Registrar's Office FAQ - Office of the Registrar

Registrar’s Office Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General

1. When are final exams?

Final Exams are held during the last week of each semester. Typically, this falls during the first full week of May during spring semester and the second full week of December during fall semester. Specific dates can be found in the academic calendar. The semester-specific Final Exam schedule is posted by the fifth week of the semester.

2. When is the first/last day of class?

Class start and end dates vary slightly from year to year and are listed on the academic calendar.

3. Why do Thursday/Friday classes meet on Tuesday/Wednesday in the last week of the fall semester?

During the fall semester, classes are not held on Labor Day (Monday), Thanksgiving (Thursday), and the day after Thanksgiving (Friday). In order to ensure that the each course has thirteen full weeks of instruction, these three days of class are added to the end of the semester, and the classes that were not held on holidays are held before the Reading Period begins.

4. How does a student take a Leave of Absence or a Medical Leave of Absence? What is the difference between a Leave of Absence and an Emergency Absence? How does a student withdraw from college?

To initiate the leave or withdrawal process with the office of Student Life, first check here. If you still have questions, please contact student-life@reed.edu.

Students

1. When should I file a Declaration of Major form?

Students may declare a major any time after completing 13 Reed units (excluding PE), preferably at the end of the second year, and must declare after completing 16 units.

2. How do I transfer credit from another institution?

Students can request transfer credit by filling out a Request for Transfer Credit form, and having an official transcript sent directly from the institution where you took the course. Information and policies relating to transfer credit can be found here.

3. How can I see my grades? How can I see my GPA? Can I get an unofficial copy of my transcript?

The Registrar’s Office does not produce student grade reports or unofficial transcripts. If you want to see your grades or GPA, you should first contact your academic adviser. If you need a copy of your transcript, instructions for requesting transcripts can be found here. If you need a letter verifying your enrollment/GPA for insurance or other purposes, information for requesting this letter can be found here.

4. How do I change my address/phone number?

You can update your information in IRIS any time under ‘Personal Info’ – ‘Information Update’. If for whatever reason you are unable to access your IRIS account, you can update your information by submitting a signed letter to the Registrar’s Office.

5. If I'm on a wait list, is there anything I can do to get into the class?

The college strives to accommodate all students who want to take a particular course and who have met the prerequisites. This is balanced with the belief that course enrollment should facilitate effective teaching and learning. Most conferences are limited to 24 students. Once 24 students have enrolled, students may place themselves on a wait list. When space becomes available, the next student on the list will be notified and be given a period of time (typically 48 hours) to secure the open spot. Students still on the wait list at the start of the semester should go to class to see whether all the enrolled students decide to remain in the class.

6. Is it possible to do an off-campus independent PE class? If so, how?

A student who has completed 4 units of PE at Reed (or via transfer credit to Reed from another institution) may be eligible to receive up to 2 PE credits from off-campus PE, provided that the physical activity takes place in a professional facility, is supervised by a fitness professional and meets for at least two hours per week for seven weeks during the academic quarter for which the student is registered. A proposal for and approval of the activity must be submitted to the Director of Athletics, Fitness and Outdoor Programs prior to registering for off-campus PE. Some exceptions to this policy may be possible in consideration of individual student circumstances. Contact Michael Lombardo at 503-777-7542 or lombardm@reed.edu for details about this process or to request approval.

7. How do I check my schedule of classes?

While SOLAR is not always available for students to check their schedule, IRIS is. You may check your schedule of classes through your IRIS account at any time.

8. How do I request an exception or a waiver to an academic policy or deadline?

Students must submit a petition to the administration committee requesting an exception or waiver of any academic policy or deadline. Students should stop by the registrar’s office prior to completing the petition form for a short chat to ensure the petition statement contains all of the relevant information the committee will need to make a well-informed decision. You can download the petition for waiver of policy form here.

9. I’m about to miss a deadline to add, drop, or withdraw from a class, what should I do?

Contact the registrar’s office before the end of the deadline day. It may be possible to receive a one-day extension of the deadline. If you have not been able to secure the signature of the instructor(s) and/or the adviser, you may ask another faculty to sign for the missing faculty member. Faculty are not required to sign for colleagues, but in certain cases may have been authorized to do so.

10. Does Reed grant credit for AP, IB, GCE A-Levels, CLEP, Abitur exams, or dual-enrollment coursework?

Reed grants credit for most AP exams with scores of 4 or 5, as will as IB Higher Level scores of 5 or greater. For GCE A-Levels, Abitur exams, and dual-enrollment coursework, some credit may be granted. Reed does not grant credit for CLEP tests, or for vocational, experiential or technical coursework. More information about these policies can be found here.

11. How do I go about asking for a change of grade?

First, check with your instructor to be sure they have taken into account all of your submitted assignments. If you believe the grade is unfair or incorrect, you should refer to the process outlined here.

Faculty

1. How do I reserve a room or change my classroom?

If a room is needed (or a room change is requested) for a regularly scheduled academic class, or a final exam, faculty may contact Sarah Sharp (sharps@reed.edu, or registrar@reed.edu ). If a room is needed for any other sort of event (one-time meetings, non-academic functions, etc.), contact Conference and Events Planning at 503-777-7522 or cep@reed.edu.

2. How do I change the description, title, or number of my course?

Get in touch with Sarah Sharp (sharps@reed.edu, or registrar@reed.edu) for details on this process. In some cases, the update process is simple; in other cases, it requires approval from the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning.

Parents

1. How do I verify enrollment for my child's good student discount, health insurance, or other need?

The Registrar’s Office can verify a student’s or alum’s enrollment status and dates of attendance for various purposes, including insurance coverage, internship/scholarship applications, visa applications, loan deferments, etc. The Registrar’s Office is only able to verify a student’s enrollment during a semester once that semester has begun. Before a semester begins, we can only verify that a student is registered and expected to enroll. Check with your agency to see if this will suffice.

Reed can verify a grade point average when requested by a student or a parent for whom the student has signed an Academic Information Release Form. These requests must be made in writing with the signature of the student (or parent).

For questions about verifications, please contact the Registrar's Office by e-mail at registrar@reed.edu.