Registration Policies
Adding and Dropping Courses
A student may add or drop courses or change from one section of a course to another with the approval of his/her advisor as per established deadlines. A student may drop or add a course by completing an Add/Drop form and securing the approval of the instructor and a financial aid staff member. The course addition or withdrawal becomes effective only when the completed form is processed by the Registrar’s Office.
Students will be held responsible for all courses appearing on their schedules unless changes are official and in accordance with university regulations. A student may not add courses for credit after the date specified in the official academic calendar. If a course is dropped after the add/drop period but before the deadline for dropping a course, a “W” (withdraw) is recorded. A student may not drop a course after the date specified in the official academic calendar (unless approved by the appropriate university officials).
Alternate Pins
Students who have earned less than 32 hours MUST meet with their academic advisor (in person, via telephone, or via email) before they will be permitted to register for classes for the next semester. Groups of students who are required to meet with an advisor prior to registration are assigned alternate PINs. The alternate PIN is an extra layer of security which allows the student to access the registration and drop/add services on the web. Alternate PINs change every term and can only be obtained from a student’s success coach.
Auditing Courses
To audit courses, applicants must be eligible to enter the university as regular, visiting, or special students. They must obtain permission of the instructor, the director of the program in which the course is taught, and the dean of the division in which they are enrolled. Students may not audit a laboratory-type or activity course. Tuition fees will be assessed for courses audited, but credit will not be given. An audit may not be changed to credit after completing the course. The semester course load is inclusive of audited courses.
Course Cancellation Policy
The University reserves the right to cancel any course or section in which the number of students enrolled is deemed insufficient or for which an instructor cannot be secured. Students affected by course cancellations are notified via their SUSLA email account.
It is the students' responsibility to obtain cancellation information, as well as review and manage their course schedule. Students affected by course cancellations may adjust their course registration during the time frame designated on the academic calendar as long as there are no holds preventing registration on their account.
Maximum Academic Course Load
No student will be allowed to enroll in more than 18 semester credit hours during the spring or fall semester without permission of the division dean and the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The maximum number of credit hours that will be allowed is 21. During the summer sessions, fifteen (15) credit hours will be the maximum that may be pursued in any combination of sessions.
Registration
A student becomes a member of a class/course only by registering through the proper procedure. A student may add or drop a course after the initial registration by filing a completed and approved Add/Drop Form by the specified deadline. Registration has online (electronic) and in- person components and is held on dates shown in the academic calendar and announced by the Registrar’s Office. Students registering after the regular registration period will be charged a late registration fee. The registration process is not complete until the student has officially finalized/confirmed registration and accepted fees through the student’s Banner Web account.
The semester course schedule is published online by the Registrar’s Office. Students who fail to take advantage of academic advising and do not follow a well-developed degree plan may experience difficulty meeting graduation requirements in a timely manner.
The semester hour is the unit of credit. A semester hour is the meeting of a lecture class for one hour a week. A three-hour lecture course meets for three hours a week. Credit for each course is indicated in the course description and also in the semester course schedule.
Specific instructions for places and procedures for registration are provided by the Registrar’s Office. Students will generally follow seven sequential steps:
STEP 1. Complete all admission requirements and receive a letter of acceptance (if a new, transfer or readmission student). Continuing students proceed to step 2.
STEP 2. Complete all requirements to receive financial aid (Application for financial aid needs to be completed several weeks prior to registration, preferably before the end of the previous semester.)
STEP 3. Meet with an academic advisor to determine a schedule showing the courses in which the student will enroll during the upcoming semester. This usually involves completing a registration form signed by the student, the advisor, and others if any exceptions are required. This semester course registration schedule should parallel the student’s prepared degree plan. The student should use the completed registration form to complete step 4.
STEP 4. Complete registration in the electronic registration system of the university (Banner Web). When the schedule is posted electronically, the student should print a copy of his/her course schedule for his/her personal use or record. On rare occasions, classes may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Students are encouraged to periodically check their SUSLA email to verify the current status of their classes prior to the last day to register or add classes.
STEP 5. Finalize/Confirm registration (accept fees) through the student’s secure Banner Web account.
STEP 6. Obtain the official student identification badge from the Information Technology Center.
STEP 7. Purchase textbooks for the classes in which the student has enrolled for the current semester from the university bookstore.
Each class instructor accesses the class roster electronically with each student’s name listed as generated by the Registrar’s Office. Students who attend a class and their names are not on the official electronic roster, must report immediately to Registrar’s Office to validate their registration for that specific course. A student may not continue to attend class if not officially listed on the electronic roster for that course. Any course for which a student registers is recorded as “attempted” and will bear a grade notation on the student’s transcript. If the student drops the course using the proper procedure or is administratively withdrawn, the course will still appear on the transcript with a grade of “W” (withdrawn). Courses with grades of “W” are listed as “courses attempted” and do not affect the grade point average, but may, at some point, affect eligibility for financial aid. A student is expected to attend and participate in all scheduled sessions for each course for which he/she is registered until the student officially completes the course or formally withdraws from the course. No student can be admitted to a course after the official census date (14th day of class).
Registration for Continuing Students
Students who are currently enrolled at Southern University at Shreveport must register for the upcoming semester during a registration period set by the academic calendar as published by the Registrar’s Office. This registration allows the student to receive maximum personal attention and service from his/her academic, business, financial aid, and career advisors. It also provides for preferred placement in courses with multiple sections and improved planning for financial aid, scholarships, internships, etc. Continuing students who have completed this process are considered registered for the new semester. If a registered continuing student must make course schedule adjustments due to unusual circumstances, he/she must file an Add/Drop form approved by the instructor and a financial aid staff member with the Registrar’s Office.
No add/drop fee will be charged if changes are filed by the 12th class day of the semester of registration. The fee applies thereafter as defined in the Tuition and Fees section of the Catalog.
Registration for New and Transfer Students
Registration (on published dates) for all new students (first-time freshman and transfer students) is closely linked with the scheduled freshman and Transfer Student Orientation activities. The focus of the advisors and registration staff from all departments is dedicated to incoming new and transfer students at the start of each semester.
Registration for Dual Enrollment
Registration for Dual Enrollment students is coordinated through the high school liaison and the SUSLA Dual Enrollment Coordinator. Eligible students are concurrently enrolled for up to 12 credit hours per semester. Dual Enrollment students are to follow university policies and academic calendar. NOTE: Public high school students may qualify for tuition exemption.
Late Registration
Students must register on the appointed days described above for their admission status. Continuing students who are not registered before the end of the prior semester and new or transfer students registering later than the first day of class of their first semester will be assessed a late registration fee (see Tuition and Fees). Late registration does not excuse a student from missed assignments.
Registration and Transcript Hold
Registration and transcript holds are restrictions placed on student accounts when specific action is required from students to allow enrollment at SUSLA or release of official academic documents such as transcripts and diplomas.
Students are required to resolve the hold before registration is permitted or a transcript is released. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Registrar’s Office once the hold has been removed.