Transfer Student Newsletter: November 2005
Message from Dean Papovich
In this final newsletter for the fall semester, we remind you of several end of the semester concerns important to College students.
Spring 2006 Course Selection
As we informed you in the October Newsletter, if you have not yet declared your major, you should have met with your faculty advisor during early November. Students who have declared a major should have met with their faculty advisors at the same time. Those students who met with their faculty advisor gained access to ISIS during the priority period. All others will now have access to ISIS, without priority.
You'll find helpful information for planning for the spring semester at the College's web site Course Selection & Enrollment for Students - Arts & Sciences, U.Va. The on-line COD is available at the University Registrar's web site. COD - Course Offering Directory The COD has directions for the actual process of selecting courses for the fall.
Finishing the Semester
We draw your attention to the faculty policies listed below:
Final Examinations: Instructors are not authorized to change the announced times of examinations. Congestion of a schedule is not a basis for a student's request to change the examination date unless at least three examinations come in two consecutive days. Early exams are not permitted. Requests for a change in the spring examination schedule must be made by Monday, November 28. Forms for doing so are in Garrett Hall.
Incompletes: If you have not finished a course, you may receive the grade of IN (incomplete). This automatically becomes an F five days after the end of the examination period unless arrangements have been agreed to in writing among you, your course instructor, and your Association Dean. Extension of Time forms for this are available in Garrett Hall. All incomplete grades must be completed by Friday, January 16, 2006.
Academic Honors and Discipline: You are placed on the Dean's List of Distinguished Students when you have earned a 3.40 semester average or better on an approved course-load of at least 12 graded credits and when no courses have been failed. NC is considered a failing grade and will make you ineligible for the Dean's List.
After the end of each semester, we check your overall record to find out if you are making "satisfactory progress" toward the degree. We do this to make sure that no student is allowed to continue doing inferior work without an official warning. Students admitted to the University should not be doing D or F work overall, but if a student's grades are that low, we wish to know about the situation in order to offer appropriate counseling or discipline.
Full-time students are considered to be in Good Standing at the end of a semester if, in that semester, they have completed at least 12 credits of graded work with at least a 1.80 semester average and have no more than one grade below C-. If you fail to achieve Good Standing, you will be placed on Academic Warning with a notation of the cause on your transcript. Students on Warning will be required to meet with Mr. Papovich early in the next semester.
If you are on Academic Warning for two consecutive semesters, you are subject to a year-long suspension. Furthermore, if you earn fewer than nine grade-points in a regular semester you are subject to suspension, either at mid-year or the end of the school year. One full spring term and one full fall term must elapse before suspended students may return to the College.
In order to enroll for a fifth semester, students are required to have passed at least 54 credit-hours; to enroll for a seventh semester, at least 84 credit-hours. Failure to earn sufficient credits will result in our blocking your enrollment. We require students who fall behind in the number of credit-hours to make up their work in the summer session or through part-time enrollment via the Division of Continuing Education. If you expect to be below the minimum number for your academic level, please make an appointment to meet with Mr. Papovich soon.
To remain in Good Standing, students who have completed four semesters of work (at U.Va. or elsewhere) must be in a major or have obtained written permission from Mr. Papovich to defer the declaration of major until the end of the fifth semester. No student will be permitted to enroll for a sixth semester without a major.
As you know, transferring to the College is an exciting challenge, but it can also be bewildering, especially during the first semester. There are many people at the University to help you; you, however, must seek out help when you have questions or problems. If you don't know where to turn, make an appointment with your faculty advisor, or with Mr. Papovich by calling 924-3350/51 or speaking with the receptionist at Garrett Hall.
We wish you the best of luck for the remainder of the semester.
Looking Ahead
The University provides a range of other services in which new transfer students are often interested.
- You should consider studying abroad. Contact the International Studies Office on the 2nd floor of Minor Hall. Most transfer students find that they can fit in a study abroad term.
- The Center for Undergraduate Excellence Ms. Nicole Hurd is the Director of the Fellowships and Research Office. It is located in Room 305 at the Harrison Institute and Library.
- If you have not visited the University Career Services, 924-8900 (in the Carl Smith Center, Bryant Hall), you should plan to do so soon. After familiarizing yourself with the resources there, you should make an appointment to talk with one of the special advisors in UCS who work closely with College students.
- If you are feeling stressed, call the Smith Center for Counseling and Psychological Services at 243-5150. They have a number of support groups as well as individual counseling and are located in the Elson Student Health Building. Their services are confidential and free.
- If you are low on hours, consider attending the January term. See the January Term Home Page for more information. We also want to draw your attention to a highly regarded J-Term course that will help you sharpen your academic survival skills. It is called "Beyond the Second Year: Academic Realities and Skills." If you wish to gain an edge and boost your gpa, this is the course for you. You can read a description at http://www.virginia.edu/januaryterm/education.html Enrollment is on-going.
Final words from Dean Papovich
The end of the semester is now upon us and you will need to devote your full attention to your final papers, projects, and examinations. It is crucial that you stay current with your readings and other assignments. If you are having trouble, do not simply hope things will improve. You must act. You must speak with your instructor(s) promptly. You must seek out tutorial assistance, work in study groups, and draw fully upon your own and the Univeristy's resources. And you must not hesitate to make an appointment to see me. You are all capable of succeeding here. If you are not pleased with your progress so far, now is the time to seek help and make changes. You are all here because you are qualified to succeed.
Please feel free to call 924-3350 or 924-3351 to arrange for a convenient time to discuss any questions you have with me. You may contact me by e-mail at . My office is located in Garrett Hall, room 211-A.
I wish you well for the rest of the semester and look forward to seeing you soon.