ASCRC Annual Report 2012/2013
Membership
Term
2013
2013
2013
2013
2014
2014
2015
Member
Bill Borrie
Colin Henderson
Mark Grimes
Neyooxet Greymorning
Davies, Wade
Stolle, Darrell
Gillison, Linda
2015
2015
2015
DeBoer, John
Tully Thibeau
Nikolaus Vonessen
Department
Society & Conservation
College of Technology
DBS
Anthropology
Native American Studies
Curriculum & Instruction
Modern & Classical
Languages
Theatre & Dance
Linguistics
Mathematics
Contact Info
bill.borrie@umontana.edu
colin.henderson@umontana.edu
Mark.grimes@umontana.edu
Neyooxet.greymorning@umontana.edu
Wade.davies@mso.umt.edu
Darrell.stolle@mso.umt.edu
Linda.gillison@umontana.edu
John.deboer@mso.umt.edu
Tully.thibeau@mso.umt.edu
Nikolaus.vonessen@umontana.edu
The Chairs of the General Education Committee, Nadia White and the Writing Committee, Beverly
Chin will report as needed
Students
Brandon Simpson (fall-only)
Damara Simpson (fall-only)
Clair Chandler
Gwendolyn Coon
Michael Hopkins (spring-only)
Ex-Officio Members
Ed Johnson
Sharon O'Hare
Nancy Hinman
Jasmine Zink
Registrar
Asst VP for Student Success
Interim Assoc Provost
Academic Policy Manager
Edwin.Johnson@mso.umt.edu
sohare@mso.umt.edu
Nancy.hinman@mso.umt.edu
Jasmine.zink@mso.umt
Agenda Items and Actions
Annual Curriculum Review
ASCRC acted on a total of 319 curriculum forms including 55 new courses, 15 course deletions, 4 onetime-only Service Learning designations, 14 Writing Courses, 7 General Education Courses, 47 program
modifications, 10 level I proposals. Curriculum Consent agendas were presented to the Faculty Senate
starting at the November 8th meeting. Sixteen experimental Global Leadership Institute Seminar
courses were approved for one-time-only general education designations. In addition to new writing
courses the Writing Committee reviewed one fourth of existing writing courses in accordance with the
Writing Course Review Procedure (202.50.1). The General Education Committee also conducted a
rolling review (202.40). It completed the follow-up from the spring review of Expressive Arts, Social
Science, and Ethics and Human Values courses. This spring the General Education committee initiated
the review of Mathematics, Historical and Cultural, and Natural Science Courses. In the spring 66
prerequisite changes were approved by ASCRC in preparation for implementing prerequisite
enforcement at the time of registration. These changes were entered into the catalog, but not
programmed into Banner due to budget constraints in the Registrar’s Office.
Level I changes:
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New option in Biology – Genetics and Evolution
New interdisciplinary option in Computer Science
Discontinue Interdisciplinary Option in Geosciences
New Teaching Certificate in Physics and Astronomy
Add Nonprofit Administration track in Political Science
Change name of BITE (Business and Information Technology Education) to Business Education
Change the title of Music Specialization in Composition: Music Technology to Composition….
New AA Certificate in Health Information Technology
New AS Certificate in Energy Technology
New Social Media Management Option in Administrative Management
Curriculum Items that required follow-up
ASCRC considered the request to increase the repeatability for FILM 481 UG Advanced Studies in Film
from 6 to 9. The subcommittee requested syllabi for three sample courses and was concerned about
the diverse content, potential instructors and delivery methods. After discussion ASCRC approved the
request but required the program develop a common set of learning outcomes for the instructors as
well as OCHE.
Procedure and Policy Review items
Revised Majors Policy (203.70)
The policy regarding which course credits are counted towards a major was revised such that
compliance with Board of Regents policy 303.1 (eg. “majors may range from 30 to 48 semester hours,
half of which must be at the upper division level”) could be more straightforwardly determined. For
example, courses required for the major and offered by the major department nearly always count
towards the number of credits required by the major; courses required for the major but offered by
other departments usually do not count towards the number of credits; and if a course counts towards
the number of credits required by the major, so usually do any of its prerequisites. See appendix.
Prerequisite Restrictions
Given the recent automated enforcement of prerequisites, Procedure 201.30.3 Editorial Catalog
Changes was revised such that (see Appendix for full procedure):
All restrictions such as degree majors only, class standing, or consent of instructors must be
included in the catalog.
Prerequisite and Course Restriction Enforcement Technical Guide
With prerequisite enforcement, there is a need for accurate, specific, verifiable and enforceable catalog
prerequisite language. Based on experience with over 500 courses now currently having prerequisites
enforced at the time of registration, a technical guide was prepared and distributed to all department
chairs and program directors. This guide defines prerequisites, prerequisite with concurrency and
corequisites, as well as providing guidance on writing clear and enforceable prerequisites and
restrictions. See Appendix. The Registrar’s Office now manages prerequisite enforcement and can
assist. It should be noted, however, that prerequisites do not have to be enforceable.
Catalog Governing Graduation
Starting in academic year 2013-2014, students must choose a single catalog under which they have been
enrolled during the six years prior to graduation to fulfill University (General Education) and
departmental (major) requirements.
Catalog language:
Degree/Certificate Requirements for Graduation
Catalog Governing Graduation
Students may graduate fulfilling University and departmental major requirements in any single
University of Montana-Missoula catalog under which the student has been enrolled during the six
years prior to graduation. (For example, the 2010-2011 catalog can be used through summer 2017).
The student MUST meet major requirements under the same catalog under which the student is
meeting University requirements; minor requirements may be satisfied under a different catalog
within the six year period. University or departmental requirements may change to comply with
accreditation requirements, professional certification and licensing requirements, etc. The student
may meet major and minor requirements under different catalogs than the catalog under which she
or he is meeting University requirements. Pharmacy students should consult the Professional
Pharmacy Curriculum section in this catalog.
Retain Departmental Course Lists in the Catalog
With the presentation of course descriptions in the UM catalog to be changing in the near future, ASCRC
wishes to retain a historical record of the course descriptions for each academic year and this includes a
list in the UM Catalog of courses offered by each department or academic program. The following
motion was approved and presented to Faculty Senate:
Retain on the UM Catalog page of each department (or program) a simple list of the courses
offered by that department (or program).
Technical Course Credits
A long-standing issue regarding the application of Technical Course (T-course) credits towards UM
degrees, particularly baccalaureate degrees, was given considerable study. It was clearly established
that UM has the authority to both limit the number of T-course credits that apply and to determine
what is a college-level course.
T courses are primarily vocational and technical in nature and were formally known as VT credits in
previous catalogs. T-course credits can originate from many places including the Missoula College, other
2 year programs in the Montana University System, as well as accredited out-of-state junior, community
and technical colleges. T-courses are frequently part of Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees,
which are not typically considered a transfer degree. Rather, AAS degrees are terminal degrees to
prepare students for immediate employment.
Current Procedure 203.20 places limits on several categories of course that count credits towards UM
degrees including Performance & Ensemble course, PE Activity/skills courses, ROTC courses (such as
Ranger Challenge, and Drill & Conditioning), Study Skills courses, internship credits, and correspondence
course credits.
ASCRC approved without dissent a five item motion for presentation to Faculty Senate April 11th for vote
May 9th (see Appendix).
Revision of the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalog
Examination of the catalog language regarding the ability of students to change the grading option for a
course to or from CR/NCR after the 45th instructional day led to significant revision of the Academic
Policies and Procedures section of the catalog. It is now explicitly stated that course changes (adding,
changing grading option, changing variable credit) may be made by students (with instructor approval)
until the last regular class period before finals. Students may also request to drop classes in
unanticipated and extraordinary circumstances after the 45th instructional day only with the approval of
the Dean of the student’s major. Instructors may now change a grading option for a course only before
the 15th instructional day. These had each been common practice, but ambiguously state in policies.
The deadlines for dropping, adding, and other course changes for the 5-week and 10-week Summer
Semesters, Winter Session, and Special Sessions were revised to generally match the same proportions
as deadlines in Fall and Spring Semesters. Note that advisor signatures are not generally available, and
therefore not required, for Summer and Winter semesters. Clear tables illustrating all deadlines and all
semesters are now presented. The drop / add forms were revised to match the language. Freshmen
and sophomores are now discouraged from taking more than one course a semester on a credit/no
credit basis. See appendix.
Writing Course Transfer Equivalency Appeal Guidelines
The Admissions Office evaluates transcripts for course equivalencies, with the exception of UM’s
approved writing courses. If transfer students believe a transfer course meets the approved writing
course requirement they may petition for an exemption through the Writing Committee. With revision,
ASCRC approved Procedure 202.50.5 that provides guidance on material the student should submit in
their petition (see appendix).
Identifier for writing courses
The Writing Committee requested that ASCRC consider implementing a course attribute or identifier on
writing courses for academic planning and transcript purposes. The Writing Committee has noted that
the designations for the approved writing course and upper-division writing course in the major are
confusing, and proposed to keep the ‘Approved Writing (W)’ course label and change the ‘Upperdivision Writing Requirement’ to ‘Writing in the Discipline (WD).’ After significant discussion, concerns
remained regarding i) distributed writing requirements (where students take 3 courses identified in the
major as meeting 1/3 of the Upper-division Writing Requirement), ii) writing course add-ons (where
students take a 1 credit writing course in addition to specific content courses), and iii) consultation with
course instructors prior to any course title changes. ASCRC sent the item back to the Writing
Committee for further clarification.
E-Curr
An electronic approval system (e- Curr) has been developed for curriculum forms. The intent is for the
course form to be fully automated for next academic year’s curriculum review, with other forms to
follow in future years.
Reserve CCN numbers
OCHE is now allowing the reservation of common course numbers as faculty anticipate future course
offerings. Faculty members should request numbers be reserved through Camie or Associate Provost
Hinman.
Dormant course report
Assistant Registrar Holzworth prepared the dormant course report. Departments were notified that the
courses had not been offered in three years and would be removed from the catalog unless a rationale
was provided to retain the course. The rationale was included on the report for those courses.
Experimental course report
After discussion, the committee approved a motion for the Registrar’s Office to develop an automated
mechanism to flag experimental courses offered three times, and notify instructors when they must
apply for a permanent course number or, in the case of compelling special circumstance, apply to ASCRC
for an exception to allow a fourth offering.
Other Communication / Discussion Items
Crosslisting
The issue of crosslisting a specific course under two different rubrics continued to receive significant
attention. After an ultimately unsuccessful experiment with 800-level course prefixes, ASCRC (along
with the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate (ECOS) and the Montana University System Faculty
Association Representatives (MUSFAR)) reiterated the importance of crosslisting rubrics in providing
increased profile and legitimacy to courses in interdisciplinary programs. The Office of the
Commissioner of Higher Education verbally communicated assent for units of the MUS to continue
crosslisting. ECOS has convened a workgroup, with ASCRC representation, to study and bring
recommendation concerning course rubrics, including criteria to be used when crosslisting programs
request a new course rubric.
Early Alert Program
There was study and discussion of the current Early Alert, a program to identify students who might be
having academic difficulty. Instructors teaching courses at the 200 level and below identify students
mid-term who are performing poorly in a class (“D” work or below). It was suggested that the alert
message goes out too late in the semester and that typically only about 30% of faculty participate which
may be misleading to students (since the Early Alert system is therefore not providing alerts for courses
they may be failing). It was noted that some students are reluctant to drop a course even when they are
aware of poor performance due to financial aid implications. A Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant
proposal has been submitted for an assessment and innovative revamp of the early alert system.
Study /Life Skills
Recent years have seen a number of study/life skills courses being proposed by various academic units
and administrative offices across campus. For example, one long-standing course (C&I 160: Learning
Strategies for Higher Education) focuses on learning skills such as stress management, time
management, note taking, reading, and test taking. A working group was formed to assess whether a
common rubric should be implemented across campus for these types of courses and whether there
should be guidelines for these courses to assure appropriate academic rigor. After reviewing current
course syllabi of the current courses and looking at models from other institutions, the workgroup feels
there may be two separate objectives for these skills courses: i) transitional courses for students who
may be having difficulty progressing from high school and confronting the scale and nature of a large
university, and ii) courses that focus on the technical mechanics of college study.
Degree Audit
A workgroup was formed to study a Degree Audit system, whereby a computer-generated analysis
allows a student and their advisor to identify unmet graduation requirements. Issues associated with
data sharing and cost were raised. Further investigations continue by Information Technology.
Syllabi Accessibility
All faculty are required to provide an electronic copy of their current syllabi within thirty (30) days of the
start of the semester to their academic Dean. These are then to be placed in an electronic data base for
access by students. This is frequently either through the Mansfield Library or posted to the
Department’s website. It would appear that an insufficient number of departments are making up-todate syllabi available through these mechanisms.
Need for consistent academic policy information
Registrar Johnson noted that some departments have academic policy information on their web pages
that may not be consistent with the university catalog, which is the definitive statement of university
policy. Departmental/program websites must be maintained to accurately reflect the most current
catalog, although it is unclear how this might be policed.
Recommendation for Interactive Catalog
The committee recommends that the university catalog should be revamped to include a
comprehensive index, lots of internal links, hyperlink anchors for requirements, and
collapsible/expandable subsections. The effort should be guided by an advisory workgroup with
faculty, IT staff, and student representation.
Appendices
Procedure Number:
Procedure:
201.3.3
Editorial Catalog Changes
Date Adopted:
May 2003
Last Revision:
Approved by:
10/11/12
ASCRC and Graduate Council
The following changes are considered editorial and do not need to be submitted for curriculum
review. These changes can be made directly on the catalog copy sent from the Registrar's Office
during January and February each year.
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Opening paragraph(s) describing the program or school/college. This usually is a
definition of the discipline, degrees offered, employment opportunities and such. It
precedes the section called Special Degree Requirements or in some programs the
section called Admission Requirements.
Typographical errors.
Grammatical errors or other composition errors.
Changes in punctuation for clarification.
Reorganization for clarification if no effect on requirements.
Changes in the semester(s) a course is offered.
Minor changes in terminology (not affecting course focus) used in course descriptions.
Changes in faculty listing.
Simple course number, rubric, title changes to abide by common course numbering.
Restrictions such as degree majors only, class standing, or consent of instructor
Procedure Number: 203.70
Procedure:
Majors Policy
Date Adopted:
3/12/98
Last Revision:
References:
Approved by:
9/24/99, 10/2/12
BOR Policy 303.1, UM Catalog- Major and Minor Requirements
Faculty Senate
A. Majors and Extended Majors
Majors and extended majors are defined in Board of Regents’ Policy 303.1 (Revised May 28,
2010; http://mus.edu/borpol/bor300/303-1.pdf):
D. Major - The specific field of concentration for the degree. A designated and coherent
sequence of courses in a discipline, related disciplines, or professional area in which a
student concentrates as a part of a baccalaureate degree program. The requirements of
the major are usually defined by one academic department, but may be defined jointly
by two or more departments in the case of an interdisciplinary major. Majors may range
from 30 to 48 semester hours, half of which must be at the upper division level. Study in
the major will conclude with a capstone, integrating experience in which the knowledge
and skills learned in the major are applied or demonstrated.
E. Extended Major - Where required by professional expectations or specialized
accreditation standards, extended majors may be offered in undergraduate programs.
The extended major may require up to 80 hours.
B. Limits on Requirements in the Major
When a new major or a new option in an existing major is proposed, or when a department
proposes to add requirements to an existing major or option, ASCRC may consider if the
number of credits required for the major falls within the guidelines of BOR Policy 303.1. When
determining the number of credits:
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Courses required for the major and offered by the major department(s) nearly always count
towards the number of credits required by the major. There should be very few exceptions to
this rule; one is that WRIT 101 does not count as a requirement for the major in English.
Courses required for the major but offered by other departments usually do not count towards
the number of credits required by the major. A (probably hypothetical) exception would be a
required course offered by another department but cross-listed in the major department. Other
exceptions may be courses from closely allied fields or courses that seem to be central to the
major.
Hidden prerequisites: If a course counts towards the number of credits required by the major,
so usually do any of its prerequisites that are offered by the major department(s), unless
entering freshmen intending to pursue the major can be reasonably expected to already have
satisfied these prerequisites.
If ASCRC determines that the number of credits required for a major or option exceeds the BOR
limit of 48 credits, ASCRC can require additional justification from the proposing department
before approving or denying the request. The additional justification could include arguments
why hidden prerequisites or specific courses required for the major should not count towards
the allowable maximum of credits for the major; or why the allowable maximum should be
raised because of professional expectations on graduates or because of specialized
accreditation standards.
C. Further Information
Other rules about majors are contained in the UM Catalog. See in particular the section “Major
Requirements” (http://www.umt.edu/catalog/acad/genreq/default.html).
Procedure Number: 202.50.5
Procedure:
Writing Course Transfer Equivalency Appeal Guidelines
Date Adopted:
10/1/12
Last Revision:
Approved by:
10/1/12
ASCRC Writing Committee
Writing Course Requirement and Transfer Students
The Admissions Office (406-243-6266) evaluates transcripts for course equivalencies with
the exception of UM’s approved writing courses. If transfer students believe a transfer
course meets the approved writing course requirement
(http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/writing_committee/guidelines.php),
they may petition for an exemption through the Writing Committee. These students must
provide the following information to the Writing Committee. Appeal information should be
submitted to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu, 243-5553.
1. A cover letter outlining the basis for the request. Include pertinent information such as
contact information, student ID number, and how you fulfilled this requirement in a
course at your previous institution.
2. A syllabus and course description. The course must include at least 16 pages of writing
for assessment and at least 50% of the course grade should be based on your
performance on writing assignments.
3. Three papers from the equivalent writing course or courses following the completion of
the course with original instructor comments. Original instructor comments are
those grading and feedback markings on papers that are returned to the student for
revision or at the end of the term. Papers without these comments will not be
considered. At least one of these papers must be at least six pages long and include a
bibliography or works cited. Your papers should demonstrate your ability to:
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Use writing to learn and synthesize new concepts
formulate and express written ideas that are developed, logical, and organized
Compose written texts that are appropriate for a given audience, purpose, and context
Revise written work based on comments from the instructor
Find, evaluate, and use information effectively and ethically
Begin to use discipline-specific writing conventions
Demonstrate appropriate English language usage.
Incomplete packets will not be evaluated.
This information pertains only to the approved writing course, not the departmental
upper-division writing requirement. Students should speak to their major department
regarding any issues relating to the upper-division writing requirement.
Motion regarding Technical Course Credits:
Board of Regents Policy 301.5 Transfer of Credits states that all credits that count for AA, AS, or
baccalaureate degrees are considered college-level and count, at a minimum, as free electives. It
also says that the receiving institution determines which credits from the AAS degree apply
towards AA, AS, or baccalaureate degrees. At present, UM limits the number of Technical
Course Credits that apply to the AA, AS, and baccalaureate degrees to 10 by petition. Technical
courses are not considered college-level courses because they do not apply to these degrees.
A. All college level courses from regionally accredited institutions of higher education will be received
and applied by all campuses of the Montana University System (MUS), and by the community colleges,
towards the free elective requirements of the associate and baccalaureate degrees.
NOTE: College level courses shall be defined as those courses that are applicable toward an associate
of arts, associate of science or baccalaureate degree at their respective institution. The receiving
institution will determine in advance of a student's enrollment which courses within an associate of
applied science degree program will be credited toward a given associates or baccalaureate degree. In
all cases, such courses shall not include remedial or developmental courses.
http://mus.edu/borpol/bor300/301-5.pdf
ASCRC proposes to address concerns about application of Technical Course Credits towards
AA, AS, or baccalaureate degrees through the following steps:
1. Technical Course designations may be removed from a course upon review and approval of
ASCRC. Instructors of courses carrying the designation may propose removal of the Banner
course attribute and the suffix in the course number (T-Suffix) through the normal ASCRC
course-change procedures except that a syllabus will be required. Upon review by the normal
process, ASCRC may recommend to Faculty Senate that the attribute and suffix be removed,
allowing transfer of the credits as free electives.
2. Technical Course designations are automatically removed if a four-year college also offers the
course. If a course is offered by Missoula College for Technical Course Credit and a four-year
college in the Montana University System also offers the same course for college-level credit
then the banner course attribute and the T-Suffix will be removed without further
review. Departments and instructors may need to bring such courses to the attention of ASCRC.
3. The number of Technical Course Credits that apply to AA, AS, and baccalaureate degrees will
increase. Currently, up to 10 Technical Credits are allowed by petition. ASCRC proposes to
change the limit to 15 Technical Credits for all students and to 20 Technical Credits for students
who have earned an AAS degree, in both cases without petition.
4. Courses with a common course number (CCN) are not necessarily college-level. Whether a
course is college-level is solely determined by Board of Regents Policy 301.5 quoted above.
Therefore, courses that lost the T-Suffix through the CCN process and not through action of
ASCRC and Faculty Senate will have it restored to reflect the banner course attribute that is still
in place. Note that instructors can propose the removal of both through the ASCRC course
change procedures, as stated in Item 1.
5. Technical Credit Courses will be easily identified. There must be a single, transparent way to
identify which courses offered by Missoula College are college-level. Currently, this is done both
through the T-Suffix and a list of courses applicable to an Associate of Arts or Baccalaureate
Degree on the Catalog page of Missoula College. To avoid unnecessary duplication of
information and the inevitably resulting inaccuracies, ASCRC proposes that this is only
determined through the presence or absence of both the T-Suffix and the banner course
attribute. Therefore, once Item 4 has been implemented, ASCRC proposes to delete the list of
courses applicable to an Associate of Arts degree from the Catalog page of Missoula College.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2013-2014 Course Catalog
Academic Policies and Procedures
Registration in Courses
Students who have no prior attendance at The University must apply for admission and be admitted
before being eligible to register for courses. See the Admissions section of this catalog or the admissions
website at http://www.umt.edu/future.
Detailed instructions regarding registration and course offerings are available via the following links:
Registration Information: http://www.umt.edu/registrar/Registration/registrationinformation.aspx
Class Schedule by term: https://webprocess.umt.edu/cyberbear/bwckschd.p_disp_dyn_sched
Students must complete course registration during the scheduled registration period or be subject to
payment of a late registration fee, if allowed to register. Registration is not complete nor is any
academic credit awarded until all course tuition and fees for the semester have been paid.
Readmission to the University After 24 Months of Non-attendance
If former students are planning to attend a summer session or an academic year semester but were not in
attendance during the immediately preceding 24 months, then they must apply for readmission before
being eligible to register for courses. Students should reapply by July 1 for autumn semester attendance,
and by November 1 for spring semester attendance. See the Admissions section of this catalog.
Missoula College (formerly College of Technology) students must reapply for readmission via
the Missoula College Registrar’s Office (909 South Avenue). See
http://admissions.umt.edu/admissions/missoula-college.
Mountain Campus students (seeking baccalaureate or higher degrees) must apply for
readmission via the Enrollment Services Office in the Emma Lommasson Center. See:
http://www.umt.edu/future
Some specific programs at the Missoula College require students who do not enroll for a semester or more
(excluding summer) to apply for readmission into that program.
All students who are both in good standing and (i) currently enrolled or (ii) readmitted to the University
may preregister for the subsequent semester, unless a registration hold exists on the student’s record.
Notice to Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities may obtain assistance with the registration process and the relocation of classes
(if needed) through Disability Services in Lommasson Center 154 (406) 243 2243 VOICE/TDD.
Adding and Dropping Courses or Changing Sections, Grading or
Credit Status
When selecting and registering for their courses, students are expected to make informed choices and
regard those choices as semester-long commitments and obligations.
Adding, Dropping and Other Course Changes – Summary Tables
Students who request to add, drop or change the grading option must have all registration holds cleared
in order for the request to be honored. The following information does NOT apply to the School of Law.
Law school students should see the School of Law website for information.
Autumn & Spring Semesters
Instructional
Days
Add a
Course
Change a
Section
Drop a
Course
Change
to/from
Audit
Change
to/from
CR/NCR
grading, or
change
credits (for
variable
credit
courses)
Day 1-7
Day 8-15
Course
Add/Change
CyberBear Form with
instructor
signature
Day 16-45
Course
Add/Change
Form with
advisor* and
instructor
signature
Day 46 – Last
Regular Class
Day/ Friday
Before Finals
Week
After Last
Regular Class
Day
Course
Add/Change
Form with
advisor* and
instructor
signature
Only registration
errors can be
corrected; use the
Course Add/
Change Form
with advisor* and
instructor
signature
Course
Add/Change
Form with
CyberBear
both
instructors’
signatures
Course
Add/Change
Form with both
instructors’
signatures
Course
Add/Change
Form with both
instructors’
signatures
Only registration
errors can be
corrected; use the
Course Add/
Change Form
with both
instructors’
signatures
CyberBear CyberBear
Course Drop
Form with
advisor* and
instructor
signature
(W on
transcript)
Course Drop
Form with
advisor*,
instructor and
Dean’s signature
(WP or WF on
transcript)
Not permitted
CyberBear CyberBear
Not permitted
Not permitted
Not permitted
CyberBear CyberBear
Course
Add/Change
Form with
advisor* and
instructor
signature
Course
Add/Change
Form with
advisor* and
instructor
signature
Not permitted
* Not required for Graduate & Post-Baccalaureate students
Winter Session
Instructional
Days
Add a
Course
Change a
Section
Drop a
Course
Change
to/from
Audit
Change
to/from
CR/NCR
grading, or
change
credits (for
variable
credit
courses)
Day 1
Day 2-3
Day 4-8
Day 9-13
Day 14 & Beyond
CyberBear
Course
Add/Change
Form with
instructor
signature
Course
Add/Change Form
with instructor
signature
Course
Add/Change
Form with
instructor
signature
CyberBear
Course
Add/Change
Form with
both
instructors’
signatures
Course
Add/Change Form
with both
instructors’
signatures
Course
Add/Change
Form with
both
instructors’
signatures
Course Drop
Form with
instructor and
Dean’s
signature
(WP or WF on
transcript)
Not permitted
Only registration
errors can be
corrected; use the
Course
Add/Change Form
with instructor
signature
Only registration
errors can be
corrected; use the
Course
Add/Change Form
with both
instructors’
signatures
CyberBear
Cyberbear
Course Drop Form
with instructor
signature
(W on transcript)
CyberBear
Cyberbear
Not permitted
Not permitted
Not permitted
Cyberbear
Course
Add/Change Form
with instructor
signature
Course
Add/Change
Form with
instructor
signature
Not permitted
CyberBear
Summer Semester: 5-week Sessions
Instructional
Days
Add a
Course
Change a
Section
Drop a
Course
Change
to/from
Audit
Change
to/from
CR/NCR
grading, or
change
credits (for
variable
credit
courses)
Day 24 &
Beyond
Only registration
errors can be
corrected; use the
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop Form
with instructor
signature
Only registration
errors can be
corrected; use the
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop Form
with both
instructors’
signatures
Day 1-2
Day 3-5
Day 6- 14
Day 15-23
CyberBear
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop Form
with instructor
signature
Summer Override
& Add/Drop
Form with
instructor
signature
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop
Form with
instructor
signature
CyberBear
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop Form
with both
instructors’
signatures
Summer Override
& Add/Drop
Form with both
instructors’
signatures
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop
Form with
both
instructors’
signatures
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop
Form with
instructor and
Dean’s
signature
(WP or WF on
transcript)
Not permitted
CyberBear
CyberBear
Summer Override
& Add/Drop
Form with
instructor
signature
(W on transcript)
CyberBear
CyberBear
Not permitted
Not permitted
Not permitted
CyberBear
Summer Override
& Add/Drop
Form with
instructor
signature
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop
Form with
instructor
signature
Not permitted
CyberBear
Summer Semester: 10-week Session
Instructional
Days
Add a
Course
Change a
Section
Drop a
Course
Change
to/from
Audit
Change
to/from
CR/NCR
grading, or
change
credits (for
variable
credit
courses)
Day 48 &
Beyond
Only errors can
be corrected; use
the Summer
Override &
Add/Drop Form
with instructor
signature
Only errors can
be corrected; use
the Summer
Override &
Add/Drop Form
with both
instructors’
signatures
Day 1-5
Day 6-10
Day 11-29
Day 30-47
CyberBear
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop Form
with instructor
signature
Summer Override
& Add/Drop Form
with instructor
signature
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop
Form with
instructor
signature
CyberBear
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop Form
with both
instructors’
signatures
Summer Override
& Add/Drop Form
with both
instructors’
signatures
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop
Form with
both
instructors’
signatures
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop
Form with
instructor
and Dean’s
signature
(WP or WF
on
transcript)
Not permitted
CyberBear
CyberBear
Summer Override
& Add/Drop Form
with instructor
signature
(W on transcript)
CyberBear
CyberBear
Not permitted
Not
permitted
Not permitted
Summer Override
& Add/Drop Form
with instructor
signature
Summer
Override &
Add/Drop
Form with
instructor
signature
Not permitted
CyberBear
CyberBear
Special Sessions
Special Session courses vary from the sessions listed above. For example, a course taught over a period of
five weeks is considered a “special session” course if its start and end dates are different than the
published regular term dates. Please check with the Registrar’s Office for specific dates related to
changing registration in a special session course.
Adding, Dropping and Other Course Changes – Detailed Information
Important Notice Regarding “Day of the Semester:” All guidelines and timelines that follow refer
to the traditional autumn and spring semesters, which are generally 74-75 days in length. The timelines
that apply to Summer Sessions and Winter Session are detailed in the tables above. See "Important Dates"
links on the Registrar's Office Website at: http://www.umt.edu/registrar/calendar.aspx or on The School
of Extended and Lifelong Learning (SELL) website for additional detailed information. Also, please see
the Business Services/Student Accounts website for information regarding how fees are impacted by
dropping/adding courses, as well as the refund schedule for a complete withdrawal from The University.
http://www.umt.edu/bussrvcs/Students/default.aspx
Adding, Dropping or Other Course Changes – First Through Seventh (1 – 7) Instructional
Day of the Semester
During this timeframe, students may use CyberBear to add courses, drop courses, change grading options,
and/or change variable credits. Access to CyberBear for adding courses or changing sections ends at 5:00
p.m. Mountain Time on the seventh day of classes.
Adding, Dropping or Other Course Changes – Eighth Through Fifteenth (8 – 15)
Instructional Day of the Semester
During this timeframe, with consent of the course instructor, students may add courses or change
sections with a signed paper-Registration Override Form or an instructor-approved electronic override
(via CyberBear). Fees are reassessed each night during this time period. Added courses and credits may
result in additional fees.
Students may drop courses, change grading option (including audit), and/or change variable credits via
CyberBear until 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time on the fifteenth day.
Adding, Dropping or Other Course Changes – Sixteenth Through Forty fifth (16 – 45)
Instructional Day of the Semester
During this timeframe, students must complete a paper Course Drop Form or Course Add/Change Form
as well as obtain the signature of both the course instructor and student’s advisor to (i) drop/add a course
and/or (ii) make changes of section, grading option, or credit. The ability to change to or from audit is no
longer available at this time. Completed forms must be returned to the GrizCentral Registration Counter
(or the Registrar's Office at the Missoula College Campus) no later than close of business on the fortyfifth instructional day of a semester. If students have submitted Course Drop Forms but have not cleared
all holds by this deadline, then they are required to also collect a signature from the Dean of the student’s
major no later than the Last Regular Class Day. A $10.00 processing fee is charged for each drop or add.
Added courses and credits may result in additional fees. There are no refunds or reductions of fees for
courses dropped after the 15th day (or equivalent), and a grade of W (withdrawn) is recorded for each
dropped course.
Adding, Dropping, or Other Course Changes – Forty sixth Instructional Day of the
Semester Through the Last Regular Class Day/Friday before Finals Week
During this timeframe, a Course Add/Change Form must be completed by the student and signed by the
course instructor and the student’s advisor to add a course, change the grade option, or change variable
credits. Changing to or from audit is not permitted during this time. Not all requests for adds, changing
grade options, or changing variable credits are approved. Advisors have the right to indicate they do
not recommend approval of the request. However, it is the course instructor’s decision to approve or deny
the request to add/change a course.
Completed forms must be returned to the GrizCentral Registration Counter (or the Registrar's Office at
the Missoula College Campus) no later than close of business on the Last Day of Regular Classes.
Students who request a change in grading option must also have cleared all holds by this deadline or the
request cannot be honored. A $10.00 processing fee is charged for each add. Added courses and credits
may result in additional fees.
During this timeframe, students can drop courses only by petition. Note that not all petitions are
approved, and that documented justification is required. Some examples of documented circumstances
that may merit approval are: accident or illness, family emergency, or other circumstances beyond the
student's control. Instructors and advisors have the right to indicate they do not recommend the drop.
However, it is the decision of the Dean of the student’s major to approve or deny the request to drop
courses.
To petition to drop a course, a Course Drop Form must be completed, with the signature of the student’s
advisor, the course instructor, and the Dean of the student’s major. Completed forms must be returned to
the GrizCentral Registration Counter (or the Registrar's Office at the Missoula College Campus) no later
than close of business on the Last Regular Class Day/Friday before Finals Week. If students submit
Course Drop Forms or request a change in grading option, then they must also have cleared all holds by
this deadline; otherwise, the request cannot be honored. A $10.00 processing fee is charged for each drop.
There are no refunds or reductions of fees for courses dropped, and the instructor assigns a grade of WP
(withdrawn/passing) if a student's course work has been passing or WF (withdrawn/failing) if failing.
These grades do not affect grade averages but they are recorded on a student's transcript.
The opportunity to drop a course for the current term ends on the last day of instruction before scheduled
final exams. Dropping a course taken in a previous term or altering grading option or audit status for such
a course is not allowed. The only exceptions are for students who have received a grade of NF (never
attended/fail).
Law School Students - See the School of Law section of this catalog for links to the School of Law
website, which will list the add and drop deadlines for law courses.
[NOTE: Between the previous and the next paragraph is quite a bit of unchanged catalog language]
Traditional Letter Grading (A-F)
Traditional Letter Grades represent an assessment of the overall quality of work performed in a given
course. A-Excellent; B-Good; C-Satisfactory; D-Poor, F-Failure. When assigning traditional letter grades,
instructors may, at their discretion, utilize the symbols + or -. Use of the + or - will be limited to A-, B+,
B-, C+, C-, D+, and D-. Other grade symbols used are: I-Incomplete; N-work on the course may be
continued in later semesters (when work is completed, the final grade assigned applies to all semesters of
the course); NF-no record of academic performance; W-withdrawal from a course or course dropped after
the fifteenth instructional day; WP-course dropped after the forty-fifth instructional day with passing
work; WF-course dropped after the forty-fifth instructional day with failing work; AUD-auditor
registration. (AUD is recorded for all students who register in courses as auditors, intending to listen to
the courses without earning credit or being graded. The same fees are assessed as when registering for
credit. Any attendance or participation expectations are established by the instructor of the course. If
attendance expectations are not met, the instructor may request a notation be placed on the student's
academic record indicating attendance was not satisfactory.) Remedial courses do not count in credits
earned, nor in grade point averages, nor do they count toward graduation.
Credit/No Credit Grading (CR/NCR)
Student Option: To encourage students to venture into courses where they might otherwise hesitate
because of uncertainty regarding their aptitude or preparation, they may enroll in some courses on a
credit/no credit basis. Freshmen and sophomores are discouraged from taking more than one course a
semester on a credit/no credit basis.
No more than 18 CR credits may be counted toward graduation requirements at the
baccalaureate level. Courses taken to satisfy General Education Requirements must be taken for
traditional letter grade. Courses required for the student's major or minor must be taken for traditional
letter grade, except at the discretion of the department concerned.
A grade of CR is assigned for work deserving credit (A through D-) and a grade of NCR is assigned for
work of failing quality (F). CR and NCR grades do not affect grade point averages. The grades of CR and
NCR are not defined in terms of their relationship to traditional grades for graduate course work.
Election of the credit/no credit option must be indicated at registration time or within the first 15 class
days on CyberBear. Between the 16th day and the last day of instruction before finals week, a student
may request a change from credit/no credit enrollment to an enrollment under the A-F grade system, or
the reverse, by means of a Course Add/Change Form; note that not all such requests are approved. See
instructions above.
The University cautions students that many graduate and professional schools and some employers do
not recognize non-traditional grades (i.e., those other than A through F) or may discriminate against
students who use the credit/no credit option for many courses. Moreover, students are cautioned that
some degree programs may have different requirements regarding CR/NCR credits, as stipulated in the
catalog.
Faculty Option





A faculty member may elect to grade an entire class using the traditional letter grading option (A-F).
A faculty member may elect to grade an entire class using the credit/no credit option (CR/NCR). This
method of grading is used in courses where more precise grading is inappropriate.
A faculty member may elect to grade an entire class with the open grade mode option which allows
students to choose between traditional letter grading and credit/no credit grading. When a course is
offered with the open grade mode option, then the default grading at the time of registration defaults
to traditional letter grading. It is the student’s responsibility to make the change to credit/no credit
grading if this is their preference.
Faculty members must choose the grade mode option for their courses at the time when courses are
being proposed for a particular semester or within the first 15 instructional days of the semester.
Courses graded credit/no credit only and courses graded A-F only will be identified in the Class
Schedule or via CyberBear.
No Credit Grading in Composition (NC)
Students enrolled in WRIT 095D and WRIT 101 (formerly WTS100 and ENEX 101) and WTS 101 (COM
101) are graded by the traditional letter grades of A through F or are given NC for no credit. The NC grade
is awarded when exceptional progress has occurred but the student needs to repeat the course. The NC
grade does not affect grade point average.
Prerequisite and Course Restriction Enforcement Technical Guide
Ed Johnson, Registrar
December 5, 2012
We start by defining the difference between a course prerequisite and a course restriction.
COURSE PREREQUISITE
The term “course prerequisite” refers to other courses that must be successfully completed
prior to the beginning of the desired course and/or a minimum placement test score that must
be achieved prior to course registration.
When a student attempts to register for a course with listed course prerequisites, Banner scans
the student’s transcript to determine if the student has:
(1) previously completed each listed course with a grade of C- or better (or higher if so
specified in the course description); or
(2) is currently registered for the prerequisite course.
If either of these two conditions is met, Banner will permit the student to register.
Examples of course prerequisites:
ANTH 488 Forensic Science and Technology 3 cr. Offered spring and online in autumn. Prereq.,
ANTH 286N. Examination of the forensic sciences with emphases on the non-crime lab forensic
sciences, new technologies, and new directions in the forensic sciences.
M162 Applied Calculus 4 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement > 5 or one of
M121, M122 or M151 . Introductory course surveying the principal ideas of differential and
integral calculus with emphasis on applications and computer software.
“PREREQUISITE”, “PREREQUISITE WITH CONCURRENCY”, AND “COREQUISITE” DIFFERENCES
Prerequisite:
• Indicated by the phrase "Prereq." followed by the course(s) and/or test(s) in the course
description
• A course or a test that must have been successfully completed prior to registering for the
desired course. (Students currently enrolled in the prerequisite course will be permitted to
register for the desired course. Those who fail to complete the course with a C- grade – or
higher if specified by the department – will be dropped from the desired course.)
Prerequisite with Concurrency:
• The course description has the phrase "Prereq., or coreq.,“
• Indicates that the course(s) that follow the phrase must be either successfully completed
prior to registering for the desired course (Prerequisite) or the course can be taken
concurrently with the listed course.
• Does not mean that the courses must be taken together in the same semester.
• Example:
SOCI 211S Introduction to Criminology 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., or coreq., SOCI 101S
(SOC 110S). A critical examination of crime in society: how crime is defined, the extent and
distribution of crime, theoretical explanations of criminal behavior, and crime control
efforts.
Corequisite:
• Indicated by the phrase "Coreq." in the course description for the listed course is by itself
(not in combination like "Preq. or Coreq.")
• The course(s) listed following the phrase must be taken at the same time (and therefore
registered together) as the listed course
• The course may also have prerequisites in addition to the corequisite but the phrase
"Prereq." and "Coreq." are separated in the course description
• Registering is very similar to a link section (all CRN’s must registered at the same time
• Example:
HHP 240 Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries Lecture 2 cr. Offered autumn. Coreq.,
HHP 241. Development of knowledge of prevention, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation,
emergency care of athletic injuries.
COURSE RESTRICTION
When the course description lists certain student characteristics that must be met before a
student can register for the course, such as student major, college (Mountain campus or
Missoula College), and class standing, those are referred to as “course restrictions.”
Registration restrictions can include the following:
Major
Class
College (Used for UM, Missoula College, Continuing Education, etc.)
Consent of Instructor
It should be noted that the restriction “and Consent of Instructor” will result in Banner not
checking any other registration prerequisite or restriction until after the “and Consent of
Instructor” is applied in CyberBear.
Example – Major Restriction:
MAR442 Experimental Film 3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts majors only. Surveying a wide
range of experimental cinema (film/video) from the 1920's to the present with the central focus
being artistic practice in the context of historic and cultural concerns.
Example - Consent of Instructor:
CCS398 Climate Change Internship 2-4 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of
instructor. Hands-on, "real world" experience working with local, regional, national, or
international groups to address climate change.
And of course, many courses have both prerequisite and course restrictions:
PHL449 History of Moral and Political Philosophy 3 cr. Offered intermittently. Prereq., upperdivision standing and PHL 210E, or consent of instr. Reading and interpretation of selected
writings in the history of moral philosophy and/or political philosophy.
WRITING CLEAR AND ENFORCEABLE PREREQUISITES AND RESTRICTIONS
Two questions can be used to guide the writing of effective course descriptions that contain
prerequisites and restrictions:
1. Is the prerequisite/restriction so clear that prospective students will understand what is
required to meet it?; and
2. Is the prerequisite/restriction something that Banner tracks as part of the student’s
academic history or student characteristic?
In general, restrictions need to be specific, referencing only specific coursework that appears on
the student’s transcript, and make the proper use of logic operands (the “and” and “or”
statements). Within its current functionality, Banner cannot count number of credits, or
aggregate coursework, or even determine whether a student has taken a “200-level course in
philosophy”. It can only scan a student’s transcript to determine if a student has taken a
specific course and achieved the specified grade in that course.
CATALOG PREREQUISITE/RESTRICTION LANGUAGE WHICH CANNOT BE ENFORCED IN BANNER
References to “Experience”:
 "some experience with statistical methods and a programming language"
 "computer programming experience in a language such as BASIC, Pascal, C, etc."
 "significant programming experience"; "software engineering experience"; "database experience"
Vague or Too Expansive Language:
 "an upper-division or graduate level course in microeconomics"
 "a course in wildlife biology and/or conservation biology"
 “Satisfactory score on placement exam” (the “satisfactory score” should be specifically listed such as
“ALEKS with score of 2 or higher”)
 "any geoscience courses below GEO 130" (does not define courses and GEO 130 was not in catalog)
 "one year of college math, including statistics"
 "and any ecology-themed course"
 "dance technique"
 “two inequality and social justice courses"
 "lower division CSD courses"
 "a course in statistics"
 “ introductory chemistry and biology"
 "one course in biology"
 “and knowledge of basic trigonometry”
 “M 095 or above” (the specific courses should be specified since all course above a certain course
would involve many lines of rules – there are over 100 courses above M 095 – that will be difficult to
maintain and confusing for students to comprehend)
Information Not in a Student’s Academic Record:




"high school algebra"
"working knowledge of high school physics and high school calculus"
"basic computer and spreadsheet literacy"
“working knowledge of Excel
Special Circumstances:
 "CSD 222 or graduate standing" – Banner cannot enforce conditional logic (“or”) between two types
of restrictions (in this example – prerequisite course and level)
 "six credits of EVST" – number of credits cannot be used for evaluation
 “12 credits of psychology courses” – number of credits cannot be used for evaluation
 Coreq; C&I 301 or C&I 302 – Banner cannot enforce “or” logic between multiple corequisites
TO OBTAIN ASSISTANCE
If you have any questions or need additional assistance as you develop your course
descriptions, please contact Bonnie Holzworth (243-2997) in the Registrar’s Office, or email
prerequisite_enforcement@mso.umt.edu.