Spring Semester 2012

The Parent’s Page

Spring semester information for parents of General Engineering and Chemistry freshmen and new General Engineering transfer students

 

By now your student has several weeks experience with classes.  This semester, he or she has a more realistic idea of the academic expectations in college. If your son or daughter did well last semester, congratulations!  All that hard work paid off.   He or she will continue to move forward toward that career path.

For some of our new students first semester was a big shock.  Study habits that worked in high school or at other schools were not as effective as before.  Their grades showed it. This may be the first academic obstacle they’ve encountered and they are not sure how to handle it.

While first-semester grades may not be exactly what you or they expected, please don’t panic.  You know that it takes time to adjust to the pace and demands of Clemson’s academic environment and to learn to think like an engineer or chemist.  You can help your student realize this too. So what do you do?

Let them know you have faith in their abilities.  Remind them of past experiences in which they’ve worked hard to reach their goal.  If they played a sport or a musical instrument, or developed a hobby, remind them that it took time to acquire the skills they needed to become proficient.  Let them know that you will support them for as long as it takes as they work toward their goal.

 We have listed key dates for the spring semester below so that you know what is happening.  If your son or daughter seems a little distant or irritable when talking to you, this could be why.  Perhaps sending a care package, a card or a little surprise durig the semester would be a good idea. 

Important Spring Semester Dates

February 6                    CH 101/102 Exam #1

February 8                    Mthsc 104/106/107/108 Exam #1

February 14                  CES 102 Exam #1

February 16                  Physics 122/221 Exam #1

February 21                  ENGR 130/141 Exam #1

March 7                         Mthsc 103/106/108 Exam #2

March12                        Chemistry 101/102 Exam #2

March 15                       Physics 122/221 Exam #2

March 16                       Last Day to Withdraw from a Class or the University without Final Grades

March 19-23                  Spring Break

March 27                        CES 102 Exam #2

April 2                            Registration for Fall Begins

April 3                            ENGR 130/141 Exam #2

April 11                          Mthsc 104/106/107/108 Exam #3

April 19                          Physics 122/221 Exam #3

April 23                          Chemistry 101/102 Exam #3

April 30-May 4               Final Exams

 

CoES academic advisors are here to support our students and their parents.  We hope that providing you with information and insight into how we approach advising will help get students into our offices.  We’ve specified some key areas where we can help our students this semester.  We have included additional links for more in-depth information on special topics.

Goal-setting

Advisors help students set realistic academic goals for this semester.  Some students are not likely to earn all A’s like they did in high school.  We can offer a reality check.  Some students want to take more hours to “catch up” if they think they are behind.  This isn’t a good idea.  This strategy usually ends up lowering the cumulative grade since their efforts are spread thinly among too many classes. We also remind students who are repeating a class, success is not guaranteed.  They still need to attend every class, prepare in advance, and use the many resources available.

Course and Classroom Expectations

Advisors encourage students to review every course syllabus frequently.  By doing this they will know what each professor expects in the classroom as well as when homework is due.  If something on the syllabus is not clear, we encourage them to talk to their professor.

Dropping a Class

Your student may want to withdraw from a course. That can be the right decision.  If he or she is overloaded and stressed to the point where one course brings down other course grades, we say withdraw.  If he or she had a rough start in a course and cannot recover, we say withdraw. General engineering students must earn minimum grades of C in core courses to move on and do well.  If a student can retake the course in summer without falling behind, withdrawing is a good idea. CoES advisors will discuss all options and will help students put together a realistic and viable plan.

Advising Students on Academic Probation

  General Engineering and second semester chemistry students on academic probation (cumulative GPR less than a 2.0) must see their CoES advisor twice this semester.  Each advisor helps the student assess what went wrong last semester…what didn’t work.  The advisor helps the student develop a plan to get back on track.  The advisor also explains the academic standards students must meet to continue at Clemson in the fall.  Students who do not meet with their advisors twice BEFORE SPRING BREAK are not allowed to register for fall courses until they have seen their advisor.  This can be impossible during the registration rush so please check with your student to make sure he or she has scheduled their first appointment. We have also left the FAQs about Academic Probation on this site for your convenience. 

Advising Students Redeeming Courses 

Academic Redemption can help a student raise their cumulative GPR and retain those valuable scholarships.  CoES advisors explain how the AR policy works and show students how to recalculate their grades based on redemption. Since this procedure is complicated, please ensure that your student consults his or her official CoES advisor.

Choosing A Major

Second semester is a time when many freshmen begin to question their choice of major.  Courses are more challenging.  They still haven’t done “real” engineering or chemistry and the idea of three (or more) years of this much work seems like too much.  Some of their friends in other majors seem to have more than enough time to study and to socialize.  They feel like they are missing out on the social side of college.  We have provided more information on choosing a major on our website for students.  Please encourage your son or daughter to look at this if they are thinking of changing.

Advisors talk to students about career choice. We listen carefully to their reasons. If they aren’t enjoying what they are doing, that’s important information.  We ask lots of questions to determine if the decision is influenced by their perception of not doing well or this is really not a career in which they will be satisfied.  It is important that each student has the motivation and desire to reach the ultimate goal of becoming an engineer or chemist.  They have to believe that what they will be doing on their job is satisfying enough to keep them motivated for the challenges ahead.  We remind them this is their life and express confidence in their ability to manage it.  How they approach this decision will affect how they make future choices.

Selecting Classes

CoES advisors meet one-on-one with our students to help them select classes for the upcoming semester.  We encourage them to come in early to discuss their progress and their options because we want to give each student the time and attention needed for their individual situation.  Please help us. Encourage your student to meet with the advisor who manages their part of the alphabet prior to spring break.

CoES Advisors

A-C                 Ms. Karen Thompson

D-H                 Ms. Alrinthia Carter

I-O                  Ms. Meg Newton

P-S                  Ms. Michelle Peer

T-Z                 Ms. Jessica Creel

CoES advisors constantly communicate with students.  Our Advising Bulletin is sent to inform and to remind our students that their advisors are available to assist them.  We do our best to get our students information they need. We do our best to help them be as successful as possible.  We appreciate all your help as parents too.  Together we can help them get where they want to go.

Frequently asked questions about academic probation 

My student's GPR was below a 2.0.  What does that mean? 

  A student whose cumulative GPR is below a 2.0 (C average) is on academic probation.  No notation appears on the student's permanent record.   Don't panic, about one-fourth of our students don't do as well as anticipated first semester, but most of them improve second semester. 

Why was my student allowed to return if on probation?

Students who started Clemson last fall are only suspended if they do not meet the University's standards at the end of this spring semester.

My student said that he/she could repeat a course and replace the original grade with the new one.  Is that correct?

Most likely. Students may redeem up to 10 credit hours of coursework. If a student repeats a course in which he/she earned a D or F, the second grade replaces the first grade in the GPR calculation.  While the first grade will show on the official transcript, only the second grade is used to calculate the cumulative GPR.  However, this only applies as long as the student has enough redemption hours and withdrawal hours to qualify.  Students should consult their academic advisor ASAP once they know they earned a D or F in a course.

What does that mean enough redemption and withdrawal hours?

A student is allowed to redeem (replace) up to 10 credit hours of coursework during their time at Clemson.  Students may also withdraw (drop) up to 17 hours of classes while at Clemson.  However, when a student redeems a class they use both redemption and withdrawal hours simultaneously.  If the total number of W hours is less than the number of credit hours for the course repeated, redemption is not possible.

Did my student lose the LIFE or Palmetto scholarship money in spring if on academic probation?

No!  LIFE and Palmetto are awarded for a year, not by semester.  Students will be reviewed at the end of the spring semester to determine if they meet both the GPR and credit hour requirements for LIFE and Palmetto. Students can use the GPR calculator to determine what grades they need to earn to keep their scholarships.  More information is available on the Financial Aid webpage.

What resources are available to help my student get off of academic probation?

All of the same resources that are available first semester are available in the spring.  But, new students on academic probation will participate in a program designed and offered by the Office of Undergraduate Studies and the Academic Success Center.  Students in chemistry and General engineering should consult their CoES advisor about special requirements.

How can I best talk to my student about academic probation and steps to take to get off?

Pick a time when your student and you are calm and relaxed.  Then start the conversation. Ask which classes they enjoyed and which they didn't.  Ask what was different between their high school classes and their college classes.  Help them figure out a realistic plan to improve their grades...do they need more pre-class preparation?  Do they need to spend more time on homework even if it isn't graded?  Do they need to hone time management skills...learning how to break large assignments into smaller, more manageable parts?  Would working with the Academic Success Center be helpful?  Point out the resources we have listed on our webpage.

Encourage your student to take responsibility. Clearly communicate that their responsibility to use every resource.  Express confidence in their ability to get through this situation and make the right choices next semester.