Academic Advising
The University expresses its concern for the academic development of each student through the program of academic advising which is coordinated by the Office of the Vice President/Academic Dean. Each student is assigned an adviser in his or her major field of interest. Students who have not decided upon a major or teaching option are assigned a temporary adviser until a choice of major is made. These students first work with their academic adviser for discussion of the programs at Concord University and what may or may not be appropriate for them. Testing can help determine a student's aptitude in different academic areas. When one or more programs are identified, students are encouraged to approach faculty in these areas for more information. Students expecting to complete program requirements in a timely fashion typically declare a major before they have completed 60 credit hours.
Provision is made for the change of adviser, if this is necessary, by consulting the division office in the student's major area. The adviser is the student's major contact point with the University. Questions concerning curriculum, regulations, course selection, change of major, and academic achievement should be taken to the adviser. Personal or social problems of a more general nature can be taken to the adviser for referral to the appropriate University or community service. See section on counseling for more information about this service.
Academic Success Center
The Academic Success Center (ASC) assists the university community with services to promote student success at Concord. Advising; tutoring; the Parents Club; UNIV 100, first year experience course (required of all freshmen and some transfer students); reading and study skills; academic advising for undecided majors; workshops; trainings; and intervention services are but a few of the comprehensive services offered by the ASC. Additionally, the ASC generates, analyzes, and shares institutional retention and graduation data. Committees and activities designed to assist with students remaining at Concord and graduating from the university are part of the ASC's goals. The ASC serves as a "one stop" location for students needing assistance and as a referral source for faculty/staff/parents. More information on the ASC is available at http://concord.edu/student-affairs/academic-success-center or Email: asc@concord.edu
Dean's List
The Office of the Vice President/ Academic Dean publishes a list of full-time students who were registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours and have attained a grade point average of 3.5 or above at the end of each regular semester.
Definition of Terminology
The following terms may be helpful to students in their program planning:
MAJOR: Under the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Business Administration degrees, the student[s non-teaching field of primary academic emphasis. The courses may fall within a single department or may overlap 54 several departments for a comprehensive major.
MINOR: Under the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Business Administration degrees, the student[s non-teaching secondary academic emphasis.
TEACHING FIELDS: Under the Bachelor of Science in Education degree, the student's program of courses in a specific field or fields required for teaching in the middle and/or high school. One or two fields may be selected.
SUBJECT SPECIALIZATION: Under the Bachelor of Science in Education degree, the student's specific specialization taken along with a core program for teaching in the elementary and/or middle school.
AREA OF EMPHASIS: In some degree programs, the student selects a non-teaching area of emphasis, along with the required basic courses.
Evening Classes
Concord University offers a number of its regular campus courses at night both on campus and at various off-campus sites. The schedule of courses for any semester will indicate which courses will meet in the evening. Students successfully completing these courses are given residence credit, if they are fully admitted to the University. Regular students may take evening classes as part of their full schedule. For those taking less than full course loads, including persons enrolled only for single courses, part-time fees will be assessed, as described here .
Honors Program
Motto: "The Best Get Better."
The Honors Program provides opportunities for students with records of high achievement to enrich their Concord education. Participants are encouraged to take a more active part in shaping their own education, both in the classroom and outside, by enhancing some of their courses for honors designation. Students are encouraged to make extensive use of the opportunities for independent study and research which the University already provides and to discover the richness of the resources offered by our area and our faculty through extracurricular programs and activities designed especially for honors students. Participants in the Honors Program also have the opportunity to live in specially designated "academic emphasis" areas of the residence halls.
Students who have successfully completed the Honors Program will receive the designation "Honors Graduate" on their transcript and diploma and acknowledgement at commencement.
Successful completion of the Honors Program entails the following:
1. Formal Admission and Retention in the Honors Program.
The student must complete an application for admission to the Honors Program, which must be approved by the Honors Coordinator. Ordinarily, incoming students are eligible for admission if they have a minimum score of 26 on the ACT composite or 1170 on the SAT. Transfer students or currently enrolled students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale). Students who have earned more than 78 hours of credit toward graduation from Concord are not eligible for admission to the Honors Program. The Honors Committee may refuse applicants it deems unsuitable or it may admit applicants who do not meet the usual requirements.
2. Academic Requirements.
The Honors Program requires the successful completion of 18(-21) credit hours of Honors Courses, with a minimum grade of a B, a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), in each Honors Course and a minimum GPA of a B, a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), for all coursework at Concord. The Honors Course requirements include: (a) HONR 101 Introduction to the Liberal Arts and Sciences (3 hours); (b) a series of Honors Designated Courses (12 hours); and (c) a Senior Honors Project (3-6 hours).
a. HONR 101, Introduction to the Liberal Arts and Sciences (3 hours)
b. Honors Designated Courses (12 hours)
Consist of three options: (i) Honors Enhanced Courses, (ii) Honors Sections of Regular Course Offerings and (iii) Honors Seminars. Students may take courses from one, two or all three options to fulfill this portion of the requirement. Students may also take an Honors Designated Course at any level, 100, 200, 300 or 400, in any academic discipline for which they qualify. Students must take at least 3 credit hours of Honors Designated Courses at or above the sophomore, 200 level of instruction and, in addition, at least 3 credit hours of Honors Designated Courses at or above the junior, 300 level of instruction. NB. Some Honors Designated Courses may require prerequisites. If so, then students must meet all the prerequisites in order to register for the course.
i. Honors Enhanced Courses
An Honors Enhanced Course is a course in any academic discipline enhanced with an honors project, i.e., an artistic, research or service project, in addition to the regularly assigned coursework. The student's grade in the course is based solely on the regularly assigned coursework. The student must receive a grade of a "B" or better on their project in order to receive honors credit for the course. The instructor will add an "H" to their transcript to indicate the successful completion of the project. Students will design and implement the honors project in consultation with the instructor on record for the course and then, with the support of the instructor on record, submit their proposal to the Director of the Honors Program for approval within one month of the first day of classes for the fall and spring semesters. The Honors Program provides the forms for approval and a set of guidelines to assist the student and faculty in the design of these projects.
ii. Honors Sections of Regular Course Offerings
An Honors Section of a regular course offering incorporates an honors project i.e., an artistic, research or service project, into the course content for all students enrolled in the course. The student's grade in the course is based on all coursework, including the honors project. The instructor will add an "H" to their transcript to indicate the successful completion of the course. The Honors Program provides a set of guidelines to assist the in the design of these sections of regular course offerings.
iii. Honors Seminars
Interdisciplinary seminars open only to students enrolled in good standing in the Honors Program. An Honors Seminar incorporates an honors project i.e., an artistic, research or service project, into the course content for all students enrolled in the course. The student's grade in the course is based on all coursework, including the honors project. The instructor will add an "H" to their transcript to indicate the successful completion of the course. The Honors Program provides a set of guidelines to assist in the design of these projects.
c. The Senior Honors Project (3-6 credit hours)
The Senior Honors Project consists of three options: (i) an Honors Enhanced Course, (ii) an Honors Section of a Regular Course Offering and (iii) an Honors Seminar. (See section b above for a description of these options.) Students will design and implement a senior honors project, i.e., an artistic, research or service project, that reflects the highest standards of artistic endeavor, research or service in consultation with the instructor on record for the course and then, with the support of the instructor on record, submit their proposal to the Director of the Honors Program for approval within one month of the first day of classes for the fall and spring semesters. The Honors Program provides the forms for approval and a set of guidelines to assist the student and faculty in the design of these projects. Only 400 level courses fulfill the requirement for the Senior Honors Research Seminar. Students may take the Senior Honors Research Seminar in any academic discipline for which they qualify. NB. Some courses that meet the requirements for the Senior Honors Research Seminar may require prerequisites. If so, then students must meet all the prerequisites in order to register for the course.
3. Academic Performance.
After completing 30 or more hours of Concord course credit, the student must have achieved and must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher in all courses taken at Concord.
4. Enrichment Requirements.
Each Honors student is expected to participate in a majority of the programs and/ or activities provided for Honors students each semester. Attendance at honors events or honors sponsored events translate into enrichment points. Honors students are required to attain 18 enrichment points per semester to remain in good standing. The approved events/activities along with their point values may be found on the honors web page and are distributed to the honors classes each semester. Additions/changes to the list will be determined by the Honors Program Coordinator.
Independent Study
Independent Study courses are designed to allow students to pursue independent research projects in specialized areas other than and beyond the content material of any other specific course listed in the Catalog. The purpose of the independent study is to encourage individual research initiative and independent study habits. No independent study course, therefore, will be used simply to substitute for any other course listed in the Catalog or to satisfy course requirements other than independent study itself. Although each independent study course is tailored differently to suit individual departmental and divisional differences, all individual study courses will meet the following minimal requirements:
Before undertaking an independent study, a student must present a written proposal outlining the study project and the anticipated research methods to an appropriate Faculty member. A committee consisting of this Faculty member and at least two persons from the appropriate discipline or disciplines will evaluate the proposal for this particular independent study project. The committee must approve the study proposal before the student is allowed to register for the course. This same committee will be responsible, upon completion of the independent study, to evaluate the project and assign a final grade for the course. Divisional and/or departmental chairpersons are required to keep a record of the activities of each committee.
Beyond these minimal requirements, responsibility for the administration of independent study courses, including the make-up and manner of selection of each committee, will be the prerogative of the appropriate division or department.
Applications for Independent Study may be obtained from the divisional chairpersons. Procedures to follow are listed on the applications.
Off-Campus Program
In accordance with the Standards for Off-Campus Instruction, adopted by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Concord University delivers a number of its classes and programs at off-campus sites throughout its service region. The opening of the Erma Byrd Higher Education Center in Fall 2007 has enabled Concord to increase substantially its delivery of instruction to the Beckley/ Raleigh County area. In 2010 Concord began delivery of on-site graduate as well as undergraduate classes to Beckley.
Off-campus courses qualify as resident credit for Concord students and satisfy the Standards for Assuring Quality in Off-Campus Credit Instruction, adopted by West Virginia's Higher Education system in January 1992.
These Standards include: a) the same admission, assessment, and placement standards as those which apply on-campus; b) a substantive mix (as close to 50%-50% as possible) between part-time and full-time faculty to ensure standards of academic quality; and c) the same course prerequisites, student assignments, number of instructional hours, degree of library and laboratory use, and other features of improved student performance as are required in Concord's on-campus classes.
Out-of-State Academic Programs
West Virginia provides for its residents who wish to pursue academic programs not available within the State through the Academic Common Market and through contract programs. Both programs provide for West Virginians to enter out-of-state institutions at reduced tuition rates. Contract programs have been established for study in veterinary medicine, optometry, architecture, podiatry, and travel industry management. The Academic Common Market provides access to numerous graduate programs. The programs are restricted to West Virginia residents who have been accepted for admission to one of the specific programs at designated out-of-state institutions. Further information may be obtained through the Registrar's Office.
Planning a Course of Study
Graduation from Concord University requires a minimum of 120-semester hour credits. A semester hour is equivalent to a class meeting once a week for a semester; a course carrying three semester hours credit, therefore, normally meets three times a week in 50 minute class periods throughout the semester. A semester is approximately fifteen weeks in length with a final examination period at the end of the semester. The credit hour value of Concord courses is to be found in the academic catalog as a number in parentheses at the end of each course title. A normal course load for fall or spring semester would be four or five courses totaling about fifteen or sixteen hours credit. Sixteen hours taken over eight semesters would complete the total of 120 hours in four academic years without summer study. Completion of 120 hours of coursework, however, does not constitute completion of a Concord University degree unless the total does include all of the specified courses required for the degree being sought. Most degree programs can be completed within 120 semester hours; certain combinations of majors and minors, or teaching fields, may require more than 120 credit hours for satisfactory completion.
Students may find it necessary to take courses in one or more summer terms in order to complete degree requirements within four calendar years. Seven credit hours may be taken in each of the two terms offered each summer session.
Concord University reserves the right to prescribe not only the courses required for a degree, but the order in which those courses may be scheduled by a student.
Public Service Learning Internships
Each fall and spring semester, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission sponsors a number of off-campus student internships. The majority of these are in-state government offices in the Charleston metropolitan area. They are normally a full semester in length and are designed to familiarize participants with the activities and responsibilities of West Virginia's public agencies. Students accepted into the program receive financial support during their internships and are awarded up to fifteen hours of college credit upon satisfactory completion of the internship requirements. Further information may be obtained through the Registrar's Office.
Workshops
Workshops on and off campus may be scheduled, depending on the needs expressed and the availability of Concord faculty for such service. Workshops occasionally are scheduled as courses on campus. Credit is given to those properly enrolled. Workshops usually carry one to three hours of credit and may not be taken for credit in that subject more than once. Non-credit workshops may be arranged for particular purposes in consultation with University officials. All workshops are subject to approval by Concord University, and they must meet the requirements of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
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