Students may receive a partial refund if a request to withdraw from an Independent Studies course is made within two months of the enrollment date. A student will not be academically penalized for dropping a course at any time prior to taking the final examination.
The following policies govern the minimum time within which Independent Studies courses may be completed:
1. The minimum time permitted for completing an Independent Studies course is twelve weeks from the day Independent Studies receives the first course assignment.
2. Students may not submit more than one-fifth of the total number of required submissions in the course at one time.
3. Students may not submit assignments more often than once every two weeks unless all assignments previously submitted have been graded and returned by the instructor.
4. Examinations to be taken at The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill must be scheduled at least one week prior to the examination date, and those to be taken elsewhere must be scheduled at least three weeks prior to the examination date.
5. Examinations may not be scheduled unless four-fifths of the required submissions have been submitted, graded, and returned by the instructor.
6. Examinations may not be taken until all assignments have been submitted.
It is the responsibility of students facing personal deadlines to be certain that it is feasible to complete a given course within the constraints indicated above. Particular note should be taken of the number of assignments in the course and any regulations specific to individual courses, as indicated in the catalog description. Students facing deadlines are also advised before enrolling in an Independent Studies course to make certain that the teacher's schedule will permit grading the student's work promptly; however, students must recognize that the grading can only be done in accordance with the preceding regulations.
In addition, students who are attempting to meet a deadline, are advised to allow three weeks after they have taken the exam for their grade to reach the central records office of the University of North Carolina campus from which the course is offered. If a transcript is to be sent to another institution, additional time should be allowed. It is recommended that students facing deadlines contact the Independent Studies staff at least six weeks in advance of the planned completion date, indicating the specific deadline to be met and the institution to which course credit is to be reported.
In general, students are advised not to attempt to complete an Independent Studies course more rapidly than is absolutely necessary, and both students and instructors are encouraged to take full advantage of the instructional process available through the independent study method.
Ideally, students should submit only one assignment at a time and review the comments of the teacher on that assignment before submitting the next one. On the other hand, it should be recognized that assignments are not always graded and returned to the student promptly; in these instances, depending on the student's personal deadline and interest in maintaining a particular pace in completing a course, it may be advisable for the student to submit more than one assignment at a time but no more than the maximum permitted.