Welcome to Marshall

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Welcome to Marshall

• 2005 Academic Forum

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2005 Academic Forum Presented by the Office of
Academic Affairs110 Old Main
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Class Attendance Policies

• Mary had an exam in history this morning, but she
  overslept! She called her professor who said that
  Mary should have invested in a better alarm clock
  and refused to allow her to make up the exam.
  What can Mary do?

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Class Attendance Policies

• Mary has followed protocol by speaking with her
  professor. The professor does have the final say
  in situations such as this.

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Excused Absences

• Alyssa is not feeling well at all. She decides
  that she just cant go to class today. What
  should Alyssa do?

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Excused Absences

• She should check the syllabus to review the class
  attendance policy.
• She should phone or e-mail her professor
  immediately to notify him/her of her illness and
  to discuss plans for catching up on course
  content.

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Excused Absences

• Alyssa should then follow these steps to ensure
  that her absence is excused.
• See a physician or medical professional and
  obtain written documentation of the illness
• Submit the medical documentation to her Assoc
  Dean for approval of the absence

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Faculty Availability

• Josh is preparing for his first test in
  Chemistry. He has a number of questions and wants
  to talk with his instructor. He has stopped by
  the professors office several times when on his
  way to other classes. Hes frustrated because his
  professor was not in his office when he stopped
  by. What options does Josh have?

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Faculty Availability

• Josh has several options
• All professors are required to post and keep
  office hours. Josh should check the course
  syllabus to find his professors office hours.
• All professors have Marshall e-mail accounts.
  Josh may e-mail his professor to arrange a
  meeting time.
• Some departments offer tutoring services. Josh
  could arrange to meet with a tutor.

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Freshman Math

• My daughter, Joy, has always done just fine in
  her math courses. However, she scored a 16 on the
  Math section of the ACT because she wasnt
  feeling well that day. She is being told that she
  should enroll in a developmental course for
  math. With that course, Ill pay for the course
  however, she wont get any credit from the course
  that counts toward graduation. Are there any
  other options?

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Freshman Math

• Joy has 3 options
• Joy could enroll in the Pre-College Algebra
  Workshop.
• Joy could take the developmental course as
  suggested and use the knowledge gained from that
  to move on to courses that count toward
  graduation requirements.
• Joy could take a placement exam for Math

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Pre-College Algebra WorkshopDetails

• For students with a score of less than 19 on the
  Math Section of the ACT.
• Cost -- 185
• Fall workshops will meet four days per week
  (Monday through Thursday) for 2 hours for 6
  weeks.
• 60 minutes of lecture
• 60 minutes of homework completed with a tutor
• Summer workshops will be offered as well. (Days
  and hours will differ from the above.)
• The workshop is a no-credit option.
• Contact the University College for details.

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Placement Exams

• Placement Exams are administered through the
  Community and Technical College for students who
  wish to challenge ACT scores that fail to meet
  minimum requirements for enrollment in Math
  course.
• Fee for Exam - 10.00
• Exams will be given each day during orientation.

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Academic Dishonesty

• Julie is struggling in her Religious Studies
  course. Her friend, Kate, took the course
  previously and did well. Kate loans Julie her
  notes, tests, and papers. Julie really likes one
  of Kates papers and decides to modify it a bit
  by changing some wording and by adding some new
  ideas. Julies professor charges her with
  academic dishonesty. Is Julie guilty of academic
  dishonesty?

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Academic Dishonesty

• Julie has violated policies related to academic
  dishonesty in the following area
• Plagiarism She submitted as her own work
  material which had in part been developed by
  another.
• Note Plagiarism refers to acts that are
  intentional as well as acts that are accidental.
  Whether Julie meant to plagiarize or not is not
  an issue. She is still considered guilty of
  plagiarism.

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D and F Repeat Rule

• Kristen who is in her Freshman year just received
  her grade for ENG 102. She was disappointed to
  find that she received a D. She hates to have
  that grade on her record and hopes to take the
  course again. Can she repeat the course and have
  the grade of D erased?

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D and F Repeat Rule

• Kristen can repeat courses in which she received
  a D or F.
• Kristen can invoke this rule up to and including
  the semester in which she attempts her 60th hour.
• The second grade will replace the first in
  calculating Kristens GPA.
• Kristens D will remain on her transcript and
  will be noted as a repeated course. The first
  grade will not count into calculation of her GPA.

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Academic Probation

• Scott just received his grades for his first
  semester at MU.
• UNI 101 CR
• English 101 B
• Communication Studies 103 C
• Biology 104 D
• History 103 F
• GPA 1.83
• What could have led to Scotts difficulty in his
  first semester?
• How will MU respond to these grades?

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Academic Probation

• As Scott has a GPA that falls below 2.0, he will
  be placed on Academic Probation.
• Probation indicates that Scott will have a period
  of restricted enrollment
• He must meet with Asst/Assoc Dean of his college
  before registering. The Asst/Assoc Dean will
  develop an Academic Improvement Plan for him.
• He may take no more than 14 hours / semester
  while on probation.

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Academic Probation

• He should repeat courses under D F Repeat Rule.
• He will be unable to register via the web.
• He will participate in their colleges retention
  program.
• He must achieve a 2.0 or higher during each
  semester on probation. If he fails to do so, he
  will be placed on Suspension.
• Scott will be removed from Probation when his
  overall GPA moves above a 2.0.

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Resources

• What resources are available to help Scott in his
  academic pursuits?

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Resources

• Scott could talk with his instructor and ask for
  advice.
• Free tutoring is available through University
  College and many departments.
• Advising is offered by colleges and departments.
• Options are available for repeating courses where
  a D or F was obtained.
• The Counseling Center is available to assist with
  any personal issues that may be affecting Scotts
  performance.

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Midterm Grades

• How will I, as a parent, know how my Scott is
  doing his freshman year?

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Midterm Grades

• Midterm grades are mailed to freshman who have a
  D or F grade in a course at midterm.
• Midterm grades are mailed to the student at his
  or her home address.

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Parental Inquiry

• David phoned home and said that hes faithfully
  attending his classes and that he has all As at
  this time. I wonder if I could just call each of
  his professors and double check.

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Parental Inquiry

• Because of privacy concerns, MU does not allow
  professors to discuss student performance with
  anyone but the student. College-age students must
  learn to be in charge of their academic lives
  with the support and encouragement of their
  parents and the resources of the university.

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The Marshall Plan

• Allison is frustrated at orientation to find that
  she must take courses to fulfill The Marshall
  Plan. She is concerned that all of the extra
  courses will increase the amount of time required
  to complete her degree. She wants to know what
  this Plan involves and if it will increase her
  time in college.

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The Marshall Plan

• The number of hours required for an undergraduate
  degree (minimum 128 hours) remained unchanged
  with the establishment of the Marshall Plan.

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The Marshall Plan

• The Plan fulfills general education requirements
  as follows
• An integrated / applied math course (MTH 121 or
  higher)
• An integrated science course (19)
• A 3-hour course in multicultural studies (58)
• Two 3-hour courses in international studies (72)
• A writing intensive course (56)
• A computer literacy course
• A capstone course related to the students field
  of study

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The Marshall Plan

• MU offers numerous courses that meet the
  requirements of the Marshall Plan each semester.
• Courses approved for the Plan are published in
  the course schedule book each semester.
• Over 250 Marshall Plan courses will be offered in
  the Fall 2005.

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Transferring Credits

• Jennifer has taken an English AP course at her
  high school. Will this credit transfer to MU and
  will her orientation advisor know about this
  course today?

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Transferring Credits

• Yes, the course will transfer.
• The advisor may or may not know about the course,
  depending on if Jennifer has her score and if her
  high school has submitted the credit to Marshall.
  

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Time Commitment per Course

• John is excited to begin his college career. He
  has visited Huntington and submitted an
  application for employment at a number of
  Huntington businesses. He figures he can carry 18
  hours and work about 20-30 hours per week
  locally. Will Johns course schedule permit this
  type of workload?

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Time Commitment per Course

• John should first calculate the number of hours
  in and out of class for his 18 hour load.
• A typical 3-hour course requires
• 3 hours in-class per week
• 2 hours of out of class preparation for every one
  hour in class (6 hours per week)
• Total for 18 hour load 54 hours / week

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UNI 101

• My daughter was told she has to take UNI 101 but
  her best friend recommended that she not take it.
  What do you recommend?

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UNI 101

• By Fall 2006, UNI 101 will be a required course.
• Students who successfully complete UNI 101 (HON
  101) have higher GPAs and retention rates than
  those who do not complete the course.
• Even the best students may need guidance in
  adjusting to the academic and social life of
  college. UNI 101 provides a small class
  environment for this adjustment process.

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Textbooks

• Ive been struggling with budgeting for textbooks
  for my daughter. How much does the average
  student spend on texts each semester?

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Textbooks

• The average student carrying 15-18 hours spends
  300 to 400 on books each semester.
• There are a number of options to consider when
  purchasing texts
• Make the NEW vs. USED decision
• There are numerous options for purchasing texts
• Follett Bookstore (on campus)
• Other options include
• Local bookstores, On-line shopping

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Computers

• My son is begging for a computer for use in his
  dorm room. Is this really necessary? Are there
  computers on campus he can use?

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Computers

• Computer labs are readily available in many
  buildings on campus
• Drinko Library
• Includes a 24-hour student study center
• Residence Halls
• Each class building
• However, all dorms are wired, and many students
  prefer the convenience of a computer in their own
  room.

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Accommodations for Students with Special Needs

• Matt has been diagnosed as having a learning
  disability. As a result, he will need extra time
  to complete his exams. He is concerned about
  asking his professor about the special
  arrangements. What should Matt know?

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Accommodations for Students with Special Needs

• At the beginning of the semester, Matt should
  provide documentation of his learning disability
  to the Disabled Student Services Office.
• The DSS Office will contact Matts professors
  regarding his request for accommodations.
• If Matt desires, he could then follow up with his
  professors to ensure that all information has
  been transmitted.

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The Undecided Student

• Ashley is excited to begin her freshman year, but
  she has no idea what major to choose. Shes
  getting concerned because it seems that everyone
  else has a major. What help does MU offer Ashley?

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The Undecided Student

• Academic advising is available through the
  Advising Center in the University College
• Career counseling is available through Career
  Services Center
• A Spring Majors Fair is held each year to
  highlight majors on campus.

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The Undecided Student

• Marshall has a number of undecided students
  entering each Fall.
• 937 freshman entered as undecided in Fall 2004.
• Active experimentation and exploration is
  encouraged.
• Undecided students should note that aimless
  movement between majors and a lengthy undecided
  period may delay the graduation date.

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Graduation Timeframes

• My friends son just graduated from Marshall in
  the Spring. It took him 6 years to complete his
  Bachelors Degree. Is that common? I thought it
  only took four years.

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Graduation Timeframes

• The amount of time required for degree completion
  can be affected by
• Course withdrawals
• Low grades
• Change of major
• of credit hours per semester
• of work hours
• Student motivation

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Honors Courses

• Brad has received letters about enrolling in
  honors courses at Marshall. What are the benefits
  of taking honors courses?

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Honors Courses

• Students are encouraged to enroll in honors
  courses for the following reasons
• To develop confidence in their own abilities
• To learn how to apply knowledge in new and
  meaningful ways
• To improve communication skills
• To enhance their ability to work in groups
• To pursue academic and social experiences with
  similarly motivated and gifted students

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What questions do you have for us?
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Thanks for your attention and participation!

• Enjoy your day at Marshall!

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