Parents and Families
Frequently Asked Questions
Should my student register for a first-year experience course?
We encourage all new students to take a first-year experience course such as FYE 101, BUS 105A, NUR 110, or HES 110 to maximize their success while transitioning to a new learning environment. These courses equip and empower new students to develop and achieve their academic and personal goals. Research indicates that UNCG students who take these courses achieve higher GPAs and are generally more successful than students who do not take a first-year experience course. Encourage your student to register for one of these courses.
When does a student need to declare a major?
New students often arrive without having declared a specific major. With assistance from their advisor in the Students First Office, many students use their first two or three semesters to explore majors by sampling courses across the curriculum that meet their General Education Core (GEC) requirements. For many students, choosing a major is a learning and exploration process. It is important to encourage students to reflect on their interests and strengths while searching for a major. The Students First Office and the CSC can help students uncover and build upon their interests and strengths to help narrow their search. While there is not a designated semester in which a student must declare a major, a selection is recommended by the time he or she has accumulated 45 hours of course credit. In addition, certain majors do require an early commitment by students who plan to graduate in four years. Special admission requirements for specific majors such as GPA, course prerequisites, auditions, applications, and/or interviews are described in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
What are Freshman Seminar courses?
Freshman Seminar courses give students the opportunity to study a topic in depth while earning credit in the General Education Core (GEC) or to fulfill the College Additional Requirements (CAR). The seminars are small discussion classes taught by faculty selected for their commitment and interest in undergraduate teaching and are available for freshmen only. The seminars have no prerequisites and do not presume any special knowledge about the topics to be covered.
Do you have any tips for first-year success that I can share with my student?
We encourage students to:
We encourage all new students to take a first-year experience course such as FYE 101, BUS 105A, NUR 110, or HES 110 to maximize their success while transitioning to a new learning environment. These courses equip and empower new students to develop and achieve their academic and personal goals. Research indicates that UNCG students who take these courses achieve higher GPAs and are generally more successful than students who do not take a first-year experience course. Encourage your student to register for one of these courses.
When does a student need to declare a major?
New students often arrive without having declared a specific major. With assistance from their advisor in the Students First Office, many students use their first two or three semesters to explore majors by sampling courses across the curriculum that meet their General Education Core (GEC) requirements. For many students, choosing a major is a learning and exploration process. It is important to encourage students to reflect on their interests and strengths while searching for a major. The Students First Office and the CSC can help students uncover and build upon their interests and strengths to help narrow their search. While there is not a designated semester in which a student must declare a major, a selection is recommended by the time he or she has accumulated 45 hours of course credit. In addition, certain majors do require an early commitment by students who plan to graduate in four years. Special admission requirements for specific majors such as GPA, course prerequisites, auditions, applications, and/or interviews are described in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
What are Freshman Seminar courses?
Freshman Seminar courses give students the opportunity to study a topic in depth while earning credit in the General Education Core (GEC) or to fulfill the College Additional Requirements (CAR). The seminars are small discussion classes taught by faculty selected for their commitment and interest in undergraduate teaching and are available for freshmen only. The seminars have no prerequisites and do not presume any special knowledge about the topics to be covered.
Do you have any tips for first-year success that I can share with my student?
We encourage students to:
- Vist Your First Year website for tips and resources at newstudents.uncg.edu/yfy.
- Create a balanced schedule with a variety of courses planned for every day of the week.
- Register for a first-year experience course.
- Maintain balance between academics and employment.
- Get involved on campus through Campus Activities & Programs.
- Go to class.
- Build relationships with faculty, staff, and students.
- Take advantage of campus resources.
- Explore different majors, especially if you are an Exploratory (Undecided) Major.
- Ask for help at any time!
Academic Resources
ACADEMIC RESOURCES
Students First Office (SFO) The Students First Office coordinates intervention processes across different academic and administrative units in order to determine the best possible success strategies for students facing academic, social, or financial setbacks. In collaboration with other support services across campus, the office serves as an Academic One-Stop-Shop for assisting students with academic advising, academic appeals, course overload requests, and graduation plan completion. In addition, SFO also serves as the centralized academic advising center for all Exploratory (Undecided) Majors at UNCG. For more information, visit the Students First website or call or call (336) 334-5730.First-Year Transition Courses (FYE 101, BUS 105, NUR 110, HHS125) These courses, designed to help ensure a successful transition to UNCG, expose new students to academic tools, campus resources, and opportunities for campus and community involvement. FYE 101: Succeed at the G is open to all first-year students. BUS 105 is specifically for freshmen with majors in the Bryan School of Business and Economics. NUR 110 is specifically designed for students planning to major in Nursing. HHS125 is designed for students exploring health majors.
Student Success Center The Student Success Center (SSC) offers 4 academic support programs for UNCG students: the Learning Assistance Center (LAC), Special Support Services (SSS), Supplemental Instruction Program (SIP), and Student Study Program (SSP).
The Learning Assistance Center (LAC) serves the entire undergraduate student body. Support services include: small group and individual tutoring, academic skills assessments, computer-assisted academic skills enhancement, and academic skills workshops. Special Support Services (SSS) is available to students who are first-generation, from modest income backgrounds, or who have a disability, and who also demonstrate academic need for services. Services include writing and research instruction, graduate/professional school guidance, tutoring, financial literacy instruction, and use of a learning lab. · The Supplemental Instruction Program (SIP) provides discussion and review forums designed to help you achieve success in a course that has been designated as historically difficult.
Student Study Program (SSP) connects students enrolled in the same course & section number to engage in a collaborative study process. This collaborative group concept fosters greater study habits and positive relationships among peers. Each program serves the individual needs of students as they work toward undergraduate degrees and develop into lifelong learners. All of the academic support services offered are FREE! Additionally, students using our services achieve higher course grades and GPAs. More information about the Student Success Center programs can be found at http://success.uncg.edu/.
Office of Accessibility Resources & Services (OARS) The Office of Accessibility Resources (OARS) provides support for students with a variety of disabilities and diagnosed learning differences. Students should contact this office to determine if they qualify for assistance. For more information, please refer to the OARS section of this publication or to their webpage: http://ods.uncg.edu/.
University Writing Center The University Writing Center strives to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free, individual assistance at any stage of a writing project. Staff consultants are experienced writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, help students find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one-on-one instruction as needed. More information about the University Writing Center is available at http://writingcenter.uncg.edu/.
University Speaking Center The University Speaking Center provides consultation support and instructional workshop services for UNCG students, faculty, employees, and members of the Greensboro community. Our support is designed to help speakers further develop their own oral communication confidence and competence. We provide peer-to-peer feedback, guidance, and other support in the areas of public speaking preparation and delivery, interpersonal communication, and group or team communication.
The Speaking Center is located along with the Writing Center in 3211 MHRA. We are on the third floor. MHRA is on the corner of Forest and Spring Garden – diagonally across the street from the Mossman Building. http://speakingcenter.uncg.edu/
Career Services Center The Career Services Center (CSC) provides individual and group support to all levels of students in their career development process. Whether it is career and self-exploration, identifying and participating in experiential learning opportunities, the graduate school decision-making and application process, developing and maintaining professional networks, or preparing for the professional employment process, the CSC can equip students with the information and tools needed to make well-informed career decisions. To learn more about the CSC and its services go to https://csc.uncg.edu/.