Business Affairs, Housing and Dining Services, and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Faculty may contact the Associate Provost for Academic Success and Engagement with questions, 541-737-6164.

Unauthorized Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and Other Copyright Infringement

The university takes copyright infringement seriously. As set forth in the Acceptable Use of University Computing Resources Policy, all students must abide by federal and state copyright laws when using university computing or network resources. The unauthorized publishing or use of copyrighted material on the university computer network is strictly prohibited and users are personally liable for the consequences of such unauthorized use. This specifically applies to Peer-to-Peer or P2P file-sharing of copyrighted music and movies. Students should be aware that by engaging in unauthorized sharing of copyrighted material, they not only violate university policy, but they may also be held criminally and civilly liable by federal and/or state authorities.

Under current copyright law, criminal cases of copyright violation carry a penalty of up to five (5) years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Civil penalties for copyright infringement include a minimum fine of $750 for each work. Oregon State University will subject students who violate this policy to discipline as appropriate. For a first-time violation of this copyright policy, students are required to pass a copyright quiz within 72-hours or else their network access is disabled. Repeated infringement is subject to disciplinary action by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, up to and including expulsion from the university.

The policy regarding Unauthorized Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing and Other Copyright Infringement is available in its entirety for review.

Undergraduate Planned Educational Leave Program

The Undergraduate Planned Educational Leave Program is designed to allow a student to pursue other activities that will assist them in clarifying their educational goals, such as job opportunities and experiences away from campus, military deployment, time to resolve personal or medical problems, or other similar pursuits. The PELP allows an undergraduate student to temporarily suspend their academic work for a period of time (in accordance with AR 13a, 13b, and 13c), and resume their studies with minimal procedural difficulties. Utilization of PELP reserves the student’s right to keep their original academic catalog active during their absence. PELP should be used if the student will be absent for four or more terms.

The PELP is available to students who meet the following conditions:
  • Must be an undergraduate student.
  • PELP may only be requested one time in the course of a student's academic career. (Military deployments are an exception to this limitation. All military personnel who are deployed for military service may submit a voluntary leave request for each deployment.)
  • PELP petitions must be filed before the end of the next regular academic term (Fall, Winter, and Spring) after the last term attended.
  • Students who have been suspended from OSU for academic and/or conduct reasons are not eligible for PELP.
Important Things to Know about PELP:
  • PELP can be applied to as many as six consecutive regular academic terms (not including summer terms).
  • Submitting a petition for PELP does not withdraw a student from their courses for the current or future terms.
  • There is a $25 non-refundable application fee.
  • PELP began with the 2011–2012 academic year (Summer 2011). Any former OSU students who attended OSU prior to the 2011–2012 academic year and have been absent for four or more consecutive regular academic terms will be held to OSU’s prior policy that resets the academic catalog to the catalog in effect at the time they return to OSU.
  • A notation of the dates of any approved leave will be indicated on each student’s official transcript.
  • Students receiving financial aid need to contact the Financial Aid Office.
  • International students and student athletes should work with their respective advisors prior to filing for PELP.
  • Any student who utilizes PELP and does not return by the specified term will be inactivated and required to file for readmission, resulting in the appropriate adjustment to their catalog term in effect at the time they return to OSU. This will change their baccalaureate core, degree, and major requirements.
To apply for PELP:
  • Complete the PELP form on the Forms pages.
  • Obtain all required approvals.
  • Return the completed form to the Office of the Registrar, B102 Kerr Administration Bldg., for review.

Grades, Honor Roll and Academic Standing

Attendance

Instructors may consider attendance in the calculation of students’ grades. Refer to Academic Regulation 14 for more details.

Grades

Academic Regulations 17–19 describe the OSU grading system. The available grades and their associated point values are explained. Here you can also learn about the alternative grading system and the rules associated with these systems.

Honor Roll

As stated in Academic Regulation 21 each term a list is published containing the names of undergraduate or post-baccalaureate students that completed at least 12 graded undergraduate credits hours with a 3.5 or higher GPA. OSU News and Research Communications sends the Honor Roll to newspapers each term. Term-by-term honor rolls are posted OSU Honor Roll by Term.

First-Year Experience Academic Standing and Advising

First-year students at Corvallis Campus (Cascades Campus and Ecampus students are excluded) that encounter academic difficulty during their first year at Oregon State University will be provided additional guidance from Academic Advisors in their respective college. This guidance is to help students transition to the requirements of the Oregon State University academic standards. Students in Academic Warning or Academic Probation within their first year will receive a registration hold placed on their account. The hold can be removed after meeting with an advisor in their respective college and developing a personalized plan for improving their academic success.

Academic Standing

OSU expects students to maintain satisfactory academic progress towards degree completion set out in Academic Regulation 22.  At the conclusion of each term, grade point averages are calculated and academic standings are determined for students seeking a baccalaureate degree. There are four possible academic standing statuses.

Satisfactory Academic Standing (AR 22) is defined as either: Good Standing, Academic Warning, Academic Probation, or Academic Suspension. Academic Standing is based on a student’s OSU cumulative and term GPA.

Academic standing is an end-of-term status, which means a student must complete at least one term of coursework before having an OSU-calculated academic standing. Academic standing is determined after final grades have been posted.

GOOD STANDING
Students with a term and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above are in good academic standing.

ACADEMIC WARNING
Students with a term GPA below 2.0 will be placed on Academic Warning.

ACADEMIC PROBATION
Students who have attempted1 24 or more credits at OSU and have an OSU cumulative GPA below 2.0 will be placed on Academic Probation. Students who attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better are removed from Academic Probation.

ACADEMIC SUSPENSION
Students on Academic Probation who have a subsequent term GPA of below 2.0.

1 An attempt comprises a final grade in a course where the grade is: A, A–, B+, B, B–, C+, C, C–, D+, D, D–, F, S, U, P, NP, I/Alternate Grade (where the Alternate Grade is one of these grades), W, or Y.

More detailed information is available on the Academic Suspension and Reinstatement page.

Changes to Academic Standing for Completed Terms

After each term concludes, academic standing for the prior three terms is recalculated to account for repeated courses and grade changes such as Change of Final Grade or Removal of Incomplete Grade – final grades may be changed by the instructor up to one year after the original grading deadline for the course or Petitions for Late Change of Registration (late drop, late withdrawal from term) – a student petitions for a late drop in a course(s) after the term concludes which alters their term GPA. This recalculation ensures that the academic standing for the current term is based on the most current, and the most accurate, academic standing. Current term academic standing runs after the prior three terms are recalculated.

P/N and S/U Grades in Academic Standing Calculations

Grades of P, N, S, and U are ignored in GPA calculations, and electing these alternate grading options will not impact a student’s GPA. Although performance in these courses do not produce a GPA, students should be aware that taking any or all courses using Pass/No Credit (P/N) or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grade modes may have an impact on academic standing calculations and demonstration of academic improvement based on performance of an S vs U or P vs N.

Term Withdrawal and Alternative Grading in Academic Standing

Grades of W, P or S are not counted in GPA calculations. Students who are placed on Academic Suspension with a term withdrawal for the current (same) term or completed classes for the term with grades of P or S have their academic standing manually adjusted as part of end of term processing because the student showed progression. Withdrawal from the term or completing at least 50% or more credits with grades of P or S allows a student to continue on probation status. There is no academic standing to calculate for the current term, therefore, it defaults to the previous term’s academic standing, which will be overridden by a manual review at the end of the term looking for progress or complete term withdrawal.

Review of Academic Standing for Students on Academic Suspension

Academic standing does not change automatically due to a grade change or approved petition. Students who are placed on Academic Suspension at the end of a given term may have their academic standing reviewed and recalculated due to a grade change or petition for late change of registration in limited circumstances.
In the case of a student who is on academic suspension from the immediately preceding term and either has a grade change or there was an approved petition for late change of registration, this option will only be considered if a request is submitted prior to the add deadline for the immediately following term.
If a student qualifies, they (or advisor on behalf of the student) may email [email protected] to request, on an individual basis, to have their academic standing reviewed by the Office of the Registrar within the limited time listed above.
All other changes, such as a grade change for a prior term or change in academic status (e.g., Academic Warning to Good Standing) are handled during end of term processing and follow the academic standing calculation protocol.

Academic Fresh Start Policy

Students may petition once with the Registrar to exclude OSU courses from the calculation of institutional requirements, credits, and grade-point average, under the conditions defined in Academic Regulation 31 (Academic Fresh Start Policy).

Guidance on Placing Holds

The primary intent of placing registration, grades, and/or transcript holds is to provide students with information regarding relatively specific circumstances that require the student to resolve an issue with the office that entered the hold.

The OtR practice is to use the holds to prompt students to take administrative or academic required actions. Holds are only placed when it is considered the most effective path to prompt the required action.

Due to their restrictive nature, registration holds are used only in those instances when continued registration would harm either the student or the institution. These holds are used as a last resort after all other efforts to prompt action by the student failed.

Honor Society Transcript Notation

The Office of the Registrar provides transcript notations of membership to limited honor societies at OSU.

Honor Society Transcript Notation form - This form is used by an honor society to request that the honor society be approved for notations to all members' transcripts. This form is submitted by the honor society's faculty advisor. 

Honor Society Transcript Notation Committee charter

Institutional Degree Requirements

Repeated Courses

The rules for repeating an Oregon State University course (i.e., any OSU course number) are outlined in Academic Regulation 20. Review the information below to learn how this regulation handles standard (non-repeatable for credit) courses and recognized repeatable courses at OSU. Review the Repeats & Transfer Work section and FAQs below to learn how repeated transfer courses are handled.

Standard Courses

  • Most OSU courses are standard courses and are not repeatable for credit (i.e., are not listed as ‘repeatable’ in the catalog).
  • When attempting a standard course multiple times at OSU, the second attempt is the attempt that will count toward your earned credit and GPA calculations; colleges or academic units may include subsequent attempts after the second attempt to meet individual course degree requirements.
  • The second attempt counts toward the earned credit count and GPA calculations regardless of the grade(s) earned on other attempts.
  • Courses that maintained the same level and have been updated to Common Course Numbers (Z and HZ) are equivalents to the previous, even if credits have changed.

Recognized Repeatable Courses

  • Recognized repeatable courses are those courses for which you can earn credit multiple times, up to a defined limit stated in the catalog.
  • The limit to attempted credits is listed in the course description. For example, PAC 116 is a 1 credit course that may be taken for credit up to 11 times (11 credits).
  • Once you reach the total allowable attempts or credit maximum for the course (e.g. 11 credits of PAC 116), no further attempts will be included in your earned credit and GPA calculations.
  • Recognized repeatable courses do not split. If you reach the credit maximum while enrolled in a recognized repeatable course, and the enrolled credits exceed the credit limit stated for the course, the entire course will be excluded.

Defined Terms

  • Attempted Credit: credits for which you are enrolled after the published drop deadline and appear on your transcript.
  • Earned Credit: credits for which you have earned a passing grade (i.e., P, S, or D- or better).
  • Excluded Course: course completed where the credits and grade points are excluded from earned credit totals and grade point average calculation; these courses will have an “E” in the repeat column on your transcript. 

Repeats & Transfer Work

  • Overall rule, for non-repeatable courses; credit can only be earned once.
  • If the included OSU course is not passing, but the transfer course is passing: credit is granted for the transfer course, the graded transfer course does not count in OSU GPA (transfer GPA only) and the OSU course remains in the OSU GPA.
  • If the included OSU course is passing, and the transfer course is passing: credit for the transfer course is not granted. 
  • Admissions manually adjusts transfer credits based on any duplicative credit within transfer work and across OSU and transfer work.
  • AR 20 applies only to OSU courses, so it does not apply to the inclusion/exclusion of transfer credits. 

Note: For repeat coursework, a grade is determined to be passing if it has earned credit (i.e., P, S, or D- or better). 

Examples of Repeats & Transfer Work:

Example 1
Order Taken Grade Credits Counted
OSU F (Included in OSU GPA) N
Transfer B Y
Example 2
Order Taken Grade Credits Counted
Transfer D N N
OSU B (included in OSU GPA) Y
Transfer B N N
Example 3
Order Taken Grade Credits Counted
OSU F (excluded from OSU GPA) N
OSU F (included in OSU GPA) N
Transfer B Y

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

You will see it noted in the Schedule of Classes and in the catalog. See this example below:

Yes, every attempted course taken at OSU will appear on your OSU transcript.

No. This is a risk of repeating a standard (non-repeatable) course. The second attempt is the one that will affect your GPA. Your college or academic unit may, however, include subsequent attempts after the second attempt to meet individual course degree requirements associated with the baccalaureate core/majors/options/minors/certificates/endorsements.

While you can repeat courses that you completed before your degree was awarded, Academic Regulation 20 will not apply. This means that both takes will apply to your GPA. To maximize your efforts at GPA improvement, we recommend repeating courses prior to your degree being awarded. It is best to consult with your academic advisor before making decisions about repeating courses.

Transfer Courses and Repeats FAQs

No. You may only receive credit once for a standard (non-repeatable) course. Since you passed the OSU course, the transfer course will be excluded from your earned credit count and from your transfer GPA.

You may only receive credit once for a standard (non-repeatable) course. If you passed the OSU course, the transfer course will be excluded from your earned credit count and from your transfer GPA. If you did not pass the OSU course -- and did pass the transfer course -- you will receive transfer credit for the transfer course. The OSU grade still affects the institution and overall GPA; the transfer course grade will affect the transfer and overall GPA.

If the course is a standard course, OSU will only award transfer credit once and will use the highest grade earned. If the course is a recognized repeatable course, you will receive credit for each course up to the total allowable attempts or credit maximum for the course.

Academic Regulation 25h

Up until Fall 2019, Academic Regulation 25h was enforced via the academic transcript. This meant that any PAC, MUP or ALS credit earned beyond the maximum number of credits that could be applied to a degree was excluded on the transcript. Starting in Fall 2019, this regulation was no longer enforced via the transcript and instead is enforced via MyDegrees. In most cases, credits and grade points excluded, prior to Fall 2019, under this regulation will remain excluded.

Starting in Fall 2019, this regulation was no longer enforced via the transcript and instead is enforced via MyDegrees. In most cases, credits and grade points that were attempted prior to Fall 2019 and that were excluded under this regulation will remain excluded. However, if you repeat a PAC, MUP or ALS course Fall 2019 or later, it is possible for a previously excluded course to become included in your GPA. If this reversal has harmed your GPA, please contact the Office of the Registrar at [email protected].

Common Course Numbers & Repeated Courses

Course numbers that maintained the same level (i.e. lower division/upper division) and were changed via Common Course Numbering (Z) and (HZ for Honors courses) are equivalent to their predecessor numbers, even if their credits have changed. For example, WR 121Z is equivalent to WR 121 and, therefore, follows repeat logic as if they are the same number. For more information: Common Course Numbering at OSU.

As COMM 100Z and WR 122Z will not be taught at OSU, there are no equivalent versions and they will transfer as "LDTZ". WR 327 to WR 227 are not equivalent due to a change in level.

WR 327 to WR 227 are not equivalent due to a change in level but they are mutually exclusive which means students cannot register for WR 227Z if they have previously passed WR 327. 

We have a new mutual exclusion webpage with more information.