COURSE REGISTRATION
Class offerings, dates, times and deadlines and other important registration details specific to each session are published in that semester's class schedule which is available online. Not every course listed in the catalog is offered each session, please consult the schedule online to view the updated list of courses offered for all academic sessions. All courses are taught in English unless otherwise indicated.
ACADEMIC LOAD
A full-time semester load is considered 12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students. Should a student visa be required for either category, a minimum of 12 credits will be required in a single semester.
COURSE FEES
Certain courses require additional course fees. Course fees cover course-related activities and support the instructor's teaching methodologies. Course fees are not refundable in case of course or program withdrawal.
REGISTRATION CHANGES
Upon the enrollment submission, if permitted by the program, students may make as many registration changes as they wish, within the pre-arrival course registration period before arrival. Pre-arrival changes can be made up to 40 days prior to the program start date as per the academic calendar.
Once onsite, there’s a final registration period allowing students to make one course change onsite if permitted by the program. The final registration phase takes place onsite:
Fall and Spring Semesters
Students are allowed to submit one course change request, either:
an Add,
a Drop,
or an Add and Drop submitted simultaneously.
15/16-Week Semester
Students have the opportunity to submit one course change request either:
During the Orientation day of the Session I 3-week course (prior to the first lesson), or
During the first week of the 11/12-week semester starting from Wednesday (see below).
Students are allowed only one add/drop operation, either during the first or second registration window.
11/12-Week Semester
Students have the opportunity to submit one course change request during the first week of the program in Florence.
Starting from Wednesday of the first week of the program, students will have one week to submit one course change request through the portal.
All changes requested after that date will not be processed and will be recorded as a “W” on a student's transcript. Any changes made after the 6th lesson will be recorded as a “WF” on a student's transcript.
Intensive Sessions
The final registration period takes place on Orientation Day prior to the first day of class. No changes are permitted during the January and August Intersessions.
Note
Requests for changes will not be processed after the aforementioned deadlines. All requests must be submitted through the MyFUA portal and approved by the office in charge of Final Registration requests.
It is the student's responsibility to check whether the request has been approved or rejected. Requests are not finalized until the student receives an updated Official Registration via email.
Students are responsible for ensuring that any changes made to their schedules will transfer to their home institution, as all processed requests are final.
If a Class Change is Accepted During Final Registration
Students will receive an updated Official Registration via email and find an updated copy on the MyFUA portal.
If a Class Change is Not Accepted During Final Registration
Students will receive an email from the Registrar's Office stating as such.
Students will be able to complete another request within the Final Registration period mentioned above.
General Rules and Regulations
Students may not drop the following courses: Independent Studies (or courses that will run as Independent Studies), SPEL/Internships, Clinical Practice, or courses with a weeklong residency component.
Semester (Fall/Spring) undergraduate course loads may not drop below 12 credits.
Switching from one section to another section of the same course, including Italian language courses, is considered a course change.
Switching levels of the same course does not constitute a change (changes in Italian Language course level do not count as a registration change request).
For any courses dropped upon arrival in Florence, refunds are not granted for any reason whatsoever.
Once in Florence, students may not switch program categories.
Requests Made After the Final Registration Period
Courses dropped after the Final Registration Period will result in a “W” (0 credits) for that course on the transcript.
Courses dropped after the withdrawal deadlines outlined in the subsequent section will result in a “WF” (0 credits) for that course on the transcript.
Note for visiting students: Students enrolled through partnering organizations are responsible for requesting approval for courses for which the home institution will grant credits and for increasing the overall number of credits taken.
WITHDRAWALS AND EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES
Withdrawal / Late Withdrawal
Any voluntary withdrawal after classes have begun must be officially registered. Students must fill out the required form and return it to the Registrar's Office. Once this procedure has been completed, the student forfeits course credits as well as tuition and fee refunds.
Transcripts will be issued with a “W” next to each dropped course. Any course dropped after the 6th lesson will be marked with a “WF”.
Students are eligible for withdrawal only if the number of absences does not exceed the limit for automatic failure (please see Attendance Policy).
Students who drop their courses without going through the procedure outlined above will receive a failing grade and an “F” on their transcripts.
Students are required to become familiar with FUA policies, procedures, and deadlines. Please refer to the Academic Calendar published each semester in the Course Schedule for specific deadlines.
FUA reserves the right to cancel or combine classes; to change times, dates, or locations; or to make other necessary revisions to class offerings. FUA may discontinue courses and make changes to course offerings.
Extenuating Circumstances
Extenuating circumstances are defined as a serious illness requiring sudden hospitalization, a government-mandated quarantine/isolation, or death in the immediate family (parents, siblings, children, spouse). All petitions related to such circumstances must be submitted to the Academic Affairs Office for review and include supporting dates and official documentation that certify the extenuating circumstance.
The request will be processed according to the extenuating circumstances policy:
In cases where a leave from the program is required and the conditions allow for remote program completion, students must complete all coursework and exams via MyFUA.
If extenuating circumstances prevent the completion of a major course requirement, such as a final exam and/or final project:
2a. Students are allowed up to seven (7) days from the scheduled exam date to complete the missed final exam and/or final project.
2b. If the circumstances make it impossible to complete the final exam and/or final project within seven (7) days of the scheduled date, FUA will assign an Incomplete status for the affected courses.
MYFUA ONLINE PORTAL FOR STUDENTS
FUAhas a paper-free policy and is committed to environmentally friendly and sustainable initiatives. All course materials are digital and can be found on MyFUA, the online portal for all students and faculty members.
SYLLABUS
Syllabi are available on MyFUA. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with all course policies outlined in the syllabus. Any questions regarding syllabus content should be addressed to the instructor for clarification. Students must also be aware of any required site visits or additional course activities, which may take place on days or at times outside the regularly scheduled class meetings.
FUA POLICY FOR CONTACT / CREDIT HOURS
FUA Unit of Credit: The unit of credit used at FUA is the semester credit hour.
Contact hour relationship: An academic hour consists of 50 clock minutes of contact time.
1. Lecture
A semester credit hour is earned for fifteen 50-minute sessions of classroom instruction with an expectation of two academic hours outside of the classroom for each session. A semester credit hour is thus earned for 15 academic contact hours of lecture plus 30 hours of academic work outside of the classroom.
2. Field Learning, Service Learning, Laboratory
A semester credit hour is earned for fifteen 100-minute sessions with an expectation of one academic hour outside of the classroom for each session. A semester credit hour is thus earned for 30 academic contact hours of FL/SL/Laboratory plus 15 hours of academic work outside of the FL/SL/Laboratory hours.
3. Experiential Learning, Clinical Practice
A semester credit hour is earned for fifteen sessions, each session represents a minimum of 150 minutes. Due to the unique learning model at FUA, EL hours are dedicated to community-geared projects that are guided by faculty within FUAfacilities. CP hours are associated with the local health system, and also include research and projects such as classroom activity and writing assignments. All hours represent a combination of project-oriented learning and faculty supervision. A semester credit hour is thus earned for 50 academic contact hours of EL.
4. Internships
A semester credit hour is earned for a minimum of 40 clock hours of supervised academic activity that takes place outside of the institution.
5. Independent study
A semester credit hour for independent study is earned for the equivalent of forty-five 50-minute sessions of academic activity fulfilled by the student. Independent study is defined as study completed through initial guidance, critique, review, and final evaluation of student performance by a faculty member.
Please note: Credit hours may be earned in intensive sessions proportionately to those earned for the same activity during a semester term.
ATTENDANCE
Academic integrity and mutual respect between the instructor and student are the foundation of any academic institution. This is reflected in the attendance policy. Class attendance is mandatory and counts towards the final grade. The number of absences is based on the number of class meetings missed. Students who arrive late or depart early from class may be counted as absent.
Standard Attendance Policy
Absences are based on the 50-minute academic hour, 1 absence equals 3 lecture hours.
3 lecture hours: attendance/participation grade are not impacted.
6 lecture hours: attendance/participation grade will be impacted.
9 lecture hours: final course grade may be lowered by one letter grade.
12 lecture hours: automatic failure of the course regardless of when absences are incurred.
Please note:
- The above hours refer to lecture hours. Hours may be distributed in different formats according to the academic course schedules.
- Contact / credit hour policy in the academic catalog includes additional distribution ratios according to delivery category. Ex: 1 absence equals 6 FL/SL/Lab hours or 9 EL hours.
Remote Lesson/Exam
For non-extenuating circumstances, any requests forremote delivery of a course lesson or examare subject to a fee (per lesson or exam).Requests must be made no later than 3 working days prior to the lesson or exam date, and are considered approved once payment is finalized.Fees are subject to variation each academic year. Please refer to the "Extenuating Circumstances" paragraph of this catalog section for cases that waive the requiredfee.
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
The institution is committed to fostering interfaith diversity within the academic community. In addition to official Italian national holidays, the Academic Affairs Office reviews a list of major religious holidays for which accommodations for religious observances may be granted. Academic policy guidelines regarding religious observances are provided as follows.
Types of accommodation: For approvable requests, accommodations may consist of excused absences for class schedule conflicts, or extended time when the conflict impacts a submission deadline. Extended submissions including exams must be completed within 24 hours. Exams may not be requested earlier than the scheduled date.
Requesting an accommodation: Students may submit accommodation requests up to two weeks prior to arrival in Florence. Requests will be reviewed by the Academic Affairs Office and faculty members of the impacted courses. Submission of the form does not grant automatic approval of the request.
Approved requests and academic honesty: For approved requests, students are responsible for abiding by the parameters and timeframes of approved accommodations and understand that further extensions will not be granted. Any coursework or course requirements submitted via an approved accommodation is subject to the course syllabus and academic policy standards, including the academic honesty policy.
The institution and its faculty reserve the right to suggest accommodations as permitted by campus organization or scheduling circumstances.
TEXTBOOKS
Information on course textbooks is in the course syllabus.
SITE VISITS AND FIELD LEARNING
Certain classes may have site and museum visits (and/or overnight field learning activities) as a mandatory part of the course. Students will be informed during the first lesson on details and if there are any additional costs. Course fees are not refundable. In the case of an absence, no refunds are granted.
GRADING AND EVALUATION SYSTEM
The grading scale below is used in establishing the final course grade.
A 93-100%; A- 90-92%; B+ 87-89%; B 83-86%; B- 80-82%; C+ 77-79%; C 73-76%; C- 70-72%; D 60-69% (minimum passing credit); F 0-59%
F / Failure: In the case of failure due to excessive absences the procedure outlined in the attendance policy will apply.
W / Official Withdrawal: Students whose absences do not exceed the limit for automatic failure (see Attendance Policy) may withdraw from a course until the deadlines specified in the withdrawal procedure (see Withdrawal and Late Withdrawal/Incomplete sections in previous pages).
WF / Late Withdrawal: Is assigned to students who do not withdraw by the final withdrawal date as established by the withdrawal procedure.
I: Incomplete
Please note: For W / Official Withdrawal, WF / Late Withdrawal, and Incomplete, please read their pertinent sections in the academic policy for full details and procedures.
Auditing is not permitted.
Pass/Fail is not permitted.
Grade Point Average: FUAuses the 4-point system as a measure of academic success. Academic letter grades carry the following values: A = 4.00; B = 3.00; C = 2.00; D = 1.00; F = 0.00
The syllabus of each course outlines the final grade breakdown according to the above grading system.
EXAMS
All students must take quizzes, exams at the established exam time and date indicated in the course syllabus. The date and time cannot be changed for any reason. Not attending during the designated Exam or Quiz day will result in a zero and no credit for the exam; the final grade will be adjusted accordingly. This institution does not offer Pass/Fail grades, Incomplete, or Audits; but only letter grades for exams. All courses registered for and grades received for those courses will be shown on a student’s transcripts. Permission will be given to reschedule exams for approvable emergencies only (see "Extenuating Circumstances" paragraph); each case will be individually reviewed and decided upon by the Academic Affairs Office. All requests must be submitted in writing and must include a detailed explanation of the petition, together with any required supporting documentation.
Requests must be submitted prior to the scheduled exam date.
If approved, the exam will be rescheduled to a new date and time. Once the new date has been confirmed, no further rescheduling will be permitted under any circumstances.
The faculty member, in collaboration with Academic Affairs, will determine appropriate arrangements to ensure that an equivalent exam is administered.
Applicable exam fees will apply.
PROCTORED EXAMS
Proctored exams are authorized only in the case of severe emergencies and courses deemed "Incomplete." In both cases, the authorization must be formally granted by the Academic Affairs Office. For incomplete courses, please see Late Withdrawal.
TRANSCRIPTS
Final transcripts are released electronically by the Registrar's Office typically within 4–6 weeks following the conclusion of the academic term of enrollment.
Hard copies can be provided upon request. Two official copies are shipped via express courier to the student. The timetable for issuing official transcripts is consistent with the practices of most US universities.
Transcripts for visiting students will be mailed directly to the affiliate organization.
In all cases, transcripts will be withheld from students who have not satisfied their financial obligations with the institution.
Fees per Additional Copy Request
Hard copy transcript: EUR 40 plus shipping fee (EUR 60)
Electronic transcript sent via email: EUR 25
School of Record
For students from non-affiliated institutions, US credit can be issued through FUA’s School of Record.
RUSH TRANSCRIPTS
All requests for Rush Transcripts must be submitted in advance by sending the official form to the Registrar's Office within the deadline indicated in the Rush Transcript Request Form.
In cases where a rush transcript is needed to meet graduation deadlines, FUA may issue official transcripts shortly after all final grades have been submitted, provided that the Rush Transcript request has been received by the deadline. Typically, this occurs within two weeks following the conclusion of the academic term.
Transcript requests must be submitted directly by an academic advisor or another authorized administrator of the affiliate organization. The request should indicate the home institution’s deadlines for priority processing.
Requests submitted directly by students will not be considered.
To facilitate this service, the following procedure is intended to streamline and standardize the process:
Rush Official Transcript Requests
The Registrar's Office sends transcripts electronically via email.
If a hard copy is requested, it will be shipped to the address provided.
Fees
EUR 60 hard copy plus EUR 40 shipping fee
EUR 25 electronic copy via email
School of Record Transcripts
Please note that our School of Record partner, for applicable programs, maintains independent transcript processing procedures that cannot be changed or expedited. Therefore, it is not possible to provide rush School of Record transcripts. Transcript processing may take up to 4–6 weeks.
GRADE DISPUTES
FUA is dedicated to fair and accurate appraisal of students coursework. When disagreements arise over final grades assigned for a course, students and faculty are to follow the procedures below for resolving the dispute. No formal grade dispute procedure will be invoked when the magnitude of disagreement is less than one full letter grade. A student who wishes to file a grade dispute must contact their home university or provider as soon as possible and by no means later than six months after the end of the session. Students should never contact, for matters of grade disputes, the professors directly. The request must be in writing and must identify the course, session, grade received and the reason for the appeal. The students shall assemble all relevant class material (syllabus, returned assignments, tests, papers) distributed or returned by the instructor to the student. These materials must be provided within two weeks of the date of the written appeal. If the student cannot produce all such documents, the grade dispute ends at this stage with no grade change. Concurrently, the instructor will assemble all relevant material retained for the student (final exam, midterm) within two weeks of the date of the written appeal. A copy of these documents along with the syllabus, grade report, and the instructors written response to the student appeal, are to be forwarded by the instructor to the Academic Affairs Office for evaluation and the final decision of grade assignment. The decision is not subject to appeal. Academic Affairs will notify all involved parties and, in the case of a grade change, the Registrar's Office.
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS
FUA is committed to providing all students with a comfortable, productive and non-discriminatory academic environment. Assistance is offered to students who have demonstrable and/or documented learning accommodation needs upon request submitted before arrival in Florence. Students should note that they may not have the same level of services and facilities available to them at their home institution.
FUA offers accommodations such as separate and distraction-reduced exam locations, extra time for exams, computer use for written exams, rest breaks, permission to record class sessions, note-taking support, and deadline flexibility. All other accommodations must be negotiated on a case-by-case basis prior to student arrival in Italy and may require additional fees.
Students must notify the Admissions and Academic Affairs Offices prior to the start of the session of any requested accommodation. Notification or documentation of a learning or physical disability may not be submitted once the term has started. FUA will process the request and inform the student of accommodations if authorized.
Every effort will be made to accommodate students with physical disabilities. Students with limited mobility should be aware that the local urban environment may present challenges. The setting is characterized by historic cobblestone streets, narrow or uneven sidewalks, steep stairways, and a general lack of elevators in many traditional buildings.
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Institutional policy prohibits discrimination against current or prospective students and employees on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or any other legally protected category. Furthermore, anti-discrimination policy is upheld for all employees in compliance with Italian labor law as stated in the Staff Manual.
STUDENT RECORD POLICY
Student records and personal data are kept in accordance with the EU Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (GDPR, General Data Protection Regulation).
FUA's adherence to these regulations makes every effort to comply with FERPA privacy requirements in the USA.