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DIVISION OF GENERAL EDUCATION AND SPECIAL STUDIES Back to Home Page Division Chair: Dr. Sonya Burnett-Andrus GENERAL INFORMATION The Division of General Education and Special Studies (GESS) supervises all students with fewer than 30 semester hours. As both an academic and a service unit, the Division offers instruction, counseling, and academic advisement to all first-year students in academic and non-academic programs of the College. Students are prepared in a quality general education curriculum requisite to a foundation for admission to advanced courses in the degree-granting disciplines. The Division promotes the improvement of skills and competencies through academic services to delineate a smooth transfer to the upper-level divisions. Along with monitoring progress for timely completion of the general education program, the Division is responsible for assisting students in the selection of a major field study. The Division of General Education and Special Studies has three components: (1) General Education Program, (2) Academic Advising and Assessment for freshman and sophomore students, and (3) Developmental Education. ADVISING AND COUNSELING IN GENERAL EDUCATION AND SPECIAL STUDIES Academic advisors in GESS provide guidance in course selection and class scheduling for all new and transfer students with less than 30 semester credit hours. See Academic Advisement on page 22. In addition to helping students plan their schedules, the academic advisors advise students about educational requirements, especially pertaining to successful completion of the required core general education program courses. Advisors also assist students with periodic evaluation of their academic performance and progress. Students who transfer to Wiley College with 30 or more credit hours are assigned to a primary advisor in one of the degree-granting divisions, consistent with their selection of a major. Freshman Seminar is required of all entering freshmen and transfer students with fewer than 15 semester hours of General Education credits (GESS 1200). Germane to the counseling function of the Division of General Education and Special Studies, Freshman Seminar is designed to facilitate the new student’s adjustment to college life. Each student is assigned a primary and secondary advisor. Freshman and sophomore students are assigned to the Division of General Education and Special Studies (GESS). Since every matriculated student has chosen a major, freshman and sophomore students will have a primary advisor representing the Division of GESS and a secondary advisor, representing the division where the student’s chosen major resides. This is required because many of the majors need specified courses during the freshman and sophomore years that should be completed for proper progress in the major. The Office of Admissions and the Office of the Registrar collaborate to provide the list of all students and their chosen major, completed hours, names and ID numbers to the Office of Academic Affairs where advisor matches are formalized during or shortly after the registration process. When a student completes 60 hours and formally applies for admission to his/her major, a new primary major advisor will be designated who may be the same secondary advisor the student had previously or may be a new advisor more closely aligned with the student’s major interest. Transfer students with more than 30 semester hours of credit will be assigned directly to an advisor in the major discipline of their choice, pending the execution of appropriate paper work and certification that basic requirements have been met. Application forms for making the advisor transition from the Division of GESS to a major field are located in the Office of the Division of GESS. Official advisor-advisee lists are posted on JICS each semester for general reference. |
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