Students are expected to know and follow all policies and procedures described in the Catalog, the Student Handbook and the Class Schedule. Below is a partial listing of registration policies, in alphabetical order.

Apostille Requests
Student who need an Apostille to verify their transcript, graduation, or diploma should follow the steps below:

1. The student should write to the Registrar's Office requesting the Apostille to be attached to a transcript, certification or graduation, or copy of the diploma, and say to which country it is being sent, and include $50 in cash, traveler's check, or international money order (made out to “CIIS”) for each Apostille requested. A personal check drawn on a U.S. bank is also acceptable.
2. The Registrar’s Office prepares the document, and signs and embosses it in the presence of a notary public.
3. The California Secretary of State needs to authenticate the signature of the notary. The Registrar’s Offices sends the document, along with a check for the charges, to the Secretary (Notary Public Section, PO Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001). We include a cover letter explaining what is wanted, the name of the country in which the Apostille is expected to be used, and a stamped envelope addressed back to us.
4. When we receive the Apostille and original document back, we send the whole package on to the originally requested address.

The whole process usually takes three to four weeks.

An Apostille is a form of authentication by a U.S. state government (often called "legalization," "incumbency" or "certification") that an official such a notary public, Commissioner, member of a boards and commissions, a dedimus justice, legislator, or Constitutional Officer, held a particular office at a particular time. The California Secretary of State supplies this authentication by referring to the qualification document for the particular official -- the swearing-in paper -- which they have on file. A comprehensive description of the Apostille is available at the Web site of the U.S. Department of State.

An Apostille is needed by countries which have signed the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. A listing of countries who are signatories is at the Web site of the Hague Conference on International Law.

Auditing
Any students may audit a class with the instructor’s approval. If you audit, you are not required to participate or to take examinations and do not receive credits or a letter grade. An "AU" is recorded on the transcript instead of a grade, which has no effect on your grade point average. Audited courses do not allow you to maintain active student status or retain eligibility for financial aid. You may register for a course in audit status, or change the registration of a course from academic status to audit status, starting on the first day of the semester up through the Add/Drop Deadline. It is not possible to change from audit status to academic status after the Add/Drop Deadline, even with the instructor’s permission. To register in audit status, you must submit the Audit Approval Form signed by the course’s instructor to the Registrar’s Office before the Add/Drop Deadline. Students only auditing courses within a semester are not required to pay the Late Registration Fee.

Cancelled Courses
With some exceptions, if a course taught by one instructor has less than nine students registered in it by the Late Registration Deadline it will be cancelled. A course taught by two instructors must have 12. (Two auditors is equivalent to one student.) If your course is cancelled you will be notified shortly after the Late Registration Deadline by phone and/or e-mail. Every effort will be made by the Institute to provide another alternative. You will not be charged the Late Registration Fee if you register for another course. If your course is cancelled after the Add/Drop Deadline, you will be issued a full refund for that course.

Course Classroom Assignment
The Course Classroom Assignment, a document listing which courses are being held in which rooms, will be posted on the first day of the semester. Your individual Student Schedule will have the location of your courses, but double check your course’s room assignment on the Course Classroom Assignment, as these are subject to change due to enrollment numbers. Below are the locations of where the Room Schedule will be posted:

• Mission - In the hallway outside room 405; outside the Library
• Fox - Outside the bathrooms near the Hayes Street entrance
• Minna - Ask the greeter

Dropping, Withdrawing, or Not Attending a Class
Following are the policies regarding withdrawing from classes:

• Drop = Withdrawing from a class before the Drop Deadline.
  A drop transaction must be conducted online through Pathway or by written notification to the Registrar’s Office. Notification of a drop, written or otherwise, to the instructor, program staff, or any other CIIS office is insufficient. A drop will result in a 100% reversal of the class’ tuition charge. You may not drop a class after the Drop Deadline; however you may withdraw throughout the semester.

• Withdrawal = Withdrawing from a class after the Drop Deadline
  Withdrawing will result in a “W” on your transcript. To withdraw, submit an Authorized Withdrawal from Classes Form to the Registrar’s Office, signed by the instructor. It is not possible to withdraw via Pathway. Partial refunds of the tuition charge may be given depending on the date this form is submitted. Please see the “Academic Calendar” for these deadlines and refund percentages.

• Not Attending
  While instructors may withdraw a student for failing to attend, you should not assume you will be dropped if you fail to attend at any point in the semester. You are responsible for conducting and monitoring you own registration transactions.If you absent yourself from a class and neither you nor the instructor notify the Registrar’s Office, a failing grade (“F” or “NP”) will be posted to your transcript, and you will be held accountable for all monies owed. Following are the policies regarding students who fail to attend a class without prior consent from the instructor. The decision to withdraw a student belongs to the instructor:
  • If you do not attend the first meeting of any class you may lose your seat in that class
  • If you do not log into an online class within the first week you may lose your seat in that class.
  • If you miss the first meeting of a class for which you are waitlisted you may lose your place on the wait list.

Enrollment Maximums

*Approval for overload registration must be submitted in writing. International students must also obtain written approval from the International Student Advisor.

Enrollment Status Classifications
Your enrollment status is dependent upon your academic division and either: 1) the number of units you are registered for within the semester; or 2) if you are registered in one of the courses listed below.

Grade Appeal Procedure
Appeal of a course grade must be based only upon evidence of instructor bias or error in the compilation of a grade. Course grades involve the objective and subjective evaluation of a student’s academic performance by the instructor.  It shall be assumed that the grade assigned is correct and thus the student appealing the grade must justify the need for a change of the grade assigned.  The student must make his/her request for a grade appeal no later than the last day of the semester following the one in which the course was completed (excluding Summer).  The process must be completed by the end of the semester following the initial filing (excluding Summer).

1. Questions and concerns about course grades should always first be discussed with the faculty member who taught the course. Normally, grade appeals are resolved informally between the student and the faculty member involved.
2. If successful resolution with the instructor is not accomplished, a formal appeal may be filed with the Program Director provided that the basis for the appeal is perceived bias or error by the instructor. The Program Director may contact both parties to determine whether informal resolution is possible. If the appeal concerns a grade given by a Program Director, the student files the formal appeal with the Academic Vice President who brings it to the Program Directors in the appropriate school. The School Program Directors designate one of their group to respond.
3. An appeal about a course grade may go forward to the Program Committee (or to an ad hoc Appeal Committee) for review only if the appeal includes factual evidence and a clear position statement to support the student’s belief that error or bias has occurred. The student should take care to state why s/he believes the grade reflects bias or error.  Supporting documentation must be attached.
4. The Program Committee may review the appeal or refer it to an ad hoc Appeal Committee. The faculty member whose grade is under dispute will not participate in the appeal deliberations. The committee considering the appeal will talk with both the student and the faculty member.
5. The committee makes its recommendation to either keep or change the assigned grade and so notifies the student and the faculty member. If the grade is to be changed, the committee forwards the grade change to the Registrar with a copy of the grade change sent to the student. The decision of the committee is final.

Grade Change Procedure
Grades submitted by faculty to the Office of the Registrar and posted to the student’s record cannot be changed unless there is evidence of an injustice, a mistake, or work previously incomplete is completed. The change will become effective only after approval from the Registrar.

Grade and Coursework Evaluation Deadlines
Within two weeks after the last day of classes, all grades are due to the Registrar’s Office. Final academic project assignments are returned to students within four weeks of receipt by the instructor. Mid-semester assignments are returned to students within three weeks of receipt.  All written assignments receive written comments by the instructor and/or teaching assistant. Thesis and dissertation proposals and chapters are returned to the student with written comments within three weeks of receipt of the document. During the Summer semester, the research student, chairperson, and committee members will agree upon the feedback turn-around time. Faculty will be available to their students by e-mail, phone, or in person, if possible.

Grade Option Request Procedure
Some courses are offered only for letter grades, some only for Pass/No Pass, and some for either. If you register for a class which offers either option and you want P/NP, you must submit a written or e-mailed notification to the Registrar’s Office by the Add/Drop Deadline. If you do not, you will be registered in letter-grade status. You may not change your grading option past the Add/Drop Deadline, even with the instructor’s permission. E-mailed notification must originate from the e-mail address we have on record for you and be sent to registrar@ciis.edu. Written notification may be made using the Grade Option Form available outside the Registrar’s Office and on Pathway, under the “Academics” tab in the “Registration Forms” section.

Grade Reports
You may view and print all of the grades you’ve earned online via Pathway. The Registrar’s Office does not mail grade reports at the end of each semester, but will do so to individuals who make a request. The grade report will only be mailed to the address the Registrar’s Office has on record for the student. There is no charge for this service.

Grade Scale
The following supersedes and makes void the information contained in the 2007-2008 Student Handbook.

The Institute uses a four-point scale to calculate a grade point average (GPA). Grade point values are assigned as follows:

Only CIIS courses are used to compute the GPA, not courses transferred in from other schools.

Holds
The Business Office and the Library apply holds to the accounts of students with outstanding financial obligations to the Institute. Such holds prevent the student from registering or receiving official transcripts and the diploma. To remove a hold or inquire about its status, contact  the Business Office at 415-575-6132 or businessoffice@ciis.edu.

Incomplete Grades
If you anticipate being unable to complete your coursework you may request permission from the instructor to receive an “I” (Incomplete) rather than a failing grade. Permission must be obtained in writing submitted to the Registrar’s Office and is granted only for: 1) medical reasons documented by a healthcare professional; or 2) a personal or family emergency. The instructor has the right to refuse to grant an “I” grade. Obtain a Request for Incomplete Form from the Office of the Registrar or on Pathway and submit it to the instructor, who will submit it to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office will not record an “I” grade without this form, and failure to submit it can result in a failing grade for the class. An “I” for Incomplete will appear on your record next to the course number and title. When you submit the completed work to the instructor also submit a Change of Grade Form (available outside the Office of the Registrar or on Pathway).

The time limit for completing course work is one year from the last day of the semester you took the course, unless the instructor specifies an earlier date. For example, if a you receive an “I” grade for Summer 2008 semester, you have until the end of the Summer 2009 semester to turn in the required work to the instructor, even if you are not registered for other course that term. If the work is still incomplete after one year, the grade will be converted to an “NP” (failing grade) or an “IN” (permanent incomplete). Neither grade is reversible.  Students may not graduate or participate in the commencement ceremony with an “I” (Incomplete) grade on their record.

Independent Study
Up to one-sixth of a student’s unit requirement for a graduate degree may be fulfilled through Independent Study undertaken at CIIS. An Independent Study is defined as coursework designed to meet a program requirement or to extend a student’s field of inquiry beyond current Institute courses. An Independent Study must not duplicate what is offered in the normal class schedule and is subject to faculty availability. Approval of the proposed work of the Independent Study must be made by the director of your academic program. To register, submit an Independent Study Contact with the syllabus attached to the Registrar’s Office. The contract must be signed by you, the instructor, and the program director. This contract can be found in the back of the Schedule of Classes and online in Pathway. An Independent Study is subject to the same registration deadlines and policies as regular classes.

International Students Enrollment Minimums
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) requires international students on F–1 visas to carry a full-time course of study to remain in status.  Any exceptions for less than a full-time load must be approved by the International Student Advisor. See Enrollment Status Classifications above

Internship Registration
Only students in the Clinical Psychology program may register for internship. To register, submit a registration form to the Registrar’s Office or register online through Pathway. The Registrar’s Office will not confirm this registration, however, until you submit a signed Internship Agreement to the Field Placement Office two weeks before you start at your site. This Agreement must be submitted before the semester’s Add/Drop Deadline. Hours acquired before this two week window or without a contract will not be counted toward the required pre-doctoral internship hours.

Late Registrations
If you register for the first time for a semester after the Late Registration Deadline, you must pay the Late Registration Fee. This fee is charged once per semester, regardless of the number of classes or the number of times you register after the initial registration. First semester degree-seeking students, Special Students (i.e., non-degree-seeking), and non-degree-seeking auditors are exempt from this fee. If you registered before the Registration Deadline, you may add and drop classes after the Registration Deadline without paying the Late Registration Fee. No registration transactions will be accepted after the Add/Drop Deadline.

Leave of Absence
If you demonstrate satisfactory academic progress you may be granted an academic Leave of Absence (LOA) for up to 12 months. This will allow you to refrain from registering for up to three consecutive semesters and still retain your active student status and the same degree requirements you were admitted under. An LOA must be approved by your academic advisor and is granted to students experiencing extenuating circumstances such as medical, job, or family issues. Since some courses and programs retire, discuss with your advisor whether this might happen during your leave to any of the courses you still need to take.

To be granted a LOA submit a Leave of Absence Form signed by your academic advisor to the Registrar’s Office no later than the Add/Drop Deadline. The form must include an explanation of your reasons for seeking the LOA and the semester you will resume registering.  The form may be obtained outside the Office of the Registrar or online via Pathway under the “Academics” tab in the “Registrar’s Office Forms” section.

The following restrictions apply to LOA:

• You may take a maximum of two LOAs during your program of study.
• LOAs for medical reasons require written verification from your health care provider.
• If you do not register for the semester following the end of the LOA you will lose your active student status and will need to reapply to your program under the current catalog and program requirements.
• The period of a LOA is counted in the calculation of elapsed time under the regulations governing the maximum period of time for the completion of degree requirements.
• A LOA does not extend the deadline for the completion of an “I” (Incomplete) grade.
• A LOA entails no additional fees to be paid by the student, and so presupposes no expenditure of Institute resources or faculty and staff time in behalf of the student during the period of the leave. In addition, no computer facilities, no library services, and no student services are available to a student on a LOA.

Students seeking to appeal LOA restrictions should contact the Dean of Students, Shirley Strong, at (415) 575-6171 or sstrong@ciis.edu.

Maintaining Active Student Status
If you are not registered or have not submitted an approved Leave of Absence to the Registrar’s Office by the semester’s Add/Drop Deadline you will be placed on unauthorized leave. If the same is true in the next consecutive semester, you will administratively withdrawn and be required to re-apply for admission to continue. The “next consecutive semester” requirement applies to the fall and spring semesters only. The exception to this is for students in the following programs, who are required to also be registered in the summer semester: BA in Interdisciplinary Studies; MA in Integrative Health Studies; and PsyD in Clinical Psychology.

Pass/No Pass
Units for courses which are graded with a “P” (Pass) or “NP” (No Pass) will not be included in your GPA calculation. Units for courses which are graded with a “P” will be counted toward your degree requirements; those with grades “NP” will not. Undergraduate students must earn the equivalent of “C” or higher to receive a “P”; graduate students, a “B” or higher. Courses offered for Pass/No Pass status will be indicated with “P/NP” in this Class Schedule and on Pathway. Courses marked “OP” offer either the P/NP option or the letter grade option. E-mail registrar@ciis.edu if you want the P/NP option; if you do not, these courses will default to letter grade status.

Practicum Registration Procedure
Before you may register for a group or individual practicum you must submit a Supervised Fieldwork Agreement to CIIS’ Field Placement Office which has been signed by your site supervisor, clinic director, and academic advisor. If the Agreement is not on file by the Add/Drop deadline the registration will not be processed. A new Agreement must be submitted for every semester you are registering for a practicum. In addition to the practicum, you must also take the following steps depending on whether you are registering for a group or an individual practicum:

• Group Practicum - Pre-register online via Pathway or by submitting a hard copy registration form to the Registrars’ Office. The Registrar’s Office will verify with the Field Placement Office that your Supervised Fieldwork Agreement is on file before confirming the registration.
• Individual Practicum - Submit a hard copy Individual Practicum/Supervision Registration Agreement to the Registrar’s Office. You may not pre-register via Pathway.

Priority Registration Policy
Priority Registration allows a student to secure a seat in a class before regular registration opens. Priority Registration must be approved in writing by the academic advisor and is reserved for students in pressing circumstances, such as those in their final term. Only courses required for the student’s program may be registered for using Priority Registration -- not electives. For more details, please see the Priority Registration Form available outside the Registration Office or on Pathway. Have it signed by your faculty advisor, and submit it to the Registration Office by the Priority Registration Deadline (note: not the same as the Program Priority Deadline).

Professional Seminar (Psy.D) Registration Procedure
Before you may register for a professional seminar you must submit a Practicum Contract to CIIS’ Field Placement Office which has been signed by your site supervisor, clinic director, and academic advisor. If this Contract is not on file in this office by the Add/Drop deadline the registration will not be processed. A new Contract must be submitted for every semester you are registering for a professional seminar.

Program Priority Registration
Registration into some courses is restricted to students in certain programs until the Program Priority Registration Deadline, after which registration becomes open to all students. For instance, only students in the East-West Psychology program (EWP) may register into EWP 6051 before the Program Priority Deadline; after the deadline, registration become available to both EWP and non-EWP students. Such courses are marked “Priority to…” in the columns of the Class Schedule or the course’s description on Pathway.

Program Requirements
A degree or certificate program may change its requirements over time, but you are expected to fulfill only the requirements that were in effect at the time of your admission. These requirements are outlined when you first enter a CIIS program in your Program Agreement. This Agreement is reviewed and signed by you and your academic advisor and is kept on file. Any change to this Agreement needs to be documented and include the dated signatures of both you and your academic advisor.

Registration Fee Policy
A $160 registration fee ($135 starting Fall 2008) is charged at the time of initial registration. It is charged once per semester, and is not refunded if you drop or withdraw from all or any of the semester’s courses.

Registration Maintenance
Registration Maintenance is a “placeholder course” (REG 700-01) which bestows no units or grades. It serves two functions:

1. If you register for Registration Maintenance before the Late Registration Deadline you may then register for courses after that deadline and avoid the Late Registration Fee. Once you register for a course, the Registration Maintenance course is dropped from your record, the charge is reversed, and any payment you’ve made is applied toward your tuition balance. This option is used by students who know they want to register for the semester but don’t know what courses they want before the Late Registration Deadline.
2. If you have completed all requirements for your thesis or dissertation, including oral defense (doctoral students only) and technical edits, and are still working on changes required by your thesis/dissertation committee, you may register for Registration Maintenance instead of Thesis/Dissertation Seminar. This will keep you in active student status. Only one semester may pass in this particular status. Please note that Registration Maintenance does not qualify as half-time enrollment so you will not be eligible for financial aid or to defer financial aid loan payments.

With the exception of function number two above, Registration Maintenance is not an option for maintaining active student status if you have not finished your degree requirements. See “Maintaining Active Student Status” policies above.

Registration Methods
Students may add and drop online via Pathway, in person, by mail, or by fax.  The fax number is (415) 575-1267. Students may not add or drop a class by telephone. 

Repeated Courses
A student who does not earn a passing grade in a required course must either repeat the course or otherwise satisfy the requirement as prescribed by the student’s Academic Advisor or Program Director. Both grades will appear on the student’s transcript. Full tuition is charged for the repeated course.

Sitting In on Courses
With the permission of the instructor, students may sit in on a class as a visitor during the first week of the class.

Special Student Registrations
Individuals who wish to take courses for credit and are not enrolled in a program may apply for a Special Student status.  This applies to someone who may want to apply for a degree program at a later time, or to someone enrolled in a degree program at another school who wishes to take a specific course at the Institute.  Students may request a Special Student Application by contacting the Registrar’s Office.  Please see the semester calendar for date information.  Special Student status must be renewed each semester.  Special Students who later apply for and are admitted into a CIIS degree program are eligible to transfer up to one-sixth of the total number of units required for the degree program.  Please see the registration information listed at the beginning of the course schedule for dates.

Student ID Cards and Stickers
Your CIIS student ID card will show your student ID number, allow you to check out books from the CIIS Library and other libraries, and can be used for discounts at certain businesses. You receive an ID card when you first register and pay for courses, along with a sticker identifying the term for which you're registered. Stickers are issued every term, and the card is invalid without a current term sticker. You should have your ID card at all times when you are on campus, and be ready to present it to any CIIS personnel if asked. There is no charge for the initial ID card. If you lose it, the replacement fee is $10.

You may obtain your student ID card from the Registrar’s Office. This office will issue you a card only when you present a government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. The card features the student’s photograph, which is taken in the Registrar’s Office. Students who cannot come into the Registrar’s Office will be issued a non-photo card, mailed to the address the Registrar’s Office has on file for the student.

Stickers are issued after all tuition and fees are fully paid. The Registrar’s Office will not mail stickers automatically, but will do so upon individual request. To make a request, send an e-mail to registrar@ciis.edu or call 415-575-6126.

Waitlist Procedure
When a course becomes full, you may add yourself to its waitlist. If you subsequently change your mind and do not want to be on the waitlist, you must drop yourself from it. If you do not, and are subsequently registered, you remain responsible for payment, regardless of whether you attend (see “Dropping, Withdrawing, or Not Attending” section above). As seats in the course become available, the Registrar’s Office will move you from the waitlist into the course in the sequence you added yourself to the waitlist. You are not charged when you add yourself to its waitlist; you are charged when you are moved from the waitlist into the class, and then become responsible for payment.

The Registrar’s Office will notify you if you are moved from a waitlist into a course. Because phone message or e-mails may be thwarted, however, we strongly recommend that you check the registration status of any class for which you are waitlisted daily by looking at your semester’s schedule online via Pathway. Waitlists are purged after the Add/Drop Deadline. If you have not been registered into the course by that date, you will not be afterwards.

With the permission of the instructor, wait-listed students may attend the first meeting of a course. If you received permission from the instructor to be registered in the course, obtain it in writing and bring it to the Registrar’s Office prior to the Add/Drop Deadline. Do not assume the instructor will notify the Registrar’s Office of this consent. It is your job, not the instructor’s, to supply this.