The Basics ...
 

Where will my classes meet?

The room assignments for NGCSU classes that meet on the Gainesville State College campus are listed on the Gainesville State College website through the University Center link under "Schedule of Courses."  Most classes meet in Dunlap/Mathis building near the front of campus.  Directions to campus and a campus map are available from the Gainesville State College website.

Where can I park, and do I need a parking permit?

In the evenings, parking is available to students with Gainesville State College University Center parking permits in any campus lot except the faculty lots that require key access.  Parking permits, as well as student ID cards, are available in the Gainesville State College Student Activities building.  NGCSU students with a parking permit for Dahlonega should also register their cars with Gainesville State College.

Where do I get books?

Books for NGCSU classes taught on the Gainesville campus are available from the Gainesville State College bookstore.  The Bookstore is located in the back of the Student Activities building.

What is Banner?

Banner is the computer program that NGCSU uses for registration, billing, reporting grades, and other database applications related to student records.  Each student admitted to NGCSU has a Banner account. 

How do I access Banner?

Instructions about accessing Banner are available by clicking on the "Registration Instructions" link on the Banner page accessible through Quick Links at the top of this page.

How do I get current information about registration, class cancellations, etc.?

Students taking NGCSU classes on the Gainesville State College campus have two e-mail accounts--a NGCSU account and a Gainesville State College account.  Offices on the Dahlonega campus provide all official communication to the NGCSU account; the Gainesville State College University Center uses the Gainesville account for official communication.  Any information specific to classes on the Gainesville campus will be communicated using the Gainesville account.  Students should check each account regularly (at least weekly).  Note:  it is possible to forward the NGCSU account to the some other e-mail.

What is the ACTT Center?

The ACTT (Academic Computing, Tutoring, and Testing) Center is operated by Gainesville State College and is located in the center of Academic III building.  The ACTT Center provides a study area, tables for small group meetings, networked computers and printers, a computer help-desk, tutoring related to lower level courses, administration of make-up tests, and Writing, Math, Foreign Language, and ESL labs.

Are there computers on the Gainesville Campus that I can use?

There are computers in the ACTT Center, located in Academic III building, and in the Gainesville State College Library.  The e-mail user id and password are used to logon.  Each student has a 300 page per semester paper allocation.  Additional pages may be purchased through the ACTT Center.  Each page printed in color is considered as two pages.

How do I find out my grades?

Final grades are posted to student accounts in Banner.  Grades are available shortly after the deadline for faculty to submit grades.

Advising and Registration ...
 

When do I need to meet with my advisor?

Each student should meet with an advisor on a regular basis.  Each semester when students register, they are asked to confirm that they have discussed selections with their advisor. 

At a minimum, students should schedule an advising appointment near the start of their academic career with NGCSU.  This meeting will be used to review placement of transfer credit within the B.B.A. degree and to establish a long-term plan for scheduling courses.  Prior to completion of 90 semester hours, each student must meet with an advisor to complete an official Plan of Study to be filed with the Office of the Registrar.  In addition to individual advising appointments, each student should regularly check e-mail for changes in curriculum requirements.

How do I arrange to meet with my advisor?

Contact the Gainesville State College University Center at 678-717-3875 to set up an appointment.  Advising appointments should be made at least 24 hours in advance.  The Gainesville Coordinator is on campus two to four evenings per week during Fall and Spring semesters and approximately one night a week during Summer semester.  Note:  advising in Gainesville is not limited to the week prior to pre-registration.

When can I register for classes?

To determine the date and time you are eligible to pre-register, check the Registration Guide posted at the Registrar website, accessible through Quick Links at the top of this page. 

Reminders will be sent to each student's e-mail account.  Reminders are not sent through the U.S. Mail.

How can I tell what courses are scheduled (for the next few semesters)?

There are (at least) two sources for information:  schedules are typically placed into Banner up to one year in advance, and anticipated schedules for a longer period of time are available on this website.  To view schedules posted in Banner, do not logon to your account.  Instead, use the "Search for Classes" option.

When I try to register, Banner asks for a CRN; what's that?

The CRN is the Course Reference Number listed on the left side of Banner's listing for the class.  Although you may think about the course by course title and faculty may think about the course by its course designation (e.g., FINC 3440), the computer thinks about the specific section of the course by its CRN.

What does it mean when I get a Preq and Test Score Error on Banner?

For some reason, Banner believes that you have not met the prerequisites for the course.  This may be because you need to take some other course before you will be allowed to take this course--if this is the case, you should adjust your schedule.  On the other hand, you may have completed the required prerequisite and, for some reason, it does not appear on your transcript--if this is the case, you should contact the Gainesville Coordinator.

What is a Plan of Study?

A Plan of Study is an official document that must be filed with the Office of the Registrar before you complete 90 semester hours.  The completed document includes four signatures--the student's, the advisor's, the department head's, and the registrar's.  Blank forms are available for planning purposes to track progress.  Students should review the Undergraduate Bulletin and consult with their advisor about the appropriate order to take the courses.

What does it mean to take a class as a transient student?

Students who are enrolled in one university and "visiting" another school for the purpose of completing a specific course are called transient students. 

How do I take a class as a transient student?

Taking classes as a transient student requires planning, coordination, and follow-up.  A student who wants to take a course as a transient student must apply to the other school as a transient student (following their guidelines) and request permission from NGCSU to take the course as a transient student.  Permission is requested through the student's Banner account.  Once admitted to the other school, that school determines when (date and time) and if the student can enroll (space available and prerequisites met) in the specific course.  Following completion of the course, the student must have an official transcript sent from the other school to NGCSU so that the credit can be posted to the NGCSU transcript.  Additional information about the transient permission process is available at the Registrar website, accessible through Quick Links at the top of this page.

Course and Curriculum Issues ...
 

How do I know what the prerequisites are for courses?

The Mike Cottrell School of Business maintains a current list of prerequisites for upper division business courses.  In addition, prerequisites are built in to Banner.  Just click the CRN for a course to see the prerequisites that Banner will check.

What if I do not have the prerequisite(s) for a course?

As a general rule, if you have not completed the prerequisites for a course, you cannot take the course yet.  Of course, there are exceptions.  For example, if a student has completed a more advanced course than one required as a prerequisite, the student will not be expected to complete the more elementary course listed.  If this is the case, the student will need assistance registering--contact the Gainesville Coordinator.

How do I drop a course?

"Dropping" a course can only be done during Drop/Add (approximately the first week of the semester).  Courses can be dropped in Banner.  If a student drops a course, the course does not appear on the transcript and the student does not pay for the course.

How do I withdraw from a course?

Students may withdraw from a course up until approximately mid-term.  To withdraw from a course, the student prints out a Class Withdrawal Form, fills out the top part of the form, takes the form to the instructor of the course for his/her signature and confirmation of the last date of attendance, and brings the form to the Gainesville Coordinator for further processing.  Completed forms must be submitted to the Gainesville Coordinator by the deadline set by the university.

What if I make a D; do I have to repeat the course?

Probably.  If the course is prerequisite to some other upper division business course, if the course is one of the seven specific to your major, or if the course is BUSA 4995 you will need to repeat the course.  You are allowed a maximum of one D in the other upper division business courses required for the B.B.A. degree.  Check the Curriculum Overviews for information about which specific courses in each major require a grade of C or better.  Since some courses are only taught every other year in Gainesville, the best advise is work hard to not need to know the answer to this question!

Do I have to have a minor?

No, but you can.

Can I have a minor? 

Yes, but the choices available to students at Gainesville are very limited and often require that some of the courses are taken in Dahlonega.  Note:  It is not possible to major in one area of business and minor in another area of business; but you can take all of your electives from the specific courses required for some other business major.

When Problems Arise ...
 

What if I have problems registering myself using Banner?

Problem and suggestions for correction:

Can't get to Banner:  Check to make sure you meet the browser requirements and that you aren't using a computer that has a firewall between you and NGCSU. 

Login doesn't work:  Check the Banner2000 PIN policies, procedures and problems. 

Message about "Time ticket":  Check the Registration Guide, available at the Registrar website, to make sure that you are trying to register during a time that you are eligible to register; if you should be able to register, contact the Office of the Registrar to resolve the problem

Message about some kind of "HOLD":  The type of hold will indicate where to direct questions (POS holds require you to meet with your advisor to complete your Plan of Study; Owes Money holds should be directed to the NGCSU Business Office; Transcript holds should be directed to the Office of the Registrar; Academic Affairs holds should be directed to the Office of the Registrar) 

Closed section:  For Gainesville sections, contact Dr. Kim Melton; for Dahlonega sections, contact Dr. Clayton Grant

Preq and Test Score Error:  Check the prerequisites for the course; if you believe you have met them, contact your advisor.

What if I do not successfully complete a course that is prerequisite to something I am supposed to take next?

At the time of pre-registration Banner checks prerequisites for the courses that you list.  If you are currently enrolled in one of the prerequisites, Banner assumes that you will successfully complete the course and does not prevent you from registering.  Once grades have been posted, prerequisites are checked again.  Students who do not successfully complete the prerequisites are dropped from the courses requiring those prerequisites.

When should I use my Banner account?

The best times to check your Banner account are at the start of a new semester (to confirm your registration), a week or two before pre-registration (to address potential problems that could impact registration), just before the deadline for payment of tuition (to make sure all fees have been paid), and just after grades are posted each semester (to see your grades and to determine if you successfully completed prerequisite requirements for the upcoming semesters).

When I repeat a class, how does that affect my GPA?

NGCSU uses the most recent grade to calculate your cumulative grade point average.  Each grade will appear on your transcript, but only the newest grade will be used in the calculation of your GPA.  Note:  Even though the older grade(s) do not impact your GPA, all hours are counted in some financial aid evaluations (e.g., HOPE).

Misc ...
 

How do I pay for courses?

There are at least three ways to pay--through Banner, by telephone to the NGCSU Business Office using a credit card, and by mailing a check to the NGCSU Business Office.  Note:  The deadline for payment is listed on Banner.  Each student is expected to logon to Banner, print (or view) the bill, and pay the bill by the deadline.  If the bill is not paid by the deadline, the schedule is cancelled.

How do I get questions about Financial Aid answered?

Many questions are answered at the Financial Aid website, accessible through Quick Links at the top of this page.  Direct other questions about Financial Aid to the Financial Aid Office.

What is the difference between a double major and a second degree?

With a double major you complete all of the requirements for both majors; your elective hours for one major can be used to meet requirements for the other major; and the total number of hours required will depend on the specific majors selected (e.g., students who plan carefully and double major in Accounting and Finance can graduate with fewer than 135 hours). 

A second degree requires the completion of all of the required courses for both degrees and a minimum of thirty hours of additional coursework beyond the credit required for the first degree.  A second degree is usually, but not always, more applicable to returning students who are making a career change following graduation with some major not related to their new career plans.

I plan to graduate next semester; what do I need to do?

You need to complete an application for graduation, pay your graduation fee, order and pay for your cap and gown (order forms are available in the University Center in Dunlap/Mathis), successfully complete the courses you still need to graduate, order announcements (if you want them), and make plans to attend graduation (you are expected to come to graduation).

Why am I being charged a fee to take classes at Gainesville?

The Gainesville fee is used to offset part of the expenses of offering classes in a location other than the main campus.  In exchange for this fee you receive access to the student services available at Gainesville State College (including recreational facilities, the library, the ACTT Center, and the Bookstore), computer and e-mail accounts, a parking permit, classroom space and faculty to teach the classes, the administrative support from the University Center, and access to an advisor in Gainesville.

Can I use some of the services available to Gainesville State College students?

Among other services, the ACTT Center, the Fitness Center, the Library, the Bookstore, and Counseling and Testing services are available to NGCSU students taking classes on the Gainesville campus.  A GCUC ID card may be required to access some of the services.

What are the requirements to take the CPA exam and to be licensed as a CPA?

Complete requirements for taking the CPA exam and for becoming licensed as a CPA in Georgia are available through the Georgia State Board of Accountancy.