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MSU Denver Mandatory Participation Verification Policy
Check your syllabus for each course, each semester.
MSU Denver is required to ensure that all students have actively participated in their courses due to Title IV regulations. This is completed on the published census date for all full-term and shorter-term courses (e.g., Winterim, Maymester). To determine the census date for your course, refer to the course dates listed either in the Part of Term schedule or within your course syllabus.
Faculty defines what constitutes participation in each of their respective courses, and this information will be provided in the course syllabus. The course syllabus is typically available the first day of the course. If a student is indicated as not participating, they may be administratively dropped by the Office of the Registrar on the coinciding census date/participation deadline. Students will receive notification through their student email once they have been dropped.
Tuition and fee charges will be adjusted according to the refund policy for the course where non-participation was reported. It’s important to note that this may also impact eligibility for programs such as Financial Aid and Scholarships, Veterans Education Benefits, and students attending on an F-1 Visa.
For more information, please review the Participation Policy FAQs below.
The Participation Policy can be found in the 2024 – 2025 Academic Catalog.
Student FAQ for Participation Policy
Instructors will provide detailed information regarding what constitutes “participation” in each of their respective courses through the syllabus. This can range anywhere from submitting an assignment, to engaging in classroom activities.
Please take the time to carefully read and analyze your syllabi for each course to understand specific requirements, as they may vary.
Expectations are not solely based on the type of course delivery method you have registered for.
Students may view all course syllabi in their Canvas online account via mobile app or desktop. The course syllabus is typically available the first day of the course.
Canvas is MSU Denver’s official learning management system for course administration, content delivery, class-based collaboration, and more.
If you do not begin participating in academically related activities in each course by the census date as defined by the instructor, you may be dropped from the course(s) and therefore your financial aid will be prorated or canceled for the semester.
This may require you to repay all or a portion of the financial aid already paid to your student account resulting in a balance owed.
Students who do not demonstrate academic engagement by the term census date may be dropped from each course as reported by the instructor. As applicable, a reduction or cancellation of your financial aid may result in an outstanding balance on your account summary as found on your Student Hub.
Please visit the Office of the Bursar’s website at https://www.msudenver.edu/bursar for more information regarding your account and how to pay any outstanding balances.
Tuition and fee charges will be adjusted in accordance with the refund policy for the course in which non-participation was reported. The refund policy may vary depending on the length of the course, such as full term or shorter-term courses (e.g., Winterim, Maymester).
Refunds will be issued through an automated process by the Bursar’s Office once the administrative drop has been triggered.
To expedite any refund process, students are encouraged to enroll in direct deposit before the start of term. This will allow them to receive funds faster compared to receiving a paper check. Instructions on how to set up direct deposit can be found here.
While this requirement has a direct impact on students receiving financial aid, it is also crucial for the university’s enrollment reporting to accurately reflect who is enrolled.
Regardless of their financial aid status, the Office of the Registrar will administratively drop a student from their class(es) if they have no academic activity.
Students who demonstrate that they did participate in an academically related activity and were inadvertently dropped, have the option to request reinstatement into the course(s) with instructor(s) permission.
The student will receive an email notifying them that they have been dropped. A link to the Participation Policy Reinstatement form will be included in the email. Students must request reinstatement within two business days after being dropped. The student will provide the faculty email address and the form will be electronically routed to the instructor and, if approved, will be sent to the Office of the Registrar for processing.
Once the student is registered, they will receive notification via their student email.
Suppose you met the participation requirement for the course and were inadvertently dropped. In that case, you can complete the Participation Policy Reinstatement form within TWO (2) BUSINESS DAYS of the census date for the class.
Suppose you were dropped from a class because you did not participate before the census deadline. In that case, you can work with the academic department to determine if Late Enrollment is an appropriate next step.
IF YOU SUBMIT A PARTICIPATION POLICY REINSTATEMENT FORM, DO NOT COMPLETE A LATE ENROLLMENT FORM UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT YOUR REQUEST FOR REINSTATEMENT WAS DENIED.
Students will receive notification to their student email within 24 hours of being administratively dropped.
Read more about part of term if you have questions about census dates, and always review the Academic Calendar for important deadlines.
Instructors must report students who have not participated by the census date for the course. Drop deadlines and reinstatement deadlines can be found here.
The deadline to submit a Participation Policy Reinstatement Form is two business days after census. The specific deadlines can be found here.
No, the course will not appear on the student’s transcript and no grade will be recorded. This process does not impact the students GPA.
Faculty and Staff FAQ for Participation Policy
The deadline for instructors to report non-participation is 12 p.m. on the census day of the course.
Census date for each part of term can be viewed here.
The steps to report non-participation can be found here.
Please note that this should be done in Firefox or Google Chrome. The Faculty Feedback function will not work in a Safari web browser.
A drop will remove the student from the roster and adjusts tuition and fee balances. A drop will not appear on the student’s official transcript.
A withdrawal is when a student remains on the roster and receives a “W” as the notation on their official transcript. A withdrawal does not come with an adjustment to tuition and fees.
The census date for each course at 12 p.m. is the deadline for all courses. These dates can be found here.
If the student was reported in error, they should submit the Mandatory Participation Policy Reinstatement Form within two business days for your approval. If approved, the form will be routed to the Office of the Registrar for processing. Once enrolled, the student will be notified and reappear on your class roster.
Yes, this process has not been changed and will be required.
Each instructor may track this differently. Instructors are required to define how participation is tracked in their syllabus. Please contact your department chair for guidance.
The student will be removed from the course roster after the census date. For additional help verifying this information, email the Records and Registration Team at [email protected].
Once the instructor has reported non-participation, the Office of the Registrar will drop the student.
Suppose a student was inadvertently dropped from a class for non-participation. In that case, they can complete the Participation Policy Reinstatement form within TWO (2) BUSINESS DAYS of the census date for the class.
If a student was correctly dropped due to not participating before the census deadline, the process for students to reenroll is the Late Enrollment process with the academic department’s approval.
IF A STUDENT HAS ALREADY SUBMITTED A MANDATORY PARTICIPATION VERIFICATION REINSTATEMENT FORM, DO NOT COMPLETE A LATE ENROLLMENT FORM UNLESS THEY DO NOT QUALIFY FOR REINSTATEMENT UNDER THE NON-PARTICIPATION POLICY. THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR CAN CONFIRM IF A MANDATORY PARTICIPATION VERIFICATION REINSTATEMENT FORM HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.
No action is needed.
Yes, both Undergraduate and Graduate level students and classes.