General Information

From the President

The Missouri Southern State University Statement of Values focuses on a complete commitment to the “academic, personal and career success” of students. We take this charge very seriously and work daily to create the very best university experience possible for our terrific student body.

As a student at Missouri Southern you will find yourself surrounded by talented and energetic professors who are dedicated to guiding students toward the success they desire. You will find this highly gifted group of professionals to be totally committed to providing the very best learning environment possible. The outstanding academic programs they provide are designed to prepare you to compete in a global society and we have every confidence that you will be perfectly prepared to meet the many challenges of a changing world when you complete your program of study.

In addition to outstanding academic programs, we also provide a number of student support services to assist you on your higher education journey. These include assistance provided by the dedicated staff of the Financial Aid Office, Career Services Office, and the Advising, Counseling and Testing Center. You should always feel welcome to ask questions of these individuals because they are truly dedicated to helping you succeed.

The campus also hosts numerous student groups that sponsor a myriad of activities throughout the year. And, the student body is represented by a very active Student Senate that participates in a variety of campus affairs. Students preferring to live on campus enjoy a lively and engaging residence hall community that provides convenient dining facilities and recreational activities. Additionally, the Beimdiek Recreation Center is available to all students and is one of the most attractive and well-equipped recreation facilities in the area. We also have thriving athletic programs, and you can enjoy the fun and excitement of cheering the Lions on to victory in a number of sports.

An emphasis on understanding and appreciating other cultures, international issues, and global perspectives, all combine to support the very important international element of the Missouri Southern mission. This focus on learning to live and succeed in a global community creates a rich sense of diversity on campus and in the surrounding community. Also, as a student here you will have regular opportunities for international studies abroad and many students throughout the years have gained enormous benefits from participating in these travel-to-learn experiences.

All in all, we believe that the programs offered at Missouri Southern do a fantastic job of preparing students for the “academic, personal and career success” identified in our Statement of Values. We invite you to join us on this exciting journey.

If you have questions, please call the Admissions Office at 417.625.9378 or 866.818.6778.

Alan D. Marble, Ph.D.
President

To the Student

Dear Student,

If you’re entering the university for the first time or even coming back after several years’ absence, you’ll need information in this catalog. It’s not the most exciting bedtime reading, but it does pack a lot of information about our academic programs into your university experience.

This catalog and our helpful staff can answer your questions, but here are answers to questions students frequently ask:

1. Can I get financial help with university costs?

Yes, a full range of financial aid programs are available to qualified students. Becca Diskin, Director of Student Financial Aid and her staff can provide you with information and applications in Hearnes Hall, 417.625.9325, finaid@mssu.edu. (Financial Aid )

2. I haven’t decided on a major yet. What do I do?

Southern has trained academic advisors to help you discover what your best interests and attributes might be. Visit with Kelly Wilson, Director of Advising, Counseling and Testing Services (ACTS), Hearnes Hall, 417.625.9324, acts@mssu.edu. (ACTS )

3. I’m concerned about the transition from high school to college. Is there someone to help?

Yes, the Advising, Counseling and Testing Services (ACTS) department can help here too, as well as your First-Year Experience class. Visit with Faustina Abrahams, First-Year Advising Coordinator, Hearnes Hall room 314, 417.625.9521, abrahams-f@mssu.edu. or Teresa Thompson, Director, First-Year Experience Program, Hearnes Hall, 417.625.9731, thompson-t@mssu.edu. (ACTS  and/or First Year Experience Program )

4. Do you have an Honors Program?

Southern has an excellent and challenging Honors Program, which includes opportunities for international travel. Talk to Michael Howarth, Director of Honors Program, Taylor Hall 206, 417.625.3005, howarth-m@mssu.edu. (Honors Programs )

5. What activities and organizations are available?

A host of special events, student activities and departmental organizations are available throughout the year. Drop by the Student Activities Office, Billingsly Student Center, 210. Or contact Landon Adams at 417.625.9346 or Gullett-c@mssu.edu (Student Activities . See also individual departments.)

Additional information is available at the Southern website:
www.mssu.edu

Our Mission

Our Mission

Missouri Southern State University is a state-supported, comprehensive university offering programs leading to undergraduate and graduate degrees. Central to our mission is a strong commitment to international education, liberal arts, professional and pre-professional programs and the complementary relationship that must exist among them to prepare individuals for success in careers and lifelong learning.

Vision

Missouri Southern State University will be recognized as a leader in offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs that foster the total education of each student. In order to remain loyal to the trust given to the University by the people of the State of Missouri, Missouri Southern State University will:

• fulfill its mission and objectives in an honorable and ethical manner;
• periodically review its mission in light of contemporary changes in society and in the needs of the people of Missouri and our communities;
• continually assess the effectiveness of its programs in order to ensure their quality and integrity.

Values

International Education

The University prepares its students to be global citizens in fulfillment of its statewide mission.

Liberal Arts Education

The University commits to a comprehensive program of General Education Requirements for all students.

Teaching and Learning

The University provides exemplary teaching and learning as supported by scholarship and creative expression.

Student Success

The University commits to the academic, personal and career success of its students.

Community Service

The University leads the intellectual, creative, cultural and economic advancement of our communities.

International Education

The State of Missouri has designated Missouri Southern State University, through special legislation, as “a statewide institution of international or global education.” The university is charged with developing “such academic support programs and public service activities it deems necessary and appropriate to establish international or global education as a distinctive theme of its mission.”

This “international mission,” as it is commonly known, enables students to participate in a breadth of international experiences that will prepare them to succeed in an ever-changing global economy.

MSSU provides a variety of short-term and semester-long study abroad programs, including an international student teaching experience for teacher education majors. In order to make its study abroad programs more accessible and affordable, MSSU awards qualifying students $750 grants for faculty-led short-term trips and $1,000 grants for students spending an entire semester or year abroad.

Each fall, MSSU selects a particular country or region of the world to become the focus of intensive study. The “themed semesters” bring the world to the university and the community, and allow every student to have a global experience without leaving the campus. Lectures, concerts, plays, films, readings, art exhibits, and other cultural activities from the featured country permeate the fall semester and result in the students becoming true global citizens.

Robust foreign language offerings, including courses and degree programs in Spanish, French, Japanese, and Chinese, give students the opportunity to increase their cultural competency and become more marketable in a competitive workplace. Becoming proficient in more than one language will open many doors for MSSU graduates and expand their worldview.

Majors in International Studies and International Business and other related areas provide a substantial foundation for professional careers in diplomacy, law, education, international business and commerce, journalism, the military, research, public health, human service organizations, and much more. Opportunities in most of these professions are available in both the public and private sectors in the United States and abroad. The majors are also a good foundation for graduate study in such diverse areas as international law, business, history, political science, and anthropology, as well as international relations, intercultural communication, peace studies, and other interdisciplinary programs.

The International English Program (IEP) provides English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction to international and resident students whose first language is not English. This supports MSSU’s mission of a strong commitment to international education by enabling more international students to attend the university. In turn, these students bring different perspectives and values to their American peers, and lifelong friendships often develop.

Student’s Guide to the Baccalaureate Degree

Non Scholae Sed Vitae Discimus “Education not for a living, but for life.”

We, the faculty at Missouri Southern, believe that you achieve a complete education through an interrelated program of study which includes the General education curriculum and your major, as well as the extra-curricular opportunities that complete the total collegiate experience. We realize that over a lifetime many of you will change occupations and careers several times. While specialized knowledge in your field is essential, we believe that certain lifelong thinking and learning skills and a common body of knowledge are critical for an understanding of yourself and your larger community and for career advancement in the 21st-century marketplace. Specifically, we are committed to assist you as an undergraduate to:

• Acquire knowledge, both in breadth and depth, through exposure to a wide variety of disciplines and through majoring in your chosen field.
• Communicate with precision and style and to think clearly and critically.
• Achieve competence in quantitative skills.
• Know the methods of inquiry and thought necessary for understanding nature, society and self.
• Sharpen your awareness and appreciation of cultures around the world with their differing values, traditions and institutions.
• Develop lasting intellectual and cultural interests.
• Recognize and appreciate the importance of creativity and imagination in the human experience.
• Achieve greater social maturity and tolerance for human diversity through the experience of working closely with a wide variety of fellow students and faculty members.
• Recognize and examine the formation of personal ethical values in a diverse society.

General Education Curriculum

The General Education curriculum at Missouri Southern is a carefully designed series of courses that all students earning a bachelor’s degree must complete. It is our effort to furnish you a liberal education. But why? What about the General Education is so important that it constitutes nearly half of the credit hours necessary for your degree?

One way to answer that question is to reflect on another: What does it mean to be well-educated? While the question has generated much debate and there is no simple answer, most agree that a well-educated person possesses certain fundamental intellectual skills, a broad knowledge of the world and a deep knowledge of a particular subject. While pursuit of a major field of study furnishes knowledge in depth, it is the General Education curriculum that seeks to arm you with the intellectual skills and the breadth of knowledge that characterize well-educated and socially responsible individuals.

Goals of the General Education Curriculum

In compliance with the Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) and statewide policy, Missouri Southern State University provides a block of general education classes that meet the state-level curricular goals. There are four skill-related areas (Communicating, Higher-Order Thinking, Valuing, and Managing Information) as well as four knowledge areas (Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts, Mathematics, and Life and Physical Sciences).

Communicating: Well-educated people develop effective use of the English language and quantitative and other symbolic systems essential to their success in school and in the world. Students should be able to read and listen critically and to write and speak with thoughtfulness, clarity, coherence and persuasiveness.

Higher-Order Thinking: Well-educated people develop the ability to distinguish among opinions, facts and inferences; to identify underlying or implicit assumptions; to make informed judgments; and to solve problems by applying evaluative standards.

Valuing: Well-educated people develop abilities to understand the moral and ethical values of a diverse society and to understand that many courses of action are guided by value judgments about the way things ought to be. Students should be able to make informed decisions through identifying personal values and the values of others and through understanding how such values develop. They should be able to analyze the ethical implications of choices made on the basis of these values.

Managing Information: Well-educated people develop abilities to locate, organize, store, retrieve, evaluate, synthesize and annotate information from print, electronic and other sources in preparation for solving problems and making informed decisions.

Social and Behavioral Sciences: Well-educated people develop an understanding of themselves and the world around them through study of content and the processes used by historians and social and behavioral scientists to discover, describe, explain and predict human behavior and social systems. Students must understand the diversities and complexities of the cultural and social world, past and present and come to an informed sense of self and others.

Humanities and Fine Arts: Well-educated people develop an understanding of the ways in which humans have addressed their condition through imaginative work in the humanities and fine arts. They deepen their understanding of how that imaginative process is informed and limited by social, cultural, linguistic and historical circumstances and by learning to appreciate the world of the creative imagination as a form of knowledge.

Mathematics: Well-educated people develop an understanding of fundamental mathematical concepts and their applications. Students should develop a level of quantitative literacy that would enable them to make decisions and solve problems and which could serve as a basis for continued learning.

Life and Physical Sciences: Well-educated people develop an understanding of the principles and laboratory procedures of life and physical sciences and cultivate their abilities to apply the empirical methods of scientific inquiry. Students should understand how scientific discovery changes theoretical views of the world, informs our imaginations and shapes human history. Students should also understand that science is shaped by historical and social contexts.

In addition to the statewide general education goals, Missouri Southern has two Institutional Goals (International Cultural Studies and Health and Wellness.)

International Cultural Studies: Well-educated people develop an understanding of how cultures and societies around the world are formed, sustained and evolve. Students should understand world affairs, international issues and cultures other than their own as seen through the history, geography, language, literature, philosophy, economics or politics of the cultures. Students will acquire empathy for the values and perspectives of cultures other than their own and an awareness of the international and multicultural influences in their own lives.

Health and Wellness: Well-educated people develop the knowledge and self-management skills that will assist them in adopting healthy lifestyles. This encompasses all areas of wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual and financial. Students will understand the relationship between lifestyle management, quality of life and societal health and productivity.

Thanks to technological resources and the commitment of our faculty, students have the opportunity to complete many of the General Education courses in modes that suit their individual schedules and needs. While Missouri Southern offers all of the General Education courses in traditional classroom settings, students who possess the skills and responsibility required for success in General Education courses offered in non-traditional modes, such as on-line and televised courses, will be able to do so.

Your Major

The University offers more than 100 majors in a wide variety of fields. Your pursuit of your major will furnish you with the knowledge in depth that is also characteristic of a well-educated person. Some students come to Southern with a clearly defined idea of their major; others come uncertain, relying on their exposure to the General Education curriculum and on experimenting with a few elective courses to help them choose.

In either case, when you emerge with your baccalaureate degree, you will have mastered a body of knowledge that sets you apart from well-educated people in other fields. Often it is your mastery of a particular discipline that makes you of great value in the workplace. Not only do you emerge knowing a great deal, but you also emerge armed with the power to learn more, to extend your knowledge.

Special Features of Missouri Southern

A comprehensive education fostering life-long learning is the aim of our liberal arts curriculum. Southern strives to present the best in higher learning. The following features distinguish our university.

Emphasis on Teaching: The heart of Missouri Southern is that of an undergraduate university where the interaction between teacher and student is of primary importance in the learning experience. Here you will be taught by professors with degrees from the most prestigious universities across the nation.

Emphasis on International: The world is changing rapidly and dramatically. The future will belong to those who have an understanding and appreciation for the world beyond the boundaries of their country. That is why Missouri Southern has chosen to emphasize a global perspective throughout our entire curriculum and wherever possible to add an international dimension to our courses.

Enrichment Programs: Your opportunity for total education is enriched through a variety of special programs including the Honors Program, internships and independent study opportunities, involvement with the student media and “themed” semesters that focus on a country, continent or section of the world. Study abroad opportunities include the Summer in Sweden art program; language immersion programs in France, Germany, Mexico and Spain; and semester-long exchange programs throughout the world. Short-term study abroad experiences, including comparative trips and on-site classes, introduce students to aspects of another country’s culture in order to expand their views beyond the U.S. perspective.

Total Collegiate Experience: A great deal of college education happens outside the classroom. An array of extracurricular activities are offered to meet almost every academic and social interest. In addition, numerous services are available for the student to meet educational and personal needs.

Assessment of Outcomes: Missouri Southern continually assesses the effectiveness of its programs, including the General Education curriculum and all the majors. The assessment information helps us revise and improve our programs. In this way, we ensure our curriculum is dynamic and up-to-date.

Diverse Student Body: Students at Southern represent a wide variety of ages and places of origin. The sizable enrollment of nontraditional students (those over 25) and international students is a great advantage. On our campus, students come to see each other as friends and allies and learn to develop healthy and supportive relationships with a variety of people.

Flexible Class Scheduling: Day and evening classes, hybrid classes and delayed start classes are available to students for the purposes of flexible scheduling. Distance Learning provides a variety of forms of access to education to meet the needs of today’s students. Missouri Southern also offers a broad selection of online programs and courses, providing flexible access to education to meet the needs of today’s students.

Our faculty and staff are always willing to help you to make the most of your college experience. Don’t hesitate to ask. We’re here for you!

Assessment of Outcomes

Goals of Assessment of Outcomes

Assessment is an ongoing, cyclical effort of identifying goals, developing programs to achieve those goals, evaluating the effectiveness of the programs, analyzing results, redefining goals and improving programs. That cycle is a basic responsibility of all faculty and administrators. Stated goals of outcomes assessment at Missouri Southern are:

1. Evaluation of institutional effectiveness by research and assessment of:

1. General Education programs and school departments
2. Academic and developmental student outcomes

2. Improvement of both academic and student affairs programs:

1. To increase student academic and developmental outcomes
2. To increase student retention and degree completion

3. Provision of data needed for assessment, program review and strategic planning to fulfill the university mission
4. Fulfillment of governmental mandates

In its mission, Missouri Southern is committed to developing effective programs to fulfill the needs of the students while developing knowledge, skills and positive attitudes so they can be successful and responsible citizens of a diverse world. In order to accomplish that goal, ongoing assessment is conducted not only by professors in classes offered each semester, but also by faculty and administration in program evaluation processes. The Center for Assessment and Institutional Research assists faculty and administration in gathering data for those studies. In addition, a Faculty Assessment Advisory Committee meets regularly to study current assessment methods and make recommendations for improvement of the University’s assessment program.

Program for Assessment of Outcomes

Importance of assessment for college accountability is underscored by a Board of Governors policy requiring that students participate in assessment activities when requested. Information obtained from standardized tests, faculty developed tests, surveys, student research, portfolio reviews, student interviews and performances is used to develop both quantitative and qualitative data needed for the analysis phase of our assessment plan. Three identified areas of student outcomes are assessed each year: General Education, programs and student development. In addition, follow-up studies of alumni and their employers are conducted periodically.

General Education: Data for study is gathered each year by administering a standardized test and needed surveys to incoming freshmen and exiting seniors. The Proficiency Profile from the Educational Testing Service is a standardized test used to measure the impact of the General Education curriculum on students as they complete a degree program. Students are called upon to analyze, synthesize, apply and evaluate information within several academic contexts, rather than just to recall or recognize content. Missouri Southern seniors consistently score at or above the national average on this test.

Program Level: The faculty and administration of each department are responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of their programs. Departments have mission statements, goals and objectives that are drawn from our institutional mission and values. Evidence is gathered through multiple measures and analyzed in an atmosphere of shared responsibility among department faculty and administrators.

Following guidelines from the Higher Learning Commission in determining the role of assessment in affirming and improving student learning, departments are asked to respond to the following questions:

1. How are your stated student learning outcomes appropriate to your mission, programs and degrees?
2. What evidence do you have that students achieve your stated learning outcomes?
3. In what ways do you analyze and use evidence of student learning?
4. How do you ensure shared responsibility for assessment of student learning?
5. How do you evaluate and improve the effectiveness of your efforts to assess and improve student learning?
6. How do you insure your student learning outcomes are shared with campus constituencies and the public?

A variety of assessment methods are used by the various departments. Some departments that offer degrees leading to state or national certifications use the required standardized tests for certification as their quantitative measures. These departments include Computer Information Science, Dental Hygiene, Teacher Education, Medical Technology, Radiology, Respiratory Care and Nursing. Departments that use standardized major field tests offered by the Educational Testing Service, PACAT, Inc. or by their particular professional organizations include Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Criminal Justice Administration, English, Environmental Health, History, Mathematics, Physics, Sociology, Music and Psychology.

In major areas where standardized tests are currently unavailable, departmentally developed assessments are used. They utilize one or more of the following methods: faculty developed exams, portfolio review, student interviews, external examiners, capstone projects and simulations, among others. The Art, Communications, Kinesiology, Political Science, Foreign Language and Theatre departments have developed such plans.

Student Development: The impact of a college is not limited to the classroom. While General Education curriculum and departmental major assessment is focused on knowledge and skill outcomes, student development assessment focuses on social and personal growth of students both inside and outside of the classroom. Surveys are the primary method of gathering data to assess student development. Data are collected from entering and graduating students each year to assess current attitudes and opinions as well as trends in that information.

Results of Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

As our assessment program matures, we have an ongoing commitment to use the data collected from tests, surveys, etc. to analyze trends and link results to the review and planning processes. Teams of students, faculty, administrators and staff are involved in these activities.

Evaluation of our assessment process continues as we make improvements and confirm successes to insure the integrity of our assessment efforts.

Fee Policies

Visit the Bursar’s Office website  mssu.edu/student-affairs/bursar for the most up-to-date listing of tuition and incidental fees.
The University reserves the right to change fees without notice.

Payment of Fees

1. Undergraduate Tuition and Incidental Fees

For all students who have registered for fall, spring or summer semesters, 100% of the semester charges must be paid by the published due date for each respective semester. Due dates can be found on the Bursar’s Office website http://mssu.edu/student-affairs/bursar/and in the Schedule of Classes for the respective semester. Failure to remit the balance due may result in an immediate cancellation of the student’s class schedule. 

Students are required to view their student account balance via LioNet at www.mssu.edu upon enrollment. No invoice will be mailed. Students are responsible for any outstanding balance and are required to remit payment by the published due date.

It is extremely important to realize that a financial obligation is incurred at the time of enrollment. Services are rendered as of the first day of class so unless a student officially withdraws prior to that day, fees will be assessed in full. No reduction in charges according to the University refund policy will be credited to the students account until an official withdrawal is completed. Students dropped for non-payment are not relieved of their financial obligation. An official withdrawal is required.

The University has payment plans available as soon as enrollment begins each semester.  For more information regarding payment plans, and what payment plan options are available, visit the Bursar’s Office website mssu.edu/student-affairs/bursar or contact the Bursar’s Office.

Students expecting their student account balance to be paid through financial aid sources must have all necessary documentation filed with the Financial Aid Office by March 1st for the Fall term and by November 1st for the Spring term in order to receive consideration for payment deferment.

Students enrolled in evening and Internet classes for regular college credit courses, applicable toward an associate or baccalaureate degree, are subject to the same fees, rules and regulations as set forth for students attending day classes. Any special fees associated with a course will be listed in the Schedule of Classes.

Appeals concerning special problems pertaining to fees should be directed in writing to the Bursar in Hearnes Hall.

2. Residence Hall

As stated in the contract agreement, students will be responsible for the full semester fee at the time that all other student account charges are due. The security deposit will be refunded only if the terms of the contract have been fulfilled.

Explanation of Fees

Admission Application Fee - a non-refundable administrative fee required upon submission of an application for admission.

Change of Class Schedule Fee - an administrative fee charged for each class change (add or withdrawal) made after the first week of the semester.

Commencement Regalia Fee - charged to students who are participating in commencement, non-refundable.

Distance Learning Fee - a fee charged to off-set costs unique to the distance learning environment including: development of specialized Internet courses, fees to broadcasters for carrying televised courses, transmitter and tower costs for televised courses, host servers for Internet courses and video and Internet materials developed by independent producers.

Distance Learning Library Fee - a fee associated with online classes to assist with the updating, development and maintenance of online library resources, access, and availability.

Technology Fee - an incidental fee assessed each semester, which enables the University to provide the most technologically current equipment for use in the classroom and laboratories. All fees collected will be used solely for the purchase of equipment, which will directly benefit the students in their University course work.

Graduation Application Fee - a fee charged upon receipt of graduation application, non-refundable.

Late Registration/Reinstatement Fee - an administrative fee assessed to students who enroll for classes after the first full week of the semester or seek reinstatement for class schedules cancelled for non-payment.

Parking Fee - an incidental fee assessed each semester to cover all costs associated with vehicle registration, roadway and sidewalk maintenance and campus security.

Special Course Fees - fees are charged for additional course materials and/or services for specific courses. Courses include but are not limited to art, music, education, dental hygiene, nursing, radiology and photography.

Student Activity Fee - an incidental fee assessed each semester to support various aspects of campus life including student activities, student government, student publications and other events and services provided by the University.

Student Health Center Fee - an incidental fee assessed each semester to help defray the cost of students’ basic office visits to the Missouri Southern State University’s Student Health Center, including first aid, injury care and screening for certain illnesses. The Student Health Center is staffed with a full-time family nurse practitioner. Additional fees are charged for professional services such as laboratory tests, physical examinations, x-ray, prescriptions, etc.

Lion Card ID Fee - a one-time fee assessed to all new students for the Lion Card allowing the issuance of a photo identification card. The Lion Card is a single card solution for official MSSU identification, as well as “tap-and-go” meal plan tracking, debit (Lion Bucks) account purchases, electronic door access control and special access to campus privileges venues such as the Beimdiek Recreation Center and Wilcoxon Student Health Center. Please see www.lioncard.mssu for additional information about MSSU’s Lion Card Program.

Student Recreation Center Fee - an incidental fee assessed each semester for access to and use of the Student Recreation Center Facilities. This facility houses a student health center, three-court gymnasium, aquatics center, racquetball courts, elevated running/walking track, weight and cardiovascular areas, group exercise rooms, locker rooms, showers and a 150 seat theater auditorium.

Textbook Rental Fee - a per credit hour fee assessed for the use of rental textbooks. The University operates a rental system through the University Bookstore which allows the use of the required textbook by the student for one semester. It should be noted that some classes may require the purchase of supplemental books and materials not available through the rental system. Textbooks must be returned no later than 4 P.M., Monday following the week of finals. A book drop is located in the wall behind Billingsly Student Center for after-hours and weekend drop off. Textbooks not returned by this time will be charged to the student’s account at the retail price. This fee may be reduced to a late fee equal to the current rental fee when returned through the published late book return date. Visit www.mssubookstore.com for more information.

Refund Policy

(Except for Residence Hall Charges)

During the course of any semester, if a student finds it necessary to drop individual classes or fully withdraw from the University, the fee refund policy for full-term classes is as follows:

For Fall and Spring Semesters

For Summer Semester

Withdrawal from classes during the 50% refund period means that the student will be responsible for 50% of the cost of tuition and fees. Withdrawal from some classes after the fourth week, the student will be responsible for 100% of the cost of tuition and fees.

NOTE: Dates may vary for Off-Schedule classes. Withdrawal and refund of fees information listed only pertains to full-term classes. Students must contact the Office of the Registrar for information on off-schedule courses.

To be eligible for a refund, the student must formally complete a Single Course Withdrawal form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar within the refund period. If the student is withdrawing from the University completely, he or she must complete a Total Withdrawal form with the University Financial Aid Exit Counselor within the published deadline dates. Refer to mssu.edu/student-affairs/registrar to view the off-schedule chart.

Failure to attend classes will not constitute a withdrawal.

NOTE: If the student withdraws after payment of any or all fees for the semester, any monies due to the student will be mailed after fee refunds have been applied. However, if the University costs have been paid partially or fully by financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, other government assistance programs, etc.) the refund monies will be first applied to the financial aid program source. Please see the repayment notice of Title IV aid paragraph below for further explanation. Once these awards have been fully refunded, any remaining balances will be forwarded to the student.

All refunds must be claimed during the term for which the refund applies. Students who feel that individual circumstances warrant exceptions to this policy may appeal in writing to the Bursar. This appeal must be made during the term for which the refund applies.

Repayment Notice for Federal Financial Aid

Students who withdraw prior to the 60% completion of the semester will be subject to repayment of part or all of their aid, as determined by federal regulations. This includes official and unofficial withdrawals stemming from student’s last date of attendance prior to the 60% of semester earned.
Students will be notified in writing of any amount due as a result of withdrawal. A hold will be placed on the student’s account until repayment is made in full.
Students must make repayment of their portion of financial aid within 45 days. Failure to make repayment within 45 days will result in:

1. Referral to the federal government for collection.
2. Ineligibility for federal financial aid from all colleges and universities until the overpayment of aid and interest due is paid to the U.S. Department of Education.

For policies concerning fee refunds for Residence Hall charges, please refer to the Residence Life contract.