University of San Francisco (USF)

Registration Policies and Procedures

Registering for Classes

Beginning with the Fall 2008 semester, registration for classes will be done on-line through USFConnect.
Students will be assigned specific appointment times when they may register on-line. The time periods assigned are determined by a student's year of study and division.

Continuing students who do not register during the assigned time periods will be required to "late register" and will be subject to a late registration fee. Transfer and visiting students may register on-line at the time indicated in their letter of admission. Students from the Bay Area Consortium law schools and auditors must register in person and may do so only during the add/drop period indicated in the academic calendar.

Procedures for Students Who Do Not Have Web Access During An Appointment Time

On-line registration requires use of a computer and web access. If a student does not have web access and is unable to register on-line during the assigned times, he or she may register by completing a paper registration form and fax it to (415)422-4199.

If registering by fax you are advised to include alternate course selections in the event any of your requested courses are not available. Alternates may be general - i.e. to replace any requested course not available - or specific - i.e. to replace a particular requested course.

Faxed registration requests will be processed at the end of the student's assigned registration time. Forms received late will be processed as received up to the end of the registration period. Forms or e-mails received after on-line registration has closed will not be processed until the add/drop period at the beginning of the semester.

Registration Appointments

Registration appointment times are determined by priorities to insure that students have fair opportunities to enroll in courses. The registration priorities are determined by a student's year of study and division. Registration appointment days for Fall 2008 are:

DATE	TIME	PRIORITY GROUP	NOTES
Mon, June 30	9:00 am - 4:00 pm	4th year Part-Time Evening Students	Evening courses
Tues, July 1	9:00 am - 4:00 pm	4th year Part-Time Day/Eve Students 4th year Full-Time Students 3rd year Full-Time Students	All courses in accordance with Priority Statement
Wed, July 2	9:00 am - 4:00 pm	3rd year Part-Time Evening Students	Evening courses
Thurs, July 3	9:00 am - 4:00 pm	3rd year Part-Time Day/Eve Students 2nd year Full-Time Students 2nd year Part-Time Day Students	All courses in accordance with Priority Statement
Fri, July 4 – Sun, July 6	System Closed
Mon, July 7	9:00 am - 4:00 pm	2nd year Part-Time Evening Students	All courses
Tues, July 8 – Fri July 11	9:00 am - 4:00 pm	All students	All courses

Registration Procedures

Prior to registration, students should do the following:

Determine your registration appointment times (see above).

Review the Schedule of Classes for Fall 2008. The Spring 2009 schedule is also available.

Read the explanation below on Wait Lists - an option available to registering students.

Review curriculum information, including course descriptions.

Review the law school’s academic policies for information about course limitations, grading policies, etc.

Check for any University HOLDS on the Self Service page of USFConnect. A registration hold makes a student ineligible to enroll in classes. Be sure to clear any HOLDS in advance of the assigned registration appointment times.

Confirm that your preferred courses are within the mandatory unit range for your division:
Full time students: 12 - 15 units (16 units if not subject to course or unit restrictions) The absolute maximum number of units permitted for a full-time student is 16 units, no exceptions.
Part time students: 8 - 11 units (12 units if not subject to course or unit restrictions). The absolute maximum number of units permitted for a part-time student is 12 units, no exceptions.

Read thoroughly and carefully the online registration instructions.

Wait Lists

If you are unable to enroll in a course because all seats have been taken you may place yourself on a wait list. Wait lists become final and will be posted after the registration period closes. During the add/drop period students on wait lists will be offered seats if and when they become available. If you are offered a seat, you will be notified by e-mail at your USFConnect address. Once notified, you will have 1 working day (no weekends or holidays) to claim the space in the class by adding the course as instructed in the e-mail. Wait lists will remain active during the 2 week period in which students may add courses.

Add/Drop

The assigned on-line registration appointment times include an opportunity to modify your selections by adding and/or dropping courses. Once the online registration period has closed, schedule changes cannot be made until the add/drop period opens on August 21st, at 9:00am.

Late Registration

Students who do not register during the assigned time periods are permitted to late register from the beginning of the add/drop period through the first week of classes. NO REGISTRATION WILL BE PERMITTED BEYOND THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES ABSENT COMPELLING CIRCUMSTANCES AND ATTEMPTS TO COMPLY. Late registration incurs a fee of $75.

Registering for Required Classes

Second-year students must register for specified required courses:

In Fall 2008, second-year full-time students, except those converting from the part-time evening program, must register for Constitutional Law. (Parity in enrollment will be maintained between the two day sections of this course.)

In Fall 2008and Spring 2009, second year part-time students and second year full-time students who converted from the part-time evening program must register for evening sections of:

Fall Semester:                                  Spring Semester
Property (4 units) and                       Constitutional Law (4 units)
Criminal Law (3 units)                      Criminal Procedure (3 units)

Restrictions on Program of Study

The law school's academic policies (Sec. IV.G) impose specific requirements on and restrict the course selection of some students. These include students on academic probation and second year students with a cumulative first-year grade point average of 2.500 or below. Students affected by these policies have been notified in a letter from the Assistant Dean for Academic Services. The letter specifies the requirements and/or limitations which you must follow when completing on-line registration.

Note that your registration will be monitored to insure compliance. If you fail to follow the instructions, you will be dropped from any courses that are not permitted and your registration may be cancelled.
If you believe you are subject to such restrictions but do not receive a letter prior to your registration appointment, contact Dean Benhardt.

Petitions For Exception

Any student seeking an exception to academic policies must obtain approval prior to registration. In most cases, approval may be obtained by directing your request to the office of the Assistant Dean for Academic Services, along with all required documents including your choice of courses if the request is denied. In the event additional information is needed you will be contacted at your USFConnect e-mail address.

You must allow sufficient time (minimum of 3-4 business days) for your request to be reviewed in advance of your assigned registration time; failure to do so may result in your registration being late with a consequent loss of priority.

Civil Law, Criminal Law and Judicial Externship Programs

Starting in Fall 2008, the “Clinical Internship Program,” formerly comprised of both civil and criminal law internships, will be separated into and renamed as the “Civil Law Externship Program” and the “Criminal Law Externship Program,” respectively. These and the Judicial Externship Program collectively will be referred to as the “Externship Programs.” These programs offer upper division law students the opportunity to earn academic credit for unpaid work with government agencies, in-house counsel, law firms, non-profit organizations, and judges, subject to GPA and other requirements.

In order to be eligible in Fall 2008 to enroll in a Civil Law, Criminal Law, or Judicial Externship during the add/drop period, students must submit the required application and supporting documents by August 18th. Application packets for these programs will be available starting on July 11th in the Externship Programs Office, currently located in the Office of Career Planning (OCP), Room 230, until further notice. Students must submit completed applications to Kyle Saldivar in the OCP for processing and approval no later than Monday, August 18, 2008, at 5PM. This will allow enough time for the application to be reviewed for approval in time for the registration deadline. Applications submitted after August 18th are not guaranteed approval and are subject to the discretion of the Professor for the Externship Programs. Applications submitted after August 25, 2008, will be not accepted or reviewed. Students who are unable to complete the application forms by August 18th must register for classes as if they are not doing the externship, and modify their class schedule during the add-drop period to include the externship. All students who have been approved for externships, and students whose applications are pending approval, must attend the first class of the Externship Program of interest, as attendance of all class dates listed in the course schedule is mandatory. (See the Schedule of Classes, Special Programs, for class dates.)

Information regarding student eligibility and academic requirements for the Externship Programs may be found with Program Information on the Law Registrar's page .

JD/MBA Concurrent Degree Programs

Second year full-time students intending to participate in the concurrent degree program must notify the Law Registrar in writing prior to registration for the fall semester of their second year. These students must have been admitted to the USF School of Business and Management and must meet the law school's academic requirements set out in the academic policies.

Consortium

Students interested in taking an elective course not offered at USF during the 2008-09 academic year may take the course through the consortium program. The law schools at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Golden Gate University, and Santa Clara University participate in the consortium. There is no additional tuition charge for taking a course through the consortium. (Part-time students pay the USF unit rate.) Approval to participate in the consortium may be obtained from the Law Registrar’s office. Students should consult the host school regarding course availability, registration dates and enrollment procedures. N.B. Students completing course work at another consortium school must earn a letter grade of C or better in order to receive credit at USF. Letter grades are not transferable.

Tuition Payment/Financial Aid

Tuition and financial aid information may be found in the "Financial Aid" section of the Current Students page of this website. A tuition bill will be mailed electronically to your USFConnect e-mail address in mid-July for the Fall 2008 semester. Please consult the One Stop office for payment deadlines and to pay your bills on line.

To be eligible to receive financial aid a student must be in good academic standing and have returned their financial aid award letter accepting the financial aid and completed all other requirements for disbursement. Students must also be enrolled in a minimum number of units. Although federal guidelines stipulate that full-time students enroll in a minimum of 8 units and part-time students enroll in a minimum of 4 units, the School of Law REQUIRES a minimum of 12 units for full time students and a minimum of 8 units for part time students per semester.

Law students must be registered in the minimum number of units as mandated by federal guidelines in order to have their financial aid funds disburse to the University on the earliest scheduled disbursement date (estimated to be August 18, 2008 for the Fall semester). Failure to register for the appropriate number of units will result in a delay in receiving your financial aid. Financial aid will disburse as soon as the required number of units is added during the Law School's add/drop period for each semester. Classes in which law students are "wait listed" do not count towards the unit requirement for financial aid disbursement.

Schedule Changes

Course offerings, examination dates, and class schedules, including meeting times, days and rooms are subject to change without notice. Students are advised to check the Registrar's website for changes related to room assignments as well as days and times of class meetings.

Contact Information

All students must maintain up-to-date mailing addresses and telephone numbers through the Student Self Service Page on USFConnect because it may be necessary for school officials to contact a student by means other than e-mail. You should also check your USFConnect e-mail account regularly for important notices and other official communications from the law school.