Welcome Back! A Few Reminders From the Solution Center

Oh how we’ve missed you!  You should know, dear Reader, that while you were away we’ve been here, keeping the home fires burning, and all the while without access to the Camelot Room, which was closed for remodeling, or the campus center Starbucks, which was closed due to some cruel joke.  So if you make the climb to the third floor of Saint Joseph Hall, you might find me clinging tenuously to the great U-shaped Solution Center desk, groggy from low blood sugar and under-caffeination, trying to shake off my holiday break lethargy and get back into the swing of things.  But now that you’re here, I’m sure the frenetic pace of Add Drop week, coupled with that intangible buzz that comes from the return of the students, and the slightly more tangible buzz of a venti Sumatra will suffice to reinvigorate me.  In any case, let’s talk about deadlines, due dates and reminders.  The first week of the semester moves swiftly and with so many things happening, it’s easy to overlook important matters.  Let’s review some highlights:

1. Add Drop Ends Friday, January 18th – That’s right, you’ve got just one week to make changes to your schedule, so if you’re trying to get into a closed class or have, perhaps, come to the realization that Existentialism* just isn’t for you (which could be due to the Unbearable Lightness of Being), you must make course schedule changes by the 18th.  Remember that if you’re trying to get signed in to a closed course, an email from the professor can substitute for the professor’s signature on an Add Drop form.  Just make sure the email explicitly allows you to register for the particular closed section of the course.  Also bear in mind that you must adhere to the Add Drop deadline even if you have obtained permission from the professor to attend the class.  If you come to the Solution Center after Add Drop with a signed registration form, we won’t be able to add you to the class.
2. The Solution Center Is Open Late – Not as late as Wendy’s drive-thru, but Monday through Thursday the Student Solution Center is open from 8:30 AM until 6:00 PM, so if you need help registering for a class, making a payment, checking on your financial aid or anything else, we’ll be here to help.  On Friday we’re open until 4:30 PM.
3. Bookstore Vouchers – Students whose pending financial aid is scheduled to exceed total charges may be eligible for a voucher.  Bookstore vouchers will be available to qualified students until Friday, January 25th.  You can request a bookstore voucher from the Bursar on the 3rd floor of Saint Joseph Hall.
4. Check Your Student Bill – Even if you’re confident that your spring tuition bill is paid in full, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your student account during the first couple weeks of the semester to confirm that your financial aid has paid and your account is settled.  Registration changes and outstanding financial aid requirements can affect your student bill so it’s good to get into the habit of monitoring your account regularly.  It only takes a few seconds to log in to Bannerweb and navigate to the Student Payment Center to check your bill.
5. Pass Fail Grading – Full-time students may elect to take one course each semester, including courses which fulfill Liberal Education requirements (except ENG 105), on a pass/fail basis. Pass Fail forms are available in Student Solution Center or online.  You will need to obtain signatures from the class instructor and your academic advisor, so you should get the form early if you plan to take  course Pass Fail.  The last day to register to take a class Pass Fail for the Spring semester is January 29th.

On behalf the Student Solution Center, welcome back and good luck with the semester!  *By way apology to the Philosophy Department for using their class as the hypothetical example of a class one might seek to drop, I would just like to say that, as an undergraduate philosophy major, Existentialism was my favorite class.  Mostly, I chose that example so I could use my Unbearable Lightness of Being joke.  Been saving that one for years . . .