Co-Curricular Choices and Changes

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As part of earning an Andrews University degree, undergraduate students are expected to engage in out-of-class learning. This complements classroom education and allows students to document valuable experiences that can be shared with graduate schools and prospective employers. 

Learning Outcomes. Co-curricular learning targets individual and campus community outcomes in four areas.

• A Healthy U focuses on physical fitness, sustainable nutrition and personal wellbeing.
• A Successful U focuses on academic skills, creative capacities and career readiness.
• A Committed U focuses on faith development, spiritual support and Christian influence.
• A Better U focuses on cultural competence, service orientation and leadership development. 

Together with the academic curriculum, these programs deliver the whole-person education at the heart of Andrews University’s mission.

Co-Curricular Chapels, Choices and Changes.  Four types of co-curricular programs are offered:

1. Tuesday and Thursday programs meet each week during the 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. co-curricular period (no undergraduate classes meet during this time).
   1. Tuesday Choices offer a variety of programs, including Departmental Assemblies, University Workshops, Heritage Celebrations and AUSA Forums.
   2. Thursday Chapels gather the University community in Pioneer Memorial Church to hear a variety of inspirational speakers.
2. Residence Hall Choices occur throughout the week in the residence halls.
3. Other Campus Choices include Friday Vespers, Student Concerts and Recitals, Student Gallery Openings and educational programs planned by student organizations and campus departments.
4. Changes. Co-curricular credit is given to students who reflect on their involvement in a student organization, volunteer agency, campus ministry, workplace or local church. One credit is given for each hour of involvement, for a maximum of 7–10 hours per semester. A Learning Reflection must be completed in order to receive credit. Please contact Student Life for more information.

Co-Curricular Fee. A co-curricular fee is assessed at the end of each semester. Like tuition, proceeds cover the costs of delivering educational content. This fee accumulates based on nonattendance. There will be a fee of $25 for the first credit short of the required number and $13 for every credit short thereafter. A maximum of $402 may be charged to traditional students and $142 to non-traditional students per semester. As an incentive for participation, this fee can be minimized or completely eliminated by fulfilling the requirement.

Attendance Requirement. Engaging in out-of-class learning is part of earning an Andrews degree and should be given the same weight as classes when planning work schedules and overall academic load.

1. Traditional Undergraduates. All traditional undergraduates are required to attend 30 co-curricular programs a semester, meeting one or two minimums (below) as part of the total requirement.

• Tuesday/Thursday Minimum. Students must attend a minimum of 15 Choices offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. period.
• Residence Hall Minimum. Students residing in a campus residence hall are required to attend a minimum of 8 Choices offered in their residence hall each semester.
• The remaining credits can be invested in ways that best support your life and career goals. A maximum of 7–10 credits may be earned through experiential learning in the Changes program.

2. Non-Traditional Undergraduates. Students 25 years and older or who are parents with a child in their care are identified as non-traditional. Non-traditional undergraduates are required to accrue only 10 credits a semester, drawn from any of the available programs. They also have the option of viewing programs online and submitting a report in lieu of physical attendance. Parents under the age of 25 must present a copy of their child’s birth certificate to the Student Life office in order to receive non-traditional status.

3. Exempted Undergraduates. Marital status or work conflicts do not exempt students from attendance. However, if an undergraduate student is registered for 7 or fewer credits, pursuing a second bachelor’s degree or has earned 120 credit hours or more by the beginning of the semester, the student is welcome but not required to attend programs. Earned credit hours can be viewed using the University Academic Record link on the iVue page. Do not use the CAPP program to figure earned credit hours.

Co-Curricular Requirement At-a-Glance 

Pass/Fail System. Traditional undergraduates must complete at least 60 percent of the co-curricular requirement in order to pass for the semester. Students who fall short of the pass level will be placed on co-curricular probation.

Co-Curricular Probation and Registration Hold. Students placed on co-curricular probation at the end of a semester will be allowed to continue their studies the following semester. However, a hold will be placed on future registration until the pass level is achieved in the new semester. A continued pattern of failing attendance will result in the withholding of registration privileges for a period of one semester.

Absences due to occasional field trips, medical appointments, illness or family emergencies will not be excused. Students should plan to offset these conflicts with attendance at other programs. However, those who miss a Tuesday or Thursday Choice for one of these reasons may have the option to view a missed program online (if it has been recorded) and file a report. Please contact the Student Life office within one week of your absence.

Attendance Monitoring. Students are responsible for keeping track of their attendance throughout the semester. To access your attendance record, go to the Andrews Vault and click on “The Co-Curriculum.” If programs you have attended do not show up on your record, please report the program within 21 days using the “Missing Programs” link in your record.