General Studies Spring 2021 - General Studies Options for GENU students

If the student is not going to pursue a major in your area, please use the following to help guide the student as to what major to select. ALL GENU students need to change into an appropriate major in order to avoid getting blocked from registration.

Change of major forms should be submitted as soon as possible, change of major will show up in the next semester. 

 NON-MC Degree Seeking- Non-Exploratory Students

1.       Personal Interest Students

a.       Move to 00A Undeclared

2.       Students with degrees pursuing pre-requisites before going to another school

a.       Move to General Studies Degree Aligned with course needed- Generally 611B

3.       Visiting Students

a.       Move to General Studies Degree Aligned with courses they are taking

4.       Attending with the intent to transfer w

a.       Select General Studies (Or other major) aligned with transfer goals

MC-Degree Seeking- Exploratory Students

1.       Unsure of Goal or whether they should be in college or too many options to select from

a.       Integrated Studies – 611D

2.       Some Idea, but several options exist

a.       Select General Studies major appropriate for options

3.       Attending with the intent to transfer

Select General Studies (Or other major) aligned with transfer goals

 General Studies Degree Options:

• Humanities, Arts, Communications, and Languages (HACL)- 611A
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)- 611B
• Social Sciences, Administration, and Health (SSAH)- 611C
• Integrated Studies (INTG)- 611D

General Studies - 129 Sunsetted

 Hey All,

I just wanted to give you a heads up that I am sending the attached letter to GS students in 129 with fewer than 45 credits at the end of this semester. They need to change their majors.  We need to clean up 129 and basically get it off the books-- The only students who should still  be on it either should have an appealable reason to be on it or ready to graduate this semester or next.

Please, please can you pass the word to your colleagues that 129 is really going off the books and students need to be in a different, current major.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Samantha

General Studies – 129 (Catalog Year 2012 – 2013) - Need to Know

General Studies – 129 (Catalog Year 2012 – 2013)

Financial Aid

2012-2013 catalog is no longer active, but it wasn't determined until after the start of the semester that this catalog was not active-- and so some student got caught in a financial aid issue for this (about 75 General Studies students.) This is also the last catalog year that has no 200 level requirements.  Students in this category received an email from Financial Aid and then from me/General Studies with information about updating their catalog year. I believe these students should be able to update their catalog year this semester out of sequence because this is a mistake on our part for not notifying the students before the start of the semester.

Inactive Majors

Some students are listed in 129, but didn't begin taking classes until after Fall 2015 when that major was retired and the new 611 was put in place. These students will have a block on their registration until they update their catalog year. There are about 200 students in this category. These students all received an email from me/General Studies about the need to update their major. I believe these students should be able to update their majors to something other than 129 this semester because this was again-- our fault for allowing them to register for classes with an inactive major. (there are reasons for to have happened, but we need to ensure that it doesn't go on going forward because the 129 catalog option is close to an end.)

129 in General

There are about 600+ students currently taking classes who are still in the 129 catalog year (including the two groups above.)  Since the only active 129 catalog years include 200 level credits and next year is the last year any 129 catalog is active, we are moving to get all 129 students either with a plan to graduate in Spring 2020 or moved to an appropriate other major -- one of the General Studies 611's or other appropriate major.   These students are being contacted by counselors from GT and Rockville to discuss options. These students would change their majors as normal on the normal schedule, so by the third week of the next semester as there is no need for them to have that happen sooner.

General Studies Laptop Lending Program

The General Studies program has a number of laptops to lend students who are taking either fully online courses or z-courses. We hope this program will help more people access those programs.  Students can now reserve a laptop before the semester begins.

Information, requirements and a request form are available here:   https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/academics/programs/general-studies/laptop-lending-program.html

Please share with students, program advisors and counselors. I would really like to see us lend all the laptops this fall semester.

Samatha

Samantha Streamer Veneruso

Professor of English

Chair, General Studies Program

MT 226a- Rockville Campus

240-567-7940

Request a General Studies Faculty Advisor:  https://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/EDU/Department.aspx?id=102728

Request a General Studies Faculty Advisor Form

Request a General Studies Faculty Advisor:  https://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/EDU/Department.aspx?id=102728

General Studies: Reminder

http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/EDU/Department4sub1.aspx?id=77537

There is some confusion as to when students must follow the new 4 options for the  General Studies degree.  As you know, this went into effect this academic year.  All students entering MC for the first time in fall 2015 and after must choose one of these 4 General Studies Degree Options.  (I have be told that there is a 5^th option “ 611Z” , but I have not seen one and have no idea about which students qualify for the 611 Z option.  The confusion is about students who enrolled in MC years ago but came back to MC in the 2015-16 under the new General Studies requirements. If students have had a break in enrollment 2 years or more and returned in fall 2015, they are subject to the new General Studies degrees options.   lg   

New General Studies Curriculum & 888/999 Transfer Credit

1. “Effective immediately, [they’ll] use 888 to reflect incoming 100-level transfer work and 999 to reflect incoming upper-level transfer work.  This change will help identify the 15 credits at the 200-level requirement for the General Studies degree.”
2. Unrelated to this, but relevant – “Shortly, [they] will also move to the use of CD to indicate a transfer course that was brought in with a grade of D.  This will prevent students from registering for a course where the perquisite requires a C or better.”  Ernest will update the registrars and hopefully us subsequently when that is fully implemented. 

Please keep this in mind as you do advising audits with students following the new General Studies program. 

New General Studies Curriculum & 888 Transfer Credit

“Effective immediately, [they’ll] use 888 to reflect incoming 100-level transfer work and 999 to reflect incoming upper-level transfer work.  This change will help identify the 15 credits at the 200-level requirement for the General Studies degree.”
 

2.       Unrelated to this, but relevant – “Shortly, [they] will also move to the use of CD to indicate a transfer course that was brought in with a grade of D.  This will prevent students from registering for a course where the perquisite requires a C or better.”  Ernest will update the registrars and hopefully us subsequently when that is fully implemented. 

Please keep this in mind as you do advising audits with students following the new General Studies program. 

General Studies - Fall 2013 Update from Dr. Pearl

1) Do the new requirements only pertain to students entering or using the Fall 2013 catalog?

The only new requirement is that students must complete 15 hours of course work at the 200 level. Yes, this requirement will be in place for the 2013-2014 catalog and apply to all students entering the College this fall. I anticipate further changes will be made to the degree program this year, but these will not take effect until fall 2014.

2) What happens if students switch into the general studies major after or during the Fall 2013 semester?

The student may continue to follow the degree requirements of the catalog under which they first entered or may to choose to follow the current catalog. Thus, if the student enrolled in 2010, he or she may continue to use the requirements of that catalog even if he or she switches degree programs. However, as according to policy and procedure, there is a seven year limit for use of catalog, which is in effect.

3) Are incoming transfer students with a significant number of credits required to use the 2013-2014 catalog and adhere to the new general studies requirements?

Incoming transfer students are required to use the catalog which is in effect when they first arrive at the College or choose to follow subsequent catalogs. This is independent of the number of credits with which they transfer.

4) Is there an appeal process for students who separated from the college more than two years ago (not able to use old catalog) and return to complete degree?

No there is no appeal process for students who separate from the College more than two years ago. They must follow procedure 9.32 and will need to use the current catalog.
5) Is there an appeal process for students who took course with a college level prerequisite that may serve as equivalent to 200 level while we work through our course renumbering? (Example: SO107 requires SO101 but would currently not be considered 200 level)

I am not sure what a student would appeal. The degree requirement is for 200 level classes and I have recently asked for a full review of the numbering level of all classes to be placed correctly. A class simply having another course as a prerequisite does not make it 200 level.

6) Will students be able to substitute/appeal the requirement if it does not fulfill their transfer plan?

General Studies is a Montgomery College program, which allows a student great flexibility to match transfer requirements. I believe that the flexibility it affords will allow any student to be able to complete it and match the requirements of an institution into which he or she wants to transfer. However, I am interested in hearing about situations in which this isn’t true and discuss how we can meet the needs of the students.

7) For questions not addressed In the FAQ-Who should students speak with and for what issues, as questions arise pertaining to the general studies curriculum?
Since the General Studies degree program is essentially the same as it was last year, I would think the counselors would be able to address any questions raised by the students as they have done in the past. As changes are made to the degree program, these will be communicated to the counselors to assist the students with understanding their program requirements

General Studies - Fall 2012 Update from Dr. Pearl

1) Do the new requirements only pertain to students entering or using the Fall 2013 catalog?

The only new requirement is that students must complete 15 hours of course work at the 200 level. Yes, this requirement will be in place for the 2013-2014 catalog and apply to all students entering the College this fall. I anticipate further changes will be made to the degree program this year, but these will not take effect until fall 2014.

2) What happens if students switch into the general studies major after or during the Fall 2013 semester?

The student may continue to follow the degree requirements of the catalog under which they first entered or may to choose to follow the current catalog. Thus, if the student enrolled in 2010, he or she may continue to use the requirements of that catalog even if he or she switches degree programs. However, as according to policy and procedure, there is a seven year limit for use of catalog, which is in effect.

3) Are incoming transfer students with a significant number of credits required to use the 2013-2014 catalog and adhere to the new general studies requirements?

Incoming transfer students are required to use the catalog which is in effect when they first arrive at the College or choose to follow subsequent catalogs. This is independent of the number of credits with which they transfer.

4) Is there an appeal process for students who separated from the college more than two years ago (not able to use old catalog) and return to complete degree?
No there is no appeal process for students who separate from the College more than two years ago. They must follow procedure 9.32 and will need to use the current catalog.

5) Is there an appeal process for students who took course with a college level prerequisite that may serve as equivalent to 200 level while we work through our course renumbering? (Example: SO107 requires SO101 but would currently not be considered 200 level)

I am not sure what a student would appeal. The degree requirement is for 200 level classes and I have recently asked for a full review of the numbering level of all classes to be placed correctly. A class simply having another course as a prerequisite does not make it 200 level.

6) Will students be able to substitute/appeal the requirement if it does not fulfill their transfer plan?

General Studies is a Montgomery College program, which allows a student great flexibility to match transfer requirements. I believe that the flexibility it affords will allow any student to be able to complete it and match the requirements of an institution into which he or she wants to transfer. However, I am interested in hearing about situations in which this isn’t true and discuss how we can meet the needs of the students.

7) For questions not addressed In the FAQ-Who should students speak with and for what issues, as questions arise pertaining to the general studies curriculum?

Since the General Studies degree program is essentially the same as it was last year, I would think the counselors would be able to address any questions raised by the students as they have done in the past. As changes are made to the degree program, these will be communicated to the counselors to assist the students with understanding their program requirements

Admissions and Records Drop and Graduation Updates

Please let students know that they should view their drop deadlines for courses from their MYMC accounts. Summer courses have different refund/audit/withdrawal dates because of their staggered start times and days. While we have access to drop/refund dates in Banner, it is far better to have them know where to find this information now and in the future. Plus, it keeps us out of potential trouble.

Did you know that a General Studies Major can use the extra credits from a math or science course as credits toward their 24 elective credits? For example, a student takes a second lab science to fulfill the non-lab requirement. The extra one (1) credit will float down to the electives. Same is true for a math course with extra foundation credits. As always, let the official graduation audit from the records office be the final word.