UC is moving from a quarter system to a semester system in fall of 2012, as part of a statewide effort to have all Ohio’s two-year and four-year public colleges and universities on semesters by this date. This conversion to semesters is part of the Ohio Strategic Plan to ensure that students can more easily transfer among institutions within the University System of Ohio. Other advantages to the semester system include having graduates enter the job market earlier in the spring, having more time within an academic term for projects and more in-depth treatment of the subject, and having more time for co-op and study abroad experiences. Part of this change involves the calendar and the length of terms. Instead of having four quarters of about 10 weeks each, under semesters there will be three terms (fall, spring, summer) of 14 weeks. Under semesters, the fall term will begin in August and the spring term will end in May.
Besides the calendar changes, there are changes to the curriculum and credit hours. To be ready for this change, faculty began revising their courses and programs last year, and most courses and programs are now in the final stages of approval. While all quarter courses will go away at the beginning of fall 2012, students will receive credit for the quarter courses they have taken (quarter hours will be converted to semester hours), and they will work with advisors to plan how best to complete the program requirements using semester courses. Raymond Walters College faculty members are in the process of constructing “program transition plans” that will help guide advisors as they work with students during the transition.
During the 2011-2012 academic year, students who will not graduate by the end of summer 2012 should complete an Individual Advising Plan (IAP) with an advisor. The IAP, which is “each student’s personalized plan for scheduling courses throughout the semester conversion process,” is required before the University will honor an individual the promises outlined in the UC Pledge to Students. Students should carefully read this Pledge to Students, which is available on the UC Semester Conversion Website: www.uc.edu/conversion
A brief summary of the UC Pledge is below:
Time to completion of degree: Basically, this pledge ensures that students “who are on track to complete their degrees at the time of conversion and who maintain a consistent rate of credit accumulation after semester conversion will not suffer loss of time to degree completion.” Students should note that “the university cannot be held responsible, however, for personal choices such as decisions to change to part-time status, to stop-out, or to deviate from the agreed-upon Individual Advising Plan (IAP).”
Tuition costs: Student tuition and fees under the semester system “will not be greater than they would be under the quarter system for a two-semester academic year.” However, the Board of Trustees has the right to increase tuition on an annual basis, just as under the quarter system.
No loss of credits: Quarter credit hours will be converted to semester hours, so students will not lose credits for courses completed. According to the Pledge, “For students enrolled before Fall Semester 2012, old and new catalog requirements will be merged to ensure progress toward degree. Combinations will vary depending upon percentage of degree completion at the time of semester conversion.”
What can students do to prepare? Although the IAPs will not be constructed until next year, current students can plan for this conversion to semesters by doing the following:
1. Students are encouraged to complete required course sequences prior to Fall of 2012.
2. Students who are planning to change majors or who are currently undecided should change majors or declare a major now.
3. Students who are close to completing their degree prior to Fall of 2012 are encouraged to do so before the move to semesters.
4. Students are encouraged to run their degree audit, which is available on the One-Stop Web page (http://onestop.uc.edu), and to contact their advisor about specific issues.
5. Students should view the Academic Calendars for 2011-12 and 2012-13, noting that the summer of 2012 will be abbreviated.
If students do not know who their advisor is, they can quickly check by following the “My Advisor” link on the RWC home page.
Updates will be provided to RWC students throughout this year and next, and all students are encouraged to read the full information on the UC Semester Conversion Webpage: www.uc.edu/conversion.