Enrollment

Technology at Webster

Webster University offers many technology solutions to support students, faculty and staff. In using technology, students are empowered to be equal partners in their academic success. Here are some examples:

Connections is the university's intranet portal, providing centralized access to a variety of services. Connections is integrated with Office 365 subscription and is designed to provide relevant and timely information within an interactive and community-driven design.

Webster's Microsoft Office 365 subscription gives students, faculty and staff online access to the Microsoft Office applications from nearly any device. Office 365 will provide many productivity and collaboration services to the Webster University community - online hosted email, shared calendaring, additional online storage with OneDrive, Office in the cloud and so much more.

Office 365 also provides important technical tools that Webster Information Technology is adopting, such as user password management and email.

Students are expected to:

• Register their Connections/Office 365 account.
• Regularly check their University email account for official communication from Webster University.
• Regularly check their Connections account for Webster Alerts, Personal Announcements and Campus Announcements.
• Maintain their University email account in working order (including compliance with the University's Acceptable Use Policy and appropriately managing disk space usage).
• Set up 2-Factor Authentication.

The Student Success Portal, powered by Starfish, brings the energy of shared technology to students, faculty and staff to enhance communication across Webster's global network. It allows for a collaborative experience to ensure student success is a priority both in and out of the classroom.

For technology support, students can email the IT Service Desk at support@webster.edu or call at 314-246-5995 or toll free at 1-866-435-7270.

For all other IT policies, including the University Email Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, Wireless Network Policy, Data Encryption Policy, and other guidelines, visit: https://webster.edu/technology/.

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Course Load Guidelines

The recommended academic load for full-time students is 15 credit hours each semester. Fifteen credit hours for eight semesters total the 120 credit hours required for a degree. For students enrolling in 8-week terms, the recommended academic load is two to three courses per term (6-9 credit hours). Students in good academic standing must request written approval from the Academic Advising Center to enroll in more than 18 credit hours in a single semester (or more than 9 credit hours in a term). Students who take more than 18 credit hours are charged for the additional credit hours at the per-credit-hour rate.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students with disabilities may be approved for an adjustment in full-time student load. Requests for a reduced course load for students in the St. Louis area or students pursuing online degrees are made to the Academic ADA Coordinator or, in the Academic ADA Coordinator's absence, the Director of the Reeg Academic Resource Center. Students attending campuses or sites outside the St. Louis area should contact their site directors or staff designees for these and other ADA requests.

All student athletes have academic requirements they must meet in order to be eligible for competition at Webster University. For specific requirements, refer to the Student-Athlete Handbook.

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Registration

Students should work in collaboration with their academic advisor to determine their courses and degree progression. Registration is open three times a year: for the Fall, Summer and Spring sessions. For specific dates, please consult the Academic Calendar.

• New undergraduate students are required to meet with an academic advisor to review degree requirements, create a degree plan and coordinate initial registration.
• Current undergraduate students are encouraged to self-register. Undergraduate students with less than 30 earned hours will need to meet with an advisor to receive registration clearance. Students may also contact the Advising Center for registration assistance. Some students may be required to see an advisor prior to registration.
• Course registration should be completed prior to the official session start date. For online classes, registration must be complete by the Friday prior to the official session start date. For registrations after the start of the session, refer to the Add/Drop/Withdraw Procedures section below.
• Published course schedules are subject to change.

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Student Classification

Students may be classified in several ways, depending on the purpose of the classification.

Full Time vs. Part Time: The terms full time and part time are used for reporting purposes and for awarding federal, state, and Webster University financial aid.

Students registered for 12 credit hours or more per semester are considered full time and may be eligible for federal and state financial aid. Those registered for 11 credit hours or fewer per semester are considered part time. For financial aid purposes, some students are considered half time. See the Financial Information section of this catalog for more information.

Flat-Fee vs. Per-Credit-Hour Billing: The terms flat-fee and per-credit-hour are used for Webster University billing purposes.

Students registered for 13 to 18 credit hours pay flat-fee tuition. Those registered for 12 credit hours or fewer pay tuition at a per-credit-hour rate. Students must be registered for 13 or more credit hours to be eligible for Webster Scholarship and Webster Grant assistance. For more information, see Undergraduate Tuition in the Tuition, Fees and Refunds section of this catalog.

Classification: 

• Freshman Standing: 0-29 earned credit hours
• Sophomore Standing: 30-59 earned credit hours
• Junior Standing: 60-89 earned credit hours
• Senior Standing: 90+ earned credit hours

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Student Schedule Changes

Students may change their schedules (drop/add) during the official drop/add period. Students may change their schedules (drop/add) up to and through the official drop/add period, but may need approval and assistance of an academic advisor. 

Adding Courses

Students may add a course up to the day of the first meeting of the class through their Connections account or with their academic advisor. To add a class during the first week, the student must obtain instructor permission. If approved, the Advising Center or the Office of the Registrar will process the registration.

For online courses, students may add a course up to the Friday prior to the first day of classes through their Connections account or with their academic advisor. To add a course during the first week, the student must contact the Online Learning Center for instructor approval. If approved, the Online Learning Center will process the registration.

Dropping Courses

Students may drop a course through Friday of the first week of an eight-week, nine-week or semester course. Students may drop online through their Connections account or may contact an academic advisor. Informing the course instructor is not sufficient notice for dropping a course. Non-standard courses may follow a variable drop schedule; contact an academic advisor. The University reserves the right to drop students who do not attend class the first week of the term/semester. Students who do not log into their online class prior to the drop deadline will be dropped from the course.

Changing Sections

To change from one section of a course to another section of the same class, students must drop and add the courses during the drop/add period. Contact your Academic Advisor for assistance.

Waitlist

The university utilizes a waitlist system. The waitlist does not guarantee registration. Students should review their Course Schedule and talk with an academic advisor to confirm registration in a course.

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Withdrawal from Courses

Students may withdraw from a course through Friday of the sixth week of an eight-week or nine-week course and the twelfth week of a semester course. Students may withdraw online through their Connections account or may contact an academic advisor. A grade of W will be recorded for the course on the academic record and transcript. Informing the course instructor is not sufficient notice to withdraw from a course, and may result in a WF, and is subject to standard academic policies.

Withdrawals are not allowed after the sixth week of an eight-week or nine-week course or after the twelfth week of a semester course unless there are documented extenuating circumstances. Students should meet with their academic advisor to initiate a review and complete the request form. Late withdrawals are not approved for poor academic performance. Military Students who are issued orders to “perform a period of service” that precludes them from being able to successfully complete the course, may initiate a withdrawal by consulting with their Advisor and submitting a copy of their military orders via the Tuition Appeal Request form. In compliance with Public Law 117-328, any tuition and fees paid for the affected course will be refunded to the appropriate party and non-punitive grade of W (Withdraw) will be assessed. 

For information on refunds and tuition waivers, see the Financial Information and Tuition, Fees and Refunds sections of this catalog.

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Course Numbering System

• 1000-1999 lower division (freshman level)
• 2000-2999 lower division (sophomore level)
• 3000-3999 upper division (junior level)
• 4000-4999 upper division (senior level)

While courses are sequenced as lower-division through upper-division, juniors and seniors may elect introductory-level courses outside their major field of study.

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Graduate-Undergraduate Registration

Courses in the 5000 series are graduate courses. An upper-division undergraduate student may enroll in them with the written permission of his or her advisor and the appropriate dean. 

Courses in the 4000 series are upper-division courses in undergraduate studies. A graduate student may enroll in them with the written permission of his or her advisor and the instructor of the course. With written approval of the graduate program director, the credit may be applied toward the student's graduate degree. With prior approval, a maximum of 6 credit hours of 4000-level courses (with a B- or better) from Webster University can be applied to a graduate degree. Undergraduate Reading Courses (4610) and Apprentice Teaching (EDUC 4950, EDUC 4960, EDUC 4965, EDUC 4966, EDUC 4967, EDUC 4968, EDUC 4970, EDUC 4971, EDUC 4972, EDUC 4973, EDUC 4974, EDUC 4980 and EDUC 4981) may not be applied toward a graduate degree. 

With the exception of the common core courses required for the combined BA/MA, BA/MS, BS/MA and BS/MS programs, courses in the 4000 or 5000 series used to complete an undergraduate degree may not be counted toward the credit-hour requirement for a graduate degree at Webster. 

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Concurrent Registration

Current Webster students may request permission to register for classes at other institutions; however, they must obtain prior approval. The permission forms for concurrent registration may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar and filed with that office prior to registration at the other institution. This policy applies to summer session coursework at other institutions, study abroad programs, and other international study coursework. Students who do not submit the form for preapproval are at risk of taking courses that may not be applied to their program of study. 

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Interinstitutional Registration

Webster has established a program with Fontbonne, Lindenwood, Maryville and Missouri Baptist universities and with Eden Theological Seminary that allows degree-seeking students registered at Webster University for 13-18 credit hours to register for undergraduate classes at any of these institutions during their regular terms. The interinstitutional agreement does not apply during the summer, weekend, or interim sessions, and students must furnish their own transportation. Students may take courses at institutions if they are not offered at Webster. Webster students register and pay tuition at Webster but attend classes and observe regulations of the host institution. Students are also responsible for all lab fees, instructional materials, or other costs associated with the course(s). Students register for interinstitutional courses with Webster University through the Office of the Registrar.

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Teacher Certification

Students interested in pursuing Missouri K-12 teacher certification at Webster University should contact the School of Education Coordinator of Educator Certification. Information regarding areas available for teacher certification is included in the School of Education curriculum section of this catalog.

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Course Attendance

Students are expected to actively participate in all of their scheduled class sessions and complete all coursework according to the course syllabus. Students who must be absent or miss coursework for any reason, such as medical issues, personal/ professional circumstance, or military students who receive temporary, short-term, long-term or remote assignments, must consult with their instructor to ensure they can meet course learning requirements.

Students who do not attend the first week of classes may be dropped due to non-attendance.

Students are encouraged to complete their courses, but dropping a course or seeking a withdrawal may be in the best interest of the student. For information on the tuition refund policies following drops and/or withdrawals, please see the Tuition, Fees and Refunds section of this catalog.