Policies and Procedures

Updated 5/2/23

All Fall Program for First Semester (FPF) students belong to the College of Letters & Science at Berkeley with courses sponsored by UC Extension. Please review the Statement of Student Responsibilities for the College of Letters and Science. However, FPF and UC Extension manage FPF's core courses, certain policies, deadlines, and procedures which differ from the College of Letters & Science. FPF manages all instructors, course add, drop, incomplete, and grade option changes for its term. The College of Letters & Science has no authority to review requests for late adds, drops, incompletes, change of grading option, or retroactive actions for courses taken through the Fall Program for First Semester. These requests should be directed to FPF.

Fall 2023: FPF offers instruction, in accordance with the recommendations of UC and UC Extension leadership. UC Berkeley Admissions is committed to supporting you. FPF staff will answer any questions you may have regarding your fall FPF experience.

Enrollment

You must take a minimum of 13 units (College of Letters & Science policy) and a maximum of 17.5 units of coursework during your semester in FPF. For FPF students with an approved Reduced Course Load (RCL), which allows you to take fewer than 13 units, please discuss with your FPF Academic Advisor on adhering to FPF enrollment policies.

FPF students are required to follow the enrollment policies set by FPF and College of Letters & Science Dean’s Office:

  • All FPF students are required to enroll in a minimum of 9 units from the FPF curriculum, which includes all classes with the “X” prefix.

  • FPF students may enroll in classes of 2 units or less outside of the FPF curriculum per L&S guidelines, except for Freshmen & Sophomore Seminars (courses numbered 24, 39, and 84).

  • FPF students may enroll in one lower division (courses numbered 1-99) class of 3 units or more outside of the FPF curriculum per L&S guidelines during the Adjustment Period of enrollment. FPF students must also take the FPF versions of classes that are also offered outside of our curriculum.

  • FPF students may take a max of 5 units total of classes outside of the FPF curriculum. 

  • The max allowed total units during the Fall semester for FPF students is 17.5 units. We do not make exceptions to take more 17.5 units.

  • The minimum number of units needed to be considered full time within L&S is 13 units, except for students with an approved reduced course load

  • FPF students may only enroll in the allowed classes during the specificenrollment periodsand must follow the unit maximums:

    • Phase 1 Allowed Classes to Enroll

      • Courses from the FPF Curriculum (classes with the “X” prefix)

      • Courses of 2 units or less outside of the FPF curriculum per L&S guidelines, except for Freshmen & Sophomore Seminars

    • Adjustment Period Allowed Classes to Enroll

      • Courses from the FPF Curriculum (classes with the “X” prefix)

      • Courses of 2 units or less outside of the FPF curriculum per L&S guidelines, except for Freshmen & Sophomore Seminars

      • One lower division class of 3 units or more outside of the FPF curriculum per L&S guidelines

Please email fpf@berkeley.edu to speak with an FPF advisor about courses outside of the FPF curriculum.

You will enroll in FPF's core classes online through CalCentral. FPF students have two-phase enrollment for the fall semester. This is the same two-phase process that you will have for enrolling in spring semester courses.

FPF students adhere to the same policies as all L&S students regarding high-demand majors policy for first-year applicants. Questions about joining any major in L&S can be discussed during summer advising and for spring planning advising with your FPF advisor.

Adding and Dropping Classes

There are strict deadlines for making changes to your schedule.

  • Deadline to Add/Drop Classes: Fourth week of instruction, Wednesday
  • Deadline to Change Grading Option to Letter Grade: 10th week of instruction, Friday
  • Deadline to Change Grading Option to Passed/Not Passed: 10th week of instruction, Friday

Late Change of Class Schedule

FPF students are allowed up to two late action requests for add, drop, variable unit change, or grade option change. Students may use both late changes in one semester or use one late change in two different semesters. Additional requests will not be considered. Once a student has requested both late changes, the College of Letters & Science will not consider additional late change requests in future semesters.

Please consider your request carefully and meet with an FPF Advisor if you choose to request a Late Change of Class Schedule during your FPF term. It will be important to consider the impact of late action on your financial aid, progress toward degree, or academic standing, as these things are not checked during petition processing.

Requesting to add a course or change the number of variable units for a course requires instructor approval. Students must obtain the signature of the instructor of record (not the GSI or student coordinator). You should meet with an FPF Advisor to submit your request.

Deadline: Dec 1, 2023 at 4:00 PM (Friday before RRR week).

Enrollment Verification

You may generate your enrollment verification by visiting the Office of the Registrar website.

Grades

Course grades assigned by FPF instructors are final, with the exception of Incomplete (I) grades. Once final grades are submitted, you cannot negotiate grade changes with your instructors. Please direct any grade inquiries to the FPF office by emailing fpf@berkeley.edu, and the FPF staff will coordinate the necessary procedures.

Incompletes

Please contact your FPF Advisor for information. On rare occasions, an instructor can assign you the grade Incomplete (I) if your work in a course has been of passing quality through at least three quarters of the semester, but is incomplete due to circumstances beyond your control. Incomplete grades must be formally documented in writing and approved by the FPF administration prior to the end of the semester. Strict policies, procedures and deadlines apply to Incomplete grades and the completion of student work. Procedures for Incomplete grades in FPF are different from those on UC Berkeley's main campus. Please contact your FPF Advisor for more information.

Passed/Not Passed

You can elect to take eligible FPF courses on a Passed/Not Passed (P/NP) basis. Please consider the following when deciding to take an FPF course P/NP:

  • In order to receive a P, your level of performance in the course must correspond to a minimum letter grade of C–.
  • P/NP grades are not computed as part of your GPA.
  • A student who receives all incomplete grades, takes all courses on a passed/not passed basis, or a combination of passed/not passed, incomplete grades will fail to achieve a sufficient GPA and will be placed on probation. Even if the student earns all passes, since no grade points are earned, the student will have a 0.0 GPA and will be placed on probation.
  • Courses taken to fulfill the American Cultures requirement and the L&S Seven-Course Breadth requirement may be taken P/NP.

P/NP restrictions:

  • Reading and Composition (R&C) or College Writing classes cannot be taken with the P/NP grading option.
  • Quantitative Reasoning (QR) cannot be taken with the P/NP grading option.
  • Most major departments do not accept P grades toward prerequisites or major requirements. This generally applies to courses taken in preparation for medical school or another health-related professional program.
  • Passed grades may account for no more than one-third of the total completed units taken on the Berkeley campus at the time of graduation (includes Passed grades earned in FPF and through the Education Abroad Program, UCDC, the University of California Intercampus Exchange Program and University Extension).

Final Grade Reviews and Appeals

All grades except Incomplete are final when submitted by the instructor to FPF at the end of the course. An instructor may request a change of grade only when a computational or procedural error occurred in the original assignment of a grade. A grade may not be changed or revised as a result of re-evaluation of student work, student re-examination, or the submission of additional student work after the end of the course.

FPF considers grades to be a matter of academic judgment on the part of the instructor. You may challenge your grade and request a final grade review only in certain circumstances. Grounds for requesting a grade review at the end of the course include:

  • Application of nonacademic criteria—such as considerations of race, politics, religion or gender—not directly reflective of performance related to course requirements
  • Sexual harassment
  • Clerical or procedural error in the calculation of the final grade

To request a grade review, contact the FPF administration at fpf@berkeley.edu by the Spring term immediately following your FPF term (April 28, 2023). The FPF staff will work with the instructor to conduct the grade review and inform you of the decision—including any remedies, if applicable—within 30 days of receiving the request for review.

If, and only if, the above procedures have failed to resolve the matter, you may appeal the FPF administration decision by submitting a letter addressed to the Dean's Office, UC Berkeley Extension, 1995 University Ave., Suite 110, Berkeley, CA 94704-7000. This written request for appeal must be initiated within 30 days of receiving the decision from the FPF administration. The dean's designee will review the request for appeal, conduct an investigation and make a decision—including any remedies, if applicable—within 30 days of receiving the request for appeal. The dean's designee makes the final decision for unresolved grade appeals for all students enrolled in FPF courses and programs. In extenuating circumstances, the appeal timeline may be extended.

Academic Records and Transcripts

At the end of the semester, FPF course grades will be posted in the Current Term Grades section on CalCentral.

If you need an unofficial transcript, please use CalCentral.

FPF grades appear on both an Extension transcript and UC Berkeley campus transcript. You will also have an official UC Berkeley Extension transcript after your participation in FPF. Visit the Transcripts page for more information on accessing your Extension student records and ordering an Extension transcript if you need one.

Program Cancellations and Withdrawals

Before Your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) Deadline: For students that opted-in to FPF and want to cancel their FPF registration, contact UC Berkeley's Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

After Your SIR Deadline and Before Instruction Begins: Once your SIR deadline has passed, your registration in FPF is final. If you wish to cancel your registration, contact UC Berkeley's Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

After Instruction Begins: On occasion, UC Berkeley students need to withdraw from the university for various personal or medical reasons. If you need to withdraw during your semester in FPF, you must meet with an FPF advisor to discuss your situation as soon as possible. After any break in enrollment, you will need to apply for readmission in preparation for return to UC Berkeley. For more information on the withdrawal policies and procedures, please read L&S Advising Withdrawal page as well as the campus policies.

If you stop attending your classes without formally withdrawing, you should expect to receive an F or NP in all of your courses, and your UC Berkeley account will continue to be billed.

To formally withdraw from UC Berkeley after instruction has begun, you may start the withdrawal process by submitting a Withdrawal Form in CalCentral. Depending on when you withdraw from the program, you may be responsible for a prorated fee as set by the UC Berkeley schedule for fee adjustments. Withdrawing from the program may affect your financial aid, visa and housing. Please visit the UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships Office for information on the possible impacts of withdrawal on the future of your financial aid.

The final deadline to withdraw is the last day of instruction: Dec 8, 2023 at 4:00 PM (Friday of RRR week).

Readmission Deadline: If you withdraw after the Readmission Deadline on November 1st, you will not be able to register for the following spring semester, and all of your spring classes will be dropped from your schedule. The earliest that you would be able to register is the following fall semester. Every student who withdraws needs to apply for Readmission in order to come back to Berkeley.

Student Conduct

UC Berkeley takes student conduct very seriously. When you register for FPF, you join an academic community in which each person makes the commitment to behave with academic integrity and to accept the civil and civic responsibilities that ensure the freedom of expression of other community members. You are expected to know your rights and responsibilities.

Please review:

Suspicions or allegations of academic dishonesty must be reported to the program staff and may result in serious academic consequences.

FPF attempts to resolve issues surrounding academic dishonesty at the instructional and administrative levels of the program. Certain offenses, however, may be referred to the Center for Student Conduct for review and further adjudication. All cases of academic misconduct are reported to the Center for Student Conduct for the purpose of recordkeeping.