Academic Policies and Procedures

Academic Advising

The University of Texas at Austin views sound academic advising as a significant responsibility in educating students. Academic advisors assist students in developing intellectual potential and exploring educational opportunities and life goals. Many people in the campus community contribute to the advising process, including faculty, staff, students, and professional advisors. Through the relationship established between advisor and student within a friendly, helpful, and professional atmosphere, a student has the opportunity to learn about educational options, degree requirements, and academic policies and procedures; clarify educational objectives; plan and pursue programs consistent with abilities, interests, and life goals; and use all resources of the University to the student's best advantage.

Ultimately, the student is responsible for seeking adequate academic advice, for knowing and meeting degree requirements, and for enrolling in appropriate courses to ensure orderly and timely progress toward a degree. Frequent advisor contact provides students with current academic information and promotes progress toward educational goals. The University supports that progress and encourages effective academic advising campus-wide.

The following terms are used throughout the Academic Policies and Procedures section.

Urgent. An event that happened after or immediately before the deadline, typically mid-semester or shortly thereafter, that was reasonably unforeseeable and beyond the student’s control. This event must have either prevented the student from meeting the deadline or significantly altered the student’s ability to successfully complete the class. Consideration will be given if the event or condition occurred before the deadline but significantly worsened after the deadline and the worsening of the condition prohibited the student from successfully completing the class.

Substantiated. The student must have credible documentation to corroborate the claims made in the appeal. This documentation may include, but is not limited to, documents from a law enforcement agency, court, or other governmental agency, hospital records or signed statements from physicians, and the bereavement records or obituaries.

Non-academic. The reason must be related to some issue outside the normal academic work, such as the onset of a major illness, accident, or sudden death of a family member. Any reasons having to do with the actual performance in the class will be considered academic.