A recent update to the Student Services Manual prohibits students taking less than three credits hours from partaking in student clubs and government.
Kellie Cloud, assistant vice president and executive director of student services, said the policy helps ensure "that students are placing their focus on degree completion and that the student leaders advocating for the needs of other students are, in fact, able to comment on the classroom and campus environment adequately."
Cloud said the new rule has been in effect since the 2024-2025 academic year and ASU "regularly reviews its policies to ensure alignment with ABOR Policies and other ASU policies."
In the statement, she said there were exceptions to the new policy for the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 year to accommodate transitions but graduate students are now being affected by the policy as exceptions are removed.
While contemplating six credit hours as the requirement, the decision came after discussions with faculty, staff and students, where they found that three credit hours best reflects the amount of credits part-time graduate students or online students may be taking, Cloud said.
Although unable to hold an officer, leadership or membership position, students enrolled in less than three credit hours are still allowed to attend and participate in open club meetings and events, Cloud said.
Brandon Favre, a Ph.D. candidate studying molecular and cellular biology, said he was no longer eligible to serve as a member of the Graduate Student Government after being re-elected in the spring, because he is taking less than three credits hours.
Favre heard about changes to the policy the previous year and its exception, which he said was filling out a form confirming his presence as a graduate student. In Fall 2025, however, he was notified through an email that he was no longer eligible to serve as a GSG member.
"I first heard about it last year, but there were exceptions to the policy," Favre said. "Then this year, there were no exceptions, and after talking to the admin, it doesn't sound like there's any intention to have exceptions."
Ph.D. students typically take 80-95 credits throughout their program, with around 30-60 of them being classes, he said. Students then move onto their dissertation, which can take between two to four years, and students are typically enrolled in only one credit hour during this time.
Favre said clubs are ways for students to get involved, and they are beneficial for Ph.D. students as they serve as networking opportunities for those who would find it difficult to connect to the community.
"It can get lonely as a grad student," Favre said. "It's kind of hard to include people if all you have are random people you meet in the hallways, whereas clubs, especially for people who didn't do their undergrad here, is a fantastic way for people to meet people and get involved in ASU and also be proud of ASU."
Elisabeth Williams, Ph.D. candidate studying population health, said clubs also help students navigate their Ph.D. program.
Williams, who is in her dissertation phase and taking only one credit, said being apart of the Exercise and Nutritional Sciences and Population Health Graduate Club is a way for her and other students to lean on each other for guidance.
"The Ph.D. program, no matter when you start, it is a really difficult thing to undertake," Williams said. "People don't really give you a lot of detail about these ... unspoken rules that you're supposed to know."
After reading further about the update on Reddit, Williams said she began questioning why students who are taking less than three credit hours are still paying fees, when they are unable to participate in all opportunities the fees cover.
"I pay hundreds of dollars of fees a year for exactly these things," Williams said. "They're meant to be student resources."
Williams said for students who may be enrolled in one credit hour, it is hard to find a community when not required to be in a classroom.
"It was really isolating to not be in classes and not have that social connection with your peers on a regular basis," she said. "I really appreciated the club being there, because it gave me a place to connect with my colleagues."
Williams said she hopes the University reconsiders the update so all students can continue to have access to all of it’s resources.
"I do think that it is something that at least at the PhD graduate level, should be walked back, because it probably is the only type of degree that is being affected in this way," Williams said. "I would hate to see people who are self paying, feeling like they have to take a bunch more credits just to get the benefit of being a student."
Edited by Natalia Rodriguez, George Headley and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at alillest@asu.edu and follow @allylillestol on X.
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Allison Lillestol is a reporter for the community and culture desk. She is in her 3rd semester with the State Press. She also works for the Arizona PBS.
