Undergraduate Policies and Procedures

  • Alpha Sigma Lambda
  • Books
  • Bridge Program
  • Campus Connect
  • Class Status
  • Closed Classes
  • Competence Changes
  • Competence Limits 
  • Course Assessment Forms
  • Course Revisions
  • CTA U-Pass
  • Dean's List
  • Demographic Information
  • DePaul Central
  • Dropping Courses
  • Emergencies and Campus Closings
  • E-mail
  • Employer Tuition Reimbursement
  • Exceptions
  • F-1 Competence
  • Grades
  • Grade Appeals
  • Grade Submission and Changes
  • Grade Point Average (GPA) Recalculations
  • H1G Language Assessment Form
  • Honors and Awards  
  • ID Cards
  • Immunizations
  • Incomplete Grades
  • Independent Learning Pursuits
  • Leave of Absence
  • Library Access
  • Negotiating a Competence
  • Other DePaul Courses
  • Pass / Fail Grades
  • Password Resetting
  • Pre-requisites
  • Professional Advisors
  • Proficiency Exams
  • Reactivating / Returning to SNL
  • Regulations
  • Repeating Courses
  • Second Bachelor Degree
  • Student Handbook
  • Switching to BAC, BAECE, BAGB
  • Transfer Course Process
  • Tuition and Fees
  • Withdrawing from Classes

    •    Alpha Sigma Lambda, the National Honor Society for Adult students, was founded in 1945 to "recognize the special achievements of adults who accomplish academic excellence while facing competing interests of family, community and work." Members are in the top 10% of those with at least 30 quarter hours of graded DePaul courses and a minimum GPA of 3.8. Students may be invited to join as part of the graduation review process. Students may not self-nominate nor check eligibility. A membership fee is required. For more information, email lthomas@depaul.edu  Download Introductory Letter. (Adobe Reader required)
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         Books
      Materials for Loop campus courses are available at the bookstore at 1 E. Jackson and also online at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/depaul.htm
      Materials for suburban campus courses are available only at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/depaul.htm 
      Materials for online course are available only at http://www.mbsdirect.net.
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         Campus Connect
      Campus Connect is the University's Web portal. Students can enroll, update contact info, pay tuition, view grades, billing, course history and degree progress. See How to Do Everything in Campus Connect. 
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         Changing Competencies in Completed Courses
      Students who successfully completed LL 250 Foundations of Adult Learning and activated an Academic Committee may request to change a competence in a previously-completed SNL class . The request must be made within one year of completing the class. The instructor must currently be an SNL faculty member and the requested competence must come only from the list already offered in the course.
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         Class Status
      SNL students are considered sophomores through graduation because of the prior learning brought to DePaul. To change class status for financial aid, you must have successfully completed 20 competencies including Research Seminar to be a junior, and 30 competencies including Externship or Advanced Project to be a senior. Email to request this change, if you meet the above standards, with your name and student ID number.
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         Closed Classes
      SNL instructors and advisors are not authorized to allow additional students into closed classes because of space considerations, contractual obligations, availability of learning materials and course content. Campus Connect allows students to re-check class enrollment and register. Students may not join a course after it begins.
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         Competence Limits
      Students may register for one or two competencies per course in the SW, AI, and HC categories, but only one FX competence per course. Students may register for up to three competencies for SNL Bridge and certain travel courses because these courses run for a semester instead of a quarter. Students may not pursue more than two competencies through Guided Independent Studies directed by the same faculty person. Other exceptions are noted in course descriptions. Grades less than C - in SNL or transfer coursework do not satisfy competence.
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         Course Assessment Forms
      At the end of a quarter, SNL faculty complete an assessment form for each student in her or his class. These forms outline learning experiences showing how students developed competence, evidence submitted for how competence was demonstrated and evaluated, and  how a student performed in the course. Forms are uploaded into Campus Connect and are available for downloading from the file sharing icon in the Advising Center.
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         Course Revisions
      The University reserves the right to add or cancel courses, revise subject matter content, or make any other changes it deems necessary, without notice.
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         CTA U-Pass
      CTA U-Passes are available to SNL students who are enrolled full time (registered for 12 undergraduate credit hours or 8 graduate credit hours) for the quarter.  See exclusions and other information at http://upass.depaul.edu.
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         Dean's List, Honors and Honor Societies
      Eligibility for the SNL Dean’s List requires a GPA of 3.5 for the quarter based on a minimum of 8 graded credit hours, excluding grades of Pass and W. Students who received IN, M, or R grades for the quarter are not eligible. Students meeting the criteria may claim membership: a Dean's List is not separately published.

      SNL does not offer graduation designations such as 'cum laude' or 'magna cum laude' (with honors, with high honors) because of the great variety of student transfer learning. See also Alpha Sigma Lambda

      The Weinberg Prizes are awarded annually to honor Arthur and Lila Weinberg, well-known and beloved Chicago authors and SNL teachers, whose work focused on social conscience and activism. Nominations of appropriate Externship, Advanced Projects or Master Works should be sent to jscheide@depaul.edu and must be accompanied by a letter of support from your faculty mentor.

      The SNL Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding student achievement in Externship, Advanced Project, Major Piece of Work, Master Work, and Research Seminar. See criteria and nomination form.

      David O Justice Award: See criteria and nominaton form.
      Lifelong Learning Award: See criteria and nomination form.
      Student Commencement Speaker:  See nomination form.
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         Demographic Information
      All SNL students are required to login to Campus Connect at least once a year to update email, address and other contact information to ensure it is correct.
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         Dropping Courses
      Because of Federal regulations regarding financial aid, DePaul is unable to drop a student with credit from a class after the posted deadline dates regardless of financial arrangements or status.
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         Employer Tuition Reimbursement
      Students may access grades and financial statements through Campus Connect for tuition reimbursement documentation. Download a letter explaining Pass / Fail grades. (Adobe Reader required)
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         Exceptions
      The Exceptions Committee is a college-based committee mandated by DePaul’s Faculty Council. It considers requests on a case-by-case basis when events beyond the control of the student make an exception necessary out of fairness. Requests for exceptions must be sent in writing to snlexceptions@depaul.edu . Exceptions based on medical and death-related circumstances must be documented. Requests for course withdrawals should be submitted using the Appeal for Course Withdrawal form. Requests to recalculate GPA should be submitted using the GPA Recalculation Request form . In each instance, the decision of the committee is final. If approved, a student can receive only one exception during matriculation at SNL. This committee does not duplicate the work of the Grade Appeals committee.
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         F-1 Competence
      Since Fall 2005, students in LL 250 Foundations of Adult Learning are registered for F-1 after the drop deadline for that quarter. F-1 is considered a separate section of this class with its own roster for registration and grading. It carries 0 credit hours of tuition. If students do not complete F-1 by the end of the class, they should receive an R grade. This grade gives allows a year to finish the necessary work to earn the competence before it turns to an F. Successful completion of F-1 is a pre-requisite to registering for FX competencies.
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         Grade Submission and Changes
      Grades are submitted online by faculty through Campus Connect and are available to students online after posting. In general, grades are due one week after the 11th week of the quarter. According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment), SNL cannot report grades over the phone or email. Grades below C- in SNL and transfer courses do not satisfy competence and are not counted toward graduation.

      Grades are not changed because of a reassessment of course work, the submission of extra work or by the retaking of an examination. In very rare cases, an instructor may request to make a change of grade but it requires approval by the SNL Exceptions Committee.

      The SNL Exceptions Committee will entertain grade change requests from instructors but only where either the student or the instructor has made a compelling case with adequate written supporting documentation that a grade change is warranted for equitable considerations. The mere fact that a student's IN or R grade has reverted to an F is not, in and of itself, sufficient grounds to warrant such an exception. This policy will be effective Fall 2005 for grades entered beginning in Fall 2005 but will also provide guidance to the Committee for grade change requests submitted for grades entered prior to Fall 2005.

      If a grade change is deemed appropriate by the Exceptions Committee or through an Incomplete Contract, faculty enter the grade change directly in Campus Connect. Assessment forms must be submitted to snlcourseassessment@depaul.edu
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         Grade Point Average (GPA) Recalculation
      In order to request the recalculation of your GPA after retaking a class, please complete and submit the GPA Recalculation Request Form.
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         Independent Learning Pursuits
      An Independent Learning Pursuit or ILP is a submission of proof that the student has earned competence from college-level life experience. Students who have activated their Academic Committee can submit an ILP assessment form, along with appropriate evidence of competence, to their Faculty Mentor. ILPs in the Focus Area are assessed by the Professional Advisor. An ILP is not a course and does not carry credit hours nor apply to financial aid. Students pay a non-refundable assessment fee ($150) for each ILP. Note quarterly deadlines for submission.
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         Leave of Absence
      Students who plan not to enroll for more than one quarter must request a leave of absence through Campus Connect. After logging in, go to For Students, and choose Withdrawal/ Leave Request. You will receive a confirmation email. If you wish to end your leave earlier than you anticipated, email records@depaul.edu and put Withdrawal/LOA in the Subject line, requesting the leave end early and to be activated to register for upcoming classes. Once the request is received by the Student Records office, your record will be updated allowing you to register. If not enrolling for one quarter, apply for Continuing Activity Status.
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         Library Access
      Students must be currently enrolled in class to access library resources. If you require access and do not meet this requirement, ask your Faculty Mentor to contact the library on your behalf. See http://library.depaul.edu/
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         Negotiating a Competence
      Requests to negotiate a competence in an SNL content course are exceptions reserved for students who have successfully completed LL 250 Foundations of Adult Learning, held a First Committee Meeting, and near graduation. See Negotiating Competence Request Form.
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         Other DePaul Courses
      You are permitted to take courses in other DePaul colleges, provided you meet any prerequisites of the college or department. Use Campus Connect to register. Please note tuition per credit hour is higher for courses in other DePaul colleges.
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         Pass /  Fail Grades
      Certain SNL courses are graded Pass / Fail: LL 102 Learning Assessment Seminar; LL 250 Foundations of Adult Learning; LL 150 Academic Writing for Adults; LL 155 Critical Thinking; LL 300 Research Seminar; LL 302 Externship; FA 303 Advanced Project; and LL 390 Summit Seminar. Download a letter explaining Pass / Fail grades. (Adobe Reader required). Students can request a letter grade in LL 150, LL 155, LL 300, LL 302 and FA 303 by informing the instructor in writing, without exception, by the beginning of the third week of class. If approved, the switch to a letter grade cannot be undone.  Note LL 102, LL 250 and LL 390 must be graded Pass / Fail.  L6 and L7 are letter-graded.
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         Professional Advisors
      A Professional Advisor (PA) guides a student in the Focus Area. Students can use the PA Database to help find a PA. In order to be paid by the School for their service, two forms must be completed and submitted after both the First Committee Meeting and the Final Committee Meeting. If a committee meeting is hosted at a distance, the forms must be sent to the PA for completion and submission. See First Committee Meeting W9 Tax ID Form (Adobe Reader required) and Final Committe Meeting W9 Tax ID Form (Adobe Reader required). Also First Committee PA Payment Form and Final Committee PA Payment Form.
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         Reactivating
      If you are returning to SNL after not being enrolled in more than two quarters, welcome back! Please email or fax (to 312/362-8809) the Reactivation Request form prior to registering to re-activate your student account. Your request will be reviewed by an advisor and takes approximately 48 hours to be complete.
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         Repeating Courses
      If you wish to retake an SNL course, you must re-register and pay the appropriate tuition. All grades achieved are recorded on the academic record. The first time a course is repeated, only the new grade will be used to determine cumulative credit and to calculate the GPA. If a student repeats that course again, the second and all subsequent grades will be used to calculate the GPA. Credit earned is based on the final attempt. A course must be repeated at SNL (or DePaul) in order for this policy to apply. Note: A C- grade in the Focus Area is acceptable providing the overall GPA in Focus Area competencies is 2.0. Students may retake a course in transfer that was originally completed at DePaul. The DePaul grade remains in the GPA but credit is only accumulated once.
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         Regulations
      Students are subject to all regulations as published in the DePaul University Bulletins and Student
      Handbook
      .
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         Second Bachelor Degree
      In general, SNL believes students are better served by seeking a Master's rather than a second Bachelor's degree. However, SNL recognizes that there may be some cases in which a student has a compelling professional and academic case for seeking a second Bachelor's degree at SNL. When a student believes he or she has such a case to make, the student should consult with his/her previous faculty mentor to build a case for the academic validity of a second bachelor's, rather than a master's degree. In those cases in which the previous mentor is no longer available, the student should be assigned a new mentor. The mentor should then present this case to BACA for approval. BACA will review the proposal and approve it if the following criteria are met:
      1. The student and mentor demonstrate a compelling academic and/or professional reason for obtaining a second Bachelor's degree from SNL.
      2. The student and mentor demonstrate that a Master's degree will not meet the student's needs.
      3. The student and mentor present a degree plan that meets the requirements below.
      In keeping with DePaul policy, a student earning a second Bachelor's degree must do the following:
      1. Meet the graduation requirements for each degree when they differ.
      2. Complete 15 competencies beyond those applied to the first degree, including Summit Seminar.
      3. Complete an entirely new focus area with 12 new Focus Area competencies, including Advanced Project.
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         Switching to BAC, BAECE or BAGB
      Students in the SNL undergraduate program who wish to switch to the BA in Computing, BA in Early Childhood Education or BA in General Business should discuss this with their Faculty Mentor.  Upon review and approval, Faculty Mentors can email the SNL Application Coordinator with the new program, student name and student ID#.
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         Transfer Coursework Process
      SNL accepts courses from other colleges as satisfying most competencies. Transfer courses must have a grade of C- or better, be 2 semester hours or 3 quarter hours, and must be from an accredited institution. See process flow chart. SNL faculty have pre-assessed certain courses for particular competencies. Courses on these lists do not require completion of Transfer Coursework Assessment Forms. See the Pre-Approved Course List.
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         Tuition and Fees (Summer 2009 - Spring 2010)
      $455 per SNL undergraduate credit hour - note financial aid disbursements require students to be registered at least half-time per quarter (6 credit hours)
      $475 per Other DePaul undergraduate credit hour
      $510 per graduate credit hour
      Assessment Fee for Independent Learning: $150 - note ILPs carry no tuition credit and do not count for half-time status.  
      Proficiency Exam Fee (L4, L5, L6, S5): $150 - note Proficiency Exams carry no tuition credit and do not count for half-time status.
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