Academics

Additionally, the Registrar's Office has consolidated all of the need-to-know information for whichever undergraduate group you maybe belong to:

For more information on topics such as the Flex Term, Timing of Enrollment, and Leave of Absence please visit the Registrar's Office here.

• Grading policies adopted by the Academic Senate
  • • All University courses offered for a letter grade must also offer students the option of taking the course for a “credit” or “no credit” grade, with the exception of courses offered by the Graduate School of Business, the School of Law, and the School of Medicine M.D. Program, unless opted in by those schools.
    • Units of credit taken for a “credit” or “satisfactory” grade will not count toward the 36-unit maximum of credits (27 credits for transfer students) not taken for a letter grade that may be applied toward the 180 units required for the bachelor’s degree.
    •  The senate urges deans, departments, and programs to consider adopting local policies to count courses taken for a “credit” or “satisfactory” grade toward the fulfillment of degree program requirements and/or alter program requirements as appropriate.
    • Courses taken as “credit” or “no credit” may be eligible to fulfill general education requirements pending review by the Breadth Governance Board (for Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing); the Thinking Matters Governance Board (for Thinking Matters); the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (for PRW1 and PRW2 classes); and the Writing and Rhetoric Review Board for Writing in the Major.

For more information on grading policy changes for your specific department go here.

• How can I learn more about Flex Term and what opportunities are accessible to me during this special quarter?

  • Flex Terms are an opportunity for undergrads to participate in Stanford activities, such as student organizations, research, or Cardinal Service without the requirement of full-time enrollment. It is similar to a Summer quarter in a traditional academic year. Undergraduates are limited to one Flex Term during the 2020-2021 academic year and are expected to enroll full time in the three remaining quarters. Students are not required to take a Flex Term and have the opportunity to enroll full time for four quarters or to take a Leave of Absence. You can learn more about Stanford's new Flex Term for 2020-21 here, along with the new requirement to complete a quarterly check-in.

• What are the dates for the 2020-21 Academic Calendar?

  • The Steering Committee of the Faculty Senate has approved Academic Calendar dates consisting of 10-week quarters that do not include final exam periods. You can find a more detailed academic calendar listing at the University Registrar's site.

  • Autumn: The autumn quarter, which will only have undergraduate students on campus who have been approved for residency through the exceptions process, begins Sept. 14, 2020, and end November 20, 2020. 
  • Winter: The winter quarter will begin Jan. 11, 2021, and end March 19, 2021. Please note that a staggered winter quarter move-in process is in effect for frosh, sophomores and first-year transfers who elect to live on campus in winter quarter. All students living on campus will complete a two-week travel quarantine upon arrival.
  • Spring: The spring quarter, which is scheduled to welcome juniors and seniors back to campus, will begin March 29, 2021, and end June 4, 2021. Commencement will remain scheduled for Sunday, June 13, 2021.
  • Summer: The summer quarter will begin June 21, 2021, and end August 27, 2021, in time to allow a September break before the 2021-22 academic year begins. No final determination has been made at this time about which cohort(s) will be on campus during this quarter.
• When can students register for courses and what courses are available?

  • Visit ExploreCourses to view available courses for 2020-21. Most students can begin registering for winter courses on beginning Dec. 6. 

• Will courses have final exams?

  • Classes will not have a final exam period. Final exams, in classes that use them, should be replaced by continuous assessment spread through the quarter, which could include several spaced take-home exams in place of a single final exam.

• Will students take courses online, even if they’re living on campus?

  • To ensure that all students have access to the necessary classes for their academic progress, we expect most, if not all, courses to be online for the 2020-2021 academic year.

• Will all class offerings be made available with an online option?

  • No. There are some courses for which there is a required component that can only be done in person.

• Will there be classes that have both an online offering and an in-person offering?

  • Some departments may choose to offer a section online and a section in person with the latter abiding by current public health guidelines and Stanford safety protocols. Explore Courses will have information about the limited number of sections that are in-person. Students also will be able to search for any in-person options.

     

• Will students be able to view the whole year’s course schedule and which quarters the courses will be offered before selecting which quarters they plan to be enrolled?

  • Yes. Explore Courses provides course lists for online and in-person instruction for all four quarters.

• How many quarters should an undergraduate student enroll in during the 2020-21 academic year?

  • Undergraduate students are expected to enroll in three of the four quarters during the 2020-21 academic year.

• What will the grading policy be for 2020-21?

  • The Faculty Senate approved new grading policies for the 2020-2021 academic year. All undergraduate and graduate courses will either be Student Option, which allows you the choice of Letter Grade or Credit/No Credit (CR/NC), or Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC). No courses will be offered as letter grade only. For more information around policies and processes related to grading, please go here.

• How is Stanford working to ensure students get the courses they need for degree progress?

  • Academic programs and departments are examining how to adjust course schedules. There are likely to be changes to the quarter in which a course is typically offered. Stanford will be revising course offerings over the four quarters to ensure that students can make appropriate degree progress. If you are concerned about degree progress, please reach out to your academic advisor.

• How can students get help with course selection?

  • Your VPUE academic advisor is available to help you plan for and enroll in your three academic quarters. You are invited to reach out to your Academic Advising Director or AARC Advisor if you would like to discuss academic planning.

• Are seniors required to enroll in 3 quarters?

  • Seniors can enroll in just 2 quarters if they can complete the remainder of their requirements within that timeline.

• How can I make plans for pursuing Stanford-funded research, Cardinal quarter and other experiential opportunities?

  • Full-time Stanford-funded research, Cardinal Quarter, or other experiential opportunities available only after two full-time enrolled terms. Students may take Flex Term on campus in the spring or summer during their cohort's assigned on-campus term if enrolled in full-time Stanford-funded research, Cardinal Quarter, or other experiential opportunity (with approval by VPUE).
    
    Please note: if you are a junior or senior who has chosen Spring quarter to pursue a full-time authorized Stanford-funded opportunity during your Flex Quarter, Feb. 16 is the deadline to apply to live in campus housing with your class cohort. Even if you are only considering the option, please submit a housing application. There will be a check box on the housing application where you can indicate that you are pursuing an experiential learning opportunity and would like to live on campus during your Flex term. The application can be cancelled without penalty at any time leading up to Spring quarter. Look for an email from Residential & Dining Enterprises for more information on how to apply for housing in early February. 
    
    SUMMER QUARTER UPDATE: Undergraduate researchers who are enrolled in summer quarter and live in the local area may be approved to work in campus labs following an application/approval process outlined on the research recovery site.

• Will there be study abroad/away options for 2020-21?

  • BOSP has suspended all Autumn, Winter and Spring quarter programs for 2020-21. An array of summer quarter programs in 2021 are still being planned. Keep up with the latest study away news here.

• What is the current Leave of Absence policy? How do students submit a LOA?

  • Undergraduates may take one quarter away from Stanford without having to file for a leave of absence (LOA). If a student takes more than one quarter away, then a LOA form is required, or the student would be discontinued in their second quarter without enrollment. Visit the University Registrar site for more detailed information about the Leave of Absence policy.