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11.1: Policy Statement
NS is committed to serving its students and maintaining accurate enrollment records. When students remain in courses they never attend, they incur unnecessary debt; their GPAs also suffer when failing grades are assigned for nonattendance. Administratively dropping students who never begin participating in a course provides a better alternative.
In addition, NS is required to determine whether a student participated in a course to correctly report enrollment to state and federal agencies and to administer federal financial aid, VA benefits, and other aid programs.
11.2 Measuring Academic Engagement
Instructors will record academic engagement in all courses during the first two weeks of terms lasting at least 12 weeks. Courses in shorter terms have adjusted timelines for reporting, which are announced by the Office of the Registrar. To fulfill federal requirements, activities which are used to track academic engagement must be “academically related” and must fall into one of the categories included in the federal definition of academic engagement.
11.3 Reporting Academic Engagement
By 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PST) on the second Friday of the term (or due dates distributed by the Registrar), instructors will indicate on the attendance roster in their Faculty Center whether each student has academically engaged in their course.
11.3.1 Adjusted Timelines for Accelerated Terms
The Office of the Registrar will provide adjusted timelines for accelerated terms. Timelines are sent to the schools on the Friday prior to the beginning of the term; academic units are responsible for distributing them to instructors.
11.4 Administrative Drop Process
The Registrar’s Office will administratively drop students reported as not academically engaged in a course. Whenever possible, administrative drops will occur by 5:00 pm PST on the second Friday of the term (or due date indicated for short terms). Delays may occur if all faculty have not submitted their attendance rosters or if other unforeseen issues arise (for example, software outages). When delays occur, the Registrar’s Office will prioritize completing administrative drops as quickly as possible.
Administratively dropped students are removed from the course roster and from the course Canvas shell; the course will not appear on the student’s transcript. The Office of the Registrar reports the student’s updated enrollment status to the National Student Clearinghouse.
The Cashier’s Office reverses charges for a course if a student is administratively dropped for nonattendance. The Office of Financial Aid makes any necessary adjustments to a student’s award package based on the enrollment change; the VA Certifying Official updates enrollment certifications as necessary.
11.4.1 Petitions for Reinstatement
Students may submit a petition to the Office of the Registrar for reinstatement into a course if they were administratively dropped for nonattendance. Reinstatement requires instructor approval. NS does not guarantee reinstatement.
11.4.2 Petition for Late Drop Due to Nonattendance
If a student has not academically engaged in their course and was not administratively dropped, the student may petition the Office of the Registrar for a late drop from the course.
11.5 Related Information
– Federal Student Aid Handbook (2018-19), Volume 3, Chapter 1
– Department of Education, Return of Title IV Funds (Enclosure to Dear Colleague Action Letter GEN-11-14), July 20, 2011
– Federal Register, “Distance Education and Innovation,” 34 CFR Parts 600, 602, and 668; September 2, 2020
– Maynard Cooper Gale, “S. Department of Education Issue New Distance Education and Related Regulations,” September 4, 2020
11.5.1 Revision History
– Approved by Dr. Sam Jewell on 2/15/2022; Dr. Vickie Shields on 2/15/2022; and President DeRionne Pollard on 12/01/2022.