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The questions listed below are ones that students frequently ask. Just click on the specific question to see the answer. We hope this will help you get those "quick questions" answered while providing guidance as you meet with your academic advisor, plan your program of studies, and think about life goals.What is your question?
Who is my advisor?You can always find out who your specific academic advisor is by looking at your degree audit on the web -- your advisor's name is included in the heading information. The information below will provide information on how advisor assignments are made in the College of Education and Human Development.
The Advising Center academic advisors are always available to work with any student. If the guidelines above guide a student to receive advising from the Center for Academic Advising and Student Support, please use the Instructions located on the advising web page: https://eduweb.education.radford.edu/advising_office/Forms/Directions_Scheduling_Appointment.htm Back to TopWhat should I bring to an advising session?Academic advising is a shared responsibility. Both the advisee and the advisor have responsibilities. The better prepared you are for the advising session, the more information you will get to cover with your advisor. Therefore, the advising session is as much your responsibility as it is the advisor’s. It is in your best interest to be as prepared as possible. Come prepared with a written list of questions, notes from previous advising sessions, and any kind of documentation that you feel is appropriate. If you are still working on the general education requirements, bring a printout of acceptable general education courses so you and your advisor can talk about which courses are most appropriate for you based on your academic and career plans. Print the latest version of your degree audit and bring that also (found on the Student Information System). You should have your own copy of your progress sheet (found in Academic Advising Manual) that you update regularly so you know which requirements you have already completed, which ones you are currently completing, and what remains to be completed. Keep all of your advising materials in a folder. That way you know where all of your paperwork is and it’s easy to get your hands on before your appointment. Back to TopI'm having trouble in one of my courses, what should I do?The first thing you should do is approach the professor of the course. The professors here at Radford are wonderful about taking the time to get to know their students. Do not let a situation escalate to where it is out of control and beyond someone helping you. Make an appointment with the professor immediately to discuss the situation and try to develop a resolution. You will find that your professor wants you to be successful and will offer advice and encouragement for your success. Your professor may give you some ideas on "how to study" for the course or refer you to the Learning Assistance and Resource Center (LARC) or refer you to a tutor from that specific department or refer you to your academic advisor or to form a study group. Your professor is your best resource when you are having difficulties in a course. Back to TopWhat happens if I receive a poor grade in a course?The best thing you can do to prevent this from happening is to be extremely proactive. It is up to you! Talk to the professor, talk with your advisor, use the services provided by the Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC). If you still end up receiving a poor grade, make an appointment with your advisor. Remember you do have options when you find that you are doing poorly in a course. Two academic policies which may serve you well in this situation are the class withdrawal policy and the repeat policy. See the University catalog at http://www.radford.edu/Catalog/Current/Contents.pdf for more information on these policies. Then if you have questions or need assistance understanding the policies, talk to your academic advisor. You and your academic advisor can develop a plan of action based on your individual situation. Back to TopCan I take a course at a community college or another four-year school and transfer it back to Radford?Definitely. Remember: It is always best to discuss taking any course at another institution with your academic advisor who can help you make appropriate plans based on your program and your progress in your program. We find that students tend to take courses that are going to be used to fulfill general education requirements rather than major requirements at other institutions and transfer them back to RU. Many students take courses at their community college close to home during the summer to get ahead in their program or even to catch up if necessary. There may even be a few courses required for your major that are offered at a community college or other four-year institution close to your home that you could take during the summer. You should always check with your advisor or the Advising Center before you select any courses to take so that we can confirm that it is an acceptable/appropriate course. Even though you can find a class at another institution, it may be that your advisor will recommend that you take the course at RU but then may help you to find another course you could take at home during the summer. A list of acceptable courses offered by Virginia's community colleges can be found on the Registrar's web site at http://www.radford.edu/~registra/Forms/students/transfer_info.html. You will need to complete a "Transfer Approval" form before taking any courses at another institution. This form, when processed through the Advising Center, will confirm that the course will transfer to RU and that it is an acceptable course for your program. Back to TopWhat grades do I need this semester to earn a certain GPA?This is really something you should discuss with your advisor. The College has created a resource for you to help in this process, a "GPA calculator". Once you have keyed in the requested information, it will calculate a GPA based on that information. Remember the "GPA calculator" is only as accurate as the information you enter -- follow the directions carefully. Back to TopWhat assessments are required for the teacher education program?Assessment requirements for admission to the teacher education program will vary just a little depending on the specific program being pursued. All programs require passing scores on Praxis I and the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment either for admission to the program or enrollment in field experience/s. Most programs also require passing scores on Praxis II. And a few require passing scores on the Virginia Reading Assessment. Details are available on the assessment requirements handout. Back to TopWhat should I do if I don't pass the PRAXIS or one of the other exams?You should study! There are plenty of aids available to help you prepare. Assessment preparation books are available in the Teaching Resources Center (TRC) in Peters Hall. You can also receive guidance, assistance and tutoring at the Learning Assistance and Resource Center (LARC). Remember: it is important to prepare for the assessments before you taking them. The assessment is expensive and can get costly if you take it numerous times. You always study before you have finals -- this is no different. Study! Start your preparation by learning about the test by using the information available on the websites. You will be glad you did! Back to TopWhy do I have to take all of these courses for general education when it doesn't apply to my major?General education helps to ensure that all students are provided with a "solid foundation for lifelong learning." All students at Radford University are required to complete 50 hours of general education. The purpose is to provide you a broad based foundation for any degree. Most of the courses also serve as pre-requisites for higher level courses. Students who are pursuing a teacher education program will find that these courses are going to be extremely helpful when you make it into a classroom of your own. All students will find that employers are looking for some similar skills no matter the career path one chooses. Those skills include: oral and written communications, collaboration skills, strong work ethic, dependability, critical thinking skills, risk taking skills, flexibility/adaptability skills, interpersonal skills, analytical skills, research skills, problem-solving skills, and multicultural skills. General education provides the foundation for these skills. Please learn more about general education including the mission, goals for each area, and a complete list of acceptable courses. Back to TopWhat is a Degree Audit?The Degree Audit is located in your Student Information System under Degree Works, then select Process New/View to view your audit. This audit will show what courses you have taken and will match it up with the program that you are pursuing. It will show what has been competed and what needs to be completed for your program. It also shows your Overall GPA, your In-major GPA (may not be accurate depending on program) and your advisor. Back to TopWhat is a course withdrawal?A student may withdraw from a course that they feel they are not doing well in and will receive a grade of "W". This grade will show up on the transcript as "W". The student will need to obtain a withdrawal form from any advising center or the registrar's office and fill out the information and get their academic advisor to sign the form and return it to the registrar's office prior to the withdrawal deadline to receive a "W". The student is allotted 5 withdrawals for their whole academic career at Radford University. Back to TopWhat do I need to do to change my major?The student needs to fill out the Declaration of Major/Minor Form which is located in any advising center or the registrar's office. This form needs to be turned into the advising center in which you plan to change your major. Back to TopHow many credits do I need to have to be a FR, SO, JR, or SR?Students with 26 semester hours will be classified as sophomores, with 56 semester hours as juniors, and with 86 hours as seniors. Back to TopWhat is an incomplete ("I") grade?At the faculty member's discretion the letter "I" may be entered on the student's transcript for a course whenever some portion of the required woke has not been completed by the end of the semester. A written statement of the requirements for removal of the grade "I" must be signed by the faculty member and student and filed in the office of the chairperson of the department in which the course is taught, with a copy submitted to the registrar along with the faculty member's grade sheet. The grade of "I" will automatically revert to a grade of "F" if not satisfactorily removed by completing all coursework needed by the last day of classes of next semester (Fall or Spring) semester. Back to TopWhat are HOLDs on my account?Students may have holds placed on their account by either not having paying a fine or bill, or not returning library books. This will not allow you to register for classes and do other important tasks You can see if you have holds on your account by using the Student Information System and viewing Academics, then selecting Academic Status. The holds will be listed in the bottom of the page. It will only tell you which office placed the hold on your account, but will not state why. You need to contact the specific office and see what needs to be done to remove that hold. This could prevent you from graduating as well, so make sure you take care of it! Back to TopWhat are the different types of credit loads?To be considered fulltime you need to carry 12-18 credit hours. If you drop below 12 hours, this categorizes you as part-time and this can affect your financial aid, and other services on campus. You need to check with different departments on campus before you decide to drop below 12 hours. You may also carry more than 18 hours, this is called an overload and has to be approved by the dean of the college you are in. The overload forms can be picked up in the advising offices. Back to TopCollege of Education and Human Development
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