Transfer FAQs: Spring 2010

What do I do after I've been admitted?
Your letter from Admissions will tell you what your next steps are. If you're sure you want to attend UNC Asheville, you'll need to send in your tuition and housing deposits. If you're still unsure that UNC Asheville is the place for you, we encourage you to attend an Admitted Student Day. The schedule for these days will be available soon.

What do I need to do to apply for financial aid?
The first step in applying for financial aid is completing your FAFSA. The priority filing deadline for the spring 2010 semester is November 1, 2009. Your financial aid information will NOT automatically come to us from your previous school, so be sure to list UNC Asheville's school code when filling out your FASFA; it is 002907. Your tuition deposit must be received and posted to your student account before your Financial Aid award will be granted. If you have additional questions about applying for or receiving Financial Aid, visit the Office of Financial Aid.

When will I get more information about living on campus, registering for classes, and campus life?
Once you have been admitted to UNC Asheville, you will receive a letter from the Residential Education and Housing Operations (REHO) Office to give you information about your housing options. The deadline to submit your online application for on-campus housing in the spring 2010 semester is December 15, 2009.

After you submit your tuition deposit, you will begin to receive more information about UNC Asheville. You'll get a list of "next steps"--things to do and things to know now that you've decided to attend UNC Asheville, including course registration and campus life information.

What courses will I take?
Transfers take a variety of courses; what you will take depends on your major and the courses you are transferring to UNC Asheville. All students follow the Integrative Liberal Studies (ILS) program, which is a core group of required courses all students must take regardless of their major.

All students take an introductory course in their first semester called Liberal Studies Introductory Colloquium (LSIC). If you are transferring in 25 semester hours or less, you should take an LSIC 179; if you are transferring in more than 25 semester hours, you should take an LSIC 379. These courses are designed to introduce you to the liberal arts environment and assist you in adjusting to the academic culture of UNC Asheville. For additional resources to help you plan your schedule and understand the ILS requirements, please review our Transfer Advising Resources. You'll learn more about the ILS requirements at embark.

How many hours should I take?
Most students take around 15 semester hours each semester. To be a full-time student, you must take at least 12 semester hours. At UNC Asheville, courses have Semester Credit Hours associated with them. While most courses are three (3) credit hour courses, some courses, such as many of the Health and Fitness courses, carry one (1) semester hour credit, while others, such as science and math courses are 4 or 5 semester hours. The number of credit hours a course is worth is roughly the number of hours it meets each week.

How will my courses transfer?
Once we receive your transcripts from your previous college(s), we will evaluate your coursework to see how it will transfer to UNC Asheville. You can review your latest transfer evaluation through OnePort.

If you have taken classes at other colleges but haven't yet requested your transcript be sent to UNC Asheville for evaluation, you can use our available online resources to help judge how your courses may transfer: equivalency information about AP credit and IB credit can be found in the UNC Asheville Catalog, and equivalency information about classes transferring from North Carolina Community Colleges and several North Carolina 4-year institutions can be found online.

Occasionally, students will want to petition for their transfer credits to count differently than they appear on their initial transfer evaluation. The process to do this differs depending on the requirement the course in question will fulfill, and you'll learn about your options for petitioning courses during embark.

What math course should I take?
Some majors require that you take a specific math course. You can find that information by looking at our ILS Advising Sheets by Major. If you are uncertain about your major, and you don't have transfer credit that will fulfill your Math requirement, you may want to postpone your math course. If your major doesn't require a specific math course, the Mathematics Department has online information about course selection and an on-line placement test - check it out to help you decide!

What foreign language course should I take?
UNC Asheville requires all students to demonstrate proficiency through the second introductory level of a foreign language. This can be done either through a placement exam, AP exam, or completion of the appropriate level course work. Students can choose from French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Portuguese and Spanish at UNC Asheville. Credits in other foreign languages from other schools (Japanese, Chinese, Russian, etc) may still fulfill this requirement, even though we don't offer them at UNC Asheville.

Students who wish to use French, Spanish, or Latin to fulfill this requirement, have had previous exposure to their chosen language, and don't already have credit for 2 100-level courses in that language should take a Foreign Language Placement exam during embark. Students who have scores of 3 or higher on the Spanish, French, German or Latin AP exams or those who have transferred in courses equivalent to the second introductory course or higher do not have to take the foreign language test unless they plan on continuing in that language beyond the 100-level.

What writing course should I take?
Unless you have AP or college transfer credit, all students must take Language 120.

How do I register for classes?

You will begin registering for classes after you meet with an academic advisor during embark, and you will be able to continue adjusting your schedule through the Drop/Add period, which ends on the 5th day of class in the spring semester.

How do I log into OnePort?
To log into OnePort, you must enter the username and password provided to you in your Admissions materials. You will use OnePort to review your Financial Aid and transfer evaluation information prior to embark, and you will receive more information at embark outlining the necessary steps involved to get registered for classes.

How is my GPA calculated at UNC Asheville?
Your GPA is calculated using only the grades earned in courses taken at UNC Asheville. Our courses are not weighted by level of difficulty - like Honors or AP classes in high schools. They are, however, weighted by the semester hours credit associated with the course, and thus count differently in your GPA. For example, a 3-hour B+ will affect your GPA more than a 1-hour B+.

The quality points earned for each of your courses is multiplied by the semester credit hours it is worth. Your total quality points are divided by the total semester hours credit. For example, if you have an A in Econ 101 (3 semester hours) and a B in Astronomy 105 (5 semester hours), you would multiply 4 X 3 cr. hrs and 3 X 5 cr. hrs. for a quality point total of 27. Divide 27 by 8 to get 3.375 - your Grade Point Average (GPA). Please see the Academic Policies section of the UNC Asheville Catalog for more information.

What support services are offered to help me with my classes if I need it?
Every faculty member has office hours when students can stop by for help in class or just to talk. If you find you need more assistance, you can contact Advising & Learning Support to request a Peer Tutor. Peer Tutors are UNC Asheville students who have been trained to work with students in particular courses. If you need assistance with a mathematics course, you should go by the Mathematics Assistance Center and if you need help with a writing project in any course, make an appointment at the Writing Center. Not only are these great resources to help you succeed, they're also free!

Who attends embark?
All new transfer students should plan to attend embark. Embark serves as a necessary part of your transition to UNC Asheville and provides you with all the information you need to know to further your education at UNC Asheville.

How long is embark?

Embark, held before the spring semester begins in January, is a one-day program. More information about its schedule can be found online.

Do I have to sign up to come to embark?
In order to attend embark, you must RSVP by January 4, 2010. We need to know in advance if you plan to attend so we can schedule you an appointment with an academic advisor. You will RSVP for embark online.

What if I can't come to embark?
You should know that attendance at embark is required for a successful transition to UNC Asheville. Please contact Advising & Learning Support at 828-250-3808 if you have concerns about your ability to attend embark.

Who lives in the residence halls and what is it like?
Students of all classifications live on campus. If you are transferring to UNC Asheville with 24 credit hours or less, you will be required to live on campus. Living on campus gives you more than just a room-it's convenient and provides you with a lot of activities and resources! For more information, visit the Residential Education and Housing Operations website.

Can I have a car on campus?
If you are transferring to UNC Asheville with 24 credit hours or less, you will not be permitted to have your vehicle on campus during the spring 2010 semester. For more information, please visit the Transportation website.

How can I get involved in student organizations?
Here at UNC Asheville, our large transfer student population has made a huge impact on our campus community by getting involved in many ways. There are academic, social, and special interest student organizations, on-campus jobs, service learning opportunities, and outdoor opportunities. For more information, visit the Student Affairs website.

Are there on-campus jobs available?
The Career Center coordinates on-campus employment and can also help you find off-campus jobs and internships.