Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost
Non-Enrolled Students Attending Class
TO: Twin Cities Deans, Department Chairs and Heads
FROM: E. Thomas Sullivan, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
RE: Non-enrolled Students Attending Class
I am writing to remind you that a student must register in order to attend a class. Even a student who audits a class is required to register as an auditor and pay full tuition. Please make sure your faculty understand the importance of this requirement.
Allowing a student to attend class when s/he is not officially registered raises many issues for both the student and the University. Too often, an unregistered student mistakes his/her class attendance as official student status and expects to receive a grade for the coursework completed. Confusion and frustration occur later when the student tries to obtain a transcript or faces incomplete degree requirements.
A broader issue is one of fairness. In its mission of excellence the University has set a course of intellectual, fiscal, and social responsibility. A high standard of conduct from students, faculty, and staff is expected. At a time when students pay a premium to attend college, the University must administer its resources equitably to benefit registered students.
Only rarely do circumstances occur when a student may be permitted to attend one or more class sessions without registering. Examples are when a student is required to attend the first class session to receive the instructor’s permission to register or a student must finish an incomplete in a class that requires attendance. In the latter example, a written agreement between an instructor and student is required.
Thank you for your cooperation in allowing only students officially registered and appearing on your class roster to attend class. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Mary Koskan at m-kosk@umn.edu or 612-625-0160.