Resources

Registrar Information

Enrollment Status: all definitions of enrollment status are based on the following:

  • Full-time: To be considered full-time at the BAC, a student must be enrolled in 12.0 credits per semester, of which at least 6.0 must be academic credits. The remaining credits may be fulfilled with approved practice or academic credit, or a combination of the two.
  • Half-time: To be considered half-time at the BAC, a student must be enrolled in a minimum of 6.0 academic credits per semester.

Students who have fulfilled the Practice Component degree requirement are considered half-time, for purposes of financial aid eligibility, unless registered for 12.0 academic credits that meet degree requirements.

Note: The degree programs are designed to be completed on a full-time basis. Full-time at the BAC means engaging in the Academic and Practice Components concurrently.

Course Registration
A registration letter that clarifies all registration deadlines and procedures is mailed to all active students prior to the Fall and Spring semesters.

Returning students must clear account balances, waive health insurance if necessary, and file the required Practice paperwork prior to Registration. Returning students who fail to meet the deadline to return these registration materials must pay a late fee and register at Late Registration, losing their online registration privilege. New students may register during New Student Orientations.

Part-Time Registration
The BAC offers enrollment in certain degree program courses to non-degree and Continuing Education students on a seat-available basis through its Part-Time Enrollment Program. Part-time registration takes place during the Late/Cross registration sessions.

Add/Drop
There are two Add/Drop periods, one during the first two weeks of the semester, and the second during the first two weeks of the second-half of the term. During this time, students may add or classes by completing the Add/Drop form and returning it to the Registrar's Office.

Courses dropped during these periods do not appear on transcripts. All degree students except Academic-Only Program (AOP) minors taking above 10.0 academic credits are subject to additional tuition, as are all degree students enrolled in the AOP minor taking above 18.00 academic credits. Carrying less than 6.0 academic credits changes a student's status to less than half-time.

Warning: Students who receive financial aid or who have loan deferments must contact the Financial Aid Office before changing their enrollment status to assess the consequences of less than half-time status.

Withdrawal (Course)
Full-Semester and Half-Semester Courses: After the Add/Drop periods end, students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete and submit a Course Withdrawal form by the end of 1) the fifth week for first-half courses 2) the eleventh week for full-length courses and 3)the thirteenth week for second-half courses. Students may withdraw from courses by filing the withdrawal form at the Registrar's Office.

Withdrawal from a class appears as a "W" on academic transcripts, has a credit value of 0.0, and does not affect grade point average, but does count toward credits attempted for the semester. Students who receive financial aid should contact the Financial Aid Office to assess the consequences of withdrawing from a course.

Important Notes:
Failure to attend a course does not result in the course being dropped automatically from the student's transcript. Students should be aware that failure to officially drop or withdraw from a course in which the student does not participate will result in a grade of RF (Repeat Fail) or NF (Failure due to Non-Attendance).

Pass/Fail Option
A pass/fail option is available for students for "extra" courses not required for graduation. (All electives required for graduation must be taken on a graded basis). Degree students are not permitted to audit courses. By the end of add/drop, interested students must fill out a pass/fail form, have it signed by an advisor and the course instructor, and return it to the Registrar. No changes either to or from pass/fail grading status are allowed after the add/drop deadline. Pass/fail courses are charged on a regular tuition basis and appear on a student's transcript. Students receiving Federal Financial Aid must obtain the approval of the Financial Aid office prior to registering for a course they intend to take Pass/Fail.

Independent Study Application
Independent studies may be undertaken twice during a student's career at the BAC. They are taken on a Pass/Fail basis for 1.5 or 3.0 credits. In order to be eligible, students must:

  1. Have completed at least four semesters at the BAC
  2. Have an overall GPA and STGPA of 2.50 (2.70 for Segment II master's students) or greater
  3. You must fill out the Independent Study Application by the end of the Add/Drop period. Attach a 1-3 page typed description of your proposed course, including a schedule of meetings with the instructor, assignments you will submit, and a description of a final project you will submit or present. You also must include a resume of the faculty member if he or she is not a member of the BAC faculty. The instructor must also sign and date the form, which is then submitted to the VP for Educational Initiatives and the Director of Student Services for approval.
  4. Receive approval from both the Program Head and the Director of Student Placement. If you would like more information, please contact Sue Brody at sue.brody@the-bac.edu.

Program Change Form
To be eligible for a program change, you must be in Segment I. Program changes can occur across concentrations, i.e. B.Arch to BDS or BID; MID to M.Arch However, you cannot change degree levels.

In-Semester Full Withdrawal
Students who wish to withdraw from all of their courses in a semester must complete and submit an In-Semester Full Withdrawal form by the 11th week of classes. Refunds are administered according to the Refund Schedule. The amount is contingent upon the date that written notice is received by the Registrar. Students who have received financial aid while at the BAC must also contact the Financial Aid Office and attend an exit interview regarding their rights and responsibilities as student loan borrowers.

BAC School Withdrawal
Students who wish to withdraw from the BAC at the end of a semester must notify the Registrar, in writing, of their intent.

Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence (LOA) is a period of time in which a degree program student is not attending classes. Students must complete a Leave of Absence form and submit it to the Registrar, by the end of Add/Drop in the semester in which the leave begins. Students who wish to take a leave of absence should first meet with an academic advisor and the Director of the Practice Component, in order to assess the implications that taking a leave would have on their progress. Students who receive financial aid must also contact the Financial Aid Office to assess their options and obligations. Leave of Absence forms are valid for one semester only. A new form must be completed before each additional semester of leave. A maximum leave of four consecutive semesters is allowed in both the bachelor's and master's programs.

Change of Address
Students are responsible for informing the Registrar of any address changes that occur during the semester.

Change of Name
Students are responsible for informing the Registrar of any name changes that occur during the semester. Proof of the name change must be submitted along with the request.

Grades
Students may access their grades via their IQweb accounts.  Grades will display as soon as they are recorded.  Inquiries regarding grades not received or grades in question should be directed to the Registrar. Under no circumstances will grades be released by anyone other than the Registrar.

Course Incompletes
Incompletes may be granted upon presentation by the student to the instructor of acceptable evidence of extenuating circumstances that prevent completion of the course requirements within the assigned time. The instructor may grant an extension of up to seven weeks beyond the end date of the semester in which the course was taken. If the instructor fails to direct the Registrar to change the incomplete to another letter grade by the published deadline, it automatically converts to RF seven weeks after the conclusion of the semester in which it was earned. The student is responsible for ensuring that the Registrar has been notified by the instructor of grade changes.

RF/Repetition of Courses
A student may repeat any course in which s/he has received a failing grade. Upon passing the course, the original grade will convert to NC and the new grade will be used in computing the student's GPA. If a student receives more than one failing grade for a course, only the most recent failing mark will be replaced. All other failing grades for the course will remain on the transcript and count toward calculation of the student’s GPA.  Please note that a course may only be taken a third time by permission of the applicable Program Director.

Note: Grade changes will occur automatically when the same course is retaken (e.g., an RF in Structures 1 will be replaced by the new grade received after the Structures I course has been successfully repeated).  However, if a student desires a grade replacement by a different course that is within the same discipline, s/he must initiate this change by requesting from and submitting to the Registrar a Repeated Grade Change form.

Grade Changes
Grades may be given or changed only by instructors, except in extraordinary cases when the appropriate Program Head may intervene. Grade changes must be completed by the end of the semester immediately following the one in which the original course was taken. After that time, a student must petition the Appeals Committee for permission to have a grade changed.

Grade Appeal
A student who disagrees with a grade must first contact the instructor to resolve the issue. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved, the student may contact the appropriate Program Head. After reviewing the matter with the instructor, the Head will decide whether the grade should be changed or the student's work re-evaluated. Students who are not satisfied with this resolution may petition the Appeals Committee to re-evaluate his or her work. Grades may be challenged only through the end of the semester following the one in which the disputed grade was earned.

Filing for Concurrent Transfer Credit
Concurrent transfer credit may be awarded for courses taken at other institutions while a student is enrolled in one of the BAC's degree programs. Any course taken outside the BAC must be preapproved by the Director of Student Services to ensure that it will meet degree requirements. The following steps must be taken: 

  1. Fax or send a letter to the Director of Student Placement requesting preapproval. Specify which degree requirement the course is intended to fulfill and enclose the name of the college, the number of credits or credit hours, and full course information, including a course description.
  2. After registering for the class at the host school, submit a copy of the course registration from that school to the BAC Registrar by the end of Add/Drop.
  3. Have the Registrar at the host school send an official transcript to the BAC Director of Student Placement after the course has been completed.

Important: Students receiving financial aid must complete additional procedures through the Financial Aid Office before registering for a course offered by another college.

In the case of studios taken elsewhere, the procedure is slightly different. Although preapproval may be granted upon request, awarding of studio transfer credit is contingent upon a review of the student's studio work by the transfer counselor. (Final studio work must be presented in portfolio form.) Studio transfer credit is awarded only upon passing the BAC review. It is advisable to meet with the transfer counselor well in advance of course registration in order to gain a clear understanding of the expectations that apply.

Reminder: Students must earn a C or better for a course to be eligible for transfer credit. The only exception is that a B or better must be earned in courses that fulfill the BAC physics, math, and writing 2 requirements. Transfer credits do not affect GPA.

Waiver of Course Requirements
There is a difference between transfer credit and a waiver. Transferred credits fulfill specific course requirements. A select group of requirements may be waived if the student can demonstrate that s/he has the competence that the course seeks to instill. The definition of "competence" is determined by the BAC.

If a course requirement is waived, the student does not have to take the course. However, the credit-hour requirement must be fulfilled in some appropriate way, as determined by the BAC.