2023-2024 Academic Catalog

Office of the Registrar

Phone: 708-209-4078
Email: registrar@cuchicago.edu
Location: Addison 155
Website: https://www.cuchicago.edu/academics/academic-resources/registrar/

The Office of the Registrar supports the core functions of the University's academic division including course registration, student academic records, course schedules, academic catalogs, transcripts, licensure, student directory information and more.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all classes as part of the learning process, both in face-to-face and online courses.  

Class Attendance Policy 

CUC defines class attendance as follows:

In face-to-face courses and university assigned study groups (e.g., recitations), documented physical presence in class meetings. 

In an online course, documenting that a student has logged into an online class is not sufficient to demonstrate academic attendance by the student. According to the US Department of Education, a school must demonstrate that a student participated in class or was otherwise engaged in an academically related activity. Examples of acceptable evidence of academic attendance and attendance at an academically related activity in a distance education course/program include:

  • student submission of an academic assignment, 
  • student submission of an exam, 
  • documented student participation in an interactive tutorial or computer-assisted instruction, 
  • a posting by the student showing the student’s participation in an online study group that is assigned by the institution,
  • a posting by the student in a discussion forum showing the student’s participation in an online discussion about academic matters, and
  • an email from the student or other documentation showing that the student initiated contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course. 

Students can expect faculty members to have a clear attendance policy in each course syllabus and/or the policy section of Blackboard that conforms with the university class attendance policy. Students are expected to be aware of the attendance policy in each course for which they are enrolled.

Students may not receive credit on individual assignments or assessments, and may receive a reduced/failing course grade if they do not observe attendance requirements set for their classes. 

The university expectation is that students will not miss more than 25% of class attendance whether authorized or unauthorized. Some programs or faculty members may have different expectations; students are expected to be aware of any variations from this expectation. For information on requesting an incomplete, students should review the Incomplete Policy. For information on requesting to drop or withdraw from a course, students should review the pertinent section in their Academic Catalog and speak with their advisor.  If a student needs to request a drop or withdrawal after the deadline, they should use the Dean of Students Appeal Form.   

Authorized Absences from Class 

A student representing the university at university-sponsored events is granted authorized absences from class provided that the student is in good academic standing and has complied with approved procedures. See the Student-Athlete Class Attendance Policy  for absences due to participation in athletics. Faculty members will receive email notifications regarding authorized student absences via Navigate.

When leading/hosting a university-sponsored event where students will be absent, faculty members should notify the Office of the Dean of Students so that it can send out notifications to the CUC community.  

In compliance with Title IX, absences due to pregnancy, recovery, or related conditions must be authorized if the student’s physician deems the absence medically necessary. Regarding all absences tied to pregnancy, recovery or related conditions, students should email TitleIX@CUChicago.edu with documentation included for any such absence. The Office of the Dean of Students will review request and documentation and notify faculty members if absences are authorized. Faculty members are expected to assist pregnant and parenting students (female and male) by providing them with options, such as extended deadlines, make-up assignments or alternate learning activities.  

At the discretion of a faculty member, at times in consultation with the Office of the Dean of Students and in line with a program’s requirements, absences due to medical and mental health issues, personal crises, military orders, or contractual obligations may be authorized.  Students should complete the following form to notify the Office of the Dean of Students with documentation included for any such absence. 

An authorized absence does not excuse a student from course material, assignments or exams. It is ultimately up to each faculty member to decide what, if any, accommodation can be provided for an authorized absence. It is the student's responsibility to initiate a request for an accommodation with the faculty member. It is also a student’s primary responsibility to schedule courses to minimize potential class absences.

Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is a Federal law which states that the educational institution must maintain the confidentiality of student education records. Students have a right to request to withhold or release information through written request or by completing the Student Right to Privacy Release form located in the student portal. All withhold or release elections are in effect for 1 year, after which the student will need to submit a new election.

Unless the student has elected to withhold information, the institution at its discretion may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of the Act to include:

  • student name
  • date of birth
  • address
  • telephone number
  • major field of study
  • dates of attendance
  • enrollment status (full-time or part-time)
  • degrees and awards received
  • the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student
  • participation in officially recognized activities and sports
  • weight and height of members of athletic teams

Students have the right to inspect and review their record. If the student believes an error has been made, the student has a right to petition for their record to be amended. Students who believe that the adjudications of their challenges were unfair, or not in keeping with the provisions of the Act may request in writing assistance from the President of the institution. Further, students who believe that their rights have been abridged may file complaints with FERPA concerning the alleged failures of Concordia University Chicago to comply with the Act.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office (FERPA)
Department of Health, Education and Welfare
Washington D.C. 20201

For the full provisions of the Act here.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes data protection and privacy rights for European Economic Area (EEA) residents. As an academic institution CUC collects personal data for many purposes, including, but not limited to the following reasons:

  • To improve university services and procedures
  • For conducting research
  • For identification
  • For marketing
  • To meet contractual and/or legal obligations
  • For responding to inquiries
  • To provide educational instruction

Residents of the EEA have the following rights under GDRP:

  • Right of access to personal information
  • Right of rectification of personal information
  • Right to erasure (right to be forgotten)
  • Right to restriction of processing of personal information
  • Right to data portability (request a copy of personal information)
  • Right to object to processing of personal information

For the full provisions of the Regulation here.

Licensure

Once you have completed a program leading to Illinois licensure, Concordia-Chicago's Licensure Officer will contact you once your licensure has been processed on your Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) account. The Licensure Officer can also assist with other licensure-related questions and out-of-state licensure processing. Contact the Office of the Registrar at 708-209-4078 or licensure@CUChicago.edu for more information.

Official Transcript and Received Document Policies

Paper Transcript(s): An official transcript is usually printed on special watermarked paper. It includes the registrar’s signature and/or the institution’s seal, and should arrive packaged in a sealed envelope from the institution. Paper transcript(s) delivered to Concordia University Chicago by hand or mail will be accepted as long as the envelope containing the transcript(s) remains sealed. If the envelope has been opened, tampered with, damages, or compromised in any way the transcript(s) will be considered unofficial.

E-transcript(s) (electronic):  An e-transcript is official when sent directly to Concordia University Chicago from the originating institution. E-transcript(s) forwarded to Concordia University Chicago from the applicant/student, whether it be the PDF of the document(s) or a link to the download service, will be considered unofficial.

All financial obligations (e.g. outstanding tuition, loan-related exit interviews, library fines) to Concordia University Chicago must be fulfilled before official transcripts will be issued, except when sent directly to a potential or current employer in accordance with the Student Debt Assistance Act, Illinois SB3032, 102nd General Assembly, §2022, Section 15.

Received Documents: The Office of the Registrar does not release received documents such as transcripts, test scores, etc., that have become the property of Concordia University Chicago. Since Concordia-Chicago is not the official, legal custodian of record for any documents that did not originate at the institution, the office does not have the appropriate authority to release them. Therefore, please contact the originating institution or organization that produced the original records in order to obtain such documents.

Verification (Enrollment, Degree and more)

Concordia University Chicago has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide enrollment and degree verifications on its behalf.

Enrollment Verification: Students can now access their complete and verified Concordia University Chicago education record through Myhub; a free, secure, and portable online application provided by the National Student Clearinghouse.

  • Current Students: should access their Myhub account through their CUConnect portal.
  • Past Students and Alumni: can access their Myhub account by going to https://www.myhub.org/home, and creating an account using either their Linkedin or Google account.    

Enrollment Verification Policy 

The Office of the Registrar provides students with verification of their enrollment status (full- or part-time), dates of attendance, anticipated date of graduation, and program of study. Students seeking verification can download their certified enrollment report through their MyHub account (which they can access through their student portal), provide the Office of the Registrar with a form from a third party or they can request a letter by completing the Enrollment Verification form and submitting it to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@cuchicago.edu. The Office of the Registrar can only verify previous and current semesters. Requests for the current semester verifications cannot be completed until after the last date to drop a class for the current term the student is enrolled in. Please refer to the Academic calendar for exact drop deadlines.    

For further instructions please refer to the Myhub Student User Guide. If you have additional questions you can contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@cuchicago.edu or at 708-209-4078. Please note students who attended prior to 2000 may not have access to Myhub.

Degree Verification: Students may request degree verification in one of two ways:

  • Online: www.degreeverify.org
  • By Mail:
    National Student Clearinghouse
    2300 Dulles Station Boulevard, Suite 300
    Herndon, VA 20171