Academic InformationFrequent Questions and Concerns of Parents About Academics

How will I know if my child is on track to graduate in four years?
Talk to your student! Students can compare the courses they have completed to graduation requirements. Request a degree audit to view courses completed and compare this to graduation requirements. Students can check grades at any time online.

Parents will be notified if a dependent student is placed on academic probation.

Will I receive a copy of my child's grades?
No. Students have the right to confidentiality of their records. No one (other than Gustavus staff members) is allowed access to these records without the student's prior formal consent.

WebAdvisor — the web-based system that allows Gustavus students to access important academic information — provides students the ability to grant parents and/or others access to information on WebAdvisor.

For more information read about student records.

Who can help my child improve study skills, choose a major, or manage time?
The Academic Support Center and your student's professors can provide individual help with time management, study skills, and choosing a major. The listed study tips may help your student achieve academic success.

My child hasn't chosen a major.
Most students officially declare a major during their sophomore year. The majority of students also change their major at least once. Here are tips written for students to help with choosing a major and steps to take next.

One Student's Perspective on Choosing a Major
Learn this seniors' knowledge of the process most students experience while exploring majors.

Are tutoring services available?
A goal at Gustavus is to teach all students to be comfortable writing, no matter their past experience or major. The Writing Center on campus provides extensive help to all students. In addition to the Writing Center, some departments offer tutoring services and for some circumstances, individual tutoring may be arranged. Students also often form informal study groups.

Who helps my student choose classes?
Students are often their own best advisors by taking advantage of the numerous resources to guide this process. The professor of the First Term Seminar advises those students until the student declares a major. When declaring a major, a student chooses an advisor from that department. The interactions vary depending on the relationship between student and advisor, but advisors are required to review the class selections before a student registers for the next semester. Students also can consult with other students in their major, the Career Development Center, their own degree audit, and the Academic Support Center. List of Academic Departments

My child wants to drop or withdraw from a class.
The wisdom of dropping or withdrawing from a class should be judged case by case with the help of the professor and if needed, the Academic Support Center to understand the impact academically and financially on the transcript, GPA, and financial aid. Information on academic policies

When are finals and grades issued and when are breaks?
Grades are available to students generally two weeks after the end of the semester. Here is a complete schedule of mid-term grades, final exams, final grades, and school breaks.

What kind of services are available for special needs?
Resources are available to students to accommodate temporary or permanent physical, psychological, and learning disabilities. Accessibility Resources.

Students' Perspectives on Academic Expectations and Pressures
A senior shares his knowledge of how students can be affected by the pressures and expectations to perform at a high academic level and resources students can utilize, while another student explores the phenomena of being a big fish in a small pond drowning in the sea of a new environment.

For more information on academics, check out Academic Resources.