Course Policies
Policy Information
Continuing Education Unit (CEU)
One CEU = ten contact hours of participation in organized continuing education/training experience under responsible, qualified direction and instruction (as defined by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training-IACET). CEUs are based on the number of sixty-minute contact hours for a course or program. To receive CEUs, you must be present for the entire course or program.
Earned CEUs may be useful in maintaining certification or licensing. They may also document your continuing professional education for an employer, association or credentialing agency. Continuing Education will maintain a record of the CEUs you have earned through our programs and courses. CEUs are for non-credit courses or programs. They cannot be converted to quarter or semester hour credit and they cannot be applied to degree programs. If you have questions about CEUs or your records, please contact Continuing Education.
CEU Record Request
For an official record of your academic history, call the Records Office at (805) 756-2531 or go to www.ess.calpoly.edu/records/forms/.
Credit Courses
Course numbers 100 - 599 denote credit courses at Cal Poly. With the approval of your academic advisor, you may apply for up to a maximum of 36 quarter units of undergraduate extension credit toward your baccalaureate degree. Continuing Education will record units and grades in the Student Information System and report them on a Cal Poly transcript.
Certificate Information
A non-refundable one-time enrollment fee is required for each certificate program. Complete a separate certificate registration form (call (805) 756-2053 or go to www.continuing-ed.calpoly.edu) for each certificate program. Some certificate programs have entrance requirements; however, if you are not enrolled in the program, you may take individual courses. Continuing Education will award a Certificate of Achievement when you complete a Certificate Program. It will include the hours of program participation for a group of credit or non-credit courses.
Certificate or Letter of Participation
A record of your attendance at a course, conference, workshop or seminar is available individually, or your instructor may request it for all class participants.
Auditing Credit Courses
You may participate in a credit course without receiving a grade after enrolling and paying your fees through Continuing Education and requesting an optional grade of audit.
Grading and Academic Transcripts
The grading system used by the California State University System applies to Continuing Education credit courses. Grades are available the Wednesday after finals at www.my.calpoly.edu.
Class Location
You will receive a registration confirmation by email, which will include the class location and campus map. After 5:00 pm, the location and time of course offerings for the day will be available on the office voice mail, as well as posted on the door at Jespersen Hall (Bldg. 116). Campus maps, directions and parking information can be found at www.maps.calpoly.edu. Building location information is also available at www.continuing-ed.calpoly.edu.
Change of Contact Information
To update your personal information on your Continuing Education record, email
continuing-ed@calpoly.edu. Include your name presently on record, the date, your birthdate, address on record, new address, city, state, zip, business phone, home phone, and email address. You may also mail to: Continuing Education and University Outreach, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo CA 93407.
Use of Birth Date
The University uses birth date to identify records pertaining to the student. Be prepared to provide your birth date as documentation for your student records. A unique Id will be assigned to your records when you are added to the data base. Contact our office if you need assistance to access your ID information.
Disability Resource Center
If you have permanent or temporary disabilities, the Cal Poly Disability Resource Center can provide assistance to you during your participation in Continuing Education courses. Contact the Disability Resource Center at (805) 756-1395 (voice or TDD).
Equal Opportunity
Cal Poly is an equal opportunity university and is committed to the principles and practices outlined in applicable federal, state and California State University policies. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, or mental or physical disability in any of its employment practices or educational programs.
Cal Poly protects the rights of its students and employees to learn and work in a nurturing atmosphere free from sexual harassment, racial harassment or any other acts that would create a hostile campus environment.
Liability
Continuing Education exercises great care in selecting knowledgeable and competent instructors. We make no guarantees, expressed or implied, that classroom instruction will result in specific gain. We cannot be held responsible for any loss, material or otherwise, incurred while following an instructor’s directions. Continuing Education is not responsible for any personal property left behind. Students take courses at their own risk.
Privacy Statement
When you register for a program, we collect personal and business information such as name, mailing and e-mail addresses, telephone number, gender, age, birthdate and credit card information for payment purposes.
The information we collect is used solely for university purposes such as maintaining accurate student records and keeping you informed about university programs and services. This information may only be released to a court or government agency if required by law.
Course Fees
State law requires that Continuing Education, as an entity of the California State University system, must be self-supported. Taxpayer-generated funds do not provide support to Continuing Education. Continuing Education credit course fees are $230 per unit, unless otherwise defined by the program brochure. Course requirements determine the fee for each non-credit course. Course fees are subject to change. Group fees are available for non-credit courses.
Without exception, students are required to pay all outstanding debt before registering for an upcoming term. Students who receive a financial aid refund (loans, grants and/or scholarships) are advised to confirm that all charges to date have been paid in full.
Discounts
Only one discount applies per non-credit course. We will apply the larger discount for which you qualify.
Course Changes: Right to Cancel
Continuing Education reserves the right to cancel a course, and to change the class location, date, time or instructor. Continuing Education will notify participants in advance, and announce any changes after 5 p.m. on the office voice mail the night of class.
Tax Credits
If you are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program or are taking courses to acquire or improve job skills, you may qualify for a Hope Scholarship or Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. The Hope Scholarship tax credit is available only to students in their first two years of post-secondary education, who are enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program. The Lifetime Learning tax credit is available to students at all educational enrollment levels who are enrolled in an eligible educational institution. Consult IRS Publication 970 or your tax preparer for more information.
To apply for the tax credit, you must report the amount of tuition and fees paid as well as the amount of certain scholarships, grants, and untaxed income used to pay the tuition and fees. Cal Poly will send you a 1098T form with 1) the name, address, and taxpayer ID number of the school; 2) the name, address and taxpayer ID of the student for whom tuition was paid; 3) whether the student was enrolled at least half-time; and 4) whether the student was only in a graduate-level program, by January 31, for each tax year. Use this information and your own records to complete the IRS Form 8863 and claim a tax credit. If you have questions, talk to a tax advisor for help. If you do not receive a 1098T form, you can access your Cal Poly form by going to www.1098T.com.
Course Withdrawal and Refund Policy
If Continuing Education cancels a course for which you have paid fees, you will receive a full refund.
To drop a course, you must officially withdraw by written notification to Continuing Education and University Outreach. Your withdrawal effective date is the date we receive your written notification (fax, E-mail, mail or in person) in the office of Continuing Education and University Outreach or the postmark on your mailed notification.
Non-attendance, stopping payment on a check or payment voucher, or simply informing the instructor, does not constitute an official withdrawal. Stopping payment will result in a financial obligation to the University in the amount of the original check and a $35 charge. Failure to withdraw officially in writing could result in a failing grade or non-eligibility for a refund.
Refer to the appropriate refund schedule. Contact Continuing Education if you need to request a copy of the refund schedule that applies to your course. Your calculation is in accordance with the formula for refunds established in Title V of the California Administration Code. Please allow up to 6 weeks to receive a refund. Credit card refunds are in check form, not credit on account.
A request to transfer your fees to another course is treated the same as a request to withdraw from a course. Your full fee may not be eligible to transfer. See the refund policy below. This refund schedule does not apply to Open University and some special programs.
| Date course is dropped | Refund Amount for courses of 5 or more meetings | Refund Amount for courses of 4 meetings or less |
|---|---|---|
| Up to eight business days before the first day of class | Total refund | Total refund |
| Seven business days or less before the first day of class | Total fee minus $25 | Total fee minus $25 |
| On or after the first day of class | 65% of fees collected will be refunded until 25% of the course time has elapsed | No refund |
| After 25% of course time has elapsed | No refund | N/A |
Military Exception
If you are a member of an active or reserve United States military unit, and you receive orders compelling a withdrawal from courses, you are eligible to withdraw without penalty and a full refund of all enrollment fees paid to Continuing Education unless the course was completed or units awarded. To request this type of withdrawal exception you must submit copies of military orders along with a Withdrawal Request Form to Continuing Education.
Distance Learning: Withdrawal and Refund Policy
Distance Learning: Withdrawal and Refund Policy:
Online courses with or without specified meeting dates in a quarter
Subject to the same refund policy as if regular courses with meetings. Refunds for courses with specified meeting dates will be subject to the number of meetings elapsed. Refunds for courses with no set meeting dates will be subject to the amount of time that has elapsed in the quarter.
Online Self-Paced Courses
Withdrawal from a course where you proceed at your own pace using an access code is contingent on receiving the access code. Once the access code has been sent to you, you will not be eligible for a refund.
CD-ROM/Disk Courses
Withdrawal from a course accessible by a CD-ROM/disk and at your own pace is subject to a 65% refund only if the package has not been opened and is returned with your withdrawal request. If you opened the package, you are not eligible for a refund.
