UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

SECOND YEAR NEWSLETTER

April 2007

IN THIS ISSUE

• Academic Related News
  • Registration for Summer and Fall
  • Pass/ No Pass - New online form
  • Overloads
    
  • Course Repeat Option- Deadline April 30, 5pm
  • Course Evaluations - New online system
  • Final Exams
  • Summer Classes on and off campus - Off campus requests due April 15
  • Scholarship Retention and Appeal Process
• Additional Opportunities and Programs
  • Merit Based Scholarships are Available- Applications due April 27
  • New Physics Course
  • Congratulations to the Wittke and Jackson Award Nominees
• Important Upcoming Dates
  • Academic Calendar Highlights
• Upcoming Campus Events
  • Share the Vision Forum: Bringing the War Home to Case - April 13, 12:30pm
  • SOURCE Undergraduate Symposium & Poster Session - April 20
  • Second Year Celebration! April 26, 11:30am
• Undergraduate Academic Honors Assembly- April 27

Academic Related News

Registration for Summer and Fall

Registration for Fall 2007 courses begins on Monday, April 16, and registration for Summer 2007 courses begins on Monday, April 23.  Please check the SOLAR registration schedule to see when you will be able to begin accessing SOLAR to choose your fall semester classes.  All undergraduates may begin registering for summer courses on April 23.  Your advisor will be able to provide both your fall and summer PINs that will allow you to access SOLAR.

Please make sure to schedule an appointment with your advisor to discuss your class selection for the fall and/or summer. If you have not already declared a major but you "know" what it is going to be, this would be the time to declare and get an advisor in your department.

Pass/No Pass

If you are a full-time student in academic good-standing, you have the option of electing to have one course graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. In order to do this, the course must NOT:

1. Be a course required for an intended major or minor
2. Be a course required for your SAGES/General Education/Core Requirements including a Humanities or Social Science Sequence.

The Pass/No Pass option may only be exercised by completing a Pass/No Pass ballot anytime before 5:00pm on the last day of class, April 30.

Some things to remember:

1. instructors are not notified of a student's use of this option.
2. Grades of "P" earn credit but are not calculated into the cumulative gpa
3. Grades of "NP" do not earn credit and are not calculated into the cumulative gpa.

See the full details of the Pass/ No Pass Option in the 2006-2007 Student Handbook p. A-79.

Overloads

Remember students can take up to 19 hours without needing and overload. While the normal course load for students is still 14-18 hours, you are able to enroll in up to 19 hours. However, before you start enrolling in that many hours, I would urge you to ask yourself do I really need that extra course? Could I be spending time doing community service, volunteer work, research, etc., that I will not have time to do if I am taking 19 hours.

Continuing students may carry 20-21 hours, if they have a cumulative gpa of 3.20 or better. To register for 22 or 23 hours, a minimum of average of 3.50 is required. Any schedule of more than 19 hours require's dean's approval. Graduating seniors may be approved for overloads if they need such a schedule to graduate at the end of the semester in question.

If you meet the requirements to overload and you want to add a class now or over the summer, you can email me your request. Please include how many hours you are requesting, the class that you want to add and why. I may be able to approve your request online.

Course Repeat Option

Last day to exercise the Course Repeat Option.  The current rules about repeating courses can be found on p. A-79 of the 2006-2007 Handbook.  To exercise this option for a course you are repeating this semester, you must complete the Course Repeat form and submit it to the Office of Undergraduate Studies (Sears 357) by 5pm on April 30

Course Evaluations

This spring brings the introduction of a new on-line course evaluation system.  This will allow you to complete the evaluations at your convenience, after taking time to think about what you would like to say.  Student comments provide important feedback for instructors as they plan their future course offerings.  Evaluation results also play a role in faculty reappointment, promotion, tenure, and salary determinations.  I hope that you will take the time to provide thoughtful evaluation and constructive comments about each of your courses -- think about the kind of feedback you find helpful on your own work.  Access to the on-line course evaluation system will be available through the MyCase portal.  You will receive email notification with additional details and login information when the evaluation period begins

Final Exams

If you have not already done so, I would encourage you to verify your final exam schedule now and mark your calendar accordingly. Do not make travel plans that conflict with your exams; requests for rescheduling of a final examination to accommodate travel plans will not be approved.

Under University policy, no student may be required to take more than two final examinations in a single day. If you have three final examinations scheduled for the same day, please see Dean Wolcowitz in the Office of Undergraduate Studies no later than April 13 for assistance.

Summer Classes on and off campus

If you are planning on taking summer classes at Case, the first day to register is April 23. You should get your summer PIN from your advisor. It is not the same as your fall PIN. Remember tuition is 1/2 price for the summer!

If you are planning on taking classes off campus, there are some polices and paperwork that you must follow and complete. The policies are listed on the Off-Campus Study Request Form. In order to complete the Off-Campus Study Request Form, you must collect course descriptions for the courses(s) that you are interested in taking and bring them to the department for the course to be evaluated. The completed and approved form should then be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Studies in Sears 357. The deadline for submissions of that request is April 15.

For those of you who live in Cuyahoga County, please pay special attention to the specific residency restrictions listed in the student handbook.

Merit based scholarship retention

At the end of each academic year (June), the records of all scholarship recipients are reviewed. To have a Trustee's, President's Provost's or other Full Tuition scholarship renewed for the following academic year, a recipient is expected to satisfy two requirements:

1. A minimum number of hours earned after enrolling at Case. For second year students the requirement is 54 hours by the end of the second year. This does not include AP/IB/transfer or Pre-College Scholar credit earned prior to enrollment at Case.
2. A minimum cumulative scholarship gpa of 3.00. Remember the scholarship gpa includes all courses, so if you used the Repeat Option for any class, both grades will be calculated into your scholarship gpa.

If you have a Provost's Special Scholarship, the retention standard is academic good standing.

If you meet the above stated standards, your scholarship will automatically be renewed for the following academic year. If you do not meet the standards, there is an appeal process.

Appeal Process

In exceptional or unusual circumstances, the Committee on Academic Standing will continue a scholarship for a student who does not meet the 3.00 gpa and 54 credit hours standards or academic good standing (for Provost's Special). It is your responsibility to write the Committee on Academic Standing- Scholarship Appeals, c/o Office of Undergraduate Studies by June 1, to inform the Committee of any special or extenuating circumstances which may have affected your performance and/or attendance during the preceding year(s), and to request special consideration for continuation of your scholarship. This letter can be mailed, faxed (368-4718) or emailed to me at lxh5.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNIES AND PROGRAMS

Merit Based Scholarships for Current Case Students

Case will award a limited number of scholarships for 2007-2008 and subsequent years for students who are currently enrolled at Case and who have completed a record of achievement, participation and leadership that distinguishes them from their peers.

What will be awarded:

• One Trustees' Scholarship
• Two President's Scholarships
• Four Provost Scholarships

Eligibility requirements include

1. Applicants must be US citizens or Permanent Residents
2. Applicants must be a first, second or third year student in 2006-2007 who have not previously received a Trustees, President's, Provost's or similar scholarship
3. Students who entered as first year students in the fall 2006 will need to have earned a cumulative gpa of at least 3.75 and at least 30 credit hours at Case in the 2006-2007 academic year (AP, IB and transfer credit hours will not be considered).
4. Students who entered Case in the fall 2004 or 2005 will need to have earned a cumulative gpa of at least 3.75 and averaged at least 15 credit hours for each semester since enrollment at Case.

Full eligibility requirements can be found on the application. Applications are available in the Office of Undergraduate Studies in Sears 357, the Office of Financial Aid in Yost 417A or can be downloaded from the Undergraduate Studies web site. Applications due April 27.

New Physics Course!

Lawrence Krauss will be teaching PHYS 137, Scientific Frontiers: Origins. This course will provide undergraduates, both science and non-science majors, with a general perspective of the modern state of our physical understanding of the universe, including outstanding puzzles at the forefront of modern science, focusing on the questions of origins: the origin of the universe, of our galaxy, of matter, of life, etc.

Congratulations to the Wittke and Jackson Award Nominees

Please congratulate the nominees for the Wittke and Jackson Awards. Also, thanks to all of you who took the time to nominate and recognize the faculty and staff who have made a difference in your time at Case.

The following outstanding faculty and staff have been nominated for the Jackson Award.

The following outstanding faculty have been nominated for the Wittke Award.

Important Upcoming Dates

Click here fore a complete 5 year academic calendar.

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

Share the Vision Open Forum: Bringing the War Home to Case

Joins us for an open dialogue on the conflict in Iraq led by individuals with a personal connection

The panel will include the following:
            Dan Moulthrop, WCPN Radio, Moderator
            Panelists:
                        Paul Schroeder, Founder of Families of the Fallen for Change
                        Ramez Islambouli, Advisor to the Muslim Student Association
                        Joe Mueller, Member of Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq
                        Erin Monroe, English grad student and spouse of a US soldier
                        Keith Schnell, Graduating senior and Army ROTC

Friday, April 13 KSL Oval (Rain site Thwing Atrium) 12:30pm-1:45pm
Pizza and refreshments

Co-sponsored by the Share the Vision Committee, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence, the Hallinan Project, Case Democrats, and Global Medical Initiatives (GMI)

Intersections: SOURCE Undergraduate Symposium & Poster Session

All undergraduates are encouraged to attend Intersections: SOURCE Symposium & Poster Session on Friday, April 20. In Thwing Center.

Oral Presentations 10am-3pm

20 minute sessions will be scheduled.

Poster and Performance Presentations:
Session 1 - Noon-1:15pm
Session 2 - 1:30-2:45pm

This is a great way to see what students across campus are doing in research and creative endeavors and learn who their mentors are. Heavy refreshments will be provided. More specific information and schedule will be posted during the week of April 10. Please check the SOURCE website.

Second Year Celebration!

The Second Year Celebration is on Thursday, April 26th during the Provost Hour (11:30-1:00) on the Main Quad in front of Nord. This year the theme is Cirque du 2nd Year.

Come and celebrate the end of your second year! Stay tuned for more information!

Undergraduate Honors Assembly

The annual Academic Honors Assemblies for undergraduates, where departmental and collegiate prizes and scholarships are awarded, are happy occasions that recognize outstanding students for their accomplishments in scholarship, leadership and/or service.

The academic honors assembly for those students who are members of the classes of 2008 2009 or 20010 will be held at 12:45 p.m. on Friday, April 27, in Amasa Stone Chapel.