Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Student Success and Transitions


Student Success and Transitions
Unit of Affiliated Programs

Kettler 112 ~ 260-481-0404

Services and Programs

Academic Advising

Academic advisors connect with the students we serve to provide proactive and on-time delivery of services that assist students with academic planning, registration, withdrawal, declaring a major, transfer, and connecting with campus resources.

Academic Support

We offer academic support services for students who are on academic probation or at-risk of academic probation.  These services include online workshops, accessed via Blackboard and supplemental academic advising support. Online workshops and supplemental academic support services may be mandatory, per a student’s departmental or college requirements.

Collegiate Connection

Collegiate Connection allows high school students to take college credit in high school based and campus based classroom settings. For additional information on Collegiate Connection, please see: Student Services .

New Student Orientation

Our two-step New Student Orientation process includes attendance at an Advising and Registration Day and New Student Orientation.   This process provides students with the foundation they need to connect you with their new academic community, learn how to access important resources, have some fun, build their semester schedule, and get on a successful path towards graduation! All facets of Orientation are mandatory for first-year students (no full-time college enrollment previously) regardless of the amount of credit hours transferring to PFW.  Both aspects of Orientation are mandatory for transfer students who are transferring 29 or fewer credit hours to PFW.

Withdrawal

Student Success and Transitions staff process course withdraw requests from students in all academic departments and majors, per the University policies on course withdrawal.  For additional information on withdrawal policies, please see: Regulations .

Students Served

Pathway Students

Regularly admitted pathway students are deciding on their major and have declared a pathway, allowing them to take targeted courses within a framework of guided options.

Transfer Students

Transfer students enter the University with unique questions, concerns, and needs.  Student Success and Transitions staff provide transfer credit evaluation, academic advising, and programming designed to meet the specific needs of transfer students

Readmission

Students who were previously academically dismissed and are readmitted to the University receive targeted and proactive academic advising and support services from SST academic advising and support staff. For additional information on readmission requirements and processes, please see: Regulations  (last item).

Reentry

Students who previously attended the University and voluntarily sat out for two semesters or more may be advised in SST if they have declared a pathway while they decide on their major, or they are working on improving their GPA in order to declare a specific major. For additional information on reentry requirements and processes, please see: Regulations  (Item #7).

Pathways

The University and Student Success and Transitions (SST) care about the futures of all of our students. To that end, beginning Fall Semester 2016, the Pathway Program was implemented to allow students a more targeted approach to choosing a major. We recognize the importance and often times difficulty in making this decision - you are not alone. The staff in SST assist students in exploring options, connecting with career counselors, faculty, and staff in academic departments, by promoting analysis and exploration through an individualized Pathway plan.  Students who choose or are placed into a Pathway will meet with specific Pathway Advisors at their Advising and Registration (A&R) day and during New Student Orientation.

There are seven Pathway options:

Business and Leadership

Students who choose the Business and Leadership Pathway have an interest in solving problems, inspiring others, social justice, and/or engaging in the community. Many who choose this pathway would describe themselves as goal-orientated, innovative, organized, strategic and motivated. Those in Business and Leadership are thoughtful decision makers and may consider themselves to be “balanced people” or have “balanced interests,” meaning they have varied skills and abilities. For example, someone in this Pathway may like working with people in a management, business or political environment, but not in a profession akin to social work or nursing.  Some skills related to majors and careers in this pathway: problem solving, global awareness, communication, ethical reasoning skills, commitment, integrity, courage, straightforwardness, and imagination.

Related Majors: Business (Accounting, Marketing, Management, Finance and Economics), Organizational Leadership and Supervision, Public Affairs (Criminal Justice, Public Policy, Health Services Administration and Environmental Policy) and Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Education

Students who choose the Education Pathway have a passion for youth and making a difference. Many who choose this pathway want to do public good and have an impact on the world, which can have a wide-reaching impact. Those in Education prepare the next generation and nurture the public. Some interested in this Pathway want to work with children, but not in a traditional classroom and there are ways within this Pathway to explore those options.

Related Majors: Education Policy, Elementary Education (Birth - Age 5, Preschool - Grade 3, and Preschool - Grade 6), Secondary Education (Art (K-12), Music (K-12), Math, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Space Science, Physics, Social Studies, Language Arts (Communication, Language, Literature, Writing, English as a New Language), French, German and Spanish) and Early Childhood Education.

Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences

The humanities and social sciences are academic disciplines that examine human culture and society, as well as relationships among individuals. The humanities are those disciplines that focus on human belief systems, human culture and art, societies, relationships, and in the ways in which humans express themselves and create meaning. The social sciences investigate and analyze human nature and behavior, including human social structures and governments as well as how humans communicate with each other within these social structures. This broad pathway is concerned with understanding human institutions, how the mind works, and how we interact with one another. Students in this pathway are caring, compassionate, able to improvise, and often choose helping professions. Others within this pathway are curious about the world and its people, cultures, societies, relationships, language, and belief systems. Still others are interested in how we construct governing bodies, how the mind works, how we interact in society, and how we express ourselves and create meaning. Some skills and attributes related to majors and careers in this pathway include the following: global awareness, communication, critical thinking and reasoning skills, empathy, compassion, a desire to learn new concepts and theories, and open-mindedness. Students who choose majors in this pathway are often interested in how many different disciplines work together to help paint a broad picture of the world in which we live, and they use this broad understanding of the world in order to solve problems, analyze situations, data, and texts, and communicate clearly within the global marketplace. 

Related Majors: Anthropology, Communication, Economics, English and Linguistics, History, Human Services, International Languages and Culture Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Women’s Studies

Allied Health Sciences

Students who choose the Allied Health Sciences Pathway generally like working with and helping people and have an interest in science and medicine or medical environments. Many have strong empathetic or sympathetic tendencies and are generally very caring individuals. Other strengths of these individuals can include, but are not limited to: attention to detail and observation skills, organization and the ability to multitask, memorization skills and the ability to recall and process information quickly, as well as critical thinking skills and the ability to synthesize and analyze information. Some interested in the Allied Health Sciences Pathway are good at adapting well in various conditions, enjoy interacting with new people and have the ability to cope with seeing others in difficult, stressful and painful situations. Many within this Pathway possess exemplary communication skills and have the ability to work as a part of a team.

Related Majors: Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Dental Lab Technology, Dental Assisting, Medical Imaging Communication Sciences and Disorders and Transfer Health programs

Engineering and Science

Students who choose the Engineering and Science Pathway enjoy solving problems and are generally very analytical, linear, rational, and theoretical. Many seek to understand things on a higher level - why things work the way that they do, not simply how they work. Those who choose this Pathway enjoy complex puzzles and games that involve strategy and love the challenge of applying scientific/logical methods to solve problems. Most within this Pathway excel in math and data analysis and/or have an interest in understanding more about the world in which we live. Research in areas such as the natural world, environment, human body, computer programming, and other technical systems are generally of interest to students who choose this Pathway.

Related Majors: Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Geology.

Polytechnic

Students who choose the Polytechnic Pathway enjoy working with their hands and like to “tinker” with electronic devices, motorized vehicles, computers, etc. Many people within this Pathway like learning practical technical skills and want to use science to make things better and/or more efficient. Those who choose this Pathway tend to be inquisitive and enjoy the design, development and management of projects ranging from manufacturing and electrical systems to databases and computer systems. Those who have an interest in construction and the operation end as well as the creation of a project plan to help meet the needs of organizations, enterprise or society are found within this Pathway.

Related Majors: Computer Engineering Technology, Construction Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology, Information Systems, Information Technology, and Mechanical Engineering Technology

Visual and Performing Arts

Students within the Visual and Performing Arts Pathway seek to understand the non-verbal language of art, are creative, and wish to express themselves using a myriad of methods: visually, vocally, with an instrument, and using design techniques/methods. Most within this Pathway appreciate and value art and artistic expression and wish to become familiar or more familiar with the major achievements in the history of art, including the works and intentions of leading artists past and present. Those within this Pathway value an environment that encourages free and open inquiry, diversity, the cultivation of creativity and artistic collaboration.

Related Majors:  Fine Arts, Music Performance, Music Technology, Music Therapy, Theatre (Acting, Directing, and Design Technology), Graphic Design, Imaging and Photography, Modeling and Animation and Interior Design