New schedule bumps up start of classes, adds $250 late fee

Classes will begin Aug. 25.

The Faculty Senate approved changing the 1997 fall semester start date from Thursday, Aug. 28 to the preceding Monday. The Labor Day holiday is the following Monday.

Without the change, there would have been two days of classes followed by three days of vacation, a situation deemed unacceptable by the senate's President's Council, according to the May 3, 1993, Faculty Senate minutes.

The change in scheduling was not immediately approved because it needed to be coordinated with the opening of residence halls and freshman orientation.

The Faculty Senate approved the change Oct. 7, 1996 for the UA's five-year academic calendar.

Another change beginning next semester that students need to be aware of is a new $250 penalty for unpaid registration beginning Sept. 15, said Jean Johnson, associate controller of student services at the Bursar's Office.

The penalty for unpaid registration is currently $100 and there is no additional penalty from that day to the last day of the semester, she said.

"The goal is not to collect penalties but for students to be enrolled and paid by the beginning of the semester," Johnson said.

Johnson said the Bursar's Office has seen a continual drop in the number of late penalties students have received since the fall 1994.

She said the drop in penalties is a result of increased publicity of late charges by the Bursar's Office to students and departments.

Other changes for the upcoming fall semester include:

• A dean's signature being required on the change of schedule form when changing from audit to credit and vice versa, beginning Oct. 17.

• Students who completely withdraw from the university through the Dean of Students Office will be "automatically" awarded grades of "W" as the withdrawal grade. At the end of the term, instructors will be allowed the option of changing this "W" grade to an "E" (failing) grade if the student was failing the class at the time of the student's withdrawal.

Telephone registration for the fall semester using the Registration System Via Phone will begin by priority group April 5.

The printed schedule of classes will be available in Room 9 in the basement of Bear Down Gym today and tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Distribution of schedules will then move to the UA Associated Students Bookstore during its regular store hours.

The online version of the schedule of classes is also available at http://www.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/schedule/schedule-entry.pl