Answering Your Questions About the Registrar
The Office of the Registrar is located in Braun Hall. It’s a great resource for students looking for help with registration, transcripts, enrollment verification, and graduation.
What can the Office of the Registrar help me with?
The registrar’s office is a great resource for students as they navigate the academic experience. They can assist with registration, transcripts, enrollment verification, and graduation.
They also help with academic policy questions and important deadlines. The registrar office often works behind the scenes to make sure student records are accurate.
If you have a question about registration or your academic record, the Office is of the Registrar is a great place to start.
Where is the Office of the Registrar located?
The registrar’s office is located on the first floor of Braun Hall on Shadyside Campus.
When and how do students register for courses?
Students register during the designated registration periods outlined on the academic calendar beginning with priority registration periods.
After meeting with an advisor to discuss course scheduling and degree planning, students log into their student portal to register for their courses.
What is the academic calendar and where is it located?
The academic calendar helps outline important dates and deadlines for students. Information such as the start and end dates of a term, the conclusion of the add/drop period, course withdrawal timelines, priority registration periods, and when grades are available are listed on the calendar.
The University academic calendar can be easily accessed on chatham.edu.
What is the add/drop period?
The add/drop period is a time between the end of a student’s priority registration period and the published deadline to drop or add a course for an academic period.
Students are encouraged to make changes to their schedules during this time, as they will incur no academic or financial penalty in doing so.
What if a student needs to make a schedule change after the drop/add period ends?
Once the add/drop period for the academic period ends, students are prohibited from adding courses to their schedule. Students who need to leave a course must follow the course withdrawal process.
A course withdrawal may have academic or financial implications, so students should check with their advisor and with the Office of Financial Aid before withdrawing from a course.
How can a student obtain a copy of their academic record?
There are two types of academic records: official and unofficial transcripts.
An unofficial transcript is a record of courses taken and grades earned. Current students can access their unofficial transcript through their student portal.
An official transcript is a certified copy of a student’s academic record. They are often requested during the transfer process, for employment, or applying graduate school. This official document is securely delivered to the recipient of the student’s choice. Requests for official transcripts can be made through Parchment.
Do I need to schedule an appointment to meet with the registrar?
Students are encouraged to stop by the registrar’s office at any time for support. No appointment is needed.
What is FERPA and is it important for students?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law giving parents the right to access their children’s education records, to seek to have the records amended, and to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records.
When a student turns 18 years old or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student (“eligible student”). That means an eligible student must sign a FERPA release form if they wish to allow a third party, such as a parent, to access to their financial, academic, or other detailed information.
Both disclosure and non-disclosure forms are available for students to choose how information is shared or withheld at the University. Additional information can be found here.
Learn more about the Office of the Registrar at chatham.edu, or contact the office at registrar@chatham.edu or by phone at 412-365-2963.