Placement Tests
In order to be sure that students are prepared to meet the rigors of college-level reading, writing, and mathematics courses, all entering students are required to take 3 placement tests. Certain majors have a foreign language requirement (check your curriculum sheet). You may want to take the Foreign Language Placement test to attempt to test out of the elementary foreign language course.
For more information on placement tests, visit the Testing Center website.
Registration
Each semester you will be notified by mail, email, or announcement via a MyYSU announcement about the start of registration for the following semester. In a typical year:
- Registration for the fall and summer semesters begins in April.
- Registration for the spring semester begins in November.
It is highly recommended that you schedule an appointment to see your advisor several days before your registration appointment date. Please contact your advisor’s office to determine the advisement policy of that office. You should register as early as possible in order to have the best selection of courses available to you.
How to Check Your Academic Record
YSU does not mail grade cards to students. You may check your grades via the MyYSU (link is external) portal and clicking on Records and Registration (Registrar) in the student section.
It is expected that you check your grades at the end of each semester so that you are aware of your academic standing and can determine whether adjustments to your schedule will be needed for the next semester. See your advisor as soon as possible if schedule adjustments are needed.
Getting a Grade Changed
In most cases, grades are final. If you disagree with a grade you have been given, talk first with your course instructor about your concerns and possible courses of action. If, after discussing the matter, you still feel you did not deserve a grade you have been given, you should contact the chairperson of the department for which your instructor teaches. You may ultimately wish to discuss the matter with the Dean of your instructor’s college; however, the decision to change a grade ultimately rests with the instructor.
An instructor may only be compelled to change a grade if a student completes a successful academic grievance, which requires a formal hearing by an Academic Senate (hyperlink) subcommittee. The subcommittee can only mandate a grade change if a student was incorrectly accused of academic dishonesty (hyperlink?) or if the professor materially deviated from the grading scale or weight distribution as indicated on the course syllabus to the detriment of a student or the entire class (Pt. 2, Cl. j-i, Sec. 2, Bylaw 6 of the Academic Senate Charter Bylaws). Your advisor can give you more information about this process.
The dean of your college may grant you a late withdrawal (i.e., a grade of (W)) for a course in which your received an (F), but only if you were unable to complete the course due to uncontrollable, extenuating circumstances, such as emergency surgery or a call to active military duty. Contact your Dean’s office if you feel this applies to you.
Warning, Probation, Suspension and Reinstatement
Students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average to remain in good academic standing. The minimum GPA for all undergraduate students is 2.0. If you fall below the minimum you will be placed on academic warning. If you fail to bring your average up the next semester you will be placed on academic probation. Another poor semester will result in academic suspension.
In order to return to school after a suspension and register for classes, you must be reinstated by the dean (or the dean’s designee) of the college from which you were suspended, or if you wish to change colleges, by the dean of the new college. Reinstatement is not guaranteed and you may be required to fulfill certain terms and conditions to be reinstated.
Repetition of Courses
You may repeat a course without the approval of your dean if you receive a D or an F. You should complete a repetition form. The original grade will be removed from your grade point average and the new grade will be added in. The original grade will remain on your permanent record/transcript.
If you have received credit for a more advanced course in the same subject, a repetition is treated merely as another course, along with the first, in calculating the grade point average.
All grades, including those that may have been previously removed from your GPA through repetition, are typically included in GPA calculation when applying for admission to graduate and professional schools. All grades are included in GPA calculation when being considered for graduation honors.
Incompletes, Withdrawals and Late Withdrawals
Many students find that they are unable to complete a course for reasons beyond their control. If you have been doing satisfactory work in a course but find you are unable to complete it, you may be given an extension. This extension can only be granted by your professor on an individual basis. If you are granted an extension you will be given a grade of incomplete (I) until you have finished the remaining coursework. An (I) has no effect on your GPA until you complete the course; however, if you do not fulfill your requirements in the manner and within the timeframe designated by your professor, you will receive an (F) for the course. Please see your professor or advisor for more information and note that this is not simply an informal agreement between the professor and you; your professor will need to complete the appropriate form to grant you this extension.
A withdrawal from a course between the last day to add/drop and the last day to withdraw (see the academic calendar hyperlink) will appear as a (W) on your transcript. A (W) will have no effect on your GPA. In fact, withdrawing from a course may be advisable if you need to maintain a certain grade point average. It is recommended that you meet with your advisor prior to withdrawing from any course because it may impact your financial aid status and health insurance coverage among other issues.
Late withdrawals may be granted by the dean of your college if there are extenuating circumstances that result your receiving an (F) in a course. Examples of extenuating circumstances would be: the unforeseen inability to complete the course after the last date to withdraw due to emergency surgery or a call to active military duty.
Change of Major
To change your major you must complete an Intra-University Transfer Request and take it to the department to which you would like to transfer. That department will determine if you meet the transfer requirements (e.g., an acceptable GPA). You should then arrange to meet with an advisor in your new major
Former Student Reactivation
If you have not taken courses at YSU or any other college or university for 3 consecutive semesters, you must be reactivated by completing a Former Student Reactivation Form in the Enrollment Center (2nd floor, Meshel Hall) or Office of Records (1st floor, Jones Hall). There is no fee to be reactivated. After reactivation you must see an advisor before you can register for classes.
Graduation
As you near the completion of your degree (i.e. completion of 40 semester hours for associate degree candidates and 100 semester hours for baccalaureate degree candidates), you must file a Request for Graduation Evaluation form with the dean of your college. This will initiate a graduation evaluation of your transcript to determine your remaining degree requirements. Visit your dean’s office for more information.
In order to actually graduate, an Application for Graduation form must be filed with the Office of Student Accounts by the deadline indicated in the schedule of classes in the Important Dates section (usually within the first two weeks of the semester after which you plan to graduate). The Application for Graduation form is available in the dean’s office in your college.
It is your responsibility to make certain that all degree requirements are complete. See your advisor and the Undergraduate Bulletin for more information.