Navigating Florida State University: A Guide to the University Registrar's Office

The Office of the University Registrar at Florida State University (FSU) serves as the central hub for managing student academic records and facilitating various academic processes. Headed by University Registrar Kimberly A., the office plays a crucial role in supporting students, faculty, and administration. This article provides a detailed overview of the services offered by the University Registrar, covering everything from registration and record maintenance to graduation certification and transfer credit evaluation.

Core Responsibilities of the University Registrar

The Office of the University Registrar is the official custodian of permanent academic records for all past and currently enrolled students at Florida State University. Its responsibilities encompass a wide range of essential functions. These include:

Assisting departments and students with registration activities.
Maintaining student and departmental records for the term in progress.
Posting FSU credit, transfer credit, and grade changes.
Preparing FSU transcripts.
Scheduling academic space.
Maintaining and updating curricula.
Certifying eligibility to receive credit for Credit by Examination.
Certifying attendance for loan purposes.
Implementing and monitoring academic regulations.
Certifying eligibility to graduate.
Providing services and information to students, faculty, and administration.

Registration and Academic Records

The University Registrar's Office is pivotal in managing student registration and maintaining accurate academic records. Students rely on the office for assistance with registration activities and for ensuring that their academic progress is accurately reflected in their records. This includes the posting of FSU credit, transfer credit, and any grade changes.

Registration Guide

The FSU's Office of the University Registrar publishes the Registration Guide, which contains a list of all registration deadlines, fee and payment information, and important announcements specific to the semester.

Transfer Credit Policies

Florida State University has specific policies regarding the acceptance of transfer credit from other institutions and examination programs. These policies are designed to ensure that students receive appropriate credit for prior learning while maintaining the academic standards of the university.

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Transfer Credit from Other Institutions

The University accepts transfer credit from all nationally accredited institutions (or comparable international institutions) for coursework with grades of “D-” or better. All grades earned at other institutions are entered exactly as earned on a student's Florida State University permanent record at the time of transfer. Effective fall term 2014, credit earned while on academic dismissal from FSU may be transferred to FSU and count toward the total hours required for the degree. Students who have taken college-level coursework are required to submit official transcripts from all institutions attended.

At the undergraduate level, credit is first evaluated by the Office of the University Registrar's Records Audit and Analysis section to determine if the institution is regionally accredited (or comparable accreditation at international institutions), and if the credit is college level, vocational, or technical. Vocational or technical credit is not normally accepted for transfer; however, the baccalaureate dean may approve up to six hours of technical or vocational credit on appeal. The credit is then evaluated by the Office of Undergraduate Studies to determine if it is applicable to General Education requirements. Undergraduate-level or graduate-level courses are also evaluated by the student's chosen major department to determine degree applicability for major/minor requirements. During the review by the Office of Undergraduate Studies or the Upper-Level Department, the individual course prefix, number, description, host institution catalog, syllabus, and other supporting documentation are reviewed to determine if the course is logically and qualitatively equivalent to a Florida State course.

Credit by Examination

The University recognizes several examination programs for which students may receive academic credit or exemption in lieu of coursework. Florida law requires the Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC) to establish passing scores and course and credit equivalents for Advanced Placement (AP), Advanced International Certificate of Education Program (AICE), International Baccalaureate (IB), DSST (DANTES), Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT), UExcel (Excelsior College Exam) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams. Public community colleges and universities in Florida are required to award the minimum recommended credit for AP, AICE, IB, DSST, DLPT, UExcel (Excelsior), and CLEP exams as designated. Credit toward the baccalaureate degree will not be granted for courses taken that are judged equivalent to credit already earned through one of the examination programs and vice versa. A course may not be dropped in anticipation of receiving examination credit. Credit earned by examination may be declined by the student.

Advanced Placement (AP) Program

Students who have participated in the AP Program in high school and received a score of three or better on the national examinations will receive college credit in the appropriate subject areas.

Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Program

Students who have completed AICE examinations should submit their official score reports to Florida State University.

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International Baccalaureate (IB) Program

Students in an IB Program will receive up to forty-five credit hours of credit for scores of four or higher on both higher-level and standard-level examinations.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Florida State University grants credit in lieu of coursework for the CLEP subject matter examinations. Credits are awarded to any regularly admitted, degree-seeking undergraduate student who scores at or above the 50th percentile level of the sophomore norms on the CLEP examinations. Students receive appropriate credit, provided they have not completed the course, whether or not they received credit, at the college level in the subject area or received credit in the subject area through AICE, AP, or IB. Courses dropped prior to completion will not count against the student as attempted credit. Academic deans shall have the authority to make exceptions concerning examinations that may fall within a subject area for which a student has existing credit.

In accordance with the articulation agreement, students who have earned CLEP credit in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the AA degree from a Florida public institution will be awarded credit on the basis of their presentation of the AA degree.

Transfer of General Education Requirements

Transfer students who have completed a general education program at a Florida public institution and whose transcript is so marked will be considered to have completed the General Education courses within the CoreFSU Curriculum program at Florida State University.

Academic Regulations and Policies

The University Registrar's Office is responsible for implementing and monitoring academic regulations and policies. These regulations ensure the integrity and consistency of academic standards across the university.

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General Bulletin (Matriculation Catalog)

The General Bulletin (matriculation catalog) governs each student's graduation requirements.

Course Numbering System

The state of Florida utilizes a common course numbering system to facilitate the transfer of credit for equivalent courses among the state's colleges and universities. Courses that have the same academic content and that are taught by faculty with comparable credentials are given the same prefix and last three numerical digits, and are considered equivalent courses; thus, THE 1234 taken at one institution is equivalent to THE 3234 at another institution.

Short Courses for Credit

Short courses for credit shall have the same number of contact hours as do regularly scheduled courses, i.e., a one-hour course must have 15 total contact hours; a two-hour course must have 30 total contact hours; and a three-hour course must have 45- total contact hours. Alternatively, other nontraditional courses/settings must have an appropriate substitute(s) for the above contact hours, e.g., distance learning might include student/teacher interaction, student interaction with professor-designed materials, or other appropriate interactions. In no case can credit be given with less student participation than the above stipulated hours.

Non-Traditional Courses

Non-traditional courses have many different purposes, including the recertification of persons for various subject matters and professional specialties.

Online Courses and MOOCs

Undergraduate students who are admitted to the University and who have completed online college-level courses prior to initial enrollment in undergraduate education may request that the University evaluate that work to determine if credit might be awarded. These may include, but are not limited to, massive open online courses (MOOCs). Courses that follow nontraditional scheduling patterns, such as running over from one semester to the next, may be scheduled through the Center for Professional Development and Public Service or through the Office of the University Registrar. Undergraduate students who are admitted to the University and who have completed massive open online courses (MOOCs) may request evaluation of that coursework for transfer credit. Applicants will be notified if the credit has been approved.

Correspondence Courses

Courses taken by correspondence through the state of Florida, Board of Governors approved off-campus courses, and/or courses evaluated and recommended as suitable for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE) may be accepted by the University. The number of hours of such courses acceptable in any individual case is at the discretion of the academic dean. The total number of such courses accepted cannot exceed thirty credit hours. Regularly enrolled students may not engage in correspondence study while in residence at the University. College courses include Economics, Education, English, History, Journalism, Marketing, Political Science, Psychology and more. Any teacher in the state of Florida can now use correspondence course credit as appropriate to apply toward the recertification of their teaching licenses.

Time Limit for Degree Completion

An undergraduate student may be granted a baccalaureate degree under degree requirements specified in the General Bulletin at the time of admission, insofar as course offerings will permit, provided the student graduates within a period of six years from date of first entry to the University. If a student exceeds six years in pursuit of the baccalaureate degree, the University may specify that the degree requirements of the most current General Bulletin will apply. A student may elect instead to meet the degree requirements specified in any subsequent General Bulletin covering a period of the student's enrollment.

Types of Credit Not Allowed

No credit is allowed for vocational, technical, or below college-level coursework. The University does not grant experiential credit, international credit, or military credit.

Student Academic Levels and Enrollment

The University Registrar's Office also manages student academic levels and enrollment processes. This includes classifying students based on their academic career and tracking their progress toward degree completion.

Academic Careers

The University recognizes six academic careers: four degree-seeking and two non-degree-seeking. These are:

Undergraduate
Graduate
Law
Medicine
Non-Degree without Baccalaureate
Non-Degree with Baccalaureate (post-baccalaureate)

Students with Law or Medicine careers are classified based on their program year (first, second, etc.). The University may record a student's advancement toward degree completion by tracking their academic level, which is calculated based on the number of hours the student has earned.

Non-Degree-Seeking Students

Non-degree-seeking students who want to change to degree-seeking-student status must apply for admission through the Office of Admissions. Work taken as a non-degree-seeking student carries no degree credit. Students who enrolled in Florida State University as high school dual-enrollment students, while classified as non-degree students, are not subject to the 15-hour credit limitation that is established for non-degree-seeking students.

Concurrent Enrollment

Under certain circumstances students may wish to pursue degrees at Florida State University and another institution simultaneously. In all cases students in this situation must consult their Florida State University academic advisor and academic dean to request approval in advance. Students are responsible for complying with all rules, regulations, and policies of both institutions, including but not limited to admission standards; academic rules; residency; fees; graduation requirements; university, college, and departmental deadlines; and student codes of conduct. Enrollment certification and degree verification issued by Florida State University will be based solely on current registration hours with Florida State University and any awards, honors, or degrees posted by Florida State University. Students receiving financial aid must designate one institution as the primary institution for financial aid distribution. The primary institution will be responsible for monitoring awards and delivery of financial aid. Students who are planning to transfer courses to Florida State University should seek advising in advance of doing so. The University limits the number of transfer hours a student may bring in depending on the type of degree and program. Different conditions, rules, and policies may apply if Florida State University has an approved consortia or cooperative agreement with the second institution. Students should be aware that approval by Florida State University to pursue degrees at Florida State and another institution in no way binds the other institution to a similar approval.

Additional Information for Students

Holds

Be sure to click through the details of each hold to review the contact information and instructions provided there.

Immunization Records

The student's immunization record may be used to show proof of immunizations. Students may also turn in records from their health care provider. Students under the age of 18 must have a parent's or guardian's signature on the student immunization record authorizing care at the Wellness Center before the student can be treated.

Academic Advising

All degree-seeking students are expected to participate in academic advising before registering for classes each semester.

Course Prerequisites and Co-requisites

Students are responsible for meeting prerequisites and co-requisites for each course in which they are enrolled. Students who do not meet course prerequisites and co-requisites may be dropped by the academic department. Students are also responsible for any changes made to their schedule without an advisor's approval through the drop/add process. All permits such as underloads, overloads (see the “Student Course Load” section of this chapter), graduate class requests while an undergraduate, DIS, modified credit, and S/U grading should be discussed with an academic advisor. All such permits must then be approved by the student's academic dean. Students may attend and receive credit only for those classes in which they are properly registered.

Supplementary Instruction

First-year students who have a score on the SAT or ACT that falls within certain ranges will be required to enroll in supplementary instruction for English Composition, Reading, and/or Mathematics during their first term of enrollment (unless they pass an on-campus skills test).

Primary Major

Students pursuing a second, or additional, major should be aware that the primary major only determines the selection of the student's academic dean for the purposes of academic regulations at Florida State University. That is, rules regarding student dismissal, reinstatement, and all general academic qualifications at the University are governed and enforced by the primary major and that major's academic dean.

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