Current Student FAQ

Advising

Who is my academic advisor?

Returning Freshman and Sophomore business majors: 

All returning freshman and sophomore business majors will be advised by a Davis College of Business & Economics professional advisor in the Highlander Success Center (located in Young Hall). You must schedule an appointment with your advisor 6-8 weeks prior to registration for each term.

Junior and Senior business majors:

All juniors and seniors pursuing the BBA degree are advised by a faculty advisor. If you are a new transfer student, you will be advised by a Davis College professional advisor in the Highlander Success Center your first semester.

To find your advisor's nameCheck your Degree Audit. 

  • Login to OneCampus. Type degree in the search bar and select  Degree Audit Responsive Dashboard. Click Launch. Your degree audit will display and your advisor's name should be listed in the first block at the top of the screen. 

How do I schedule an appointment with my advisor?**

  • Click “Advising Appointments (Starfish)” within the Academic icon in the OneCampus Portal
  • Click “My Success Network” located on the left hand side of the main screen
  • Find your academic advisor and select “Schedule Appointment” (use your Degree Audit to find your advisor’s name)
  • At the top of the calendar, navigate to the "Week" view and use the arrows to scroll through the weeks to find availability (it will default to the current day)
  • Available appointments will have a green "+" sign. Find a date and time that will work for you and click the link "Sign Up"
  • Complete “Add Appointment” form and click "Submit"
  • You will be notified via email that you have been scheduled for an appointment

**If you are with a FACULTY advisor, they may not use Starfish. You can email them to schedule an appointment.

What should I bring to an advising session?

Academic advising is a shared responsibility. Both the advisee and the advisor have responsibilities. The better prepared you are for the advising session, the more information you will get to cover with your advisor. Therefore, the advising session is as much your responsibility as it is the advisor.

Things to bring:

  • written list of questions
  • notes from previous advising sessions
  • the latest version of your degree audit
  • copy of your progress sheet 

I'm having trouble in one of my courses, what should I do?

The first thing you should do is talk with the professor of the course. The professors at Radford are wonderful about taking the time to get to know their students. Do not let a situation escalate to where it is out of control and beyond someone helping you. Make an appointment with the professor immediately to discuss the situation and try to develop a resolution. You will find that your professors want you to be successful and will offer advice and encouragement for your success. Your professor may give you some ideas on "how to study" for the course or refer you to the Harvey Center. They may also refer you to a tutor from that specific department, your academic advisor, or to form a study group. Your professor is your best resource when you are having difficulties in a course.

What happens if I receive a poor grade in a course?

The best thing you can do to prevent this from happening is to be extremely proactive. It is up to you! Talk to the professor, talk with your advisor, and use the services provided by the Harvey Center (HKC). If you still end up receiving a poor grade, make an appointment with your advisor. Remember you do have options when you find that you are doing poorly in a course. Two academic policies which may serve you well in this situation are the class withdrawal policy and the repeat policy. See the undergraduate catalog for more information on these policies. Then if you have questions or need assistance understanding the policies, talk to your academic advisor. You and your academic advisor can develop a plan of action based on your individual situation.

General

What catalog do I use?

Catalog year refers to which catalog you are following to meet graduation requirements. Radford University policy states a currently enrolled full-time student may meet the graduation requirements listed in the undergraduate catalog in effect at the time of the student's initial enrollment at Radford, or the individual may select to meet the requirements in any subsequent catalog published between enrollment and graduation, as long as the catalog is no more than five years old. A student may not follow requirements for graduation listed in a catalog in effect prior to the student's enrollment at Radford.

Students who have been absent from the university for two continuous semesters must meet the degree requirements in force in the Radford University Undergraduate Catalog at the time of readmission.

Most students select the year they enrolled at Radford University as their catalog year. Whichever catalog year is used, the student must follow all degree requirements listed in that catalog. Your catalog year is listed in your degree audit.

Can I take a course at a community college or another four-year school and transfer it back to Radford?

Definitely. Remember: It is always best to discuss taking any course at another institution with your academic advisor who can help you make appropriate plans based on your program and your progress in your program. We find that students tend to take courses that are going to be used to fulfill general education requirements rather than major requirements at other institutions and transfer them back to RU. Many students take courses at their community college close to home during the summer to get ahead in their program or even to catch up if necessary. There may even be a few courses required for your major that are offered at a community college or other four-year institution close to your home that you could take during the summer. You should always check with your advisor or the Highlander Success Center before you select any courses to take so that we can confirm that it is an acceptable/appropriate course. Even though you may find a class at another institution, you need to check with your advisor to determine if it can be transferred back to Radford University.  

A list of acceptable courses offered by Virginia's community colleges can be found in the VCCS Transfer Guide. You will need to complete a "Transfer Approval" form before taking any courses at another institution. This form, when processed through the Academic Success Center, will confirm that the course will transfer to Radford University and that it is an acceptable course for your program.

What grades do I need this semester to earn a certain GPA?

This is really something you should discuss with your advisor. You may also use a GPA calculator to help in this process. Once you have keyed in the requested information, it will calculate a GPA based on that information. Remember the GPA calculator is only as accurate as the information you enter -- follow the directions carefully.

How do I change my major or minor?

The student needs to fill out the Declaration of Major Form or the Declaration of Minor Form. This form needs to be turned into the Highlander Success Center located on the 3rd floor of Young Hall.

Definitions

What is an incomplete ("I") grade?

At the faculty member's discretion, the letter "I" may be entered on the student's transcript for a course whenever some portion of the required work has not been completed by the end of the semester. A written statement of the requirements for removal of the grade "I" must be signed by the faculty member and student and filed in the office of the chairperson of the department in which the course is taught, with a copy submitted to the registrar along with the faculty member's grade sheet. The grade of "I" will automatically revert to a grade of "F" if not satisfactorily removed by completing all coursework needed by the last day of classes of next (fall or spring) semester.

What is a Degree Audit?

The Degree Audit can be accessed from OneCampus. This audit will show what courses you have taken and will match it up with your program(s) of study.  It will show what has been completed and what needs to be completed for your program.  It also shows your Overall GPA, your In-Major GPA (may not be accurate depending on program) and your advisor.

To access your degree audit: Login to OneCampus. Type degree in the search bar and select Degree Audit Responsive Dashboard. Click Launch, then select Process to view your current audit. 

What is a course withdrawal? University withdrawal?

A student may withdraw from a course that they feel they are not doing well in and will receive a grade of "W". This grade will show up on the transcript as "W". The student will need to obtain a withdrawal form from the Highlander Success Center or the registrar's office and fill out the information and get their academic advisor to sign the form and return it to the registrar's office prior to the withdrawal deadline to receive a "W". 

 

UNIVERSITY WITHDRAWAL: 

Students withdrawing from all courses during a given semester must contact the Highlander Success Center located on the 3rd floor of Young Hall to obtain and complete a "Withdrawal Check-Out Sheet." This process must be followed to ensure the student will receive any eligible refunds and the appropriate grades for the semester.

Students who withdraw from the university before the Census Date will receive no grades. Students who withdraw from the university after the Census Date but prior to the final withdrawal date will receive “W’s” in all classes. Withdrawals from the university after the final withdrawal date will result in automatic “F’s.”

Any student who withdraws from the university during a fall or spring semester must apply for readmission.

What are HOLDs on my account?

Students may have holds placed on their account for a variety of reasons. It could be something simple like not paying a parking ticket or not returning a library book to something more serious such as a conduct violation. A hold on your account will prevent you from registering for classes and doing other important tasks. You can see if you have holds on your account by going to OneCampus and typing View Registration Holds in the search bar. It will only tell you which office placed the hold on your account, but will not state why. You need to contact the specific office and see what needs to be done to remove that hold. This could prevent you from graduating as well, so make sure you take care of it!

What are the different types of credit loads?

To be considered full-time you need to carry a minimum of 12 credit hours. If you drop below 12 hours, this categorizes you as part-time and this can affect your financial aid, and other services on campus. You need to check with different departments on campus before you decide to drop below 12 hours. If you take more than 16 credit hours, you will need to pay additional tuition for each additional credit hour. You may also carry more than 18 hours; this is called an overload and this must be approved by the chair/program director for your major. The overload forms can be picked up in the Highlander Success Center or accessed electronically.

How many credits do I need to be a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior?

Students with 26 semester hours will be classified as sophomores, with 56 semester hours as juniors, and with 86 hours as seniors.