Procedures & Policies

Nondiscrimination Statement:

It is the policy of Gustavus Adolphus College to comply with all laws and regulations governing the provision of equal employment and equal educational opportunities. Therefore, decisions affecting the provision of educational services and decisions affecting employment opportunities will be made without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, status with regard to public assistance or other categories protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.

Gustavus Course Numbers:

Level I courses (numbers between 100 and 199) are entry level and are suitable for all students. With some departments, e.g., English and History, Level I courses are those broader in scope which may deal with large time periods or whole genres.

Level II courses (numbers between 200 and 299) are generally accessible by all students but may require specific background. For some departments the only distinction between Levels I and II is that Level II courses focus more narrowly. It pays to check with the instructor if you are uncertain about your ability to work successfully in a Level II course.

Level III courses (number 300 to 399) are for the more advanced student. The instructor's permission should be sought by any students considering a Level III course who are unsure of their preparation.

January Term Policies:

For students matriculating after Fall 2019:
  1. Graduation Requirements:
    Satisfactory participation is required in two full January Terms (grade of P, or for courses with a letter grade, an A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or D). Students will not receive credit for a January Term course (4-1-4 exchange included) if the course is a similar to one they've already completed for credit
  2. Major/Area Credit:
    Any January Term course approved to fulfill a major or a general education area requirement cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis but can be counted toward graduation as part of the required 34 semester course credits. It will count toward the two required January Term credits.
  3. First Year Students:
    First-year students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a January Term course. First year students may take a Gustavus Travel Course (GTC) or UMAIE course. First year students may not take Career Explorations and Independent Studies.
  4. Grades:
    Grades not calculated in the grade-point average are P (pass), I (incomplete), W (withdrawal). A student may withdraw from a January Term course anytime prior to the end of the third day without having their course participation recorded on the transcript. Withdrawals after this time will be recorded as a "W". In courses with a grading option, students will select (with their instructor) their option by the end of the third day of the January Term (the drop-add deadline). A student may not withdraw from a month-long course after the third week of the course. A student may not withdraw from a two-week course after the first week of the course. Courses for which a student is registered after this time will receive a final grade. Non-Gustavus January Term courses accepted in transfer shall not be calculated in the grade-point average (UMAIE courses are an exception). Gustavus January Term letter grades, including failing ("F") grades, are included in the grade-point average calculation.
  5. Cancellation:
    Courses may be subject to cancellation if they enroll five or fewer students per faculty member teaching the course.
  6. Participation:
    Students on academic or disciplinary probation are not permitted to enroll in a career exploration, or in UMAIE courses or other off-campus January Term courses. This means that students on probation in the spring may not pre-register for a January travel course, and students on probation in the fall will not be registered for off-campus courses for the following January, even if they were on the list in the spring or summer.
  7. Registration:
    January Term course registration follows the same procedure as regular registration (i.e., priority by class year), with exceptions: first-year students register first, followed by sophomores, juniors, and then seniors.
  8. Overloads:
    Students may enroll in a maximum of 1.25 courses during January Term. However, fractional courses beyond 1.0 may not be used to reduce the requirements that each student be enrolled for a normal one-course load in at least two January Terms.
  9. Housing Policy:
    While Gustavus requires only two January Term credits to fulfill graduation requirements, students are allowed to enroll for the January Term each year. Out of courtesy and respect for those who are enrolled, the College has established a policy that non-registered students may not occupy campus housing during the January Term. Exceptions for special circumstances may be granted on a case-by-case basis by appealing to the Director of Residential Life.
  10. Career Exploration:
    (CE) is an academic program of the College. Course credit must be sponsored by a faculty member from an academic department whose discipline is related to the career exploration. The course shall be graded on a pass/fail basis. See the Career Development for registration procedures.
  11. 4-1-4 Institution:
    Students who would like to attend St. Olaf College during January Tern should contact the Provost's Office. A student who is on academic or disciplinary probation will not be eligible to participate in the 4-1-4 exchange. 
For students matriculating after Fall 2016 through Fall 2019:
  1. Graduation Requirements:
    Satisfactory participation is required in two full January Terms (grade of P, or for courses with a letter grade, an A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or D). If a student takes courses for more than two full January Term courses, these credits will not count toward graduation. Students will not receive credit for a January course (4-1-4 exchange included) if the course is a similar to one they've already completed for credit
  2. Major/Area Credit:
    Any January Term course approved to fulfill a major or a general education area requirement cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis and will not count toward graduation as part of the required 32 semester course credits. It will count toward the two required January Term credits.
  3. First Year Students:
    First-year students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a January Term course. First year students may take a Gustavus Travel Course (GTC) or UMAIE course. First year students may not take Career Explorations and Independent Studies.
  4. Grades:
    Grades not calculated in the grade-point average are P (pass), I (incomplete), W (withdrawal). A student may withdraw from a January Term course anytime prior to the end of the third day without having their course participation recorded on the transcript. Withdrawals after this time will be recorded as a "W". In courses with a grading option, students will select (with their instructor) their option by the end of the third day of the January Term (the drop-add deadline). A student may not withdraw from a month-long course after the third week of the January term. A student may not withdraw from a two-week course after the first week of the course. Courses for which a student is registered after this time will receive a final grade. Non-Gustavus January Term courses accepted in transfer shall not be calculated in the grade-point average (UMAIE courses are an exception). Gustavus January Term letter grades, including failing ("F") grades, are included in the grade-point average calculation.
  5. Cancellation:
    Courses may be subject to cancellation if they enroll five or fewer students per faculty member teaching the course.
  6. Participation:
    Students on academic or disciplinary probation are not permitted to enroll in a career exploration, or in UMAIE courses or other off-campus January Term courses. This means that students on probation in the spring may not pre-register for a January travel course, and students on probation in the fall will not be registered for off-campus courses for the following January, even if they were on the list in the spring or summer.
  7. Registration:
    January Term course registration follows the same procedure as regular registration (i.e., priority by class year), with exceptions: first-year students register first, followed by sophomores, juniors, and then seniors.
  8. Overloads:
    Students may enroll in a maximum of 1.25 courses during the January Term. However, fractional courses beyond 1.0 may not be used to reduce the requirements that each student be enrolled for a normal one-course load in at least two January Terms.
  9. Independent Study:
    Independent study courses will be counted as fulfilling a January Term requirement, but will not count for major or general education credit or toward the 32 semester courses required for graduation.
  10. Travel Courses:
    International or domestic travel study courses, including UMAIE courses, will be counted as fulfilling a January Term requirement, but will not count for major or general education credit, except when such a credit exemption is granted in advance.
  11. Housing Policy:
    While Gustavus requires only two January Term credits to fulfill graduation requirements, students are allowed to enroll for the January Term each year. Out of courtesy and respect for those who are enrolled, the College has established a policy that non-registered students may not occupy campus housing during the January Term. Exceptions for special circumstances may be granted on a case-by-case basis by appealing to the Director of Residential Life.
  12. Career Exploration:
    (CE) is an academic program of the College. Course credit must be sponsored by a faculty member from an academic department whose discipline is related to the career exploration. The course shall be graded on a pass/fail basis. See the Career Center for registration procedures.
  13. Transferring to Another 4-1-4 Institution:
    Students who would like to attend St. Olaf College during January Term should contact the Provost's Office. A student who is on academic or disciplinary probation will not be eligible to participate in the 4-1-4 exchange. 

Career Exploration Policies

Career Exploration (CE) is an academic program of the College. Course credit must by sponsored by a faculty member from an academic department whose discipline is related to the career exploration, and is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Do NOT register for a class if you are intending to find a Career Exploration!

Career Exploration Registration Procedures:

If you have arranged a Career Exploration (CE) site before the November registration period, you will register once through the Career Development office. Attend an Internship Orientation session for details.

OR

If you intend to find a Career Exploration site for January, but it is not finalized by November, you must Pre-Register for Course No. NDL-068 during your regularly scheduled registration time.

Students who have no CE site finalized at the time of pre-registration will need to follow the standard procedures outlined in the January Term Student Guide; submitting a job description for approval and a signed CE Registration Form/Learning Contract to the Career Center.

Registration forms must be completed and returned to the Career Center. The registration form and deadline dates may be found at : https://gustavus.edu/career/intern/CareerExploration.php

Note: you will not be allowed to register for a Career Exploration after November registration. The Career Center will only process Career Exploration registration for:

  1. Those individuals who have returned a completed registration form/learning contract to the Career Center prior to November registration and
  2. Those who pre-registered for NDL-068 during the November registration period.

Student Responsibilities:

  1. Pick up the Student Guide to January Term Career Exploration booklet from the Career Development Office, located in the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center. You are responsible for procedures and deadlines covered in the Guide.
  2. Complete a "Student Information Sheet" (also available in the Career Development Office) and return it to the Internship program staff in the Career Development Office
  3. Securing a Career Exploration:
    1. Look through the file of past CE sites in the Career Development Office, or arrange an opportunity with contacts of your own. All job descriptions need to be reviewed and approved by the Internship Director.
    2. Submit a letter of application to an employer, arrange a meeting/interview, and follow-up on the contact. Career Development staff will be happy to help with site location information, resume, and letter writing, and interviewing advice.

4-1-4 Exchange:

  1. Tuition and Fees:
    Gustavus has a "tuition waiver agreement" with St. Olaf College. This means that GAC students may attend January Term at St. Olaf without paying any additional tuition beyond that paid at Gustavus.
  2. Grades:
    January Term courses taken at St. Olaf which are graded pass/fail will not count unless Gustavus is provided with a statement that a pass means a grade of "C" or above.
    Non-Gustavus January Term courses accepted in transfer are not calculated in the grade-point average (UMAIE Courses are an exception). Gustavus January Term letter grades do get calculated in the grade-point average, including fail, "F".
  3. Career Exploration:
    Students who sign up for a Career Exploration at St. Olaf must have prior approval from the Career Development Office to ensure proper credit.
  4. Procedure for Exchange Applications:
      1. Consult St. Olaf's website.
      2. Select the course(s) in which you wish to enroll. 
      3. Determine the registration deadline for exchange applications.
      4. Determine the housing policy for visiting students.
      5. Determine the total additional cost to you for registration, tuition, special course fees, and room and meal plan.
      6. Complete the January Term 4-1-4 Exchange Application.
      7. Obtain the signature of your academic advisor.
      8. Return the complete form to the Provost's Office. DO NOT SEND YOUR APPLICATION FORM DIRECTLY TO ST. OLAF - IT MUST GO THROUGH GUSTAVUS'S PROVOST'S OFFICE.

The Provost's Office serves as exchange coordinator for students wishing to participate in the 4-1-4 exchange for January Term.

Note: Students may not apply directly to St. Olaf. All exchange applications must go through the Provost's Office. Students who plan to enroll at St. Olaf should not register for a Gustavus on-campus course, since the Registrar's Office will not maintain a double registration for any student. To ensure credit, students who attend St. Olaf for January Term should request a transcript to be forwarded to the Gustavus Registrar's Office once the course is completed.

Students Visiting Gustavus Adolphus During January Term:

  1. Tuition:
    Gustavus Adolphus College will agree to waive tuition for students from St. Olaf College for January Term.
  2. Housing:
    Visiting students are normally required to live in residence halls or other College owned housing, although exceptions may be made through the Office of Residential Life upon application. If the student requests and receives permission to live off campus during the month, verification of residence needs to be provided to the Office of Residential Life.
  3. Room and Meal Plan Fees:
    Room and meal plan fees need to be paid. A housing deposit of $50 is required to confirm registration for January Term. This deposit is applied to the housing fee. Payment in full is preferred on the first day of class. Transcripts will be forwarded to the student's home institution after all fees are paid in full.
  4. Course Credit:
    Unless otherwise specified, all January Term courses carry only one course credit (4.0 semester hours).
  5. Application Deadline:
    Please contact the Provost's Office (507-933-7541) for the application deadline, although early application is advised. There is no application fee.
  6. Independent Study:
    Visiting students cannot participate in Independent Studies at GAC.