Spring 2010 Information

ADMISSION

FIRST-TIME WVSU STUDENTS who have never attended college must submit a WVSU application form, a high school transcript or GED certificate, and ACT or SAT scores to the Office of Admissions in 106 Ferrell Hall.  Applications may be submitted online; other materials must be sent or brought to the Admissions Office in 106 Ferrell Hall.  Spring high school graduates who have previously taken college courses in high school or on campus with special student status must complete the full admission process before taking Spring Semester classes.

TRANSFER STUDENTS who have attended other colleges must submit a WVSU application form and an official transcript from each college attended to the Office of Admissions.  Transfer students who have completed 30 hours or less of college credits must also submit a high school transcript or GED certificate and ACT or SAT scores.

READMITTED WVSU STUDENTS who have previously attended WVSU or KVCTC (formerly WVSCTC) but are not currently enrolled or returning as transient students from another college must submit a WVSU readmission form to the Office of Registration and Records in 128 Ferrell Hall.  Students on academic probation must have their readmission forms approved in the Office of Academic Affairs in 131 Ferrell Hall prior to registration.                           

TRANSIENT STUDENTS who are currently enrolled at other colleges must submit a WVSU application form and a transient approval form from their home institution.

POST-BACCALAUREATE STUDENTS taking undergraduate courses must submit a WVSU application form and a copy of either an undergraduate transcript or a diploma as evidence of graduation.  Post-baccalaureate students pursuing a second degree must submit an official transcript.

GRADUATE STUDENTS who are applying for admission to the West Virginia State University master’s degree programs in Biotechnology or Media Studies should complete WVSU graduate applications in the Office of Admissions or have graduate applications sent to them electronically by calling 304-766-3102 for Biotechnology or 304-766-3195 for Media Studies.

For further information contact the Office of Admissions by telephone at 304-766-3221 or 800-987-2112 or in person in 106 Ferrell Hall.

ACADEMIC ADVISING AND REGISTRATION

Every new, continuing, readmitted, and transfer student must see an academic advisor before registering.  Academic advising and registration is done primarily through the college of the student’s major.  Students who are undecided about a major should see an advisor in the college that most closely fits their interests.  For assistance in choosing or locating advisors WVSU students should contact the Office of Academic Affairs in 131 Ferrell Hall or by phone at 304-766-3145. 

NEW FIRST-TIME WVSU STUDENTS who have applied and are fully admitted may register for Spring Semester 2010 at an Early New Student Orientation/Advising/Registration Session on Thursday, November 19.  This session will begin promptly at 5:00 p.m. in the P. Ahmed Williams Auditorium on the second floor of Ferrell Hall Administration building.  Following an introductory session, students will proceed to the campus locations of the colleges of their majors for academic orientation, advising, and class registration.  These activities should conclude around 8:00 p.m.  Students attending should be prepared to be present for the entire session from 5:00 p.m. until activities are completed.   

New students must have applied and been fully admitted to WVSU in order to be advised and registered at the November Session.  Questions about the status of a student’s application to WVSU should be directed to the Office of Admissions in 106 Ferrell Hall or at 304-766-3033 prior to attending the session on November 19.  Each student attending should bring his or her official letter of admission to WVSU, which includes the student’s WVSU ID number (or “A number”—it will start with A000 or A001).

New first-time and transfer students who are unable to attend the session on November 19 must attend the final Academic Orientation/Advising/Registration Session on Thursday, January 14, 2010.  This session will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. the P. Ahmed Williams Auditorium on the second floor of Ferrell Hall Administration building.  Following an introductory session, students will proceed to the campus locations of the colleges of their majors for academic orientation, advising, and class registration.  These activities should conclude around noon.  Students attending should be prepared to be present for the entire session from 9:00 a.m. until activities are completed.   Each student attending should bring his or her official letter of admission to WVSU, which includes the student’s WVSU ID number (or “A number”—it will start with A000 or A001).

New students should take advantage of the opportunities for early advising and registration.  Better planning leads to better results.  Starting in college is complicated step by step process: application, admission, financial arrangements, advising and orientation, making living arrangements for on-campus students, purchasing books, and, finally, attending class.    Students registering early have better class selection, can purchase books sooner, will know the campus better, and will have more time to resolve any issues which may arise.    

CONTINUING STUDENTS should register for Spring Semester 2010 online during their assigned time slots November 2-13.  These students may also continue to register online during open registration November 16-December 18 and January 15-20.   Continuing students must see a departmental advisor and obtain a registration PIN before registering.    

READMITTED STUDENTS may register online during open registration November 16-December 18 January 15-20.  Readmitted students must see a departmental advisor and obtain a registration PIN from an academic advisor before registering.

TRANSFER SUDENTS may register online during open registration November 16-December 18 and January 15-20.  Transfer students must see a departmental advisor and obtain a registration PIN before registering.

TRANSIENT STUDENTS (or their representatives) may register in person at the Office of Registration and Records during open registration November 16-December 18 and January 15-20 for any class approved on the transient form from the home institution.  Transient students are not required to see a WVSU academic advisor, but are welcome to consult departmental advisors for information regarding particular courses.

POST-BACCALAUREATE STUDENTS taking undergraduate courses may register in person at the Office of Registration and Records November 16-December 18 and January 15-20.  These students may also obtain a registration PIN for online registration from Ms. Hunter in the Registrar’s Office (304-766-4146) or Dr. Teeuwissen (“Dr. Tee”) in the Office of Academic Affairs (304-766-3147).  Post-baccalaureate students who are not seeking a degree are not required to see an academic advisor but are encouraged to do so if they need assistance. 

For further information contact the Office of Registration and Records by telephone at 304-766-4146 or 800-987-2112 or in person in 128 Ferrell Hall.

STUDENTS REGISTERED THROUGH the close of open registration on December 18 are expected to have their financial arrangements for tuition/fees completed by January 8, 2010, the Spring Semester Pay Date.  Students registering for Spring Semester in January 2010 must complete financial arrangements at the time of registration.  In early December, bills for the Spring Semester will be mailed to registered students.  At that time charges will also be posted to registered students on their MyState student accounts (http://mystate.wvstateu.edu).  No further bills will be mailed to students prior to the beginning of classes for the Spring Semester. 

For students registering after bills are mailed in December, charges will show on their MyState  student accounts as soon as they register.  Printed bills may also be issued to students at their request at the Cashier’s Window in Ferrell Hall.  Failure to complete financial arrangements by January 8, 2010 may result in the dropping of the student’s schedule.  Seats in classes lost in “The Dump” will be available to other students.  Approved financial arrangements include payment in full, payment of the first 60% of tuition/fees on a 60/40 installment contract, or completion of an appropriate payment arrangement with a third-party payer. 

Students should be reminded that class registration generates an account balance, and (apparent) failure to receive a bill in the mail does not erase responsibility for paying the balance on account in a timely manner.   A particular student’s bill may be paid from one or more of several sources: cash, check, credit card, institutional and outside scholarships, tuition waivers, and varieties of state and federal financial assistance including both grants and loans.  These payments come at different times and may come at times differing from those expected by the student.  It is the responsibility of students to know the status of their accounts by monitoring them through MyState or checking directly with the Cashier’s Office.  A student should never assume that the account is paid without direct evidence from the Cashier’s Office.     

INSTALLMENT PLAN FOR TUITION/FEES:  West Virginia State University offers an installment plan for the payment of tuition and fees only.  The first installment of 60% of tuition/fees is due by the pay date (January 8) for students who have registered online and is due on the day of registration for all other students.  The second installment for all students is due by the end of the 6th week of classes (February 26).  In addition to the balance of tuition/fees, the second payment will include a finance charge on the balance outstanding after the first payment as well as a delinquency charge if the second installment is more than 10 days past due.  This plan does not apply to charges for such items as parking, ID, ROTC, and room and board.  For more information please contact the Cashier's Office at 304-766-3141 or 800-987-2112.

THIRD-PARTY PAYERS: Many students have all or part of their tuition/fees paid by third parties such as employers, rehabilitation services, unions, scholarships, churches and civic organizations, private payment scheduling firms, and state and federal financial assistance programs.  The Cashier’s Office will work with the student and the third-party payer to make this process as efficient as possible.  It is the student’s responsibility, however, to see that the Cashier’s Office has the third party guarantee by the pay date, January 8.  Always check with the Cashier’s Office to make sure that your financial arrangements have been completed.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:  Residents of West Virginia who qualify for the West Virginia Higher Education Grant Program should apply by March 1 preceding the academic year for which the grant is sought.  Persons seeking Federal Financial Assistance should have all required forms completed and turned in to the Financial Assistance Office by November 30 for the Spring Semester and by June 30 for the Fall Semester.  For further information, contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance at 304-766-3131 or 800-987-2112 or in 324 Ferrell Hall.

CREDIT CARDS:  Major credit cards are accepted at the Cashier's Window in Ferrell Hall and the Bookstore in Wilson University Union.

REFUNDS: Once classes begin on January 19, 2010 tuition/fees will be refunded only when a student officially withdraws from the university (drops ALL classes).  Refund amounts are calculated to the day based on the number of days a student has attended before withdrawing up to a maximum of 60% of the total bill for tuition/fees.  The final date for complete withdrawal with a prorated refund is Tuesday, March 23.  Once classes begin on January 19 there are NO REFUNDS FOR A REDUCED SCHEDULE; i.e., other than when completely withdrawing from college the student is responsible for the entire balance even though classes/hours may have been dropped after registering.   

For further information on payment of tuition/fees contact the Cashier’s Office at 304-766-3141 or 800-987-2112 or in 117 Ferrell Hall.

              ADDING and DROPPING CLASSES/WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL

ADDING/DROPPING CLASSES:  Students should plan schedules carefully in order to avoid having to make changes after they are registered.  Students who register online may also make schedule adjustments (add/drop) online during their assigned registration time slots November 2-13, and at any time during open registration November 16-December 18.

An Online Schedule Adjustment Period is also provided from the Friday before classes begin through the second day of classes.  Registered students may use their PIN number to drop and add classes online 7:00 am-10:30 pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, January 15-20.  On Friday, Monday, and Tuesday students may also make schedule adjustments in person at the Registrar’s Office if these adjustments cannot be made online.     

Schedule changes not made online or through the telephone registration system must be made by turning in a Change of Schedule (“add/drop”) form to the Registration Office.  An advisor’s signature is not needed to change classes.  Wednesday, January 20, is the last day to ADD a class. 

GRADES FOR DROPPED CLASSES:  Classes dropped through January 20 will not appear on a student's transcript.  Classes dropped January 21-April 2 will appear on the transcript with a grade of W.   Friday, April 2, is the last day to DROP a class.  Before dropping a class a student should always check to see what effect this will have on financial aid status.

WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL:  Complete withdrawal from school after the beginning of classes (i.e., dropping all classes) must be done through the Registration Office, Ferrell Hall 128 (766-3144).  Only the Registration Office can record an official withdrawal.  Students are advised to come to the Registration Office in person and complete an official Withdrawal Form.  The office is open 8:30-6:00 on Monday and 8:30-5:00 on Tuesday through Friday.  A student who is unable to come to campus may withdraw through the mail or by contacting the Registration Office by telephone.  When a student officially withdraws from college by April 2 grades of W will appear on the transcript for all classes for which the student was registered.  If a student stops attending school and does not follow the official withdrawal procedure, a grade of F will be recorded at the end of the semester for each of the student's classes.  A student cannot officially withdraw for a semester after the end of the semester.

For further information on adding/dropping classes and on withdrawal from school contact the Registration Office at 304-766-4146 or 800-987-2112 or in 128 Ferrell Hall.