Answering Student FAQs

The following information should help advisors answer the frequently asked questions.

Academic Advising

Academic advising in all program areas is available for all students in the START Center in Carleson Hall. Students can drop in, call 832-2280, or send email to startcenter@westminstercollege.edu to set up an appointment with a peer or staff advisor. Once newly admitted students pay their tuition deposit, they receive an advising packet and are asked to make an appointment with a START Center advisor. Office hours are Mondays through Thursdays, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. who have formally declared a major (mandatory by 60 semester hours) have been assigned a faculty advisor in their academic department. Students may call the Registrar’s Office at 832-2180, the START Center at 832-2280 or check WebAdvisor to find out who their advisor is and be connected to the appropriate school.

The Pathfinder Program

This is an academic advising program designed just for first-year students. Pathfinder information is available on the Web, through e-mail, and in the START Center. It keeps students aware of important college procedures, policies, academic deadlines, and first-year milestones. Click HERE to access the full program.

Declaring or Changing a Major or Minor

Students may formally declare a major as early as they would like, but they must declare a major by 60 semester hours (junior status). When students declare a major they are assigned a faculty advisor in their program of study. Students with 60 semester hours may not register for the next full semester without declaring their major. Students will receive a letter from the Registrar’s Office alerting them to the need to formally declare their major. For information on how to declare your major, click here.

If students are having difficulty selecting a major, as many do, they can visit the Career Center in Shaw Center to meet with a career counselor. Students can call 832-2590 to set up an appointment in the Career Center to explore their options.

Students who want to change their major or minor should visit the START Center or the Registrar’s Office and inform them of their intention. Students may make changes in their academic plans at any time, but meeting with an academic advisor in the START Center or their faculty advisor to make certain they are still “on track” for graduation is highly recommended

Placement Testing and Transfer Credit

Testing Out of Courses (CLEP, BYU, AP)

Westminster awards credit hours for certain scores on the CLEP exams and the BYU Language exam. Check the Academic Catalog for more information on which CLEP tests the college accepts for credit. Westminster College administers CLEP examinations.

Advanced Placement (AP) exams are given during high school. AP exams cover a full year of college credit for the subject (8 credit hours). A score of 3 is the minimum accepted by the college; however, individual departments may require a 4 or 5.

Students may earn a maximum of 40 credit hours under credit by examination programs. More information about these exams can be found in the Academic Catalog or check with the START Center for more information on each of these tests.

Placement and Admission Exams

Students may take the math placement exam (Accuplacer) and the School of Education Admissions test in the START Center. Contact the START Center in Carleson Hall at 832-2280 for a testing appointment.

The Accuplacer is a computer-adaptive test designed to assess current mathematics skills and determine math course placement for students. Westminster allows the use of any type of calculator for this exam.

Undergraduate students who are pursuing a license to teach in Early Childhood, Elementary, or Secondary Education must pass a computerized writing, reading comprehension, and sentence skills Education Assessment test before registering for EDUC 302 and formally declaring Education as a major.

The Computer Literacy Waiver exam is administered in the Student Computer Lab in Giovale Library. This exam allows students to demonstrate basic computer skills, and a passing grade waives CMPT 098. Students do not need an appointment to take this waiver exam. Only students in catalog years 2005-2006 and earlier need to take this waiver exam.

The Information Literacy requirement is required for all transfers, honors, and returning students entering in the fall of 2006 and after. This online workshop consists of pre- and post-tests in four different areas. The workshop is delivered through WebCT, a Web-based application that creates an online "classroom" in your Web browser. You may view an online demo HERE. View a demo of WebCT HERE. All students are e-mailed these links and other information about the workshop at the beginning of each semester. If you need help in accessing the workshop, click HERE and then click on the "ask a librarian" link.

Grades and Grade Options

Academic Warnings (Mid-Term Reports)

Students may receive a letter from the START Center at the mid-point of each semester telling them that their class performance is below certain standards. Faculty members indicate for each course if students are not attending class, missing assignments or test scores, or not understanding course content. It is very helpful to students to have all faculty members participate in the early warning process. Students should contact the START Center for academic assistance, information on campus resources, and other options. Mid-term academic warning letters are designed to help students catch academic problems in time to successfully complete the semester.

Accessing Grades

Students may access their grades online via their WebAdvisor account or obtain a printout from the Registrar’s Office. Grades are no longer mailed to students.

Dean’s List

The Dean’s List is an academic honor list computed after fall and spring semesters. To qualify for the lists, students must complete at least 12 graded credit hours and achieve a 3.5 or higher GPA for the term. Courses graded CR/NC are not counted toward the 12 hours.

Students with Disabilities

Westminster College provides equal access to academically qualified students with physical, psychological, or learning disabilities. Students must disclose their disability to the program coordinator in the START Center and provide documentation verifying the nature of their disability for review. Students are referred off campus for assessment and evaluation. Accommodations for each student are determined on an individual basis prior to each semester. If you are presented with a Faculty Request for Accommodations by a student with a disability, please read it carefully, as it will outline the nature of the student's accommodations that faculty members are required to provide. The Disability Services Program Coordinator, Ginny DeWitt (832-2281, TTY 832-2286), is available to consult with faculty and academic advisors regarding disability-related services. Susan Heath, Associate Provost for Student Development, is the ADA coordinator for the campus. Contact her in the START Center at 832-2283.