Office of the Registrar

To support the University Commencement, the Office of the Registrar at our Administrative Building location in-person and phone services will be unavailable on Friday, May 15, 2026, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additionally, the Modern Languages Building location will be closed for in-person services but available at rcshelp@arizona.edu.

We will resume regular business hours on Monday, May 18, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In Spring 2026, updates were made to add the Civic Institutions requirement, simplify language by removing detailed course criteria, allow a completed AA or AS degree to fulfill all General Education requirements, update office naming to the Office of the Registrar, and permit older coursework (over 8 years) to apply to General Education and electives in alignment with the Time Limits policy.

In Spring 2026, updates were made to undergraduate course syllabus expectations to improve clarity and consistency across courses. The updates require distribution or posting of syllabi on the first day of class and organize required syllabus elements into clearer categories. Additional updates include guidance for individualized learning experiences and relocation of the policies to the University Catalog for improved access and alignment with academic policies.

In Spring 2026, updates were made to expand transfer credit opportunities for students in professional practice programs as defined by the Graduate College, allowing up to 40% of degree requirements to be transferred from a regionally accredited institution. The updated policy is in effect beginning in the fall 2026 semester.

The Course Types & Components Policy has been updated to create a Clinical course type, refine course type definitions, and incorporate all course types into the existing policy. These changes allow departments to better utilize course types appropriate for their courses.

The Posthumous Degree and Posthumous Certificate of Achievement has been updated to add a Compassionate Certificate of Achievement for students with diagnoses that permanently prevent degree completion. This change recognizes students and their families who don’t qualify for a posthumous degree/certificate and are unable to complete their degree program.   

The Substitutions for Approved General Education Courses Policy has been updated to designate the Office of General Education as the central approver of course substitutions for General Education courses. Approved substitutions remain in effect even when a student declares a new major. These changes support student success and timely graduation.

We invite you to bring your questions to the University Registrar and the Office of the Registrar leadership team. There will be a brief overview of the Office's functions, updates on upcoming initiatives, and an open Q&A session. If you have questions about processes managed by the Office of the Registrar or current projects, this is the forum for you to ask your questions. Gain clarity, provide feedback, and learn more about the Office of the Registrar's scope of work.

• Join RCS Office Hours this Spring
• Spring 2026 Common & Standard Final Exam Classrooms Assigned
• Register Now: Open Scheduling Winter 2026 & Spring 2027 Kickoff Webinar 

MANAGING THE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

• Managing the Schedule of Classes During Closed Scheduling
• Unused Class Sections to be Removed Before Spring 2026 Term Roll
• Resolving ‘Class Status Tentative’ and Unpublished Sections 

SCHEDULING TIP

• Managing the Instructor Table for Timely Grade Posting  

STUDENT EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

• Alexa Medina 

UPCOMING SCHEDULING DATES & DEADLINES

Join the Room and Course Scheduling team to learn about new guidelines for Winter 2026 and Spring 2027 Open Scheduling cycle. Learn how recent updates from the Reimagine RCS project, including enhanced control within the UAccess scheduling platform, will improve the Open Scheduling process. These webinars are designed to work together with the UAccess Student: Managing the Schedule of Classes training (offered in Edge Learning) to develop the skills and knowledge needed to successfully create the Schedule of Classes. Please bring your questions or submit them in advance to rcshelp@arizona.edu.

In Fall 2025, effective for Fall 2026, updates were made to include a new 3-unit Civic Institutions requirement within the General Education curriculum. The Building Connections requirement was lowered from 9 units to 6 units to maintain the current General Education total of 32 units with this change. Descriptions of individual General Education Attributes were removed from the policy as they are not student-facing graduation requirements.

While these changes take effect in the 2026-2027 catalog year, the amended policies appear as reference pages in the 2025-2026 catalog to assist with planning.