Frequently Asked Questions

Where does a student go to receive academic advising?

Upon entering the university, each student is assigned a faculty member who will be their academic advisor. Students who have declared majors will be assigned an advisor in their field of study. Advising is required for each student each semester. Advisors are provided to assist students in planning their academic programs and registering for classes. However, the student is solely responsible for seeing that he/she has met the course requirements for a program of study, as outlined in the university catalog. Students should meet with their advisors throughout the semester, but are required to meet with them during registration times. Scheduling an appointment is the best way to see an advisor.

After the initial semester, how does a student register for classes for the next semester?

Near the end of each semester, a month-long registration time exists during which students meet with their academic advisors to select classes for the following semester. Students may register in person or on-line. Although students are not required to pre-register, they are more likely to get the classes they want than if they wait until the beginning of the new semester to register.

What about students who have not chosen a major?

A student who is undecided about a major is assigned a freshman advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students take courses required by the core Arts and Sciences curriculum, which includes courses in a wide variety of areas. In this way, they can explore their interests and talents and make a decision about a major. The Career and Leadership Development Center on campus can also assist students in choosing a major.

How does a student declare or change a major?

An undeclared student who decides to declare a major, or a student who wishes to change his/her major may obtain a Change of Curriculum form from the Office of the Registrar. It requires the signatures of the student's current advisor and dean and the new advisor and dean. The form is then returned to the Registrar's Office and the change is made on the student's records.

How does a student change his or her schedule?

Students may drop or add courses to their schedules for the first week of each semester. This is done by filling out a Drop/Add form from the Registrar's Office and obtaining their advisor's signature. Courses dropped during this week are not recorded on the student's transcript. A student may withdraw from a class from the end of the drop/add period until fourteen days prior to the beginning of the final exam period. The course is listed on the student's transcript, but a "W" indicates the student withdrew from the class with no penalty.

What does a conditional acceptance mean?

If a student's high school achievement is slightly below the standards set for admission to the university, but personal recommendations, test scores or auditions seem to indicate the probability of success, a student may be admitted conditionally. Students admitted conditionally are limited to 14 semester hours, and work closely with the Academic Support Center during their first year.

Where are grades sent at the end of each semester?

Final grades are addressed to the student and sent to his/her permanent address. Students can also check their grades on-line. Student records are considered private documents and are kept confidential in accordance with federal law (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 - the Buckley Amendment). They may not be released to a third party without the student's permission. However, parents who submit proof that they claim a student as a dependent on their federal income tax return may have access to grades. To inquire about this procedure, contact the Office of the Registrar.

Mid-term grades are also as an indication of their progress. However, these are not recorded on the student's transcript and have no bearing on the GPA.

How is a Grade Point Average calculated?

A student's grade in any course determines the number of quality points he/she receives for that course. An A = 4 quality points, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. The quality points for a given course are determined by multiplying the points for the letter grade earned by the number of semester hours of that particular course. (Ex: earning a B in a 3- semester-hour course results in 9 quality points.) The GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned in a semester by the number of semester hours taken. GPA's are calculated to three decimal places and are not rounded up or down.

What grades must a student achieve in order to remain in good academic standing?

The university recognizes that students may have difficulties in their first hours of course work, but later make significant improvements. For this reason, Shenandoah has set a rising scale of minimum requirements a student must meet in order to continue at the university.

Graded Credit Hours --------------------Minimum Cumulative GPA

0 - 23.00------------------------------------1.000

24.00 - 35.99------------------------------1.250

36.00 - 47.99------------------------------1.500

48.00 - 59.99------------------------------1.750

60.00 and above---------------------------2.000

Students who fail to meet these academic standards will be placed on Academic Probation. Students on probation can carry a maximum of 14 credits and are required to enroll in the Turning Point program through the Academic Support Center. Students remaining on probation for two consecutive semesters will be subject to academic suspension.

Can failed courses be repeated?

A student can repeat a course a maximum of two times, except in professional programs. (Students in professional programs should check policy applicable to their program.) A student who does not pass a required course after three attempts may be subject to academic dismissal. All course grades are recorded on the student's transcript. However, the grade the student earned in the most recent attempt is used to calculate the GPA.

How much study time is required to do well in college courses?

The general rule of thumb is that a student should plan to spend approximately two hours of study time per week for every semester hour taken. (Many classes will require more than this.) So a student who is taking 15 semester hours should plan to spend at least 30 hours per week studying, in addition to time spent in class.

What about outside activities? Can a student work and still do well in college?

Many student have outside jobs or work study positions on campus. A few hours per week may not interfere with academic performance. But a student who tries to work more than 10-15 hours per week and take a full load of classes may find that his/her grades suffer. A student who must work more hours for financial reasons may need to consider taking a reduced class load over a greater number of semesters to complete his/her degree.

The same considerations must be applied to sports and other extra-curricular activities. Shenandoah offers a wide variety of excellent clubs and organizations, including musical groups, social clubs, pre-professional organizations and community service oriented groups, which can greatly enhance the college experience and help students develop leadership skills. However, a student must establish academic success as a first priority and add other activities as time permits.

Does Shenandoah have an Honor Code?

Shenandoah University adheres to principles and practices of the Academic Honor Code. The Honor Code is the system of conduct of the University which reflects the core of principles and values that the university has established regarding individual responsibility and matters involving honorable conduct. The concept of honor may be defined in a variety of ways; however, at this university, the code under which we live prohibits lying, stealing and cheating. Students attending the university are responsible for upholding the Honor Code and being aware of the university's Honor Code procedures. Ignorance is not an acceptable defense for failure to follow the Honor Code. Faculty members are also responsible for upholding the Honor Code, which includes putting an Honor Code statement on all course syllabi and being aware of the Honor Code procedures. The Academic Honor Code is published in the Student Handbook and the Faculty Handbook.

Are parents notified if their son/daughter is having academic difficulty?

There is no automatic notification of parents about a student's academic difficulties. Federal law precludes this by directing institutions to treat college students as responsible adults. Academic information about a student must be kept confidential unless otherwise directed by the student. It is the student's responsibility to seek help if he/she is having academic difficulty.