SOAR Students or their guests requesting SOAR housing accommodations or interpreting services under the ADA act DURING SOAR must contact New Student Transitions & First Year Experience at 336-334-5231 at least 2 weeks before attending SOAR. Please note that all services and/or equipment considered of a personal nature are the responsibility of the guest. Examples of this: transportation to and from cars/buses and/or the supply and use of a wheelchair.

After SOAR, UNCG students requesting accommodations under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the academic year must contact Office of Accessibility Resources & Services at 336-334-5440. You may visit the Office of Accessibility Resources & Services website for more details.

The following languages are required: French, German, Latin, and Spanish. All other language exams are offered in the fall through the corresponding academic department.

If your major appears below, you have a foreign language requirement. If your major does not appear, you can still choose to study a foreign language; talk with your advisor about your interest.

Regardless of which SOAR you attend, you will need to prepare for Academic Success. UNCG has a strong commitment to student success and provides programs and services that will support students as they grow personally and academically. It is important that students be aware and take advantage of the services that UNCG has to offer. Some of the programs and services designed to assist students are listed below.

ACADEMIC ADVISING AT UNCG
Few experiences in students’ academic careers have as much potential for influencing their development as academic advising. Advisors help students understand how to develop sound academic and career goals, become successful learners, and understand their role in the academic community. Advising at UNCG may feel very different from advising in high school. In comparison, choosing classes in high school is relatively simple because there are fewer choices. At UNCG, there are over 100 different majors, providing students with a variety of choices when selecting courses.

SOAR ACADEMIC ADVISING AND REGISTRATION
During SOAR, students receive advising and register for classes individually or in small groups in a campus classroom computer lab. Experienced academic advisors assist students throughout the advising and registration process. Students are encouraged to contact their advisors or advising centers before making any schedule changes.

ACADEMIC ADVISING AFTER SOAR
At UNCG, academic programs are organized under seven areas: College of Arts and Sciences, Lloyd International Honors College, Bryan School of Business and Economics, School of Education, School of Health and Human Sciences, College of Visual & Performing Arts, and School of Nursing and, for Exploratory Students, the Students First Office will serve as your advising location. Each academic department provides academic advising to meet the needs of its students. Advising during the first year is much different from the SOAR advising experience. Students are assigned to advisors or advising centers based on their majors during the first semester as advising models vary by department.

College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center (CASA) advises most first-year majors in the College of Arts and Sciences. Only Biochemistry, Interior Architecture, Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics majors are assigned to faculty advisors during their first year, rather than CASA. When CASA advisees have earned at least 24 credit hours, they are assigned to faculty advisors in their majors.

Lloyd International Honors College
Lloyd International Honors College (LIHC) advises incoming first-year students at SOAR and during a dedicated Honors College orientation prior to the start of classes in August for the International Honors Program.  After SOAR, LIHC has two full-time Academic Advisors available to help students complete the International and Disciplinary Honors Program.  Additionally, LIHC provides advising for major national and international scholarships and fellowships, such as the Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Goldwater.

Bryan School of Business and Economics
The Undergraduate Student Services Office coordinates advising for all business majors in the Bryan School. Majors in Accounting, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Human Resources, Information Systems, International Business and Marketing are advised by a professional advisor in the Student Services Office whereas Economics, Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies, and Hospitality and Tourism Management majors are advised in the department by faculty members.

School of Education
The School of Education’s Office of Student Services advises all students majoring in professions in deafness, elementary, middle grades, special education, and dual majors’ combination of elementary education and special education during SOAR. Students who are education majors in specific content areas (such as English, biology, music, etc.) receive advising from that content area during SOAR.

After SOAR each student will be assigned an SOE advisor based on their last name. Students work with their advisor each semester to meet degree & licensure requirements, understand academic options & resources available to them and make educational plans to meet their goals and interests.

School of Health and Human Sciences
A team of faculty members and professional advisors in the School of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) advise undergraduate students during SOAR. Once registered, students are then assigned to the faculty member, professional advisor, or advising center based on their major.

Secondary admission application procedures are required for the Departments of (1) Communication Sciences and Disorders, (2) Human Development and Family Studies, (3) Kinesiology, (4) Public Health Education, and (5) Social Work.  In these respective departments, students are prevented from progressing in their advanced curricula until formal acceptance into the department occurs.

College of Visual & Performing Arts
All undergraduate music majors are advised by the Director of Undergraduate Advising in the School of Music. Advising in the School of Theatre, the School of Dance, the School of Art and Arts Administration will be with faculty advisors.

School of Nursing
The School of Nursing’s Office of Undergraduate Advising provides academic advising to all freshmen pre-nursing majors during the first year. In the second year, students are assigned a dedicated faculty advisor.

Admission to the upper division Bachelor of Science in Nursing major is by application only (near the end of the sophomore year.) Students must maintain minimum academic requirements to progress in this particular major. Admission to the program is academically competitive and students are encouraged to understand the academic requirements to be competitive for admission to the program. For more information please visit http://nursing.uncg.edu/Undergraduate/advising/.

Exploratory (Undecided) Majors
The Students First Office provides academic advising for all Exploratory (Undecided) Majors until they have declared and been officially admitted to a major. In SFO, academic advising is an educational process in which you and your advisor partner together in meeting established learning outcomes, working toward your academic success, and outlining steps you will take in achieving your personal, educational, and career goals. Students meet with their SFO advisor two times each semester, once during the first 6-8 weeks of the term and then again during the traditional advising & registration period.  For more information on academic advising for Exploratory Majors, visit the “Exploratory Majors” information page on the Students First website or call (336) 334-5730.

ACADEMIC RESOURCES

Students First Office (SFO) The Students First Office coordinates intervention processes across different academic and administrative units in order to determine the best possible success strategies for students facing academic, social, or financial setbacks. In collaboration with other support services across campus, the office serves as an Academic One-Stop-Shop for assisting students with academic advising, academic appeals, course overload requests, and graduation plan completion. In addition, SFO also serves as the centralized academic advising center for all Exploratory (Undecided) Majors at UNCG.  For more information, visit the Students First website or call or call (336) 334-5730.

First-Year Transition Courses (FYE 101, BUS 105, NUR 110, HHS125)
These courses, designed to help ensure a successful transition to UNCG, expose new students to academic tools, campus resources, and opportunities for campus and community involvement. FYE 101: Succeed at the G is open to all first-year students. BUS 105 is specifically for freshmen with majors in the Bryan School of Business and Economics. NUR 110 is specifically designed for students planning to major in Nursing. HHS125 is designed for students exploring health majors.

Student Success Center
The Student Success Center (SSC) offers 4 academic support programs for UNCG students: the Learning Assistance Center (LAC), Special Support Services (SSS), Supplemental Instruction Program (SIP), and Student Study Program (SSP).

• The Learning Assistance Center (LAC) serves the entire undergraduate student body. Support services include: small group and individual tutoring, academic skills assessments, computer-assisted academic skills enhancement, and academic skills workshops.
• Special Support Services (SSS) is available to students who are first-generation, from modest income backgrounds, or who have a disability, and who also demonstrate academic need for services. Services include writing and research instruction, graduate/professional school guidance, tutoring, financial literacy instruction, and use of a learning lab.

· The Supplemental Instruction Program (SIP) provides discussion and review forums designed to help you achieve success in a course that has been designated as historically difficult.

• Student Study Program (SSP) connects students enrolled in the same course & section number to engage in a collaborative study process. This collaborative group concept fosters greater study habits and positive relationships among peers.

Each program serves the individual needs of students as they work toward undergraduate degrees and develop into lifelong learners. All of the academic support services offered are FREE! Additionally, students using our services achieve higher course grades and GPAs. More information about the Student Success Center programs can be found at http://success.uncg.edu/.

Office of Accessibility Resources & Services (OARS)
The Office of Accessibility Resources (OARS) provides support for students with a variety of disabilities and diagnosed learning differences. Students should contact this office to determine if they qualify for assistance. For more information, please refer to the OARS section of this publication or to their webpage: http://ods.uncg.edu/.

University Writing Center
The University Writing Center strives to enhance the confidence and competence of student writers by providing free, individual assistance at any stage of a writing project. Staff consultants are experienced writers and alert readers, prepared to offer feedback and suggestions on drafts of papers, help students find answers to their questions about writing, and provide one-on-one instruction as needed. More information about the University Writing Center is available at http://writingcenter.uncg.edu/.

University Speaking Center
The University Speaking Center provides consultation support and instructional workshop services for UNCG students, faculty, employees, and members of the Greensboro community. Our support is designed to help speakers further develop their own oral communication confidence and competence. We provide peer-to-peer feedback, guidance, and other support in the areas of public speaking preparation and delivery, interpersonal communication, and group or team communication.

The Speaking Center is located along with the Writing Center in 3211 MHRA. We are on the third floor. MHRA is on the corner of Forest and Spring Garden – diagonally across the street from the Mossman Building. http://speakingcenter.uncg.edu/

Career Services Center
The Career Services Center (CSC) provides individual and group support to all levels of students in their career development process. Whether it is career and self-exploration, identifying and participating in experiential learning opportunities, the graduate school decision-making and application process, developing and maintaining professional networks, or preparing for the professional employment process, the CSC can equip students with the information and tools needed to make well-informed career decisions. To learn more about the CSC and its services go to https://csc.uncg.edu/

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Should my student register for a first-year experience course?
We encourage all new students to take a first-year experience course such as FYE 101, BUS 105A, NUR 110, or HES 110 to maximize their success while transitioning to a new learning environment. These courses equip and empower new students to develop and achieve their academic and personal goals. Research indicates that UNCG students who take these courses achieve higher GPAs and are generally more successful than students who do not take a first-year experience course. Encourage your student to register for one of these courses.

When does a student need to declare a major?
New students often arrive without having declared a specific major. With assistance from their advisor in the Students First Office, many students use their first two or three semesters to explore majors by sampling courses across the curriculum that meet their General Education Core (GEC) requirements. For many students, choosing a major is a learning and exploration process. It is important to encourage students to reflect on their interests and strengths while searching for a major. The Students First Office and the CSC can help students uncover and build upon their interests and strengths to help narrow their search. While there is not a designated semester in which a student must declare a major, a selection is recommended by the time he or she has accumulated 45 hours of course credit.  In addition, certain majors do require an early commitment by students who plan to graduate in four years. Special admission requirements for specific majors such as GPA, course prerequisites, auditions, applications, and/or interviews are described in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

What are Freshman Seminar courses?
Freshman Seminar courses give students the opportunity to study a topic in depth while earning credit in the General Education Core (GEC) or to fulfill the College Additional Requirements (CAR). The seminars are small discussion classes taught by faculty selected for their commitment and interest in undergraduate teaching and are available for freshmen only. The seminars have no prerequisites and do not presume any special knowledge about the topics to be covered.

Do you have any tips for first-year success that I can share with my student?
We encourage students to:

• Vist Your First Year website for tips and resources at newstudents.uncg.edu/yfy.
• Create a balanced schedule with a variety of courses planned for every day of the week.
• Register for a first-year experience course.
• Maintain balance between academics and employment.
• Get involved on campus through Campus Activities & Programs.
• Go to class.
• Build relationships with faculty, staff, and students.
• Take advantage of campus resources.
• Explore different majors, especially if you are an Exploratory (Undecided) Major.
• Ask for help at any time!