Q. Will I be able to finish my degree in time?
Yes, in fact, there is a university Pledge to our Students regarding this. But, to be clear, you will need to help us help you with this. You can do your part by making an appointment with both your major and GE academic advisors to review the courses you have left to take and plot out your remaining terms here. And if you are interested, advisors can help you establish an Individualized Advisement Plan/Education Plan that will map out the remaining courses you need to take.
Q. If I am here through semesters and requirements for my degree/option change under semesters, am I held to the quarter requirements that I started under or the new semester requirements?
Student catalog rights are governed by the catalog in effect at the time they declare their undergraduate major/minor or are admitted to a graduate degree program. Your catalog year determines the requirements that you must satisfy to earn your degree. Your catalog year will not change, but the courses you must take may change because the courses in your catalog will may no long.
To some extent, all of the courses that the biology courses will carry over from quarters to semesters will change after semester conversion begins in Fall 2018 in that they will all be 15 weeks long, may have slightly different formats (i.e., lecture length may change; there may be a new discussion section added; etc.) and the course number will be three numbers instead of four (i.e., BIOL 3130 will become BIOL 310). In the case of other courses, they may be totally discontinued and, if you have not taken one or more of those courses by that point, you will need to work with an advisor to determine which course(s) you will need to take as a substitute.
Now, it turns out that you actually have a choice in whether to be held to the requirements of the your quarter catalog year or the new semester system catalog year for your major AND your GE. Furthermore, it is possible to choose quarter requirements for one and semester requirements for the other - they don't need to be the same (e.g., you can keep to your quarter catalog year for your major and the new semester catalog requirements for GE and vice versa. Your major advisor can assist you with determining which might work best for you for your major requirements and your AACE/GE advisor can assist you with determining this for your GE requirements. Advisors will primarily base their decisions on what is more efficient for you (which will vary by major/option and graduation date). Once you have determined which set of University and major requirements you will be following, you will know what classes you need to put into your IAP/Education Plan.
Q. How many units would I have to enroll in to be considered full time under semesters?
An undergraduate student must enroll in 12 or more semester units to be considered full-time. A post-baccalaureate student seeking an additional undergraduate degree or an unclassified post-baccalaureate student must enroll in 12 or more semester units to be considered full-time.
Full-time classified post-baccalaureate students admitted to a teaching credential program must enroll in at least 8 semester units to be considered full-time. Full-time graduate students who are admitted to a master or doctoral degree program must carry at least 8 semester units.
Q. I have been seeing signs and banners about an IAP. What is this?
To prepare students for the change to semester, the Individualized Advisement Plan (IAP) in MyCSUEB will help you determine your academic paths through the conversion process and beyond to graduation. The IAP was made available to you and your advisors in Fall 2016. Your major and GE advisors can help you complete an IAP for you. And once it is approved by an academic advisor, it serves as a roadmap to facilitate graduation requirements under your major, and if applicable, minor program(s). It also provides the opportunity to inform the university of courses you plan to enroll in and when. This information will allow the university to improve course offerings based upon demand.
Q. Can I get my courses planned out for me and, if so, where can I go?
If you have questions about the semester conversion and the biology major or minor you are always welcome to see a major advisor in the College of Science Student Service Center or you can speak with an Advisor in the Department of Biology.
Q. What will happen to my units once we move from quarters to semesters? Will they be in quarter units or semester units?
The University will make every effort to ensure that the units you have already earned will count toward your degree. The College of Science and the Biology Department has been working individually on plans for transitioning our courses from quarters to semesters to make the move go smoothly for you. You can check out the university's Pledge to Our Students in which the University promises that students will graduate on time and will not lose earned credits provided they meet with advisors, develop an Individualized Advisement Plan, and follow the plan.
As for what form the units will be in, the current plan is to have on myCSUEB any courses you have taken on quarters viewable in quarter units, any courses you take during semesters in semester units and then your total number of units converted into semesters. We will know more as we get closer to the transition.
Q. I have other questions about converting to semesters. Is there anywhere else I can find answers to my question?
Yes, there is a whole site on the CSUEB website devoted to Semester Conversion. You can click on the links to visit those pages. And of course, you are always welcome to see a major advisor in the College of Science Student Service Center or you can speak with an Advisor in the Department of Biology.