Navigating a College Degree - A Student's Guide to Academic Advising Presented by the Academic Advising Council (AAC)

Navigating a College Degree
   A Student’s Guide to Academic
              Advising

   Presented by the Academic Advising Council (AAC)
        and the Professional Advisor Team (PAT)
                       Fall 2011

Part 1

Degree Requirements

What is a Bachelor’s Degree?
• Completion of general graduation requirements
   –   Minimum of 120 degree hours
   –   Non-credit requirements
   –   Residency requirements
   –   Minimum 2.0 GPA at Southeast AND overall
   –   Minimum 39 hours upper division (300-599) courses
• Completion of University Studies requirements
• Completion of major requirements (courses and GPA)
• Completion of minor requirements, if required/selected

What is a Major/Minor?
• A major is a specialized area of study that
  requires a specific sequence of courses
• A minor is an additional area of study that
  may be required, optional or prohibited
  depending upon the major selected
• Major and minor information is available in
  the University Bulletin

Declaring/Changing Your Major
• To change major or minor, students need to
  officially declare the change in writing
• Policies may vary by department or college
  – Declare in academic department of major only OR
  – Declare in department or college advising center OR
  – Declare in college advising center only
• Consult your advisor before you decide to
  change majors or minors

Double Major vs Double Degree
• A double major occurs when a student
  declares more than one major
• A double degree occurs when a student
  declares two majors that are part of
  differing degree types
  – Biology (B.S) + Psychology (B.S) = double major
  – Marketing (B.S.B.A) + Spanish (B.A) = double degree
  – Advertising (B.S) + History (B.A.) = double degree

• This will add hours to your degree
  program

Degree vs Non Degree Hours
• Undergraduate degree hours are courses
  numbered from 100-599
• Developmental hours do not count in degree
  totals, but do count when determining student
  status
     •   Freshman = 0 to 29 credit hours
     •   Sophomore = 30-59 credit hours
     •   Junior = 60-89 credit hours
     •   Senior = 90+ credit hours
• Developmental courses may be required based
  upon ACT or other placement exam scores
  – Common non degree courses: MA050 and EN099

Passed Hours and Earned Hours

Non-credit Requirements
• Requirements which carry no credit hours
   – WP003 Writing Assessment
      • Register via the MySoutheast Portal
      • Must complete Written Expression (EN140) and 75 hours prior to
        enrolling
      • Must pass BOTH writing samples
      • Failing score will appear on transcript
   – Career Linkages proficiency checkpoints
     (CL001, CL002, CL003, CL004)
      •   Register via the MySoutheast Portal
      •   Sequential requirements, to be completed over several semesters
      •   CL001 and UI100 must be completed concurrently
      •   Failing score in any will show on transcript

Non-credit Requirements cont.
• Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP)
  – MAPP1
     • Required for all incoming freshman and transfer/returning students
       with less than 60 hours
     • Students register for MX001, then sign up for an individual testing
       date/location on Testing Services’ website
     • Failure to complete will result in a hold that prevents registration for
       the upcoming semester
  – MAPP2
     • Must complete at least 90 hours prior to taking this assessment
     • Register via Testing Services’ website
     • Scoring at or above national average may waive graduation fee

Residency Requirements
• Minimum of 30 hours of the
  degree must be completed from
  Southeast
   – Includes main, regional and online
     campuses
• 12 of your final 18 hours of the
  degree must be from Southeast
   – This allows for up to 6 hours of
     transfer credit during your final
     attendance periods

Academic Status
• To graduate, students must have at least:
   – 2.0 overall/cumulative GPA (C average)
   – 2.0 GPA for all courses taken at Southeast
• Some majors may require higher standards
   – Higher overall GPA and/or program GPA
• Failure to maintain a 2.0 GPA may affect:
   – Ability to take more than 12 hours a semester
   – Eligibility for financial aid
   – Eligibility for campus organizations and athletics
     participation
• Low GPA could result in academic suspension

Southeast and Cumulative GPAs

What is a Catalog Year?
• Catalog year is the date used to determine
  graduation requirements for a student
  – Normally assigned as the first semester of attendance
  – Transfer students should ask their advisors about their
    catalog year because it could vary
  – Prevents students from being affected by most
    changes in program requirements that occur after
    their first semester
• Students maintain their catalog year unless their
  enrollment at Southeast is interrupted one
  calendar year or longer

End of Part 1

Part 2

University Studies Classes and
 Other Course Requirements

What is University Studies?
• University Studies is the name for Southeast’s general
  education curriculum
• The goal of the curriculum is for students to fulfill nine specific
  learning objectives
• The lower division requirements are equivalent to Missouri’s
  42 hour general education block requirements
   – 42 lower division hours (100-299) + 9 upper division hours (300-599) =
     51 hours University Studies
• Many majors have courses that overlap University Studies
  requirements (i.e. MC101 would count for both Social Systems
  and the Mass Communication major)

Did you earn college credit in high school?
• Make sure your advisor is aware of any college credit you may
  have completed or plan to take including:
   –   High school dual/early college credit
   –   Advanced Placement (AP) credit
   –   Military credit
   –   Transfer credit from other colleges
• If you have credit from other colleges/schools, have official
  transcripts sent to Southeast
• For AP credit, request scores from the College Board be sent to
  Southeast
• To verify what courses have been transferred, view your
  unofficial transcript in the MySoutheast Portal or your
  DegreeWorks degree audit

Do you plan to transfer credit from another
                institution?
• If you plan to take classes at another college, make sure they will
  count towards your degree requirements
• You can check transferability for many colleges using the Transfer
  Course Conversion
• You can also ask the Registrar’s Office
  to confirm how a course will transfer
• It is best to confirm transferability
  BEFORE you take the class

Where is the unofficial transcript?
1.   Click on the Students Tab in MySoutheast Portal.
2.   Enter My Southeast Self-Service within the portal – you have to click on
     the Self-Service option on a second page also

3.   Click on Student, then Student Records, then Unofficial Transcript

What is a degree audit?
• DegreeWorks is a degree audit system that compares a
  student’s individual credits to his/her selected program of
  study and catalog year
• Your degree audit shows your degree progress
   – Shows the classes you’ve taken and which requirements
     are met
   – Allows you to see which requirements are still needed
   – It also lists the classes you can take for each requirement
• The degree audit is the document used by the Office of the
  Registrar when determining graduation eligibility
• An audit is a “snapshot” of credits at a particular point in
  time. Students should generate a new report after any
  registration changes
   – Some departments may also use program checksheets, but
     these should only be used as a supplement to your audit

Where do I find my DegreeWorks
        degree audit?
In the MySoutheast Portal, under the Students tab, Bookmarks Plus column, click
      on DegreeWorks student

Sample Degree Audit

End of Part 2

Part 3

Advising and Enrollment

Who will help me?
• Each student is assigned an academic advisor
  based upon major
• You can find your advisor’s name in the
  MySoutheast Portal, under Student Records,
  View Student Information
• To find contact information for your advisor,
  put your advisor’s name in “people search” on
  www.semo.edu
• Students may be assigned to a new advisor
  when accepted into a selective program (such
  as Nursing), changing campuses or changing
  majors
• Some majors do group advising, but students
  still have an assigned advisor

Why is advising required?
• Students are required to meet with their
  assigned advisor each semester before
  enrolling
• The advisor will:
  • provide guidance on course selection
  • help students stay on track for graduation
  • provide the alternate PIN students
    need to enroll

Responsibilities for Advising
• Student Responsibilities
   • Know the requirements for your chosen degree
   • Know scholarship/financial aid requirements
   • Work to establish both short- and long-term goals
   • Seek help when needed and listen to your advisor’s advice
   • Assume responsibility in making final decisions
• Advisor Responsibilities
   • Help students clarify and set realistic goals
   • Provide course suggestions
   • Work with students to find solutions to problems
   • Be considerate of a student’s unique needs and concerns

When should I make my advising
            appointment?
• Before your priority registration
  date, when possible
   – Priority registration date is
     determined by earned hours (NOT
     in progress hours)
   – Priority registration dates are
     published in the portal
• Check with your advisor about preferred advising dates
  because these may vary by department
• Athletes, Governor’s Scholars and students registered with
  Learning Assistance Programs or Disability Services should
  make appointments well before enrollment opens

Make the Most of Your
               Appointment
• Schedule before your priority registration date to avoid
  registration delays
• Treat your advising appointment like a doctor’s appointment
  or job interview
   – Call in advance if you need to cancel/reschedule
   – Arrive a few minutes early
   – Turn off your cell phone during the appointment
• Bring a list of potential courses for the next semester and any
  other relevant materials – your degree audit will be useful for
  choosing classes you need
• Write down questions in advance so you don’t forget to ask
  them during your appointment
• Mention any transfer credit, especially courses in progress or
  those you plan to take

What is the Alternate PIN?
• Numeric password that permits students to use the
  MySoutheast Portal to add and drop classes
• Obtained from advisor during advising session
• Only valid for one semester
   – You get a new PIN from your advisor each
     semester
• Save your PIN until the end of that semester because
  you may need it to add or drop classes later

How do I register?
1.   Enter My Southeast Self-Service within the portal – you have to click on the Self-
     Service option on a second page also

2. Click the Registration option
3. Then click Add or
   Drop Classes

How do I register? (cont.)
4. The next 2 screens will prompt you to choose the appropriate semester and enter
   your alternate PIN
5. Use Worksheet to enter CRN information directly OR click Class Search to look for
   available sections (The CRN is the 5-digit number to the left of the course prefix
   when looking up classes)

Remember:
Registration is open from 7am to
9 pm daily

Why can’t I register?
• Registration may be prevented by:
   – Attempting to register before Priority Registration Date
   – Using wrong alternate PIN
   – Not advised (no PIN)
   – Attempting to register during a closed period
     (after 9 pm or before 7 am)
   – There is a hold that may be caused by:
       •   Owing a balance through Student Financial Services
       •   Did not attend First Step
       •   Missing permanent address (returned mail)
       •   Have not taken the MAPP1
       •   Other administrative hold (i.e. judicial, athletic)

How do I find out if I have a hold?
• Check the Registration Status
  menu in the My Self-Service
  section of the portal
• If you have holds, click on
  View Holds at the bottom of
  the page
• Holds are also listed on the
  top of your degree audit        Bottom of page:
• If a hold is present, contact
  the office and number listed
• If still uncertain, contact
  advisor for assistance

Registration Tips
• Make a tentative semester schedule prior to registering
    – View up-to-date availability the day before your Priority Registration Date
      and make/revise your schedule as needed
• Look up CRN information in advance so you won’t spend as much
  time on the course search menu
• Click “Register” after each course to enroll in the class – entering the
  CRN in the worksheet does not enroll you until you click on “Register”
• Register at 7am on your priority registration date for the best
  selection of courses
• Check course pre-requisites in the Undergraduate Bulletin
    – The portal may not prevent you from enrolling in a course even when you lack the pre-
      requisites, but you could be dropped later by the department
    – Make sure you have the pre-requisites to avoid problems later
• Check the location when searching for courses to ensure you enroll at
  the right campus

Why can’t I add this class?
• Read the error message
• All seats are taken (closed) “C = closed”
• Department is restricting enrollment (controlled)
   – Contact department for more information on eligibility
   – May be a waiting list for additional openings
• Missing pre-requisites
   – Check course descriptions in the University Bulletin to
     determine pre-requisites
• Missing co-requisites
   – Use ‘add to worksheet’ feature before submitting
   – Register for all connected elements of a course (i.e. CH005,
     CH085 and CH185 must be added together)

What if I need to take a
           closed/controlled class?
• Contact the department that offers the course
• Add your name to a waiting list, if available
  – Waiting list formats vary by department
• If there is no waiting list, keep watching the
  portal for openings, especially:
  – When billing statements are mailed/due
  – Within the last few weeks before the first day of class

When You’re Ready to Graduate
• Register for your last semester as soon as possible,
  preferably on your priority date
• Once registered, generate a new DegreeWorks
  degree audit to double check completion of all
  requirements
• Apply for graduation by the deadline
• Respond in a timely manner to all mailings from
  the Registrar’s Office, including request for Senior
  Papers
• Complete your final semester successfully
• Refer to Commencement website for semester
  deadlines and timelines

Online Advising Resources
Click each link for more information:
     Online Registration
           How-To Handout (.pdf)
     DegreeWorks Audit/Worksheet
           How-To Handout (.pdf)
       Priority Registration Dates
       GPA Calculator
       Commencement
       Undergraduate Bulletin
       University Studies Handbook