How often should I meet with my academic advisor?
You are required to meet with your (primary) advisor at least once a semester. Your primary advisor will lift your advising hold so that you can register for classes. Any time you are thinking about dropping a class, adding a minor, changing your major, etc, you should meet with your advisor.
How do I make an appointment with my advisor?
Most advisors at WKU use the TopNet appointment system. In TopNet, go to the Student Services tab, “Registration,” then “Schedule an Advising Appointment.” If you cannot find your advisor’s name, this means they do not use the TopNet calendar. In that case, call or email your advisor to set up an appointment. I do use TopNet, and you can find a link on the homepage.
What is the difference between a primary advisor and a secondary advisor?
In most instances at WKU, your primary advisor is a faculty member. For example, if you are an English major, your primary advisor will be an English professor. Your primary advisor can help you with deciding which courses to take next semester and how to complete your degree in a timely fashion. Your primary advisor will lift your advising hold.
Your secondary advisor is happy to help with general advisement, questions about policy, requirements, resources, graduation timelines, etc. If you want to change your major, add a minor, or anything like that, your secondary advisor can help, too. If I'm your secondary advisor, I will certainly discuss classes with you, but you should also meet with your primary advisor to have your advising hold lifted. Only in very specific circumstances will I lift your advising hold.
You can find your advisor information on TopNet. In the Student Services tab click "Registration," then "View Advisor Information." This will let you know the names and contact information for your primary and secondary advisors.
How do I check my iCAP?
On TopNet, under the Student Services tab, choose “iCAP (Interactive Degree Audit).” On the next screen click “Submit an Audit,” then “Run Audit,” followed by “View Submitted Audits.” You can also choose to run a “What-If” audit, which can show you your progress if you are considering changing majors. For more information, visit the Registrar’s website.
How do I change my major?
On TopNet, under the Student Services tab, choose “Student Records,” and then “Change Major, Certificate, Minor, Concentration, Advisor.” This will populate a form. In the first drop-down menu, choose your new major, and if the new major requires a concentration, that will be in the next drop-down menu. If you don’t yet have a minor, and the new major is less than 48 hours (most of them are), then you will have to choose a minor from the drop-down menu. If your new major is in a new department, be sure that you choose “Yes, I request an advisor change.” This will assign you to a new faculty advisor in your new department. Finally, hit submit.
Wait, you’re not finished. After hitting submit, the next page is for confirmation. Read everything to make sure that you’ve made the right selections. You can only use this form once a month, so it’s important to get it right. If you do make a mistake, make an appointment with me, and I can help you with a new form, even if you’ve already submitted in the same month. After confirming that the information you selected is correct, hit submit.
You’re still not finished. On the following screen, you have to print the change of major form. On the bottom, you will see an address, the location of your new department. Take the form to the address listed on the form. Your new department will get the required signatures and forward the form to the Academic Advising and Retention Center. Your new major should be official within a week.
What is a double major?
If you have several interests, you might consider a double major. This means choosing two majors, fulfilling the requirements for both, and earning a minimum of 120 credit hours. It is certainly attainable within a four-year span, but you should be aware that even with a double major, you will only receive one degree, and that degree will reflect which of your majors you chose to the “primary” major.
Do I need a minor?
This depends on your major. If your major is less than 48 hours, then you need to have either a minor or a double major. You can check your iCAP to see if you are required to have a minor.
Why can’t I register for my classes?
At WKU, we have priority registration dates, which start at 5:00 a.m. on the morning in question and are determined by your class standing (senior, junior, sophomore, freshman) in descending order. The dates change every semester, so watch your email, because I will let you know well in advance.
If it’s your priority registration date and you’re still not able to register, check to see if you have holds on your account. Holds prevent registration. To check, go to TopNet and under Student Services, choose “Student Records,” then “View Holds.”
Some common holds:
Advising (Meet with your advisor)
Parking/Transportation (Do you have a parking ticket?)
Library Fees
Past Due Current Fees (This means you still have an outstanding balance on your account.)
Final High School Transcript (You need to have your former high school send an official copy of your final transcript to the WKU Office of Admissions.)
All of these holds prevent registration. You must get them taken care of before you can register for classes or graduate. If you transfer to another school, WKU will not send your official transcript if you have a hold on your account.
How many hours should I take each semester?
This depends on your major and your specific circumstances. Mathematically, if you take 15 course hours each semester, you will graduate in four years. Oftentimes, it’s not so neat as that, however. Some semesters you might take 12 hours, and others, 18. You need to have an ongoing conversation with your academic advisor as to how many hours you should take each semester.
What is Colonnade?
Colonnade is how WKU refers to what some other universities call “general education.” There are three categories: Foundations, Explorations, and Connections, and each category has sub-requirements that you have to meet in order to earn credit. There are specific classes for each section of Colonnade, and in almost all circumstances, there are no substitutions. I’d be happy to meet with you to talk about your progress through Colonnade, and they also have a very helpful website.
What is my class standing?
If you are a new student with fewer than 30 hours, you are a freshman. Sophomores have 30-59 hours, juniors, 60-89, and seniors have 90 hours. You should be aware that to be considered “full-time” you have to have at least 12 hours during the semester. This is also a requirement to live in the dorms on campus.
What are Upper Division hours?
Upper Division hours are courses that are 300 level or above, for example, SPAN 370 Spanish Conversation. In order to graduate, you must have at least 42 hours of upper division coursework. You also need to consider that there are upper division requirements in your major and minor. These are specific to department, but in most circumstances departments require that half of all credit hours earned in the major/minor be upper division. This is a rule you should be aware of when deciding on classes for next semester. You will not be able to graduate if you don’t meet the requirements for upper division hours.
What does auditing a class mean?
Auditing a class means participating in a class and completing all class activities without the expectation of getting a grade or credit. If you want to audit a class, you should first speak with both the instructor and your academic advisor. If you complete the class, this will be reflected on your transcript as AU.
Can I repeat a class if I got a bad grade?
Yes. You can repeat up to six courses, but you can only repeat two courses in which you made a C or above. If you received an F, then you have to retake that course at WKU, unless the department head gives you permission to retake the course at another institution. Courses with grades of D or higher can be retaken at other schools. There are some other rules, too. You cannot retake a course as an On Demand course without the department head’s permission, and you cannot take a proficiency test for a course that you have already taken.
When you retake a course, the better grade goes on your transcript. If you retake the same course twice, the two highest grades combined will be used to calculate your GPA. You cannot repeat a course more than three times.
Can I drop a class?
Yes, and even though you can do this on your own through TopNet, I strongly recommend that you meet with your academic advisor first. After the Add/Drop period (the specific date changes each semester), it costs $50.00 to drop a class, and you should know that you will have a “W” on your transcript for each dropped class. If you are considering dropping a class, in addition to meeting with your advisor, you should also confer with the Office of Student Financial Assistance, as dropping courses could affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress, and therein, your financial aid. Don’t make the decision to drop courses on a whim. Withdrawing should be a last resort after taking advantage of all possible academic resources.