Recommendation from the Undergraduate Studies Committee (Steve Hastings, Chair) for the following resolution to be added to the UD Catalogue in 2014

WHEREAS, undergraduate students follow degree requirements set forth by the academic catalog in the year they matriculate into a degree-seeking program at the University of Delaware and

WHEREAS, undergraduate students enrolled at UD should meet their degree requirements within a reasonable time period and

WHEREAS, most peer institutions impose a limit of time for enrolled students to complete degree requirements and enforce limits of catalog/curriculum eligibility for students who separate from their institutions and later return through a readmission process and

WHEREAS, there is no current policy that addresses the historical practice of stating that students are eligible for degree requirements set forth by the academic catalog in the year they matriculate into a degree-seeking program and

WHEREAS, there is no current policy to impose any limit to a readmitted student’s eligibility to a catalog’s degree requirements and the unintended consequence allows students to be readmitted under outdated curriculum requirements and be it therefore

RESOLVED, that undergraduate students are to follow the degree requirements stipulated in the academic catalog in the year they matriculate into a degree-seeking program at the University of Delaware.

Upon matriculation, students have seven calendar years to complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree and are eligible to elect to follow degree requirements from any subsequent catalog within those seven years with consultation with an advisor or academic assistant dean.

Students who fail to complete degree requirements within seven calendar years relinquish the right to graduate under the requirements set forth in the catalog at their time of matriculation and may be held to current degree requirements. Exceptions to remain in a catalog beyond the seven calendar years must be approved by a student’s academic assistant dean.

If a student loses matriculation for non-enrollment, an application for readmission is required. Students accepted for readmission will be held to the degree requirements in place at the time of readmission.