Policies

Completing the COLLEGE First-Year Requirement 

The first-year requirement depends on when a student entered Stanford and officially matriculated as a first-year student. If you entered Stanford in:

• Autumn 2022 and after: you need to take two quarters of COLLEGE (2 courses, 3 or 4 units each). ESF (7 units), SLE 91, SLE 92, ITALIC 91, and ITALIC 93 may also count toward a quarter of COLLEGE.
• Autumn 2021: you have a one-quarter COLLEGE requirement (one course, 3 or 4 units). Both COLLEGE and THINK courses were offered in this transition year and satisfy the requirement. ESF (7 units), SLE 91, SLE 92, ITALIC 91, and ITALIC 93 may also count toward a quarter of COLLEGE.
• Autumn 2012 through Autumn 2020: you must complete the one-quarter Thinking Matters requirement (one course, 4 units). Students who were unable to complete the THINK requirement in their first year may take a currently offered COLLEGE course to fulfill the requirement. ESF (7 units), SLE 91, SLE 92, ITALIC 91, and ITALIC 93 may also count toward a quarter of THINK. Email collegereq@stanford.edu to request a placement; include a note about your top 3 preferred courses. After the course is completed, you will need to remind collegereq@stanford.edu to request the substitution be updated in Axess.
• Autumn 2011 and earlier: you may have a three-quarter Introduction to the Humanities requirement (IHUM, three courses of 4 units each), or a Western Culture or CIV requirement. Students returning after such an extended leave can work with the COLLEGE program to substitute current first-year requirement classes for the original requirement. Email collegereq@stanford.edu.

COLLEGE must be completed at Stanford and cannot be completed through transfer credit.

COLLEGE and Ways

Courses fulfilling the COLLEGE requirement will typically also be certified to fulfill a Way, and a single course may be counted toward both requirements.

Course Eligibility

All frosh and new transfers are eligible to take COLLEGE courses. Frosh will be given a placement as part of the Approaching Stanford process, while transfers may optionally email collegereq@stanford.edu to request enrollment, if they so choose.

After the first year at Stanford, only students who still need to complete the first-year requirement will be enrolled in COLLEGE courses. General interest, major requirements, and/or needing a Way do not enable non-frosh to take COLLEGE courses.

Repeating COLLEGE

Students may only repeat COLLEGE if they failed the course and need to complete the requirement.

If a student fails a COLLEGE course, they may take any COLLEGE course to replace it. After successful completion of the second course, the student may request of collegereq@stanford.edu that the original NP grade be converted to an RP as per the repeat grade policy.

Returning from a Leave of Absence? Need to complete your COLLEGE requirement?

Please email collegereq@stanford.edu to request a course placement.  We will review your academic record to 
determine an appropriate placement.  

Grade Disputes and Other Concerns

1. If a student would like to raise a grievance, the first place they must start is with their instructor.
2. If there is no resolution of the grievance after a conversation with the instructor, the student should speak to the Faculty Director of the unit. Please check with your instructor to find out to whom you should direct the inquiry.
3. If there continues to be no resolution, the student can elevate the grievance to the Vice Provost, who may choose to appoint an investigator if needed.

A grievance must be filed in a timely fashion, and, no later than 30 days after the adverse decision occurred or should reasonably have been discovered. Except in extraordinary circumstances, delay in filing a grievance will constitute grounds for rejection of the grievance.