Policies & Procedures
The Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF) has various policies and procedures unique to the program. As an FPF student, you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with them.
Grade Policy
Adding & Dropping Courses
Program Cancellations & Withdrawals
Student Conduct
Transcripts of FPF Courses
Transferring Credit to UC Berkeley
Concurrent Enrollment Policy
Grade Policy
All courses in the Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF) must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of Rhetoric 2, which is only offered as Pass/Not Pass.
Students must earn a minimum 2.0 grade-point average (GPA) in FPF or their admission to the spring term at UC Berkeley is subject to cancellation. Students will be notified by the UC Berkeley Office of Undergraduate Admissions before spring semester instruction begins if their final average GPA for FPF courses falls below a 2.0.
All grades assigned at the end of the term by an FPF instructor are final, with the exception of In Progress (IP) or Incomplete (I) grades. Once final grades are submitted, students may not negotiate grade changes with instructors. Please direct any grade issues to the FPF Administration, which coordinates the necessary procedures.
Note: IP grades are only allowed in FPF College Writing courses.
Incompletes
On an exceptional basis, the grade "I" (Incomplete) may be assigned by an instructor if the student's work in a course has been of passing quality but is incomplete due to circumstances beyond the student's control. Incompletes must be formally documented in writing and approved by the FPF Administration prior to the end of the semester. Strict policies, procedures, and deadlines apply to incomplete grade assignments and the completion of student work. Deadlines and procedures in which a student must complete the required work are different than those published by the UC Berkeley campus. Please contact the FPF administration for more information. If left unresolved the grade "I" (Incomplete) automatically converts to "F" (Failure) after one year and becomes part of the student’s permanent academic record. F is a final permanent grade.
Student Grade Appeals Policy and Procedures
FPF uses the same grounds for grievance as the UC Berkeley campus. Grounds for grievance are: application of such non-academic criteria such as consideration of race, politics, religion, sex, or other criteria not directly reflective of performance related to course requirements; sexual harassment; or improper academic procedures that unfairly affect a student's grade.
Informal Resolution of Contested Grades
A student may initiate a grade appeal by contacting the FPF Administration by the end of the second week of February. The following formal procedure may not be activated unless the student, instructor(s) in charge, FPF Administration, and the appropriate UC Berkeley Extension department director have failed to resolve the dispute.
Formal Grade Grievance Process
A student dissatisfied with the outcome of attempts to resolve the dispute at the department level may within 30 days of receiving a final determination from the FPF Administration, submit a formal grade grievance in writing to the Dean of UC Berkeley Extension c/o the Registrar’s Office, UC Berkeley Extension, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 110, Berkeley, CA 94704-7000. Within seven days of the receipt of such grievance, the Dean or the delegate of the Dean shall determine whether or not the grievance meets the criteria for further consideration, and if it does, shall convene a Grade Grievance Committee ad hoc to review the grade grievance (see Grade Grievance Committee below).
Upon receiving the grievance, the Committee will send a copy of the student's complaint to the instructor. The instructor will reply in writing within 15 days. A copy of the instructor’s response will be sent to the student. The Committee shall base its recommendations on this written material but may, at the request of the grievant, provide the grievant the opportunity to review his or her grade(s) at the Committee's review meeting. When such request is received, the instructor will be notified and shall be given the opportunity to attend the review meeting. The grievant must request this opportunity within 15 days of receiving the copy of the instructor's written response to the student's complaint.
Grade Grievance Committee review meetings are not conducted according to formal rules of procedure and evidence. The Grade Grievance Chair determines the structure of the meeting. Members of the Grade Grievance Committee receive and review the student’s grievance and the instructor’s response prior to the review meeting. Committee members prepare questions they may have prior to the review meeting. The student and the instructor have a right to have their own individual interview with the committee prior to their closed session deliberations. During this interview the student has an opportunity to present the grievance, the instructor has an opportunity to present the response, and members of the committee have an opportunity to ask questions of each party during their respective interview. Once the Grade Grievance Committee has completed its questioning of the parties, the committee will enter closed session deliberations.
The Grade Grievance Committee's recommendation to the Dean of Extension, including minority view if any, must be given in writing within 30 days of the completion of the Committee’s review meeting. The decision of the Dean shall be rendered within 15 days of receipt of the recommendation. If the Dean finds for the student, the Dean may:
1. withdraw the student from the course;
2. adopt the letter grade, if any, that has been recommended by the Grade Grievance Committee members; or
3. offer the student some options for remedy.
Grade Grievance Committee
The Grade Grievance Committee is appointed ad hoc by the Dean of Extension for each formal grade grievance on a case by case basis in order to ensure that the committee members are objective parties who have not previously been involved in trying to resolve the grade appeal informally. The Grade Grievance Committee shall consist of five members, one of whom will be designated Chair, and three of whom will constitute a quorum of the Committee. Committee members will consist of one Department Director, one Program Director, one non-academic staff member, one instructor, and one student in good academic standing.
Adding & Dropping Courses
Once you submit a Course Selection Form (CSF), you can only change your Reading & Composition (R&C) and Math & Statistics courses before instruction begins. You may make changes to Breadth courses later, after instruction begins.
Before Classes Begin
To request changes to your R&C and Math & Statistics courses before classes begin, e-mail us at fallfrosh@unex.berkeley.edu. Please make sure the new course fits with your current class schedule and we will make the change if space is available.
If you are requesting a higher-level R&C course, you will need to fax or mail us the test scores that qualify you for that course. Read more about the R&C requirement on the Reading & Composition Courses page.
After Classes Begin
The Add/Drop period is the first two weeks of instruction. You may add and drop courses, including Breadth courses, during this period on a space-available basis. You may continue to drop courses only (not add) through the fifth week of instruction. Adding and dropping courses after instruction begins must be done in person and by appointment with an FPF advisor. Students may not drop courses after the drop deadline.
Program Cancellations & Withdrawals
Before the Drop Deadline (end of fifth week of instruction)
If you do not wish to attend UC Berkeley's Fall Program for Freshmen but have already sent in your Reservation Form and nonrefundable deposit, or instruction has begun, you will need to make a formal written request to cancel and withdraw in order to stop the billing process on your account. If you have made a payment beyond the nonrefundable deposit, you will be responsible for a prorated fee as set by the UC Campus schedule for fee adjustments.
After the Drop Deadline
The academic drop deadline is strictly enforced by campus and FPF. Withdrawing from the program after the drop deadline requires a written petition by the student addressed to the FPF Late Drop Appeals Committee stating the reason for withdrawing, accompanied by supporting documentation, such as a letter from a healthcare professional. The petition must be approved by FPF before the withdrawal is processed. Until it is approved, the student is enrolled in the program and in their courses. Students who petition to withdraw from the program and stop attending classes but do not obtain approval by FPF will generate a UC Berkeley Extension transcript indicating failing grades in all FPF courses. If the petition to withdraw from the program after the drop deadline is approved, the student will not generate a UC Berkeley Extension transcript.
Financial Aid and Housing
Withdrawing from the program at any time after classes begin may affect your financial aid and housing. For more details on the effects of withdrawal, it is critical that you discuss your case with an FPF staff member as early as possible. Please visit the UC Berkeley Financial Aid Office website for information on the possible effects of withdrawal on your financial aid.
Student Conduct
UC Berkeley and the FPF program take student conduct very seriously. When students register for the Fall Program for Freshmen, they join an academic community in which each person makes the commitment to behave with academic integrity and to accept the civil and civic responsibilities that ensure the freedom of expression of other community members. UC Berkeley Extension and FPF adhere to the UC Berkeley campus policy on academic integrity and social conduct. All FPF students are expected to know their rights and responsibilities.
Please review
* Campus Life and Leadership Student Conduct page
* Informal Resolution Process: The UC Berkeley Extension Code of Student Conduct
* Formal Resolution Process: UC Berkeley Campus Code of Student Conduct
You may also speak with your instructors or FPF staff if you have questions about appropriate academic practices. While we adhere as closely to campus policy in these matters, there are differences in how academic dishonesty issues are processed within the Fall Program for Freshmen and UC Berkeley Extension. While at FPF, suspicions or allegations of academic dishonesty must be reported to the program administration. These will be dealt with promptly and judiciously by instructors and the FPF administration and may result in serious academic consequences.
FPF attempts to resolve issues surrounding academic dishonesty at the instructional and administrative level of the program. Certain offenses, however, may be referred to the Center for Student Conduct and Community Standards for review and further adjudication.
[Back to Top]Transcripts of FPF Courses
If you are a current FPF student, your FPF academic record will be automatically sent to the UC Berkeley Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the end of the fall semester. Additionally, UC Berkeley Extension will send a final grade report for each course to the permanent address on record in January. FPF coursework will be available to view on Bear Facts by mid-April.
You may request an official transcript of your FPF coursework once you have completed the Fall Program for Freshmen. Submit your request to the UC Berkeley Extension Records Office by mail or fax. For more information, see UC Berkeley Extension Transcripts and Records.
UC Berkeley Extension Records Office
1995 University Ave., Suite 110
Berkeley, CA 94704-7000
(510) 642-4172
Transferring Credit to UC Berkeley
Courses in the UC Berkeley Extension FPF curriculum are equivalent to those offered on the Berkeley campus. All passing semester units and grades earned in the FPF program are automatically transferred to UC Berkeley at the end of the fall semester. FPF units completed will count toward graduation. Courses meet various requirements and grades earned will be computed as part of your UC Berkeley grade point average (GPA). Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 at FPF or spring admission is subject to cancellation. FPF grades become available on Bear Facts in mid-April.
Your FPF grades are also part of your permanent record at UC Berkeley Extension.
[Back to Top]Concurrent Enrollment Policy
FPF course offerings are designed to help students meet UC Berkeley's general education requirements. Students with exceptional circumstances—such as those in theme houses, on ROTC scholarships, or who are eligible for advanced-level coursework—may petition for concurrent enrollment in campus courses.
E-mail a written request for concurrent enrollment to the Student Affairs Officer of the Fall Program for Freshmen at fallfrosh@unex.berkeley.edu before instruction begins.
Note: FPF will not approve units for all other campus coursework, including Freshmen Seminars, De-Cal courses, tutoring, internships, major prerequisites, or introductory-level coursework not offered at FPF.
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