2025-2026 Brenau University Catalog 
    
    Jul 16, 2025  
2025-2026 Brenau University Catalog

The Undergraduate School


Dr. Andrea Birch, Dean

Click on the link below for expanded information

Admissions   

Financial Information-Undergraduate    

Financial Aid-Undergraduate    

Records Information  (Registrar’s Office)

Academic Information and Programs-Undergraduate   

General Information

Brenau University offers both men and women the opportunity to pursue degrees through programs delivered in a day, evening/weekend or online format. Locations in Gainesville include the Historic Main Campus, Brenau East Campus, the Downtown Center, and the Renaissance Building. Brenau also has North Atlanta Campus in Norcross. The baccalaureate programs provide career-oriented courses and programs based on a liberal arts foundation to enable the individual student to attain personal as well as professional growth and competence. Evening classes are typically scheduled in four-hour blocks, and each class meets one night each week of the term. Weekend classes are typically scheduled in four-hour blocks on scheduled weekends. Day classes meet in a traditional 15 week semester format, two or three times per week, fall and spring semesters. All formats involve intensive study and close working relationships with instructors and fellow students.

Faculty Responsibilities and Student Attendance Policy
  1. Faculty may prescribe reasonable requirements relevant to the course of instruction. At the beginning of each semester, they shall inform students in writing of any special requirements. Each syllabus shall state the attendance policy and any academic consequences of excessive absences as well as any special attendance requirements. Faculty should keep a record of class attendance, either in Canvas or by other means for their enrolled students. Faculty should use CampusWEB to confirm enrollment.
  2. Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements prescribed by faculty, as stated in each individual course syllabus.  Excessive absences will result in consequences as described in the syllabus, and may warrant further disciplinary action by the university.
  3. When a student in a day program class has been absent from 25 percent of the classes in any semester, the instructor shall report the absences in writing via the Student Success Inventory system to the Coordinator of Academic Success Services and may recommend appropriate action. If the student is a recipient of VA educational benefits, the instructor must also report these absences to the director of veteran’s services by the next workday after the second absence for a class that meets once a week.
  4. Faculty are responsible for counseling with students regarding the academic consequences of absences from class or laboratory sessions.
  5. Faculty are responsible for arranging make-up work when an absence is excused. The student must initiate the request for make-up work.
Honor System

Brenau University has established an honor system as the fundamental principle of its self governing philosophy. The system is administered by the Campus Conduct Board in cooperation with the university administration.

Every student assumes personal responsibility for themselves and their fellow students for the maintenance of the rules and ideals of this system. The university is proud of the system’s long and successful history. Each new student should become familiar with this tradition of Brenau.

The Brenau Honor Code:  I promise to uphold the Brenau University honor code and expectations of civility in the student handbook by refraining from every form of dishonesty, cheating, and impropriety in university life. I will strive to create a spirit of honesty and honor. Failure to do so is considered a breach of trust toward the faculty, staff, and student body. I accept this commitment as a personal responsibility to refrain from and to report all forms of dishonesty, cheating, and misconduct.

Orientation 

Orientation and advising sessions are provided to all new students. Orientation can be provided via group meeting or individually with an advisor.

To assist students who are new to the online campus delivery platform, Canvas, an orientation class for Canvas is available. This Canvas orientation is optional; however, faculty members expect students to bring these skills to the virtual classroom and do not spend class time providing basic technology instruction.

Academic Advising

All undergraduate students are assigned a faculty advisor according to their major, if declared. First-year students who have not declared a major are assigned to an advisor specifically designated for undeclared majors; when they declare a major, they are assigned an advisor in their chosen major.

Each student will confer with their advisor to obtain approval for the proposed course of study or to make needed adjustments in their program. However, it should be noted that while all possible assistance is given by the faculty advisor, it nevertheless remains the duty of each student to accept full responsibility for the satisfactory completion of the selected course of study. In an effort to help the student exercise and fulfill this responsibility, approval by the faculty advisor of the first semester’s registration schedule is mandatory prior to completion of the registration process.

Students must declare a major by the 2nd semester of the sophomore year.

First-Year Experience

AS 100W First Year Experience   or AS 110 First Year Seminar   is required of all first-year, full-time students seeking an undergraduate degree. Students who have earned more than 24 transfer credit hours from an accredited college or university are exempt from this requirement. Dual enrollment and other alternate credit does not exempt students from this requirement.

Honors Program

The Honors Program accepts highly motivated and well-qualified students into the program at the beginning of the freshman year or by application to the Director of Honors at a later time. The Honors Program continues through the four years of undergraduate study. For specific information about the Honors Program see the Honors and Leadership Programs  section.

The Center for Academic Success

Brenau University’s Center for Academic Success provides peer and professional tutoring for most courses in liberal education and major programs, as well as general academic coaching for time management, assignment planning, organization, study habits, and test taking skills. These services are provided to all Brenau University students and are offered both in person and virtually. To schedule an appointment, select the subject in the “Tutor Match” section of Brainfuse.

Writing Center

Brenau University’s Writing Center is a peer tutoring organization that supports students of every ability level in the development of writing and speaking skills through individual conferences, computer-based tutorials, and group workshops. For further information, contact the Director of the Writing Center.

Locations Served

Locations in Georgia include Gainesville (Historic Main Campus, Brenau East, Brenau Downtown Center, Renaissance Building) and Norcross (North Atlanta Campus). Traditional classes are held during the day, with certain programs offered in the evening and on weekends, or in a fully online format. Faculty and staff are based at each location to assist students with their academic and administrative needs.

Gainesville: Most of Brenau’s undergraduate and graduate programs are offered at the Gainesville campus. Full-time faculty and staff at the Gainesville Campus are available to assist students with their needs.

Brenau University
500 Washington St. SE
Gainesville, GA 30501-3697
 

North Atlanta: Undergraduate programs in nursing are offered at the North Atlanta campus. Graduate programs are available in nursing, occupational therapy and psychology.

Brenau University North Atlanta Site
3139 Campus Drive
Suite 300
Norcross, GA 30071

Organization and Structure

Regional site locations have directors who are residents of the area and who report to the Executive Vice President / CFO. Office-Campus Site academic programs are coordinated by specific subject-area coordinators who are members of the Brenau faculty assigned to each location under the supervision of the respective academic dean.

Each of Brenau’s online courses has been carefully designed by one or more faculty member(s) in keeping with the SACS accreditation Criteria for Distance Learning Programs. Brenau faculty members teaching students online have completed a rigorous online facilitator certification program. During this time, faculty members themselves become online students in order to fully gain an understanding of the online learning experience. Course syllabi, assignments, examinations and other instructional materials are converted to or developed for an online format during the training period. These and other measures are undertaken to ensure the quality and consistency of online course offerings.

Cross Registration between Divisions

Most courses are open to all Brenau University students. Day students must complete the Registration-Add Form to obtain approval to take an online class.

All programs are not available in all formats. Brenau University students matriculate through the Women’s College, the Undergraduate School, or the Sidney O. Smith, Jr. Graduate School.