University Academic
Advising Committee

West Chester University

Contact Info
Dr. Joanne Conlon, Chair
610-436-3505
advising@wcupa.edu


Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do interdisciplinary courses transfer to WCU?

A: From Darla Spence-Coffey, AVPAA - Interdisciplinary courses DO transfer to WCU, and if a course at another college/university has been granted equivalency to a course at WCU, the assumption is that the course has been reviewed and it is truly equivalent. So whether the course has an "I" designation or not on the form that comes from the registrar summarizing the analysis of transfer credits, if the course is an "I" here at WCU, they have earned the "I."

What will really help us is that the in the new PeopleSoft Degree Audit system, (and there are still some chairs who need to get trained in this) if a course is transferred to WCU and is the equivalent to one of our Interdisciplinary courses, it will automatically show up in the "interdisciplinary requirement section" of the audit. This will certainly eliminate some confusion. My understanding, though, is that this will be the ONLY place that a transferred "I" course will be designated as such. The degree audit trumps everything else, though.

Q: What are the Praxis II Graduation Requirements for Dual Majors?

A: From Joe Malak, COE Dean - Effective spring 2007, teacher education candidates (with the exception of BA Geography, History, Political Science and Foreign Languages) must pass all Praxis II tests to graduate. Those pursuing a dual major must pass both related Praxis II tests in order to graduate. Please be sure your advisees are aware of the implications of this new policy and the following options:

Option #1:

  • The undergraduate may choose to remove one major from his/her academic record and proceed to graduate with only one major. Once graduated, their record is sealed and cannot be changed or altered.
  • As soon as the candidate passes the final test, he/she can apply through WCU, to add this certification area to the Instructional I Certificate. In this case, the academic record/transcript does not reflect this additional subject area. The only way the record can be altered is by readmission; current requirements in the major such as GPA, courses, field experiences, etc. would be imposed.

Option #2:

  • The undergraduate may choose to postpone graduation until all Praxis II tests are passed so that the dual major is intact. The Registrar's Office would consider unreported or unsuccessful Praxis scores a graduation deficiency. Depending on the time lapse, the candidate either graduates in the semester during which the final test is passed or the semester of the actual test administration. The record shows a dual major program has been achieved.
  • Questions on this matter should be directed to the Teacher Certification Coordinator, Mrs. Gail Habbersett, or the University Registrar, Mr. Joseph Santivasci.

Milestones for all Praxis II tests required by PA for any of the West Chester University certification programs, including Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge, are being created to record and monitor our candidates' progress in this area.