21 May 2012
Academics - Advising Center

This web page lists topics designed to help Penn State Abington students gain a better understanding of important advising information.

"Videos/aCUBs" features short videos that demonstrate how to use important tools and features available to Penn State students.

"FAQs" are frequently asked questions and answers about a range of academic advising topics. Although we hope these videos and FAQs are helpful, they do not take the place of a face-to-face advising session. You should meet with your assigned adviser at least once every semester. We hope you find this information helpful.

Videos (aCUBs)

FAQs (Click on each FAQ to expand)

 

How do I find out who my Adviser is?

Go to eLion. Select “Adviser Information” or look on the first page of your Degree Audit.

 

What’s the difference between a professional Adviser and a faculty adviser?

Professional advisers are located in the Advising Center, 224 Sutherland, and are well qualified to help you reach your academic goals. They advise mainly first- and second-year students. Faculty advisers usually advise students already in majors, but in some cases, they advise students heading toward specific majors within a college. Faculty advisers deal mostly with issues directly related to specific majors, whereas professional advisers usually work with students deciding among many possible majors. At Abington, however, faculty advisers may advise student at any stage of their academic careers. As a first- or second-year student, your intended major will determine whether your adviser is a professional or faculty member.

 

Do my cumulative Credits include courses in which I've earned an "F"?

Cumulative credits include the number of credits scheduled at Penn State for a letter grade, even if a final grade of an "F" is earned.

 

What are Deficiency points?

Deficiency points accumulate when a student's CGPA (cumulative grade point average) is below 2.00. The only way to remove deficiency points is to earn grades of C+ or better, which will raise your CGPA. When the CGPA reaches 2.00, your deficiency points will be 0

.

 

What is a Degree Audit?

A degree audit is a personalized academic planning tool detailing graduation requirements, required courses, and your progress towards completion of a Penn State degree. To learn how to make sense of a degree audit, go to Interpreting a Degree Audit.

 

How do I get a Degree Audit?

Your degree audit is available only through eLion. You may print out a degree audit at the Advising Center, Room 224 Sutherland.

 

How do I get a Degree audit for my major?

Your degree audit is available only through eLion. On the first Degree Audit screen, select “Current” if you are already in a major. If you are not yet in a major, select “Alternative.” If you choose “Alternative,” you will need to select the College, Major, and Option (if any). To find out which college your intended major is in, go to University Bulletin: Course Descriptions, Four- and Two-Year Degrees. You may navigate to that site on the Abington website by selecting Academic? Advising? Academic Resources? University Bulletin: Course Descriptions, Four- and Two-Year Degrees.

 

How do I get a Degree audit for a different major from my own, or a major I’m interested in?

You can get a degree audit for a major different from your own on eLion by selecting “Alternative” on the first screen in the Degree Audit area and then selecting the College, Major, and Option (if any) that you are interested in. To find out which college that is in, go to University Bulletin: Course Descriptions, Four- and Two-Year Degrees. You may navigate to that site on the Abington website by selecting Academic→ Advising→ Academic Resources→ University Bulletin: Course Descriptions, Four- and Two-Year Degrees

 

How and when can I Drop and/or add a course?

Courses can be added and/or dropped during the regular Drop/Add period, which is during the first ten calendar days of each semester. You can either fill out a Drop/Add form and submit it to the Scheduling Office, 121 Sutherland, or drop/add on eLion. If a course is dropped during the regular Drop/Add period, it will not show up on your transcript.
After the tenth day of the semester, the Late Drop period begins. It runs from the eleventh day of the semester to the end of the twelfth week of the semester. Courses can be late dropped but not added during this period. If a course is dropped during the Late Drop period, it will show up on your transcript as a withdrawal grade. Contact your adviser for details.
Part-time students (taking fewer than 12 credits) will be assessed a tuition penalty for dropping or adding during the Late Drop period. See http://www.bursar.psu.edu/adjustments.cfm for details.

 

What is the difference between the regular Drop/Add period and the Late Drop period?

The regular Drop/Add period is the first ten calendar days of a fifteen-week semester. (Courses that last less than fifteen weeks, e.g., summer sessions, have shorter Drop/Add periods.) During this period, you may drop or add as many courses as much as you want, so long as the courses are open and fit your schedule. Courses dropped during this period do not show up on your transcript.
The Late Drop period for a course begins with the first calendar day after the regular Drop/Add period, and ends on the day when 80% of the duration of the course is attained (for a fifteen-week semester, Late Drop period ends at the end of the twelfth week). During this period, you can only drop courses, and the number of courses you can drop depends on the number of Late Drop credits you have remaining. All students are given a certain amount of Late Drop credits to use during their entire time enrolled at Penn State: associate (2-year degree), provisional (PROV), and non-degree (NDEGR) students are given ten Late Drop credits, while baccalaureate (4-year degree) students are given sixteen. Once you use all the Late Drop credits you were initially given, you can't get any more and must withdraw from the entire semester in order to get out from under a course’s requirements.
When you Late Drop a course, instead of a regular grade, a withdrawal grade appears on your transcript instead. Instructors assign three kinds of withdrawal grades: "WP" (Withdrawal Passing), "WF" (Withdrawal Failing), and "WN" (Withdraw No Judgment). Any withdrawal grade does not factor into your GPA. Contact your adviser for details.
Part-time students (taking fewer than 12 credits) will be assessed a tuition penalty for dropping or adding during the Late Drop period. See http://www.bursar.psu.edu/adjustments.cfm for details.

 

What is an Early Progress Report?

First-year students and first-semester transfer students who are doing poorly in a course during the third to sixth week of a semester may receive an Early Progress Report detailing the reasons for their poor performance. If you receive an Early Progress Report in a course, you should talk with the professor about how to improve your performance in the course.

 

How do I find out the Entrance to major requirements for any major?

Go to http://www.psu.edu/dus/cfe/etmindex.htm. You may navigate there within the Abington website by choosing Academics →Advising→Advising Resources→DUS 101→Lessons→Lesson 13. Once at the Entrance to Major Requirements page, choose the college and then the major you’re interested in. To find out which college a major is in, go to University Bulletin: Course Descriptions, Four- and Two-Year Degrees.

 

How does the Entrance to major process for second-semester sophomores work?

If at the end of your third semester you will have earned around 43.5 credits, in November and January of your sophomore year, you will receive emails from the Registrar reminding you to go on eLion to confirm your three major preferences. The deadline to do so is around the middle of February. You will be informed by email around the middle of March the major into which you have been accepted.
For information about other Entrance to Major processes for University Park Colleges, go to Entrance-to-College/Major Procedures (University Park).

 

What do I do if I find that I am Failing some or all my classes?

Contact your adviser to discuss your options.

 

How can I learn more about Financial aid?

Contact the Financial Aid office,106 Sutherland.

 

Do I have to take a Foreign language?

Foreign language proficiency is a graduation requirement for all Bachelor of Arts degrees and many other degrees. You should consult a degree audit in the major you’re interested in or Contact/Locate an adviser for more information

 

What General Education courses should I take?

"General Education — Oh so that's what it is" is often what students say when they learn what opportunities this part of the curriculum represents. Some majors even recommend or require certain General Education courses, so remember to Contact/Locate an adviser to discuss this. You can also consult a degree audit on eLion in a major you’re interested in for more information about the general education requirements in that major.

The General Education categories are

GWS    Writing, Speaking
GA       Arts
GH       Humanities
GHA     Health and Physical Activity
GN       Natural Sciences
GQ       Quantification
GS       Social and Behavioral Sciences
US        Diversity – United States
IL          Diversity – International

OC       Other Cultures (a 3-credit requirement for Bachelor of Arts students only)

 

How can I get my final Grades?

Check the Grades function on eLion or have them sent to you by going to "Mail Semester Grades" on eLion. Your online request for a paper copy of current semester grades must be completed before the final exam period starts.

 

I am getting poor Grades in one or more courses. What should I do?

You should first talk to your professor about what you can do to improve your grades. Then, you should seek out tutoring assistance from the Learning Center and work with study partners or study groups from among your classmates in the course. If after a few weeks, your having taken these three steps has not improved your grades in the course, you may want to consider a Late Drop from the course or a Withdrawal from the entire semester. You can learn more about these processes from eLion, or you may want to Contact/Locate an adviser.

 

What do I need to do to declare my Intent to graduate this semester?

Using the "Graduating this Semester” function on eLion, you can set or remove your intent to graduate. After the activation period expires, you must contact the Registrar’s Office to activate or remove your intent to graduate

 

How can I learn more about Internships?

There are two kinds of internships: professional and exploratory. Professional internships are required in a major; check your degree audit in a major to see if an internship course is required; it will be numbered 495 in a major discipline, e.g., PSYCH 495 or B A 495. Exploratory internships are voluntary and may be done in connection with any major. For more information about internships, contact your adviser in your major and/or the Career Development Center, which is on the second floor of the Lares Student Union.

 

What is a Late Drop?

The Late Drop period for a course begins with the first calendar day after the regular Drop/Add period, and ends on the day when 80% of the duration of the course is attained (for a fifteen-week semester, Late Drop period ends at the end of the twelfth week). During this period, you can only drop courses, and the number of courses you can drop depends on the number of Late Drop credits you have remaining. All students are given a certain amount of Late Drop credits to use during their entire time enrolled at Penn State: associate (2-year degree), provisional (PROV), and non-degree (NDEGR) students are given ten Late Drop credits, while baccalaureate (4-year degree) students are given sixteen. Once you use all the Late Drop credits you were initially given, you can't get any more and must withdraw from the entire semester in order to get out from under a course’s requirements.
When you Late Drop a course, instead of a regular grade, a withdrawal grade appears on your transcript instead. Instructors assign three kinds of withdrawal grades: "WP" (Withdrawal Passing), "WF" (Withdrawal Failing), and "WN" (Withdraw No Judgment). Any withdrawal grade does not factor into your GPA. Contact your adviser for details.
Part-time students (taking fewer than 12 credits) will be assessed a tuition penalty for dropping or adding during the Late Drop period. See http://www.bursar.psu.edu/adjustments.cfm for details.

 

What do I have to do to take a Leave of absence?

Go the Scheduling Office, 121 Sutherland, to complete a Leave of Absence form. To obtain a Leave of Absence for an upcoming semester, the form must be submitted to the Registrar by the Friday before the first day of that semester’s classes.

 

How do I choose a Major?

Finding the right major is one of the Major Decisions you make as a college student, Penn State has a variety of resources to assist you in exploring the University's opportunities. Remember to Contact/Locate an adviser to discuss your options and planning.

 

How and when do I declare a Major?

In most cases, majors are declared during your fourth semester (43.1 to 60 credits) through a process known as the Entrance to Major (ETM). If at the end of your third semester you will have earned around 43.5 credits, in November and January of your sophomore year, you will receive emails from the Registrar reminding you to go on eLion to confirm your three major preferences. The deadline to do so is around the middle of February. You will be informed by email around the middle of March the major into which you have been accepted.
If you are out of sequence (do not have 43.1-60 credits already earned in your fourth full-time semester at Penn State) but have met all the entrance to major requirements, you may declare a major by submitting a Change of Major form in the Scheduling Office, 121 Sutherland.

 

How do I change my Major?

Contact the College Contact and Referral Representative (CCRR) of the college that houses your intended major. A list of those representatives may be found at Change of Location/College Contact Referral Representatives. After talking with the representative from the college you are interested in, submit a completed Change of Major form in the Scheduling Office, 121 Sutherland.

 

How and when do I declare a Minor?

After you are in your major, you may petition the department offering the minor to be allowed to declare a minor, which is made up of at least 18 credits in an academic discipline. You must submit an Entrance to Minor form listing all the courses you have taken or plan to take that complete the requirements for the minor to the department or division offering the minor.

 

How and when do I declare a second, or “double Major”?

Double majors are called “concurrent majors” at Penn State. After you are in a major, you must submit an Application for Approval of Concurrent Majors form to declare your intent to complete a concurrent major to the department or division of your first major.

 

What Majors can I complete at Abington?

Penn State Abington offers the following baccalaureate degrees: Administration of Justice, American Studies, Art, Biology (options in Genetics and Development Biology and Vertebrate Physiology), Business (options in Accounting, Financial Services, Individualized Business, or Management and Marketing), Corporate Communication, English, History, Information Sciences and Technology (IST)  Integrative Arts, Letters, Arts and Sciences, Organizational Leadership (OLEAD), Psychological and Social Sciences, Science (options in Life Science and General Science.

 

How do I move from Non-degree (NDEGR) status to degree status?

If you have been a degree student and then became a nondegree student, you must earn at least a 2.00 CGPA (cumulative grade point average) by the time you complete 40 credits in NDEGR status. As soon as you have a 2.00 CGPA, submit a Reenrollment form in the Scheduling Office, 121 Sutherland.

 

How do I register for an Online course (World Campus, eLearning, Independent Learning, Correspondence, or Distance Education)?

Contact your adviser, the Scheduling Office, or check out the World Campus. World Campus courses are listed in the online Schedule of Courses. If there are seats available in a course you want, contact World Campus’s Adult Learner Enrollment Services at 800 252-3592 and select option 1. In general, you will not be able to schedule the course(s) until one week before the start date of the class.  There may be exceptions. Contact wdregistration@outreach.psu.edu for more information.

 

What is a Prerequisite course?

FA prerequisite course is one that must be completed before taking another course. You should not try to take a course that has prerequisites without having completed all them first. Prerequisite requirements are to be taken seriously; they help you from enrolling in a course in which you cannot possible do well. However, if you believe you have the knowledge that the prerequisite course provides and feel able to handle the course for which it is a prerequisite, you should talk with the instructor of the course for which you have not met the prerequisite. The instructor should be able to judge whether or not it’s appropriate for you to take the course. If the instructor is not inclined to allow you to take the course, you should respect the instructor’s judgment. If you enroll in a course for which you have not met the prerequisites, you may be disenrolled at the request of the instructor

 

Where can I find out the Policies and rules pertaining to students at Penn State?

Go to http://www.psu.edu/ufs/policies/right.html. You can navigate there within the Abington website by going to Academics→ Advising→ Advising Resources→ University Faculty Senate Polices and Rules for Students.

 

How do I move from Provisional (PROV) status to degree status?

To be eligible to apply for degree status, you must have earned at least a 2.00 CGPA (cumulative grade point average) and at least 18 credits for the baccalaureate degree program or at least 9 credits for the associate degree program You must apply before you complete 36 credits; if you don’t, a Registration Hold will be placed on your account and you will not be able to register for more courses. When you are ready to apply for degree status, submit a nondegree to degree application at http:admissions.psu.edu/apply.

 

When can I Register?

The first day that you can register for an upcoming semester depends on the number of credits you have earned. The more credits you have earned, the earlier you can register. The date when you can register for the upcoming semester appears on the first page of your degree audit, which is available on eLion. This date will vary from one Penn State campus to another; you can find out when you can register at any campus by going to the “Registration Timetables,” a link on the Schedule of Courses. A small number of Abington students with “priority registration” register early.

 

What is Academic Renewal?

Academic Renewal is taking up your Penn State academic career after having spent four years away from the University. Existing courses in which you earned less than a C grade are separated from other courses, which remain in place on your degree audit. Your cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is reset to 0.0, which makes it easier for you to succeed.

 

If I Repeat a course that I earned "D" or "F" in and got a better grade, will the "D" or "F" grade be replaced by the better grade?

All grades, including "D" and "F," remain on your transcript. If the course is repeated, the higher grade will also appear on the transcript with a notation stating that the course was repeated. Both grades are factored into your CGPA (cumulative grade point average).

 

How can I learn more about Study abroad?

Contact the Office of International Affairs, 320b Sutherland, or check out the University Office of International Programs.

 

How do I Transfer to University Park or to another Penn State location (Change of Assignment)?

Students not completing major at Abington normally spend two years at Abington and then change their assignment to University Park to complete their majors. A Change of Assignment does not happen automatically for every student as a result of choosing a major. Change of Assignment and choosing a major are two distinct processes. If at the end of your third semester you have earned 43.1 or more credits and in your fourth semester are accepted into a major through the online Entrance to Major process, the Change of Assignment (or “transfer”) to University Park is automatic. If at the end of your third semester you have earned less than 43.1 credits and go through the online Entrance to Major process, you have to submit a completed Change of Assignment form. See your advisor to do so. If you want to move to another Penn State campus, contact your adviser to complete a Change of Assignment form.  You may get a Change of Assignment request form at the Scheduling Office, 121 Sutherland, or in the Advising Center, 224 Sutherland.  An advisor must sign the Change of Assignment form.  You submit the completed form in the Scheduling Office.

 

How many credits must I complete if I want to Transfer to University Park?

Usually, students must have completed between 57-60 credits before a Change of Assignment request to move to another Penn State campus will be approved; however, the number of credits may depend upon your academic goal. Contact/Locate your adviser to discuss your plans.

 

What is Academic Warning?

Students are placed on Academic Warning when they have earned Deficiency Points due to poor grades. If you continue to perform poorly on your grades, you may be dropped from the University for unsatisfactory scholarship. If you receive an Academic Warning letter, contact your adviser immediately to discuss your situation.
First-year students and first-semester transfer students who are doing poorly in a course during the third to sixth week of a semester may receive an Early Progress Report from the professor detailing the reasons for their poor performance. If you receive an Early Progress Report in a course, you should talk with the professor about how to improve your performance in the course.

 

Can I Withdraw from the University and come back?

Yes, you can. When you are ready to return to the University, complete a Reenrollment or Reinstatement form and submit it to the Scheduling Office, 121 Sutherland. You can also change your major when you re-enroll.

 

How do I Withdraw from the University?

Contact your adviser or go to the Scheduling Office, 121 Sutherland, to complete a Withdrawal form. You can also withdraw through eLion. All your courses for that semester will be cancelled. You will receive a W on your transcript for those courses. You must withdraw from a semester no later than the last day of classes.

 

How do I Transfer a course from another college and/or university to Penn State?

First, go to the Transfer Evaluation Guide to see if the course is accepted by Penn State. You can also access this screen by clicking on “Transferring Credits” function on eLion. The course may transfer in as a “direct equivalent,” meaning that the course at another institution can be used to fulfill any requirement that the equivalent course at Penn State meets. If the course transfers in as a “GEN” course, it may be used to satisfy General Education requirements. In either case, you need to work with your academic adviser to try to get the transferred course into the appropriate place in your degree audit in your major. Transferring courses into you’re the major requirements areas of your degree audit can only be done once you are in a major. In order for courses to be transferred to Penn State, you must have the other college or university send your official transcript to: Penn State Admissions 201 Shields Building Box 3000 University Park, PA 16804 Note: The final grade of the course must be a "C" or higher in order to transfer. Also, grades of transfer credits do not count towards your GPA.

 
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