Info for Preceptorial Students

INFO FOR PRECEPTORIAL STUDENTS

This page is designed to assemble in one place the key things you need to know about navigating your way around USD. Please scroll down and see what's available. If you have any suggestions, or detect any incorrect information below, please contact Dr. Nelson.

General Stuff

For further info on how things work and what's going on around USD, your starting place should be your My.SanDiego.edu page (especially the One Stop Services and Academic Resources tabs). See also Campus Resources page and the Archways Student Handbook.

For preceptors and advisors, the Center for Educational Excellence has Resources for Preceptors page.

DARS: Degree Audit Reporting System

DARS is a a software tool for charting a student’s progress toward her/his degree that can be accessed on-line. See the DARS page for access and training materials. There's a "student quick guide."

Notes: (1) For your foreign language requirement, DARS will list only your third semester course under CORE - FOREIGN LANGUAGE to indicate that requirement has been fulfilled. Your first two semesters of language study will be listed as electives; (2) DARS can only do "what if" scenarios for majors and minors based on the current 2006-08 bulletin. If you entered under a different bulletin (say, 2004), you'll need to check that document to see if requirements have changed. This limitation applies only to "what if" projections. DARS will list your completed requirements correctly according to your actual major/minor and bulletin year..

Bulletin and Calendar

The Undergraduate Bulletin contains important academic regulations, plus vital information on courses and majors. For example, certain courses have prerequisites; the Bulletin can tell you if a course you want to take has any. Another example: Supposing you want to be business or biology major. What courses do you need to take to prepare for the major? Look up business or biology in the Bulletin, and you'll find out. (Also try DARS for this.)

Academic Regulations (Declaring Major, Pass/Fail, Transfer of Credit, etc.)

The Core Curriculum (official description) (scroll down)

Core Course List (Core Curriculum site)

Core Curriculum Checklist (handy reference)

Academic Calendar

In case you can't find it, here's the Final Exam Schedule.

Foreign Language Requirement

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures (office: F134) requires all students wanting to take French, German, Italian, or Spanish, unless they have previous college credit in that language, to take a placement test. This is so that they can be placed in the proper class. The placement test requirement applies for these languages even if you have had no experience studying the language before (you can indicate this on the pre-test survey), unless you apply for a waiver of placement

You may, however, enroll in Chinese, Greek, Japanese, or Latin at the 101 level without taking a placement test, again provided you have no previous college-level credit in the language.

See the department's Placement Policy flyer for an overview.

If you place in at the 202 level or higher may be able to fulfill the Core Curriculum language requirement by taking a competency exam. If your high school diploma was earned in a country outside the US where classes were conducted in a language other than English, you may be able to obtain a waiver of the foreign language requirement.

Language Placement at USD

Placement Exams

Foreign Language Competency Exams

Dr. Santiago Rubio-Fernaz is the Director of Placement, and should be the first person you talk to if you have questions regarding getting into a language class. The chair of the department is Dr. Susan Briziarelli (F138, x4066). Office hours for language faculty are on the department web site here. Call x4070 for further information.

Math Requirement

Unless you can place out of math by a "competency exam," you must take and pass at least one math class to graduate. You will not be allowed to take a math course without taking a "placement exam" to determine your level of math knowledge and ability, so you can be "placed" in the right course. Even if you have registered, or have been registered, for a class, you must still take (and pass) the correct level placement exam in order to be allowed to stay in the course. If you have not passed the appropriate level placement exam by the second week of classes, you will be automatically dropped from the course.

The placement exams are given (on-line) during the summer for entering students and also during the first few weeks of each semester in campus computer labs for current USD students. See the links below for further information.

Math Placement Exams

Math GE requirement FAQ

Math Course to Fulfill Critical Reasoning/Logic Requirement

New Math Core Course: MATH 114

For further info, call the Math/CS department at 619-260-4706.

Note: If you feel you have a good math background, and want to place out of the math requirement by an exam, a math competency exam is scheduled each semester. Contact the Office of the Dean of A&S (x4545) for info. See also the Academic Calendar for dates.

Science Requirement

The science requirement calls for two courses, one including lab. You can do this with two, three unit courses, for six units total. Or one or both of your courses could be (but does not have to be) a four unit course (e.g., ENVI 121). But remember that one of your science courses must include a lab. USD has no "stand-alone" lab courses for non-majors, so if you take two science courses that have no lab, you'll have to either take another or find a stand-alone lab course elsewhere (community colleges have them) and transfer it in. See "Transferring Courses," below.

Registration Info and Procedures

Banner

You can a ccess Banner, the new on-line registration system, via the One Stop Services tab in your My.SanDiego.edu page. Here you will find the Banner Registration Dashboard, as well as links to the Course Schedule and the Eligibility Table (under: When can I register?). You can also have direct access (and make a link) to the last two items here:

USD Course Search

F08 Eligibility Table (check to see when you can register)

Grades

To find your grades after the end of the semester, look for the "View my grades" link under the One Stop Services tab in My.SanDiego.edu.

Pass/Fail

If you're in your first semester here, you can't use the Pass/Fail option at all until you've completed 12 units at USD. This is an old rule. Otherwise, there is an important change that started in fall 2006. Students who entered USD in F06 or after (as freshpersons or transfers) will not be able to take courses Pass/Fail to fulfill a Core Curriculum requirement. The P/F option will be available only for minors and electives.

This change does not apply to students who entered USD prior to F06. Those students may continue to exercise the Pass/Fail option according to the regulations in the Undergraduate Bulletin in effect in the year they matriculated at USD.

For details of the current policy, see Academic Regulations (scroll down).

Majors and Minors

Declaration of Major/Minor Form

To declare a major or minor, fill out this form (I have copies, or download it from the link above) and take it to the office of the department concerned. Ask the administrative assistant of that department how to proceed from there. Or, if you know a professor in that department, take it to her/him for advice as to how to proceed. Note that your preceptor does not have to sign this form.

Business Majors

For declaring a business major, and/or for business advising, go to the Undergraduate Advising Center, Olin Hall 115 ( 619-260-4839).

You can't register on-line for an upper-division Business course unless you have declared a Business major or minor. If you want to take such a course, but don't want to declare a major or minor, stop by the Business Advising Center.

Pre-Health Majors

For pre-health (medicine, pharmacy, etc.) majors, there is a new pre-health advisor, Ms. Carol Moffett (SCST251, x2944, moffett@sandiego.edu). Contact her to get advice, direction, and email notifications of pre-health events. And review the information on these links:

Info for Pre-Health Professions

Pre-Health Advising

Teaching Credential Programs

For information on teaching credential programs, see the Teaching and Learning office in the School of Education and Leadership Sciences. Prospective elementary teachers should check out the Liberal Studies major

Choosing a Major

Choosing a Major and Career Exploration

Choosing a major is sometimes a difficult process. Sometimes, as you no doubt have heard, students switch back and forth several times. So if you're a bit concerned--or even a bit bewildered--about the variety of options, etc., you're not alone.

The usual advice is, of course, to take a variety of courses and see what seems to grab you, what feels right, what you do well at. That's partly what the Core courses are about. Also talk to friends and parents. Your preceptor will also be happy to talk to you about options. That's part of his/her job. Actually, any faculty member here at USD should be happy to talk to you about his/her field. So, for example, if you're taking a political science class and like it, talk to your prof during her/his office hours about the possibilities of a major in that field.

If you're stuck, find a course in a completely new area, one you never considered, make sure that it has a great professor by asking around, and take it. It may expand your horizons and lead you into something better than you ever dreamed of.

Also important, remember that USD has a career services office, in Hughes 110. They have daily "drop in" hours 10-11am and 2-3pm, or you can make an appointment to talk to a counselor (619-260-4654). You would very probably get some good input there. Also, check out the USD Career Services web pages.

Interesting new minors: Asian Studies and Peace & Justice Studies (current requirements).

Interesting "old" minor: Theology and Religious Studies. Not a bad deal, since you have to take nine THRS units anyhow to fulfill the Core. Three more courses and you have an interesting minor!

Transferring Courses

USD students who wish to take courses at other institutions should obtain advance written approval on an Undergraduate Petition for Transfer of Credit form. Get this from your advisor or in the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Founders Hall, room 114. The form is also available online as a PDF on the Registrar's documents page.

Fill out this form using information from the other school's printed bulletin or web site. Get the signature of your advisor, then take the form to the office of the department concerned (Math for a math course, etc.) and ask the executive assistant of the department how to proceed from there. The executive assistant will generally get the signature from the department chair for you and forward the form to the dean's office for the dean's signature. Please do not just go directly to the department chair's office and expect him or her to sign it for you instantly on the spot.

Make sure you get this approval in advance of taking the course (for example, in the spring semester if you're planning to take a summer course). Otherwise, you'll be taking a chance that the credits may not be accepted toward your USD degree.

If you're planning to take courses at a San Diego area college, take a look at the USD Undergraduate Admissions Articulation Agreements, which will give you an idea of what courses most readily transfer.

Study Abroad

USD Study Abroad Programs

Study abroad is a wonderful, highly recommended option if you can possibly do it. It can be a life-changing, "once in a lifetime" experience. Make sure, however, that the courses you take while abroad will transfer back to USD. This is pretty easy if you're in an official USD program.

Privacy of Educational Records

For information about your privacy rights regarding your educational records, directory information, and the like at USD, see the university's official FERPA site. This contains information regarding issues like whether or not your parents have the right to access your records. FERPA is the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" (1974).

The Writing Center

Got writer's block? Having trouble organizing your ideas and getting a logical grip? Having bad dreams about footnotes, endnotes, parenthetical references, bibliographies, and reference lists? For help with writing "at any stage of completion" go to the Writing Center, where trained student tutors will give you sympathetic help for free.

The Writing Center is located in Camino 125. For an appointment, stop in or call 619-260-4581.

Remember, the ability to organize your ideas clearly and express them in writing is probably the most important thing you can learn at USD. It may be painful sometimes, but "no pain, no gain"--it's absolutely worth the effort.

The Math Center

Lost in your math course? Different people have different gifts, right? Check out the Mathematics Center, where fellow students who are gifted in math will help you with your lower level mathematics course. The Math Center is located temporarily in Serra 135 and is available and free to USD students on a walk-in basis. For hours, see the Math Center web site.

Advice & Counsel

Check these resources if you have a health issue, are over-stressed, need study skills support, are searching for a major, or could use other kinds of wisdom about how to deal with university and post-university life. USD wants to help you succeed at all levels.

Counseling Center, Serra Hall 300, 619-260-4655.

Office of Student Learning Initiatives, UC102, 619-260-5995.
(Peer advising, academic assistance planning, and more.)

USD Career Services, Hughes 110, 619-260-4654.

Student Health Center, Camino 161, 619-260-4595.

Center for Health and Wellness Promotion, UC 220-221, 619-260-4618.

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