E: registrar@cookman.edu
In support of the University’s mission, the Office of the Registrar exists to provide timely, efficient, courteous, and accurate registration, graduation, and records maintenance services for all current and former students, their families, and the campus community in relation to and aligned with all University programs.
The Office of the Registrar provides several vital services to Bethune-Cookman University students, faculty and staff. These important duties include but are not limited to: enrollment/degree verification, veteran eligibility and certification, transcript processing and evaluation, course registration, course/classroom scheduling, transfer and transient credit documentation, credit by examination, academic records maintenance, graduation clearance grades, student withdrawals, major/minor changes and address changes.
- The Buckley Amendment to the General Education Provisions Act stipulates that students may have access to their official files and that no transcripts may be issued to any party without a written request from the student.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
Notice to Students
With limited exceptions, including “directory information,” no personally identifiable information from the education records of any current or former student will be disclosed to any third party, except authorized companies providing official services to the College, by any official or employee of the College without written consent of the student or as required by law. “Directory information” includes the student’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. A student has the right to prohibit the release of his or her own “directory information” by advising the Office of the Registrar in writing.
Notification of Rights under FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access.
Students should submit to the Vice President for Enrollment Management a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Vice President for Enrollment Management will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the Vice President for Enrollment Management, he/she shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education record(s) that the student believes is inaccurate.
Students may ask the University to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. They should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want to be changed, and specify why they believe it to be inaccurate.
If the University decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the University will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment in writing. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Upon request, the University discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Bethune-Cookman University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901
Official transcripts of student academic records, for transfer to another institution or for any other purpose, may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar upon written authorization by the student. Transcripts are official only if the embossed seal of the University appears on them. Unofficial copies of transcripts are available only to the student. As a safeguard against improper disclosure of academic information, transcript requests will not be accepted over the telephone or by email.
There is a fee for official or unofficial transcripts. The University issues two complimentary official transcripts, along with the diploma, to each of its graduates. Requests for official transcripts will not be granted if the student has a balance. However, if the student is enrolled during the time of the request, an unofficial copy can be released upon request and payment made of the required fee. A transcript of a student’s record, received from another university or college, becomes a permanent part of the student’s file at Bethune-Cookman. The transcripts cannot be forwarded to another institution. Should a student need a copy of the transcript, he or she must make an original request from the previous institution.
To order transcripts, go to Getmytranscript.com.
Students who are interested in auditing a course must formally register to take the course as an “Audit” during the regularly designated preregistration time period. The registration status can only be changed to “audit” in the Office of the Registrar. The course must be paid for according to the Semester Hour rate at the time of registration. Students enrolled in courses for “Audit” are not required to submit assignments or take examinations. No academic credit is given for audited courses. Students may not change from audit to credit or credit to audit after the official drop/add period has ended.
Students desiring credit for a course through examination must contact the department chair of the area which offers the course. SOME COURSES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.
Credit may be earned for no more than two courses through CREDIT BY EXAMINATION.
If the course in question is available for Credit by Examination and approved by the department chair, the student follows the following steps:
1. The student makes arrangements to take the examination (date, time, place, who will be administering the exam) with the department chair.
2. The student picks up the Credit by Examination Form from the Student Success Center.
3. The student goes to the Office of Student Accounts to determine the cost for the class which is based on the number of credit hours. The student then goes to the Cashier’s Office to pay for the examination.
4. The student takes the form and the receipt, showing that the examination has been paid, to the department chair or instructor administering the examination. NO EXAMINATION IS TO BE ADMINISTERED WITHOUT PROOF OF PAYMENT.
5. The student takes the examination and leaves all paperwork with the instructor. IF THE EXAMINATION IS FAILED, THE STUDENT LOSES THE PAYMENT FOR THE EXAM. Credit by Examination earns only credit Hours. The grade is not calculated in the student’s grade point average.
Bethune-Cookman University is a participant in the Advanced Placement Program (AP) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program. If the course or courses taken by a new freshman, while in high school, satisfies the criteria for content and rigor of the college level course, it may be determined that the student has satisfied the requirement for a particular course or courses. The decision to give college credit for AP and IB courses rests with the academic department in which the course is taught. Interested students should apply through the Office of the Registrar.
CLEP examinations allow students to move through the academic curriculum at an accelerated pace. CLEP examinations may be taken by interested students in order to measure their competence and proficiency in five general education areas (Business, Composition and Literature, Science and Mathematics, Foreign Languages, History and Social Sciences). Students should be aware of the following guidelines:
- Fees are assessed for students wishing to earn college credit through the CLEP.
- Not more than six Semester Hours of credit may be earned in any one area.
- Not more than 30 Semester Hours of credit may be earned through the CLEP.
- Transfer credits based on CLEP scores will be accepted if the scores meet Bethune-Cookman University guidelines.
Requirements for applying for CLEP credit:
- Take the CLEP exam corresponding to the course that credit is desired.
- Score the minimum score required to receive credit for the particular course.
Requirements for awarding of credit for CLEP Examinations:
- Students must review the College Board “CLEP Shorten Your Path to a College Degree” brochure and current “CLEP Information for Candidates” booklet.
- Students must complete a CLEP REGISTRATION online on the ETS Collegeboard website (http://clep.collegeboard.org/register/exam.) and submit payments in order to schedule an appointment. There is also a separate institutional fee due at the time of testing payable at the cashier’s office.
- Students may retake a CLEP exam; however, they cannot retake the same test or exam for six months. Scores of exams repeated earlier than six months will be canceled and test fees forfeited. The CLEP program has a longstanding policy that exams may not be retaken within a six-month period.
- Not more than six (6) Semester Hours of credit may be earned in any one area. (Additional Semester Hours of credit may be possible by special petition through the Department Chair or Area Coordinator of the specific area.)
- Please allow at least 4-6 weeks for your CLEP scores to be processed and transferred to your transcripts. Graduating seniors must take the CLEP 90 days (3 months) prior to graduation (No Exceptions).
- Not more than thirty (30) Semester Hours of credit may be earned by examination.
- Transfer credits based on CLEP scores will be accepted if the scores meet Bethune-Cookman University’s standards for a minimum required score.
- Refer to the “Credit-by-Examination Policy for CLEP Examinations” for awarding of credit in applicable subject areas based on test score(s) [Student is to receive “What Your CLEP Score Means” by the College Board at the conclusion of an exam(s).]
Only students, who have completed all academic requirements and all financial aid obligations, will be allowed to participate in commencement exercises. Additionally, the Office of the Registrar must receive all official transcripts, which include transfer credits necessary for satisfying graduation requirements, BEFORE a student is allowed to participate in commencement exercises.
Courses can change year-to-year, (for example, in credit hours or in prerequisites) or be discontinued as a result of a curricular review. Therefore, students are eligible for more recent catalog years if it is to their benefit. Students must consult with their advisor prior to making changes in their catalog year and receive approval from their academic chair or dean. In addition, students who change majors will be governed by the requirements at the time of acceptance into their new major without change of General Education requirements except as specified by the new major. Due to program accreditation requirements, students in certain majors may not have this option
Students must meet and/or satisfy the following requirements in order to graduate from Bethune-Cookman University:
- Satisfactorily complete a major in a field of study with a minimum of 120 Semester Hours of degree level coursework and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of “C” or 2.0.
Assume full responsibility for all financial obligations to the University, including participating in a financial aid exit interview through the Financial Aid Office. Reporting for the financial aid exit interview is a FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENT for students who have received assistance through federal student loans during their matriculation at Bethune-Cookman University.
Academic Honors
- Students are eligible for academic honors at the end of each Semester, if they have earned the following averages while carrying at least 12 college-level semester credit hours: President’s List, grade point average of 3.75 or above; Dean’s List, grade point average of 3.50 through 3.74; Honor Roll, grade point average of 3.25 through 3.49; and Honorable Mention, grade point average of 3.0 through 3.24.
- Students are eligible for the following honors at graduation for excellence in scholarship on the basis of the minimum designated cumulative grade point average (CGPA): cum laude, 3.25; magna cum laude, 3.5; summa cum laude, 3.75.
- Students receiving these honors must have completed at least two years (60 Semester Hours) of residence at Bethune-Cookman University.
- Upon the recommendation of the Associate Provost, “Honors Program Graduate” will be placed on the diploma of an Honors Program student who has completed 21 college-level semester credit hours of honors courses and who have maintained a CGPA of 3.3.
NOTE: Bethune-Cookman University truncates grade point averages to the nearest hundred; i.e., 3.50.
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