01/11/17
Parents,
The start of the spring semester has me thinking of summer and the decisions our students need to make about their summer. I would like to give you some advice on whether your student should go to summer school.
As a general rule, students should have finished the following courses by the end of the summer:
English 101Chemistry 115
Engineering 101, 102Math 155 (or Math 153/154)
Engineering 199
A number of our majors don’t let students take courses in the major until these courses are completed. If students don’t start into the major by next fall, they will be out of sequence for courses in their major beginning the sophomore year. That could result in some cases to not being able to take a course in their major until their junior year.
All of the above courses are offered during the WVU summer session. At WVU and at many universities, summer classes are taught in different time periods. The WVU summer schedule has been published, so students can check out the availability of classes.
Session 1 begins on May 15 and ends on June 23. Session 2 begins on June 26 and ends on August 4. Some classes are taught in 1 and 3 week time periods. There are also some full summer classes.
Engineering101 and 102 will be offered on-line which lets students take this course from any location.
Students can also take these courses at local institutions, but they need to get approval before they do this. The engineering courses and Math 153/154 may be hard to find at many schools, but the other courses listed above are likely to be available. Students who have Math 153 completed can take a Math equivalent course at another school. When students register for classes later this semester, they should work with their advisor to complete a transient application. This will assure the courses they take this summer will count for their degree at WVU.
The D/F repeat rule doesn’t apply for courses taken at other schools. The exception to both of the above is the WVU affiliated schools (WVU-Tech and PotomacState). Students can repeat a D or F and use the D/F rule at these schools.
Tuition and fees for summer classes are based upon the credit hours taken. During the regular semester, tuition and fees are basically a fixed amount for full-time students. Summer classes can be expensive. Unfortunately most scholarships don’t cover summer classes, but financial aid is available. Each credit hour for in-state studentscosts$385 and each credit hour for out-of-state students was $1013.
Students may need to take summer classes if they have a scholarship. In most cases, they have until the end of the summer to meet those requirements. The freshman year requirements for the most common scholarships are:
In State
Promise2.75 GPA30 credit hours
Foundation Scholarship3.26 GPA30 credit hours
Bucklew Scholarship3.20 GPA30 credit hours
University Merit3.20 GPA30 credit hours
Scholarship of Distinction I3.20 GPA30 credit hours
Scholarship of Distinction II3.00 GPA30 credit hours
Scholarship of Distinction III3.00 GPA 30 credit hours
Scholarship of Distinction IV2.75 GPA30 credit hours
Governors Honor Acad.3.00 GPA30 credit hours
Berry2.75 GPA30 credit hours
Out of State
University Merit3.20 GPA30 credit hours
Scholarship of Distinction I3.20 GPA30 credit hours
Scholarship of Distinction II3.00 GPA30 credit hours
Scholarship of Distinction IV2.75 GPA30 credit hours
Grades will count as well as credit hours for classes taken in the summer no matter where the classes are taken.
If your student had to repeat a course this semester, it’s likely the 30 hour requirement will need to be met with summer school classes. Remember any classes taken prior to the fall of 2016 don’t count in the 30 hours.
WVU offers a number of courses on-line in the summer so this is another option for taking classes from home, but this can be very expensive for out-of-state students. Students can fulfill all of their GEC courses online. Math/Chemistry/Physics are not offered online.
Students can register for summer classes when they sign up for Fall 2017 classes. They can also get the approval forms signed at that time if they are taking classes at another school. The student’s advisor should be able to help them determine whether they need to take summer classes.
I hope this helps. I wanted to give you a heads-up on this early this semester so you can think about plans for the summer with your student.
I think most students can keep their scholarships if they have a plan. They really need to see their advisor to help them. This week is critical because any course changes need to be done this week.
Let me close with the story of Kevin. Kevin was the first in his family to go to college. He was an African-American student from a small West Virginia community. His faith was very important to him and sustained him through the difficult transition to college.
When Kevin graduated, he went to work for one of the world’s leading car companies. He was immediately challenged. Kevin’s first job involved million dollar decisions. That can be quite intimidating for a 22 year old, but I’m proud to say that Kevin excelled under the pressure. He got a series of promotions after that. Today eleven years into his career Kevin is one of the leading engineering managers.
But what Kevin does outside of work is even more impressive. He has become a leader in the African-American community. He works with the African-American youth in his community to help them realize the value of an education.
He has also invested in real estate development by buying up run down properties in the inner city and fixing up these properties so they can become livable. He then helps low income people in his community purchase the properties.
I have taught over 300 students who have become corporate presidents or vice presidents, but I can honestly say that I am prouder of Kevin’s accomplishments than I am of any of those that I have taught. In my mind, he embodies the spirit of Martin Luther King.