Registration Regulations
Enrolment Types
Open enrolment
Open enrolment programs are those in which students may register for one or more courses in accordance with an established registration priority system. Seats are filled in a first-come, first-served basis, and admission does not guarantee registration. Most semester-based programs are open registration programs.
Limited enrolment
Limited enrolment programs have a limited number of seats available within each intake. In general, for each student admitted, seats in all required classes are guaranteed. Many selective entry admission programs have limited enrolment.
Self-paced
Self-paced programs require students to enrol (register) in classes as they are ready to begin the next course in a series. Students complete at their own pace, and may not be registering at the same times of year as most students.
Repeating a Course
Normally a student may register for either credit or audit status for the same course a maximum of two times (some exceptions apply). A student who withdraws will be considered to have registered if the withdrawal occurs during the period when a grade of W is assigned. This policy applies to all registrations, whether the course was successfully completed or not. The student retains the right to apply for special consideration or exemption from the policy by submitting a request for special approval to Student Enrolment Services. Students who attempt to register for a course a third (or higher) time without prior approval, will be blocked by the online registration system.
In the case of a repeated course, the grade used in computing Grade Point Average (GPA) will be the highest grade received. The grades for all attempts will remain on the student's permanent academic record and will appear on their transcript.
Auditing a Course
A student who wishes to take a course but does not wish to do so for credit may request to audit the course. An auditor is expected to attend class but does not participate in the evaluation process. To audit a course, a student must obtain the approval of the Registrar or designate, or an Educational Dean and be currently eligible to enrol. Priority is given to credit students so students are not permitted to register for a course and then change to audit status. The tuition fee for auditing a course is the same as that for a student taking the course for credit. Students will be permitted to request audit status in 1000 and 2000 level courses after the Fee Payment deadline. Students will be permitted to request audit status in 3000 and 4000 level courses during the first week of classes.
Guided Study
Guided study refers to the offering of a course using a mode of instruction other than classroom instruction or distributed learning. In general, this will primarily involve self-study by the student with periodic guidance from an instructor. Guided study is not to be construed as instruction by correspondence or distance education.
Only courses listed in the KPU calendar may be offered by guided study and the goals and objectives of the course must be adhered to. A course will not be offered by guided study if it is currently being offered by classroom instruction on the student's home campus. Courses that involve work experience or substantial laboratory work will not be offered by guided study. Similarly, courses that depend heavily on student-instructor interaction will not be offered by guided study.
To be eligible to enrol in a course offered by guided study, a student must normally meet the following criteria:
- have successfully completed or transferred a minimum of four (4) courses totalling a minimum of twelve semester credit hours at/to KPU
- have achieved a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.00
- be currently enrolled in at least one course at KPU
Enrolment in a course taught by guided study must not result in the student exceeding the normal academic workload for her or his program.
The tuition and other fees for a course taught by guided study are the same as those charged for a course taught by classroom instruction. Because of the particular fee arrangements for the instructor's services, no refund will be issued after the course has begun.
See policy C.16 (kpu.ca/policies) for further details.
Attending Class as a Visitor
Visitors will be permitted to attend a class at the discretion of the instructor. Such visits will normally be permitted for only one or two classes in a semester.
Course Outlines
KPU has official course outlines for every credit course taught. These outlines have first been approved by a KPU Curriculum Committee and then by the KPU Senate. They are available for inspection at all Counselling and Educational Advising offices.
Course Presentations
Each instructor will provide every student in her or his class(es) with a written course presentation (either hard copy or electronic format), outlining the required and optional texts and materials, the evaluation scheme used, the instructor's policy on late assignments, the tentative schedule of topics, office hours and office room number and KPU's policy on plagiarism and cheating.
Compassionate Withdrawal
KPU expects students to attend the scheduled educational activities for which they have registered and to complete the required course and program requirements. KPU also recognizes that may not be possible due to family, medical or emotional problems. In such cases the student will be treated with compassion and every effort will be made to help them complete their studies.
Students with short-term medical, emotional or other problems may request extensions on deadlines or other considerations from instructors or program coordinators. Where possible, such requests will be responded to favourably and without prejudice.
Students with longer-term medical, emotional or other problems who are unable to meet the deadline for withdrawal may request a complete withdrawal on compassionate grounds. Withdrawal under such circumstances will normally be without academic penalty, provided students notify KPU in a timely manner and are in good academic standing at the time the medical, emotional or other problem developed. An Appeal form is available at Student Enrolment Services.
See policy C.34 (kpu.ca/policies) for further details.