Frequently Asked Questions Academic Advising FAQs Question Answer 1. Who is my advisor? How can I find out who this is? Students are able to find who their assigned Academic Advisor is by logging into their Shaw Bears Student Account. Once logged in, the student should click the Students tab. The top box will list the faculty advisor’s name and the student’s major. 2. Can you register me for classes? The primary responsibility of the Office of Academic Success is to advise undecided freshman. Please defer to your faculty advisor first to obtain classes. If you are unsuccessful, than contact the Office Academic Success to determine a time to meet with one of our advisors. 3. Can you remove the hold on my account? The Office of Academic Success will not remove holds over the phone. If students are experience difficulties registering, they can walk-in or make an appointment to meet with an Adviser to discuss the specifics of your situation. 4. I received a letter via email about myAcademic Standing? What does this mean? Students who do not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress will receive a letter from the Registrar’s office regarding their academic performance. Specific directions are listed on the letter for students to follow. Students can contact the office of Academic Success if they have questions about their specific academic situation. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) FAQs Question Answer 1. What type of appeal do I need to file? Extenuating circumstances beyond a student's control include, but are not limited to: Documented medical condition or serious illness Documented learning disability Death of a family member or friend Domestic violence Involuntary call to active military duty Documented change in conditions of employment Other extraordinary/emergency circumstances, such as natural disasters. The following circumstances are not considered extenuating and beyond the student's control, but based on personal choices: Incarceration resulting from a guilty verdict Voluntary pause, overtime, lapse, or termination of employment Young and irresponsible 2. What form (s) do I need to submit? Complete the Academic Standards Committee/Financial Aid Form Submit the Satisfactory Academic Appeal Form Supporting Documents Submit documents to: Mail: Shaw University Office of Academic Affairs/Academic Standards Committee 118 East South Street Raleigh, NC 27601 Email: appealletters@shawu.edu 3. What do I need to include in my academic appeal? Your academic appeals must be typewritten, signed, and include a detailed explanation of how extenuating circumstances beyond your control that has prevented you from meeting the Sap requirements. In addition, you must explain what has changed that will allow you to maintain academic progress. Item 1: Please identify the obstacles you encountered last semester: Upon review of your past academic history, what circumstances negatively impacted your grades? Describe and discuss in detail obstacles you faced. Examples of common obstacles are below: Academic Obstacles: Ineffective worked study skills, lack of effective time management skills, unprepared for exams and why, what in high school doesn’t work anymore, hard to concentrate, difficult classes/not prepared for course level, conflict with professor, unable to understand course content or find important information, poor reading skills, poor study skills, did not disclose individualized learning plan which would have allowed for classroom modifications. Personal/Other Obstacles: Financial difficulties, health problems, hard to get out of bed in the morning, use or abuse of alcohol or other substance(s), possible learning disability, difficulty sleeping at night, pressure, stress, anxiety, tension, excessive time spent online, family issues, extracurricular activities, working long hours. Item 2: Generate potential solutions for overcoming theobstacles you described and discussed: Think about possible solutions for overcoming the obstacles you described. Make sure you list and discuss potential solutions for overcoming the obstacles you faced in your academic success recovery plan. Item 3: Commit to workable and achievable solutions: What are the most achievable solutions you are willing to try? How will these solutions help you? What changes will you need to make to achieve your goals? What will these solutions require of you in terms of time and effort? 4. What supporting documents do I need to include with my academic appeal? Documentation should include, but is not limited to: Letter from a physician or counselor on letterhead indicating the dates you were under their care Copy of a death certificate, obituary or third-party documentation of death Accident reports, police records, court records, etc. DO NOT submit original documents - they will not be returned. Make sure all copies are legible. Please Note: Letters from family, relatives, and friends are not recommended. Appeals letter submitted without documentation will be denied or returned without review. 5. What is the Appeal time frame? Appeals letters are reviewed within 10 working days of receipt of all required documentation in the Office of Academic Affairs. You will be notified via email if the time-frame is revised during processing time. 6. How will I be notified? You will be notified via email by the Academic Success Specialist. Please provide an email address so you can be notified of your status. 7. What is FERPA? The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student (“eligible student”). IfI am a parent of a college student, do I have the right to see my child’seducation records, especially if I pay the bill? The rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student, once the student turns 18 years old or enters a postsecondary institution at any age. However, although the rights under FERPA have now transferred to the student, a school may disclose information from an “eligible student’s” education records to the parents of the student, without the student’s consent, if the student is a dependent for tax purposes. 8. What does the law mean when it says that students havethe right to disclosure of their education records? The student's education records may be disclosed only with the student's prior written consent. The prior written consent must: Specify the records to be released Identify the party (ies) to whom disclosure may be made Be signed and dated by the student 9. What are "education records"? Education records are defined as records, files, documents, and other materials that contain information directly related to a student and are maintained by Shaw University. Education records include: Academic grades Student course schedules Disciplinary records Student financial records Documents must be submitted according to the requirements listedabove. This DOES NOT GUARANTEE approval. Tutorial Services FAQs Question Answer 1. How much does tutoring cost? It’s free! Just come to the Student Success Center on the 2nd Floor of TOS Education Building (Rooms 205 & 207) 2. Where is Tutorial Services located? Tutorial Services is located on the 2nd Floor of TOS Education Building (Rooms 205 & 207). Contact Number: 919-546-8329 | Email Address: Tutorial Services is located on the 2nd Floor of TOS Education Building (Rooms 205 & 207). Contact Number: 919-546-8329 | Email Address: academicsuccess@bears.shawu.edu 3. When and where do I meet with the tutor? Meetings will take place at the Tutorial Service Center. Meetings are mutually agreed upon by the tutor and tutee. Currently, sessions are facilitated virtually. 4. How often can I receive tutoring? Individual tutoring is limited and may be held to one hour per week depending on availability. Contact the Tutorial Services staff for more information. If you are student utilizing academic recovery services, you must check-in 2 hours within the week.