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214 David Kinley Hall, MC-706
1407 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 244-7245
Fax: (217) 244-9992
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Academic System
Registration
Registration is completed by accessing UI-Integrate Self-Service a web-based registration system. New students obtain their network ID and password in the Business Study Abroad office, 214 DKH.
The University publishes an online “Class Schedule” each semester. The Class Schedule contains a list of all courses offered by each department for that semester. The Class Schedule is an invaluable source of information on registration and other University policies.
The University also offers a Course Catalog that provides more detailed descriptions of courses offered by each department but does not list the terms that the classes will be taught. If using the Course Catalog to select courses, make sure to also check the Class Schedule to determine if the courses will be offered the semester that you need them.
Adding and Dropping Courses
It is possible to add and drop classes during the semester. However, you should be aware of two things: there are deadlines for adding and dropping courses, and U.S. immigration regulations require foreign students to be registered “full-time”. Full-time registration is considered to be at least 12 semester hours.
Students should be aware of the official University “add” and “drop” dates. Adding and dropping or withdrawing from courses must be done officially. It is not possible to drop or withdraw from a class simply by no longer attending it. In such instances, the instructor will give you a failing grade.
“Hold”
A hold will prevent you from registering for classes. You cannot do anything with your course schedule until the hold is lifted. Also, if the hold is not lifted before 5:00 p.m. of the first day of instruction, you will lose the courses that you have registered for. You will have a McKinley Center hold until you receive your TB test and an ISSS hold until you attend the ISSS orientation.
Billing
You will receive bills regularly at your campus address. When you leave campus after your semester is over you will want to change your local address to your permanent address on UI-Integrate Self-Service, so that any remaining bills can be sent to you. Before you receive your final transcript, you will need to have all of your bills paid.
Grading System
The quality of a student work is measured by means of “grades”. There are twelve “passing” grades: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, and D- and one “failing” grade, F. A plus (+) or minus (-) attached to these letter grades represents about one third point each.
Typical American distribution of grades:
| A | Excellent | A's | 25% |
| B | Good | B's | 30% |
| C | Average | C's | 30% |
| D | Poor | D's | 10% |
| F | Failure | F's | 5% |
There are some other grades that appear on grade cards. They include S/U, CR/NC, Df, Ex, W and others. These are all explained on the back of the grade report, in the Timetable, and in the University’s Programs Catalog.
Methods of Instruction
The most common method of instruction here is the classroom lecture. Many large lectures are accompanied by discussion sections, especially at the undergraduate level, where graduate assistants supplement the professor’s lectures in smaller class discussions. Seminars are more common at the graduate level, and there are generally less students in each class.
Students are expected to contribute to discussions in the classroom. In many classes, part of your grade may be determined by your contribution to class discussion. In lecture situations, it may not be possible to ask questions, but you are always welcome to talk to the professor during his or her office hours. Instructors assume that you are not interested in the class if you do not talk with them or ask questions.
Term Papers
Many courses will require a “term paper” to be written. A term paper is based on study or research you have done in the laboratory or library. Your teacher will usually assign a term paper in the early part of the semester and usually constitute a significant portion of your course grade.
Examinations
You will have many examinations during your studies here. Almost every class has a final exam at the end of the semester that is scheduled during the week after the last day of classes. Most classes also have a mid term examination near the middle of the semester. There may be additional quizzes and papers throughout the semester. These are designed to assure that students are doing their work and to determine how much they are learning. Some teachers will give “take home examinations” either as final exams or during the semester. You are expected to take these home and work on them without the assistance of others. Take-home exams are more detailed, and you are expected to synthesize and summarize your knowledge instead of just copying things out of your textbooks and class notes.
Academic Honesty
Cheating means using unapproved aids to complete an assignment, quiz, or examination. Plagiarism means copying from a book or other publication and not acknowledging that the words used were authored by someone else. In general, students in the U.S. system are expected to do their own work. It is not permissible to have someone else do an assignment for you or to copy someone else’s assignment. It is also considered cheating if a student copies another student’s answer to an examination questions or if a student brings notes or books to an examination and secretly refers to them to answer examination questions.
In most cases, if cheating is detected, the student may receive a failing grade for the assignment or examination on which the cheating took place. It is also possible that a student who has been caught cheating will receive a failing grade for the course in which the cheating occurred, or will be referred to the Student Discipline Committee, and asked to leave the course, or even the University.
Students in the U.S. can be penalized for “plagiarism” or “cheating.” Plagiarism is the use, without attribution, of someone else’s thoughts or words. See the University's Code of Policies and Regulations to find out the exact definitions and penalties.
