Now that your student has almost completed their first semester as a Husky, we are turning our attention to the spring semester. Your student is required to meet with their assigned academic advisor in order to choose spring classes and make sure that they are staying on track toward graduation. Here are three important things to know about this process so that you can support your student well!
Early advising and registration is a key to success!
We kicked off advising season in mid-October, so hopefully by now your student has already been advised for the spring semester. If not, encourage them to set their advising appointment now! We want students to meet with their advisor early so that they are ready to register as soon as they are able (see dates below). Certain classes or class times tend to fill quickly, and the sooner your student registers, the better chance they’ll have at obtaining their preferred schedule. If your student qualifies for special population registration, they need to register within the timeframe provided; otherwise, they have to wait for their classification group.
Nov. 8th, 12:00am-Nov. 9th, 6:00pm: Special Populations (Athletes, Honors, Veterans, TRIO)
Nov. 12th, 12:00am: Seniors (96 hours completed)
Nov. 13th, 12:00am: Juniors (64 hours completed)
Nov. 14th, 12:00am: Sophomores (32 hours completed)
Nov. 15th, 12:00am: Freshmen (fewer than 32 hours completed)
One thing to watch out for during this time is registration holds on your student’s account. Your student should already know whether they have a hold if they attended the Advising Season Kick-Off, or if they have met with their advisor. However, they can also check their own holds in Husky Net if they’re not sure. If a student has a hold on their account, they need to contact the appropriate department so that it can be resolved as soon as possible because most holds will prevent them from registering. Common reasons for holds include not sending final high school transcripts, not enrolling in a payment plan, or missing a payment.
Need to speak to HCU staff? You’ll need that FERPA waiver!
Although we want to empower students to be responsible for their own college journey and prefer speaking directly with students if possible, we understand that there are times when you may need to make a phone call or send an e-mail on their behalf. Now that your student is a full-fledged Husky, federal regulations prevent HCU faculty and staff from speaking to anyone other than the student about their enrollment, academic progress, financial status, or anything other than directory information. If you are looking for answers, please make sure that your student has authorized you to receive information on their FERPA waiver. This waiver can be accessed on the Personal Information tab in Husky Net.
Your student’s plans may change, and that’s okay!
It’s your student’s first semester of college – no doubt by now they have had many new experiences academically, socially, and spiritually. It’s not uncommon for students to reassess their goals in light of these new experiences. For some, this may mean a change of major. The good news is that a student’s first year is actually a great time to change majors. At this point, they have likely taken mostly core curriculum classes which will apply to any major. They haven’t gone so far down one path that they will have to start over. Their current and new advisors will work with your student to make sure that they are transitioning well. Please know that we care about your student’s success both here at HCU and in their future endeavors, and we will talk them through the process to make sure this is the best move for them.
If you have any questions or want to know more about the advising and registration process, please contact us at advising@hbu.edu. Thank you for partnering with us as we serve your students!