Many advising questions may be answered by reviewing the following FAQ section. Take a minute to see if your questions and answers are listed here. If you do not see your questions here, or have further questions, you can contact your faculty advisor or the Director of Academic Advising.

What should I do if I don’t know who my advisor is?
How do I change my advisor?
Why do I need a Rockhurst email and oracleweb account?
What should I do if I’m not doing well in a course?
If I stop attending class will I automatically be dropped?
How do I drop a class?
What should I do if I want to drop all classes for the term?
If I drop a class, will it affect my financial aid?
How do I pre-register for classes?
Am I required to meet with an advisor?
When should I meet with my advisor?
How will I know when it’s time to schedule classes for the next semester?
What do I do if the class I want is full?
How can I find out what requirements I still have to fulfill?
How do I know which classes to take for the core?
What is an elective and how many electives do I need?
Do I need to take foreign language classes to graduate?
How do I officially declare my major?
Should I complete all of my core requirements before I begin my major classes?
Can I count core classes toward my major?
How many credit hours do I need to graduate?
What should I do if I want to take more than 18 hours for the semester?
Can I take a class at UMKC for free?
How do I know which math course to sign up for?
If I want to take summer classes back home, how do I know what will transfer?

What should I do if I don’t know who my advisor is?
Contact the appropriate Director of Academic Advising.

How do I change my advisor?
Typically, a student’s advisor assignment is only changed when he or she declares a major or changes his/her program of study. For information about declaring a major or to request an advisor change, contact the appropriate Director of Academic Advising.

Why do I need a Rockhurst email and oracleweb account?
All degree and certificate seeking students should have a Rockhurst email and oracleweb account. Important Rockhurst information will be sent via your Rockhurst email account (other email accounts will not be used). You will use oracleweb to sign up for classes, access your academic records, and update personal information. To set up both accounts, take your student ID card to the Computer Services Help Desk on the 4th floor of Conway Hall.

What should I do if I’m not doing well in a course?
The first thing to do is speak with the instructor. Speaking to the instructor of a course in which you are not doing well may be difficult for you, but your instructor is most familiar with the course requirements and your performance. If you express an interest in improving your performance, most instructors will try to help. An instructor may suggest visiting The Learning Center (VA 200), which is an excellent resource for students. The Learning Center provides tutoring and assistance for just about any class offered at Rockhurst.

Talking to your academic advisor may also be helpful. Your advisor can help you identify issues that may be contributing to poor performance (e.g. – enrolled for too many hours, ineffective approach to studying, lack of organization or effort, etc.)

Finally, withdrawing from the course may be an option. Again, getting input from your instructor and your advisor should help you make the right decision. The worst thing you can do is to do nothing at all.

If I stop attending class will I automatically be dropped?
No. If you decide to withdraw from a course, it is your responsibility to complete and submit a drop form by the last day to withdraw (see academic calendar). Drop forms are available in the Registrar’s and Dean’s Offices. It is best to turn the form in as soon as possible after you have decided to withdraw. Students who stop attending, but do not officially drop will receive an F for the course and still be responsible for tuition and fees.

How do I drop a class?
You can withdraw from a course during the semester (see academic calendar for last day to withdraw).
Here’s what you need to do:

1. Get a drop form from the Registrar’s or Dean’s Office
2. Fill in the information on the top part of the form and class information
   
3. Have your advisor sign the form
   
4. Have the instructor sign the form, noting your last date of attendance
   
5. Have a financial aid counselor sign the form
   
6. Submit completed form to the Registrar’s Office – Forms turned in after the last day to withdraw will not be processed.
   

What should I do if I want to drop all classes for the term?
Follow the above procedure for dropping a class. One form may be used for all classes and a Dean’s will be required for a total withdrawal.

Full time undergraduates should first contact Sandy Waddell, Director of New Students and Retention, for a total withdrawal checklist and exit interview.

1. Set up your Oracleweb account at the Computer Services Help Desk
   
2. Check the class schedule (on Oracleweb) and select classes
   
3. Make an appointment to see your academic advisor to discuss the classes you have selected and review your progress towards graduation. (Undergraduate students will need to obtain an alternate PIN from their academic advisor.)
   
4. Log on to Oracleweb during your priority pre-registration time (see academic calendar).

Am I required to meet with an academic advisor?
While all students are encouraged to meet with academic advisors, it is a requirement for undergraduates. Continuing undergraduate students must meet with their academic advisor in order to obtain an alternate PIN, which will allow them to enroll in classes on-line. Alternate PINs are changed every semester.

When should I meet with my advisor?
Most commonly, students meet with their academic advisor only a couple of times a year (usually during scheduling). However, more frequent contact with an advisor may be beneficial for students (see student and advisor roles).

For a scheduling appointment, you should meet with your advisor before your priority scheduling date (see academic calendar). Missing your priority date or waiting until the last minute could cause you to be closed out of a course (or courses), which may delay graduation.

How will I know when it’s time to schedule classes for the next semester(s)?
Continuing students are assigned a priority date for scheduling based on class level (see academic calendar). For undergraduates, class level is determined by hours earned so it’s important that you know your current standing. Current semester coursework does not count toward class standing.

What do I do if the class I want is full?
If a class is full and you would like to get on a waiting list, you can fill out a Closed Class Petition Form (12KB PDF) in the appropriate dean's office. Petitions are logged in the order they are received. Seniors and majors may be given priority, but are not guaranteed a spot in the class. If you choose to petition a class, you should enroll in an alternate class in the event that the petition is not granted. There is a section on the form where you can indicate which class to drop if the petition is granted.

How can I find out what requirements I still have to fulfill?
Each semester (prior to scheduling), your academic advisor will receive an updated copy of your degree audit/compliance report. This report will match your coursework with degree requirements. Prior to declaring a major, the report will only reflect core and other general requirements. Once you’ve declared, the degree audit will indicate which requirements must be completed for graduation.

Your advisor should be able to help you read your degree audit/compliance report. You can request a degree audit anytime from the Registrar’s Office.

How do I know which classes to take for the core?
The Proficiency & Core Requirements Worksheet (96KB PDF) is a complete list of the requirements along with courses that you may choose from to fulfill each requirement. In some cases, you may be able to take a core class that will also count towards your major.

What is an elective and how many electives do I need?
An elective is a course of your choosing. There are two types of electives: general electives and electives that fulfill program requirements.

• General electives do not fulfill any specific requirement and count only towards hours for graduation if needed. Most college level courses will count as electives.
  
• Program electives fulfill specific requirements and may be chosen from a list of course options. Consult your academic advisor when choosing program electives.

Do I need to take foreign language classes to graduate?
The study of foreign language is not required by the Rockhurst liberal core. However, the study of foreign language is required for the following majors:

• Business Communication
  
• Communication
  
• English
  
• Global Studies
  
• History
  
• Organizational Communication and Leadership
  
• Theology and Religious Studies

Although it is not required for all students, we encourage you to study a foreign language to broaden your perspective of culture in the tradition of a liberal arts education. Rockhurst offers majors and minors in French and Spanish.

To find out which language classes are appropriate see the Guidelines for Placing Students in Language Classes (13KB PDF).

How do I officially declare my major?
Students are required to officially declare a major and should do so by their junior year. For information about declaring a major contact the appropriate Director of Academic Advising.

Should I complete all of my core requirements before I begin my major classes?
Getting the core “out of the way” before taking major classes is not necessarily advisable. Many programs require that students complete lower division coursework before beginning upper-division classes. In addition, some programs have layers of pre-requisites. If you take only core classes for your first three or four semesters, it would be difficult to complete certain majors within four years. Typically, the freshman year should focus on core requirements, while the following years are usually a mix of core and major/minor coursework.

Can I count core classes toward my major?
Some core classes may also fulfill major requirements. For example, if you were to major in psychology, your introductory psychology will count for both your core and major requirements. The same is true for many other disciplines. There are also some upper-division courses you may use to “double dip.” You cannot, however, count the same class for two different majors or for both a major and minor.

How many credit hours do I need to graduate?
The bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 128 credit hours. The number of hours required for graduate programs vary according to the degree (see catalog for details).

Can I take a class at UMKC for free?
Yes. Rockhurst University participates in the Kansas City Area Student Exchange (KCASE) program. Students enrolled full-time at Rockhurst may take a class at UMKC or another participating area school (see catalog for list of schools) without paying additional tuition. Lab fees may apply and some classes are restricted from KCASE. Here’s what you should do if you are interested in taking a class through KCASE:

• Check the on-line schedule of the school you interested in to see if there is a potential course.
  
• Go to the registrar's office (at Rockhurst) to get a KCASE registration and pre-approval of transfer credit forms.
  
• Go to the other school to enroll.

How do I know which math course to sign up for?
Some programs have specific math requirements. For general information, see the Which Rockhurst University Math Course is Best for You? (12KB PDF) worksheet.

If I want to take summer classes back home, how do I know what will transfer?
Students going home for the summer often wish to take a class at an institution closer to home. Be sure to check for two things:

• Be sure of the transferability of the course you want to take by completing a Pre-approval of Transfer Credit form.
  
• Information about transfer credits for selected Missouri and Kansas schools can be found on the Registrar’s webpage.