Frequently Asked Questions – Faculty & Staff
General Information
How do I make a grade change?
Grade changes are made using the Grade Change Form. The form can also be located in Forms & Resources on Pirate Port. Policies regarding grade change policies can be found in the Academic Catalog.
What is the difference between a guided study and an independent study?
Guided studies are based on an existing course that is offered at Whitworth and listed in the catalog. Students will be registered for a "Guided Study" section of the regularly offered course. Independent studies cover topics that are not covered in standard course offerings. Students will be registered for the independent study course number (-191, -291, -391, -491 or -591).
Additional information about guided studies, independent studies and other directed studies can be found in the academic catalog.
Where can I find the academic calendars, finals exam schedule and registration timetable?
The academic calendars, final exam calendars and registration timetables can be found on the academic calendars & schedules webpage.
Where can I find information about Whitworth’s commencement ceremonies?
Please visit the commencement website for Commencement Weekend information, schedules and contact information.
Curriculum Updates & Course Scheduling
How can I make changes to the major and minor program requirements for my department?
All program edits are made in CourseLeaf, Whitworth’s curriculum and catalog management system. The link to program proposals can be found here. If you have specific questions about how to make program edits, please email catalog@whitworth.edu.
How do I make an edit to one of my courses?
All course edits, even those that do not require approval from Curriculum Committee, are made in CourseLeaf. The link to course proposals can be found here. If you have specific questions about how to make course edits, please email catalog@whitworth.edu.
I can’t get into my CourseLeaf account. Who should I contact?
Please email catalog@whitworth.edu with any questions about accessing CourseLeaf.
What is the deadline for course or program edits?
Course and program proposal deadlines can be found on the Curriculum Committee SharePoint site, located here.
Where can I find the course scheduling submission and edit deadlines?
Faculty and staff can find all course scheduling and section edit deadlines on the schedule of production, which is located in Forms & Resources on Pirate Port.
In the course scheduler system, I am receiving an “Out of Sync” error. What should I do?
Please email catalog@whitworth.edu with the course that you are trying to edit.
Who can I contact if I run into technical issues with Course Scheduler or the Room Request Form?
Both of these are within the K2 system, which is administered by information systems. If you have any technical difficulties with either of these forms, reach out to info systems via the help desk email, helpdesk@whitworth.edu.
How do I change the instructor for a section?
Make the change in Course Scheduler to ensure that all section information is consistent between Course Scheduler and Colleague.
If the change is made after the regular schedule of production change period, email the change to Registrar Operations Analyst Nathan Nicholson at nnicholson@whitworth.edu and make the change in Course Scheduler.
How do I change the occurrence information (date, day or time) for a section?
To request a change to the occurrence information, first make the change to the section in Course Scheduler. Per the schedule of production, once a section has been submitted, changes can be made up until the end of the regular change period. After this phase, we can only accept these changes in conjunction with area dean approval. Once students are registered for a section, making an update to the occurrence information can create errors on the students’ registration records, thus requiring the section to be completely cancelled/rebuilt to make the changes.
How do I change the cap size for a section?
A section's cap size can be changed up until the add/drop deadline, but after the regular change period (per the schedule of production), they need to be approved by the area dean. If the requested cap size does exceed the size of the classroom, the department will need to find a different room that is vacant and submit a Room Change Request to accommodate the new section capacity.
To make the change, update the section in Course Scheduler. If the change is made after the regular change period, email the change to the Registrar Operations Analyst Nathan Nicholson at nnicholson@whitworth.edu and make the change in Course Scheduler.
How do I change the classroom for a section?
Classroom changes must be requested using the Room Change Request Form. Room change requests are due one week before the start of the term, as this time is needed to support student and instructor accommodations.
Please refer to the following guidelines when submitting a Room Change Request:
- Any requests for faculty accommodations must be arranged through human resources services.
- Student accommodations must be arranged through educational support services.
- For any other change (cap, pedagogy, back-to-back), please ensure the room being requested is available during the requested time. If there are no vacant rooms that will work, please coordinate within your department or with other departments to find a suitable swap. In the case of a room swap, one room change request should be submitted for each section that needs to be moved. Communication showing approval of the swap should also be emailed to Registrar Operations Analyst Nathan Nicholson at nnicholson@whitworth.edu.
- If the requested room is unavailable, the request will be denied.
How do I cancel a section?
After the regular change period (per the schedule of production), cancellations can only be made in conjunction with area dean approval. If approved, cancel the section in Course Scheduler and email Registrar Operations Analyst Nathan Nicholson at nnicholson@whitworth.edu. If there are students registered for the section, the department will need to pull the roster and communicate with the students of the cancellation. It is extremely important the department pulls the roster before cancelling the section as it is no longer available once the cancellation is processed.
What is the process for a section cancellation and rebuild?
The following process must be used for cancelling a section and rebuilding it:
- The department must email all of the registered students to ensure they know the section is being cancelled and rebuilt. The department should also pull the roster for the original section, as this information won’t be accessible once the section is cancelled.
- Once the students have been notified, email Registrar Operations Analyst Nathan Nicholson at nnicholson@whitworth.edu all necessary information to rebuild the section, including all updated info. Please also include a new section number since the old one cannot be reused.
- Once the section has been cancelled and rebuilt, the department will be notified.
- The department will then email the students and let them know they should register for the rebuilt section.
Who can I reach out to for help with section edits or submissions?
Additional questions regarding section edits can be directed to Registrar Operations Analyst Nathan Nicholson at nnicholson@whitworth.edu.
Advising & Student Programs
How do I submit a course substitution for a major or minor requirement?
Course substitution requests should be submitted using the Course Substitution Request Form. The form can also be located in Forms & Resources in Pirate Port. Course Substitution Request Forms must be approved by the department chair or program directors and will be reviewed and decided on by curriculum committees periodically during the year.
One of my advisees wants to graduate before or after the anticipated completion date listed in Self-Service. How do we update that information?
A student’s anticipated completion date (ACD) is important for a variety of reasons including federal reporting, financial aid, academic progress tracking, and important communication. If they anticipate completing their degree earlier or later than the anticipated completion date found in Self-Service, have the student email acadprogress@whitworth.edu to communicate their plans and request an ACD update.
A course is showing up in a student’s Shared Curriculum requirements in the wrong place. How do we get it moved?
Some courses are approved with multiple Shared Curriculum designations. If the student wants the course to fulfill a different designation than the one it automatically fulfills, they should email acadprogress@whitworth.edu to request the move.
When do students apply for graduation?
A student must apply for graduation the fall of the academic year in which they will complete their degree.