Seniors warned to check program evaluations

As seniors prepare for graduation next May, some are finding yet another thing to stress over—their program evaluations.

            Some seniors have complained that inaccuracies in their program evaluations have forced them to take extra classes next spring in order to graduate on time. One senior claimed that, even though she had tested out of the GEU math requirement, she was told that she needed to take a math class when she applied for graduation.

            To avoid these issues, Debra Hale, assistant academic dean, is asking students to monitor their evaluations.

            "I am encouraging students to always check their evaluations," Hale said, adding that students should check their evaluations every time they register for classes and not just when they apply for graduation.

            The program evaluation, which is available through VSC Web Services, lists all the classes a student has taken and needs to take in order to complete his or her degree, Hale said. The evaluation needs to be printed out, signed by the student and his or her adviser, and taken to Recorder Evelyn Franz when a student applies to graduate.

            A program evaluation might contain errors if paperwork has not been received by Student Services, Hale said. For example, a student may have received a departmental waiver for a course, but that course would still appear as needed on the student's evaluation if Student Services did not receive the waiver form.

            Hale is also reminding students that they cannot use their evaluations to know how many credits they have earned; they must refer to their transcripts for this. This is especially important in cases where a student has repeated a course. If a student passes a required course with a grade lower than a C-, they earn credit for the course but must repeat the course until they get at least a C-. The student will not earn additional credit for repeating the course, but credit for the repeated course will appear on the student's evaluation.

            Hale said she posts an announcement on the LSC portal every semester reminding students not to use their evaluations for credits.

            "I know students don't always read" the announcement, Hale added.

            Associate Academic Dean John Kascenska also stressed the importance of understanding credits. Students sometimes come up short of credits as a result of repeating classes, Kascenska said. He added that students should have a back-up plan in case they fail a class in their final semester and thus don't have enough credits to graduate. Students must have 122 credits to graduate, but Kascenska suggested they might want to take a few extra so that they won't have to stay an extra semester if they fail a course.

            "It's something students and professors need to pay close attention to," Kascenska said.

            Hale said students who find errors on their evaluations should contact Associate Registrar Heather Ring, Franz, or herself.   

            Franz handles waiver paperwork and makes corrections to evaluations; however, Franz said that she cannot make any changes to a student's evaluation without that student's consent—one more reason for students to monitor their evaluations.