2010-2011 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Undergraduate Information
Undergraduate Policies and Regulations
Refer to the General and Undergraduate sections of the Academic Policies and Regulations section of this catalog for Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.
Undergraduate Student Academic Advising Information
Academic Advising Mission
Academic advising engages students in the process of exploring and defining their academic and career goals and in creating effective strategies to achieve these goals.
" Through collaborative relationships with academic advisors, students are encouraged and supported as they develop the skills necessary to take responsibility for their own development and success.
" Academic advisors educate students by providing accessible, accurate and timely information regarding academic requirements, university resources, and opportunities to develop critical thinking skills and enrich the college experience and their personal lives.
Definition of Academic Advising
Academic Advising is an integral part of a college education, establishing a collaborative relationship between a student and his or her advisor/s to map out a meaningful and successful educational experience and help guide the student's path to graduation and a career. Academic advising centers and offices are listed below.
College Academic Advising Centers/Offices
Contact information for academic advising centers and offices for each college are listed below. Students interested in programs in a particular college can contact the advising center or office to learn more about specific programs or courses.
Seidman College of Business - Seidman Undergraduate Student Services
101B DEV, (616) 331-7500, [email protected]
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Center
MAK C-1-140, (616) 331-8585, [email protected]
College of Community and Public Service Undergraduate Advising Center
218C DEV, (616) 331-6890, [email protected]
College of Education Student Information and Services Center
101 EC, (616) 331-6650, [email protected]
College of Health Professions - Student Services
244 CHS, (616) 331-3958, [email protected]
Kirkhof College of Nursing
301 CHS, (616) 331-3558 or (800) 480-0406, [email protected]
Seymour & Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing
Major Advising: School of Engineering: 136 KEN, (616) 331-6750, [email protected]
School of Computing and Information Systems: C-2-100 MAK, (616) 331-2060, [email protected]
Pre-Engineering or Pre-Computing and Information Systems Major Advising:
Padnos College Student Services: 315 KEN and C-2-218 MAK, (616) 331-6025, [email protected]
Undergraduate Student Academic Success Center (SASC)
200 Student Services Building, (616) 331-3588
The SASC supports student learning by providing a wide range of services to students in one central location: general tutoring services, structured learning assistance course support, math and science tutoring, learning and study skills development services, academic advising for students who have not decided on a specific major or minor, and advising for student athletes through the Laker Academic Center. Advising is also available for those students who are nondegree- seeking students taking courses at Grand Valley. SASC is the location for TRIO-McNair and TRIO ESP, federal grant programs to support student success.
The SASC is located in 200 Student Services Building and is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday. Appointments can be made by phone (616) 331-3588 or by coming to the office.
Tutoring
201 Student Services Building (616) 331-3451
101B DeVos Center (616) 331-6407
2309 Mackinac Hall (Math/Stats Lab) (616) 331-2084
Web: www.gvsu.edu/tc
Tutoring encourages educational engagement, supports academic excellence and enhances student success. Tutoring Center staff coordinates peer tutoring activities, which support successful academic outcomes. Tutoring is free to students and tutorials are generally conducted in small group settings. Mathematics and Statistics tutoring are offered in an open lab environment at 2309 MAK. Tutoring also takes place at the Pew and Meijer Campus locations. Students are encouraged to request tutors early in the semester to maximize academic outcomes.
Structured Learning Assistance (SLA)
375 Padnos Hall, (616) 331-3267
Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) is an academic support program that is attached to historically difficult courses, and is available to all interested students. SLA features weekly study and practice workshops in which students' master course content to develop and apply specific learning strategies. The workshops are led by trained facilitators, who in collaboration with faculty, develop the workshop materials. These sessions meet from one to three hours per week throughout the semester and are optional once the student achieves a grade of C or higher in the course. The additional hours are formally attached to the student's schedule and are offered at no additional charge. To view a full listing of the courses that are offered with SLA support or for additional information, please go to the SLA website at www.gvsu.edu/sla, or by contacting the SLA Coordinator at (616) 331-3267.
Math and Science Student Support
399 Padnos Hall, (616) 331-3695
Math and Science Student Support is an academic assistance and enrichment program offered in the Learning Center, located in room 399 of the Seymour and Esther Padnos building. We offer academic support and problem-solving assistance for all students interested in the fields of mathematics and science. Our student facilitators, successful upper level students in biology, chemistry, biomedical sciences, mathematics, and physics, assist students by forming study groups, providing problem-solving assistance, and connecting students to other appropriate support services on campus. The Learning Center provides an area for both group and independent studying. The goal is to assist students in the transition to upper-level science and mathematics courses. Additional information for the academic support program can be found at www.gvsu.edu/rmsc/. You may also call (616) 331-3695, or the coordinator at (616) 331-3267.
Learning and Study Skills Development Services
200 Student Services Building, (616) 331-3588
Learning and Study Skills Development services offer one-on-one and group services to help students identify their learning styles, improve study skills, test taking skills, time-management skills, note-taking skills, memory strategies and other personalized instructional and learning strategies for students to successfully complete courses.
Pre-Major Advising
200 Student Services Building, (616) 331-3588
Pre-major advisors are available to advise students who have not yet declared a major. Advisors assist students with the process of choosing a major, monitor students' academic progress, and discuss other academically related concerns with students. Once students declare their major, they are referred to their major department for advising.
LAKER Academic Center
165 Field House, (616) 331-3328
The LAKER Academic Center academic advisors provide one-on-one academic advising and support to student athletes. Students maintain a regular schedule of appointments to help with academic success and ensure athletic eligibility.
Student Transfer Enrollment Partnership (STEP)
Grand Rapids Community College, (616) 331-3588
A collaborative transfer assistance project between Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University that reaches out to GRCC students to help them ultimately achieve a bachelor's degree through Grand Valley.
TRIO-McNair and TRIO-ESP Programs
200 Student Services Building, (616) 331-3401
Educational Support Program (ESP) provides academic support services (academic advising, study skills instruction, and career planning) to first-generation, financially eligible college students at Grand Valley.
The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Scholars Program provides research opportunities and academic advising to talented (3.0 grade point average or higher) juniors pursuing an education beyond a baccalaureate degree. The goal of the program is to provide assistance to financially eligible first-generation college students and under-represented minorities who wish to obtain a doctoral degree.
230 Student Services Building (616) 331-3441
Academic Standards and Other Services
200 Student Services Building (616) 331-3588
Testing Services
Testing Services offers math placement testing, College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), the Comprehensive English Language Test (CELT) for speakers of English as a second language, and accommodated testing for students with disabilities.
Grand Valley's math placement testing is offered for students wishing to challenge their math placement. Testing is offered several times a semester.
Grand Valley State University is an open test center for CLEP, which is offered twice per month. Credit is granted for subject examinations offered by CLEP. Minimum score requirements are listed in the Credit by Exam brochure. The CELT is a pre-admission requirement for Grand Valley applicants who speak English as a second language. CELT is offered once per month.
Course Evaluations and Substitutions
Responsible for course evaluations and substitutions for General Education Foundation/Culture requirements and degree cognate requirements.
Credit Overload appeals
Review appeals to enroll in more than 20 credits in a semester.
Residency Waiver requests
Review appeals to take a course or courses at another institution during the final 30 semester hours of a student's degree program.
Emergency Notification
It is the responsibility of the student to notify their professors of attendance issues. The SASC will email students' professors in cases of extended illness, death, or family emergencies, etc. This process does not excuse students from classes, but serves as an official notification to professors. Students are responsible for making arrangements with professors about missed work.
Academic Review Committee
Review appeals of the withdrawal deadline and the Petition to Return process.
Undergraduate Academic Programs
Grand Valley State University has over 200 areas of study, 78 undergraduate degrees, and 29 graduate degrees. Use the links below to find the program(s) that apply to you! Refer to the All Academic Programs A-H and All Academic Programs I-Z of the online catalog for a list of these programs.
All Academic Programs I-Z of the online catalog for a list of these programs.