You may choose to be enrolled at another university while taking courses at CSULB, but in order to do so, you must fulfill requirements based on your units and GPA here at CSULB first. Your secondary university or college may have additional requirements, but those are dependent on the policies of that campus. Comprehensive information on CSULB requirements can be found on Visitor, Concurrent, CSU Fully Online, and Cross Enrollment Programs.

If you are looking to change majors, please be aware that you must fulfill major specific requirements of the new major of your choice. In addition, you should make yourself aware of the two primary major declaration policies: timely graduation and the academic progress rules for undergraduate students. If you meet these requirements, you have the right to change your major. Policy and procedure on changing your major can be found on Changing Your Major.

The Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) is an assessment of upper-division academic writing in English that students must satisfy to obtain a degree or certificate from any CSU. Some students may find that they qualify for certain exemptions which will allow them not take a writing assessment. The guidelines can be found on GWAR Guidelines for Students.

If you feel that you have been assigned a grade in a course, there is an appeal process. The first phase of the process is an informal initiation of the grade appeal. Following this informal phase, there are three formal phases:

1. Appeal to the Department-Program Grade Appeals Committee
2. Appeal to the College Grade Appeals Committee
3. Appeal to the University Grade Appeals Committee

Please note the following important facts about the appeals process:

• The burden of proof rests upon the student submitting the appeal
• Students may appeal only final grades
• Students must initiate an appeal within 40 regular semester instructional days of the termination of the course
• All grade appeal information, whether written or oral, is confidential
• Student may seek the assistance of an advisor in the preparation of the appeal file
• The original appeal file will be kept by the college involved for five years and a duplicate set will be kept by Academic Senate
• If the appeal is or accompanied by an allegation of unlawful discrimination as defined by federal and state laws, the student has the right to access the university's internal unlawful discrimination process and the processes available through the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights and the state of California Fair Employment and Housing Commission. However, grades may be changed only through the grade appeal process

More information on the policy can be found on Grade Appeals - General Information.

Academic Disqualification is dismissal from CSULB. If you have been disqualified from the university, you can submit an appeal. Only certain situations will qualify for your appeal to be approved.

A student, just disqualified, may appeal their disqualification if they have improved their GPA, can provide documentation of extenuating circumstances that led to their weak academic performance, shows tangible changes that will lead to future academic success, participated in an intervention program at the University Center for Undergraduate Advising, or made significant academic progress.

More information on the policy and procedures can be found on How do I achieve reinstatement after my disqualification?.

The University Center for Academic Advising holds workshops for students on reinstatement. For more information visit the Academic Disqualification page.

Undergraduate students have the right to submit a text exemptions form for the English Placement Test (EPT) and Entry Level Mathematics (ELM), but it’s not guaranteed that the exemption will be granted. Policy on the exams can be found on Test Requirements and Information. The Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement Placement Examination (GPE) is required to qualify for a degree, certificate, or for advancement to candidacy for a master's degree. More information can be found at Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement Placement Examination (GPE). Exemption forms for the EPT, ELM, and GPE can be found at Exemption Forms.

Students may find that they were unable to complete the assigned work for a course in the amount of time given due to unforeseen circumstances. In these cases, you can discuss with your instructor how you might go about completing this missed work in a certain amount of time to receive a grade.

To receive an incomplete, students must:

• Have "unforeseen, but fully justified" reasons for not completing the class work (Policy Statement 02-12).
• Bring all relevant information to the class instructor and agree with the instructor's terms for how and when you will satisfy the remaining class requirements.
• Make sure that the class instructor completes and files the, "Requirements for Assigning an Incomplete Grade" form (your instructor must receive the form directly from their Department Office). On this form, the instructor will record the terms by which you have agreed to complete the class work.
• Keep a copy of the completed form for your own records.
• Complete the work within one year of the end of the semester in which you took the class, or within a shorter period as specified on the form. You may receive an extension of the one-year completion period only for compelling reasons such as serious illness or military service, and only with the prior permission of the class instructor, department chairperson, and the college dean.

For the fully policy and procedure visit the Grading page.

Cheating and plagiarism are acts that harm your learning process which thereby means that the university has policies that are very strict and against these acts. Due to the CSULB’s commitment to build a community off of trust, both these acts will result in consequences against you as a student.

The university has an Academic Integrity Committee to review cases in which students are accused of cheating or plagiarism. Following its review of the evidence, the Committee shall report its opinion to the student(s) and to the faculty member involved on whether the accusation is supported by the evidence. This opinion may not be appealed. However, when new evidence appears to so warrant, a faculty member or student may ask, in writing, the Provost or the Chair of the Academic Senate to request the Committee to reconsider a case. The Academic Integrity Committee shall make readily available the rules and procedures governing its operations.

For the full policy, please visit Cheating and Plagiarism.

Having a hold placed on your account due to finances can means that a tuition payment has not been made and if not made, your classes can be dropped. If you notice that a hold has been placed on your account due to finances, contact student financial services as soon as possible. More information can be found at Student Financial Services.

If your financial situation has changed, you should notify the office of Financial Aid in order to update your financial aid package after a disbursement has been made. If you choose to deny or change an amount of a loan, additional paperwork must be also filed. The office of Financial Aid will assist you in this process. More information can be found on Financial Aid and forms can be obtained at Forms and Publications.

Each academic year that you are in school, you are expected to file FAFSA for the upcoming academic year. If the deadline has passed, you can still submit an application for the FAFSA. Filing past the deadline may result in you not being eligible to receive all financial aid which could have been offered to you, but are still encouraged to contact the school financial aid office for additional information. More information can be found on CSULB's Financial Aid page and the FAFSA website.

If you feel that you would like to appeal your package, you should contact the financial aid office on campus. Please note that submitting a financial aid appeal is typically limited to when extreme circumstances are assessed. Financial Aid Appeal forms can be found at Forms and Publications.

Registration and tuition fee refunds are distributed based on the time which has passed in a semester. If you drop courses or withdrawal from them, the fees which you have paid will either refunded if the situation permits or stay to cover additional fees. More information on the specifics for refunds of registration and tuition fees can be found at Tuition and Fees - Refunds.

Sexual harassment and misconduct is something the university aims to rid from your educational journey. The safety and well-being of students is the university’s main priority. For information on filing a claim, visit the Title IX website. More information about sexual assault can be obtained at Sexual Assault Information.

Support services are available through Not Alone at the Beach. Check out some of their videos at Not Alone at the Beach - PSA and Not Alone at the Beach - PSA 2.

Resolution of discrimination, harassment and retaliation complaints is available to all members of the University community. The procedures vary, but are all intended to resolve complaints in a timely and responsive manner at the earliest possible stage.

A formal complaint may be initiated by submitting a completed, signed complaint form to the Office of Equity & Diversity, FND 120. The complainant will be required to provide an account of the alleged incident, to describe what effect it has caused, and to propose what remedy is sought. Formal complaint procedures include notification to the individual charged with prohibited behavior. In the formal process, an investigation will be conducted by the discrimination complaint officer (Director of Equity & Diversity) and their findings will be reported to the appropriate division executive. The division executive will take appropriate action.

For more information visit the Complaint Resolution Procedures page.

Assistance with resolution of conflicts on campus is available to all campus members. The Office of University Ombuds is an independent, neutral resource for informal problem-solving. The Office serves all members of the campus community - students, alumni/ae, faculty, staff, administrators, emeriti/ae and retirees. People from the larger community may also bring campus-related problems to the attention of the Ombuds for discussion and resolution.

The Office of University Ombuds:

• Respects privacy
• Provides a safe to raise and discuss sensitive issues
• Maintains confidentiality within the Code of Ethics of the International Ombuds Association and the limits of the law
• Does not maintain permanent records of individual matters
• Provides a neutral venue for resolving issues
• Does not advocate for any party
• Does not advocate for the University
• Maintains its independence
• Does not represent the University
• Does not participate in any formal processes, such as grievances, appeals or litigation
• Does not testify as a witness in any formal or legal action
• Provides informal services such as facilitating communication or assisting parties in resolving disputes through discussion and/or mediation

If you are pregnant or have children while attending the university, there are services here to support you as a student and parent. Accommodations may be available to you through Title IX. Contact the Title IX coordinator to find out more information on accommodations.

If you are in need of childcare, there are also several options for you. Please visit the ASI Isabel Patterson Child Development Center for more info.

CSULB is committed to supporting undocumented students, and has a Dream Success Center on campus to assist with the daily navigations you may need help going through.

Alcohol is not tolerated on campus except for the two following situations:

• It’s purchased and consumed at one of the restaurants that serve alcohol (the Nugget and the Outpost)
• It’s served at a sponsored event that has gotten prior approval from the university (like the Beer Festival)

More information on the policy can be found on the Alcohol and Drugs page.

Appeals can be submitted for ASI and Student Organization Officers that don’t meet eligibility. Students that wish to appeal their eligibility to serve as an ASI officer, have the right to do so.

The Eligibility Appeals Committee exists to consider exceptional circumstances concerning eligibility. Students wishing to appeal their notice of ineligibility may obtain the CSULB Request for Appeal form from the Office of the Dean of Students or from the Office of Student Life and Development. All appeals must be submitted within 5 business days of receiving notice of ineligibility.

More information can be obtained at Campus Regulations page.

Information regarding Freedom of Speech and the University’s Time, Place and Manner policy can be found on the Free Speech page.