Student Success Center

Advisor FAQs

The SUNY Niagara catalog lists course requirements for all programs. This can be used as a guide when helping students decide on courses to select for a given semester. Degree Works is a program which provides a degree evaluation to both the advisor and advisee in an accessible and organized way. Be sure to utilize this tool in your advisement session! As an advisor you should also discuss overall educational and career goals to insure that the student is in the appropriate curriculum.The list and information about each student (testing results/major/address/etc.) is available on Banner Web. Contact either Student Success Center (D-102) or Registration and Records (A-205) for training regarding these screens on Banner Web. To access advisee listing:

Go to Banner Web
Enter Secure Area
Login using User ID and PIN
Select “Faculty and Advisors”
Select “Student Information Menu”
Select “Advisee list”
Select the current term
Displays advisee listing

The repeat course policy listed in the catalog should be shared with students when they are considering repeating a course. As stated in the catalog: “Students may repeat a course in an attempt to improve their grade. All grades will appear on the transcript. The most recent grade recorded will be the official grade earned, whether it is higher or lower than the original grade, and will be the grade used to compute the degree and cumulative grade-point average. NOTE: A U grade may not replace an F grade. However, if a student earns a failing grade (F or U grade) in the repeated attempt, the student may petition the Vice President of Academic Affairs for approval to restore an original performance grade. This action must be initiated by the student in a letter of request prior to the end of the subsequent semester. If the most recent grade is a nonprogress grade (I, J, X, or W grade), the original grade will be used in grade point calculations. All original grades will remain on the transcript even if the student withdraws or fails to complete the repeated course (I, X, or W grade). Students who elect to transfer should be aware that the transfer institution may not accept the repeated grade. While a student may repeat a course at another college, only a course taken at SUNY Niagara will be used to compute the SUNY Niagara grade-point average (GPA). Courses repeated after graduation will not change the degree GPA achieved at graduation. Students who elect to repeat a course for which credit has already been earned should be aware of the financial aid implications. Students should discuss their situation with the Financial Aid Office regarding the consequences as they pertain to the financial aid rules currently in effect. Students in the practical nursing, physical therapist assistant, radiologic technology and surgical technology programs may be required to repeat a biology and/or major core courses(s) in which they earned an A through C grade more than five years before enrolling in a subsequent course. See the appropriate curriculum page in this catalog for the Five-Year Course Policy for nursing, physical therapist assistant, practical nursing, radiologic technology or surgical technology.”CLEP (College Level Examination Program) exams are an exciting opportunity to earn college credit for college-level competence in one of the 33 subject matters challenge exams. CLEP exams at SUNY Niagara cost $113 while a 3-credit course often costs $600! SUNY Niagara administers CLEP tests at the Sanborn Campus one Wednesday evening and one Saturday a month. A student must go to the College Board website. (https://clep.collegeboard.org/register/exam) to register and pay for an exam, to choose SUNY Niagara as the testing site, and to determine the next available test date. All CLEP exam results must be mailed directly to the Admissions Office for consideration. The credits will be applied by the transcript evaluator in the Registration and Records Office (A-105). Consult the current SUNY Niagara CLEP Exam Transfer Equivalency Guide for more information about credits.SUNY Niagara accepts credit for Advanced Placement (AP) courses when a student scores three or higher on the AP examination. The evaluation of AP examination results is made by the transcript evaluator in the Registration and Records Office. Courses taken that apply to the program into which a student has matriculated are accepted. Similar to SAT scores, official copies of AP scores need to be forwarded directly from College Board to the Admissions office.If a student is interested in getting a seat in a closed class, they would have to contact the Division Chair for the course. It is also recommended that the student keep checking Banner Web to see if a seat has become available. The student may also want to select an alternate class because getting into a closed class is not always an option.Prior to withdrawing, students are encouraged to speak with a counselor in Student Success Center (D-102) to discuss alternatives to withdrawing and to learn about the financial and academic consequences of dropping all classes. Students may withdraw from all classes by filling out and turning in a form to the Registration and Record’s Office (A-105). The form is also available on the Registration and Records website:

Go to the College homepage (test-suny-niagara.pantheonsite.io)
Academics
Academic Affairs
Registration & Records
Withdrawals From the College

There is an online GPA calculator on the SUNY Niagara website:

Go to the College homepage (test-suny-niagara.pantheonsite.io)
Academics
Calculate Your GPA (found under ‘Resources’)

A maximum of 50 percent of the credits for a certificate or degree program bearing a grade of C or better can be transferred from an accredited college or university to SUNY Niagara. The transcript should be directed to the Admissions area first. It is then submitted to the transcript evaluator in Registration & Records who evaluates the transcript specifically for the program into which the student has matriculated. The course work is then put into the College’s student information system (Banner). The student will receive a letter with the SUNY Niagara Equivalent Course Information and the credit hour evaluation. The transfer credit will appear on the student’s transcript on Banner Web and Degree Works. Any questions regarding course work transferred to SUNY Niagara should be directed to the Registration and Records Office.Degree evaluation, a major evaluation process offered in Degree Works, is an essential tool for academic advisement. Degree evaluation allows advisors and students to see how completed and currently registered credits apply to a specific program and view what courses are still needed to complete the program. The Registration and Records office bases graduation eligibility on a satisfied degree evaluation. If a student files for gradation and all requirements are not fulfilled (based on the degree evaluation) the student’s advisor will be contacted by the Registrar. Advisors should show their advisees how to run a degree evaluation and encourage them to run an evaluation after registration each semester to verify that selected courses are appropriate choices toward their program completion. Students and faculty can contact Registration and Records (A-105) or Student Success Center (D-102) for assistance on running a degree evaluation. Degree Evaluation can be accessed by going to the SUNY Niagara homepage:

Go to “Quick Links”
Select “Degree Evaluation”
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Login to Degree Works”
Enter Outlook username and password
“Find” Student or Enter Student @#

Students who are considering a change in major can run a “What If” analysis for any program that SUNY Niagara offers by selecting the specific program from a dropdown menu in Degree Works.

Go to Banner Web
Enter Secure Area
Enter User ID and PIN
Select Student and Financial Aid
Select Student Records
Select Degree Evaluation
Select Generate New Evaluation
Select What-If Analysis

Test scores are valid for three years, so if a student tested once in 2005 and then reapplied in 2008 to the College, they would be allowed two testing opportunities again.Information cannot be released to anyone but the student unless the student has authorized the release through the Registration & Records office. Consequently, requests should be referred to the Registration & Records Office (A-105). In accordance with the Family Educational and Privacy Act (FERPA), certain directory information may be released without the student’s permission. SUNY Niagara has defined directory information to include: the student’s name, address (including email), telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, photograph, weight, and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees, and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. All requests should be referred to the Registration & Records Office, even requests for directory information. It is important to note that a student may block the release of directory information by submitting appropriate paperwork to Registration & Records. Information such as grades, GPA, or a class schedule is not to be released without the written permission of the student and can only be released by the Registration & Records Office.Each student’s advisor information is listed on their degree evaluation in Degree Works. This information can also be viewed through Banner Web:

Select Banner Web from the Quick Links menu at the bottom of SUNY Niagara website (test-suny-niagara.pantheonsite.io).
Click on “Enter Secure Area.” Enter User I.D. # and PIN #. or Twolves login
Click on “Student and Financial Aid.“
Click on “View Academic Advisor Information.“
Your advisor’s name and contact information will be listed.

Matriculated students who need assistance choosing a major should meet with a Student Success Center counselor (D-102) to discuss options. If a student has already conferred with his/her advisor and has chosen a new major, a major change application can be accessed and completed through Banner Web:

Go to the College homepage (test-suny-niagara.pantheonsite.io)
Under quick links, select Banner Web
Enter Secure Area
Login using User ID and PIN
Select “Student and Financial Aid”
Select “Student Records”
Select “Major Change Application”

A student who requests an incomplete (I) grade is required to arrange for completion of course work with his/her instructor. The maximum time for the change of an “I” grade to a performance grade is determined by the instructor, but shall not exceed one academic year. The Registration & Records Office will inform the instructor and student of the approach of the one year deadline. If no change of grade is made by the instructor prior to the deadline, the “I” grade will automatically be converted to an F grade.

Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory grades?

S/U grades indicate if the student successfully completed the course (S grade) or did not successfully complete the course (U grade). Credit is also given for the class as in a letter grade. There are some restrictions on the amount of credits you can take as an S/U grade and some courses only use the S/U system. The deadline to apply for an S/U grade changes each semester, check the Registration & Records Office Web page for deadlines.Modular classes, sometimes called “Mods” are courses in sequence (usually three in total) indicated as the course section numbers starting with 1, 2, or 3. They are offered in many different program areas. The modules only meet during a portion of the semester and are offered in a sequence so a student can take many different modules during the semester.Click here to view important datesAcademic probation at SUNY Niagara is defined by three situations:

Those who were academically dismissed for the first time are given a one-time automatic appeal
Those who do not meet the academic progress chart but did well in the semester being evaluated
Those that are granted an academic appeal to be allowed to register as a matriculated student.

Students on academic probation need support. The more the student feels connected to the College and their courses, the more likely they are to attend and make an effort to do well. Listening to what the student considers challenging to success is important. Often students’ inability to do well academically is directly related to a situation at home, a work commitment, or not feeling connected with a career goal. Student Success Center counselors are also available to meet with students who would benefit from academic or vocational counseling.A student may add/drop a class up until the end of the first week of the term. Financial penalties apply according to the refund schedule once classes begin.

Deadlines

Classes that are dropped prior to the first day of the term incur no charge.
During the first three weeks of the term, dropped classes will be deleted from as student’s schedule – financial penalties apply according to the refund policy.
From the 4th through the 10th week of the term, students may drop a course(s) and receive a “W” grade.
The last day to withdraw from ALL classes is the last day of the term/exams.

Note: Dropping classes below full-time status may have a negative effect on Financial Aid, so students should check with Financial Aid prior to dropping or withdrawing from coursework.Students who miss any classes should speak with the instructor and make up missed assignments. If a student will be out for an extended period due to extenuating circumstances, he or she should contact the Office of the Vice President of Student Services (A-161) to have a notice sent to all instructors. Students are encouraged to speak with a counselor in the Student Success Center Office (D-102) to discuss strategies for success in light of the absences.If a student does not receive a satisfactory score on a placement assessment, he/she can make one more attempt. Read, Write and Math remediation/ Pre-Collegiate Prep is available at the Trott Center in Niagara Falls, 1001 11th Street, Room D-1002, Niagara Falls, NY 14301, 716-278-8151. They are there Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00am-3:00pm. At the Sanborn Campus, contact Brian Webb, Room E-203, 9:00am-12:00pm, 716-614-6235. Additional questions should be directed to the Testing Center (A-167).At the beginning of each semester forward any materials for students who are no longer on your assigned advisee list to Student Success Center (D-102). They will need to be labeled as “Previous Advisee Materials”. They will either be sorted and forwarded to the current advisor or destroyed if the student is no longer attending.All returning students will be asked to file an appeal with the Academic Affairs Office as part of their readmission application. The student will be asked to indicate the reasons for unsatisfactory achievement and plans for improvement. Each appeal is considered individually.Students can seek tutoring in the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE), the Reading Lab, the Writing Lab, or the Math Lab. Other resources include Student Success Center for academic and vocational counseling; the Wellness Center for personal counseling, and you, the student’s academic advisor.Advisement training is available each semester for both new and seasoned academic advisors. Please contact Tony Ventresca in Student Success Center to sign up for a session or to get your advisement questions answered.Students interested in honors coursework must have a have a competitive score on their SAT/ACT and submit letters of reference. Students can contact the honors program coordinator, Pamela Lange at 716-614-6877 regarding the selection process.

Contact

Phone: 716-614-6290 Fax: 716-614-6814 Email: ssc@niagaracc.suny.edu Location: D-102

Advisor FAQs

Student Success Center

Advisor FAQs

Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory grades?

Deadlines

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