| Academics |
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| Q. |
What if my student doesn’t know what to major in? |
| A. |
Our on-campus career services staff can help your student evaluate his strengths, weaknesses, and interests to determine what major might be best suited for him. In addition, your student might want to take a course in the area he is interested in, talk to upper-classmen of different majors, and determine what is most valuable to him in life. We strongly encourage students to declare a major prior to the beginning of their sophomore year. |
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| Q. |
What does “credit hour” mean? |
| A. |
During the fall and spring semesters, one credit hour is equivalent to one hour of class per week. So if a student enrolls in a three-hour college algebra class, he might be in that class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for 50-minutes each day. (During summer courses, intersession courses, and 8-week courses, students will actually be in class longer than one hour per week per credit hour, but the math works out the same.) |
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| Q. |
What do “cumulative GPA” and “retention GPA” mean? |
| A. |
Students have two grade point averages (GPAs). One is the cumulative GPA, which includes grades for every single course the student takes. The other is the retention/graduation GPA. The benefit of the retention GPA is that if a student retakes a course, only the second grade is calculated. For example, if a student earns a “D” in an American History course his first semester and decides to re-take it later and makes an “A”, both the “D” and the “A” will be calculated into the cumulative GPA, but only the “A” will be calculated in the retention GPA. Both GPAs are recorded on transcripts. |
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| Q. |
How big are classes? |
| A. |
The majority of courses have a maximum of 30 students. Some will be more, some will be less. However, the student to faculty ratio at RSU is 25:1. |
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| Q. |
If my student needs to miss class due to sickness, etc, what should he do? |
| A. |
The first thing your student should do is contact the professor, whether by email or phone, to let him know and to find out he will be missing. Typically, professors will indicate on the first day of class what the best way to contact them is. The second thing your student should do is get with another student in the class who takes good notes, copy those notes, and find out about any announcements and assignments. |
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| Q. |
When and where are grades sent? |
| A. |
Grades are mailed to the student’s permanent address within a week of the last day of finals. |
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| Q. |
Is class attendance mandatory? |
| A. |
For students to do well, they must attend and participate in class. Class attendance is (more than) strongly encouraged. Many professors calculate attendance into grades. And even if some professors mention that they do not take attendance, you can be sure they all notice who is and is not in class. |
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| Q. |
How is a GPA figured? |
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Each letter grade is assigned points. An “A” gets four points, a “B” gets three points, a “C” gets two points, etc. Multiply points by the number of hours for the course. Add up all the points, then divide by the total number of hours. Here is an example:
| College Algebra |
3 hours |
B |
(3x3=9) |
| Comp I |
3 hours |
C |
(3x2=6) |
| Biology |
4 hours |
F |
(4x0=0) |
| Humanities |
3 hours |
A |
(3x4=12) |
| Spanish |
3 hours |
B |
(3x3=9) |
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16 hours |
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36 points |
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16 hours/36 points = 2.25 GPA |
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| Q. |
What grades does my student need to get to be on the Honor Roll? |
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President’s: Students must complete a minimum of 12 (6 for summer) semester hours of college level courses with a 4.0 GPA. For summer, students must complete a minimum of 6 semester college-level hours with a 4.0.
Dean’s: Students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours (6 for summer) of college-level courses with a 3.5 and no grade lower than a “B”.
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| Q. |
How can my student get enrollment verification for our insurance company? |
| A. |
Have your student contact the National Student Clearinghouse at www.studentclearinghouse.org or 703-742-4200. |
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| Financing |
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| Q. |
How much is my student’s education going to cost me? |
| A. |
See tuition & fees. See also housing costs. |
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| Q. |
Are bills sent to me or my student? |
| A. |
Bills are addressed to students and are mailed to the permanent address we have on file. |
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| Q. |
What scholarships are available for my student? |
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See our Scholarships web site. |
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| Q. |
How does the financial aid process work? |
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See our Fanancial Aid web site |
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| Q. |
Are there campus jobs my student can apply for? |
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Yes. Most departments on campus employ students. The best way for your student to find a campus job is to inquire with those individual departments. Applications can be picked up in the Financial Aid office. |
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| Q. |
If my student drops a class, do I get a refund? |
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If it is during the drop/add period, the student receives a full refund for tuition and fees. If it is after the add/drop period, no refund is given. Refund checks are made out to the student. |
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| Residential Life |
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| Q. |
Are students required to live on campus? |
| A. |
Although specific organizations, such as athletics and PLC, may require students to live on campus, the majority of RSU students are not required to live on campus. However, some studies indicate that students who live on campus are more likely to stay in college and graduate than those who commute (Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005), and we strongly encourage students to live on campus. |
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| Q. |
How are the campus apartments supervised? |
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The Director of Residential Life lives on-site and supervises the overall operation of campus housing. The university also employs responsible students who serve as Residential Assistants (RAs). RAs assist with conduct problems, perform room checks, organize activities, and serve as contact points for students in their buildings. |
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| Q. |
Can my student stay in his apartment during breaks? |
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Students are welcome to stay in their apartments during all breaks, including Christmas Break. The only time students have to leave is when their contract is complete (for many students this is May). |
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| Q. |
What kinds of food services are available on campus? |
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The RSU Café, located in the Student Union, offers a short-order menu throughout the week. Students can purchase food using cash, or by swiping their Hillcat Card. Student who live in the campus apartments have full kitchens. |
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| Campus Services |
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| Q. |
Is healthcare available on campus? |
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Yes. Our Student Health Center is located on the back side of the Health Science building. Our campus nurse is always available, and the doctor is on campus three days per week. Services are free to students, faculty, and staff. If your student is sick, have him stop by or call the Health Center at 918.343.7614. |
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| Q. |
What shots are required? |
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All students are required to provide documentation of immunization against hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), or a waiver, to the Student Health Center by the end of their first semester. Students who live on campus are required to provide documentation of a meningococcal vaccination prior to moving in. |
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| Q. |
Where can my student go for counseling services? |
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Our full-time campus counselor is available for students to discuss depression, roommate issues, test anxiety, and more. The counselor is located in the Student Health Center. |
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| Q. |
Who does my student need to contact regarding a disability? |
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See our Student Disabilities web site. |
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| Security |
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| Q. |
What qualifications do campus police have? |
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All of our campus police officers are CLEET certified. See the RSUPD web site. |
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| Q. |
What is the crime rate on campus? |
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Crime is very minimal on campus. See the RSUPD web site for the latest report. Call boxes are located throughout campus for the convenience of students who may feel threatened at any time. |
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| Outside Learning |
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| Q. |
What opportunities are there for my student to learn outside the classroom? |
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Many of our campus organizations provide professional development and community service opportunities. Throughout the year, RSU brings in speakers to discuss various topics. |
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| Q. |
Does RSU help organize internships? |
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Each year, RSU sends three students to Washington D.C. to participate in the Washington Center Internship Program. Students intern for an organization best suited to their interests, whether public, private, or government, and are involved in a variety of professional development seminars. Juniors and seniors from all majors are encouraged to apply for the experience. The expense of participation is largely covered by the university.
For other internship opportunities, students should visit with their academic advisor or another faculty member from their academic major. |
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| Miscellaneous |
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| Q. |
I don’t understand any of the college lingo my student is using. Can you help? |
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You bet! Just download this list of terms  , and you’ll be on your way to impressing your student with your new vocab. |
