Student Manual

Academic Procedures and Services

Download the full Student Handbook (PDF)

Pre-registration

Students who wish to return to Silliman University in the next semester may pre-register. This is doing the initial steps of the enrolment procedure earlier than the regular enrolment schedule.. Pre-registration is not a complete enrolment. Pre-registered students must complete their enrolment at the start of the semester

Registration and Enrollment

Silliman University will implement online registration and enrolment. The system will allow student enrolment online from home, and those enrolled need not come earlier than the actual start of classes. However, the student must complete the online processing of enrolment before they are considered officially enrolled.

Change or Withdrawal of Course/program

Changing of courses should, as much as possible, be done during the regular enrolment period. However, changes of Course/Program during the week following the regular enrolment period may be entertained provided these are properly endorsed by the Dean.

For a student to be given “W” (or Withdrawn), dropping of subjects should be done before the two weeks immediately prior to mid-term week. However, if withdrawal at any time is due to illness or injury, the grade to be given shall be “W”. A student who withdraws or is withdrawn from the University for any reason other than sickness or physical injury shall be charged fifty percent of tuition and other fees if he or she withdraws after the four weeks of the opening of classes up to mid-term. He or she shall be charged one hundred percent tuition if he or she withdraws after the mid-term week.

Auditors

A student wishing to audit a course must register for the course. He must also obtain the permission of the instructor of the course that he wants to audit. An auditor takes part in all class activities, but he does not receive credit for the course.

Honorable Dismissal

On written request, the Registrar may issue a Certificate of Eligibility to Transfer (honorable dismissal) to a student. The credential indicates that the student is in good standing when he/she leaves the university.

Grades and Grading System

Grades System

In computing for the quality point average (QPA) for graduation and honors, the subjects are weighed according to the respective number of units assigned to a course. A grade of “Inc” (Incomplete) indicates that the student has not completed all the assigned work for the course. An “Inc” must be completed within the following term in the semester in which the course was taken; otherwise the grade automatically becomes “NC” for “No Credit”, or “NG” for “No Grade.” An “NC” or “NG” grade is permanent and cannot be subsequently changed due to the lapse of the prescribed period of completing the requirements. The letter “W” shows that the student has dropped a course with the written permission of his/her Dean/Director/Principal. If a student drops a course without the written permission of his Dean, the grade for the course automatically becomes “F”. “WF” is recorded when a student officially withdraws from the course but is failing at the time the withdrawal was made. In order to graduate, a minimum cumulative quality point average (CQPA) is required at the end of the term in which the student completes his course in the following: Baccalaureate programs, 2.0; Law, 2.3; Medical School, 2.5; Master’s program, 3.0; and Doctorate programs, 3.5. As additional requirement for graduation and progression in the degree program, all designated undergraduate professional courses or major subjects must have the minimum QPA set by the college and approved by the Academic Council. All courses under the master’s and doctorate programs must have a minimum grade of 3.0 and 3.5, respectively.

Guidelines on the Change of Grade

Decs Provisions on the Change of Grade

1. DEC Memo s 1959 says that no additional final exam can be given to a student for purposes of increasing his grade. (UNIVERSITY MANUAL 187)
2. DECS Regional Memo #42, s. 1987, “Request for correction of grade . . . may be entertained by this office only if they are due to inadvertent clerical errors subject to verification by a DECS supervisor.

Grounds for Change of Grade

Change of grade is allowed on the following reasons:

1. Error in the entry of scores or grades
2. Error of computation

Allowable Period for Change of Grade

A change of grade is allowed within three weeks from date of the final submission of grades to the department concerned to give time for the student to question entries of teacher and for committee to deliberate. Once the grades are submitted by the Dean to the Registrar, the teacher can no longer change the marks at his/her discretion. The submitted grades are no longer within the teacher’s “turf.” They are now outside of his/her authority or jurisdiction to change or revise them. To effect the change, the teacher must go through the procedure as outlined below.

Procedure for Change of Grade

1. The complainant (student, faculty, dean or parent) submits a written complaint addressed to the teacher concerned with copies furnished to the department chairperson, dean, and Registrar’s Office.
2. Upon receipt of the letter of complaint, the department chairperson shall convene a committee composed of all the faculty members of the department and the dean. The student shall be invited to attend committee meetings.
3. Investigation shall include scrutiny and discussion of all entries of grades or scores up to the final exam. These data should be given to the committee prior to the meeting to allow time for the members to study.
4. If accepted, report of the change of grade addressed to the Registrar noted by the dean shall include a written explanation by the teacher who allowed a change of grade, supporting papers and a statement of the committee action.
5. Any petition for change of grade will no longer be accepted

Inc Grade

1. An “INC” (Incomplete) mark indicates that the student has not completed all course requirements due to excusable reason, such as, sickness, emergency, or accident. (Section 109, Article XXII, MORPHE, p. 553.) The student must complete the requirements within the semester following that in which the course was taken. Otherwise, the grade automatically becomes “NC” for “No Credit” or “NG” for “No Grade”. Such a grade is permanent and cannot be subsequently changed.
2. In removing the “Inc,” the student must present to the teacher a receipt from the Business and Finance Office indicating payment of the completion fee.
3. An “Inc” mark given for reasons other than failure to complete course requirements shall not be subject to the P50.00 completion fee per subject.

Preparation of Grades

All teachers should prepare the grades and submit them on time to the Office of the Dean and the Office of Registrar and Admissions.

Preparation of grades refers to the construction of examination papers, test administration, correcting of test papers, computation of the grades, preparation of grading sheets, encoding of the midterm and final grades into the system and the preparation of F-138 for Elementary and High School for the SBE.

Submission of Grades

Grades must be reported to the department chair or, if no department, directly to the dean or director of the college or school, within five (5) working days of the administration of the mid-term and final examinations. The grades are encoded in the database to give time for the student to view and raise question/s on the entries. The student is given three (3) weeks upon submission of the grades to question any error found in the entries.

The Registrar will be responsible for the official release of final grades to students or to their parents or guardians. Mid-term and final grades of non-graduating students must be in the hands of the office of Registrar not later than ten days from the examination dates. Appropriate sanctions for violating these rules shall be done by the Academic Council. By reason of the type and nature of examination given in these schools, the Graduate School and Divinity School are allowed twenty (20) days, and the College of Law thirty (30) days, from the date the examination is given. Failure to submit grades on time shall be subject to a fine of P5.00 per day of delay. All fines are credited to the college/school/unit concerned. All deans and directors are enjoined to enforce these rules strictly. All deans and directors are enjoined to enforce these rules strictly.

Leave of Absence

A Leave of Absence (LOA) Form must be filed and endorsed by the University Clinic, Dean, and submitted for approval to the VPAA. A copy of the LOA must also be furnished to the Registrar. Before the request can be granted, tuition and all fees must be paid for the entire semester in which the leave is sought. Clearance from the University is also required. No leave of absence for an indefinite period will be granted.

Request for leave of absence are granted only in cases of illness. Fees paid for the interrupted period will be applied in the semester immediately following plus the difference.

Recognition of Credits Earned Elsewhere

Generally, credits for work done elsewhere are accepted, provided the student obtains the minimum average grade required for the program. Students claiming advanced standing must submit a complete copy of their school records long before the start of the semester in which they wish to enroll. In some cases, advanced credits are accepted only after passing a validating examination that usually covers English, Biology, Chemistry, Logic, Physics, Mathematics, and Accounting.

Coarse Load

Regular students in undergraduate courses must take the full load or number of units prescribed for a particular term, except for:

1. Students with either work grants or assistantships;
2. Students on academic probation, who may be made to carry no less than 15 units a semester. A regular student who drops almost all courses, either officially or unofficially, retaining a load of less than 15 units will be allowed to finish the term. However, he will be refused admission in the succeeding semester. In the case of students failing in courses that are pre-requisite to the other courses and who may not be allowed by the college to proceed with their studies until those deficiencies are removed, these students should be made to cross-register for courses on other colleges in the University so that they may be able to comply with the minimum requirement of 15 units per term. Overload or extra units may be allowed to a candidate for graduation only during the last term of his/her course. A graduating student requesting for an overload must meet the grade requirement of the department. A letter request for an overload must be filed addressed to the Commission on Higher Education, through the Registrar with the approval of the Dean. These policies are also the bases for determining whether a student should be allowed to continue living in any of the university dormitories.

Academic Probation

A student who does not get the required QPA of 2.0 is placed on academic probation during the succeeding semester with these conditions:

1. The student may be required to repeat certain subjects, or carry a reduced load to improve or earn quality points.
2. The student must not incur any unexcused absences from regular classes, his college’s assembly, or the University convocation.
3. The student is ineligible to represent the university in any public performance or activity, or hold any major office without his Dean’s permission. A student on an academic probation must attain the minimum QPA in the following semester. If he cannot get the required QPA, he would be dropped from the University. This action is automatic unless the college, or faculty, or the designated committee decides to extend the probation period.

Examination

All students are expected to take the preliminary, mid-term, and final examinations at the time scheduled by their respective Dean’s Office. If the student fails to take these exams for no justifiable reason, he is fined Php60.00 for each examination missed. His Dean shall determine if the reason is justifiable or not.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes. Work covered during any absence, excused or unexcused, is incurred only for valid reasons. The teacher concerned will determine the validity of the absence. Three unexcused absences may be incurred and the rest of the 20 percent allowed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) must be excused, incurred only for valid reasons.

Permission to leave the campus for activities must be secured in advance from the Dean, and, if the student lives in a dormitory, from the Office of Student Organizations and Activities Division (SOAD) and the Student Housing and Residence, Student Personnel Services. Otherwise, excuse for such absence immediately preceding or following holidays can be secured only from the Dean. If excused or unexcused absences are already excessive, the instructor may recommend to the Dean that a student be given a grade of “F.” Students must attend first class sessions in any course at the beginning of the semester and classes immediately before and after long vacations.

Summer Study in Other Institutions

Students must obtain permission from their respective Deans before taking summer courses in other institutions. When credits are desired for major courses, they must secure approval from the department chairman. Only students with a minimum cumulative QPA of 2.0 will be allowed to transfer summer credits from schools whose educational standards are considered at par with Silliman standards.

Permission to take summer courses elsewhere will be granted only for courses not offered in Silliman University during the period.

Application for Degrees

Application for graduation must be filed with the Office of the Registrar and Admissions (ORA) in the first semester of the senior year. Application forms are available at the ORA or at the Directors’/Deans’ offices. A student with “INC” grades prior to the semester in which he expects to graduate cannot be considered a candidate for graduation. Any “INC” grade in the student’s final semester which is not removed before commencement will bar him from graduation.