Faculty and Advisor FAQ

A student is asking for an override for my FYE course. Am I allowed to deny/approve this request?

All FYE course overrides are approved or denied by the faculty member(s) teaching the course. A student must be a freshman to be enrolled, no upperclassmen are allowed in the FYE sections. If you have decided to approve an override contact FYE at fye@cofc.edu or 953-2153, rather than your chair/administrative staff, and we will enroll the student into your course. The department may not be able to grant an override under certain cirucmstances.

What do I do if a student is failing, has sporadic attendance or has stopped attending my FYE course?

If a student is failing your course prior to midterm, or has made a drastic decrease in grade after midterm, please notify FYE via fye@cofc.edu or 953-2153. FYE will reach out the student encouraging them to use the resources available to them on campus. We also encourage you to use the FAST report system on MyCharleston to report students of concern. FYE and Undergraduate Academic Services will reach out to the student once the FAST report is submitted

Why did a student come to me at midterm telling me they have an FY hold and I have to give the OK for the hold to be lifted?

Students who have a F at midterm will receive the FY registration hold on their account. This hold is meant as a safety net to catch students as early as possible to ensure that they are getting the academic and personal assistance they may need to be successful on campus. Once the hold is placed, the student receives an email notification with suggestions on how to improve their grade, how to get the hold removed before final grades are posted, and a reminder of the consequences of not fulfilling the FYE graduation requirement. We will lift the hold if we hear that the student has made significant progress towards improving their performance from the faculty member teaching the course. Faculty can communicate that information to the FYE Director by emailing fye@cofc.edu.

What if a student wants to drop my LC course, but keep the other course in the LC?

A student can complete the FYE requirement after dropping one part of a Learning Community as long as they pass the other course and continue to participate in their Synthesis Seminar (FYSS). To process this request, students can contact FYE for a Partial LC Withdrawal Form. This form is not posted online because we do not want to encourage students to do this and would rather they work to improve their grade and performance in the course. The form requires a reason for dropping and the approval signatures of both LC professors. The FYE Director will review the form and notify the student via email of the approval or denial of the withdrawal. The withdrawal is processed directly with the Registrar’s Office since a student does not have the ability to drop only part of a Learning Community online. The due date for a partial withdrawal is the same as the campus-wide semester withdrawal date.

I am about to DA a student, what should I do?

Please notify FYE if you are planning on putting in a grade of DA so we can reach out to the students and remind them of the FYE requirement and so we can plan for FYE course enrollment for the next semester.

How does the FYSS attendance affect a student’s completion of the FYE requirement?

The FYSS attendance policy states that students who miss more than 4 FYSS meetings will have to complete another FYE course the following semester, regardless of their grade(s) in the FYSE or LC courses. It is highly encouraged that professors and PFs create a grading component for the course that incorporates the FYSS attendance/participation into their grade in the academic course(s). PFs notify FYE of students who have 2, 3, and 4 absences so we can email them reminding them of the attendance policy and the graduation requirement.

What do I do if the class roster for the FYE course (FYSE or LC) and the Synthesis Seminar are not identical?

Email fye@cofc.edu or call 953-2153 so we can look in Banner at the student’s schedule and make sure they are enrolled in all parts of their FYE course. We will fix this as soon as we know that there is an issue. It can take the system a day or two to update both the Banner class list and the OAKS class list for students who change their FYE courses.

F at midterm

Students who have an F at midterm in their FYE course(s) will have a hold placed on their account that will be removed when their professor(s) indicates to FYE they have made significant improvements in the course. If the student does not go to their professor, the FY hold will be removed when a passing final grade has been achieved. If the student does not pass at the end of the semester, the hold will be lifted after the student is enrolled in an FYE course for the next semester (if it is the student’s second semester) or will be removed after a passing final grade has been achieved in the summer FYE course (if it is the student’s third semester).

F, XXF, or WA as final grade

If a student receives a final grade of F, XXF, or WA, they will have a hold placed on their account. It will be lifted after the student is enrolled in an FYE course for the next semester (if it is the student’s second semester) or will be removed after a passing final grade has been achieved in the summer FYE course (if it is the student’s third semester).

W or DA

If a student has withdrawn from an FYE course or receives a DA for never attending the FYE course, the FY hold is placed on their account and will be lifted after the student is enrolled in an FYE course for the next semester (if it is the student’s second semester) or will be removed after a passing final grade has been achieved in the summer FYE course (if it is the student’s third semester).

I

A student may receive a FY hold on their account if they receive a final grade of I in their FYE course. Communication with the professor(s) will indicate whether or not the student will likely complete the assignments and pass the course or not. These students have the option to enroll in an FYE for the following semester in case they do not pass the course and they have the opportunity to drop the course if they do pass.

Academic Standing and FY Holds

Complete Withdrawal

If a student has completely withdrawn from the college without completing their FYE requirement, they will have a hold on their account in case they decide to return. All students who start as a first-year student will have to complete FYE if they return. Some students who have decided to return will likely be coded as a transfer student, and it is possible for them to fill out a FYE Waiver, complete a regular FYE course, or possibly complete the FYE Project with Mindy Miley in the semester they return.

Leave of Absence

If a student takes a LOA for their first semester and returns in the following semester, that first full semester will be treated as their first semester and they will have two semesters to complete the FYE requirement, either in the semester they return or the second. If the LOA is for more than one academic year, students will need to be reviewed case by case to see what FYE option will be best for the student-regular FYE course, FYE Project or FYE Waiver. AAPC advisors will be helpful in determining the best course of action for these students.

Probation

Students on probation at the end of the semester or year will need to either complete another FYE, or EDLS 100, which is required for probation students, will fulfill the FYE requirement.

Dismissal (academic and disciplinary)

Students who have been dismissed and return will have two options: Fill out an FYE Waiver explaining what they did with their time away from the college and why they do not need to complete FYE, or they will have to complete the FYE Project in the semester they return. Undergraduate Academic Services may be helpful in determining what the best course of action will be for each student.

How do students enroll in FYE?

Fall: Students will have their first opportunity to enroll in a fall FYE when they attend orientation, and at any time after they attend orientation during open registration periods throughout the summer, up to the last day of Drop/Add in August.

Spring: Students who choose to wait until the spring semester to complete their FYE requirement will receive an email from FYE about halfway through the fall semester asking them for their first choice for pre-enrollment into FYE courses. All students will be hand-enrolled into their spring FYE until all FYE courses are opened for enrollment the day students with 0 credit hours can register for classes. Students who are unresponsive to FYE emails will have a hold on their account until they are enrolled in a spring FYE

Why do students get error messages when they try to enroll in FYE?

Class Restriction: Students who have more than 30 hours of AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment credit will have to be placed by FYE into an FYE course. The College does not count IB and Dual Enrollment Credits when considering the FYE waiver requirement of having at least one year of college/university experience. Class restriction is also encountered for students who are coded as non-degree seeking, such as students taking summer courses, and other student-specific reasons.

Co-Requisite: Students are trying to add one part of an FYE independently. All FYE courses must be enrolled in simultaneously.

What happens if a student does not pass their FYE?

According to the FYE Committee, “students required to complete a First Year Experience must complete it within their first three consecutive academic terms. Once students begin the FYE, they must be continuously enrolled until they have completed the requirement. Students who fail to complete the requirement in their first three academic terms must satisfy the requirement by continuously enrolling in a Learning Strategies class until they successfully pass the course.”

Fall Admits: Students who fail their fall FYE will be required to take a spring FYE. Students who fail their spring FYE will be required to take a summer online FYE course, a regular EDLS course in the fall semester, or a special FYE EDLS class with Mindy Miley in the fall semester depending on their academic standing at the end of the spring semester.

Spring Admits: Students who fail their spring FYE will be required to take another in the fall semester, and have the option to take the summer FYE course. Students who fail their fall FYE will have to take a regular EDLS course in the spring semester, or a special FYE EDLS class with Mindy Miley in the spring semester depending on their academic standing at the end of the fall semester.

How does FYE track students?

Midterm Grades: FYE runs Cognos reports to see which students are not enrolled in FYE and emails only those students when it comes time for enrollment for the next semester. Midterm and Final grades are closely monitored as well. Students with a F at midterm have a registration hold placed on their account so they will reach out to us and their professor(s) to receive the extra attention and help they need to be successful. Students with a D-, D, or D+ at midterm do not receive a registration hold, but will receive a similar email to those who have an F, encouraging them to talk to their professor(s)/CSL and reminding them of the consequences of not completing the FYE graduation requirement.

Final Grades: Students who have an F, W, WA, DA, or I as a final grade will receive the registration hold if it was not applied at midterm and get specialized emails about what they need to do to complete the FYE requirement. The student’s professors are brought into the discussion if the student earned an I, WA, or failed part of their LC but not the other part.

Withdrawals: FYE also tracks FYE withdrawals so students can be notified as early as possible about needing to enroll in an FYE for the next semester.

Can a student withdraw from one part of a Learning Community and still fulfill their FYE requirement?

A student can complete the FYE requirement after dropping one part of a Learning Community as long as they pass the other course and continue to participate in their Synthesis Seminar (FYSS). To process this request, students can contact FYE for a Partial LC Withdrawal Form. This form is not posted online because we do not want to encourage students to do this and would rather they work to improve their grade and performance in the course. The form requires a reason for dropping and the approval signatures of both LC professors. The FYE Director will review the form and notify the student via email the approval or denial of the withdrawal. The withdrawal is processed directly with the Registrar’s Office since a student does not have the ability to drop only part of a Learning Community online. The due date for a partial withdrawal is the same as the campus-wide semester withdrawal date.

How does the FYSS attendance affect a student’s completion of the FYE requirement?

The FYSS attendance policy states that students who miss more than 4 FYSS meetings will have to complete another FYE course the following semester, regardless of their grade(s) in the FYSE or LC courses. It is highly encouraged that professors and PFs create a grading component for the course that incorporates the FYSS attendance/participation into their grade in the academic course(s). PFs notify FYE of students who have 2, 3, and 4 absences so we can email them reminding them of the attendance policy and the graduation requirement.

Why does my advisee have an FY hold on their account?

Typically the FY hold has a brief description about the nature of the hold. If you need more information about a specific student, contact FYE via fye@cofc.edu or 953-2153 to discuss a more in-depth explanation of the nature of the student’s hold.

Is it possible for a student to waive out of the FYE graduation requirement?

Students always have the option to fill out an FYE waiver form. A link to download the form is located on the bottom of the main FYE website. These are closely evaluated on a case-by-case basis and are rarely approved. In most instances, the waivers we have approved are from 2-year or 4-year transfer students with less than 30 hours who can demonstrate that they took a similar course at their previous institution. We do not approve waivers based on AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment credits. Students can email, fax or turn in this form by hand to the FYE Director who will notify them via email of the decision.