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Mandatory Participation Policy
To comply with Title IV regulations for federal financial aid, 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).
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. 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.
Participation means a student engages in an “academically related activity” as defined in the course syllabus. Knowing that colleges, schools, and departments have unique approaches to tracking and evaluating attendance, any inclusion of language about non-participation in course syllabi should consider the guidelines of one’s home department and/or college/school. When faculty report that the student has not participated, the student will be administratively dropped from the course by the Registrar’s office. The student will no longer appear on the roster and will not receive a grade in the course. Here are some examples that were used for Fall 2023 for courses:
- Students must participate in this course at the start of the semester to ensure they are not dropped from the course. Participation is broadly defined. In this course, you indicate you are participating by signing into Canvas for the course and posting in the discussion or completing assignment No. 1. If you do not do either of these items, you will be dropped from the course.
- To meet Financial Aid rules, a student must actively participate in instructional activity for the course within the first two weeks of the semester. For the purpose of demonstrating participation, a student can attend a class either online of physically, take an exam, submit an academic assignment or interact with an instructor about academic matters.
- COMPLETE before the first class: The assignment in Module 1 is to be completed before the first class meeting. This will give the instructor and your classmates background on your interests in the course. (The instructions never say this is for mandatory participation, but it does that job.)
That said, if you have any questions regarding defining or tracking participation for your course(s), please get in touch with your Department Chair. For other questions regarding the process, please get in touch with the Office of the Registrar at [email protected].
While faculty are integral to ensuring this new Title IV requirement is met, the actions asked of faculty are manageable and include:
- Include the course definition of “participation” in each of your syllabi.
- Track student participation.
- Report students who did not “participate” in your course by census at noon.
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.
The process to report a student as non-participating will be done through the Faculty Hub in Banner Self-Service. Attached you will find the detailed step-by-step instructions to complete this process. This process is mandatory for all courses..
When faculty report that the student has not participated, the student will be administratively dropped from the course by the Registrar’s office. The student will no longer appear on the roster and will not receive a grade in the course. Participation must be collected and reported accurately.
When students are inaccurately reported or not reported, their tuition and fees, financial aid funding, etc., are significantly impacted. If you report a student as non-participating and they are dropped, only approve a reinstatement in the course if the student did NOT participate. The Mandatory Participation Verification Reinstatement form is ONLY for errors made by faculty. For more detailed information on this policy, please visit 8wo3.mblayst.com/registrar/student/participation-policy.
For more information, please review the Participation Policy FAQs available on the Office of the Registrar site.
This Early Bird article from August 2023 provides additional context as well.
Further information and language for sharing with students is also included in the annual Academic Catalogue.
What is Academic Advising?
MSU Denver students have access to professional academic advisors, faculty advisors, and exploratory advisors. Professional advisors are often those who work within a college/school or department. Faculty advisors are those faculty members who advise students and do so as part of the expectations that come with being a faculty member in their home department.
In addition to these two groups of advisors, students often need the support of Exploratory Advising, a unit made up of staff members within Student Affairs who support students who are exploring a potential major and degree path and/or have not yet declared a major at MSU Denver.
What is Exploratory Advising?
Exploratory Advising is a unit housed within the Classroom-to-Career (C2Hub) at MSU Denver. Exploratory advisors are staff members who help students figure out which major or degree path is best for them. These advisors focus on assisting students who are still exploring and remain “undeclared” as consider what path they want to take as Roadrunners.
As a part of the larger advising ecosystem at MSU Denver, exploratory advisors work closely with professional academic advisors and faculty advisors to get students on the right path towards achieving their academic goals and support them in their progress towards completion of their educational objectives.
Advising Systems
Advising Systems is a department housed within Undergraduate Studies and is part of Academic Affairs here at MSU Denver. Advising Systems manages, in collaboration with our colleges, schools, academic departments, and academic programs, multiple aspects of MSU Denver’s advising structure including helping to ensure consistency and communication across all of the academic advising teams.
For MSU Denver faculty who advise students, Advising Systems develops and implements advising strategy, training, and development as well as manages the Early Alert program, the academic standing policy, and the Navigate360 (formerly SSC Navigate) system.
The resources below have been created by the Advising Systems team to support faculty advisors meeting with students to provide support as they register for classes, investigate careers, and progress towards the achievement of their academic goals. However, if you find yourself in need of additional support when it comes to student advising, reach out to the Advising Systems team at [email protected].
Different Roles, Same Mission
As you can see, there is a robust, cross-functional team committed to holistically supporting our students throughout the advising process. These team members call various departments and offices home, but all collaborate to ensure our Roadrunners have a clear path as they work towards achieving their academic goals. To further explain the unique but connected roles involved in student advising, the below resource has also been developed as an aid.
| Area of Student Support | How can Professional Academic Advisors support? | How can Faculty Advisors support? | How can Success Coaches support? |
| Academic Guidance, Planning, and Goal Achievement: Guide students throughout their academic journey, including degree planning, program requirements, and academic policies as well as helping students align their academic pursuits with their personal and career goals. | Professional Academic Advisors guide students through their academic journey by assisting them in degree planning. They work closely with students, offering personalized support to help them identify and achieve educational goals while navigating academic policies. | Faculty Advisors guide students on department and program degree plans, including bachelor’s and graduate degrees, certificates, and credentials. They offer tailored assistance to help students achieve their educational goals, aligning post-graduation aspirations with courses and degree plans for academic success. | Success Coaches work closely with academic advisors to support students on academic plans, ensuring tailored guidance for navigating academic requirements. Areas for support may include Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals, prerequisites, corequisites, procedures, and policies, aiding in meeting academic success criteria. |
| Career Development and Preparation: Assist students in exploring and preparing for future careers by mentoring students on career exploration, facilitating internship opportunities, providing guidance on graduate school, and offering support in career planning | Professional Academic Advisors offer insights into career planning, financial literacy, and admissions. They empower students to make informed decisions about their future careers, exploring various opportunities and pathways, thus facilitating a smooth transition from academia to the professional world. | Faculty Advisors mentor students on career discovery and goal setting, aligning aspirations with degree plans for a smooth transition to a profession and/or graduate school. They also aid in connecting students to resources, including the C2 Hub, to identify and apply to internships. | Success Coaches assist students in identifying and achieving educational, career, and personal goals, guiding them towards clear pathways for desired outcomes. They work closely with academic advisors to ensure students are well-prepared for their academic and career paths. |
| Holistic Student Support: Provide information on and assistance with accessing comprehensive support related to social and emotional challenges, helping students develop personal and academic skills, and connecting them with relevant resources on campus to support their holistic development. | Professional Academic Advisors connect students to support services and networks. They prioritize students’ holistic needs, creating a supportive environment conducive to overall well-being, understanding that students may require in academics, emotional support, and access to resources. | Faculty Advisors connect students to resources on campus when appropriate, allowing students to prioritize their overall well-being, and advocating for them to enhance their opportunities for success. | Success Coaches prioritize students’ holistic well-being, acknowledging the significance of addressing social and emotional needs. They foster a supportive environment, offering support and facilitating referrals to academic advisors as needed. |
| Technology Integration and Literacy: Equip students with the necessary technological skills to navigate their academic journey, teaching students how to utilize technology and ensuring they are proficient in leveraging technological resources for their educational needs | Professional Academic Advisors teach students to use relevant technology tools for degree planning. Through hands-on training and support, they ensure proficiency in utilizing technological resources, empowering students to enhance their academic experience and achieve success. | Faculty Advisors assist students with using technology specific to their course(s). By fostering digital literacy through usage of Canvas, Teams, and other relevant technology, students build the skills necessary thrive in today’s tech-driven education and beyond. | Success Coaches aid students in leveraging course-specific technology, including platforms like Canvas and Teams. Through nurturing digital literacy and offering counsel on technological resources, Success Coaches ensure students possess the knowledge to navigate the contemporary tech-centric educational landscape. |
If you are interested in learning more about advising at MSU Denver, we encourage you to check out the resources on this page as well as on the Advising Systems “Advising Resources for Faculty and Staff” and Student Success Coaching sites.