Records and Registration

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for the maintenance of educational records at Western New Mexico University. Records include, but are not limited to, student transcripts and faculty grade reports. The academic folders for students are also maintained by the Office of the Registrar. These folders are maintained for a minimum of five years after a student last attends and then are destroyed.

The Office is responsible for the oversight of all registrations and enrollments; name and address changes, including end-of-term grade processing, grade changes, class schedules, classroom scheduling, enrollment and degree verification, transcript processing, ad hoc reporting, university catalog, degree audits, commencement ceremonies, transfer evaluations, and fulfilling many types of request from faculty, staff, and students.

Access to, and Confidentiality of Records

As electronic data and on-line systems make student data more readily available on campus, the issue of who legally and ethically should have access to the data presents itself. The following reflects the Western New Mexico University policy regarding access to student data:

1. The University permits the release of a student’s records to school officials at the university who have a legitimate educational interest in the student;
   
   A school official is defined as a person employed by the institution in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position. Also included are persons under contract to the institution to perform a special task, such as an attorney or an auditor;
   
   A school official is determined to have a legitimate educational interest if the information requested is necessary for that official to perform appropriate tasks that are specified in his/her position description or by a contract agreement or to perform a task related to a student’s education or a task related to the discipline of the student or if they are involved in providing a service relating to the student or the student’s family such as health care, job placement or Financial Aid;
2. Students can access their own data for informational purposes. This policy does not override other policies which require students to follow specific procedures to obtain their data i.e., transcript requests, student records folder review, etc.

In order to assist faculty and staff in interpreting this policy, the following guidelines are presented:

1. A student’s advisor can access the academic information required to provide accurate and effective academic advisement. The advisor may not release the information to a third party. The information is for the purposes of working with the student only;
2. An instructor may access the record of a student to determine if the student has the proper prerequisites as stated in the course schedule or catalog for the course they are teaching. The information may not be released to a third party;
3. Administrative and support staff assigned responsibilities for working with students in general may access the data appropriate to perform their job in an accurate and effective manner;
4. Because of the nature of the student information database (BANNER), faculty and staff may have the capability of accessing data on students who are not assigned to them as advisees. In order to be in compliance with privacy regulations, data retrieval should be restricted to advisee’s information only or as stated in number 2 above. If in talking with a student, he/she gives consent to the review of his/her records by the faculty or staff member, the member may review the records in the student’s presence;
5. Directory information may be released without the student’s written consent unless the student has requested that directory information be withheld. A form may be obtained at the Office of the Registrar. Directory information includes name, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, date of attendance, degrees and awards received, most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by student, and weight and height of members of athletic teams;
6. A record is kept of all persons (except WNMU faculty and staff) who are given access to a student’s records without written authorization from the student.

Class Schedule

The “Class Schedule” is the official publication of the Office of the Registrar each semester. The schedule lists the semester’s course offerings, dates, times, places, and procedures for registration, along with other important information relating to the semester. Refer to the Class Schedule for up-to-date information each semester at http://fuse.wnmu.edu:8080/webtm/sched.jsp.

Enrollment Changes

Once registered, students may change their schedules according to published procedures and deadlines. Procedures and exact deadlines may be found at http://fuse.wnmu.edu:8080/webtm/sched.jsp should be referred to by students. The following refers to regular semester courses: (Examples are for 16 week course).

Deadlines for processing adds, drops, waitlists, withdrawals, and grade options for summer and short courses vary according to the length of the course. Consult the Schedule of Classes for specific dates.

Add or Change - Students may add courses or change sections only through 4.00% of the course (Example: For a 16 week course the end of the first week). Procedures and exact deadlines are published in the Schedule of Classes and should be referred to by students. Beginning the first week of class instructor permission is required to add a course or change sections. For tuition costs, see the “Student Expenses ” section of the catalog.

Completion of Courses - Students are responsible for completion of all courses in which they are enrolled. Changes in enrollment must be officially recorded on WNMU records. A student not following proper course or WNMU withdrawal procedures will receive a failing grade and will be subject to tuition and fees associated with the course.

Drop -

1. A student may drop a course or courses, without a grade, through 4.00% of the course (Example: For a 16 week course the end of the first week). Students are not required to obtain the Instructor permission/advisor to drop a course or courses during the first week. Procedures and exact deadlines are published in the Schedule of Classes and should be referred to by students. (Note: If a student is dropping to zero credit hours, a Complete Withdrawal must be completed. See section on “Withdrawal” below.) For the tuition refund policy, see the “Student Expenses ” section of the catalog.
2. An instructor may drop a student from the class roll, without a grade, through 4.00% of the course (Example: For a 16 week course the end of the first week) when the student accumulates unexcused absences in excess of the number of credit hours offered for the course.
3. An instructor may drop a student from the class rolls, through 4.00% of the course (Example: For a 16 week course the end of the first week) when the student has not fulfilled the prerequisite for the course.

Waitlist -

1. A registration waitlist is an electronic list of students who are waiting to register for a filled course.
2. Students may sign up for this when they attempt to register for a section that has reached its capacity.
3. When a seat becomes available the student, instructor and advisor will be notified of the opening and the student will have 48 hours to add the course to his/her semester schedule. A week prior to the beginning of courses the deadline will be set to 24 hours.

Withdrawal -

1. A student may withdraw from a course, with a grade of “W”, after the first week (4.00%) of the semester through the eleventh week (68.75%) of the semester (Example: for a 15 week course the beginning of the second week). Grades of “W” are not computed in the grade point average.
2. An instructor may withdraw a student from the class rolls, with a grade of “W” for non-attendance, after the first week of the semester, (4%), through the eleventh week (68.75%) of the semester.
3. A student may withdraw from all courses through the 11th week of class with grades of “W” unless grades have already been earned and assigned. A student who is withdrawing from all courses must do so by logging into their Mustang Express Account. The Complete Withdrawal link is under the Student Services tab. (See Complete Withdrawal from WNMU in the “Student Expenses ” section of this catalog).
4. A student found insufficiently prepared to complete a course may be transferred to a lower level course in the same discipline prior to the completion of the first week upon the recommendation of the course instructor and with the approval of the receiving instructor.
5. Any student attending under Veterans’ Educational Assistance must immediately notify the Veteran’s Certifying Officer in the Office of Veteran Affairs if making course changes which affect benefits.

Withdrawal From WNMU - Complete Semester Withdrawal

A student may withdraw from a course or All courses through (68.75%) of the course with grades of “W”. (Example: for a 16 week course, the beginning of the second week through the 11th week) Grades of “W” are not computed in the grade point average. When students cease attending classes at WNMU during a semester and do not process a semester withdrawal according to the standard withdrawal procedures, they become liable for grades of NFs. Grades earned and assigned will not convert to a grade of W.

A student who is withdrawing from all courses must do so by logging into their Mustang Express Account. The Semester Withdrawal link is under the Student Services tab.

The Office of Financial Aid is required by the Department of Education to recalculate federal aid. Financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw prior to completing 60% of the semester.

Such students are responsible for tuition and fees associated with the course(s). Non-attendance in class does not necessarily result in an instructor initiated withdrawal. The calendar provided in the front section of the catalog will indicate the last day to process a withdraw for a semester withdraw or a 16 week course.

Changes in grading options (audit to grade or grade to audit) must be made during the drop/add period. Grading option is indicated at the time of registration. The change is processed at the Office of the Registrar. It is the student’s responsibility to make certain that s/he is registered with the proper grading option. Students who wish to audit a course must have the instructor’s signature.

Misrepresentation

Non-disclosure or misrepresentation in filling out applications or other WNMU records will result in disciplinary action, including possible dismissal from WNMU.

Payment of tuition and fees is required to complete registration. Payment includes paying your account in full, setting up on a payment plan, payment in full by a Third Party agency, or having sufficient financial aid funds to cover your total charges. Instructions for payment and payment deadline dates are published in the Schedule of Classes. For specific information about tuition and fees, refer to the “Student Expenses ” section of this catalog.

Registration

Registration Procedure

Details of the registration procedures are contained in the Class Schedule link on-line. These details are prepared by the Office of the Registrar and are posted on-line before each registration period.

The act of registration on the part of the student is regarded as a commitment to comply with all the regulations of WNMU. Advance registration for the summer/fall semester typically begins mid-March, and for the spring semester in mid-October.

Late Registration

A student should complete registration (including payment of or arrangement to pay fees) prior to the first day of classes. Students may register during the first week of classes; however, classes may be closed and a full schedule may be difficult to obtain. A student is expected to make up work in the missed classes.

Late fees are assessed in accordance with WNMU regulations. Refer to the Schedule of Classes for the date when late fees begin. Students who fail to make financial commitment by the deadlines published in the Schedule of Classes will be disenrolled from all classes.

The Instructor permission(s) will be required for the initial registration or re-registration from disenrollment if the class is closed. Completion of Courses. Students are responsible for completion of all courses in which they are enrolled. Changes in enrollment must be officially recorded on WNMU records. A student not following proper course withdrawal or semester withdrawal procedures will receive a failing grade and will be subject to tuition and fees associated with the course.

Student Information

Change of Address

The student is expected to keep WNMU informed of his/her mailing address. Any change of address should be reported immediately to the Office of the Registrar. A student may also change his/her address via Mustang Express.

Change of Name

Students may initiate a change of name for their academic records by providing the original or certified copy of one of the following: Government Issued ID (driver’s license, state care or valid passport), a Birth Certificate, a Court Order, a Marriage Certificate/Divorce Decree or a Certificate of Naturalization/I551 Card. The original or certified copy must be A copy of the student’s Social Security Card showing the new name is recommended, to the Office of the Registrar.

Use of Social Security Numbers as Student ID

At the time of Admissions and Office of Financial Aid applications, WNMU will capture the student’s Social Security Number. To receive federal financial aid, students and parents of dependent students are required to provide their Social Security Number. Federal law requires students to provide a Social Security Number so that it may be included on an information return prepared by the institution, 1098T. The Social Security Number is used for record-keeping purposes only and is not displayed in public. Once entered, a student will be given a Generated ID. The Generated ID will be used as the individual student’s identification number.

Transcripts

Transcripts will be issued to eligible students or to their designees, if authorized by the student, upon presentation of proper identification and/or a written request. Students may request their transcript through a secure portal, https://exchange.parchment.com/send/adds/index.php?main_page=login&s_id=dbqazRU1S6ckflIn. WNMU will not release transcripts without prior payment.

Official copies of the permanent academic record may be withheld until all financial obligations to WNMU have been satisfied. These obligations include, but are not limited to, loans, fines, tuition and fees. Transcripts may also be held for nonfinancial reasons such as loan default.

The fees for transcripts will be as follows:

*Please note: Processing time for all requests is 2 business days from the receipt of the request, plus U.S. deliver time. During peak times such as finals week, end or beginning of semester processing time is 5-10 business days from the receipt of the request.

Students are encouraged to review their academic records at the end of each semester in which they are in attendance. This may be done through Mustang Express, click the Student Tab, and click the Student Records link. Any discrepancies noted should be brought to the attention of the Office of the Registrar as quickly as possible.

Transcript Evaluation

Transfer Credit from other Institutions (Undergraduate Students)

It is the policy of Western New Mexico University to accept transfer credit from other New Mexico accredited or regionally accredited colleges and universities. WNMU will also accept transfer credit from an institution recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (C.H.E.A.)

Transfer credit may be awarded when the following conditions are met:

1. The student must apply for admission and be a degree bound student;
2. Official Transcripts must be on file;
3. The course carries degree credit at the transferring institution; developmental level courses will not transfer.
4. The student was not suspended from a college or university at the time the course was taken.

Transfer transcripts become the property of WNMU and will not be returned to the student either as originals or as copies. Transfer credit will become part of the student’s record after the student has established a course of record.

All courses with letter grades of A, B, C, D, CR, P, S, (except ENGL 1110  or ENGL 1120 , and Developmental or Remedial courses) will be posted on the WNMU transcript provided they conform to the above noted restrictions. Courses transferred with a D cannot count toward a student’s major or minor. If duplicate courses are taken at other institutions, only the course with the highest grade will transfer.

Starting in Fall 2011, only grades earned at WNMU count towards the student’s cumulative G.P.A. Transfer grades will start with a T/ and not count in the G.P.A. (Ex. T/A, T/B, T/C, etc.)

Courses transfer from other institutions at the level offered at those institutions. Hours transferred from two-year institutions cannot be used for upper division (300-400) hours unless specific transfer articulation agreements have been approved.

Transfer course will be matched with an equivalent WNMU course if possible. If not, the transfer course will be designated with an appropriate level number ending in “99” i.e. a 200 level course with no WNMU equivalent will be designated as 299 on WNMU transcript.

In the case of non-equivalent courses that are part of the NM Common Core or other transfer articulation agreements, the numbers 175 or 275 will be used. These are pre-approved General Education courses, and will not need course substitutions to fulfill the WNMU General Education requirements.

The Transcript Evaluator has the authority to designate which transfer courses count for General Education requirements. The departments have the authority to designate which courses count toward the major degree requirements.

After enrollment at WNMU, course work taken at another institution may replace the grade for a course taken at WNMU, provided the student receives prior approval from the student’s advisor at WNMU to take the course.

A transfer student must complete a minimum of six credit hours in the elected major and a minimum of three credit hours in the elected minor in residence at WNMU.

See the “Undergraduate Degree Requirements” section of the catalog for specific degree information for students.

International students will need a certified translation to accompany the official transcripts. See NACES for information http://www.naces.org.

WNMU Foreign Transcript Translation and Evaluation Requirements

Western New Mexico University seeks to afford students with foreign transcripts, every opportunity to transfer as many credits as possible. To that end, WNMU requires students with foreign transcripts to provide a highly detailed translation and evaluation of any foreign transcript being submitted for possible credit transfer.

Translations and evaluations must contain:

• Semester Units
• Individual Grade Equivalents
• Over all G.P.A.
• Identification of class levels upper division, lower division, professional, vocational
• Course descriptions

Translations and evaluations submitted without the above criteria will not be considered for credit transfer.

Western New Mexico University requires that students with foreign transcripts use the following firms to translate and evaluate their transcripts:

Educational Perspective: NACES Member since April 2003
P.O. Box 618056
Chicago Illinois 60661
Phone: (312) 412-9300
Fax: (312) 412-9353
E-mail: info@edperspective.org
Website: http://www.edperspective.org
Match-Match Catalog courses- $225

International Academic Credential Evaluators: NACES Member since May 2006
P.O. Box 2465
Denton, TX 76202-2465
Phone: (940) 383-7498
Fax: (940) 382-4874
E-mail: staff@iacei.net
Website: http://www.iacei.net

Span Tran Evaluation Services: NACES Member since April 1996
2400 AugFusta Drive, Suite 451
Houston, TX 77057
Phone: (713) 266-8805
Fax: (713) 789-6022
E-mail: apps@spantran.com
Website: www.spantran.com

IEEES Foreign Educational Credential Evaluations: Non NACES Member
316 N. Milwaukee Street, Suite 214
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: (414) 319-5000
Fax: (414) 319-5003
E-mail: evaluations@edevals.com
Website: http://edevals.com/about.html

Western New Mexico University treats transfer students the same as students who started at WNMU in awarding credit towards fulfilling degree requirements. The University supports articulation among all post-secondary institutions in New Mexico.

PLEASE NOTE: Transfer students should consult the transcript evaluator concerning the statewide Articulation of Lower Division Common Core (general education) requirements. Graduate students should refer to Transfer Credit listed under Graduate Policies in the Graduate Studies Section of the catalog.

To facilitate transfer of course credits among New Mexico’s colleges and universities, state law requires that the various institutions accept a core of thirty-one (31) hours of general education coursework. This thirty-one hour module is printed in the WNMU catalog. This thirty-one hour module is incorporated into sixty (60) hour discipline specific modules. These discipline specific modules as well as the Common Core (General Ed) matrix are available on the Higher Education Department website at: http://hed.state.nm.us/.

Transfer Articulation Partners

In addition to the post-secondary institutions in New Mexico, WNMU has formed transfer articulation agreements with the following Arizona Schools:

Cochise College

Eastern Arizona College

Maricopa County Community Colleges (10 schools)

Pima Community College

Once a transcript has been evaluated, the appropriate transfer credits are entered on the student’s WNMU transcript. The student then receives a Transfer Equivalency Worksheet (as a .pdf file) showing the courses that were transferred and their WNMU equivalency. This worksheet is put in document imaging for Advisors to see. Students with fewer than 10 transfer credits do not have an equivalency worksheet produced.