General Regulations and Procedures

This section includes Graduate School procedures and regulations applicable to all graduate students regardless of degree classification. Requirements unique to the master’s and doctoral degrees are stated in the section titled Degree Requirements. For information about specific degree programs, the student should consult the appropriate degree program description. Requirements unique to the non-degree classifications are stated in the section in this page titled “Nondeclared Students—Non-Degree”.

Registration

Only those students who have been officially admitted by the Graduate School will be permitted to register.

Some degree programs require their students to have a Registration User Number (RUN) before registration. Please consult the designated major department about advisement. Nondeclared, non-degree students are technically self-advised and may begin registration for the admitted semester after the registration period begins.

The Schedule of Classes for a particular semester is available online at registrar.siu.edu/schedclass.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete their registration before the beginning of classes. After the first week of classes, registration or program changes involving adding a course must have the written approval of the instructor of each course as well as the approval of the Graduate School and cannot be done through SalukiNet. A student must submit a Course Request Form signed by the instructor(s) to the Registration Office in Student Services Building Room 324 to register. A $15 late fee is charged if not already registered.

Students should consult the SIU Schedule of Classes for each semester to find deadlines and dates for registration.

Registration Methods

During the advance registration period (see registration calendar for dates in the SIU Schedule of Classes Information) graduate students may register by several methods described below. Nondeclared students may use any of the methods. Degree-seeking students may be required by their departments to have a RUN number.

Web Registration

Nondeclared students and degree-seeking students will register online via SalukiNet at salukinet.siu.edu. To begin the registration process, a student needs a network ID and a password. To claim your Dawg Tag go to netid.siu.edu. If a student is not yet admitted to the Graduate School or does not have department approval to register or there is some other problem, the student is ineligible to register.

Registration at the Graduate School

The Graduate Registration Office is located in Student Services Building Room 324. After the first week
of classes, all students must register in person from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception of online-only programs. After the first week of classes, students are required to have the instructor’s and the graduate dean’s permission to add courses and, with the exception of online-only programs, must come to the office to process a registration or add. The Graduate School Course Request Form. Drops are to be processed online through week 10 for full semester classes or drop deadlines for shorter classes. The drop deadline for full semester classes is week two to be eligible for a full refund.

Late Registration

A late registration fee of $15 shall be assessed to all students taking on-campus classes who register the first day of classes or later. This fee shall be non-refundable and cannot be waived, except when it is clearly shown that the late registration was caused by faculty or administrative action. Off-campus classes and registration in 599, 600, and 601 shall be exempt from such fee.

Other Types of Registration in Graduate Courses

The following discussion concerns students who are either nondeclared for various reasons or are undergraduates wanting to take graduate-level courses.

Nondeclared Students—Non-Degree

A person may apply for admission to the Graduate School as a nondeclared student when the applicant does not seek a graduate degree or has applied too late to be admitted to a degree program for the term for which admission is sought, or does not meet the minimum GPA requirements for admission to a graduate degree program at this time.

Students applying for admission as a nondeclared graduate student who hope to obtain admission in a particular department at a later date, should meet with the Director of Graduate Studies in that department before registering for courses and seek information as to what courses they may take which would be counted towards degree requirements if they are admitted to the program later. Once the student is enrolled in the department, the department must petition the Graduate School that graduate courses completed while a student was nondeclared be counted toward fulfillment of degree requirements. The student will be subject to the rules and regulations of the Graduate School and the department concerned including the completion of at least nine hours after being admitted to a master’s degree program from nondeclared status.

Please note that nondeclared graduate students are not eligible for Graduate School fellowships or tuition waiver scholarships. Contact the Assistantship Office for details. Loans may be available for one 12 month period only, beginning when the student first enrolls in the nondeclared category and ending 12 months later. To determine eligibility, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Regular Nondeclared

A person who seeks admission as a regular nondeclared graduate student must have been awarded a bachelor’s or higher degree. A student admitted as a regular nondeclared student may enroll in graduate courses as long as the student meets retention standards of the Graduate School. Please note that funding is not available after one year after date of admission.

Temporary Nondeclared (classes taught off-site or web-based programs only)

A student may register as a temporary nondeclared student for one semester only with departmental approval. If the student wishes to enroll in graduate courses after this time period, the student must apply for and be admitted either to a degree program or to regular nondeclared status. Complete admission materials must be submitted before subsequent registrations will be allowed.

Undergraduate Student Registration in Graduate Courses

Graduate Credit

An undergraduate student who wishes to register for a graduate course (400- or 500-level course) for graduate credit must file the standard application for admission to the Graduate School and submit a request for graduate credit. Forms are available at https://gradschool.siu.edu/about-us/forms.php under 'Registration Forms'. If the student is academically eligible for admission to a degree program, the student will be allowed to register as an undergraduate for graduate courses for graduate credit when within 12 semester hours of completing requirements for the bachelor’s degree. Permission of the instructor teaching the course must be obtained, and for 500-level courses, the permission of the Chair of the department offering the course.

An undergraduate student who meets these qualifications will be allowed to take graduate courses for graduate credit for one semester. If, at the end of the term, the student has not received the bachelor’s degree, permission to enroll in graduate courses for graduate credit will be withdrawn until after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred. Graduate credit cannot be granted once a semester is complete.

All requests for graduate credit as an undergraduate must be processed by the Graduate School by the 10th day of the semester for which the student wishes to register.

Undergraduate Credit

The Graduate School has the responsibility of approving the registration of undergraduate students in 500-level courses for undergraduate credit. Undergraduate students should only be encouraged to take 500-level courses if they are properly qualified. In dealing with these requests the following procedures must be followed.

The student must:

Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Receive approval from the chair of the department offering the course.
Receive approval from the instructor of the course.
Submit a registration form signed by the undergraduate academic advisor.

The two forms required for this request are available at https://gradschool.siu.edu/about- us/forms.php under Registration Forms.

Forms need to be submitted to the Graduate Registration Office in the Student Services Building Room 324.

School of Law Courses

A graduate student may enroll for graduate credit in designated law courses if the student has permission of the dean of the School of Law and the dean of the Graduate School. Registration must be processed through the Graduate School and the grades will be reported on the Graduate School letter grade system (A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, etc.).

A law student may register for law credit in graduate courses with approval of the dean of the School of Law and the graduate dean. Registration must be processed on School of Law forms and the grades will be reported on the Graduate School letter grade system.

A law student may not register for graduate courses for graduate credit unless the student has been admitted to the Graduate School in an approved concurrent program.

Residence-Center Credit

Credit earned at approved graduate residence centers will be entered on a student’s record as on-campus credit earned at SIU.

Students enrolled for credit in approved residence-center master’s degree programs or in specific residence credit courses must have been officially admitted (either in a degree program or nondeclared) to the Graduate School at SIU. For information about specific programs and courses, the student should consult the appropriate department.

Graduate Student Course Loads

Financial Aid Awards

For financial aid awarding purposes, the following defines the number of semester hours for full-and half-time:

Financial Aid Awards
Status	16-week Semester	8-Week Session
Full-time	12	6
Half-time	6	3

Graduate students enrolled in fewer than six hours for fall and spring semesters or three hours for summer session are not eligible to obtain student loans.

Enrollment Certification

The following semester hours of credit are to be used to certify full-time and half-time attendance of graduate students.

Enrollment Certification
Status	16-week Semester	8-Week Session
Full-time	9 or more hours*	3 or more hours
Half-time	6 hours	Less than 3 hours
Less than half-time	Less than 6 hours

*Students who hold at least a quarter-time (25% FTE) graduate assistantship are considered as full-time if they have a minimum of 8 semester hours.

Minimum and Maximum Course Loads

Maximum coursework for graduate students is 16 hours each semester; 9 hours is considered a normal load. The minimum and maximum loads for graduate students under various types of financial support are summarized below, a graduate student must enroll in graduate-level course(s) (typically a 400-and 500-level course; certain 400-level courses ae not available for graduate credit.) Please consult the Graduate Catalog for available 400-level graduate courses. Audit work will not qualify to meet the minimum load. An exception to the 16 credit hour maximum load may be possible only with advanced written permission of the graduate dean.

Graduate students with a Graduate Assistantship must enroll in a minimum of eight graduate credit hours during the fall/spring to receive a full tuition waiver. During the summer, a minimum of three graduate credit hours are required to receive a tuition waiver for up to 9 hours. Students with a Graduate Fellowship or SIU Scholarship must enroll in a minimum of nine graduate credit hours during fall/spring and three during summer.

Graduate Assistantship Enrollment Minimums

16-Week Semester
Type of Financial Support	Max	Min
No financial support	16
Graduate Assistantships
1/2 time appointments	16	8
1/4 time appointments	16	8
Full-time University employees	6
Graduate Fellowships	16	9
Full Veteran's Benefits	16	9
SIU Scholarships	16	9

8-Week Session
Type of Financial Support	Max	Min
No financial support	9
Graduate Assistantships
1/2 time appointments	9	3
1/4 time appointments	9	3
Full-time University employees	6
Graduate Fellowships	9	3
Full Veteran's Benefits	9	3
SIU Scholarships	9	3

All University employees who wish to use the employee tuition fee waiver (faculty and staff) and are classified as graduate students are only permitted to register for six hours. To request permission to take over six hours, a memo from their hiring department approving the extra hours must be submitted to the Graduate School Records Office. If graduate students' enrollments fail to meet the minimum hours required by their type of financial support, the financial support will be terminated.

Continuing Enrollment (601)

Registration in 601 (one hour per semester) is required of all degree-seeking graduate students, whether in residence or not, who are not otherwise enrolled for fall or spring semester. Concurrent registration in any other course is not permitted.

Students registering for 601 are assessed only in-state tuition for the credit hour associated with the registration. Since student fees are not assessed for 601, the students are not eligible for the benefits of any other programs such as Recreation Center use, Health Service and Student Medical Benefits, Students’ Attorney Program assistance, etc. Students needing the above benefits that require fees may instead register for additional research, thesis, or dissertation hours.

All students in a graduate program, but not enrolled in classes by the 1st day of fall or spring semester, will be registered in 601 by the Graduate School and charged tuition for one hour of 601. This hour will be dropped if the student subsequently enrolls in a class that semester or is granted a leave of absence by their graduate program by the 8th week of the semester. Each program has its own policy of whether and when to grant leaves of absence. Students on leave are not required to enroll in 601 for the period of leave, but a leave of absence does not affect the time-to-degree requirements. The requirement of 601 enrollment ends when a student passes the six years to complete a master’s degree, without completing the degree, the five years of doctoral candidacy, or officially withdraws from a program prior to completion of the degree, or graduates. Students who are granted extensions to these time limits would be covered by this revised 601 policy. Summer sessions are exempt from the continuous enrollment requirement.

601 Credit hours are not eligible to be used toward meeting coursework degree requirements.

Transfer Credit

Only 9 graduate credits earned by a student in good standing at an accredited university, which have not been applied toward fulfillment of requirements for another degree, are eligible for transfer to that student's degree program, subject to general limitations of Graduate School regulations, residency requirements for doctoral degree programs, and acceptance by the student's major department. This rule applies throughout the Graduate Catalog to any mention of graduate courses transferred from other institutions. All transfer credits are subject to final review by the graduate dean. No transfer credit will be given for work bearing a grade below B or graded "satisfactory" without express permission of the graduate dean in response to written petition from the student's department. Credit towards a degree may be earned by online and off-campus courses at another accredited university. In the case of a master's degree, the student must earn at least half of the credit applied toward fulfillment of degree requirements in courses offered by SIU. Grades for coursework transferred to SIU from an outside university will not be calculated in the cumulative SIU grade point average.

The department recommending the graduate degree shall administer all required general and final examinations, and a member of the graduate faculty at SIU shall direct the student’s master’s thesis, required research paper, or doctoral dissertation.

Graduate Grading System

Graduate Grading System
Grade	Definition
A	Excellent. 4.00 grade points
A-	Excellent. 3.667 grade points
B+	Good. 3.33 grade points
B	Good. 3.00 grade points
B-	Conditional, not fully satisfactory 2.667 grade points
C+	Conditional, not fully satisfactory 2.333 grade points
C	Conditional, not fully satisfactory 2.00 grade points
C-	Conditional, not fully satisfactory 1.667 grade points
D+	Poor, not satisfactory 1.333 grade points
D	Poor, not satisfactory 1.00 grade point
F	Failure. 0 grade points
S	Satisfactory. Used for thesis and dissertation credit and certain designated and approved 500-level research, internship, and practicum courses. Is not counted in calculating grade-point average.
U	Unsatisfactory. Used for thesis and dissertation credit and certain designated and approved 500-level research, internship, and practicum courses. Is not counted in calculating grade-point average.
W	Authorized withdrawal made through a program change. Work may not be completed. Refer to grade explanation below.
INC	Incomplete. Has permission of the instructor to be completed within a period of time designated by the instructor. Refer to grade explanation below.
DEF	Deferred. Used only for certain designated and approved 500-level courses of an individual continuing nature such as research, thesis, or dissertation. Refer to grade explanation below.
AU	Audit. No grade or credit earned. Refer to grade explanation below.
NR	Grade not recorded. A student’s degree may not be posted to the transcript if a grade of NR exists on the transcript.
WU	Unauthorized withdrawal at instructor’s discretion for student in good standing in class who stopped attending class during first 60% of the semester. This grade cannot be made up.

Grading System Explanation

Only courses for which the grades of A+, A, A-,B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or S have been received are acceptable in fulfillment of graduate degree requirements. The letter grades A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F are included in computing the grade-point averages for academic retention. If a graduate student repeats a course with the permission of the graduate dean, only the most recent (last) grade will be counted in the grade-point average. Graduate students will not receive graduate credit for Pass/Fail grades. They may not receive a grade of Pass/Fail in a 400-level course graded Pass/Fail on an elective basis.

400-level courses

Most 400-level courses may be taken for graduate credit. The Graduate Catalog will indicate those 400-level courses which may be taken for graduate credit. No grades of Pass/Fail may be given for a 400-level course for graduate credit. The instructor in a 400-level course which can be taken for graduate credit has the discretion to decide whether to require additional work for graduate credit.

Withdrawal

Except for the WU grade, a W indicates authorized withdrawal from a course prior to the date indicated in the Schedule of Classes for the term in which the course was taken. The student’s record will reflect the courses from which the student had withdrawn with the symbol W and the week of withdrawal. Program changes to drop a course during the first two weeks of classes result in no entry being made on the student’s record (consult the section titled “Withdrawal from Courses and from the University” for additional information on withdrawal procedures and deadlines).

Incomplete

An INC grade should be assigned when, for reasons beyond their control, students engaged in passing work are unable to complete all class assignments. INC is not included in gradepoint computation. An INC must be changed to a completed grade within one year from the close of the term in which the course was taken or graduation, whichever comes first. Should the student fail to complete the course within the time period designated, that is, one year from the close of the term in which the course was taken or graduation, whichever comes first, the Incomplete will be converted to a grade of F and the grade will be computed in the student’s gradepoint average.

To complete the work from the original registration, a student should not register for the course again, but should complete the work for the original registration if the original registration is within the normal time limits established for the degree.

A contract for an INC grade must be established between the instructor and student at the time the INC grade is assigned.

An extension may be granted if the request for the extension is made within the first year and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School and the Provost.

Deferred

When the work is completed in a course for which DEF has been assigned, the grade is changed to a letter grade by the instructor, except in the case of theses and dissertations. When a thesis or dissertation has been submitted to the Graduate School as approved, the grade is automatically changed to S. If a thesis or dissertation is found unacceptable and the student is dismissed from the program, the grade of U is automatically assigned upon receipt by the Graduate School of the action dismissing the student.

Audit

A student registering for a course on an audit basis receives no letter grade and no credit hours. The student’s registration must indicate audit registration and the same fees are paid as when registering for credit. During the first two weeks of a regular semester, a student registered for a course for credit may change to audit status or vice versa through the official program change process. Thereafter, the change may not be made.

Changing of Grades

At the completion of a course, the final grade assigned to a student is the responsibility of the instructor of the course. Grades given at the end of the course are final and may not be changed by additional work or by submitting additional materials; however, clerical errors in recording grades can be corrected. To correct a clerical error, the assigned instructors should submit a grade change card together with an explanation and justification of the grade change for the approval or disapproval of the department chair, the appropriate college dean, and the dean of the Graduate School. In cases of theses and dissertations, for which DEF grades are given, the Graduate School changes the DEF grades upon presentation and acceptance of the thesis and dissertation and receipt of the departmental approval papers. In courses for which INC and DEF grades have been given, the assigned instructor has the responsibility of determining the final grade to be assigned and notifying the Registrar’s Office of the final grade by means of the grade change card.

Withdrawal from Courses and from the Semester

Dropping Courses

Students officially registered for courses must withdraw formally. They must process an official withdrawal form. Outlined below are the procedures to be followed by graduate students when withdrawing from courses.

Deadlines for Dropping from a Course(s)

Deadlines for Dropping from a Course(s)
If Classes Meet for*	Deadline for Withdrawal to Receive Full Refund	Deadline to Withdraw
13-16 weeks	2nd week	10th week
9-12 weeks	2nd week	8th week
8 weeks	2nd week	5th week
7 weeks	1st week	4th week
4-6 weeks	1st week	3rd week
2-3 weeks	1st day	1st week
Less than 2 weeks	1st day	2nd day

*Students must drop a course or withdraw from the University by these deadlines to receive an account credit equal to a full refund of tuition and fees. Students who drop courses after the full refund deadline but remain enrolled in the University will not receive any refund. Student who withdraw from the University after the full refund period will receive an account credit up to week four (see chart below).

Students officially withdraw from courses through the program change process. This process starts with the academic adviser and is completed at the Registration Center. Graduate students may drop from a course through the tenth week of the fall and spring semesters. Drop deadlines for shorter sessions are correspondingly earlier (see schedule above). Official withdrawals during the first through the tenth week of classes will result in the course listed on the student’s record with the symbol W and the week of withdrawal. No drop from a course will be authorized after the tenth week of classes. It is the student’s responsibility to insure that the drop process is officially completed.

Withdrawal from the University

A complete withdrawal from the University may be authorized by the graduate dean through the Friday of week 10 of classes. Students who withdraw from all classes will have a statement of withdrawal from the University entered on their records. Students who find it necessary to withdraw from the University after school has started and who are on campus should contact the Graduate School in person to initiate the withdrawal process. If they are unable to come to campus, they may email (gradregistration@siu.edu) the Graduate School asking that it process a withdrawal.

Students receiving a withdrawal from a full semester length course within the first two weeks will, under normal circumstances, receive a refund of all tuition and fees paid by the student. If the student has attended classes during the full refund period a portion of the financial assistance funds will be returned to the original source(s).

Students who withdraw after the full refund deadline will receive an account credit equal to the appropriate refund of tuition and fees. An administrative fee will be assessed to all students who withdraw from the University and receive a refund beyond the full refund period. The amount of the fee will be a fixed charge of $100.

Refund Schedule for Withdrawals from the University (Effective Fall 2009)

SIU Refund Policy

This chart is based on refunding for full semester length course.

Percentage of Refund

Percentage of Refund
Week	Tuition	Fees
Week One	100%	100%
Week Two	100%	100%
Week Three	50%	100%
Week Four	50%	0%
Week Five and after	0%	0%

No tuition refund will be given after week four; no refund of fees will be given after week three. Student fees are charged as a condition of enrollment.

Special consideration is extended to individuals who leave school for extended military service (six months or longer). These students may choose to withdraw completely and have the withdrawal backdated to show no enrollment. If withdrawing during the third through tenth weeks of school, these students may receive WMS grades in all classes, with the appropriate refund. When the withdrawal occurs after the tenth week, students will receive both grades and credit hours for the courses in which they are passing. In all instances, a copy of the military orders or a letter from the commanding officer is required for verification of impending military service. To be eligible for these benefits, students must remain in school to within ten days of their military reporting date.

Students in military service with the State of Illinois pursuant to the orders of the Governor have the right to receive a full monetary credit or refund for funds paid to any Illinois public university, college or community college if the person is placed into a period of military service with the State of Illinois in the event of state emergencies pursuant to the orders of the Governor and is unable to attend the university or college for a period of seven or more days. Students may elect to receive course credit for all of their courses rather than a refund.

All students seeking a withdrawal must contact the Graduate School in person or by Email. The effective date of the withdrawal, if granted, will be the student’s last date of class attendance, provided the student completes the requirements for the withdrawal. Incomplete applications for withdrawal will be denied. Any student who fails to comply with the withdrawal procedures will receive grades for the semester and must satisfy the financial obligations for the semester.

Students who have a graduate assistantship and resign from their contract will not be automatically withdrawn from their courses. Students must complete the withdrawal process.

Retention

Any graduate student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.00 will be placed on academic probation. Faculty of a degree program-unit may determine its own grade point average requirements (above the grade point minimum for retention in their particular program.) All 400- and 500-level courses taken after a student is admitted to the Graduate School are considered graduate level, unless the course is specifically designated, “Not for Graduate Credit”, for all students. Grade point averages for doctoral students are based on graduate credit work completed at SIU after admission to the doctoral program. Grade point averages for master’s degree students and nondeclared graduate students are based on all graduate credit work completed at SIU.

Any graduate student on academic probation whose grade point average remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters in which she or he is enrolled, excluding summer sessions, will be permanently suspended from the Graduate School, unless the department and the collegiate dean petition the graduate dean for an exception.

Graduate students who have a grade (or grades) converted from an INC to an F due to the INC grade policy which results in a retroactive change in GPA below 3.0 for the semester the course was taken, and any subsequent semesters, will be placed on Retroactive Academic Probation. The term Retroactive Academic Probation will appear on the students’ transcripts to show that they were not in good standing in the Graduate School during the semester(s) effected.

Graduation

Graduation ceremonies are held each year at the end of each spring semester and fall semester. Degree candidates must apply for graduation with the Graduate School typically by the fourth Friday after the semester begins. Late graduation applications for extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control will be considered through the end of the eighth week of fall and spring semesters. No applications will be considered beyond the eighth week of fall and spring semesters and the fourth week of the summer term. Graduation application forms are available in the Graduate School and may be obtained by downloading from the Graduate School web page: gradschool.siu.edu.

Candidates who do not meet graduation requirements will automatically be rolled to the next graduation term (May-to-August, August-to-December, December-to-May) with no additional fee, not to exceed one term. Candidates who fail to meet the degree requirements by the deadline for that graduation term will be removed from the pending graduation list. It will then be the student’s responsibility to submit a new Graduation Application form by the deadline for the term in which they now plan to graduate. The new application will result in the assessment of another Graduation Application fee. Commencement ceremonies are held only in May and December. August graduates should consult the graduation application for commencement information.

Any financial obligations with the University must be cleared by the Bursar’s Office before the release of diplomas and official transcripts. Diplomas are mailed to the address on the graduation application form within four to ten weeks after the end of the term.

A $50 graduation fee is established for all persons receiving degrees. The fee is payable at the time of application or the fee will be charged to the student’s account. Late applications will be assessed a $75 Graduate Application fee. The fee does not cover the rental fee for the cap, gown, and hood, or the cost of the invitations. These items are ordered through the University Bookstore in the Student Center and questions regarding them should be referred to the University Bookstore. Doctoral and Master’s students are required to pay a library fee. Theses and dissertations are submitted electronically (pdf) to UMI ETD Administrator. Research papers should be electronically submitted to OpenSIUC.

Submission of research papers, theses, and dissertations are due in the Graduate School office by the published deadline date. Contact the Graduate School for dates. Doctoral students must also submit the survey form of earned doctorates at the time the dissertation is submitted.

The Graduate School Guidelines for the Preparation of Dissertations, Theses and Research Papers is available at the Graduate School website (gradschool.siu.edu). Since each program has chosen a manual style that must be used in conjunction with the Graduate School guidelines, the student should contact the department for additional departmental information.

Although attendance at commencement is not compulsory, students who wish to graduate in absentia must notify the Graduate School in advance. This information is needed for seating arrangements and for mailing purposes.

Posthumous Degrees

A graduate degree may be awarded posthumously if the student has substantially completed the work for the degree. This determination shall be the responsibility of the graduate dean in consultation with the administrative officers and faculty of the degree program in which the student had been enrolled.

Release of Student Information and Issuance of Transcripts

The University follows a policy for release of student information in compliance with federal regulations. More specific information may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office or from the Graduate School.

A transcript of the student’s official educational record is issued by the Registrar’s Office under the following conditions: a transcript is sent, issued, or released only upon a student’s request or explicit permission, except that such permission is not required when the University faculty and administrative officials or other educational institutions request transcripts for official purposes.

In addition, requests will be honored from a philanthropic organization financially supporting a student and from a recognized research organization conducting educational research provided the confidentiality of the transcript is protected. A transcript will be issued directly to a student upon request. The transcript will have the statement, Issued to the Student, stamped on its face. Transcripts will be sent to recipients other than the student as requested in writing by the student. A transcript fee of $5 will be payable in advance for every transcript the student requests. A transcript will not be sent, issued, or released if a student owes money to the University as verified by the Bursar’s office upon request. The transcript will have the statement, Issued to the Student, stamped on its face. Transcripts will be sent to recipients other than the student as requested in writing by the student. A transcript fee of $5 will be payable in advance for every transcript the student requests. A transcript will not be sent, issued, or released if a student owes money to the University as verified by the Bursar’s office.

Policy

SIU recognizes that many of its students use a name other than their legal name. As long as the use of a preferred name is not for the purpose of misrepresentation, the university acknowledges that a preferred name should be used whenever possible in the course of university business and education. Therefore, the university will permit any student who wishes to choose to identify themselves within the university’s student information systems with a preferred name in addition to their legal name. Some records, such as paychecks, financial aid, or the official transcript, that require use of a legal name, will not change to preferred name. However, whenever possible, preferred name will be used except in the following areas where the use of the legal name is necessitated by university business or legal requirement.

Legal Name Used:

Student Accounts (Bursar)
Financial Aid
Responses to enrollment or degree inquiries such as verification requests
Official Transcript
College of Education Teacher Certification Records (US Dept. of Education)

A preferred name is a first name (i.e., given name) that may be chosen to be used instead of legal first name. You may specify a preferred name within SalukiNet which will then replace your first (given) name in your directory profile and other records identified earlier. However, you must request that your preferred name once established also to be reflected on your Student ID card, SIU e-mail address, and on your diploma when you are ready to graduate.

Preferred First Name Used:

Class Roster
Grade Reports
Advisor/Advisee Lists
Unofficial Transcripts
Directory Listing (unless FERPA exclusion)
SIU Student ID Card (legal name discreetly presented on back)
Diploma
SIU email account

SIU is committed to maintaining an environment where inquiry and growth are supported by a shared sense of responsibility and respect toward one another and with this understanding in mind the university maintains the right to decline a preferred name when it is recognized to be offensive to the institution or inflammatory to the student body. Authority to terminate or deny the use of a preferred name resides with the Dean of Students who maintains and has oversight for the Student Conduct Code.