E-mail this pageFrequently Asked Questions About Academic Advisement
The Academic Advising Office receives hundreds of email, phone, and walk-in questions about a wide variety of matters that students like you have. Certain issues might be specific to your particular case, but more often than not other students have had that question, too!
Below you will find brief answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). The FAQs are divided into categories below. We encourage you to scroll through the questions and answers, as you might learn information to questions you didn't know you had!
- New Student Summer Orientation: Before and After Questions
- General Advising, Registration, and Academic Policies
- Declaring /Changing a Major or Minor
- Academic or Personal Difficulties
- Transfer/AP Credit or Repeat Coursework
New Student Summer Orientation: Before and After Questions
I want to change my major. How can I do that?
If you are a new student who has not yet started here in the fall, you'll need to call the admissions office (518-564-2040) to inform them of your desire to change majors. Note: Some majors may be "closed" already, meaning that they are full to capacity at this point. If you are already registered for some courses in your new major, you will most likely need to drop those courses and replace them with introductory courses in your new major. Contact your new department chair for help with courses for your new major.
I could not attend a summer orientation session. How may I register for courses?
It's highly possible that you are already pre-registered for a few courses. To register for the remainder of your schedule, you must come to the Course Advisement and Registration session that we host the Sunday prior to classes beginning. Show up at 10am sharp in the Learning Center on the first floor of Feinberg Library on Sunday, August 23. Deans, department chairs, academic advising staff, and registrar's office staff will be on hand to assist you.
I've decided that I want to change some of my courses around. May I do that?
If you must change your schedule, such as for employment or sports practices, you may add and drop classes on Banner Web during the summer. However, if your courses already fulfill General Education requirements or courses in your major, it is not advisable to alter your schedule too much just for personal preferences (like time of day or to be with your friends). Dropping courses you already have will vacate those seats; if you don't find anything more desirable you might not get them back.
I got special accommodations for my learning or physical disability before college. Should I do this at SUNY Plattsburgh?
Absolutely, yes. If you have needed accommodative educational services in the past, chances are good that your educational experience in college would benefit from them as well. Contact our Student Support Services (SSS) immediately (518-564-2810), and they will inform you of what paperwork you need to submit. Upon receving your IEP or 504 Plan, SSS will set you up with an advisor who will determine your needs, and the SSS office will most likely reigster you for courses that are exclusively for SSS-eligible students. For this reason, it is important that you make contact with the SSS office during the summer.
General Advising, Registration and Academic Policies
What is BannerWeb?
Banner Web is Plattsburgh's web-based system that provides access to important academic and course registration information. You can access:
- Class schedules
- Grades
- CAPP reports (degree requirements)
- Registration dates
- On-line registration
- Master schedule of courses
- Student and faculty locators
- Financial aid information, etc.
Banner Web is available on your MyPlattsburgh.edu information portal. This portal also connects you to your SUNY Plattsburgh webmail, provides important announcements, and allows you to access your student account, list of courses, advisors name, and much more.
What is a CAPP Report?
A Curriculum Advising and Program Planning (CAPP) Report outlines degree requirements specific to your academic major(s)/minor(s). This tool, in conjunction with the College Catalog, will assist you in keeping track of course work and requirements toward degree completion.
The first big section of your CAPP report lists courses or categories of courses required for your major(s) (if you have declared one or more). The next big section lists categories of courses for the General Education program. Following that you will see a list of courses you've taken that count as electives, as well as a short list of courses in progress now or that you failed or withdrew from. The CAPP report ends with an up-to-date accounting of several important numbers, including: your number of upper level credits earned, the number of total credits earned, and your cumulative and major GPA.
Pay particular attention to any arrows (-->) on your CAPP report. An arrow indicates that you have not yet fulfilled that requirement. View and print your CAPP report at least once per semester, preferably before the course advisement period to help you plan your next semester of courses.
I think there is a problem with my CAPP Report? How may I get it fixed?
The Registrar's Office administers and updates CAPP reports. Questions regarding CAPP reports may be directed to capp@plattsburgh.edu or handled by visiting the Registrar's Office (3rd floor of Kehoe).
Who is my Academic Advisor and how do I locate him/her?
View your CAPP Report - your academic advisor's name is in the upper left hand corner under your major, access Banner Web Campus Directory Search for location information; or
- Contact the Department Chair of your major and request your advisor's name and location; or
- Call Academic Advising at 518-564-2080 or visit the office in Feinberg 101-103
How often should I meet with my Academic Advisor?
You will need to make an appointment with your advisor, at the very least, once a semester during the Course Advisement period. Course Advisement period is the designated two weeks prior to course registration when advisees meet with advisors to discuss their academic performance, progress toward degree completion, appropriate course selection for the next semester, and to obtain a Registration PIN required for priority access to the course registration system.
You should, however, take the initiative to meet with your advisor more often to ask questions and to discuss your academic interests and progress. Establish a meaningful relationship with your advisor; get to know him/her beyond the perfunctory once-a-semester meeting to discuss course selection. Your advisor can be one of your most valuable resources throughout your college experience and may serve as an excellent source for a future recommendation.
How should I prepare for meetings with my Academic Advisor?
Be sure to:
- Become familiar with all aspects of the Banner Web system; navigate through the various links
- Thoroughly review your CAPP report and have a copy with you during appointments
- Prepare questions for your advisor prior to your meetings
- Draft a tentative schedule of courses for future semesters or construct a plan for degree completion for discussion
I've e-mailed my instructor or advisor about a question, and he/she still hasn't gotten back to me. What should I do?
Although e-mail is convenient, it is not always the best way to reach everyone on campus, especially if the question you have is an urgent or time-sensitive one. Also, it's best not to e-mail on a Friday afternoon or over a weekend or holiday and expect an instant reply!
We might live in the digital age, but for important matters there is no substitute for face to face communication. Some instructors prefer email, and they'll tell you that. But other faculty/staff keep on the move and it's wise to actively track them down. If you have not yet phoned your advisor or gone to her/his office during "office hours," you should try that. Many faculty members post their office hours on their door and/or on their syllabi. If you have an urgent matter and your advisor is not available, the department chair for your major may be able to assist you.
What is a "hold," and why do I have one on my account?
A hold indicates that there's something you must do (such as pay a bill, update your contact information, etc.) in order to regain full access to your account, which includes your ability to view your grades and register on time. You could have a hold on your account for a number of reasons. The commonest reason is a "Student Accounts" hold, which can mean unpaid parking tickets, a loan check you must sign over, unpaid campus phone bills, etc. "Student Health Center" holds might indicate incomplete medical records.
If you think you have a hold, you can use the MyPlattsburgh.edu portal to find out more information. From the portal, login to BannerWeb, access the Student Menu, then the Registration Menu, and finally, Administrative Holds. You will be able to view brief descriptions of any holds and where to go to resolve them.
Sometimes people tell me to go to the "Registrar's Office." What is a Registrar? I've never heard of that.
The Registrar is a college official who oversees all student academic records. The Registrar's office staff maintain the schedule of classes/rooms, keep accurate account of class rosters, process all grades and grade changes, facilitates the Banner course registration process, enforces policies for adding or withdrawing from a course, updates CAPP reports, performs a degree audit to ensure completion of requirements prior to graduation, and keeps a permanent record of your grades -- and that's only part of it!
There are numerous reasons you might be directed to the Registrar's Office throughout your college years. All course withdrawal forms must be submitted there for processing. The same is true if you are filing a permission form to take a course at another institution, or if you request to take >18 credit hours in a semester. You might need to request an official transcript for a scholarship or for an employment opportunity or grad school. Perhaps you sense an error on your CAPP report.
Our Registrar's Office is located on the 3rd floor of Kehoe. Inquiries can also be directed to registrar@plattsburgh.edu
I never check my Plattsburgh e-mail account; I like my [Yahoo, AOL, Gmail, etc.] better. Does it really matter?
Absolutely YES, it matters! In part because of students' reliance on digital communication, the College has accommodated by making e-mail the official form of College communication. Critical information is routinely sent to you via your Plattsburgh e-mail account. You don't need to give up your personal account, especially if most of your friends and family maintain your personal e-mail address. However, it is CRUCIAL that you regularly check your SUNY Plattsburgh account because your advisor, your professors, the College, and many others will communicate with you this way. You will miss out on important information if you ignore you SUNY Plattsburgh account!
I don't use my campus phone number, I have a cell phone. Does that matter?
Yes, it does. Various offices on this campus might have to reach you about an important matter. To do so, they consult Banner. It is YOUR responsibility to update your account with your accurate phone number and address (if that's changed). Otherwise, time-sensitive or personal information may be sent home or phoned to your family's number that you submitted at the time of your admission to PSU.
To make any changes, login to your BannerWeb account and access the "Personal Menu." You will then be able to choose either "Update Address(es) and Phone(s)" and "Update e-mail address(es)" to enter your new contact information. It's good practice to routinely check this information for accuracy, as well as the numbers and e-mail addresses to which you would like any Emergency Alerts be sent.
Declaring/Changing a Major or Minor
How do I declare or change my major?
Obtain a copy of a Declaration or Change of Major/Minor/Advisor form in the Academic Advising Office, Feinberg 101. Complete the identifying information and take the form to the department chair of the major you would like to declare. The department chair of your intended major will review your request (you may be asked for a copy of your transcript), assign you to a new academic advisor within the major, and sign the form, which indicates acceptance into the major. You can make more than one change (for example, adding a major AND a minor) on the same form. Once you have all the signature(s) you need, return the form to the Academic Advising Office for official processing.
I've taken a lot of courses in a subject. How do I find out what I would need to declare a minor?
The course requirements for minors are listed in the College Catalog. You can use the information in the catalog and your current CAPP report to get an idea of what else you might have to take. For more specific information, or to declare a minor, contact the coordinator of the minor (whose name is listed next to the minor in the College Catalog).
I'm currently Undeclared. Is it a good idea to declare my major now, or wait until my sophomore year?
There is no "one-size-fits-all" answer to this question. Some programs have a series of courses that must be followed very closely, but other majors are more flexible. Additionally, some programs have a minimum required GPA, while others have pre-requisites you must complete before declaring the major. All of these things affect when you can and should declare. The best thing to do is to talk to your current academic advisor and/or the department chair of the program in which you are interested. The feedback you receive should help you to make this decision.
Should I just get all of my Gen Eds out of the way now and worry about courses in my major later?
First of all, try not to think of gen. ed. classes as something to "get out of the way!" General education classes are designed to help you learn about a wide variety of academic areas and to build a foundation for more advanced coursework. Your academic advisor can assist you in deciding what combination of major, elective and general education courses is best for you.
That said, most of your General Education requirements are meant to be taken within your first two or three years. Even doing that, you still have space built into your schedule to take the introductory or prerequisite courses in your desired major. While it might seem admirable to neatly clean up your Gen Ed requirements first, you are delaying natural progression through your major. At times, it is through taking the first courses in your major that you decide whether or not you actually want to continue in that field of study.
I really don't like the major I'm in now. Should I just be undeclared until I figure out what I want to do?
This depends on a number of individual factors. For many students, a good place to start is to identify what you do not like about your present major. Is it too much math? Too much reading? Don't like the career outlook? Isn't like what you thought it would be? Does it not speak to your strengths? Once you identify what you don't like about your major, try to imagine what you DO want in a major.
If you are stumped in any way, or are standing confused at a crossroads, we highly recommend you visit and establish a relationship with the Career Development Center (8th floor of Kehoe). The senior career counselors there can be very helpful as you work through this process. As an added fringe benefit, you might not only walk away with a clearer college direction, but you will know where to go for those all important junior and senior steps of resume writing, job searching, and interviewing!
I think I know what I want to major in, but I'm not 100% sure. What happens if I declare now, and change my mind later? If I change my major, can I still graduate on time?
Majors are not written in stone. You can change or add a major at any point. In many cases it is still possible to graduate on time, especially if you change majors within the same broad disciplinary area, such as Biology to Chemistry, or Sociology to Gender & Women's Studies. (Use your current CAPP report and your collge catalog to compare your current program and the one that interests you.)
However, depending on your year in college, and the differences between programs, it may take you longer than four years to earn your degree. For example, if you are a junior wanting to change from Political Science to Ecology, or Biochemistry to Finance, you might need a full semester or more of prerequiste courses before you advance in upper level coursework in the new major. We understand the extended time can be a deterrent, however it is important for you to be interested in and excited about your chosen area of study, espeically if you expect your new major to take you in the direction of a career field you'll enjoy.
I'm really interested in a major, but I'd like to talk to someone about what kinds of jobs I can find after I graduate. Where can I go to find out more?
The Career Development Center has many resources for students to explore possible majors, careers, and personal goal setting. While certain resources are available to you online through your own exploration, you will get the best access and information by making an appointment to meet with a career counselor!
Academic or Personal Difficulties
I need to drop a class. What do I need to do?
First, check the official Academic Calendar to be sure that the deadline to drop a course has not passed. Generally, for a full-term course, the withdrawal deadline is the last day of the 2-week course advisement period. For a part-of-term course, like LIB, some PEDs, and MAT104, the withdrawal deadline is sooner. Then, you will need a Schedule Adjustment form, available at Academic Advising (Feinberg 101) and the Registrar (3rd floor of Kehoe). Complete the top portions, and then you will need to obtain the signatures of the course instructor and your academic advisor. Take the completed form to the Registrar's Office on or before the deadline.
What happens if my cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 2.0?
At the end of a semester, the College conducts an academic progress review of all students' records based on their cumulative GPAs. Students who have cumulative GPAs below 2.0 fall under "academic progress review." This review is essentially the College's way of insuring that students meet our minimum academic standards and make timely progress toward degree completion (e.g., graduate within four years).
Even though students might see their grades on Banner within a week of the end of the semester, students are not notified that they are under academic review until two weeks after the end of the semester (during this time, all faculty submit grades and the registrar's office must officially rectify thousands of records). The academic progress review notices are sent to students via e-mail (Plattsburgh e-mail account) and in hardcopy to home addresses. These notices include guidelines about the process to submit written appeals of the academic review.
The Academic Progress Committee (APC) reviews appeals and determines whether to allow a student to return on academic probation or to academically dismiss the student from the College. All details about the academic review process, submitting appeals, deadlines, decisions, etc. are included in the notice students receive.
I've missed a lot of classes because I've been sick or because of personal reasons. What should I do? OR Something serious has happened at home. I really don't know if I can stay and finish the semester. Who can I talk to about this?
If you have been missing classes, such that your grades are in jeopardy, you should consider a college withdrawal. Students who withdraw from a semester will receive a grade of "W" in all courses for that semester.
There are two different procedures for processing a withdrawal and for re-admission to SUNY Plattsburgh, depending on the circumstances of your withdrawal:
- For all medical and/or psychological withdrawals, please contact the Center for Student Health and Psychological Services, 518.564.21887.
- For college withdrawals for other reasons (e.g., military deployment/enlistment, financial, family, personal), please contact Academic Advising, 518-564-2080.
If you are feeling torn about whether or not to withdraw from college, please see immediately either your academic advisor or Academic Advising staff. If you have been missing many classes, but choose not to process a college withdrawal, there could be serious consequences upon your GPA. It is often best to preserve your GPA by voluntarily withdrawing from college versus facing academic dismissal if your cumulative GPA should fall below a 2.0. If you have any questions or concerns, it's always best to ask!
I have to leave campus for just a little while due to an emergency. I don't have time to tell my instructors that I will be absent. What should I do?
Contact the Student Affairs Office (6th floor of Kehoe). The Student Affairs Office will send your instructors and academic advisor an e-mail explaining that you will be absent and the general reason (e.g., death in the family, surgery, acute illness). However, it is your responsibility to follow up with your instructors afterwards to make up for your absences and/or missed work/notes. Note: If your emergency situation may be more prolonged than originally anticipated and/or it is taking time and attention away from your studies once you return, you might consider a college withdrawal to avoid your grades slipping beyond repair. (For college withdrawal information, see the question above this one.)
I'm having a really hard time in some classes I need for my major. They're harder than I expected. What should I do?
If you are struggling with one or more courses, you may seek the assistance of the instructor(s) at their office hours. They might provide you the means of learning difficult material. There is also free tutoring available to all students in many subjects at the Learning Center, Feinberg Library 103. If you are struggling in many required courses for your major, you may want to talk with your academic advisor, the Academic Advising Office staff, and/or the Career Development Center counselors to determine if your current major is the best choice for you.
Transfer/AP Credit, Repeat Coursework
Can I repeat a class I failed by taking it at another institution, like a community college near home?
Only courses that are taken at SUNY Plattsburgh will count towards your grade point average (GPA). Therefore, if you repeat a failed course somewhere else, it will not affect your GPA (positively or negatively). You may take the course at your community college, but if you are repeating the course in order to improve your GPA, you must take it at SUNY Plattsburgh (onsite or via the web).
I want to take a summer course or two at my community college near home. How will I know if these courses will count?
If you plan to take one or more courses at another institution, you must first complete a "Permission to Study Off-Campus" form, available in the Academic Advising Office (Feinberg 101). That form tells the College what you plan to take and what you believe it should count as (e.g., a course in your major, a Gen Ed, etc.). There is an important checklist of items on the form that you should consider before taking the summer course.
To know what the course equivalency is at SUNY Plattsburgh, visit our Admissions page for transfers
I think I want to transfer somewhere else. How do I know which credits will transfer?
The new institution will determine how credits will transfer. You should contact their admissions or registrar's office for more specific information. Also, if you are not returning to SUNY Plattsburgh, you must complete an official College Withdrawal form for PSU, available at the Academic Advising Office (Feinberg 101).
I took an AP or college course in high school. Why isn't it anywhere on my CAPP report?
If you don't see a transfer credit (TR) on your CAPP report that you believe should be there, you should ask your high school guidance counselor or the institution from which you received credit to send an OFFICIAL transcript or score report to the SUNY Plattsburgh Registrar's Office. Only credits that have been officially processed through the Registrar's Office will count toward your degree. Until then, you will probably see your AP/Transfer course at the end of your CAPP report with an "IP" (In Progress) notation.
Who is responsible for making sure I complete all my degree requirements?
You are. Your academic advisor will assist you to: understand degree requirements; college policies and procedures; and to best utilize college services and resources; however, the responsibility to meet graduation requirements at the intended graduation date, both with respect to selecting courses and to completing them satisfactorily, rests with the you - the student.
Did you have a question that is not listed above?
If so, please feel free to visit the Academic Advising office for assistance, or e-mail your question to advise@plattsburgh.edu.
Contact Information
Academic Advising
Office Location: Feinberg 101-103
Phone: (518) 564-2080
Fax: (518) 564-2079
E-mail: advise@plattsburgh.edu