Registration and Participant Code of Conduct Policies for Noncredit Offerings
These policies pertain only to non-credit offerings by Syracuse University. Participants in these offerings who are also enrolled as students in for-credit University offerings must abide by the Registration and Student Code of Conduct Policies defined generally by the University for students and shown on the University website.
Participants should consult the specific non-credit course description and/or registration information for policies related to enrollment, payments, drops, transfers, withdrawals and/or refunds that may be specified for that particular course.
Definitions:
- Participant – A learner in an instructional or other event that does not carry college credit. A participant is a member of the Syracuse University community, but does not necessarily have access to any student facilities, software, discounts or activities other than those specified in the non-credit course description and/or registration information.
- Class/Course/Workshop – Terms referring to a discrete offering of non-credit instruction
- Section – A scheduled instance of a non-credit class, course or workshop that has a particularly scheduled time period, a specified cost, and a specified delivery location or method of attendance.
- Session – A single learning period in a non-credit class/course/workshop that may consist of one or more of such learning periods.
- Program – A series of non-credit offerings that are considered to be related and which may be taken in a required or recommended sequence.
- Financial Aid – Payments, either in part or in full, for a participant’s required fee to participate in a non-credit offering that are made by a third party, such as a government program, corporate policy, military benefit, etc.
- Microcredential – Evidence provided to a participant of a discrete achievement of some kind that results from a having fulfilled a specific set of measurable requirements.
- Digital Badge - A special electronic process that is presented as an icon image containing a hyperlink to detailed evidence regarding the microcredential that it symbolizes, and which is issued to the recipient only by a central clearing house that maintains that detailed evidence. The encryption of digital badges prevents their duplication without the permission of the clearing house as well as the original awarding organization. The clearing house allows any viewer to verify the details of the digital badge, including how it was earned and verification of its authenticity and currency.
- OPAM – The Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials in the College of Professional Studies.
Official Registration Required for Attending Noncredit Classes
You must be officially registered in order to attend non-credit classes. You may not attend, audit, be evaluated or otherwise participate in courses without being officially enrolled. An instructor may not allow you to attend classes and/or submit work unless your name appears on the official class list. Registration may be prevented for financial, academic, or other reasons.
Participants must initially register for the classes in which they wish to enroll prior to the beginning of each offering. Participants may make changes to their registration by adding, dropping, or withdrawing from classes in accordance with published deadlines. While the participant normally initiates registration and subsequent changes, the participant’s sponsoring school(s)/college(s) of enrollment may also initiate such actions.
Instructors may request the school/college to administratively drop participants who do not attend classes; however, it is the participant’s responsibility to make sure that the class is dropped if they do not intend to attend the class to avoid receiving an NA grade. (An NA grade impacts enrollment status which may affect financial aid).
Registration may be prevented for financial, academic or by other University administrative offices including the Health Center, Bursar’s Office, Student’s Rights and Responsibilities, and Academic Integrity.
No other University persons or units may make substantive changes to an undergraduate participant’s schedule of classes without first securing the formal permission of the participant’s home school/college.
Participants must be officially registered in order to attend classes. Participants may not attend, audit, be evaluated or otherwise participate in courses without being officially enrolled. An instructor should not allow a participant to attend classes and/or submit work unless the participant is on the official class list.
Participants are expected to attend each class as specified by the individual course information and/or the instructor.
Class Withdrawal
After the financial drop deadline through the withdrawal deadline as specified for a given offering, participants may request to withdraw from a class. The withdrawal effective date is the date that the participant initiates the request. Classes from which participants withdraw remain on the transcript record with the grading symbol WD.
Leave of Absence
A leave of absence is a participant initiated action in which a participant elects to take time away from non-credit studies in a given class or classes with the intention of returning at a future point. Participants must initiate the leave of absence request process with the Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials. Once a decision is made to return to a course, or series of courses, at a future point, participants should again notify the Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials with their anticipated return date, and a specific proposal for accounting of prior work in that course. The OPAM office will consult with the Instructor and/or course provider partner to determine options to accommodate the participant’s proposal.
For academic and financial purposes, the leave of absence effective date is the date that the participant initiates the request. Leave of absence requests are not retroactive.
Participants requesting a leave of absence are advised to consult the refund policy stated in the course information to understand the impact on charges to their participant account while on a leave of absence. Participants receiving financial aid are advised to contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss any financial aid implications of their leave of absence.
Participants with pending disciplinary action are typically not eligible to request a leave of absence. Any requests for leave of absence for a participant with pending disciplinary action will be reviewed by the Office of Community Standards to determine if there are extenuating circumstances. If deemed appropriated by Office of Community Standards, a leave of absence request may be considered with appropriate transcript notation.
Academic and Financial Implications of failure to request leave of absence
If the participant registers but then leaves without notifying the OPAM office, the participant will continue to incur charges for that course.
Course registrations will remain, and any grades submitted by the participant’s instructors will be recorded on the participant’s transcript. A participant cannot receive Incomplete grades for courses in which the participant was enrolled if the participant takes a leave of absence or is withdrawn before the end of the course; only grades of WD or F can be recorded on the participant’s transcript. If the leave is effective after the end of the course, then Incomplete grades can be assigned.
If a participant registers for a future offering and subsequently takes a leave of absence or is withdrawn, then the participant’s registration for that offering will be canceled.
Medical Leaves of Absence
A medical leave of absence may be initiated by the participant with the OPAM office. Participants who need to request a medical leave may be asked to submit medical documentation confidentially to a member of the University administration, but this is not normally required.
Military Leaves of Absence
Participants being activated by the military should initiate a leave of absence procedure through the OPAM office, which will ensure that the participant receives advice about options to drop courses, take class standing grades, or take Incompletes, as well as the academic implications of these options.
Academic Integrity Policy is Available at the Following Link:
Participant Academic Work
Participant work prepared for non-credit courses in any media may be used for educational purposes, if the course description and/or syllabus makes clear that such use may occur. A participant may grant permission to have their work used in this manner by registering for, and by continuing to be enrolled in, courses where such use of participant work is announced in the course description and/or syllabus.
After the participant has completed such courses, any further use of the participant’s work will meet one of the following conditions: the work will be rendered anonymous by removing all of the participant’s personal identification; or written permission from the participant will be secured.
Academic Record Non-Credit Transcript
Syracuse University maintains a permanent academic transcript showing complete course and grade-earned information for every participant who takes coursework or earns microcredentials through any Syracuse University program. The transcript may not be modified or selectively deleted for any reason, including ignorance of deadlines or academic rules. Once a microcredential is awarded, the transcript may not be changed except for subsequently discovered fraud or academic dishonesty, assessments that more accurately represent academic work completed prior to microcredential certification, or to correct administrative error. In extreme cases, such changes may include the rescinding of a microcredential.
Transcripts of courses taken and microcredentials received at Syracuse University are maintained by the Office of the Registrar in accordance with the policies of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Official transcripts show the entire record of all coursework. Coursework is displayed chronologically.
Syracuse University cannot provide copies of transcripts it has received from other institutions to third parties. Participants must request transcripts from the originating institution.
Access to transcripts and other participant records is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Religious Observances Policy
Scope
Faculty, staff, and participants
Policy Statement
Syracuse University recognizes the diverse faith traditions represented among its campus community and supports the rights of faculty, staff, and participants to observe according to these traditions.
All University offices are asked to be sensitive to the needs of faculty, staff, and participants who are observing a religious holiday when scheduling meetings and events.
Deans, department chairs, and program directors are asked to make every effort to avoid scheduling meetings or events at times that would exclude faculty who are observing a religious holiday from participation.
Supervisors are asked to be supportive of staff members who request vacation or personal time to observe a religious holiday and to make every effort to avoid scheduling meetings or events at times that would exclude such staff members from participation.
Participants are asked to consider that it is more difficult to arrange appropriate accommodations in some kinds of courses – for example, those that have certain kinds of laboratories or a significant experiential learning component – so participants should consider their need for accommodation for religious observances as they plan their schedule. The non-credit catalog will typically indicate how frequently each course is offered.
Faculty are asked to make appropriate accommodation for participants’ observance needs by providing an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirement that is missed because of an absence due to a religious observance, provided the instructor has been notified at least by the first session of the course.
Syracuse University recognizes that the faith traditions observed by our diverse community include more holidays than can be captured adequately in a list. In addition, some observances vary by tradition and by country and are defined by the lunar calendar. However, to assist in identifying religious observance days, Hendricks Chapel has compiled a list of religious holidays that reflect a large proportion of the University community and that may or may not fall on University work and class days. The chapel also recommends consulting the more comprehensive Interfaith Calendar.
Code of Conduct for Participants in Non-Credit Classes
All Syracuse University participants in non-credit classes are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that supports and promotes the educational mission of the University. Integrity, respect for one another and others’ property, and a commitment to intellectual and personal growth in a diverse population are values deemed fundamental to the Syracuse University community.
Syracuse University acknowledges that bias-based conduct can threaten the mental health and safety of participants and the community. Therefore, evidence that the participant’s conduct was motivated by bias regarding an individual or group’s real or perceived creed, ethnicity, citizenship, sexual orientation, reproductive health decisions, national origin, sex, gender, pregnancy, disability, marital status, political or social affiliation, age, race, color, veteran status, military status, religion, sexual orientation, domestic violence status, genetic information, gender identity, and/or gender expression or perceived gender may result in more substantial sanctions.
Violations of this Code of Non-credit Class Participant Conduct may result in being refused enrollment in future classes offered by Syracuse University and/or other disciplinary actions as may be appropriate.
The following behaviors, or attempted behaviors, are considered violations of the Syracuse University Code of Non-Credit Class Participant Conduct:
- Physical harm or threat of physical harm to any person or persons, including, but not limited to: assault, sexual abuse, or other forms of physical abuse.
- Assistance, participation in, promotion of, or perpetuation of harassment, whether physical, digital, oral, written or video, including any violation of the Syracuse University Anti-Harassment Policy or Sexual Harassment, Abuse, and Assault Prevention Policy. Bias-related incidents, including instances of hate speech, may qualify as harassment under this Code and the University’s Anti-Harassment Policy.
- Assistance, participation in, promotion of, or perpetuation of conduct, whether physical, electronic, oral, written or video, which threatens the mental health, physical health, or safety of anyone.
- Academic dishonesty, including but not limited to: plagiarism and cheating; and other forms of academic misconduct; such as, misuse of academic resources or facilities, intellectual property theft and/or misuse of computer software, data, equipment or networks.
- Intentional disruption or obstruction of lawful activities of the University or its members including their exercise of the right to assemble and to peaceful protest.
- Theft of or damage to University, personal, public, or private property/services or illegal possession or use of the same.
- Forgery, alteration or fabrication of identification cards, records, reports, grades, diplomas, University documents, possession or purchase of falsified identification cards or misrepresentation of any kind to a University office, University official, or law enforcement.
- Unauthorized entry or use of University facilities that are locked, closed or otherwise restricted as to use.
- Disorderly conduct including, but not limited to, public intoxication, lewd, indecent or obscene behavior.
- Illegal use or possession of alcohol, drugs or drug paraphernalia, or any other violation of the Syracuse University Policy on Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Tobacco.
- Illegal purchase, distribution, manufacture, or sale of alcohol, drugs, or drug paraphernalia or any other violation of the Syracuse University Policy on Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Tobacco.
- Failure to comply with the lawful directives of University officials who are performing the duties of their office, especially as they are related to the maintenance of safety or security.
- Unauthorized possession or use of any weapon, including: firearms, BB-guns, airsoft guns, air rifles, explosive devices, fireworks, or any other dangerous, illegal, or hazardous object or material, and improper use as a weapon of any otherwise permitted object or material. This includes violations of the University’s weapons policy. Exceptions may be approved by Community Standards for theatrical productions or athletic/recreational events.
- Interference with or misuse of fire alarms, blue lights, elevators or other safety and security equipment or programs pertaining to University facilities, or any facility and/or online systems in which University programs are offered.
- Assistance, participation in, promotion of, or perpetuation of hazing as defined in the Syracuse University Anti-Hazing Policy.
- Assistance, participation in, or promotion of a participant organization that has lost University recognition on a temporary or permanent basis.
- Failure to intervene or notify the University when a participant knows of a situation that threatens the health and safety of another individual or the campus community.
- Violation of any international, federal, state, or local law.
- Violation of other official University policies, rules or regulations.
The Code of Participant Conduct applies to all participants in non-credit classes at Syracuse University. Violations can occur either on or off campus, and individuals and/or groups can be held accountable. Ignorance of the code and/or acts committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs do not diminish one’s responsibility.
Updated 7/26/2023