COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE YOUR VIRTUAL NSO COMPANION WELCOME TO THE WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY FAMILY I am so pleased your student has chosen West Virginia University as their new home. Soon they will embark on an extraordinary adventure that will shape the rest of their life. In these unprecedented times of social distancing, it is more important than ever to look toward the future. Although we must remain flexible as we adapt to a changing world, our commitment to providing students with high-quality education and an extraordinary college experience will never waver. Parents and families, although the world has changed, one thing has not. Your student’s health and happiness are our top priority. And together, as partners, we will help them reach their full potential in a supportive, inspiring and nurturing environment. After all, you’re a Mountaineer now, too. I encourage you to investigate the boundless opportunities that await you and your student — opportunities that will allow you to make a connection to your student’s new home while allowing them to craft a personalized and productive path to success. I look forward to the future, when I can welcome both you and your student to campus in person. 2 NO MATTER THE PATH YOUR STUDENT CHOOSES, AT WVU, THEY’LL NEVER HAVE TO GO IT ALONE. We’ve included info in this guide to help you and your student on your WVU journey. Consider this your go-to resource for the start of the fall 2020 semester, complete with a checklist to help keep you on track. We explain everything from how to stay connected while your student is on campus to tips and tools you’ll want to refer back to over the next four years and beyond. And while we can’t wait to meet you and your student in person, we’ve included some contacts and ways to reach us from anywhere with any question you might have. After all, you’re a Mountaineer now, too. And once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer. Let’s get started. 3 WHAT HAPPENS AT ORIENTATION We’ve moved New Student Orientation (NSO) to an entirely virtual experience — and registration is open. Just go to orientation.wvu.edu to get started. Your student will have the chance to learn about residential life/housing, financial aid, academic expectations for freshmen, meet and ask questions with current WVU students, interact with other incoming Mountaineers, and schedule courses for the fall semester. Virtual NSO will include: A self-paced, online program Follow-up phone calls to complete your fall class schedule Online conversations with current students, faculty and staff If your student had registered previously for an on-campus session, they don’t need to register again; their registration will be switched to the virtual program. All students registered for NSO will receive a link to the Virtual NSO portal. Students should complete the Virtual NSO portal as soon as possible so they can proceed with pre-advising and advising appointments (signing up for fall classes). There also will be virtual activities in June and throughout the summer, so make sure your student checks their email regularly for updates! It all begins now. Your student is launching an incredible journey that will lead to more than just a degree. Take the first steps toward finding their purpose and the path to get there. 4 ACADEMICS AND COURSE REGISTRATION Soon your student will start building their path. We’re here to help you — and them — prepare for a great future. ADVISING AND COURSE SCHEDULING Advising is an integral part of building a path to your student’s future. For the fall 2020 semester, we are streamlining the course registration process with block scheduling, which will give students and families some peace of mind knowing their student’s first semester will offer the best foundation for success. Once they have completed all NSO requirements, students may review their course schedule at portal.wvu.edu. WHAT IS BLOCK SCHEDULING AND WHY IS WVU IMPLEMENTING THIS? For fall 2020, all incoming first-year students will receive a block schedule. A block schedule is a pre-set schedule that includes the core courses required for an academic program. Benefits of a block WHEN CAN MY STUDENT SEE schedule include simplification of the course registration process, THEIR BLOCK SCHEDULE ensuring accurate course selection and creating opportunities to AND MEET WITH AN ADVISER? connect with study partners and new friends. Students will first need to complete a series of modules and meet with an orientation leader before meeting with an academic adviser to WILL MY STUDENT’S BLOCK schedule. Any student registered for NSO will receive instructions on SCHEDULE CONTAIN ALL OF how to access the Virtual NSO portal and complete these modules. THEIR COURSES? Once completed, the student will receive details regarding their block No, except for a few majors, your student’s block schedule will only schedule and advising appointments. contain the core courses for their academic program. This may range from 3-12 credits. Students will work one-on-one with an academic HOW SHOULD MY STUDENT adviser to complete their fall schedule and will participate in choosing PREPARE FOR THEIR their General Education Foundation (GEF) courses. ADVISING APPOINTMENT? Students should explore the following prior to their CAN MY STUDENT CHANGE advising appointments: THEIR BLOCK SCHEDULE? General Education Foundation courses Your student’s block schedule was created to ensure that they are enrolled in the core classes required for their academic major. The Schedule Builder Guide They will be unable to change their block schedule unless an DegreeWorks adviser deems this essential due to specific circumstances (ROTC commitments, Marching Band, etc.). 5 HOW WILL MY STUDENT KNOW WILL MY STUDENT HAVE A WHO THEY WILL BE MEETING BLOCK SCHEDULE FOR WITH FOR THEIR ADVISING SPRING SEMESTER? APPOINTMENT? No, only incoming first-year students will receive a block schedule We will connect your student with their pre-advising Orientation this fall. In the future, your student will work with an adviser to Leader, who will then schedule your student’s advising appointment. schedule in advance of the new term. In addition, this Orientation Leader will support your student with a review of GEFs. If your student has specific questions about their WHEN DOES MY STUDENT HAVE major, they may also contact their admissions counselor. They can be TO COMPLETE VIRTUAL NSO? found at admissions.wvu.edu/admissions-counselors. All students should complete the Virtual NSO portal as soon as they can. This will allow for quicker registration for their pre-advising and SHOULD PARENTS ATTEND THE advising appointments. We encourage all students to complete the ADVISING APPOINTMENTS? portal no later than June 20. Parents are discouraged from attending the advising appointments with their students. We want students to play an active role in HOW LONG WILL THE VIRTUAL planning their first academic semester and create a professional NSO PORTAL TAKE TO relationship with an Orientation Leader and academic adviser. We COMPLETE? expect that after being advised, students will be able to understand The mandatory content in the portal should take around two hours to and articulate how each course applies to their degree. complete. However, the portal links out to many additional resources and webinars that are available to help your student engage and DOES MY STUDENT NEED TO learn more about enrolling at WVU in the fall. SUBMIT ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP), INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) OR DUAL W O R L D L A N G UA G E S ENROLLMENT COURSES PRIOR P L A C E M E N T E X A M TO THEIR ADVISING If your student is currently taking French, German or Spanish APPOINTMENTS? and plans to continue studying the same language at WVU, they Yes, if your student completed AP, IB or dual enrollment coursework, must take the World Languages Placement Exam. Please check they will need to submit an official score report or transcript prior the Undergraduate Catalog (catalog.wvu.edu) to determine to their appointments. Students may submit an official PDF copy if their major requires a world language (or your student can of the AP or IB transcript by emailing to wvuadmissions@mail. check through DegreeWorks, see the description below). This wvu.edu or request that the testing center submit the score report. computerized exam is language-specific. Your student should If your student has dual enrollment from an institution other than speak to an adviser about how to schedule a language exam. WVU, official transcripts must come directly from the institution. Please note that score reports and transcripts from testing centers DEGREEWORKS or institutions may take several weeks to be received and processed DegreeWorks is an online tool that lets students track their from the date sent. progress toward graduation with real-time advice and counsel. It features an interactive academic plan of study that will help them MY STUDENT’S ACCOUNT SAYS take the right classes. They can access DegreeWorks via the WVU THEY HAVE A HOLD; HOW DO Portal at portal.wvu.edu or at registrar.wvu.edu/dw. WE GET THIS LIFTED? All incoming first-time students have an Orientation hold on their SCHEDULE BUILDER account. This hold is lifted within three days of completing the Virtual Schedule Builder helps students create personalized class NSO modules and will be replaced with an advising hold. Your schedules. The program improves their chances of getting a full student will work with an adviser on any schedule changes. If your schedule each semester — and graduating on time. Students choose student has other holds on their account (parking, transportation, the classes they want to take in the coming semester and enter financial services and student accounts), they will need to work “breaks” in the time slots when they can’t take classes.