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Important Information
Independent Study
Enrollment
Tuition
Tuition Refunds
Financial Aid
International Students
Faculty & Staff Benefits
Course Access & Materials
Independent Study Policies
Scholastic & Disc. Standards
Academic Policies
Grades
Transcripts
Completing Course Work
Contact Information

Independent Study

Independent study offers students a wide range of academic disciplines, allowing students to complete course work at home (or anywhere) at their own convenience. Over 2,000 students enroll in this self-paced individualized mode of study each year, choosing from over 70 courses from more than two dozen disciplines. Many of these courses meet core and general education degree requirements at Weber State University.

Contact the academic advisement center at 801-626-6771. You can also see a list of courses that are available through independent study at our online catalog.

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Enrollment Information

Admissions

You must be admitted to Weber State University in order to enroll in distance learning courses. If you are not currently a WSU student, you simply need to submit an application for admission. You may apply online at www.weber.edu/admissions. A $30 application fee is required.

Levels of Admission

You can be admitted to Weber State University under two options, depending on your educational intent:

Non-Matriculated

You will be admitted as non-matriculated if you are not seeking or working toward a degree from WSU.

Matriculated

You will be admitted as a matriculated student if you are working on or seeking a degree from WSU.

New Freshman, or students transferring in less than 30 credit hours, who do not have ACT/SAT scores, or have not completed WSU math and English general education requirements are required to take the Accuplacer placement exam for math and English placement prior to registration for courses. Contact our testing center at weber.edu/testingcenter for information on the placement tests.

For additional information concerning WSU's admission policy, consult the current WSU General Catalog at http://documents.weber.edu/catalog/ or the WSU admissions website at http://weber.edu/admissions.xml or contact the admissions office at 801-626-6743.

When and How to Enroll

You can enroll for WSU independent study general courses any time during the year. The semester in which your independent study course will appear on your transcript is determined according to when you enrolled; i.e., if you enroll during the fall semester, your course will be posted during fall semester.

By mail: Download and print an application online at www.weber.edu/ce/dl/registration.htm, and mail it in with your check or credit card information to:

Distance Learning Office
Weber State University
4006 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-4005

If you are unable to download and print a registration form, request one by calling 1-800-848-7770, option 2, or 801-626-6600.

By phone: Call 1-800-848-7770, option 5, then 4, or 801-626-6600. Payment is due upon registration.

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Independent Study Tuition (as of April, 2009)

Credit Hours Tuition
1 credit $202.00
2 credit $404.00
3 credit $606.00
4 credit $808.00

Tuition is subject to change .

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Tuition Refunds

To receive a refund the following requirements must be met:

  1. You have 14 days from the date of enrollment to withdraw fro the course for a 100% refund.
  2. You may withdraw between 15-25 days from the date of enrollment for a 70% refund.
  3. You may receive a refund of 50% if you withdraw between 26 and 36 days from the date of enrollment.
  4. No refund will be awarded after 37 days from the date of enrollment.

To withdraw from your course, contact the Distance Learning registration office, 1-800-848-6600.

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Financial Aid

You may receive financial aid for distance learning courses. Please view the WSU financial aid office homepage weber.edu/financialaid/ for complete details. Tuition waiver scholarships cannot be used for distance learning classes.

Students taking independent study courses at Weber State University may be eligible to receive federal financial aid if they are in compliance with specific federal policies. The financial aid award can only be released after the student has completed at least 50% of the course work in each independent study course they are taking by the end of the 7th week of the semester in each independent study course they are taking. Since the funds cannot be released until mid-semester, students must pay for their independent study class at the time of registration.

Additionally, independent study courses must be completed within the 15-week semester in which you register; all course work must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the end of the semester in order to allow instructors sufficient time to evaluate course work and submit final grades. Failure to complete independent study courses within the specified semester may jeopardize your eligibility for financial aid in the future. Because of this semester-based completion policy, students on federal financial aid may NOT enroll after the third week of the semester.

Further, there are federal guidelines regarding the amount of independent study credit that can factor into your financial aid eligibility. If you intend to use financial aid for your independent study courses, it is important that you contact the WSU financial aid office (801-626-7569) and the independent study office (801-626-6600) for required forms and detailed instructions prior to registering for courses. The Financial Aid Student Agreement Form must be submitted with the registration form. You can obtain these forms by contacting the registration office at 801-626-6600.

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International Students

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization (INS) may not consider independent study courses in determining a student's full course of study. This may affect F-1 visa status. However, online courses may be considered.

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Faculty and Staff Benefits

If you are on the Weber State University faculty or staff, or are one of their dependents, you may take any independent study course for 50% of the listed tuition price. Please note that because of funding limitations, university and departmental tuition waivers cannot be accepted.

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Course Materials

Online Access

Students may access the course syllabus, content assignments, and may submit all course assignments through Vista Online Course Management.

Begin by going to www.weber.edu. Note the login for e-weber faculty, student and staff portal. If you have a username and password, you may enter the student portal and from there enter the course. If you do not have a username and password, click on the help button just below the password dialog box. Walk through the steps to set up your Weber username and password. You may then return to the homepage and login to the student portal.

You may also access your course work through online.weber.edu once you have established your student username and password.

Textbooks

Students may order your textbooks from the Weber State University bookstore or other source. Course material contains specific information including title, edition, author and ISBN#. The WSU bookstore carries most textbooks for independent study courses, but some may have to be special ordered. For further information visit the bookstore online.

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Independent Study Policies

Course Time Limit

As a student taking correspondence courses through independent study, you will have six months from the date of your enrollment to complete the course. You will have, however, the option to complete courses on an accelerated schedule. Under normal circumstances, you may submit up to one-fourth of the required lessons per week. If you intend to complete your course in less time than this, you must obtain prior approval from your instructor, using the form included in your course module.

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Scholastic & Disciplinary Standards

Independent study students must meet the same academic standards and you are subject to the same regulations regarding honesty in your work on assignments and examinations as students taking courses on campus. You may obtain a copy of the standards by visiting http://weber.edu/ppm/6-22.htm or by contacting the independent study office. Violation of these standards and regulations may result in your failing courses and your dismissal from Weber State University.

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Academic Policies

Weber State University is committed to providing an educational environment free from harassment and other forms of discrimination based upon race, color, ethnic background, national origin, religion, creed, age, lack of American citizenship, disability, status of veteran of the Viet Nam era, sexual orientation or preference, or gender, including sexual/gender harassment. Such an environment is a necessary part of healthy learning and working atmosphere because such discrimination undermines the sense of human dignity and sense of belonging of all peoples in an environment.

Discrimination and harassment are prohibited by Titles IV, VI and VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. They are also prohibited by the Utah Anti-discrimination Act. In addition, various other constitutional provisions, statutes and common law causes of action prohibit such discriminatory conduct. It is the policy of the University to enforce these laws among its students and employees.

Individuals who believe that they have been discriminated against should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, Administration Building, Room 105, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah 84408, Telephone 626-6239; or the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education Denver Region, Federal Building, 19th and Stout Street, Denver Colorado 80294.

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Grades

Grading for lessons and exams is explained in each course study guide. Based on your work, you will receive a final letter grade (A, B, C, D or E) for courses. You may exercise a credit/no credit option prior to completing 60% of the course requirements. Courses taken on a credit/no credit basis do not could toward general education or major/minor requirements. Consult the WSU catalog for further information on grading policies.

UW (Unofficial Withdrawal)

If you do not complete or officially withdraw from a course during the allotted time, you will receive a grade of "UW" for that course. A "UW" is equivalent to a failing grade and will affect your GPA (grade point average) accordingly.

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Transcripts

Transcripts (official grade reports) are issued only by the records office, not by the independent study office. You may request a transcript by writing to:

Weber State University
Records Office
1102 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-1102

Include your student identification number and the approximate date of your registration. Please allow at least two weeks after completing a course before requesting a transcript. This will give your instructor time to complete grading and submit a final grade.

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Completing Course Work

Lessons

Completing and submitting lessons is central to succeeding in an independent study course. Carefully prepare and submit assignments according to information in the course content and textbook. Instructors evaluate the work and make suggestions for continued study. This is the student's primary method for communicating with their instructors.

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Examinations

WSU Testing Centers

Students who live within 50 miles of the Weber State University campus, are required to take their examinations at one of the available testing centers, on the Weber campus (Student Services Center, room 262, phone 801-626-6803) or at the Davis Testing center (2750 North University Park Boulevard, Layton, UT, room 215, phone 801-395-3495)

Proctors

Students who live outside the area are required to locate an appropriate proctor such as school principals, superintendents, guidance counselors, full-time school or public librarians, embassy officials, military education officers (for military personnel only), hospital education directors, and other appropriate individuals. Proctors cannot be current school teachers, employment supervisors, your own church officials, relatives, friends, neighbors, athletics personnel (coaches, etc.) are not approved as proctors.

Go to http://chitester.weber.edu for proctor information. In some cases, a proctor may already be available in your area. You may select from the pre-approved proctors, or you may establish your own proctor. Read the proctor information in Chitester carefully.

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Can't Find What You're Looking For?

If a course you are looking for is not in this catalog, please contact the independent study office. We would like to know what courses you need.

Have a Question?

Please contact the independent study office if you have questions about the information in this catalog or about specific courses. You can reach us by phone, fax, email, or U.S. mail.

U.S. Mail:
Weber State University
Distance Learning Office
4005 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-4005

Registration Information:
Phone: 801-626-6600
800-848-7770 option 5, then 1
Fax: 801-626-8035

Advising Information:
801-626-6771
800-848-7770, option 5, then 4

E-mail: dist-learn@weber.edu

Our office is open Monday - Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Weber State University, Distance Learning Office,
Ogden, Utah 84408-4005, (801) 626-6600