Undergrad
Academic Policies & FAQs
Advising
Adding / Withdrawing from Courses
Advanced Placement and CLEP
D / F Policy
Declaration of Major / Minor
Foreign Language Requirement
Grade Forgiveness
Graduation
Transfer Student FAQ
How do I contact my advisor?
Students are encouraged to make appointments, especially when wanting to have an audit
review of coursework. If you have a question that does not require an appointment
and is not able to be answered here with the FAQs sheet, you may also email lshadvise@usf.edu (LSH students) or ASLadvise@usf.edu (ASL Interpreting and Deaf Studies students).
How do I schedule an appointment with my advisor?
You may now book your own appointment in advising by going here.
If you are not currently a student then go here to schedule an appointment.
You may book an appointment up to two weeks in advance for open slots and the appointment will be 30 minutes in length.
What do I do if I make an appointment online using the scheduler and I am unable to
meet or need to make a change?
Please cancel your appointment and reschedule in the system in which you originally
made your appointment. If the system gives you an error, please feel free to email
lshadvise@usf.edu (LSH students) or ASLadvise@usf.edu (ASL Interpreting and Deaf Studies students). .
How often should I speak with my advisor?
You may feel free to meet with an advisor as often as you wish; however, we recommend
meeting with an advisor at least once a semester and prior to registration to ensure
good academic progress and completion of your degree within four years. We encourage
students to make appointments prior to peak times (two weeks prior to registration
and throughout add/drop week).
Adding / Withdrawing from Courses
How do I add an ASL course during drop/add week?
Do NOT attend the first day of class. The ASL instructors do not allow students to
"sit in" the class if they are not registered. You should be on the computer searching
Student Self-Service during the first class meeting to determine if anyone is dropped for non-attendance.
Should this be the case, please add the course accordingly. You may also see the advisor
to see if you can be added to the course, or email your name and U# with the same
request to ASLadvise@usf.edu.
How can I late add a course?
If you are trying to add a course after the drop/add week, you must first get permission from the instructor for that class. If they will allow you to late add, you must get an ARC petition from the Dean's Office (located in MHC 1143). You must have the instructor complete the Instructor Statement and then you must complete the ARC petition and bring to advising in the department where the class is located and they will stamp over your signature on the petition. This petition is then submitted back to MHC 1143 for committee review. In the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, the ONLY people who can stamp these petitions for late adds for CSD classes are Kerry Jablonski or in her absence, Vivian Maldonado. Click here for petition forms and instructions.
How do I avoid being charged with a $100 late registration fee?
You must register for at least ONE class prior to the first day of classes for each
term. If you are not registered for one class at all times, you will be assessed a
$100 late registration fee in addition to any tuition. You can switch, add, or drop
courses anytime during drop/add week without penalty as long as you are actively registered
in at least one course.
How do I withdraw from a course after drop/add week ends with a "W"?
You may withdraw from any course in which you are enrolled through the Student Self-Service registration menu, but you will not be refunded for fees after drop/add week. You may drop classes up to the posted deadline (see your student catalog or Registrar's Office for this schedule), but usually sometime up to the 10th week of classes.
How many courses can I withdraw from?
Students with 59 or fewer credit hours may withdrawal from 3 courses; and students with 60 or more credit ours are allotted two course withdrawals. Please be aware all attempted college credit hours count towards excess hours including: courses you fail, courses you drop after the end of drop/add, withdrawals, repeats and transfer credit earned at another institution.
What happens if I earn a grade lower than C- in a course required for my major?
If you earn one grade lower than C- in a course required for your major, you will
be sent a warning. As indicated in the USF catalog, our departmental policy for grades
within the major states:
Minimum Grade for Majors
A student must receive a "C-" grade or better in all courses within the major (some
prerequisites may require higher minimum grades). Any student who receives a grade
of "D+" or lower in two USF Communication Sciences and Disorders courses will be required
to either change concentrations within CSD or pursue major reselection. If a student
changes concentrations within the CSD major, pursuant to receiving two "D+" or lower
grades, and earns and additional "D+" or lower grade in any major course, the student
will be required to pursue major reselection. Note: Students may use grade forgiveness
to improve GPA, but all "D+" or lower grades will count towards the maximum allowed
total "D+" or lower grades in the major whether grade forgiven or not. For redirection
into a new major, please see the advisor listed in the Office of Academic Advocacy (OAA).
How do I declare my major or a double major?
To declare a major or to change to another major you can go online to the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences website. Click on the current students tab; click undergraduate, click student forms. Complete
the declaration of major form then email it to the email address located on the top
of the form. If you are interested in declaring your major as CSD, we encourage you
to meet with an advisor prior to declaring so that you have all of the relevant information
pertaining to your decision. For students interested in a double major or dual degree,
approval is now required through the Office of Undergraduate Studies. You can find
more information about that process here.
When do I declare my major?
USF would like you to declare a major as soon as you have decided upon one. This allows
you to establish a relationship with your academic advisor to ensure you are on track
for success at USF at all times. However, you cannot register for CSD classes unless
you are a declared major and at least of junior standing.
How do I declare a minor?
To declare a minor please complete the minor declaration form located on the College of Behavior and Community Sciences website. You must meet with an academic advisor for the department that you would like a minor in to determine department specific requirements.
I took ASL in high school or I am already fluent in ASL. How do I know where to start?
You will need to contact Andrea Smith via email at asmith1@usf.edu to arrange for
an assessment of your skill level in ASL. This determines where you should begin in
the sequence or whether you are fluent enough to meet the BA foreign language requirement
with a waiver.
What if I am a native speaker of a language?
If you are a fluent speaker, you can place out or CLEP out for credit. In place of
the foreign language credits, you will then take elective classes instead to meet
the total number of hours required for your degree.
Do I have to take the same language I did in high school?
No, you can take any language.
Do I have to take them consecutively?
No but they must be two semesters of the same language.
How do I waive the foreign language requirement?
You can either CLEP or place out of the language (placement applies to Spanish, German, French and American Sign Language only).
Do I need a permit for Spanish, French, and German?
You must take a placement test in order to register for any of the languages mentioned
above. You may contact the World Language Department at 813-974-2548 for more information
on times and days that the placement is held. This office is located in 419 Cooper
Hall.
What is grade forgiveness?
Permits an undergraduate to repeat a course and have the repeated grade computed in
his/her GPA in place of the original grade, providing the repeat grade is "D" or higher
(exception - see Honors at Graduation). A course that is repeated and the repeat grade
is "F" will have both grades calculated into the GPA. Normally, grade forgiveness
may only be applied to a specific course that a student chooses to repeat. No course
taken on the S/U grade basis may have the grade forgiveness applied. Under unusual
circumstances, a different but similar course may be used if the substitute course
has been previously approved by the college dean and is on file in the Office of Admissions
& Records. The grade forgiveness policy cannot apply to any course in which the grade
of "FF" has been recorded.
How do I complete a grade forgiveness and how many courses can I grade forgive?
-
- A limitation of applying grade forgiveness to three USF courses with no more than one repeat per course.
- With prior approval of the college dean, a course different from a course on the approved list may be substituted in the following cases:
- The substitute course is a change in prefix, number, hours, or title, but not a substantive change in content from the original course.
- The substitute course replaces a course no longer offered by the institution.
- The repeated course must be taken under the standard grading system (A-F) and the latest grade must be D/D- or higher (grades of S/U are not permitted).
How does this look on my transcript?
All grades remain on the transcript. The original course grade will be annotated with
"R" to indicate that the course has subsequently been repeated and the original grade
is not computed in the GPA.
Are there any restrictions to grade forgivenesses?
Yes, the policy applies only to courses taken originally at USF and repeated at USF.
No cross institutional grade forgivenesses are accepted. The Department of Communication
Sciences and Disorders does not allow grade forgiveness to be applied to 4000 level
coursework within the major. You may only opt to use a total of two grade forgivenesses
within the major.
Where do I go to apply for graduation?
To apply to graduate, login to Student Self-Service using your Net ID and self-assigned password, then click on the Student menu and
select "Apply for Graduation." Please note that participation in commencement ceremonies
requires separate registration with the Office of Special Events & Ceremonies.
When do I apply for graduation?
Applications are accepted during the four weeks of the term the student will be completing
all degree requirements.
If I miss the deadline, can I still apply?
If you miss the deadline to apply to graduate, you can still apply up until the last
day of class (does not include finals week). However, to ensure that your name is
included in the program at commencement, you must apply to graduate and register for
commencement by the published deadline.
If I apply for graduation and get denied do I need to apply again?
Yes you need to apply for graduation in the semester you will actually complete all
degree requirements. You can still participate in the ceremony if you will be denied
graduation
For all Transfer Student questions, please click here.