First, meet with your professor during the office hours on your course syllabus. You can always ask your professor for clarification on course material or about your progress in a course (though he or she may not be able to give you a letter grade). Even if you have difficulty framing your question, you should still visit with your professors. Discussing your concerns will help you clarify them. Be prepared with questions, but don’t confuse office hours with lecture. If you’ve missed class, be sure you catch up with the reading and get notes from a classmate before you ask your professor about the material you missed.

Use standard grammar, spelling and punctuation when typing emails and other written communications. Using text abbreviations is inappropriate in the university environment, professors and campus offices will generally respond better if you use standard written English in your correspondence. As a matter of protocol you should address your professors by their title (Professor or Doctor) unless and until they tell you otherwise. Remember that your professors have worked many years to earn these titles, and you are at the beginning of a road they have been traveling for a long time. Give them the respect they have earned.

Truman’s faculty members are here to help you, and most enjoy spending time one-on-one with students. Make it your goal to get to know at least one faculty member outside the classroom every semester. Drop in during office hours or just after class and introduce yourself. Attend departmental events like visiting speakers or conferences. As you move beyond Truman, you are going to want to ask faculty to serve as references for jobs and to write letters of recommendation. A network of faculty support is invaluable.

Degree Works is a program accessible through TruView that will help you keep track of the courses you have taken and those you will need to take to finish your degree. You can set up a 4 year/graduation plan with Degree Works that you can follow to ensure that you finish on time. Your academic advisor is available to help you develop your plan and give you guidance about when you might do internships or study abroad.

Where do I go and who do I talk to?

Here’s a PDF that outlines the whole process.

We recommend you start planning to study abroad as soon as you arrive on campus. Research your options at the Study Abroad Office’s website and consider destinations suitable to your major, language ability, and cultural interests. Visit the Study Abroad office to get specific program information. Schedule an appointment with your advisor to discuss options, and talk to the Financial Aid Office for funding specifics.

When is the best time to study abroad?

Study abroad is not recommended during your freshman year, and seniors are often involved in research projects, internships, and career planning. The sophomore and junior years are most popular for study abroad. If you choose a program early, your advisor can help you decide when the best time would be to be away from campus.

The Liberal Arts Portfolio, a graduation requirement for all students, is a chance for you to showcase your best work while at Truman and to reflect on your time here. It consists of a set of explanations, reflections, and artifacts (papers, assignments, projects, artwork, recordings, video recordings, and other concrete records) that students are asked to complete during their time at Truman. The compilation and reflection of the portfolio is done as part of the senior capstone experience administered by each major program – most students complete the portfolio as part of their senior seminar or capstone experience. Details are available here.

Here are a few tips to get you off to a good start in your online course.  Online courses require a little extra: extra organization, extra time management, and extra patience.  If you are lacking in any of these areas, this is a good opportunity to grow.

1. Get your hands on a folder and a notebook you can dedicate to this course.  You will still need to take notes and writing is still a thinking tool.  Good note-taking during your reading will help you retain information for exams and serve as a good reference when posting to discussion boards.
2. Print out the syllabus and any other important course information.  Read it, annotate it, and put it in your folder for handy reference.  Make sure you have a hard copy of contact information in case the internet goes down (storms happen).  Also have a back-up location to work, just in case (most coffee shops and restaurants have free Wi-Fi).
3. Keep a calendar with all due dates and drop deadlines.
4. Familiarize yourself with D2L Brightspace (or other course shell).  Does it function properly with your computer?  Can you navigate easily and find all of the information you need?  Utilize any resources your professor has provided (lectures, tutorials, etc.) and do read the extra readings and always do “optional” homework.
5. Log into your course MORE THAN the required minimum and participate.  Be present in the class—get to know the other students.  Let them get to know you.  If your professor hasn’t specifically assigned you to introduce yourself, introduce yourself to your professor and/or the class (depending on the format).  Be a real person!
6. When posting assignments and participating in discussions, remember the following: Proofread before you post.  Check not just the content of what you are writing, but check your tone (go for thoughtful and respectful).  Check your punctuation.  This is a written forum, so spelling and punctuation count.
7. Communicate.  If you have a question, ask.  (Know how your professor prefers to receive questions and know how to contact the IT Service Center/Help Desk.)  Share any problems or confusion with your professor or IT Service Center/Help Desk right away.  Also, if you will be travelling during the course, let your professor know the dates, just in case you run into a problem with Wi-Fi access.
8. BE PATIENT.  Just because you are online doesn’t mean your professor or classmates are, too.  Discussions don’t always happen in real time and professors aren’t always able to respond right away. (That’s the beauty of an online course—we can each fit it in around other commitments.)
9. Create a routine.  Try to log into your class at the same time each day to check announcements, contribute to discussions, and post assignments.  Having a routine will help you immensely.  Procrastination in an online course has even worse consequences than in the brick and mortar world.  (Post early to avoid technical “emergencies.”)
10. Create a study group or buddy system with other students taking an online course.  You can motivate and encourage each other while creating some structure to what can feel too unstructured.  Good luck!

It just so happens that we’ve got a handy video to walk you through it. Here’s the scoop.

Here’s a PDF with directions!

Yes. You must forward your transcripts from any colleges or universities, or credit-bearing exams (like AP, IB or CLEP) you’ve earned credit from in the past. Failing to do so constitutes academic dishonesty.

No. The University records both your Institutional GPA (Truman courses only) and your overall GPA (all graded college-level courses). Your scholarship renewal GPA is based only on your Institutional GPA, though potential employers and graduate schools have access to both.

If you’re passing at least 15 credits per semester, you probably don’t need to take summer classes in order to graduate in a timely fashion. However, summer classes are a good way to catch up if you’re behind on hours or need to focus your attention on difficult courses. Before signing up, be aware that summer courses usually cover material at least twice as rapidly as full-semester courses, and that summertime brings its own set of distractions—work, friends, vacations, etc.

You’ll register for summer classes at Truman through TruView, following the same steps that you follow for fall or spring courses. When your advisor clears you for fall registration, you’ll be cleared for summer as well. For more detailed information about Summer Classes at Truman, visit summer.truman.edu.

Registration for summer courses at community colleges and other universities generally occurs in March or April. You’ll also need to take the necessary steps to be admitted to another school before you can register for classes.

Start by checking willittransfer.truman.edu, a database of all the classes students have transferred to Truman in the past.

The Registrar’s Office can pre-approve any course you’re planning on taking from another institution, so you’ll know beforehand exactly what Truman’s equivalent course is. Pre-approval can take up to four weeks, so it’s best to plan ahead. You must take the last 28 credits before graduation at Truman. To find the Pre-Approval of Transfer Credit form, use the Registrar Office’s “Find Forms Fast” page in TruView.

Most instructors give you the information you need to keep track of your grade. Make sure you understand how the grade is calculated by re-reading the syllabus. Then you should be able to plug in the grades that have been returned. See if your professor keeps an online grade book (like on D2L Brightspace). If you have used all of the available resources to figure out your grade but you still have questions, it’s time to talk to your instructor about it. Make an appointment or go in during office hours and explain the specific issues that are confusing you. Your academic advisor can also be helpful when you’re trying to understand grading practices (grade curves, weighted grades, and so forth).

Student can elect to switch a course to the credit/no credit (Y/Z) grading system, and students should only do so for “free electives” (see explanation below). Credit (Y) standing is achieved by earning a grade of “D” or above, while failing a course results in No Credit (Z). Up to 12 credits of Credit/No Credit may be counted toward graduation.

For courses that are considered a “free elective,” you have the option to change the grading system to credit/no credit. “Free electives” are those courses that are not used to fulfill requirements in the Dialogues Curriculum (required of all Truman students), in the student’s major program (including required support courses), in the additional foreign language component for the Bachelor of Arts degree, in the additional science component for the Bachelor of Science degree, minor requirements, departmental honors requirements, or honors scholar requirements. Earning a grade of ‘D’ or higher will result in you earning credit for the course (designated as a ‘Y’ on your transcript), and a grade of ‘F’ will earn you no credit for the course. It’s important to talk to your advisor about any course you’re thinking about taking credit/no credit so that you avoid common pitfalls. For instance, it’s possible to lock yourself out of a major by taking a requirement credit/no credit. Find out more about grade policies in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the University Catalog.

Pass/Fail (P/F) is a grading system that some courses use instead of the “A” to “F” system. Students receive either a “P” (Pass) or “F” (Failure) grade. The “F” grade is calculated in the student’s grade point average. A grade of “P” does not impact a student’s GPA.

Many students fail to make the distinction between the terms pass/fail and credit/no credit. Pass/Fail is a category the University applied to specific courses at the time they were created, such as INDV 150: Book and Discussion.

The most important thing to do is to discuss the situation with your instructor and your advisor. Is the course salvageable? What would be required for you to pass? If it looks like you would have to ace the rest of the semester to earn a satisfactory grade, you should be realistic and assess whether you are likely able to turn the course around. If you determine you are failing a course, here are some options to improve the situation:

1. Dropping the Course: Students have up until the last day of classes prior to finals week to drop a course. This allows students plenty of time to assess their progress in a course to make a sound decision about dropping a course. For courses that are dropped, a grade of ‘W’ will be recorded. A ‘W’ has no impact on your GPA, but it will remain on your transcript to maintain accurate academic records. Click HERE for a quick guide on what a ‘W’ means on your transcript.
2. Changing the Course to Credit/No Credit: For courses that are considered a “free elective,” you have the option to change the grading system to credit/no credit. “Free electives” are those courses that are not used to fulfill requirements in the Dialogues, in the student’s major program (including required support), in the additional foreign language component for the BA, in the additional science component for the BS, minor requirements, departmental honors requirements, or honors scholar requirements. Earning a grade of ‘D’ or higher will result in you earning credit for the course (designated as a ‘Y’ on your transcript), and a grade of ‘F’ will earn you no credit for the course.
3. Repeating the course: For students who earn a ‘D’ or ‘F’ in a course, you can enroll in the course again once registration for the next semester begins. When you repeat a course, both grades will be listed on your transcript, but only the higher grade will be calculated into your GPA. This means that you have an opportunity to improve your grade in the course and GPA overall. If you are wanting to repeat a course where you earned a ‘C’ or higher, you will have to get an override from the Registrar’s Office to repeat the course.

You can find the deadlines for dropping classes on the Registrar’s website here.

The final day to drop a class is the last day of classes (prior to finals week). If you have a valid reason for missing the drop deadline, you will need to complete an Academic Appeal Form to appeal to the Academic Standards Chair asking to be allowed to drop the class.

Dropping from 1 or more courses can be done using the “Register / Change Schedule” function under Registration Tool in TruView. Withdrawing from courses is when you unenroll from all courses for a semester. Use the “Withdraw from all courses for a selected semester” link under Registration Tool in TruView.

The deadline to either drop individual courses or withdraw from an entire semester is the last day of classes (prior to finals week). Whether you are dropping courses or withdrawing from a semester, you will receive a ‘W’ grade in the affected courses. A grade of ‘W’ represented withdrew and does not impact your GPA.

A medical withdraw is an option for students who could not drop their courses by the drop deadline (the last day of classes prior to finals week) due to a medical reason (physical or mental health). To submit an academic appeal for a medical withdraw, complete the Academic Appeals Form. The Academic Standards Committee (appeals@truman.edu) will review the appeal. If your appeal is approved, each of your grades for that semester will be changed to ‘W’ (withdraw).

Student can learn more about a the medical withdraw option HERE. the Academic Standards Committee for a medical withdrawal.

Check out this handy PDF for all your W-related needs.

Two or three W’s on your transcript won’t hurt you, especially early in your college career—everyone experiences growing pains, and W’s will definitely look better than D’s and F’s. Graduate schools want candidates who can complete a rigorous program and pursue an independent research agenda, which includes knowing when to cut your losses and change course. You should beware of taking W’s every semester, however, because it gives the impression that you bite off more than you can chew and you don’t learn from past mistakes. Remember that you have the first four weeks of the semester to drop a course before the W becomes a possibility. Track your progress carefully over those weeks and if you must drop, do it before the W deadline.

An incomplete is appropriate in the case of a late-breaking emergency–like an illness or other unforeseen obstacle–that prevents you from completing the work for a course in which you are doing well.

You can only take an incomplete in a course with the approval of your instructor and their department chair. Fill out an Incomplete Agreement Form, available from your department office. On this form you and the instructor will specify a final deadline for the coursework and the grade that will be recorded if you don’t complete the work by this date. While an incomplete in a class does not affect your GPA for that semester, it also does not count as completed credit hours. It will not defer decisions based on your completed credit hours, like your scholarship eligibility and your probation status. It’s almost always better to finish the course within the regular semester than to take an incomplete, because an incomplete tends to multiply your work the next semester.

When you repeat a course, both grades will remain on your transcript, but only the higher of the two grades will be calculated into your GPA. Courses taken as credit/no credit or courses that are audited cannot be repeated. For students who earn a ‘D’ or ‘F’ in a course, you can enroll in the course again once registration for the next semester begins. If you are wanting to repeat a course where you earned a ‘C’ or higher, you will have to get an override from the Registrar’s Office to repeat the course.

Yes. See above about repeating courses.

It depends on how many credits the class was worth, how you’re doing in your other classes, and your previous GPA. In general, failing a course will negatively impact your GPA, reducing it. Below is a formula to use when calculating your GPA. We suggest trying some different scenarios of grades to see how to improve your GPA:

To compute GPA, each course’s earned honor points (e.g., A = 4 honor points) are multiplied by the credit hours of that course (e.g., 3.0 credits). This produces quality points for each course. GPA is calculated as the the total earned quality points for the semester divided by the total credits attempted in that semester.

Honor point x Course credit hours = Quality Points

Total Quality Points / Total Semester Credit Hours = GPA

Example: A grade of “A” in a 4 credit hour course would equal 16 quality points.
Example: If a student attempted 13 credit hours and earned 48 quality points in a semester, they would earn a GPA of 3.69 for the semester.

The skills you use daily in university classrooms are different, because in college the burden of ensuring that your education is happening day to day shifts onto your shoulders. It is important to learn how to be a better college student, finding ways to work smarter, not necessarily harder. Start by talking with your professor about your difficulties. Be as specific as you can. Most professors are open to discussing strategies for success and course content. Ask your professor what academic resources are available for the course. You can also speak with your advisor about academic support.

• Tutoring: To set up an appointment for tutoring, a study skills consultation, or information about academic workshops, go to the Tutoring Services website HERE. Truman State has academic support available via the CAE’s Tutoring Center, the Writing Center, and departmental-led tutoring. All these options can be found on the Tutoring Services website.
• Academic Skills Course: The INDV 110 course is another way to expose yourself to skills and strategies that promote academic success at Truman. Talk to your advisor about the opportunities available or check the catalog for information on the courses offered to support academic success.

If your semester GPA is below 2.00, you are placed on academic probation. Once you are on academic probation, if you again earn a semester GPA below 2.00, you will be suspended from the University.

Probation is meant to encourage you to make the behavior changes necessary to succeed at Truman. Success includes, at minimum, a cumulative GPA of 2.0. If your GPA is consistently lower than that, you will not be able to graduate.

Academic probation is disappointing, but it’s also an opportunity to examine your behaviors and priorities. Here are some questions to ask yourself.

• Was academic success a high priority for me, or did it take a backseat to other activities?
• How often did I miss class? How much of the required reading and homework did I do?
• How often did I leave assignments until the last minute, producing low-quality work?
• How often did I sit down in front of a quiz or test and feel well-prepared to answer all the questions?
• Where and when did I study? Did I spend a lot of time sitting around with a textbook on my lap socializing, rather than studying?
• Did personal issues (roommate conflicts, family demands, work) get in the way of academics? What can I do to prevent this from recurring?
• Am I in the right major? Did I enjoy the material in my classes?

If you go on academic probation during your first year at Truman, you are strongly encouraged to meet regularly with your academic advisor. You also have the option to participate in our Bounce Back Program, which includes weekly coaching meetings.

If you’ve been suspended, the earliest you may apply for reinstatement is one semester following your suspension. Students who are suspended typically enroll at another college or university and use good grades (As and Bs) obtained there as evidence of their ability to succeed at Truman. However, reinstatement is not guaranteed. You may appeal suspension through the Academic Standards Committee. For details about this process, please talk with your Academic Advisor.

For official catalog information about Academic Probation and Suspension, see Academic Policies and Procedures.

Although Truman offers pre-med patterns in biology, chemistry, health and exercise science, any student in any major can consider a career in medicine. Courses required for consideration to medical school include two semesters of General Biology with lab (BIOL 107 and BIOL 108), two semesters of General Chemistry with lab (CHEM 130 and CHEM 131), two semesters of Organic Chemistry lecture (CHEM 329 and CHEM 331), two semesters of Organic Chemistry lab (CHEM 330 and CHEM 332), two semesters of General Physics with lab (PHYS 185 and PHYS 186), and two semesters of English composition (ENG 190 and a JINS course).

Depending on your interests, you may also have additional math, biology, and biochemistry requirements.

There is no specific pre-law curriculum because law schools encourage students to experience a wide range of disciplines. Law schools are more interested in outstanding undergraduate study that includes coursework in critical and logical reasoning, written and verbal argumentation, and creative thinking. Classes in English, history, economics, statistics, accounting, computer science, math, logic, sociology, psychology, and philosophy, to name a few, develop the skills that law schools are looking for.