Advising Handbook

Please report errors or direct questions to Nathan Talbot, University Advising Center.

Faculty Advisors

• Help students plan their course schedules and provide information pertinent to the major
• Help students monitor their progress in the major and toward graduation
• Provide guidance on opportunities (e.g. internships, post-graduation employment, and graduate studies) and direct students to relevant support services when appropriate
• Establish clear communication guidelines with each advisee, respond to their questions in a timely manner, and direct students to relevant support services when appropriate

FERPA

(The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as “The Buckley Amendment,” of 1974)

FERPA permits the University to make public only information deemed “directory information.” More detailed information can be found at the website http://4qm.spicydom.com/registrar/student-records/ferpa

Class Standing

• 0-25 earned credits - First-year/Freshman
• 26-57 earned credit hours - Sophomore/TSAS second-year
• 58-89 earned credit hours - Junior
• 90+ earned credit hours -Senior

Course Load

• Reduced Course Load
  -11 semester hours or fewer
  -More information at the Registrar's Office

• Registration for Credits in Excess of 20
  -Must petition College or School Dean

Add/Drop Policies

• Procedure and calendar information
• Add/drop attempts after deadlines must be petitioned. Contact Dean’s office.
• Tutorial on add/drop

Petitions

• The Petition for Variance in Academic Policy form is used to request a variance in academic policy; (e.g., a suspension, an overload, an extension on an incomplete, etc.)
• Discovery Program petitions go to the Discovery Program Committee;
• Writing requirement petitions go to the Writing Committee.

Grading and Withdrawal Policies and Guidelines

• Pass/Fail
• Incompletes
• Auditing - A Change of Registration Form (also called “add/drop form”) and instructor’s signature are required.

Withdrawal/Leave of Absence

• Withdrawing from UNH
• Health (Medical or Psychological) Withdrawal
• Leave of Absence

Majors

Second major

• When two different degrees are involved, student chooses which degree he/she wants and lists that degree's major as first major.
• All degree requirements must be satisfied.
• Courses of the second major can be used toward the Discovery requirements.
• Students must meet the requirements for declaring each major. In addition, students must meet the 2.5 grade-point average requirement for all colleges. If the student's cumulative is below the required 2.5 for second (double) major candidates, the student may petition the dean for an exception.
• 8 credits may overlap between the two majors, with the approval of the major departments.
• A minimum of 128 credits are needed to graduate with a Baccalaureate degree.
• Student must take one designated writing intensive (“WI”) class for each major.

Dual Majors   

• To declare one of the three dual majors, students must satisfy same requirements as listed above for a second major.
• Student must declare a major before adding one of the dual majors
• Dual majors include:
  • Ecogastronomy
  • Educational Studies
  • Global Studies
  • Humanities
  • Justice Studies
  • Sustainability
  • World Languages

Dual Degree

• To earn both a BA and a BS, 160 credits are required to graduate and this usually takes an extra year.
• Must complete both degree requirements (i.e. foreign language if one is B.A)
• Minimum 2.5 grade-point average to declare dual degree.
• Major courses may not be used to complete the Discovery requirements unless normally allowed
• No more than 8 credits used to satisfy one major may be used for the other major in the second degree (if both major departments agree).
• Students must complete one writing intensive course in each major.
• Students can earn more than one B.S. degree, if each degree is in a different field.  One must be designated, as in a B.S. in Chemistry. Students cannot earn more than one B.A. degree from any institution or combination of institutions.
• For example:   BS & BA:  Engineering and Spanish
• BS & BS:  B.S. in Chemistry (designated) and B.S., Biology

Student Designed Major (SDM)

• Proposals must be submitted before the middle of the junior year.

• http://4qm.spicydom.com/provost/student-designed-majors-sdm

• Guidelines are available in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, which is located in Thompson Hall.

Degree Evaluations/Degree Works

• Available to students and advisers in MyUNH/WebCat
• Evaluations are run at least twice every semester for each student, just before registration and after grade reporting.
• New evaluations are run throughout the semester for students who have academic record changes or who change programs. 

Graduation & Commencement

• http://4qm.spicydom.com/registrar/graduation