Just as any society needs laws to govern the relationships among its citizens, a university, too, needs regulations to define the relationships among its citizens, in this case students and faculty. Accordingly, academic regulations should both stipulate the faculty's requirements for a degree and provide students with guidelines for achieving their personal academic goals; they should provide a means for students to evaluate their own progress and for faculty to evaluate the relative performance of various students; and should identify as soon as possible students whose performance suggests either that the probability of their achieving a degree is slight or that they are eligible for special privileges and honors.

Moreover, a university faces a responsibility not only to its own citizens but to the larger society as well, and thus its academic regulations must satisfy both internal and external needs. Thus, academic regulations should provide assurances both for students currently enrolled and those who seek admission that as many spaces as possible will be available within the University and within individual courses; and should not only clarify procedures and guarantee rights for students, but should also provide assurances to accrediting agencies, professional bodies, and society in general that standards are being maintained. The following academic regulations represent the official position of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and apply to all undergraduates. It is incumbent upon students and faculty to familiarize themselves with these regulations and adhere to them, keeping in mind that students are held responsible for satisfying the regulations established by their major department and by their college as well as by the University.

Students have a right to pursue clarifications, interpretations, and appeals to these regulations, especially when they feel that extenuating circumstances warrant an exception to any of the rules that follow. The procedure for exercising this right begins with the student's Undergraduate Dean, who is the administrator in the dean's office in each school or college who holds the authority delegated from the faculty for either making or recommending exceptions to these academic regulations. Students should also consult the Undergraduate Academic Grievance Procedure available in this document.

A student's transcript represents the official record of his or her course registration and completion and academic status within the policies outlined below. Any request by a student to alter his or her official record in any way (except as provided for by approved policies) must be presented to the student's undergraduate dean. The undergraduate dean will either act under the authority of the Faculty Senate Committee on Admissions and Records, or forward the request to said Committee. If a dean acting under authority of the Committee on Admissions and Records denies the request, the dean's decision may be appealed to the Committee on Admissions and Records, which represents the final course of appeal on such matters. All appeals should be made in a timely manner by the student, and should be commenced prior to graduation. After the start of the semester following a student's graduation, the student's academic record cannot be altered, except for instances of documented institutional error.