ASK ADVISOR ALEX
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Ask Advisor Alex and Other Apt Advice for the Week of February 18, 2008

• Students are no longer able to Drop classes using eSIMS.  If you would like to stop attending a course, you must Withdraw. Students have until March 27 to Withdraw from classes, meaning they will be listed on your transcript with a W.
• If you will have completed 60 credits by the end of this semester, you need to declare a major or risk losing your financial aid. Talk to the department you are interested in declaring with, or talk to an Advisor in Room 1119 East if you are Undecided.

Ask Advisor Alex

Dear Advisor Alex:
I was just notified that I am on academic probation this semester. What does this mean?

Sincerely,
Struggling Stanley

Dear Struggling,
Academic probation is quite serious, and means that your cumulative GPA has fallen below the required minimum at Hunter, which is a 2.0 for students who’ve earned more than 24 credits. If you have not brought your GPA back up by the end of the spring term, you may be dismissed from Hunter for at least one semester, and after this dismissal you may or may not be readmitted. While you are on academic probation, you cannot use the Credit/No Credit grading option, so you need to be especially careful to do as well as possible in all of your classes to improve your GPA. You should meet with someone in the Center for Student Achievement in Hunter North C001 (212-772-4890 http://studentservices.hunter.cuny.edu/csa.htm) to discuss the benefits and risks of repeating a course you failed, the resources available to assist you with your coursework, the grades you will need this semester to achieve the minimum GPA, and the options you have should you continue to struggle in classes this semester. This will be an important semester for you to concentrate on improving your grades, so you should try to minimize other commitments and activities as much as possible to allow more time for your studies. Being on academic probation can be disappointing and frustrating, but there are resources to help and now is the time to start taking advantage of them so you have the greatest opportunity of success. Best of luck to you!

Always,
Advisor Alex

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Dear Advisor Alex:
My friend and I are having a dispute that I hope you can settle. By the end of this summer I will have completed 114 credits, and I will have fulfilled all of the requirements for the GER, my major and my minor. I think this means that I can graduate, but my friend says I have to have at least 120 credits, even if all my requirements are met. Is this true? If so, what do I need to take for the other 6 credits?

Thanks,
Hopeful Heidi & Doubtful Debbie

Dear Hopeful and Doubtful:
I’m afraid that Doubtful is correct. To graduate you need to have all of your requirements fulfilled, and have completed at least 120 credits. It does happen that some students, like you, are so efficient in fulfilling their requirements, they complete everything before reaching 120, but you still need to hit that 120 mark. I’m afraid the bad news is that you will need to take an additional 6 credits to graduate, but the good news is that you can take 6 credits of anything you’d like! By being so conscientious about your requirements and finishing them early, you now have the freedom to take some courses that are just for your own personal satisfaction. Take classes you are curious about or think you’d enjoy. If you’re considering graduate schools, see if particular classes would help your application. Explore internship options. It is great to have this kind of flexibility and will give you a chance to expand your horizons and gain valuable knowledge. Enjoy it!

Always,
Advisor Alex

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For more advisement information or questions:

Visit the Advising Web Site
http://studentservices.hunter.cuny.edu/advising.htm

Contact the Office of Student Services
(212) 772-4882
1119 East Building

Contact a peer advisor in the Sylvia E. Fishman Student Center
(212) 650-3282
417 West Building

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