AAIC - Frequently Asked Questions

Some entering freshmen are advised by faculty in their academic departments while others are advised by the professional academic counselors in our Academic Advisement and Information Center (AAIC). For a complete directory of assigned academic advisors listed by major, visit the AAIC webpage.

Transfer students admitted to the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) degree program (with 74 or less credits), the Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement associate degree program, the Professional Communications degree program (with 60 or less credits), and the Business Management degree program (with 29 or less credits) are advised by the counselors in the Academic Advisement and Information Center (AAIC). Transfer students admitted to all other programs are advised by faculty or professional advisors in their degree program. See the AAIC webpage for a directory of where you should turn for advisement.

You are permitted to select and register for courses after you have paid your enrollment deposit and have submitted the required proof of immunization. All new first year students advised by the AAIC will be sent an email from the AAIC in May. That email from the AAIC contains an on-line survey with course options and information for your degree program. Please complete and submit that on-line survey quickly. The AAIC counselors will use that information to create your course schedule for fall. You (and your parents) will then be invited to attend an AAIC Academic Information Session in early summer where you will meet the AAIC counselors and you can review your schedule and make any changes that might be required. You will also learn how to use Farmingdale's on-line systems for course selection, academic information, etc.

Once you have paid your enrollment deposit, you will be contacted by your academic department and given instructions about how and when to schedule an advisement session. During your advisement session you will be advised by a faculty or professional advisor in your degree program and together you will create your first semester's schedule.

Transfer students admitted to the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) degree program (with 85 or less credits), the Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement associate degree program, the Professional Communications degree program, and the Business Management degree program (with 29 or less credits) should schedule an appointment on-line with a counselor in the Academic Advisement and Information Center (see https://www.farmingdale.edu/aaic). Transfer students admitted to all other majors must contact their academic department for advisement.

There may be a few reasons why some of your credits were not accepted:

1. Sometimes, the original college did not send the transcript to FSC. It is your job to check and see if the transcript was sent.
2. If the grade is below a C, it will not be transferrable. [Note, however, there is one exception to this rule: if you earned an Associate's Degree from a community college, then FSC will award you transfer credit for courses that you passed with an earned grade lower than a C.]
3. Finally, please recognize that it is your major department that will determine whether your transfer credits will count towards the major or will transfer simply as free electives. For more information, visit the Transfer Services Department webpage.

For FSC students who are currently enrolled in the college, registration for the next semester takes place in late October and mid-March. The precise dates will be announced by emails sent to your Farmingdale account, signs posted in buildings, alerts on the College website, and messages on the TV monitors on campus. Of course, you can always check the Academic Calendar for the exact dates. In addition, many academic departments mail detailed instructions about advisement and registration to their majors.

You should make an appointment to meet with your advisor prior to registering for classes.

Important: the earlier you see your advisor to select and register for your classes, the more availability there will be. This means you will (most likely) have the schedule you want!

Registration begins with advisement and careful planning.

You will meet with an advisor during a scheduled advisement time. The advisor will discuss your transcript with you and look at the degree map to see what you must still enroll in to fulfill major requirements. You will also want to review your progress in meeting general education requirements. In addition, this is a time to consider special options such as minors, second majors, internships, and study abroad. The advisor will assist you in selecting what courses are in your best interest for your degree.

The actual process of registration is done on-line through OASIS, a computer registration system. In most majors, your academic advisor will give you an alternate PIN number that you will use to enter the OASIS system. You will use that PIN to register.

Students are permitted to DROP a course from their schedules or DROP a course and ADD a substitute both prior to the start of the semester and also during the first week of each new semester. That process can be done on-line through the OASIS system or at the Registrar's office. A course dropped prior to or during the first week of classes will not appear on your transcript.

 

Again, it is best to speak with your advisor to be sure that what you are dropping and/or adding in applicable to your degree program.

During the period from the second week through the end of the ninth week of the semester, students are permitted to WITHDRAW from courses. A student wishing to withdraw from a course must obtain a withdraw form from the Registrar's office. The student should complete the course withdrawal form, obtain the instructor's signature with verification of the date of last attendance, sign the form, and return it to the Registrar's office for processing. A grade of "W" will be given to a student who officially withdraws from a course.

IMPORTANT: If you receive Financial Aid, please note that full-time status (12 credits or more) must be maintained in order to receive financial aid. So, if you are on financial aid. be sure to talk to someone from the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from a course; you do not want to jeopardize your aid by dropping below 12 credits.

Withdrawal after the ninth week of the semester is permitted only under extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the instructor.

As always, it is best to speak with your academic advisor or with a counselor in the AAIC before making the final decision to withdraw from a course.

For new, incoming, first year and transfer students, your RAM ID is sent to you with your acceptance paperwork to the College. Once you are a registered student, you will be able to obtain your ID Card from Campus Security; that ID card contains RAM ID number.

If you are still unsure, you may contact the Admissions or Registrar's Office.

It is possible to switch Majors. You must first talk to your current Department Chairperson. That Chair will advise you of the necessary steps to take. You will then want to set up an appointment with your desired Major's Chairperson. He or she will be able to provide you with information such as: is there space to be enrolled in the program? Do you have the proper GPA to be accepted? How will the courses you have already completed apply to degree and major requirements in the new major? If approved, you and your new chair will complete an "Application for Change of Curriculum" that will be processed by the Registrar's Office.

Note: if you are simply contemplating a change in major and want to determine the impact of that change in curriculum on your prospects for graduation, you are welcome to meet with the counselors in the AAIC for general guidance.

To change a grade due to extenuating circumstances, page 28 in the Farmingdale College Catalog states:

"Grades and grade changes are the responsibility of faculty. Grade changes, which are only initiated for extenuating circumstances (such as medical emergencies, death, family emergencies) must be submitted within a timely manner after the conclusion of the semester in question. Appropriate documentation with a clear explanation must be submitted on the approved grade change form for processing with the Registrar. Faculty may submit a grade change within one year from the date on which the grade was issued as long as it is consistent with the College's need to maintain academic standards and the integrity of students records, as well as conform to Federal and State laws. Only an extreme extenuating circumstance (ex., service to the military) may require a change of grade beyond this one year time period. Any such case must be appealed by the instructor to the Faculty Standing Committee on Admissions and Academic Standards for their consultation and approval."

To appeal a grade, pages 48 & 49 of the Student Code of Conduct Handbook state: "The following procedures should serve as a structured mechanism to allow a group of faculty and students within the college community to review a given situation and to arrive at a fair and equitable resolution of the dispute. All official communications about grade appeals are to be sent to students by certified mail with a return receipt or by another written or electronic method for which delivery confirmation is available."

Step 1: A student who contests a grade recorded on the transcript should first discuss the grade with the instructor. This step must be initiated no later than 30 calendar days from the beginning of the academic semester following receipt of the grade.

Step 2: If no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached with the instructor;

1. The student should submit to the instructor's department chairperson* or designated representative, a written statement of the grievances, within seven (7) calendar days of the completion of Step 1. Before any review can be undertaken by the department chairperson, the student shall submit records of evaluations, tests, term papers, projects, and/or any other information from which judgments can be or were made. It is expected that in support of this process, the instructor will provide copies of all appropriate materials.
2. The chairperson shall arrange to meet separately with each party, within fourteen (14) calendar days of the submission of the grievance, to discuss the problem.
3. The chairperson shall submit a written recommendation to both parties within seven (7) calendar days. Copies of such recommendation shall be maintained by the chairperson.
4. If the chairperson is party to the grievance, the highest ranking senior member of the department shall act in the chairperson's stead.
   *The role of the department chairperson may be superseded by a departmental review committee if the department deems it desirable.

Step 3: If no mutually satisfactory agreement has been reached at the completion of the Step 2 process, either party may submit a written statement of appeal with supportive information to the chairperson of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee. Such appeal must be submitted within fourteen (14) calendar days after receipt of the decision of the department chairperson or representative.

Within twenty-one (21) calendar days after receipt of the written appeal, the chairperson of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee shall convene and chair a campus appeals committee.

1. The Campus Appeals Committee shall consist of:
   • The chairperson of the Admissions and Academic Standards Committee, or a member of that committee assigned by the chairperson.
   • The chairperson of the Faculty Executive Committee, or a member of that committee assigned by the chairperson.
   • An academic dean, assigned by the Provost, from a school other than that in which the grievance occurred.
   • The chairperson of the appropriate student governing body of FSG or a member of that body assigned by the chairperson.
2. No member of the committee shall be a member of the department in which the grievance occurred.
3. The department chairperson or representative shall make available to members of the Campus Appeals Committee all information relating to the grievance.
4. The Campus Appeals Committee shall attempt to ascertain all pertinent information. Either party may request or be requested to appear before the committee.
5. The committee shall present its written recommendations to each party of the grievance within fourteen (14) calendar days of the completion of the review. These recommendations could include:
   • No change in the original grade.
   • A request for the instructor to reevaluate the original grade.
   • Credit-by-Examination with fee waived. If a reevaluation is requested the instructor shall have fourteen (14) calendar days to submit a response to the committee. Further recommendations may be made at that time. However, it is recognized that only the instructors has the right to change a student's grade.
6. A written record of the appeal and the committee's recommendations shall be kept on file in the office of the Dean of the school in which the grievance occurred, as well as the Office of the Provost."