Contents
Purpose of the
fall ‘98 semester student guide
The Fall 1998 Student Guide is designed to provide Auburn University
students with essential information to assist them in preparing for the
transition to semesters in Fall 2000.
Transition students -- those students who began enrollment on the quarter
system, but who will complete their degree requirements on the semester
system -- are encouraged to utilize this guide to carefully plan for the
transition.
Students have a responsibility to ensure that they make the transition
successfully. Perhaps the most important thing for all students to remember
when planning to make the transition is consult academic advisors, major
professors, departmental graduate program officers, or the Graduate School,
as appropriate for their programs of study. This is the key for making the
transition successfully and without penalties.
The Fall 1998 Student Guide is the first of at least two such publications
students will receive before the semester system goes into effect in Fall
2000. Information not thoroughly covered in this issue, will be covered
in detail in the subsequent issue(s). Inside the pages of this guide is
information about the following:
• Auburn’s responsibilities to students;
• Student’s responsibilities in mapping out programs of study;
• Benefits of being on the semester system;
• Converting quarter credits to semester credits;
• The semester Core Curriculum;
• Graduation and degree requirements in the semester system;
• The semester calendar;
• Class schedules;
• Advising;
• Advisor contacts.
The Fall 1998 Student Guide is not intended to substitute for the university
bulletin. Programs of study and their course requirements generally still
are based on the bulletin under which students declare their majors. However,
students will encounter some differences in these programs once the university
changes to the semester system.
Auburn University is committed to providing a transition to semesters
that will protect students changing from the quarter system. Students will
not lose previously earned credits or otherwise be penalized during the
transition as long as their progress under the quarter system has been such
that degree requirements were being satisfactorily met.
Students, however, must share in this responsibility by working with their academic advisors, major professors, departmental graduate program officers, or the Graduate School to develop and closely follow a plan of study that will ensure timely completion of their degree requirements.
Auburn University will switch to the semester system in Fall 2000. Although
courses and hourly degree requirements will change, the credits you will
have earned under the quarter system will convert to semester credits without
penalties or undue delay in your progress toward graduation.
Course requirements under the semester system will be structured to enable
students to graduate as anticipated. If your progress toward completing
degree requirements was at an appropriate rate to achieve a timely graduation
under the quarter system, this progress should continue into the semester
system. Your GPA will not change because of conversion to semesters. And
if you are receiving financial aid or if you are a graduate student on an
assistantship, the amount you are awarded or earn each year should not change
as a result of the conversion to the semester system.
The key to successful transition from quarters to semesters if you are
an undergraduate student is to begin early working with your academic advisor
to plan remaining course work; if you are a graduate student, to begin working
with your major professor, departmental graduate program officer, and the
Graduate School to plan your remaining course work. It is the goal of your
advisors to keep you on track regarding your academic program.
The goal of the transition process is to convert Auburn’s curriculum from the quarter to the semester system in a way that maintains and improves the quality of the curriculum and enhances Auburn University’s high standards of academic excellence. Students who are affected by the transition to semesters must work closely with their academic advisors to ensure that the transition is made successfully. Mandatory student advising will begin January 1999.
Strategies for making the transition:
If you are close to graduating now:
Faculty, advisors and graduate program officers in each department, and
Graduate School staff will work with you to approve degree requirements
during the transition. For courses not completed under the quarter system,
you will have to take semester courses equivalent to the quarter courses
that were part of your degree requirements or make approved substitutions.
Should you have any questions, please contact your academic advisor, your
major professor, your departmental graduate program officer, or the Graduate
School.
Degree requirements will not be increased because of the semester system.
Most courses under the semester system will be based on 3 or 4 semester
credit hours. All undergraduate degree programs will require a minimum of
120 semester semester credit hours.
Under the present quarter system, undergraduate degree requirements typically
range from 180 to 210 (some more) quarter credit hours.
In converting quarter credit hours to semester credit hours, one quarter credit hour equals two-thirds of a semester credit hour.
Tuition rates will not increase directly due to the transition to semesters.
The total cost for two 15-week semesters will be approximately the same
as for three 10-week quarters. Under the semester system, students will
pay fees only twice each year -- once for fall and once for spring terms;
three times if they attend summer term.
Students will be able to pay tuition and fees by credit card if they wish. AU also is reviewing the eatablishment of a tuition term payment, deferred payment or pre-payment program.
NOTE: Tuition rates are reviewed annually and established by the Board of Trustees based on inflation, regional averages and other factors. Although tuition adjustments are made when necessary, the transition to semesters will not directly result in a tuition increase.
In making the switch to semesters, Auburn University is joining the majority
of U.S. institutions of higher education which already operate on the semester
system or are in the process of making the change.
The first and foremost reason for changing, however, is to provide the
most effective educational environment for our students.
The conversion, among other things, provides the opportunity for each
academic program to assess course offerings and formulate curricula appropriate
to educate our students in the 21st century.
There also are other advantages to operating on a semester system:
The semester calendar will consist of a 15-week fall semester (plus one
week for final examinations), and a 15-week spring semester (plus one week
for final examinations).
The summer term will consist of a 10-week session that can be structured
as two 5-week mini terms. This will enable students to customize
the summer term into a variety of course options.
(See illustration below.)
Students who follow the advice of their advisors and who are continuing
on their major program of study begun under the quarter system will not
lose credit earned under the quarter system as a result of the semester
transition.
Credits received from courses taken under the quarter system will convert
to the semester system. Quarter credit hours will be converted to semester
credit hours and will count toward fulfilling degree requirements.
Students already enrolled in a major course of study when the semester system goes into effect will continue working toward their degrees based on the courses developed for that program in the new semester curriculum. Progress earned toward a degree program under the quarter system will not be lost as a result of the transition to semesters.
NOTE: Students who are making timely progress toward their degrees under the quarter system should continue to do so under the semester system. However, such factors as changing majors, transferring to another college or school, or failure to follow the guidance of academic advisors could have an adverse effect on a student’s academic progress.
Under the semester system, all undergraduate degree programs will require a minimum of 120 semester credit hours. A major component of every curriculum is a 41-credit hour core curriculum.
The core, as it is referred to among students and faculty, is designed to
give undergraduate students a sound education covering a broad curriculum
including science, math, social sciences, humanities and fine arts. Under
the current quarter system, the core consists of 61 quarter credit hours.
However, nothing is lost in converting the core from quarters to semesters.
All undergraduate students entering Auburn University are required
to take select courses in the core curriculum. Most of these courses can
be taken during the freshman and sophomore years. Requirements under the
41-hour semester core include:
• 8 hours of science
• 6 hours of history
• 6 hours of written composition
• 6 hours of the Great Books program in literature
• 6 hours in the social sciences
• 3 hours in fine arts
• 3 hours of philosophy
• 3 hours of math
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