Procedures for Students

Register for Certificate Courses

This checklist describes the sequence of steps needed to register for Certificate courses.

In general, communicate with the instructor (email addresses can be obtained from the faculty listing) if you have questions about the course content or getting instructor permission to register for the course. Communicate with Linda Winslow, the university registrar and director of student accounts, if you have questions about the registration process. Communicate with the Certificate directors (Judy Miller and Susan Wyckoff) if you have questions about the Certificate in general or have problems that cannot be resolved by the course instructor or the registrar.

Selecting courses:

  • Check the course schedule on the Certificate in College Teaching Web site for the schedule and description of the course(s) in which you are interested. Please note that some courses have as a prerequisite IDND30501 Seminar in College Teaching, and some courses may require instructor permission.

Pre-enrollment and Registration:

  • Despite the physical location (campus) where a Certificate course is taught, everyone taking it is registered at Clark. The course is supported by Clark's Registrar's Office and course Web management system.
  • Registration is generally available no later than eight (8) weeks before the course is scheduled to begin, but may be available sooner. Please note that some courses (especially the summer offering of IDND30501 Seminar in College Teaching) fill up rapidly, so early registration is advised.
  • All students must pre-enroll through the Consortium, and pay for all courses.
    • Pre-enroll through the online pre-enrollment form on this site. A pre-enrollment fee of $30 per student per semester, plus tuition (see below) are payable by credit card at the time of pre-enrollment. Have your card on hand before going to the pre-enrollment form.
    • Clark's Registrar, Linda Winslow, checks for enrollment information with the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, then registers the student at Clark.
    • It is Certificate in College Teaching policy not to allow auditors.

Tuition:

  • Students, faculty and staff from Consortium member institutions pay a reduced tuition rate of $290/credit in calendar year 2008. Tuition for non-Consortium participants is $435/credit in calendar year 2008.
  • Students are responsible for arranging for reimbursement of part or all of tuition from their home institutions or employers, if applicable. There are many ways in which you may be able to cover your tuition costs.
    • If you are a graduate student, check with your department chair or academic dean for information about institutional tuition assistance. (Clark students should contact Associate Dean Judy Miller for information about tuition reimbursement.)
    • If you are a faculty member, check with your department or institutional administration as to whether professional development funds may be available. (Clark faculty should contact Associate Dean Judy Miller for information about tuition reimbursement.)
    • Check with the Human Resources department at your place of work about tuition benefits that may apply to you.
    • Limited financial aid is available through the Colleges of Worcester Consortium; contact Susan Wyckoff for more information.
  • Once you are pre-enrolled with the Consortium and registered at Clark:
    • Note that Certificate courses often operate on nonstandard schedules. Be sure to check the start date of your course.
    • If you are not a Clark student, a Clark Account will be created for you within 24-48 hours of your registration at Clark. Please contact the Clark Help Desk for your Clark Account credentials and account activation information. When contacting the Help Desk, please be sure to specify that you are a Consortium student. If you wish to forward email sent to your Clark address to an alternate address, you may do so by following these forwarding instructions.
    • Many Certificate courses have Clark-managed course Web sites. These sites are generally not available until a few days before the course starts. Please contact the course instructor with questions about Web site availability.
    • Certificate courses are offered on a first-come first-served basis. Once registered, if your plans change, you must drop the course by contacting your instructor and the university registrar and director of student accounts. Failure to drop the course will not only prevent another student from taking your place but will result in your receiving a failing grade for that course.

Tuition refunds:

  • If a student drops a course (by contacting Linda Winslow, the university registrar and director of student accounts) within two (2) working days after the first class meeting, s/he is eligible for a full refund of tuition. That is, if the class meets on Thursday evening, the student will receive a tuition refund if s/he formally drops by the close of business on the following Monday. Dropping a course within two (2) days results in no notation on the student transcript. The student should request a refund by contacting Susan Wyckoff.
  • If a student withdraws from a course (by contacting the registrar) more than two (2) working days but within five (5) working days of the first class meeting, s/he is eligible for a 50% refund of tuition. Withdrawal after the two-day deadline results in a "W" grade on the Clark transcript. The student should request a refund by contacting Susan Wyckoff.
  • Pre-enrollment fees are not refundable.
  • Failure to withdraw or to complete the course will result in a grade of F on the student's transcript.
  • Students who have received tuition reimbursement from Clark and who drop or withdraw from the course are required to reimburse Clark for the full amount of tuition and pre-enrollment fees they received.

Getting your grade:

  • Instructors will grade all students on Clark's letter grade +/- system. Students will have access to their grade using Clark's Web student tool.
  • If an official transcript is required, download the transcript request form, fill out the form and either mail or fax to Clark University using the information on the form. An official transcript should be sent to Susan Wyckoff (only if you are completing a Certificate) and to your home institution (if you want the course credit to be counted toward your degree).
  • Please note that the decision about whether to allow Certificate courses to be counted toward your graduate degree is up to your advisor and department.