Semester transition guarantee

Augustana College adopted the new semester calendar and is making changes keeping at the forefront the best interest of our students and the college.

In addition to providing more time for in-depth learning and new experiential learning opportunities, the college can more easily partner with peer academic institutions — most of which use the semester calendar — on programs and resources.

In this way, Augustana can control costs while expanding learning opportunities.

A semester calendar also is more accommodating for students transferring to Augustana, and those who miss time because of illness or other unforeseen circumstances.

The semester calendar will allow the classes of 2020 and 2021 to benefit from more study-abroad, research, intensive learning and internship opportunities during the new 3.5-week immersion term in January. In addition, the four weeks of time added to the fall and spring semesters will allow students more time for in-depth study, process writing and research projects.

Members of the Class of 2020 will experience the calendar change during their senior year, and the members of the Class of 2021 in their junior year. The graduation timetable will remain unchanged for these classes.

The college is offering a Transition Guarantee to all full-time degree seeking students who start in fall of 2016, 2017, or 2018, respectively.

For the guarantee to apply, students must continue to make satisfactory progress towards their degree before and after the change to the new calendar, and follow the plan they will create with their advisor.

Should a student reach the overall credit requirements for graduation on their plan, but be short a credit or two for a major/minor, the college will consider possibilities for substitutions and/or waivers within their declared major/minor that allow students to both meet key program learning objectives and complete graduation requirements in four years.

All trimester coursework will transition to the semester calendar. No credits or coursework will be lost.

For example, for the Class of 2020, if a student earned 94 credits in the first three years at Augustana (under trimesters), all courses and credits will count during the transfer; as a senior, that student will earn approximately 30 additional credits in appropriate coursework if the graduation requirements were to be set at 124 credits.

To facilitate the transition, the college has appointed two transition coordinators, Gillian Lederman and Jayne Rose. If you have questions related to this transition, email them at gillianlederman@augustana.edu and jaynerose@augustana.edu.