Advising & Registration
- Undergraduate Student Advising
- Advising Checklist
- General Education Requirements
- Online Advising Tools
- Registrar's Office
- The Steps to Graduation
Undergraduate Student Advising 
An undergraduate student at WSU Vancouver can take advantage of an array of resources to help ensure timely completion of the degree.
From the time a student expresses interest in an undergraduate program at WSU Vancouver, a number of people stand ready to assist with everything from application for admission to completion of degree requirements and graduation. Advising on the Vancouver campus is designed to be user-friendly. If a student has a question, turn to an admissions counselor, academic coordinator, or faculty advisor. Each will either answer the question or connect the student with someone who can. Refer to the lists below to determine who can best help with specific questions or issues.
ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR
- Conducts initial orientation meeting before the student has applied and/or enrolled at the University.
- Meets with a student to discuss freshman and/or transfer admission requirements, cost of attendance, and estimated time to degree completion.
- Meets with a student to discuss general education requirements (GERs), writing portfolio, Tier III requirement, and requirements for a specific degree or option.
- Advises students of degree options available on campus.
- Receives the application for admission and supporting documents.
- Receives and processes official transcripts from other schools.
- Prepares a preliminary unofficial evaluation of transcripts.
- Refers students to a financial aid officer for information on loans, grants, scholarships, work study, or waivers.
- Refers student to a counselor if student has special needs, including documented disabilities.
ACADEMIC COORDINATOR
A new WSU Vancouver student's first academic advising session will be with an academic coordinator in the Student Resource Center or desired major area. The academic coordinator is available as a resource throughout the student's undergraduate career.
Initial Meeting:
After a student is admitted to the University, the academic coordinator:
- Meets with the student to discuss general education requirements (GERs), writing portfolio and Tier III requirement. Pre-Major and declared students may discuss requirements for a specific degree or option. Undeclared students may explore possible major options.
- Prepares a degree check sheet and opens an advising file.
- Assists in choosing classes for the student's first semester.
- Explains the myWSU registration system.
- Removes advising holds.
- Refers the student to the Office of Student Affairs to have an ID card made.
- Refers the student to the Office of Public Safety for information on parking permits.
- Refers the student to the Office of Financial Aid for information on loans, grants, scholarships, etc.
- Refers the student to the Student Resource Center to arrange special needs accommodations for those with documented disabilities.
- Assists with the necessary paperwork for completion of degree requirements at another institution.
- Assigns a faculty advisor in the student's major department or interest area.
Subsequent Meetings:
- Updates the student's advising file as transcripts are processed and grades recorded each term.
- Assists with problems regarding transfer credits received.
- Processes requests for reinstatement if the student becomes academically deficient (GPA below 2.0).
- Helps the student apply for graduation.
- Processes a graduation to-do list and explains the details to the student.
- Changes the student's graduation date if needed.
- Clears the student for graduation or advises him/her of any deficiencies.
FACULTY ADVISOR
Each fall and spring semester, before priority registration, there is a designated two-week advising period for currently enrolled students. This is an opportunity for students to meet with faculty advisors to review progress toward degree completion and plan the student's class schedule for the upcoming semester. It is strongly recommended that students make an appointment with their faculty advisor during this two-week window. If a student does not meet with their advisor during this time, the student may have difficulty scheduling an appointment time and miss the "priority" registration time for current students.
The faculty advisor:
- Reviews the student's check sheet each semester and identifies remaining degree requirements.
- Helps the student select classes each semester.
- Discusses degree and career options with the student.
- Refers the student to Career Services for job postings and other related information.
- Discusses internship opportunities and/ or refers the student to an internship coordinator.
- Refers the student to the Office of Student Affairs for counseling services or special accommodations.
- Refers the student to the Office of Financial Aid for scholarship, loan, grant, or waiver information.
- Provides the student with information about student clubs and other campus or community opportunities.
- Provides the student with information about graduate school.
The faculty and staff at WSU Vancouver are committed to making the student's degree completion process as smooth as possible. But remember, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to be proactive and involved in that process.
Advising Checklist for Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor periodically to build a positive relationship and discuss career options and goals. Undergraduate students are required to meet with their faculty advisor prior to registration each semester during a designated two-week advising period. Students who do not schedule a meeting with their faculty advisor during the advising period may miss the "priority" registration time for current students.
1. What is your major? Do you know who your faculty advisor is? If not, check with the Student Resource Center (firstsemester students only) or with your major academic department (returning students only).
2. Review the schedule of classes for the coming semester. It tells what courses will be offered and at what times they will meet. The schedule of classes is available online.
3. Identify outstanding requirements for your major as well as any general education requirements (GERs) that you have yet to fulfill. Then put together a mock schedule for yourself using the schedule of classes. Through myWSU, students can also run a degree audit to view outstanding requirements.
4. Talk with your faculty advisor. Depending upon how the faculty advisor sets aside time to meet with students, this conversation may take the form of a scheduled appointment in his or her office, an e-mail exchange, or a simple phone call. Check with the department to see how this process is handled.
5. Check on holds placed on your student record that could keep you from registering. Students may check holds using myWSU. The University automatically places an advising hold on student records each semester to ensure that students meet with a faculty advisor. As soon as the student has talked with the faculty advisor, the department will remove the advising hold. Other holds can also be placed on student records that would delay the student's ability to register. These may include an admissions hold for new students, a hold if the writing portfolio has not been completed, an academic hold if grade point average falls below 2.0, and holds for outstanding payments to the student's account.
6. Register for classes. Once all holds are lifted, WSU's automated myWSU registration system allows students to register for classes via an Internet connection (www.my.wsu.edu). This system is menu-driven and user-friendly. Returning students will be notified by mail of the specific time to begin registering. Students with the most credits are allowed to register first; this helps ensure that those in their final year can enroll in the courses they need to graduate. To access the myWSU system on the Internet, you must know your student ID number and create your own network ID (NID) and password. (myWSU leads you through the NID and password-creation process.) If you forget your password, call 360-546-9770 or stop by the computer lab, VCLS 218.
7. Use supplemental registration forms when needed. Students interested in a course that does not have a schedule line number can either get that number from the listed instructor or register for the course using a supplemental registration form, available in the Office of Student Services. A supplemental registration form is often needed for internships, special topics, independent studies, or research participation courses. The completed form, with the instructor's signature, must be submitted to the Student Services Center.
8. If necessary, change your schedule. After you have registered for your classes, seats are reserved for you unless you tell the system otherwise. If you want to change your schedule, go back to Step 6. You can access the system again to make changes (adds and drops) or simply to check your class schedule. You may also use this system to cancel your entire semester enrollment up to the time that classes actually begin. Refer to the Academic Calendar for deadlines related to changing your schedule. After that time, it will be necessary to contact the Registrar's Office at 360-546-9565 for instructions.
9. Check your schedule. Because you are registering by computer, you will not receive a copy of your class schedule. You can, however download it from the Internet (www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/regInfo.htm). If you have difficulty using the system, contact the Registrar's Office (360-546- 9565).
10. Pay your tuition. Payment for classes is due when the semester begins. You can pay by Visa or MasterCard on the Internet (www.wsu.edu/payment). You can also pay by personal check or cash. Stop by the cashier's counter in the Office of Student Affairs to pay in person or deposit payment in the drop box just outside the Student Services Center. Make your check payable to Washington State University and write your student ID number on the check.
TRANSFER OF CREDITS
See the Getting Started section, page 11 in the printed Course Catalog.
General Education Requirements (GERs)
Introduction to the General Education Program
The WSU Vancouver General Education Program is designed to promote students' academic learning about specific disciplines as well as to prepare them for the critical and collaborative demands of the 21st century. As students investigate and explore important personal, scientific, and societal questions, their course work is organized around six central Learning Goals:
- Critical Thinking
- Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning
- Information Literacy
- Communication
- Self in Society
- Specialty
HOW THE LEARNING GOALS WORK FOR YOU
The Learning Goals work to organize and enhance the overall learning experience here at WSU Vancouver. The General Education program provides opportunities for students in all majors to engage in learning communities that connect to real world problems. Science, social science, arts, and humanities are integrated and linked to a unifying Campus Theme. Students receive a "big picture" view of the world, learning how vastly different disciplines (such as science and history) relate to each other and to real life.
1. Interdisciplinary Core [V] - The Core course(s) introduce students to the culture of learning communities and to the university's learning goals. The integrated approach is intended to model the connections that students will continue to employ throughout their work in general education and their major, as well as enhance their capacity for life-long learning. Students may take one 6-credit class or two 3- credit classes.
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION LITERACY
Students learn to write, speak, and listen to achieve intended and meaningful understanding, a central life-long learning goal. Students also gain foundational skills in using a systematic approach to accessing, evaluating, and using information.
2. Communication [W] - Students address real-world problems and issues through written, verbal, and visual communication. Students take one 3- credit class.
3. E-Portfolio [E] - Students use the disciplinary content of other courses to build the learning outcomes into their personal educational and employment goals. E-Portfolio courses provide foundational skills and experiences in using a systematic approach to accessing, evaluating, and using information. Each student will create his or her own digital repository for class papers, projects, and recommendations for future use in academic or professional careers. Students must take three 1-credit classes.
QUANTITATIVE AND SYMBOLIC REASONING
Students analyze and communicate with mathematical and symbolic concepts. They critically evaluate the quantitative and symbolic information used to represent and draw inferences regarding problems.
4. Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning [N] - Students use quantitative and symbolic reasoning to address real-world issues. Students take one 3 or 4-credit class.
CRITICAL THINKING (THE SCIENCES)
Students engage knowledge in the sciences to practice critical thinking, to examine evidence and context, and to reason ethically and creatively.
5. Sciences [B], [P] - Students build foundations in scientific method, science inquiry, and critical thinking. Minimum 7 credits; students must take one 3-credit [B] course and one 3-credit [P] course. Students must take at least one lab course.
CRITICAL THINKING (THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, ARTS AND HUMANITIES)
Students engage knowledge from the social sciences, arts, and humanities to think critically, to examine evidence and context, and to reason ethically and creatively.
6. Arts and Humanities [H], [G] - 3 credits- Students explore the cultural and social underpinnings of knowledge in the arts and humanities toward participating in the building of inclusive communities.
7. Social Sciences [S], [K] - 3 credits - Students explore the cultural and social underpinnings of knowledge in the social sciences toward participating in the building of inclusive communities.
SELF IN SOCIETY
Students explore values, assumptions, and biases from diverse sources, learn to critically assess knowledge, and participate in communities beyond the classroom.
8. World Civilizations [A] - 6 credits (GE 110 and 111) - Students explore how events and patterns in the present and past have structured human societies and interactions with their contexts.
9. Intercultural Studies [I], [G], [K] - 3 credits - Students critically assess their own core values, cultural assumptions and biases in relation to those held by other individuals, cultures, and societies.
General Education
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Additional RequirementsResidency Requirement Writing in the Major [M] Upper-Divisions Coursework (300-400 level) Minimum University Graduation |
COLLEGE OF SCIENCES
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Requirements for
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Arts and Humanities [H][G], Social Sciences [S][K], and the Intercultural Studies [I][G][K]–6 semester credits in addition to the General Education Program requirement. Sciences [B][P][Q]–2 semester credits (including a 1-credit laboratory) in addition to the General Education Program requirement. Foreign Language–One year (two semesters or three quarters) of one foreign language at the college level. Transfer students are responsible for meeting the above College of Liberal Arts and College of Sciences requirements, regardless or prior degrees. |
10. American Diversity [D] - Students learn to employ self-understanding and effective interaction with others of diverse cultures, values, perspectives, and realities. The American Diversity requirement will be met by passing a designated [D] course which also meets a GER requirement in another area at the same time.
11. Tier III Community Engagement [T] - 3 credits - Students engage in a culminating experience at the senior level and have an opportunity to work collaboratively and to integrate and apply their learning to community concerns, practicing personal integrity, citizenship, and service to others.
General Education and Graduation Requirements
Students are required to earn a minimum of 120 credits, with a grade point average of 2.0 or better. A minimum of 40 credits, with a minimum of 30 credits at WSU, must be taken at the 300-400-level. Other specific requirements are listed above in relation to specific learning outcomes . Students are required to take a minimum of 40 credit hours distributed among the categories below.
| Interdisciplinary Core [V] | 6 |
| Communication [W] | 3 |
| E-Portfolio [E] | 3 |
| Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning [N] | 3 |
| Sciences [B], [P], [L] | 7 |
| Arts and Humanities [H],[G] | 3 |
| Social Sciences [S], [K] | 3 |
| World Civilizations [A] | 6 |
| Intercultural Studies [I], [G], [K] | 3 |
| American Diversity [D] | 2 |
| Tier III [T] | 3 |
| TOTAL HOURS | 40 |
2Students must choose one course that is also designated as an American Diversity [D] course. This requirement adds no credit hours to the General Education program as American Diversity courses also fulfill the GERs in another area.
General Rules
No course designated as a General Education Requirement (GER) can be taken on a pass/fail basis. Courses in, or cross listed with, a student's major field may not be used to satisfy General Education Requirements. Please be aware that there are some major-specific exceptions that impact GERs; we recommend you consult your advisor and review your major-specific catalog pages.
Transfer Students
Students entering WSU Vancouver Fall 2006 or later with a transferable AA degree will have all lower-division general education requirements satisfied. These students will be required to take the upper division e-portfolio credits and the Tier III class to complete the University graduation requirements. The University Writing Portfolio and the upper-division Tier III course are not lower-division requirements and therefore cannot be satisfied by the approved AA or AS degrees. Fulfillment of lower-division General Education Requirements will be granted to students who have been awarded the Direct Transfer Associate (DTA) degree from a Washington community college. The Associate of Arts-Oregon Transfer degree (AAOT) from an Oregon community college guarantees completion of the lower-division General Education Requirements, but does not guarantee junior standing or 60 semester credits. Certain approved associate's degrees from Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Idaho may also be considered to have fulfilled the lower division GERs for graduation, but do not guarantee junior status (60 semester credits.) These students will still be responsible for meeting the other requirements for graduation, including those in the college and major department. Please note that other kinds of degrees from community colleges, or degrees from states other than Washington and Oregon, do not automatically fulfill General Education Requirements. For details on specific degrees consult the Office of Admissions.
General Education Designation for Incoming WSU Vancouver Students
All students first enrolled at WSU Vancouver on or after Fall 2006 will be required to complete the WSU Vancouver general education program EXCEPT in the following situations:
- Co-Admit (including Institute) students who were co-admitted prior to Fall 2006*
- Students with an approved bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (NO general education requirements)
*Group 1 students would follow the Pullman general education program but must complete within eight years of being co-admitted. These students may opt to complete the WSU Vancouver general education program if they so desire.
University Requirements
1. University Writing Portfolio.
All students who first began college in fall 1991 or later must complete the University Writing Portfolio. This requirement consists of a timed write, which should be completed during the first semester of the junior year, and a portfolio packet, which must be submitted before the beginning of the senior year. Failure to complete this requirement as indicated above may delay a student's ability to register for classes. Check in at the WSU Vancouver Writing Center for a schedule of timed write dates and for more information about this requirement.
2. Writing in the Major [M].
[The writing proficiency requirement is a University requirement.] All students must take at least two writing [M] courses to complete departmental requirements. To meet the requirement, [M] courses must be within a student's major. Check with your major department for information about [M] courses.
If a student has one or more GER to fulfill, he/she should check the schedule of classes each term for a course number with the appropriate letter designator to fulfill the requirement. (For example, if an intercultural studies class is needed, look for a course, outside the student's major, with the letter I, G, or K next to it.)
When choosing courses to fulfill GERs, keep in mind the following restrictions:
- Courses in or cross-listed with a student's major field may not be used to satisfy General Education Requirements, except in written communication proficiency. (English majors may use English composition.)
- General education courses may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.
- Students may need to take some lower-division (100 and 200 level) GER courses at another institution.
If a student began college at WSU Pullman as a freshman before fall 1993, he/she may have special circumstances. Check with the academic coordinator about general education requirements.
If the student participated in Running Start, he/she is held to requirements based on the date on which he/she entered college following high school graduation.
COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS
Majors in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Sciences must also complete additional graduation requirements. These requirements, listed below, are not satisfied with an approved associate's transfer or bachelor's degree.
Sciences: two additional credits* of science elective [B, P, Q], including a second lab.
Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences: six additional credits* [H, G, S, K].
Foreign Language: One year (two semesters or three quarters) of college level foreign language or two years of one language at the high school level. High school level American sign language or an approved certified interpreters' college program may fulfill this requirement. Check with a faculty advisor.
*The number of credits may vary, depending upon the mix of transfer courses and the year in which the student first started college. Check with the academic coordinator for more details.
Other departments may also have additional requirements. Please contact the specific department for more information.
Online Advising Tools
COUGAR TRACS
www.wsu.edu/future-students/admission/transfer-info.html
This Web page lets students view the requirements for any degree program offered at WSU. It displays the Degree Program Requirements Report, which specifies the university, general education, and specific course requirements for a selected degree.
Students may also use Cougar TRACS to see how the course work already taken applies to requirements for a selected degree. Just enter the transferable course work from other schools, then view a custom Degree Program Requirements Report for any WSU degree program.
Students can return to this Web page at any time to add to the list of transferable courses or change personal information. Students may explore as many degree programs as they wish.
TRANSFER GUIDE
www.wsu.edu/advise/transfer-courses
If students plan to transfer to WSU, this Web page can help plan a course schedule by showing transfer course equivalencies. The student can access course equivalency data in three different ways:
- A single transfer course and its WSU equivalent;
- A set of transfer courses and their WSU equivalents;
- A single WSU course and its equivalent at a transfer institution. Information is provided only for those colleges or universities in WSU's transfer course database.
NOTE: This Web page provides general information about transfer course equivalencies, to assist in student planning only. Final authority concerning all transfer course equivalencies rests with the Office of Admissions and through consultation with individual academic units.
Registrar's Office
360-546-9565 or 360-546-9553
The Registrar's Office coordinates all registration activities including, but not limited to, myWSU registration system, supplemental registration, cancellation of enrollment, change of major, and undergraduate application for degree.
myWSU
Students can complete most registration processes on the Web using myWSU. myWSU is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For questions related to the myWSU registration system, contact the Registrar's Office at 360-546-9565, 360-546- 9553, or e-mail registrar@vancouver.wsu. edu.
(Note: Students must have a network ID (NID) and password to register on the Web. First-time users can establish a NID and password through myWSU.)
- Go to my.wsu.edu
- Sign in using your NID and password
- From the left side navigation bar, select "Academics" and then "Register & Plan"
- Click on the "Registration" link
Students who have questions or problems with either their network ID or password should contact the WSU Vancouver Help Desk in the Classroom Building, Room 218, or call 360-546- 9770, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, students can go to the computer lab or call 360-546-9543 from Noon-5 p.m. for assistance.
REGISTRATION HOLDS
Registration holds are placed on student records by administrative offices. Students with one or more registration hold will be unable to register until all holds are cleared by the responsible offices. Listed below are the contacts for each type of hold:
| Academic deficiency | Major department or SRC |
| Admissions (Undergraduate and graduate) |
360-546-9779 |
| Advising (Undergraduate) |
Academic advisor |
| Financial aid (student loans) |
360-546-9559 |
| International Programs | 360-546-9559 |
| Student Accounts | 360-546-9559 |
| Student Affairs | 360-546-9559 |
| Writing Portfolio | 360-546-9650 |
CONFIDENTIALITY OF STUDENT RECORDS
For specific information regarding Student Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), please refer to the WSU Vancouver Student Handbook at www.vancouver.wsu.edu/ss/handbook.
Student records maintained by the WSU Vancouver Registrar's Office are considered confidential. Students may view their file by submitting a written request to the campus registrar at WSU Vancouver.
STUDENT RECORDS
The WSU Vancouver Registrar's Office keeps a file of all nonelectronic registrationrelated transactions and correspondence. An advising file is maintained by each student's academic coordinator.
TRANSCRIPTS
Transcripts can be ordered through the WSU Vancouver Registrar's Office. The cost for each regularly processed transcript is $4.95. Emergency (sent within 24 hours) are $10 each.
To print a copy of the transcript request form, go to www.vancouver.wsu.edu/registrar.
The Steps to Graduation
NOTE: Master's degree candidates must apply for graduation through the academic department by the dates specified in the academic calendar. Each department has specific requirements and other pertinent data related to this process.
Undergraduate Students:
To be eligible to graduate and receive a WSU diploma, a student must complete the following steps:
- Apply to graduate. When a student
has accumulated 90 semester credits
total (including transfer hours),
it's time to apply to graduate. The
application process is simple. Just pick
up the application form at the Office of
Student Affairs. Complete and submit
the form with the signature of the
academic coordinator and a one-time
fee of $38.95. The form will ask for the
following information:
- name, as it should appear on diploma;
- the title of the degree;
- the date expected to complete degree (options include December, May, or July/August of each year).
- The registrar's office on the Pullman campus will process the application and send a Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) printout to the academic coordinator in Vancouver. The academic coordinator will identify any general education requirements that are still outstanding, make corrections, and add any outstanding departmental or college requirements. Then the DARS report will be mailed to the student's current address.
- If there are questions or concerns about the items on the DARS report, the student should make an appointment to meet with the academic coordinator or faculty advisor.
All University requirements must be completed at the time of graduation. This includes University general education requirements, college requirements (if any), and departmental requirements. Many students are also required to complete a Tier III course outside their major, the requirements for the University writing portfolio, and the e-portfolio requirement.
A student who is uncertain whether he or she meets requirements should check with the faculty advisor or academic coordinator. A student who has been taking courses at another institution to meet a specific graduation requirement while attending WSU must ensure a final official transcript is sent to the Office of Admissions in Vancouver as soon as it is available. Allow plenty of time for WSU to process the transcript and enter credits on the student's WSU record to clear for graduation.
Once the Registrar's Office has verified that all the requirements have been completed for the degree, the student's diploma will be printed. WSU will mail the diploma to the student within three months following graduation. (Hint: Students must keep their address current by using myWSU, my.wsu.edu.
NOTE: Students who are not able to complete all remaining degree requirements by the graduation date listed on the application for graduation should stop by the Office of Student Affairs or visit the academic coordinator and fill out a Change of Graduation Date card. There is no charge for this service. It will simply change the anticipated date of degree completion to some future date that seems more reasonable given what remains to be done. Failure to complete and submit this card will lapse the student into inactive graduation date status. No degree will be awarded, even if requirements are complete, until a new graduation date is set.
COMMENCEMENT
A commencement ceremony occurs once each year in May for WSU Vancouver students. Students who are eligible to participate in the ceremony include those who finished their degree requirements the preceding December, those who finish in May, and those who anticipate finishing their requirements in July/August of that year.
The Registrar's Office mails information about commencement to eligible participants well in advance of the ceremony. This mailing includes directions on obtaining a cap and gown from the bookstore, date and time of the rehearsal and the ceremony, and other pertinent data. This information is also available on the WSU Student Affairs Web page, or from the Registrar's Office.
NAME ON DIPLOMA
Be sure to complete the graduation application with the name as it should appear on the diploma. Last name (surname) must match the last name on WSU's official record. Any request for name changes made after filing a degree application will require the student to make a request of the registrar to change it on graduation materials as well. Once the diploma is printed, the name cannot be changed and the diploma cannot be reprinted. An official name change is made through the Office of Student Affairs, VSSC 100.
DEGREE AND DATE ON DIPLOMA
Students must notify the Registrar of changes in their degree or major, so that the DARS report may be revised. Also notify the Registrar of any change in graduation date. To make a date change, students must complete a date change card. Students do not have to reapply for graduation, and there is no fee to process a change of graduation date.
DEADLINES TO APPLY FOR DIPLOMA
Undergraduate. For December 2007, apply by October 12, 2007. For May 2008, apply by March 7, 2008. For July/August 2008, May 23, 2008.
Graduate. For December 2007, apply by October 12, 2007. For May 2008, apply by February 29, 2008. For July/August 2008, June 20, 2008.