Establish the pattern for academic success beginning in your first year. If you do well academically, you create a safety net if you experience academic difficulties later. If you do not experience academic success during your first semester, you may need to excel academically to simply reach the overall average required to be considered in good academic standing by the end of the first year. This may not be possible because it means that while you performed very poorly, you now need to earn a very high semester GPA to move the overall GPA to an acceptable level. The more credits you earn, the more difficult it is to improve your overall academic average. So do your best academic work from the beginning and then throughout your four years.
Determine the name and UVM e-mail address for your academic advisor by checking the SIS Student Information Web site. If you aren't enrolled in a course taught by your academic advisor, it is very appropriate to send an e-mail message to introduce yourself and to ask the procedure you should use to schedule a meeting. Remember that your e-mail should be professional and not casual like you would send to a peer.
Review your program checksheet at the CESS Student Services website and note that it is an overview of your academic program. Your academic decisions need to be based on the requirements on your checksheet. Your CATS (Curriculum Audit Tracking System) report is based on your program checksheet but includes more information.
Become very familiar with the Typical Four Year Plan for your specific academic program. This was provided at Orientation and is available at the CESS Student Services website. The framework for the four year plan is determined by the courses listed in the Professional Coursework category on the Program Checksheet. Courses listed in the other categories on the Program Checksheet will be scheduled around the Professional Coursework. Some students develop these plans while meeting with their advisors and others do it themselves and have it reviewed by their advisor. Either way, it should be discussed with your academic advisor! Students who plan to Study Abroad should use the Four Year Plan to determine any adjustments that will need to be made in your overall plan
Determine the number of courses you need to enroll in each semester to complete your academic program within a specific period of time (e.g. 4 years). The total number of credits required for program completion differs by program.
Declare your major/major concentration if you are enrolled in a Teacher Education program. All students enrolled in Teacher Education programs must complete a major (Secondary Education) or a major concentration (Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education, Elementary Education, Middle Level, Music, and Physical Education) must complete a major concentration in the liberal arts and sciences. The FORM is available at the CESS Student Services website.
Reconsider your Four Year Academic plan! Is the Four Year Plan that you developed during your first year on campus still appropriate? Make modifications or develop a plan if you haven't already done so. If you have changed programs, you will need to develop a new Four Year plan!
Declare your major/major concentration if you are in a Teacher Education program and haven't yet done so.
Check the program requirements to be certain you are meeting all requirements (e.g. GPA) and not simply the course requirements so that you will be eligible to enroll in the Professional Program courses during your Junior year.
Determine if you need to enroll in summer coursework to accomplish your goals, especially to graduate at a specific time (e.g. within four years).
Enrolling in summer coursework at UVM may be necessary if you need to improve your GPA. Note that taking courses at a different institution does not change your overall grade point average.
Review your CATS report (online degree audit) each semester to be certain that you are making academic progress and meeting the GPA requirement as required by your program. Students in the Teacher Education programs must declare their major/major concentration as early as possible for an accurate CATS report. Students do change their minds and majors/major concentrations may also be changed, but depending on the change might also require a program change.
Note that Junior year is the time in which most CESS students are becoming more intensely involved in CESS coursework.
Review your Graduation Status Notice sent to you at the end of the summer prior to your senior year. The GSN is sent to students who have earned a minimum of 87 credits. Review your Graduation Status Notice with your faculty advisor to be certain that you are on track for program completion.
Return your Intent to Graduate form to Barbara Romanoff in 528 Waterman by the date specified in the letter. Please do so even if you aren't planning to complete your program in May. This form can be completed online at the CESS Student Services website.
Note that GSNs are not sent to Teacher Education students who have not declared their major/major concentration. Many of your credits would be in the elective category and the GSN would not be helpful. We assume that you won't be graduating until later.
Review your Graduation Status Notice with your academic advisor and be certain that, if you expect to graduate in May, you are fulfilling all requirements.