Miscellaneous

Click on a link to be taken to the entry below.
 

ACADEMIC ADVISING AND SUPPORT SERVICES

Advising is a cooperative process that assists students in developing an educational plan consistent with their life goals and with the liberal arts and sciences mission of the University. Advising is a shared responsibility between students and advisors. It empowers students by helping them develop skills in planning, decision-making, and self-understanding. Ultimately, advising fosters students’ growth as lifelong learners.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES

The full-time professional advisors in the Residential College Program (RCP) also provide instructional and academic support services. They assist with such administrative tasks as freshmen summer registration and Truman Week, and they provide informational workshops on the LSP to new faculty and students. For students within the residence halls, the Residential College Program academic advisors offer student developmental, academic skill, and liberal arts career programming. These RCP advisors also maintain liaisons with the academic programs and other key administrative offices, such as Student Affairs, Multicultural Affairs, and the International Student Affairs Office. The intention of these connections is to provide systematic support for the academic, career, and personal needs of Truman students.

ADVISORS

During the summer before the first semester of enrollment, each student is assigned an advisor. All entering students work with a professional academic advisor within the Residential College Program (RCP); for on-campus students, these advisors are found within the residence halls. The Residential College Program advisors also work closely with faculty in the disciplines to provide guidance to declared majors.

Upperclassmen who have not chosen a major (“undeclared” students) continue to receive their academic advising from the professional advisors on staff in the Residential College Program. Those upperclass students who have declared a major typically have a faculty member who assists them with academic and career planning issues throughout the remainder of their Truman careers. Exceptions are sophomore psychology and pre-Business and pre-Accountancy majors who continue to work with professional advisors in the RCP.

This advising assistance does not relieve the student of the personal responsibility to study the General Catalog and fulfill the requirements of the chosen degree; however, it does provide the student with a valuable resource for answering questions concerning courses, majors, and educational plans beyond the bachelor’s degree.

RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE PROGRAM

Truman’s Residential College Program (RCP) offers all freshman students and many upperclassmen the chance to experience a living/learning community by bringing an academic focus to some of the activities and relationships developed within the residence halls.

The Residential College Program puts academic success at the forefront by providing students ready access to comprehensive advising and academic support services. Full-time, professional academic advisors have offices in residence halls. They assist in specific registration and academic course planning for all resident freshmen and undeclared students and give advice regarding general academic concerns, skills, tutoring, or liberal arts career planning to all resident students. Student advisors assist the professional advisors in helping students to understand when and how to use the resources made available to them. The professional advisors working in the Residential College Program, in turn, assist students in beginning to establish meaningful relationships with Truman faculty in their declared majors or areas of interest.

The Residential College Program also supports special initiatives to increase faculty-student interaction outside the traditional classroom. The RCP facilitates personal engagement in liberal arts learning, for both faculty and students, through small seminars conducted over meals, evenings of Great Conversation, Nights in the University Gallery, field trips, and participation in the RCP/Student Senate Summer Reading Program.

DEVELOPING LIVING/LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Truman State University’s status as a residential institution, where almost half of all undergraduates live on-campus, opens up unique educational opportunities for students. The University is firmly committed to enriching undergraduate life with experiences which integrate living and learning. On-campus residence at Truman allows students to participate in the mainstream of University social, recreational, cultural, and educational activities. Ideally, Truman students find in their residences a supportive learning community where they can grow in understanding of self and others, explore ideas and values, develop appreciation for diversity, discover new interests in small group and informal settings, and share some of the fun and satisfaction of life-long learning.

RESIDENCE LIFE

Residence Life oversees eight residence halls and three apartment complexes, all with modern living facilities and located within easy walking distance of the academic buildings. The residence halls range in size from 68 to 700 residents. Approximately 70 percent of the rooms are two-person, with the remaining rooms housing three or four students. Upper-level students have the option to live in University apartments. These apartments are furnished, with utilities paid, and offer an optional meal plan through Food Service. Based on their preferences, students in the residence halls may choose from such options as single-sex wings or co-ed living arrangements, and large or small buildings. A sorority-defined community is also located on campus.

Professionally-trained, full-time live-in Hall Directors, Community Coordinators, and Student Advisors work in the on-campus residences to assist students in adjusting to college life. The Residence Life staff employs a student developmental model to help students mature in their interpersonal skills, in balancing independence and communal responsibility, and in establishing their self-direction and life-goals. Numerous social, recreational, or competitive leisure activities and opportunities for peer leadership also exist in the residence halls. Residence Life has web-based resources that outline the policies, services, and building information for all of the residential facilities on campus. Information packets are sent to first-year students at the time of their room placement; upper-level residents may obtain updates via their e-mail account, by checking the website http://reslife.truman.edu/handbook, or at the Residence Life Office.

For further information, contact these programs at the following addresses:

Residential College Program
Baldwin Hall 101

Residence Life
Baldwin Hall 110
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO 63501

CHANGE OF MAJOR

An undergraduate student who wants to change his/her major should complete a Change of Major form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office.

Some majors require certain courses or grade point averages prior to accepting students into the major. Students should consult the appropriate major section of this catalog before submitting a Change of Major form to ensure that they meet any requirements for entrance into their intended major.

TRANSCRIPTS

An academic record (transcript) is permanently maintained for each student who enrolls at Truman State University. Transcripts cost $5 each. Transcripts will be issued by the Registrar’s Office upon receipt of the student’s written request, in accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. Partial transcripts cannot be issued.

ONLINE ACCESS TO ACADEMIC INFORMATION

Matriculated students have access to their academic records, including unofficial advising transcripts, accepted transfer credit, semester schedules, and midterm and final grades via TruView, Truman’s web-based student information portal. Students who first matriculated to Truman in or after the Fall 2004 semester also have access to Truman’s automated degree audit system via TruView. Students are responsible for reviewing all academic information, particularly midterm and final grades, that are posted and distributed via TruView. Students are also strongly encouraged to use these services in consultation with their academic advisors to track their progress toward degree requirements.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

The University academic year is divided into fall and spring semesters, a summer term, and December, May, and August interims. The summer term classes are generally of five or eight weeks in length. Interim session offerings are of three weeks or less in length. Admission to Truman may be effected at the beginning of any semester or term.

GENERAL ACADEMIC APPEALS PROCESS

A student who believes that he or she had special or extraordinary circumstances may appeal an academic policy (i.e., deadline dates for adding/dropping individual courses, credit/no credit grading option, etc.). The appeal must be in written form, accompanied by supporting documentation, and be sent to the Academic Standards Committee c/o the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

DATE OF CATALOG FOR CHECKING CREDITS

The date of the General Catalog by which credits are checked may not be more than five years earlier than the date of the issuance of the degree. A student may not be checked by a catalog dated earlier than the time of his/her entrance. If a student’s work is interrupted by required service in the armed forces, an extension of time will be allowed equal to the period of interruption.

WORKSHOPS

Workshops and clinics are short, concentrated study experiences with unique purposes and objectives, examining content and issues not otherwise addressed in the curriculum, sometimes utilizing unique pedagogical experiences and techniques. Students interested in such workshops should examine the University website for a description of available workshops. No more than 6 credit hours earned through workshops may be applied toward undergraduate degree requirements.

COURSE REPEAT POLICY

Undergraduate credits for most courses can be counted only once toward degree requirements. Any exceptions to the Credit Restriction Policy are specified in the course descriptions, which are included in the division sections of this catalog.

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS LEVEL

The designation of class level is based on the number of hours earned to include hours transferred and credited:

Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior

0-29 semester hours 30-59 semester hours 60-89 semester hours 90 and above semester hours