Rule R6-100F: Enrollment Minimums for Undergraduate Courses

1. Cancellation or Exemption from Cancellation of Undergraduate Course Sections with Low Enrollment
2. Minimum Enrollment Thresholds
3. Course Cancellation Procedures

‌Purpose and Scope‌

1. Purpose.

   The purpose of this rule is to ensure that course cancellations due to low enrollment are handled in a manner that minimizes disruption to students and faculty, supports equitable teaching loads among faculty, reflects the instructional capacity of the institution, and in so doing, maintains the financial sustainability of the institution, class sizes must take into account not only pedagogy but also financial realities and institutional priorities.

2. Scope.

   This rule applies to all Course-Offering units and all undergraduate credit-bearing Course Sections.

‌Definitions‌

The definitions provided in Policy 6-100 apply for this rule.

‌Rule‌

1. ‌Cancellation or Exemption from Cancellation of Undergraduate Course Sections with Low Enrollment

   Decisions to cancel or exempt a low-enrollment Course Section begin with the department chair or equivalent of the Course-offering Unit. Such decisions are made in concert with the college/school dean or their designee, who retains authority over resource allocations. Course-offering Units may establish written guidance that describes exceptions to the minimum enrollment thresholds and submit that guidance to the dean or designee for approval. The Office of the Registrar will cancel Course Sections only upon request from the department chair or equivalent, college/school dean, or designee(s).

2. ‌Minimum Enrollment Thresholds

   1. Course Sections that do not meet the following thresholds and that are not given an exemption as approved by the College/School dean or designee should be canceled by the department following the process described in this rule:

      1. for a lower-division undergraduate course (1000-2000 level), 20 students; and

      2. for an upper-division undergraduate course (3000-5000 level), 15 students.

   2. These thresholds will be monitored on a semester-basis and reviewed for calibration at least every three years by the policy officers or their designee(s).

3. ‌Course Cancellation Procedures

   1. Timing: Course Sections that do not meet minimum enrollment should be canceled at least one week prior to the start of the term.

   2. Responsibility: the department chair or equivalent, college/school dean, or designee(s) is responsible for initiating cancellations, communicating with students, and managing faculty assignments.

   3. Communication: Students and advising staff should be notified immediately upon cancellation. Academic Advisors will assist students in finding alternate courses.

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      Sections IV- VII are for user information and are not subject to the approval of the Academic Senate or the Board of Trustees. The Institutional Policy Committee, the Policy Owner, or the Policy Officer may update these sections at any time.

‌Policies/ Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms and other Related Resources‌

1. Policies/ Rules.

   1. Policy 6-100: Instruction and Evaluation

2. Procedures, Guidelines, and Forms. [ reserved ]

3. Other Related Resources. [ reserved ]

‌References‌

1. [ reserved ]

‌Contacts‌

The designated contact officials for this regulation are:

1. Policy Owner(s) (primary contact person for questions and advice): Vice Provost for Student Success

2. Policy Officer(s): Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

   See Rule 1-001 for information about the roles and authority of policy owners and policy officers.

‌History‌

Revision History.

1. Current version. Revision 0.

   1. Approved by the Academic Senate on April 6, 2026, with effective date of August 1, 2026.

   2. Legislative History

   3. Editorial Revisions

2. Renumbering

   1. Not applicable