Academics
Contact Us:
Dean's Office
600 Linden St., 3rd Floor
570-941-7560
Goal Attainment Program
Mission Statment
The University of Scranton CAS Goal Attainment Program is a holistic approach designed to help students develop academic skills as well as effective self-management strategies, to provide career and major exploration and to examine the compatibility of the individual student’s specific inclinations and aptitudes with major and career interests with the intent of promoting academic success and appropriate major fit.
What is Goal Attainment?
Goal Attainment is a program for students who require assistance in gaining acceptance into a major at The University of Scranton. The program integrates academic support services with major and career exploration. Students are placed into the Goal Attainment Program for one of two reasons:
1. His or her GPA in major specific courses was below a 2.0. Therefore, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences removed him or her from the major.
2. He or she attempted to declare a major but did not have either the cumulative GPA or major GPA required for acceptance into that major.
How to go from Goal Attainment to a Major
To be removed from Goal Attainment, a student must gain acceptance into a major. For many majors, a student must earn a GPA of 2.0 in courses for that major. However, some programs have more stringent requirements. Click here for information about specific majors. See your advisor to complete a declaration of major form.
There is a time limit to the Goal Attainment Program
A student is only granted one semester of Goal Attainment. Those who do not gain acceptance into a major by the end of one semester may face dismissal from The University of Scranton.
Semester Responsibilities of Goal Attainment Students
A student in Goal Attainment should first determine if admission to his or her original major is still practical and desirable. Frequently, students discover that there are many more majors that are a much better fit for their interests and aptitudes. A Goal Attainment student should also spend the semester identifying techniques and services to enable him or her to study and learn more effectively which will help to promote academic achievement. If a student wishes to accomplish all of this, it is important to work closely with his or her academic advisor.
Requirements for Goal Attainment?
Students in Goal Attainment may be limited in the number and type of credits they can take. The student’s academic advisor will work in conjunction with the CAS Dean to determine an appropriate credit load. A student may be prevented from continuing in the courses for the desired major due to poor performance in pre requisite courses. A student in Goal Attainment is required to meet with his or her advisor on a regular basis, complete all materials assigned and participate fully in the PASS program.
Timely Degree Completion
The longer you wait to declare, the more unlikely it is that you will be able to graduate in four years. However, there are a lot of important factors in evaluating your progress toward graduation. Many majors have highly sequenced major requirements and structured cognates. Unless you have taken all the requirements, you may be behind. Other majors offer a lot more flexibility. Additionally, it may be possible to make up lost ground during intersession or summer. Contact your advisor to determine your options.
Summary of Responsibilities of Advisees
- Begin to honestly evaluate whether your chosen field of study is a match for your interests and abilities. If not, talk to your advisor as soon as possible to determine a better suited major.
- Check your University of Scranton email daily.
- Attend all individual meetings with your academic advisor.
- Provide 24 hours notice if you need to reschedule an appointment with your academic advisor.
- Use your planner to track assignments, examinations and appointments.
- Study at least 2-3 hours per week per credit.
- Participate fully in the PASS Program, which means that you will keep at least 6 appointments with your Practicum Counselor.
- At least once in the semester, visit Career Services to discuss career and internship possibilities.
- Utilize all additional campus resources that can help you improve your academic performance.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 and earn the required major GPA needed to gain acceptance to the program of your choice (click here for a list of majors and GPA requirements).
Responsibilities of Academic Advisors
- Actively engage in all meetings.
- Respond to all communications within 24 hours between Monday and Friday.
- Provide accurate and honest feedback and information.
- Provide 24 hours’ notice of rescheduled appointments.
- Protect confidentiality of all information discussed.
Pass Program
The PASS (Professional and Academic Support for Success program) is a support service provided to you by graduate practicum counseling students who are nearing completion of a master’s degree in counseling. You have been referred to the PASS Program because of your academic probation status. You were referred to the program through the Academic Advising Office. During the semester, you will attend individual counseling/mentoring sessions with graduate students. The graduate students will receive intensive supervision throughout this process.
Students participating in the PASS program will receive approximately 6 -12 individual sessions with a practicum counseling student. The focus will be on individual needs for remediation based on the grades, department evaluation and the initial assessment completed by the practicum counseling student.
Services may include:
To arrange for participation in PASS, please email a copy of your current fall schedule to Geri Barber at gerianne.barber@scranton.edu. You will be contacted by the end of the second week of September by the graduate student assigned to assist you. In the event you have not been contacted by Sept 14th, please email Geri Barber, Counselor Training Center Director at the above email address or contact your assigned Academic Advisor.
Copy of PASS Letter that was sent to your permanent home address
Reading Test
The Nelson-Denny reading screening compares a student’s reading skills against a norming group of their peers. A freshman in college would be compared to freshmen across the country. There are two sections to the test, vocabulary and comprehension; in addition, the test provides a measure of reading rate. These three elements are the building blocks for successful college reading. College reading involves identifying important information in text and manipulating that information for recall or use in research. The nelson-denny points to areas that the student can improve to make success at reading and learning more likely.
You can make an appointment with Mr. Muniz by calling 570-941-4218. You must have a scheduled appointment by the second week of classes.
Goal Attainment Questionnaire
Completed packets must be handed in by first Friday of the semester. You can drop your packet off in the CAS Advising Center (600 Linden St, 3rd floor). If you do not have access to a printer, stop by the advising center to pick up a copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.
What is a deficient grade?
Q. Should I change
my major?
Q. If I decide to
change my major, how do I do it?
Q. Is there any way
to remove an F off my transcript?
Q. Should I repeat
a course in which I received an F or D?
Q. How soon should
I repeat a course?
Q. The course I
failed was a prerequisite to a course I want to take next semester. What should
I do?
Q. I don’t think the instructor
gave me the correct grade and now I am on Goal Attainment. How do I appeal a
grade?
Q. Will my
instructors be told that I am on Goal Attainment?
Q. How do academics
affect my financial aid?
Q. How does an S
for Satisfactory or U for unsatisfactory affect my GPA?
Q. I currently have an “I” as a course grade.
What does this mean?
Q. Where can I
learn about University of Scranton resources?
Q. Can I repeat a
course at a different university?
A. The University of Scranton recognizes a C as the minimal grade you should receive. Even though you do not fail a course with a C, C-, D+ or D, your grade is below average and you should start improving your GPA. Remember, probation is not dismissal; it is a warning that you are in danger of not passing. The graph below will assist you in determining where you are in regards to your grades.
|
C |
2.00 |
Minimal passing grade for ALL Skills courses (WRTG 105, 106, 107, C/IL 102, 102L, COMM 100) |
|
C- |
1.67 |
Deficient grade (Below a 2.0) Credits are still earned |
|
D+ |
1.33 |
Deficient grade (Below a 2.0) Credits are still earned |
|
D |
1.00 |
Deficient grade (Below a 2.0) Credits are still earned |
|
F |
0.00 |
Deficient grade (Below a 2.0) Credit is NOT earned |
A. This is an important question to start asking yourself. It is very important to know why you did not do well last semester. Many students struggle because their major did not fit with their interests or aptitudes. This is something that you should discuss with your advisor.
Q. If I decide to change my major, how do I do it?
A. The procedure for changing your major depends upon the discipline you intend to pursue. The first step is always a discussion with your advisor.
Q. Is there any way to remove an F off my transcript?
A. Unfortunately, no. While you can remove the F from the calculation of your GPA, the F will remain on your transcript.
Q. Should I repeat a course in which I received an F or D?
A. The recording of grades for repeated courses shall be governed by the following conditions: 1. Credit for a course will be granted only once; 2. Credit for the course will be lost if the course is repeated and failed; 3. The most recent credit and grade will count toward the GPA with this exception: a “W” grade cannot replace another grade; 4. Each attempt to complete a course will be reported on the student’s transcript; 5. Ordinarily, a student may repeat a course only in the same mode in which it was originally taken; 6. A student cannot repeat a course at another institution.
Q. How soon should I repeat a course?
A. It is recommended to repeat the course as soon as possible. Using the table below as an example, you are able to see how a repeated course could boost your GPA. In the example, the student failed History the first semester (as seen in the first column). In the second column, the student repeats History and receives a B. His overall GPA is now a 3.33. In the third column, the student did not repeat the course and his overall GPA is 2.50.
|
Fall Semester 1 |
|
Spring Semester (Repeat of course) |
|
Spring Semester (NON Repeat of course) |
||||||
|
Credits |
Course |
Grade |
Credits |
Course |
Grade |
Credits |
Course |
Grade |
||
|
3 |
English |
B |
3 |
History |
B |
3 |
Math |
A |
||
|
3 |
History |
F |
3 |
Math |
A |
3 |
Science |
B |
||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Semester GPA |
1.50 |
Semester GPA |
3.50 |
Semester GPA |
3.50 |
|||||
|
Cumm GPA |
1.50 |
Cumm GPA |
3.33 |
Cumm GPA |
2.50 |
|||||
Q. The course I failed was a prerequisite to a course I want to take next semester. What should I do?
A. If you already registered for the course for next semester, you must drop the course immediately. Prerequisite courses are designed to prepare you in the course that follows. If you did not do well in the prerequisite course, it will be very hard to do well in the next level course.
Q. I don’t think the instructor gave me the correct grade and now I am on Goal Attainment. How do I appeal a grade?
A. A student who believes the grade received for a course is unreasonable or incorrect should first address the concern to the professor, whose decision is normally final. The student has the right, however, to appeal to the faculty member’s chairperson, who will make a recommendation in writing to his or her Dean. The student may request the Dean to review the grade. The decision of the Dean is final. Ordinarily, no grade change will be considered unless it has been reviewed by the Dean’s Office within one month from the time the original grade was sent to the student.
Q. Will my instructors be told that I am on Goal Attainment?
A. No. Your instructors are not made aware of you being on Goal Attainment unless you tell them.
Q. How do academics affect my financial aid?
A. To better assist you with this question, contact the Financial Aid Office. Each student has different scholarship requirements. Financial Aid’s number is 570.941.7700. Their hours are Monday- Friday 8:30-4:30.
Q. How does an S for Satisfactory or U for unsatisfactory affect my GPA?
A. It does not affect your GPA but satisfactory completion of pass/fail courses is required for graduation.
Q. I currently have an “I” as a course grade. What does this mean?
A. Grades of “I” or “incomplete” are given at the sole discretion of the professor when a student has not completed all the assignments by the end of the semester. Students are expected to complete and submit the outstanding assignments as soon as possible after the end of the semester. When the instructor has graded the completed work, he or she will submit a change of grade form. If the student has not finished the “incomplete” by the midpoint of next semester, the “incomplete” will automatically change to an “F”. The course will then need to be completely repeated in order to earn credit.
Q. Where can I learn about University of Scranton resources?
A. Refer to page 10 of this packet to learn about different useful campus resources. If you would like to know more about any of these resources please ask your advisor.
Q. Can I repeat a course at a different university?
A. To receive credit and a grade change for any repeated course, it must be completed at The University of Scranton.
