ÂÒÂ×Ç¿¼é

Students must meet the following conditions to be considered for overloading:

• Continuing student status (i.e., have completed at least one full semester in the College). See below for guidance on first-semester students.
• Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) greater than or equal to 2.0 at the time of the request.
• Meet the following term (semester) GPA criteria outlined below:
  • 20–23.99 credits - minimum of a 3.0 GPA in the most recent enrolled semester.
  • 24 credits - minimum of a 3.4 GPA in the most recent enrolled semester.
• No failing (“E” or “F”) grades in the most recent enrolled semester.
• No outstanding incomplete (“I”) or “N” grades from the most recent enrolled semester. Any student with these grades in the most recent enrolled semester must discuss their situation with a CCAS advisor to determine overload eligibility.
• For students requesting 23-24 credits: Students requesting an overload of 23-24 credits will need to prove a compelling need to complete these credits for graduation or a similarly important academic purpose. Students should also be aware that multiple majors and minors are not automatically considered to be an academic “need” for overloading at 23-24 credit. These majors and minors must already be declared and approved if used as part of the justification for 23-24 credit overloads.

Students should also be aware of additional considerations or requirements based on their status in the following categories:

• First-semester students: No incoming first-year student may take more than 19.99 credits in their first semester. First-semester transfer and exchange students may submit a form to be considered for a course overload. The review of the petition takes into consideration performance at previous colleges or universities.
• Students on study abroad: Students on study abroad the previous semester must meet the GPA requirements to overload based on their most recent semester on-campus. A Course Overload Petition form will be required to register for more than 19.99 credits.
• Part-time and underloading students: Students who did not complete at least 12 credit hours in the most recent enrolled semester will not be automatically qualified for an overload, but may submit a form to request to overload. In these cases, the course overload petition will be evaluated on both performance in the previous semester and the student’s overall academic history.
• Take 5 (T5)/E5 Students: Students in the T5/E5 programs are required to complete courses outlined on their approved academic plan unless they receive approval from the T5/E5 advisor. If approved changes to the plan of study include overloading, T5/E5 students must submit a .
• Seniors: Overloads in the senior year are subject to the same conditions above, but permissions for exceptions to these rules may be allowed based on the individual student’s circumstances (curricular, financial, etc.). In the overload petition, seniors must explain how the requested course overload is necessary to complete all graduation requirements by commencement. Seniors in this situation are strongly encouraged to speak with an advisor in CCAS to discuss their plans for registration and graduation, including other possibilities to complete degree requirements.
• Dual degree students (Eastman School of Music/College): Eastman-primary dual degree students follow the Eastman guidelines on overloads and are not subject to this policy. River Campus-primary dual degree students wishing to overload for more than 23 credits may register for up to 28 credits when required by their academic programs of study. Approvals for these overloads are through the Office of Academic Affairs at the Eastman School of Music.

Summer Overloads

Students may enroll in no more than 12.99 credits in the summer term. Although there are multiple sessions throughout the summer, 12.99 credits are the cumulative total allowed across all sessions. Degree-seeking UR students who wish to enroll in more than 12.99 credits, should discuss their plans with an advisor in CCAS and are reminded to review the summer sessions calendar for important deadlines. Students should review the guidance in the overloads policy to ensure that they meet the College’s rules regarding acceleration and the enrollment policy. Students who wish to overload in the summer will need to complete both a and a Drop/Add Form (pdf) with the total number of credits they wish to take and a rationale for the proposed overload. Both the petition and the drop/add form should be emailed to the University Registrar (registrar@rochester.edu) for approval.

Financial Aid

Federal regulations require that universities monitor the academic progress of students who are eligible for financial aid. Undergraduate students should be aware that they will reach their maximum time frame for degree completion once they have accumulated a total of 192 attempted credits. While it is rare to reach this threshold, students should be aware of this policy. For more information, students should discuss their situation their financial aid counselor.

Registration

Registration Week: All students may register for up to 19.99 credits in UR Student in the initial registration window. Students are encouraged to prioritize registration for those courses most important to their schedule and/or most likely to reach maximum capacity.

Students meeting overload eligibility for 20-22.99 credits (per policy above): these students will be permitted to register for up to 22.99 credits after semester grades have been processed and evaluated (early January for spring, late May for fall). Eligible students will receive a communication regarding their ability to register for additional credit hours with directions on how to exercise this ability in UR Student. No overload petition will be required.

Students not meeting overload eligibility for 20-22.99 credits: these students may petition to register for more than 19.99 credit hours using the form.

Students wishing to register for 23-24 credits: these students must meet requirements per policy above. Regardless of year level or performance, they must also complete the .

Audits: Credit hours associated with courses enrolled as audits count towards the total number of credits taken in the semester and are subject to the same restrictions and petition process. Additionally, be advised that the ÂÒÂ×Ç¿¼é does not count courses registered for audit toward full-time status and require the permission of the instructor. More information is available in the advising handbook under audit courses.

Eastman/College Dual Degree: Dual degree students in the Eastman School of Music and College should review the policy section above for specifics on how the policies apply to their program.

Unapproved Overloads: At any point, students in an unapproved overload may have their schedule administratively adjusted so that they are enrolled in the appropriate number of credits.

Course Overload Petition

Students petitioning for an overload per the policy above should follow the procedure below:

• Discuss plans to overload with an advisor (either College advisor, major advisor, or CCAS advisor) before submitting the Course Overload Petition form.
• Submit the form and the add/drop form during the designated window.
• Attend the class(es) you wish to add and notify the course instructor that your official registration is pending an approved overload petition.
• Check UR email for a decision and communication regarding next steps.
• Login to UR Student and register for the approved credit hours. Remember, even if a course overload is approved, this does not guarantee enrollment in the course you identified.

Students should be aware of the following when completing the Course Overload petition:

• List only the course requested for the overload. It is only necessary to list the main section of the course (often this is the lecture section) for courses with multiple components.
• Submit supervised teaching (390), independent studies (391), and supervised research (395) courses in the petition, even if the registration for these courses is not yet fully complete.
• Provide a compelling and persuasive justification (3-5 sentences) for overloading. Petitions received without the justification will be denied.

Evaluation of Petitions

Students will be able to submit petitions in a specific submission window for each semester. Students missing this window will need to appeal to have their overload petition reviewed. Students can expect a response to their petition within one week of submission and no more than one week from the end of the window. The period of time during which petitions can be submitted each semester is approximately two weeks prior to the start of classes until the last day to add a course online in UR Student.

Petitions will be evaluated on the student’s ability to complete the proposed coursework, course fit with the student’s current educational goals and programs of study, presence of courses with non-standard credits (e.g. five- or six-credit courses), and the nature of the courses (e.g., independent studies or research, supervised teaching, etc.). Students should also be prepared to explain why the courses they have already registered for, must be taken in the current semester rather than in a future semester.

In addition, students requesting an overload of 23-24 credits will need to prove a compelling need to complete these credits for graduation or a similarly important academic purpose. Students should also be aware that multiple majors and minors are not automatically considered to be an academic “need” for overloading at 23-24 credit. These majors and minors must already be declared and approved if used as part of the justification for 23-24 credit overloads.

Why has the College modified the overload policy?

There are two major reasons for this change.

First, faculty and administrators in the College have noted an increase in student concerns about burn-out, mental, and physical fatigue, and depression or anxiety. Some have called this “toxic Meliora” when associated with peer pressure or personal motivations to keep adding additional activities or work to one’s life. These concerns can lead to mental health issues, poor work-life balance, poor academic outcomes, and even such issues as academic honesty violations. These are damaging to the students experiencing these issues and they are a source of worry for everyone in the College. The credit hour cap (i.e., a maximum of 24 credits allowed each semester) is meant to help students navigate these situations by reducing pressure to “do more.” It is consistent with a longstanding College value that students benefit from a deeper, more robust engagement with a smaller number of courses as opposed to maximizing how many are taken.

Second, the College has an obligation to ensure that the contact hours and workload associated with courses is consistent with their credit hours. This is a federal government mandate with implications for accreditation and federal financial aid, among other issues. This policy change will assist the College in meeting its requirements.

When did the new overload policy come into effect?

The new policy was phased in for students and fully implemented beginning in fall 2022.

What if I am a dual degree student?

Eastman-primary students in the Eastman/College dual degree program are not subject to this policy.

River Campus-primary students in the Eastman/College dual degree program are subject to this new policy. Students may petition the Eastman and College dean’s offices for approval to enroll in up to 28 credits by filling out the .

Note: This form should only be used for Eastman/College dual degree students or Eastman School of Music students. No other requests from students in the College will be accepted through this form.

Why am I encouraged to speak with an advisor before overloading?

Overloading allows students to explore courses and expands their academic options, but the additional coursework may come with stresses and strains that cause mental, emotional, and physical costs to the student. Advisors are a key resource to provide more objective advice on your situation, based often on years of experience with other students in similar situations. Additionally, students will discover, by consulting with career advisors in the Greene Center, that completing multiple credentials (e.g., a double major, a double minor) does not necessarily make you more competitive in your job search. This advice isn’t binding—your education is your own—but it can offer a useful perspective for evaluating options.

Are any additional tuition charges applicable if I choose to overload?

Full-time students are eligible to overload with no additional tuition charges.