Quick reference: Policies and procedures

The information listed below, along with more detailed program information, is included in the SOS program handbooks or on the Graduate College website. Please consult your handbook or reach out to a graduate advisor with any questions.

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Defense presentations – reserving a room and advertising

A defense is required for MA/MS and doctoral students. When you are ready to arrange the final details of your defense, you can work with staff to reserve a room and advertise your defense.

MSUS students do not need to go through this process. They will schedule their culminating presentation through SOS 593.

For more information, please see Scheduling a Defense in the School of Sustainability.

Incomplete grade request

A mark of “I” (incomplete) is given by the instructor when you are otherwise doing acceptable work but are unable to complete the course because of illness or other conditions beyond your control. You are required to arrange with the instructor for the completion of the course requirements. The arrangement is recorded on the Request for Grade of Incomplete form, which must be signed and sent to the student’s graduate coordinator for recordkeeping.

The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not exceed one calendar year from the date the mark of “I” is recorded. When you complete the course, the instructor must submit an online grade change request.

If you receive an “I” in a graduate course (500-level or above) your “I” grade will become a permanent part of your transcript if you do not complete the course within one year, and you may have to reregister and pay fees to repeat the course for credit.

Late enrollment or drop/add requests

Late drops from School of Sustainability courses are not allowed. However, you can withdraw from courses following the regular course withdrawal process.

If you wish to add a School of Sustainability course after the official drop/add deadline, you may request special permission to do so. Instructor and school approval are required. Drop/add deadlines are posted on the Academic Calendar.

Complete the Enrollment Change Request Form in its entirety. On the back of the form, you must describe how you will make up any late work. You must also obtain the instructor’s signature on the back of the form. A copy of an email directly from the instructor granting you permission to add the course late may be substituted for an actual signature.

Submit the completed form to your graduate coordinator in WCPH or email it to [email protected].

Course override requests

Course overrides allow you to register for a course you are, for one reason or another, ineligible to register for. There are several types of override: prerequisite, section full, department/instructor consent and time conflict.

Overrides can only be granted by the department/school offering the course. If you would like to request an override for a course offered outside of the School of Sustainability, contact the advising unit for that department/school for their policy and procedure.To request an override for a School of Sustainability course, please submit the Course Override Request Form.

Registering for thesis, scientific paper or dissertation credits

MA/MS Students: If you are an MA or MS sustainability student who wishes to register for thesis or scientific paper credits, you must first have an approved proposal on file. At that point, you can submit a Course Override Request Form for each semester you want to register for thesis or scientific paper credits.

PhD Students: If you are a PhD student who wishes to register for dissertation credits, you must have reached candidacy first. Once you’ve reached candidacy, you can view it on your MyASU page. At that point, you can submit a Course Override Request Form for each semester you want to register for dissertation credits.

Reserving space in the Walton Center for Planetary Health (WCPH)

School of Sustainability students can reserve conference rooms or classrooms by emailing [email protected] if:

  • You are reserving the room for a thesis, dissertation, or other type of culminating experience defense and you have already confirmed your defense day and time with all faculty on your committee and the Graduate Coordinator for your program. Room reservations for this purpose should be made at least two weeks prior to the defense.
  • You are reserving the room on behalf of a faculty or staff member that will be present with you during the meeting.

You must Cc the faculty member overseeing your defense or other event on the email sent to the administrative staff, and should include the following information:

  • Name of event
  • Whether the event is one-time or recurring
  • Date(s) of event
  • Time(s) of event
  • Number of people expected
  • Whether the room needed should have A/V technology.
  • Contact name, email address, and phone number
  • Room preference (if one exists)

Still have questions

Additional questions regarding graduate policies and procedures can be directed to the following email addresses:

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