Revised August 2021
Academic Advising: Quick Reference Guide
This guide, along with other materials for faculty advisors, is available at:
http://www.oxy.edu/advising-center/faculty-resources
1. Degree Requirements
Students need the following to graduate:
• At least 128 units of credit (no more than 64 can be transfer units)
• A cumulative GPA for all classes of at least 2.0
• A cumulative major GPA of at least 2.0 (see below for more information on how to check this)
• Completion of all Core Requirements
• Completion of a major and its constituent requirements, including comps
All students can take up to 18 units per semester. Students who are sophomores and above with a GPA
of at least 3.0 can register for an additional 2 units (for a total of 20) beginning on the first day of classes.
In order to make "normal progress" toward graduation, students should
take at least 16 units each semester. The chart on the right shows the
number of units a student would be expected to have at the beginning of
each semester if they were registering for 16 units per semester and have
no units from transfer, AP, or summer coursework. For students who are
lagging behind, it is often helpful to have a discussion about their strategy
for catching up (e.g. taking summer courses at another institution,
enrolling in 1- and 2-unit classes in addition to four 4-unit courses, etc.)
Enrolling in at least 12-units is required to maintain full-time status;
dropping below 12-units can affect eligibility for financial aid, athletics,
and more. Maintaining “normal progress” is particularly important for
students receiving financial aid, which is generally awarded for no more
than 8 semesters.
Table of Contents:
1. Degree Requirements
2. Core Requirements
3. Declaring a Major or Minor
4. Declaring a Minor
5. Requirement for Participating in Commencement
6. When Advisors are on Leave/Sabbatical
7. Students Studying Abroad/Off-Campus Programs
8. The Advising Center
9. Advising for Pre-Health, Pre-Law, and 3-2 Programs
10. FERPA
11. Student Alerts (Oxy Care & SEAN)
12. Contact Information
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2. Core & Writing Requirements
The College requires students to complete all Core Requirements by the end of their third year. In general,
we recommend that students fulfill most of their Core Requirements during their first two years to allow
them to focus on their major(s) during their final two years at the college.
Students who are unfamiliar with the Core Requirements may benefit from reading the Core Requirements
Worksheet and viewing the “Intro to Advising, Part 2: Core Requirements” video. Both are available at
http://www.oxy.edu/advising-center/student-resources.
Advisors should encourage their advisees to check their progress during advising sessions. You can do so
by logging into http://my.oxy.edu, going to the "Academic Info and Advising" tab, and clicking Advisee
List/Advising Transcript in the "Advising Links" box.
Once you have selected a student from your list of advisees, click the "Core Requirements" link. A new
display will appear at the bottom of the screen showing a green check mark next to the requirements that
have already been completed and a red "X" next to requirements that have yet to be fulfilled. Please note
that requirements that will be satisfied by the courses currently in progress will still be marked with an
"X."
First-Stage & Second-Stage Writing Requirements
Information about the college-wide writing requirements is available here:
https://www.oxy.edu/academics/writing-program-requirements
Important note: Sophomores who have not passed the First-Stage Writing Requirement must enroll in
WRD 201 in order to fulfill the requirement.
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3. Declaring/Adding/Changing a Major
Students must declare a major by the end of their sophomore year and are encouraged to do so prior to
Registration Week of their fourth semester. (Students who transfer to college as juniors should declare a
major as soon as it is practicable.) When a student declares a major they must also choose a faculty advisor
affiliated with that major. They can stay with their current faculty advisor if they happen to be in the major
department.
To declare a major, student should fill out a Major Declaration form (available at the
Registrar, Advising Center, and on the Registrar’s webpage) and get signatures from their major advisor
and the chair of the relevant department. The form can then be submitted to the Registrar. Some majors
have an additional form on their web page that should be filled out prior to meeting with the Department
Chair.
Students can double major, but they must complete all requirements for each major and must complete
separate comps. Students with two majors may decide to drop one major up until the beginning of the
senior year and often replace it with the corresponding minor (when available).
4. Declaring a Minor
Students are not required to declare a minor. Those who elect to declare a minor must do so no later than
the last day of classes of a student's penultimate semester. The Minor Declaration form (available at the
Registrar, Advising Center, and on the Registrar’s webpage) requires only the signature of the chair of the
respective department.
Students may declare multiple minors, however if it becomes apparent that the requirements will not be
complete by the student's final semester, the minor may be dropped in order to clear a student for
graduation and participation in the commencement ceremony.
5. Requirements for Participating in Commencement
To fully participate in the commencement ceremony, a student must have met all requirements to
graduate. A student who has completed all core requirements (including foreign language proficiency), all
major requirements, the writing proficiency requirements, successfully completed the senior
comprehensive requirement, and has completed a minimum of 124 units, or who will have completed at
least these requirements upon completion of courses for which a grade of CIP has been recorded at the
time senior grades are submitted, may walk in the commencement ceremony without receiving their
diploma.
A student who does not meet the requirements to walk in the commencement ceremony may submit a
petition for special consideration to the Registrar to walk in the ceremony without receiving their diploma.
These petitions will be accepted no later than the last day of classes, and are approved only in rare cases
in which extenuating circumstances can be demonstrated.
Students receiving a failing grade required for a Core, major, writing proficiency, or comprehensive
examination requirement at the end of the second semester of the senior year will not be eligible to
participate in that year's ceremony.
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6. When Faculty Advisors are on Leave/Sabbatical
When a faculty member is on leave or sabbatical, a designated alternate advisor should be arranged by
the faculty member in consultation with their department chair. In some cases, faculty members who will
continue to be on or near campus during their leave may decide to continue advising some or all of their
advisees. In all cases, declared majors should be assigned an advisor within the department.
For non-declared students, the Advising Center can serve as the temporary advisor and will provide
registration PINs after having a formal advising meeting. For students who have already declared a major,
the Advising Center is available as a resource, but will not provide registration PINs unless there are
extraordinary circumstances that have prevented the student from meeting with either their faculty
advisor or department chair.
Faculty advisors can also contact the Advising Center or the Director of Advising to get a student's PIN in
cases where a PIN Letter has been misplaced or a faculty member is advising on behalf of a colleague who
is on leave or sabbatical.
7. Students Participating in Off-Campus Programs
Students who are currently studying abroad or participating in other off-campus program are expected to
contact their advisors via email or other means during Advising Week to discuss course selection and get
their PIN and registration time. Off-campus students will register online during their normal registration
times. (Students studying in places with limited internet access should contact the International Programs
Office for assistance.)
8. The Advising Center
While faculty advisors are always the primary source of academic advising for all students at Occidental,
the Advising Center provides additional support for students on routine academic matters, including
questions about academic policies and procedures. Resources for both students and faculty advisors are
also available on the Advising Center website.
Located in Johnson Student Center room 134, the Advising Center is open weekdays from 10am to 3pm.
(The schedule may vary slightly due to advisor availability.) While student drop-ins can often be
accommodated, Advising Week is our busiest time, so making an appointment is strongly recommended.
Students can make an appointment by following the “Schedule an Appointment” link on
the Advising Center website: http://www.oxy.edu/advising-center
The Advising Center can also be reached by telephone (323-259-1341) or email
(advisingcenter@oxy.edu)
9. Pre-Health, Pre-Law, and 3-2 Program
Pre-Health Advising
Director: Miao “Kat” Wang
Pre-Health Advisor: Cathreen Oracion
http://www.oxy.edu/pre-health-advising/
The Office of Pre-Health Advising provides support for pre-medical, pre-health, and STEM students to
help them make well-informed career decisions and develop effective strategies for achieving their
professional goals. The office provides resources to help students choose appropriate courses based
on graduate-level program requirements, and also helps to connect students with co-curricular
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activities such as research, volunteering and clinical patient interactions. They offer application
review, practice interviews and step-by-step assistance for students ready to apply for graduate
school. New students possibly interested in health-related professions are encouraged to connect
with Pre-Health Advising early on and to join their mailing list.
Information about courses commonly required by medical programs can be found at:
Pre-Law Advising
Director: Thalia González
http://www.oxy.edu/pre-law-advising/
Pre-Law Advising includes advising for law-curious and law-bound students; information about the
law school admissions process; LSAT advising; personal statement advising; and advice for securing
letters of recommendation. Prof. Thalia González (Politics) serves as the College’s pre-law advisor.
3-2 Program Advising
Occidental has a cooperative engineering program with Columbia University and the California
Institute of Technology that allows well-qualified student to complete a B.A. at Occidental and a B.S.
in Engineering from the partner school in five years: the first three years are spent at Oxy, followed
by two years at the partner school. Students who are interested in this program should contact Prof.
Alec Schramm (alec@oxy.edu), the 3-2 Program Liaison, during their first semester at Occidental.
10. FERPA
The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides college students with significant privacy
protections. With very limited exceptions, FERPA prohibits educational institutions from sharing a
student’s educational records without specific written consent. Educational records include (but are not
limited to) grades, transcripts, class lists, course schedules, and financial aid information. Even within an
institution, FERPA states that educational records should only be shared with employees who have a
“legitimate educational interest” in the information. If you have questions about FERPA, please contact
the College Registrar or the Director of Advising.
11. Student Alerts
Occidental has two student alert systems. The SEAN Academic Concern system helps students know that
an instructor or advisor is concerned about a student’s academic performance. Instructors typically send
a SEAN when a student does not turn in a major assignment by the deadline; receives a low exam score;
has poor attendance in class; or due to other indications that a student may be struggling in the course.
The SEAN alert is sent to the student and copied to the student’s advisor. The student is then asked to
respond by filling out a brief online form. Depending on the nature of the concerns and the student’s
response, administrators in Academic Affairs and Student Affairs may reach out to the student and/or
faculty member to offer additional support. Faculty advisors and instructors are able to submit academic
SEANs for students who they are currently enrolled in their course or assigned to them as an advisee.
Questions about the SEAN Academic Concern system can be directed to the Director of Advising.
The Oxy Care Report (formerly “SEAN Personal Concern”) allows faculty and staff to report non-academic
concerns. These alerts are NOT sent to the student. Instead, the alert will be reviewed by members of the
Student Success Team and appropriate support will be offered to the student. Oxy Care Report concerns
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may include medical, behavioral, emotional, relationship, family, and other issues. Questions about the
Oxy Care Report system can be directed to Dr. Vivian Garay Santiago ([email protected]
)
12. Contact Information
Questions related to academic advising can be directed to Edmond Johnson (Director of Advising):
edmondjohnson@oxy.edu
Johnson Hall 108; 323-341-4139
Questions about the registration process should be directed to the Registrar’s Office:
AGC 101; 323-259-2686
