Undergraduate Information

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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.

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, go2gvbiz@gvsu.edu

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Academic Advising Center
MAK C-1-140, (616) 331-8585, clasadvs@gvsu.edu

College of Community and Public Service Undergraduate Student Advising Center
261C DEV, (616) 331-6890, ccpsadvisor@gvsu.edu

College of Education Student Information and Services Center
101 EC, (616) 331-6650, coeserve@gvsu.edu

College of Health Professions - Student Services
244 CHS, (616) 331-3958, zwartda@gvsu.edu

Kirkhof College of Nursing
301 CHS, (616)331-3558 or (800) 480-0406, kson@gvsu.edu

Seymour & Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing
Major Advising:
School of Engineering:  136 KEN, (616) 331-6750, engineer@gvsu.edu
School of Computing and Information Systems:  C-2-100 MAK, (616)331-2060, info@cis.gvsu.edu

Pre-Major Advising:
Padnos College Student Services: 315 KEN and C-2-218 MAK, (616) 331-6025, pcec@gvsu.edu

Academic Advising and Student Instructional Support

Advising Resource Center (ARC)

The ARC supports student learning by providing a wide range of services to students in one central location: academic advising for students who have not decided on a specific major or minor, or those who have not been officially admitted to Grand Valley State University; grievances regarding general undergraduate university graduation requirements such as general education, total credit, credit overload requests, transfer course equivalency or residency requirements; workshops to help students with study skills, test anxiety, and time management. The ARC support programs consist of academic advising for undecided majors; disability support services; the EXCEL Program; freshman orientation; Graduation Persistence Advising (GPA) ; LAKER Academic Center; Muskegon Partnership Program; Student Transfer Enrollment Partnership; testing services; tutoring; transfer orientation; TRiO Programs-Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, McNair Scholars, Educational Connections, and Educational Support Program (ESP). The ARC 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.

Pre-Major Advising

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.

Transfer Student Advising

Transfer Student Advising provides academic support to transfer students during and after their transition and orientation to Grand Valley State University.

Early Alert and Student Success Program

The Early Alert and Student Success Program is designed to assist students who are experiencing academic as well as other difficulties during their time at Grand Valley State University. Through Early Alert, faculty and staff contribute directly to retention by assisting with the early detection and intervention strategies for students who are doing poorly in class, chronically absent from class, or experiencing other kinds of problems that affect academic performance. There are three components of the Early Alert Program: Graduation Persistence Advising (GPA), Secondary Admit Program Grade Point Average Assistance (SAGPA), and Early Alert Support Services (EAS).

Educational Support Program (TRiO)

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.

Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program (TRiO)

The McNair 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.

EXCEL Program

The EXCEL Program is designed to provide academic services (advising, study skills development, career exploration, and Grand Valley acculturation) to a diverse student community.

LAKER Academic Center

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.

Math and Science Student Support (MS3)

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 of MS3 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/ms3. You may also call MS3 at 331-3695, or the MS3 Coordinator at 331-3267.

Structured Learning Assistance (SLA)

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 Web site at www.gvsu.edu/sla, or by contacting the SLA Coordinator at 331-3267.

Tutoring

201 Student Services Building (616) 331-3451
101B DeVos Center (616) 331-6407
2309 Mackinac Hall (Math/Stats Lab) (616) 331-2084
Web:

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.

Academic Standards and Other Services

Testing Services

Testing Services offers math placement testing, WRT 305 assessment essay, 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.

WRT 305, Writing in the Disciplines, is a junior-level writing course requirement. Students have the opportunity to meet this requirement based on a satisfactory score on an assessment essay. The WRT 305 assessment essay is offered three 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.

Academic Standards and Other Services

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. ARSP 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.

Orientation

ARSP provides coordination and administrative support for Freshman Orientation and Transfer Student Orientation.

Transitions

ARSP provides academic advising information to support Transitions, a component of the fall orientation program for freshman and transfer students.

Awards Banquet

ARSP assists in coordinating the annual Awards Banquet, recognizing outstanding students from each academic program.

Phi Kappa Phi

ARSP administers Grand Valley’s chapter membership and initiation ceremony for the largest and most highly respected academic honor society that recognizes and promotes academic excellence in all fields of higher education.

Publications

• Student Advising Guide
• Choosing a Major booklet
• Credit by Exam brochure
• Not Sure About Your Major brochure

Athletes Who Care

Through the LAKER Advising Center, student-athletes provide services in a broad scope of volunteer and community service experiences.

Student Transfer Enrollment Partnership (STEP)

A collaborative transfer assistance project between Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State Universitythat reaches out to GRCC students to help them ultimately achieve a bachelor’s degree through Grand Valley.

Educational Talent Search (TRiO)

Provides information and a broad range of educational and career services to West Michigan residents who are interested in continuing or resuming their education. The advisors in this program also work with school-age community members to encourage them to pursue higher education.

Upward Bound Program (TRiO)

Upward Bound is designed to help high school students prepare for college. The program has an academic year component and a summer residential component.

Undergraduate Academic Programs

Grand Valley State University has over 200 areas of study, 71 undergraduate degrees, and 28 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.