Major advisors: Guiding students through the transition
When fall semester 1998 begins at UGA, many students will be caught mid-degree by the change in calendar. Converting their quarter credits to semester credits is easy enough--but the requirements for graduation are also changing with the conversion to semesters.
Students who matriculated before fall of 1996--at any institution--must satisfy the "old" quarter-system requirements to graduate, but they must do it by taking "new" semester-system courses.
Since most of these students will be juniors and seniors, most of the requirements they will need to fulfill will be those for their major, although some will be college requirements.
A student in this situation will bring the problem to his or her major advisor, who will help the student identify which semester course satisfies each requirement once met by a quarter-system course. The advisor will also help the student calculate the total hours completed and those remaining.
Students help by keeping good records of coursework and advising and by studying the list of new semester courses in the major.
Semester courses are listed on the bulletin Web site. Training for advisors is under way in each school and college.
