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. The deadline for grade appeals is Friday, Feb. 13, 2009.

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 documented and approved by the FPF Administration prior to the end of the semester.

Grade Appeals
FPF uses the same grounds for grievance as the UC Berkeley campus. Grounds for grievance are: alleged application of non-academic criteria such as consideration of race, politics, 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.

A student may initiate a grade appeal by contacting the FPF Administration by Feb. 13, 2009. The following grade Grievance Procedure may not be activated unless the student, instructor(s) in charge, FPF Administration, and the appropriate UC Berkeley Extension Department Chair have failed to resolve the dispute.

Grievance Procedure
The FPF Grievance Procedure follows processes set by UC Berkeley Extension.

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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. The last day to add a class is Fri., Sept. 12. The last day to drop courses is Fri., Sept. 26.

Before Classes Begin
To request changes to your R&C and Math & Statistics courses before classes begin, you can 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
Instruction begins on Aug. 27 and is followed by a two-week Add/Drop period. You may change courses, including Breadth courses, during this period on a space-available basis.

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Program Cancellations & Withdrawals

Before Classes Begin
If you do not wish to attend UC Berkeley Extension's FPF but have already sent in your Enrollment and Payment Form and nonrefundable deposit, you will need to make a formal written request to cancel your enrollment and stop the billing and registration process on your account. If you have made payment beyond the nonrefundable deposit, you will be responsible for a prorated fee as set by the UC campus schedule for fee adjustments.

After Classes Begin (Before Academic Drop Deadline)
You must submit a written intent to withdraw from FPF if you wish to withdraw from the program after classes begin, but before the drop deadline of Sept. 26. For more information on your remaining financial responsibility, please refer to 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 Appeal 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. 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 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.

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Student Conduct

UC Berkeley and the FPF program take student conduct very seriously. 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
* 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 campus office of Student Judicial Affairs for review and further adjudication.

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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 94720-7000
(510) 642-4172

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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.

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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. FPF can no longer consider petitions for Concurrent Enrollment in on-campus Math courses for Fall 2008. Please review our News & Updates page for more information.

E-mail a written request for concurrent enrollment to the Student Affairs Officer of the Fall Program for Freshmen at before classes begin on Aug. 27.

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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