Forms, Policies, and Procedures

University and Department Policies and Procedures

The University attempts to make students aware of academic policies through the publication of the Catalog, the online Timetable of Classes, other materials, and in advising sessions. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with those policies and to be aware of any policy changes that may occur.

Click here for a complete list of the University Academic Policies.

Policies

Recognizing the expanding reliance on electronic communication, WWU has determined that e-mail will be one of the University’s official means of communication. See POL-U7100.02 Using E-mail Accounts for Official Correspondence with Students. E-mail correspondence will be sent to students’ WWU e-mail addresses. Departments, faculty and staff may use e-mail instead of the U.S. Postal Service to provide students with information relating to official University business. U.S. Postal Service or campus mail can still be used as appropriate. This policy only applies to e-mail messages sent by the University to students that are designated as “WWU Official Communication.” 

Link to Email policy

Students who are accepted as majors in Industrial Design or Engineering programs are expected to maintain their academic progress during their time as majors.  Students are expected to continue to make overall progress through Western, as is defined in the University’s Criteria for determining Insufficient Progress, and to progress efficiently through the required classes of their major. 

 

Required, major-restricted courses are those classes that are required for completion of one or more of the Engineering and Design (ENGD) majors and have their enrollment restricted to declared majors.   

 

Students who fail to pass a required, major-restricted course for their major with a grade of C- or better or withdraw from such a class will receive a warning that removal from the major is possible if academic performance does not improve. 

 

Students will be removed from their major if any of these three conditions are met: 

  • Failure to pass a required, major-restricted course with a grade of C- or better for a second time,  

  • Failure to pass four different required, major-restricted courses with a grade of C- or better, or 

  • Withdrawal from three or more required, major-restricted courses during a span of four consecutive quarters, including summer, other than due to a school withdrawal. 

 

Decisions of removal from a major due to insufficient progress may be appealed through the ENGD exception request procedure.

Some courses are approved to be repeated for credit. Such approval is included with the course description in this catalog. If a course not designated as repeatable for credit is retaken, the following will apply:

• Students may not repeat any previously passed course more than once.

• Credit will be awarded only once for a repeated course.

• The last grade earned will be used in the computation of the cumulative and major grade point averages.

• All grades will remain on the student’s official record.

• A course cannot be repeated to change the student’s grade point average after a baccalaureate degree has been awarded.

• Students wishing to repeat a class in which they already received a P, S, or C- or better grade may not register for the class until Phase III of registration. Students, in this circumstance, who register for a repeated course prior to Phase III, may be required by the academic department or Registrar’s Office to drop the course. The repeat registration for English composition prior to Phase III requires the written permission of the chair of the department. 

 

Link to course policy

When students repeat a course that is not designated as a repeatable course for credit and is a major required course, the following will apply on major applications:

 

  • The last grade earned will be used to figure the first major grade point average on all major applications.
  • The original grade will be used to calculate a second major grade point average on all major applications.

The student is responsible for ensuring that he or she has satisfied all prerequisites, with a grade of C- or better, before registering for a given course. Although some prerequisite enforcement is driven by the Web registration system, students should not assume they are eligible to enter a course without having taken the prerequisite just because the system allows them to register for the course. A student who has registered for a course without satisfying prerequisites or obtaining permission may be required by the instructor to withdraw from the course. If an instructor requires a student to withdraw from a course because a prerequisite is not satisfied, the student is responsible for doing so via Web4U or in person in the Registrar’s Office. All tuition, fees and withdrawal related deadlines apply.

Link to prerequisites policy

When a course reaches capacity during Phases I, II and III of registration, students may add themselves, via Web4U, to an automatically-generated waitlist. Before waitlisting is allowed, students must meet all course prerequisites and other course restrictions listed in the University Catalog, the online Timetable of Classes, and ClassFinder

When a seat becomes available in a waitlisted class, an automated email message is sent to the official WWU email address of the first student on the waitlist, notifying the student of the available seat. Students may also sign up to have waitlist notifications and other official WWU communications sent via text message. Students who receive notification of seat availability are responsible for registering via Web4U before the notification expires. During Phases I and II, notifications are active for 24 hours from the time the notification is sent, and for 12 hours during Phase III. The notification expires if the student does not register within the time allowed. A notification is then sent to the next student on the waitlist. All other registration policies are applicable when waitlisting services are active.

Further details on waitlisting and how to sign up for text message delivery can be found under Registration on the Registrar’s Office website.

Link to waitlist policy

Students may request a program requirement exception (any grade lower than a C- in a required program course is always considered a program exception). Students may also submit an Exception Request for the waiver of a prerequisite course if they have completed alternate coursework that they believe should fulfill the prerequisite. To make a request, a student must submit an  Exception Request Form for consideration by the Engineering & Design Curriculum Committee. Students should submit the fully completed form to their advisor.

In the Exception Request, a student must clearly and thoroughly state their request and provide a detailed explanation why the exception is being requested and why it is appropriate. The form is then submitted to their department faculty advisor who must add their comments and recommendation before forwarding the form to the committee. Students should expect that the Curriculum Committee will need ample time to consider the request; deadlines are listed on the form.

Student Forms

Below are different forms for current students. If you have any questions about these forms, reach out to us at ENGD@wwu.edu, or 360 650 3380.

This form must be completed and submitted to your advisor by the end of the fifth week of the quarter prior to the time at which a decision is required. If the request is the result of a grade received in a course the quarter prior to the affected course being taken, the deadline will be extended to the end of the first week of classes. To go to this form, click the "Exception Request Form" link below.

An individualized course of study, not available through or replacing existing curriculum, to be arranged between one matriculating student and sponsoring faculty member. All academic policies and registration deadlines apply. Directed Independent Study courses cannot substitute for General University Requirements and are not eligible for tuition waiver.  In order to register you need an override and can contact the Engineering and Design Department to get an override. To access the Independent Study form, click the "Independent Study Proposal" Link below.

Independent Study E-form (forward to your sponsoring instructor)

Selection, development and research, under supervision, within one of the majors. Repeatable 2 times to a maximum of 8 credits, including original course. 1 to 4 Credit hours.  Counts towards Technical Electives. To access this form, click the "Engineering 495 Directed Research Syllabus" link below. 

A directed research proposal draft must be prepared by the student and submitted to the research advisor at the beginning of dead week prior to the quarter when work will start. Based on feedback and input from the research advisor, the student must submit a revised, final version of the proposal back to the research advisor before the start of the quarter

If the advisor approves the proposal, the advisor submits the approved proposal to the main office by the end of the first week of classes. The proposal is kept on file and serves as the course syllabus. The advisor then enters an override to allow the student to register for the appropriate EECE 495 section, and the student registers for course.

EECE 495 Directed Research Syllabus