Resources for Parents
What To Expect When … Your Child Goes to College
Congratulations on your student’s acceptance to college! This is both an exciting and emotional time for all. We wanted to provide some hopefully helpful guidance as you and your student navigate these changes.
General
First time college students often find that there are some significant differences between life as a high school student vs. life as a college student, both in and out of the classroom. This is an important time of growth for students as they explore their independence in the academic and social setting that a college community provides.
Students are encouraged to communicate directly with professors/staff/administrators. University personnel will not reach out to parents or guardians except in the case of an emergency. Each student is advised to complete the FERPA Agreement (The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) to allow a parent or guardian to speak with a member of university personnel regarding their education record. Students can fill out/update their FERPA agreement at any point during their enrollment at Immaculata. The FERPA can be accessed via MyIU and SSIU. Get additional information related to FERPA.
Academics for the First Semester
Advisors will schedule new students for classes prior to the start of the semester and meet with students virtually to answer questions about the class schedule and major requirements.
Any student who is interested in receiving AP credits should have their score report sent directly from the College Board to Immaculata University. In addition, students anticipating Dual Enrollment credits should order an official transcript from the college or university where those courses were completed. All official transcripts received by Immaculata will be reviewed for credits.
Any student that is struggling academically during the first semester should contact the Center for Undergraduate Advising (academicadvising@immaculata.edu) for resources. We have many supports available such as academic counseling, tutoring through the Writing Center, Math Center, or by peers, as well as Disability accommodations through the Office of Learning Support. Students are always encouraged to reach out to their faculty members and advisors for additional assistance.
Finances
Any questions regarding the FAFSA, scholarships, work study opportunities, and other financial related questions may be directed to finaid@immaculata.edu or studentaccounts@immaculata.edu
Housing
We know there are a lot of questions about housing/dorm life! We recommend reaching out to rlh@immaculata.edu for more information.
Advice from the Counseling Center
Please review these helpful tips and resources from our Counseling Center on how to best support your student’s transition to college life.
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend that students stay in contact with their professors regarding their academic progress. At times, faculty will notify the student and the Center for Undergraduate Advising (CUA) of concerns via our Starfish alert system. Starfish is a system designed to inform students and the academic advising office when there are potential academic performance or attendance concerns. When students receive an email regarding the concern, the CUA will follow up. Students are always encouraged to discuss their concerns directly with the faculty member.
In addition, mid semester warnings are administered at the midpoint of each fall and spring semester. If a student has a C- average or below at mid-term, they will receive an email from the CUA indicating which classes have administered warnings. If a student has 3 or more warnings in a semester, they are required to meet with the Center for Undergraduate Advising. Unlike in high school, parents are not notified of academic concerns, so please communicate with your student regarding his/her academic progress.
Students can reach out to their instructors and advisor as a first step. If the circumstances warrant absences for classes greater than a week, we ask that they contact academicadvising@immaculata.edu so that the concerns may be discussed with the Center of Undergraduate Advising. Potential resolutions may be a referral to Learning Support Services or the Counseling Center. In some extreme cases, students may need to discuss the possibility of withdrawing from classes,or taking a leave of absence (a “stop out”) for a future semester. We recommend communicating with the Center for Undergraduate Advising to find the best possible solution.
Students can access the Academic Support tile in MyIU to review and request services such as Peer Tutoring, the Math Center, the Writing Center, and academic counseling.
Class registration for the spring semester typically begins in mid-November. Registration for the fall semester begins in April. The academic calendar and Dome Digest weekly newsletter provide important upcoming dates. Students are contacted by their academic advisor to schedule advising appointments prior to class registration to ensure that students register for appropriate courses to meet their academic goals.
Any full-time student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits per semester. Students average 12 to 18 credits. Students should consult with their advisors or the CUA if they are considering withdrawing or dropping from a course due to potential financial, residential, or athletic implications.
New students will meet with an advisor during the summer to discuss the major and classes. Advisors are officially assigned at the beginning of each semester. Students can find this by logging into SSIU or Degree Works. Students are always welcome to reach out to their advisor, but a meeting is required prior to each registration period. Advisors will recommend classes for the upcoming semester, as well as other academic opportunities and resources.
Students should request an official AP score report to the College Board to be sent to IU. Students that have completed dual enrollment credits must request an official college transcript to be sent to IU. All credits will be evaluated for possible transfer.
If your student is interested in taking dual enrollment credits at the high school level, we recommend using CollegeTransfer.Net to view how courses may transfer. Please note that while classes from accredited institutions will generally transfer if the grade is a C or higher, this can vary based on the student’s choice of major, eligibility for honors programs, and overall program requirements.
Below is a list of courses we would recommend as good options for students considering dual enrollment:
- ENG 106 – Comp 1 (not recommended for students who plan to enroll in honors program)
- ENG 107 – Comp 2 (not recommended for students who plan to enroll in honors program)
- SOC 202/PSY 101/ECO 202: Social Consciousness
- HIST 115 or 116 (World Civ I or 2), POL 201: American Politics & Gov’t: Historical Consciousness
- Spanish/French/Italian: Global Society
- THE 109 or 110 (Foundational Theology course)
- PHI 101 (Foundational Philosophy Course)
Students that achieve a semester GPA of 3.7 or above will be included on the Dean’s List and will be notified via email once the semester has concluded.
Immaculata offers a program called First@IU that connects faculty,staff, and student mentors with first generation college students to help students navigate the college experience. In addition, first generation college students have the opportunity to be part of Alpha Alpha Alpha, a national honor society for first generation college students.
The Center for Undergraduate Advising office works closely with the Athletics office to provide additional supports for student athletes in terms of outreach from coaches, faculty, and staff.