CGIS students are responsible for reading, understanding, and abiding by the agreements that they sign in MCompass, including the Participation Agreement and the CGIS Registration and Withdrawal Policy. By signing these documents, students are accepting the conditions outlined therein.
Privacy of Student Records
The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student records. According to the University of Michigan’s Office of the Registrar, “once a student reaches the age of 18 or attends an institution of postsecondary education, the parents have no rights under FERPA. Only the student can give permission for the parents to have access to their records.”
CGIS will disclose protected information without the student’s express written permission only in the event of an emergency, such as when the student is hospitalized or poses a threat to themselves or others. This pertains to all information in the student’s file, whether academic, medical, or personal in nature.
The only information CGIS may disclose without permission is “directory information,” defined as “name, permanent and local address and telephone number, school or college, class level, major field, dates of attendance, degree received and date awarded, honors and awards received, participation in recognized activities, previous schools attended, and height and weight of members of intercollegiate athletic teams.” Source: Registrar's Office, University of Michigan
Withdrawal and Refund Policy
Students must officially notify CGIS in writing or by email to their advisor if they withdraw from a program. It is not sufficient to withdraw an application online.
Next, University of Michigan students must withdraw from the study abroad registration or course in Wolverine Access, must notify their college, and must notify their onsite program provider or host institution (if applicable). If the UM course-drop deadline is past, students must contact their CGIS program advisor in order to drop the study abroad registration.
Students who withdraw from a CGIS program and do not return to the University of Michigan for that term must contact their college and follow the established procedures pertinent to their situation so that they will be allowed to register for the following term.
Refunds
Whether a student withdraws themself or is withdrawn or dismissed from the program after having signed the Participation Agreement in M-Compass, they are still responsible for all CGIS fees (even if the student withdraws or is dismissed prior to the beginning of the program). For programs where University of Michigan tuition is charged, students are responsible for paying UM tuition and are subject to the same UM policies for tuition payment and course withdrawal for on-campus courses.
A student is able to petition under extenuating circumstances by submitting a written request to their program advisor, explaining their reasons for requesting a refund. The petition will be reviewed to determine if any type of refund is appropriate.
Grades and Credits
LSA students receive Michigan in-residence—not transfer—credit for participating in CGIS programs. Credits appear on your academic record and are applicable toward your UM degree. Non-LSA students should contact their home school or college concerning the applicability of LSA courses and Michigan in-residence credits.
At the end of your global study program, the overseas office or on-site staff send a record of your courses, credits, and grades to CGIS. We work with the registrar’s office to add these to your UM transcript. Courses are listed on your UM transcript with the CGIS program's STDABRD (Study Abroad) title and number followed by the individual course titles, credits, and grades as they correspond to the courses you completed abroad. Credit hours and grades are converted whenever the grading/credit system from the abroad institution differs from UM's. Grades are calculated into your overall GPA.
Because LSA students earn in-residence credit, you may be eligible to fulfill distribution or concentration requirements abroad. Courses do not automatically fulfill distribution or concentration requirements. You should communicate with advisors to see which courses may fit into your program of study and to seek pre-approval for distribution or concentration requirement credit.
Depending on the program, it may take several weeks or months for student grades to appear on your UM transcript. This may delay the issuing of your diploma.
CGIS is required to record and report all grades and courses taken abroad as posted on official transcripts and cannot delete or remove courses posted on your official transcript. You should respect local academic practices and understand that most university systems outside the US do not allow students to contest grades. Consult the on-site staff if you have questions about local grading procedures.
Pass/Fail Option
If you plan to take a class pass/fail, you must submit a Pass/Fail Form to your CGIS advisor (found in the document center on MCompass prior to the program start date). CGIS follows the Newnan Academic Advising Center's Pass/Fail Policy:
Effective Fall 2021: You have until the last day of class the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms to decide whether you want to record a class as Pass/Fail. After the last day of class has passed, you cannot change from Graded to Pass/Fail. Please consult an advisor if you need help thinking through this decision.
For more information on the Pass/Fail option, LSA students should consult the Newnan Advising Center's website.
Classes graded pass/fail may not be included in a major or minor, although they can be used to satisfy an LSA student's distribution requirements. LSA students must achieve a grade of C- or better to receive a pass. If LSA students have any questions about the pass/fail option, they should consult with an academic advisor before departure. Some CGIS programs may not be taken Pass/Fail.
Credit Load
All students on a CGIS program must carry a full-time course load, which means between 12 and 18 credits during Fall or Winter semester and between 6 and 9 credits during spring or summer half-term. Some programs specify a required course load, others do not. Under no circumstances should you earn fewer than 12 credits per full term or fewer than 6 in a spring or summer half term. Consult your program-specific materials to determine the appropriate number of credits and course load for your program.
In some cases you may petition to take more than 18 credits per term. You must have permission of both your host institution and CGIS to do this. Be aware that UM will charge additional tuition for each credit hour over 18 (over 9 for spring and summer half terms) even if you have permission to take more classes. For details on tuition fees, refer to the Office of the Registrar tuition information.
At certain program sites and with the permission of the on-site director, you may audit courses over 18 credits, but all LSA rules apply. For example, as an auditor, LSA requires that you complete all coursework including tests and exams. Official audits (visitor status) do not earn credits or honor points. If you elect to audit a course, this is recorded on your UM transcript, and you will be charged for credits over the normal credit limit.
Non-LSA Students
Non-LSA students should consult advisors within their home school or college about the type of credit they will receive and whether it fulfills college requirements.
Participation Agreement (signed by all CGIS students)
Students should read very carefully all of the policies listed on the Policies submenu in the Students section of this website before signing the Participation Agreement for International Travel Experience on M-Compass. By signing this form, students agree to accept responsibility for all fees, conform to standards of conduct, have UM Travel Abroad health insurance, comply with any request for medical clearance, and so on.
Probation
All students participating in a CGIS program must sign and abide by the conditions of the Participation Agreement in M-Compass, part of which outlines behavioral expectations.
Academic Probation/Suspension
CGIS students are expected to be in good academic standing at the time of application and to remain in good academic standing for the duration of the pre-departure and abroad experience. Academic standing will be checked at two points of the process:
1. At the time of application, CGIS advisors will review UM transcripts and screen for indication that the student is on academic probation.
- If a student is currently on academic probation, the student will be denied participation.
- Advisors will address any situations warranting special consideration with the CGIS Director or Associate Director. (Example: A French major is applying to a French language exchange program for Winter semester. The student took one course—a Physics course—in the Spring semester prior, failed it, and was placed on academic probation. This situation may warrant special consideration.)
2. After a semester ends and grades are due, CGIS will request updates on academic status for any students participating in programs in the semester following.
- If a student has been placed on academic probation, the appropriate advisor will reach out to Newnan Academic Advising (or the appropriate College advising unit for non-LSA students) for approval to allow the student participate in the program.
- If a student participating in a 230 or 203 language program has failed a prerequisite language course in the semester preceding, the student will not be permitted to participate in the program. The student will not be issued a refund.
Change in Academic Status While Abroad
If an LSA student’s academic status changes from good standing to academic probation after they have departed for a CGIS Program, the policy is as follows:
For LSA students on any type of Probation or Action Pending status at the time they go abroad, their grades from the study abroad program will determine their academic standing for the next semester after they study abroad. This will be the case regardless of whether or not the program grades figure into the LSA student’s UM GPA.
Students with questions about their academic standing should contact a member of the LSA Academic Standards Board at 734.764.0332 or academic.standards@umich.edu.
Residential College and Honors students should contact their offices to ask about their procedures and policies.
Non-LSA students should consult their home school or college for details concerning probation rules and regulations.