Frequently Asked Questions
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Why do I need to be advised?
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| Academic advising is required of all students to ensure you are made aware of the information and support resources available to assist you in making appropriate and well informed decisions regarding your curriculum requirements, your major and your career choice. First-time- in- college students are advised through the Freshman Academic Advising Services office until they earn 30 credits or 45 credits if they do not have a declared major. |
| I’ve been told that I have a UN hold on my registration. What do I do? |
| Don’t panic. Entering freshmen will be advised through OARS, the online advising system. As part of the OARS process, once a student submits the OARS advising form and receives approval for his/her courses, the UN hold will be removed. Students will need to meet with their Freshman Advisor during their second semester to have the UN hold removed. If you have questions about how the process works, contact the Freshman Academic Advising Services office at (561) 297-3064 or freshmanadvising@fau.edu. |
| What is the IFP and how do I complete the courses? |
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All entering freshmen or transfer students with less than 30 credits must fulfill the university's Intellectual Foundations Program (IFP) requirements as part of their pursuit of the baccalaureate degree. While the IFP courses do not necessarily relate to the major, they do provide a foundation of knowledge that all well-educated students should possess. The IFP is comprised of a total of 36 credit hours: 6 hours of Foundations of Written Communication 6 hours of Foundations of Society & Human Behavior 6 hours of Foundations of Science & the Natural World 6 hours of Foundations of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning 6 hours of Foundations of Global Citizenship 6 hours of Foundations of Creative Expression For more information, consult your academic advisor or the FAU undergraduate catalog. |
| What is the Gordon Rule, and how does it apply to me? |
| This rule requires students entering college or university study for the first time after October 15, 1982, to complete, with grades of “C” or higher, 12 semester hours of writing and 6 semester hours of mathematics as a requirement for admission to the upper division. The 12 semester hours of writing must be completed with 4 Gordon Rule Writing courses. Following is a list of FAU Core or IFP courses that satisfy the Gordon Rule Writing requirement: ENC1101, ENC1102, LIT2010, LIT2030, LIT2040, PHI2010 and WOH2012. |
| How do I register for classes? | |
| If you are an incoming freshman, you must first complete OARS, the online advising system (http://oars.fau.edu). Once your OARS form is approved, your freshman advising hold (the UN hold) will be removed and you will be eligible to register. You will register for classes by logging into MyFAU (https://myfau.fau.edu) . A Registration Video Tutorial is available on the OARS and Freshman Advising homepages. | |
| http://oars.fau.edu/ | http://wise.fau.edu/freshmanadvising/ |
| What do I do if I feel overwhelmed or think I’m failing a class? |
| Speak to an advisor. Advisors have a lot of information on study skills and techniques, academic tools and campus resources that can help you get through the “rough patches”. |
| What is freshman warning? |
| If you have a GPA of less than 2.0 at the end of your first semester, you will be placed on Freshman Warning. Freshman Warning is a notice that you are not in “good” academic standing and you must improve your academic performance in order to remain eligible for continued enrollment. If, after your second semester of enrollment, your GPA is still below 2.0, you will be placed on Probation. If, after Probation, your term and your cumulative GPA are both below 2.0, you will be suspended (cannot attend) from FAU for one semester. You are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor at the first sign of trouble. |
| How do I declare or change my major? |
| Talk to an academic advisor. He or she will inform you of any requirements you may need to meet/fulfill to change or declare a major. You may not change your major if your GPA is below 2.0. Changing your major requires completing a form which can be downloaded from the “forms link” on the Freshman Advising or the Registrar’s wesbsite. |
| How can I contact the Freshman Academic Advising Services office if I have more questions? |
| Glad you asked. Our office is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. We are located on the Boca Raton campus in the Student Support Services building on the second floor in room 201. Our telephone number is (561) 297-3064 or you can send a question via e-mail to freshmanadvising@fau.edu. |
