XI. Students
ACADEMIC ADVISING
1. FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS AND SOPHOMORES WHO HAVE NOT DECLARED A MAJOR
Academic advising of first-year students and pre-major sophomores is coordinated by the academic dean for pre-major students in Trinity College, Dean Michele Rasmussen, and is carried out in the Trinity College Academic Advising Center. Offices for the dean (who is the director of the Center) and the Assistant Deans for Academic Advising, Dr. Milton Blackmon, Dr. Donna Kostyu, Dr. Diane McKay, and Dr. Lynn White, are located behind Brown Residence Hall on East Campus. They may be reached at 684-6217.
Each first-year student is assigned an academic advisor, who is often, but not always, a faculty member. Advisors, who are recruited and appointed by the Director of the Academic Advising Center, are responsible for groups of approximately eleven to thirteen first-year students and an equal number of sophomores and are expected to meet with their advisees regularly throughout the semester. Academic advisors are recruited each year by Dean Rasmussen through direct appeal to individual faculty members and, in some cases, with the assistance of department Chairs or DUSs.
Questions about general matters of policy or course offerings as they relate to new students should be directed to Dean Rasmussen, or Drs. Blackmon, Kostyu, McKay, or White, rather than to individual academic advisors. Similarly, the dean and the assistant deans may refer to the DUS students who have questions that cannot readily be settled in conference with an individual instructor or that appear to concern matters of departmental policy. The DUS may also be called by individual academc advisors with similar questions.
Instructors who have concerns about the academic standing or attendance of individual students in their classes should direct them to Dean Rasmussen or Drs. Blackmon, Kostyu, McKay, or White.
2. TRANSFER STUDENTS AND OLD STUDENTS RETURNING (OSR)
Entering transfer students are informed in advance of Fall orientation that before beginning classes at Duke they must seek appropriate academic advising through the deans in the Academic Advising Center and, if declaring immediately, the DUS of their intended major department/program. Although staff in the Academic Advising Center will have contacted entering transfer students by phone and e-mail over the summer (to discuss Fall course selections, plans for a major, and their transfer credits from their previous institution), most transfer students will not be seen in person until orientation week.
OSRs are informed during Fall and Spring Orientation that they must seek appropriate academic advising through the academic dean and DUS before beginning classes at Duke. While some students may be seen during visits to campus a month or two before classes begin, in the Fall the majority are first seen during orientation week, e.g., the Thursday afternoon and Friday before classes begin on Monday; in the Spring they are seen just before the beginning of classes.
The DUS is asked to be available during this period to assist transfer students and OSRs in understanding the major requirements, options, opportunities, degree requirements, and academic regulations. Students are likely to ask for help in planning the remainder of their degree program in general and specifically their course schedule for the coming semester. Immediately before the advising period, the dean in charge of OSRs (Dean Martina Bryant) and of transfer students from other institutions (Dean Donna Kostyu ) will send to each DUS information on the incoming students who have declared a major in that department. All transfer students, initially, are assigned to the Academic Advising Center, where they will have an academic advisor.
Students who are transferring courses from other institutions may inquire about their transfer credits and Duke equivalents of courses taken elsewhere. The DUS may authorize Duke course equivalents in his or her discipline for courses transferred to Duke, especially after a student has matriculated. For details about the course approval process see Courses Taken by Students for Transfer to Trinity College. Dean Donna Kostyu , Assistant Dean for Academic Advising in the Academic Advising Center, should be informed of any changes to be made in Duke course equivalents for transferred courses.
During the first visit of incoming students who have registered through ACES, the DUS should review the proposed schedule and offer suggestions about changes that seem appropriate. If the students are to register on campus, then the DUS should assist in course selection and approve the schedule. In addition, the orientation period provides an excellent opportunity for students to inquire about the major and other academic concerns. Such an opportunity is welcomed by students who have declared a major, and also by those who are still exploring various majors.
The DUS continues to advise OSRs and transfer students until departmental advisors are assigned. The academic deans work closely with transfer students and with OSRs and have available all application and entrance materials for them. Questions may be referred to the appropriate dean.
For information about students matriculating in Trinity College from Continuing Education, see Continuing Education and Summer Session.
First-year students and some upperclassmen are particularly concerned about the selection of a major. It is probably the most important, and often the most difficult, academic decision that students face.
Potential Majors (Premajors) – Long-Range Planning: Students who are trying to decide on a major frequently seek information from DUSs. They may be referred to the DUS by academic deans or by advisors in the Academic Advising Center, CAPS, or elsewhere. The students may seek clarification of the major requirements and appropriate course sequences in the major and related fields, but they are also very interested in career opportunities that might be open to them as a result of completing the major.
The Undergraduate Faculty Council of Arts and Sciences implemented “Long Range Planning” beginning August 1985. Before declaring a major students must develop a long-range plan for their entire undergraduate education. Most of the advising leading to the long-range plan takes place through the Academic Advising Center, but DUSs may be called upon by students, advisors, and the Center's staff for information regarding recommended course sequences, tentatively-scheduled course offerings, and summer internship or other placement opportunities. To the extent that this information can be provided in departmental handbooks for majors and prospective majors and on the departmental websites, the DUSs' involvement can be reduced, and time can be saved to deal with substantive questions and unusual circumstances. When students declare their majors, copies of their approved long-range plans are available to DUSs via STORM.
Declaration of Majors, Their Records, and Assignment of Advisors: Students may change their majors in the Office of the University Registrar, but the original declaration of a major is made in the Academic Advising Center after consultation with an advisor, presentation of an approved long-range plan, and filing of the plan. Students must declare the major by the beginning of Spring break in the sophomore year. While most declare in the fourth semester, a number of sophomores do so during the third semester. A small number of students will declare a major at the end of the first academic year.
It makes a difference when in the semester a student declares a major. If a student completes the long-range plan and has it approved on or before the end of the third week of the fall or spring semester, the major declaration is recorded promptly and the DUS in question can expect to be notified and have access to the student's advising records and lon-range plan in STORM immediately so that there is adequate time for the assignment of a departmental advisor before registration begins. If a student declares a major after the end of the third week of the semester, the student’s advising needs continue to be met by the Academic Advising Center for the remainder of the semester. In such cases, the major declaration is recorded and takes effect after the end of that semester. The student's advising records and long-range plan will be available to the appropriate DUS in STORM before the beginning of the student’s next semester.
Advising Records for New Majors: Information about majors is available via STORM and includes the student's standardized test scores, Advanced Placement credit, undergraduate academic history, and current course schedules. STORM also generates copies of the most recent Advisement Report provided by the University Registrar
The student's approved long-range plan, also in STORM, provides information on the student's educational goals, tentative plans for a career or other post-graduate work, study abroad, summer experiences, and term-time co-curricular and employment involvements. Departments are encouraged to review the long-range plan with students at each registration period and to help students update the plan as necessary.
Departmental Mailing to New Majors: Upon notification of the names of newly declared majors, the DUSs in most departments mail to the new students the handbook for majors giving general information about the faculty, the requirements, departmental seminars, and other information that might be of use to the student. The mailing usually includes an invitation to the student to visit the department to receive the assignment of a faculty advisor with whom the student would discuss plans for completing the major.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY, INCLUDING PLAGIARISM
DUSs should encourage all faculty to submit cases involving academic dishonesty to the Judicial Affairs Deans in the Dean of Students Office for the following reasons: l) to ensure due process on behalf of the accused student; 2) to provide a uniform process of review and judgment for all students regardless of departmental affiliation; and 3) to avoid unilateral and unauthorized faculty sanctions. Occasionally, students who have been given a unilateral sanction by a faculty member, namely a reduced grade, have insisted upon a Judicial Board hearing to air fully the unproved accusation against them. No doubt, greater justice can be assured by utilizing the Board from the onset of the problem. Faculty members who have questions about possible incidents of academic dishonesty or about the procedures for reporting academic dishonesty should call Dean Stephen Bryan at 668-3853. See the following web pages: Information for Faculty and Judicial Affairs.
The Duke Community Standard has replaced the Honor Code.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE NOTICE
A student's academic dean's office notifies the DUS office via an e-mail "Attrition Notice" when a student who has declared a first major in that department takes a leave of absence or withdraws/is withdrawn from the university.
PRIVACY ACT: STUDENT’S FILES
The University complies with the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Through this act students are assured access to their individual records, unless the student has specifically waived the right to review material contained in these files. The records located in the departmental offices are covered by this act, e.g., personal notes about meetings and about reviews of records. Students may request access to these records by writing to the DUS. It is University policy that the DUS is not required to reveal the contents of the file immediately upon the receipt of the request, but such requests must be honored within a reasonably short time.
Concerning release of information about students: DUSs should familiarize themselves with the Duke University Student Records policy found at the University Registrar's website. Questions concerning the policy may be directed to the University Registrar, Dr. Bruce Cunningham. DUSs and instructors who are contacted by parents of students for such information may wish to refer them to the student’s academic dean.
DUS offices should exercise discretion and vigilance in dealing with the student records to which they have access, so as to protect their confidentiality. Instructors should be reminded not to post students’ grades by social security number.
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY NOTICE