MENU

Registrar

REGISTRAR’S OFFICE

The Office of the Registrar provides comprehensive services for students, faculty and staff. The Registrar’s Office staff strives to provide exceptional and efficient customer service and is committed to operating with integrity in the maintenance of academic records. The Registrar’s Office staff supports the mission of the college by providing assistance and services in a Christ-like manner. 

The Registrar’s Office is located on the Top Floor of the Fite Administration Building.

Office Hours: Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telephone (865) 471-3240 | Fax (865) 471-2013 | Email: registrar@cn.edu

Services

The Registrar’s Office is responsible for assisting students, faculty, and administration in providing services in the following areas:

Athletic Eligibility
Catalog Creation
Commencement
Course Registration
Classroom Facilities Assignment
Degree Audit and Graduation Verification
Enrollment Verification
Institutional Enrollment Reporting
Maintaining Grades and Student Academic Records (Transcripts)
Tracking Student Academic Progress
Transcript Evaluation
Veterans Enrollment Certification


student information

Carson-Newman students can earn credit through on-line classes offered through Acadeum, a consortium of similar colleges and universities. This partnership allows the university to support our students to achieve their educational goals by making progress toward the degree in a timely manner.

Credit taken and earned through the consortium will be calculated in the student’s status for financial aid eligibility.

Courses taken through the consortium are considered institutional credit and will impact a student’s GPA just like a course taken directly from C-N.

Students who will be earning an associate degree may register for no more than 14 semester hours of courses with Acadeum.  Students who will be earning a bachelor’s degree may register for no more than 29 semester hours of courses with Acadeum.

Acadeum courses may NOT be used for meeting the requirement for 25 percent of coursework in residency at Carson-Newman.

Course Approval

Courses taken to meet liberal arts core requirements may be approved by the University Registrar. The Registrar may consult with the department chair on the approval of the course. Courses taken to meet major requirements must be approved by the department chair of the major in which the courses are housed. The University Registrar and/or the Department Chair will review the course description, syllabi, and other documents to assess whether the course meets learning outcomes and other objectives as required of the course at C-N. 

Course Requests

A student can request to take a course through Acadeum by first completing the online Request to take a Course through Acadeum, which requires the approval of the student’s academic advisor, and then completing the online Request through Acadeum Student Portal at the following link: https://www.collegeconsortium.org/institutions/carson-newman-university

A student must sign up for an account using their C-N email address. 

A list of courses already pre-approved are listed on the portal for Carson-Newman. Other courses may be found by searching for courses that are not on the pre-approved list. The University Registrar can assist the student in searching for courses on the portal.

Approving the request

The Registrar will receive information regarding the student’s request to take a course through the consortium. Upon receipt of the request, the Registrar will review the student’s eligibility to take the course to assure that the student needs the course to meet degree requirements. 

Students can indicate the reason for taking the course in the comments section in the student portal.

Notification regarding course request

Course registration requires approval. The student will receive an email communication from the Registrar regarding the status of the request indicating if it was approved or denied. If denied, the student can provide additional justification for taking the course. Sometimes a course may be denied because the student does not have the prerequisites to take the course through the consortium.  

Course Costs and Billing

For courses offered during the summer term, the tuition that students pay is based on Carson-Newman’s summer hourly course rate. Carson-Newman will bill the student for courses taken through the Acadeum course sharing consortium.

For courses offered during the fall and spring semesters, the student will pay additional tuition charges for the cost of the course above the regular semester tuition charges.

Once a student enrolls in a course offered through the consortium, the student agrees to pay the costs for the course. Charges for the course will not be reversed after the second day of class, therefore, there will be no refund for the course after this date. 

Transcripts

Courses taken through the Acadeum consortium will be transcribed similarly to a course taken at Carson-Neman but will include a notation on the transcript that the course was taken through the consortium. Grades will be assigned according to the grade scale established by the institution offering the course.

The deadline to drop a course with a W grade for a course taken through the consortium may be different than the drop deadlines for courses taken at C-N. Carson-Newman will use the drop deadlines for W or WF grades as assigned by the institution offering the consortium course.

For more information about courses offered through Acadeum, please contact the University Registrar at 865-471-3240 or email registrar@cn.edu.

Students must complete a graduation application. Students who complete the application for graduation after the stated deadline below may not be processed for graduation after the semester of completion but will be conferred with the next group of graduates. Students should complete the application; the Deadlines for applications for graduation are as follows: 

December graduation – October 1 

May graduation – February 1 

August graduation – February 1 

Applications for graduation are closed once faculty have voted on the list of graduates for the term. Rising seniors (approximately 80-90 hours) should complete a graduation application during the Spring semester pre-registration period of their junior year. 

The Graduation application is under the ‘Graduation Overview’ tab on MyCN. Students should review the degree information on the Graduation Application and the Degree Progress (also available on MyCN) to verify that their degree program, major, and minor are all correct. Any errors should be reported to the Registrar’s Office before submitting the Graduation Application. 

The Graduation Application will also provide an opportunity for a student to confirm the spelling of their name on the diploma, participation in the commencement ceremony, Military status, and diploma mailing address. 

Once the University Registrar has verified that all requirements for graduation have been satisfied, the student’s record will be processed for graduation for the term in which requirements are completed. Carson-Newman has three conferral dates which are held at the end of the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

Carson-Newman University FERPA Quick Links

FERPA FACTS

FERPA FACTS FOR FACULTY

GENERAL FERPA LAWS & GUIDANCE

PARENTS GUIDE TO FERPA

 

Student Forms

Request to Review Education Records

This form is submitted by a student who wishes to review their educational record.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE FORM

 

Request to Prevent Disclosure

This form is submitted by a student who wishes to prevent disclosure of directory information. Directory information includes:

Name, email, and University mailing address, telephone number, dates of attendance, class, date and place of birth, photograph, class schedule, enrollment status, academic status.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE FORM

 

Student Release of Academic Records to a Third Party

This form is completed when a student is authorizing the release of their academic file to a third party. Records to be released include but are not limited to:

Grades, GPA, registration, student ID, academic progress, enrollment status, financial aid, loan information, and billing information.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE FORM

 

NOTE: All forms must be returned to the Registrar’s Office by mail, fax or email.

Email: registrar@cn.edu

Mailing address:      Carson-Newman University

c/o Registrar’s Office

1646 Russell Avenue, CN-Box 71985

Jefferson City, TN 37760

 

Annual Notification of Rights Under FERPA

Carson-Newman University provides for the confidentiality of student records in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as amended. This act provides for the right of access by a student to his/her files and records with certain limited exceptions and prohibits the disclosure of information without the student’s written approval, with certain limited exceptions, other than for disclosure of directory information.

Directory information includes:

Address                                                           Major field of study

Anticipated date of Graduation                   Participation in school activities/athletics

Date and place of birth                                 Photograph

Dates of attendance                                      Previous Institution attended

Degree and awards                                        Student name

Email-addresses                                              Telephone numbers

Enrollment status (full-time or part-time)

 

Students wishing to withhold directory information may do so by notifying the Registrar in writing.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

(1) The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the university receives a request for access.

A student should submit to the registrar, dean, chair of the academic department, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the appropriate official to whom the request should be addressed.

(2) The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

A student who wishes to ask the University to amend a record should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.

 

(3) The right to a hearing if the request to correct an alleged inaccuracy is denied.

If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the university will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

(4) The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

The University may disclose education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using University employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a third party engaged in research conducted on behalf of the university provided such information is not disclosed to any other authorized party; or a student, serving on a university committee authorized by a university official, such as a disciplinary or grievance, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the University.

Upon request, the University may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

(5) The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

 

Family Policy Compliance Office

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

 Washington, DC 20202-5901

 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act provides that educational records of a student who is a dependent of his/her parents(s) for Internal Revenue purposes may be disclosed to the parents(s) without first receiving the student’s consent provided documentation showing the student to be a dependent under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code is presented by the parent(s). Students may also authorize the release of otherwise confidential information, i.e., grades, academic progress, class attendance, financial data, and disciplinary actions to parents or others by signing a consent to disclose form available in the Office of the Registrar.

The following is a partial list of records maintained in university offices and the official responsible for each:

Academic records and transcripts: Registrar

Student Judicial Records: Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Judicial Services

Student Co-curricular and Extracurricular Participation: Vice President for Student Affairs

Placement Files: (complied by the student) Academic Support Center

Carson-Newman University defines a student as enrolled the first day the student begins attendance at the University.

For Additional information regarding Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act policies, please contact the University Registrar at 865-471-3240 or registrar@cn.edu.

Updated April 2016

Student complaints relating to consumer protection laws that involve distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) must first be filed with Carson-Newman to seek resolution.

Complainants not satisfied with the outcome of Carson-Newman’s internal process may appeal, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission at https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/student-aid-and-compliance/postsecondary-state-authorization/request-for-complaint-review.html.

For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of SARA or the laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the SARA Policies and Standards (http://www.nc-sara.org/content/sara-manual) have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA.

For a list of SARA member States, please visit the NC-SARA website (http://nc-sara.org/sara-states-institutions). Students residing in non-SARA states should consult their respective State of residence for further instruction for filing a complaint.

To see an overview of the process: SARA Student Complaint Process: StudentComplaintProcedure.pdf

Course Load

One course, 3 hours, is the maximum for Mayterm or for a four-week summer school term. Students may not exceed 15 hours during the entire summer including Mayterm (without permission from the advisor and University Registrar) and those enrolling in multiple summer terms may not exceed the number of hours in accelerated terms that is equivalent to full-time status in a traditional semester.

May Term: May 8 May 26

Deadline for refund for course withdrawal *(There is no refund for courses dropped after this date) Friday, May 5, noon EDT

Deadline to remain enrolled and make a schedule change without a drop/add fee Tuesday, May 9

^Deadline to drop a course with W Thursday, May 18

14-week Session: May 8 – August 11

Deadline for refund for course withdrawal *(There is no refund for courses dropped after this date) Friday, May 5, noon EDT

Deadline to remain enrolled and make a schedule change without a drop/add fee Friday, May 12

^Deadline to drop a course with a W Thursday, July 13

10-week Session: May 15 – July 21

Deadline for refund for course withdrawal *(There is no refund for courses dropped after this date) Friday, May 12, noon EDT

Deadline to remain enrolled and make a schedule change without a drop/add fee Friday, May 19

^Deadline to drop a course with W Thursday, June 29

Session A: May 8 – June 23

Deadline for refund for course withdrawal * (There is no refund for courses dropped after this date) Friday, May 5, noon, EDT

Deadline to remain enrolled and make a schedule change without a drop/add fee Thursday, May 11

^Deadline to drop a course with W Thursday, June 8

Session B: June 26 – August 11

Deadline for refund for course withdrawal *(There is no refund for courses dropped after this date) Friday, June 23, noon EDT

Deadline to remain enrolled and make a schedule change without a drop/add fee Thursday, June 29

^Deadline to drop a course with W Thursday, July 27

Session F: June 5 – June 30

Deadline for refund for course withdrawal *(There is no refund for courses dropped after this date) Friday, June 2, noon EDT

Deadline to remain enrolled and make a schedule change without a drop/add fee Wednesday, June 7

Last day to drop a course with W Thursday, June 22

Session G: July 3 – July 28

Deadline for refund for course withdrawal *(There is no refund for courses dropped after this date) Friday, June 30, noon EDT

Deadline to remain enrolled and make a schedule change without a drop/add fee Wednesday, July 5

Last day to drop a course with W Thursday, July 20

Memorial Day Holiday: Monday, May 29
Independence Day Holiday: Tuesday, July 4

*The last date to drop a course without being charged for the course in the module is before the module begins. Module classes are part of an academic term. To not incur charges, courses should be dropped by the date and time indicated on the Timetable of Dates. Students who confirm enrollment or begin attendance will incur charges.  Dropping module courses during the semester may result in aid recalculation or return of funds to the funding agency for that term.  When a student drops all courses of enrollment, the student is a withdrawal and follows the withdrawal policy for refunds and financial assistance re-calculations.

^ Courses dropped after this date until the end of the session are graded WF.

Students enrolled in a session who do not plan to enroll in a subsequent session must notify the Office of the Registrar by the last day of the session in which they are currently enrolled. Failure to notify the Registrar will result in charges and processing of an administrative withdrawal.

An enrollment verification provides confirmation of enrollment status, dates of attendance, and degree(s) conferred. Enrollment verification proves to third parties that you are, or were previously, enrolled as a student at Carson-Newman University.

Click here to request an enrollment verification.

Carson-Newman accepts transfer credit from accredited colleges and universities and endorses the guidelines for transfer of credit as outlined in the “Joint Statement of the Transfer and Award of Credit” developed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the American Council of Education (ACE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Courses recommended by The American Council of Education are evaluated on a course by course basis. Some courses must be authorized for acceptance by a department chair. 

Course Credit Evaluation process:

  1. The transfer credit evaluation process includes reviewing a college level course which may be acceptable for credit by Carson-Newman. Approved transferrable credit will be accepted as:
  1. A course similar in likeness to a C-N course. The course will be granted a Carson-Newman course            

number, or 

  1. A course that meets a Liberal Arts Core requirement will be granted credit as GER or LA, for example   

BIOL-GER, or BIOL-LA, or

  1. A course that is taught in a discipline that is offered by Carson-Newman, but does not equate to a representative course at C-N.  The course will be accepted as elective credit, designated as ELEC, for example, BIOL-ELEC. Elective credit may not be used toward meeting Liberal Arts Core requirements. It may be used toward major requirements if approved by the department chair. It may also be used toward the total number of hours toward a degree. Credit accepted as elective credit may be further reviewed by a department chair upon student request to determine if the course would meet a Liberal Arts Core or major course requirement.  A course description and syllabus from the course must be provided to the department chair of the discipline in question for review of specific credit. 

2.  Courses taught at the developmental or remedial level from the transferring institution are not accepted for credit.

3. Courses from vocational or technical schools are not generally accepted for credit. Students may petition for credit for courses that may have an equivalent match at C-N by following the procedures outlined below to appeal for credit from an unaccredited institution. 

4. Credit for institutionally specific courses, such as chapel, convocation, lecture series, etc., is typically not accepted unless the syllabus demonstrates content that general in nature and not specific to the transferring institution.

5.  Varsity Athletic sport credit will transfer as an “S” graded course and is limited to one credit per academic year.

6.  Credit earned for Nursing coursework does not automatically transfer. The Department of Nursing will review all Nursing credit. Nursing credit will be awarded only upon the approval of the Chair of the Nursing Department, who will notify the University Registrar concerning the awarding of nursing credit. 

7. Credit for freshman seminar courses may be granted upon review and evaluation of course content. If the courses content is similar in nature to a course or courses at Carson-Newman, the credit will be granted as Interdisciplinary (prefix ID) credit.

8.  Credit by exam, i.e., Advanced Placement, College Level Examination Program, International Baccalaureate and State-Wide Dual (TN) credit is accepted based upon established guidelines and required scores determined by individual departments. These guidelines are based on information and recommendations from the College Board, IB, and the State of Tennessee. Credit by Exam is limited to 30 hours and is not considered institutional credit.

Credit by Exam Score Chart

9. Credit from international institutions must be evaluated by a professional foreign credentials evaluation service such as WES, or Joseph Silney and Associates, or recognized equivalent. The official professional evaluation must be submitted to the University Registrar for consideration of transfer credit. Credit will be awarded according to guidelines stated in this transfer credit policy.

Transfer credit and Degree Requirements:

1.  No more than 60 hours earned from a 2 year, junior or community college may be used toward the requirement for a degree from Carson-Newman.  If the student transfers more than 60 hours of credit from a two year college, the student must earn least 60 hours from C-N and/or another 4 year college. Institutional policy requires at least 60 hours must earned from a senior (4 year) college or university, and at least 30 hours must be earned at Carson-Newman to award the degree.

2. Credit earned at the 100 or 200 level from the original institution transferred as upper division to Carson Newman will count as content credit for the discipline (with some limited exceptions) but the hours earned will not count toward meeting the 36 Junior/Senior (upper division) hour requirement necessary for graduation from Carson-Newman, unless approved by the department chair

3.  Courses transfer with the hours earned and level assigned from the original institution.  A course may satisfy a content requirement, but may not satisfy other C-N requirements, such as upper level credit as noted above.

4.  If a course was taken at another institution, it can be repeated at another institution, for the replacement to be granted.  If it was taken at C-N if has to be repeated at C-N in order for the forgiveness policy to be administered.  If the student fails the course at C-N, and successfully repeats it at another institution, the student will be granted the credit, but hours and grades attempted will be counted for both courses.

5. All grades for courses which are accepted as transfer credit are recorded and computed into the transferring student’s grade point average. Grades are transferred on a 4.0 grading scale and plus and minus quality points are not computed in the transfer grade point average. These transferred quality points and the quality points earned at C-N will be used to calculate the cumulative GPA. Students must earn a minimum cumulative and C-N institutional GPA of 2.0 to graduate. (Some specific departments have higher GPA requirements for completion of the degree.)

6.  Class standing of transfer students is determined by the number of credit hours accepted for transfer at Carson-Newman University.

Time Limit on Transfer Credits to Carson-Newman University

1. Courses meeting the Liberal Arts Core requirement do not have a time limit for traditional undergraduate programs. 

2. Courses used for elective credit toward the total number of hours required for the degree do not have a time limit.  

3.  Courses meeting major requirements for a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, or Bachelor of Science major taken more than 15 years prior to enrollment at Carson-Newman University will transfer only with departmental approval.  An exception to this policy may be granted with approval of the department chair for the major/program in which the student plans to major.

4.  In certain courses, current knowledge is essential, and the department chair may impose a time limit on the applicability of earned credit toward satisfying a degree requirement. In rare cases, a course may be used as elective credit toward the total number of hours required for the degree, but the student will have to take a more current version of the course at Carson-Newman University to satisfy course requirements for the major.

5.  Pre-requisite courses for the Nursing major, i.e., General Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, nutrition, microbiology, human development, and statistics must have been earned within ten years of the date of enrollment in the program. All nursing coursework completed at another institution must be approved by the Nursing Admission and Progression Committee in order for credit to be awarded toward the major at Carson-Newman.

Credit earned through the Armed Forces: 

Veterans of the Armed Forces and members of the military reserve may receive up to 40 hours of credit for military training. Credit is evaluated based on applicability to the declared major or degree of pursuit. If the declared major or degree changes after the veteran enrolls, the University reserves the right to re-evaluate military transfer credit and add or remove credit as it applies to the declared major of pursuit.

Carson-Newman follows the American Council of Education recommendation for course credit earned through the Armed Forces. Carson-Newman will award credit that is similar in likeness to a course offered through Carson-Newman based on this recommendation. Credit earned through the military will be reviewed by the Carson-Newman University Registrar. C-N will award a minimum of 4 hours of military credit (MILS) for basic training based on either the DD-214 or the Joint Services Transcript. 

An official Joint Services Military Transcript, Community College of the Air Force or other equivalent military transcript must be submitted to the University Registrar for consideration of additional credit. 

Credit from non-regionally accredited institutions:

If the student requests transfer of credit through a non-regionally accredited college the student may petition for credit through each individual department in which credit is sought. The student must complete the form for Requesting Credit from an Unaccredited Institution and provide a course description and a syllabus to the department chair for review and consideration.  The department chair will notify the University Registrar by completing and submitting the form to the University Registrar indicating whether the credit is acceptable and how it should be awarded.

Petition to Accept Credit from Unaccredited Institution

Graduate Credit:

Courses accepted for credit toward graduate degrees must be approved by the specific graduate program Chair or Program Director in which the degree is sought. Transfer credit hours are limited to the maximum number as specified by each individual graduate program. Consult the Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog for policies regarding transfer credit for graduate students. Transfer credit toward graduate degrees must be earned within the last 5 years.

The Appeal Process:

Undergraduate students may appeal a transfer credit decision through the University Registrar.  Documentation including a course syllabus must be submitted to the University Registrar who will contact the Department Chair of the subject area of the credit being appealed. A decision will be rendered by the Department Chair in consultation with the University Registrar.

Graduate Students appeal through the Graduate Department Chair or Graduate Program Director.

*Policy updated on 6/13/22*

Transfer Articulation Agreement:

Carson-Newman University has articulation agreements with the following institutions:

  • Pellissippi State Community College — Knoxville, TN
  • New Mexico Military Institute — Roswell, NM
  • Georgia Military Institute — Milledgeville, GA (additional branches in Augusta, Fayetteville, Fairburn, Valdosta and Warner Robins)
  • Valley Forge Military College — Wayne, PA
  • Marion Military Institute — Marion, AL

Tennessee Transfer Pathways and Articulation Agreements

Carson-Newman University has established transfer pathways agreements for students who complete an associate degree from a Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institution prior to beginning their enrollment at Carson-Newman University. Students who follow the prescribed pathway will streamline their educational journey and satisfy many components of their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree without taking additional unnecessary coursework. Following an articulation agreement or transfer pathway prior to admission will allow a student to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman University upon completion of REL 101, REL 102 and LA-102, remaining courses required for the major, upper level and senior college credit requirements, and elective hours required to reach the 120 hours required for graduation from Carson-Newman.

Additional information on transfer pathways can be found on the Admissions website at this link: C-N Transfer Admissions and at TN Transfer Pathway

Participating institutions are listed below:

  • Chattanooga State Community College
  • Cleveland State Community College
  • Columbia State Community College
  • Dyersburg State Community College
  • Jackson State Community College
  • Motlow State Community College
  • Nashville State Community College
  • Northeast State Community College
  • Pellissippi State Community College
  • Roane State Community College
  • Southwest Tennessee State Community College
  • Volunteer State Community College
  • Walters State Community College

Tennessee Reverse Transfer

The University participates in the Tennessee Reverse Transfer program. This program allows a student who completes a minimum of 15 hours at a participating Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) community college and who enrolls at Carson-Newman University before completing an associate degree to transfer their credits earned at Carson-Newman back to the community college. A reverse transfer potentially allows these students to be awarded an associate degree by their community college while also meeting bachelor’s degree requirements at Carson-Newman. For more information, see C-N Transfer Admissions


Registrar’s Office:
1646 Russell Ave., Jefferson City, TN 37760