No matter what you want to major in, there are two key offices on campus that will help you achieve your goals. The Office of the Registrar keeps all academic records on campus. Registrar staff can help you schedule classes, track your progress towards a college degree, and review academic credit that you bring to campus with you. This office creates and releases the course schedule every semester and is the place to go if you need to get a transcript or proof of enrollment to lower your car insurance. The Office of Academic Success oversees advising, Freshman Seminar, and other programs designed to help you do well in your classes. Academic Success staff can help you drop and add classes, sign up for tutoring, and build a four-year plan. The Office of the Registrar and the Office of Academic Success are both located on the first floor of Highbaugh Hall, which should be your first stop for any academic-related questions.
Getting a Head Start: Submitting College Credit to GC
Need to submit AP credit to GC? We typically award credit for scores of 3 or higher, but we must receive your official score report from the College Board (school code 1249). High school transcripts with AP results are NOT accepted.
GC also awards dual enrollment credit for college-level courses in which you earned a C or higher. We cannot accept high school transcripts, so you will need to contact the college or university that issued the credit and request an official college transcript be sent to GC for us to process the credit.
Foundations and Core: Your General Education Requirements
As part of our liberal-arts foundation, we require that all students complete a general education curriculum that we call Foundations and Core. While many different classes can fulfill these broad requirements, these are the basics you need to graduate:
- Two Foundations classes
- Two English composition classes
- Two-three semesters of a foreign language
- One math class
- One health and PE class
- Two classes in the fine arts (art, music, and/or theater)
- One history class
- One English literature class
- One philosophy class
- Two classes in the social sciences (communication and media studies, political science, economics, sociology, and/or psychology)
- Two classes in the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and/or computer science)
- Two religion classes
Freshman Seminar: Welcome to College!
Freshmen students will be automatically placed in GSC101, a one-hour course co-taught by a faculty advisor and an upperclassman. This course is designed to give students the opportunity to adjust to college in a small, supportive environment, while also learning important skills such as course-scheduling, degree-planning, and effective time management. Students who belong to one of our Programs of Distinction will be placed in specially designed sections of GSC101 with other students in their cohort.
Scheduling Questions? We’re Here to Help!
Need to change your schedule? Contact the Registrar’s Office at [email protected] for assistance. Students can add classes to their schedule through the first week of classes and can drop courses until mid-October.
Reading a college class schedule can be a big change from high school. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Day of the week abbreviations are as follows: M – Monday; T – Tuesday; W – Wednesday; R – Thursday; F – Friday. A class that meets on TR meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays; a lab that says it meets on R meets Thursdays only.
It’s always a good idea to find your classrooms before the first day of class, but keep in mind that classroom assignments may change. For the most up-to-date version of your schedule, always refer to the Portal, not a print copy.
Academic Progress Checks: How to Know How You Are Doing
The Office of Academic Success oversees academic progress checks, or APCs, three times a semester. APCs are an opportunity for faculty to give students feedback on their classroom performance. Students may receive kudos if things are going well or flags if they are struggling. If a student receives a flag, they should speak to their professor to determine how to improve their performance. Staff members in the Office of Academic Success are also available to help students get back on track.
FERPA: What Can We Share with Families?
Educational records are protected by a federal law called FERPA. While parents and guardians may wish to know how their student is doing academically, GC faculty and staff cannot legally share that information unless the student has granted the parent or guardian FERPA permissions. Students can change or update FERPA permissions at any time using the GC Life tab on the Portal, by clicking on Update Your Info and selecting FERPA Opt Out or FERPA Permissions. Please note that College faculty and/or staff will not contact a parent or guardian to provide academic feedback, although they will reach out to students who are struggling.
The Help You Need to Succeed: Campus Support Services
Georgetown College offers a broad range of academic supports to students. We have a Writing Center, located in the LRC, as well as a robust peer tutoring service. All services are free and unlimited; students may make appointments with peer tutors using GConnect or they may walk into the Writing Center during operational hours. Support service hours are designed to work with student schedules. Academic accommodations may also be given when appropriate. For more information about accommodations, please refer to the Student Life section of this booklet.