Academic Calendar 2009-2010

University Policies and Procedures

The Dispute Resolution (DR) Program is open to persons holding a bachelor's or higher professional degree from an accredited university or college. An applicant to the program must submit a completed admissions application and an official academic transcript from the institution which awarded his/her bachelor's degree. A student must receive official acceptance into the program before being enrolled in any classes.

Registration

Registration dates, class schedule, tuition, and procedures for the forthcoming term are mailed to DR students five times a year in December, March, May, July and October. Student services such as admission, adds, class drops and swaps are handled by the DR office. Payments can be made on-line with MASTERCARD, American Express or Discover with a service fee of 2.65%, or via e-check with no service fee.

University Financial Policies

A DR student who is financially indebted to the University will not be awarded a certificate or transcript until all financial obligations have been met.  The Cashier may cancel the registration of any student with a delinquent account.  Penalty fees are assessed for dishonored checks ($30) and late payment ($150).  Tuition charges are listed in the registration materials and due at the time of registration in the form of a check (payable to SMU), eCheck or a MasterCard, Discover or American Express credit card payment.  Application fees are nonrefundable; tuition refunds for Add/Drops and Withdrawals are described below.

Add/Drop Policy

To Add/Drop a course, a student must contact the Dispute Resolution office at 972-473-3435. Notifying an instructor of the intent to Add/Drop does not constitute an official schedule change. A student who drops a course within the Add/Drop period (refer to the DR Calendar for dates) will not be charged tuition for the dropped course. A student who drops a course after the scheduled dates, but remains registered for at least one other course will not received a tuition refund for the dropped course. NOTE:  Seminars have separate policies regarding drop and refund: Drops for seminars must be received no later than two weeks prior to the start date of the class to receive a refund.

Withdrawal Policy

Students who wish to withdraw from all their courses must notify the Dispute Resolution office at 972-473-3435. Nonattendance or notifying the instructor does not constitute an official withdrawal. A student who officially withdraws (withdrawal is dropping ALL courses after registration has been processed) from the University is allowed a refund of tuition according to the following schedule.*

Fall, Jan, Spring & May
From the day of registration to the day preceding the 1st day of class 95%
1st day through the 5th day of the term 50%
No refund will be issued after the 5th day of the term

Summer
From the day of registration to the day preceding the 1st day of class 95%
1st day through the 2nd day of classes 50%
No refund will be issued after the 2nd day of the term
* For medical Withdrawals, a daily pro-rata refund is allowed. To qualify for a Medical Withdrawal, your personal physician must provide a written explanation of the illness to the Director of the SMU Health Center who will, in turn, rule of the case.

Academic Regulations

Graduate study in the DR Program is governed by the academic regulations established for graduate programs in the Annette Caldwell SimmonsSchool of Education and Human Development.

Scholastic and Academic Records

A student's permanent record includes all SMU courses attempted and grades assigned. Official transcripts are issued by the Office of the Registrar. Unofficial transcripts, grades, class schedules and account holds may be checked online by the student at ACCESS.SMU through www.smu.edu. In order to use ACCESS SMU it is necessary to have an ID number and a password. Once accepted into the program, students will receive email and password information. For password questions/problems, call 214 768-HELP.

Academic Probation

Graduate Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00. If in any semester a student fall below this GPA, the student will be placed on probation for one term. If at the end of the term of probation the cumulative GPA is not up to 3.00 the student will be removed from the program.

Prospective Graduates

Students must notify the Dispute Resolution office of intent to graduate during the term before completion of program requirements. An Application to Graduate (ACG) form must be filed with the DR office. Academic records will be reviewed at this time to verify that program requirements have been met. All "Incompletes" must be resolved (with completed records) before graduation is permitted.  No student may have grades of Incomplete in more than two classes on their transcript at any given point.

Weather Policy

It is the general policy of the University not to cancel classes except in extreme cases. Please check TV and ration stations for closings. If in doubt, call SMU Info (214) 768-4436. A notice will also be posted on the SMU web site.

Additional Information

For further information concerning Dispute Resolution program, policies and regulations, call (972) 473-3435 or e-mail us.

****Failure to read this bulletin does not excuse students from information or regulations contained therein. The University reserves the right to make changes in this bulletin at anytime.

Southern Methodist University will not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, or educational activity on the basis of race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. SMU's commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.****