Students Adding Classes

As soon as the semester begins, students will start asking you if they can “add” your class. The waitlist and online registration process works during the first week of classes. If you give out permission numbers, you may over enroll your class.
Starting in week 2 (through week 4), you may give out permission numbers. This is entirely at your discretion. If students tell you that “need” your class, it may be worth checking with your department chair or associate dean to confirm the request. Students receiving permission numbers must go online to SOLAR in order to “add” their classes. Adding a class is not your responsibility; it is the student’s. Issuing a Permission Number does not mean the student has been added to your class; the student has to complete the transaction.
You should take roll in some way. You can check Canvas logins to your classes. In smaller classes meeting on zoom, you may want to “call” roll the way you would have in a face to face class. Students should be automatically enrolled in your Canvas site if they are enrolled in the class. If they don’t have access, suggest that they check their portal for their enrollment status.
If students do not "attend" the first two meetings of a course that meets more than once a week, or miss the first meeting of a class that meets only once a week, they lose the right to remain in the class unless they have notified you of their absence prior to class. If there has been no notice, you may issue another student a permission number for the space. Students who do not show up are still responsible for dropping classes even if you have given the space away. You do not have to allow students to stay in class if they arrive after the first two meetings and haven’t notified you of the reason for their late arrival. You do have discretion here, but if you give a seat away and then don’t insist that the absent student drop, you’ll be over-enrolled. Best practice would be to have a standard way (communicated via the syllabus) of marking presence and then follow it.
If students come to you after the last day to drop class and ask you to “add” them because they just learned they are not on your roster, you should not comply unless you believe there is a compelling reason to do so AND you think the student can pass the class. It is the student’s responsibility to check the status of their enrollment well before Census Day. Enrollment matters need to be settled by Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. Do not feel guilty. One thing to know is that allowing students to add or drop after September 21 is, ultimately, the purview of your associate deans or undergraduate and graduate studies. Your decision to sign the form that allows them to add or drop late may be overruled. (We rarely overrule adds, but drops are stickier.)

Students Dropping Classes

Because the University wants students to drop unwanted classes early so other students can take their places, it is easier to drop classes than to add them. Thus, students can drop one or all of their classes on SOLAR without any approval up to Sunday, Sept. 21 in Fall 2025. Please urge them to drop early so other students, waiting for class openings, can enroll.
After Sept. 21, students may drop only by filing a Late Change of Schedule requests with associate deans and/or undergraduate and graduate studies. Like adds, students must obtain your permission before “dropping,” (via email) so you have notice of their intention to change their schedule. You’ll also be asked the last date of attendance of the student. Try your best to give this information (Canvas logins can be used as a proxy). You’ll also be asked if the student is passing the class. Late drops are granted only for serious and compelling reasons. Please never tell students that your signature will allow them to drop classes after deadlines. Some late withdrawals are medical in nature. You’re not being asked to judge the medical circumstances even if the student chooses to disclose the nature of the request to you.

Attendance

Other than students losing the right to remain in class if they are absent without notice from the first two class meetings, (see adding section, above), the Faculty Senate has not enacted official attendance policies. Professors define excess absences in differing ways. Some lower student grades for excess missed classes or assignments and others impose other sanctions. Get some advice from colleagues on setting and enforcing attendance policy. You should include your attendance policy on the syllabus.
If students miss classes while representing the University in official curriculum-related, University-approved activities, (e.g., athletics or drama/music performances), you are expected to provide, within reason, opportunities to make up any work or exams that are missed. Students are expected to supply details and written documentation signed by the supervisor of the activity. You should receive this information from the student either the first week of class or as soon as the information becomes available. Athletes will ask you to sign a form acknowledging receipt of athletic schedule information.
CSUN policy forbids the imposition of penalties on students who miss examinations as a result of religious holidays. Faculty must administer tests at alternate times that would not violate students’ religious creeds. Faculty also are encouraged to make alternate arrangements for the submission or completion of course work that is due on religious holidays.

Continue to the next page to learn about policies related to grading, advising, and mentoring students.