Dear incoming IWU student:

Soon you will begin your first year of college study.  Please read this information carefully as it will assist you in the process of preparing for academic advising and registering for your first semester of classes.  You will also be receiving this information on your IWU email account on June 15th, 2011, all website links will become active after that date.

Part I: Overview of Advising and the Registration Process

• Complete the online IWU Pre-registration Questionnaire confirming major declaration, ranking Gateway Colloquia preferences, and indicating second language interest by July 15, 2011.

• After July 18, 2011, the Office of the Registrar will pre-register you for at least your Gateway Colloquia, and possibly two or three more classes depending on your major. 

• Based on your Gateway Colloquia registration, you will be assigned a First-Year Advisor.

• During Turning Titan: New Student Orientation, you will have two group advising sessions and an individual advising appointment with your First-Year Advisor to select the remainder of your first semester class schedule.

• It will be at this time, aside from the Gateway Colloquium, that you will have an opportunity to change any of the courses in which you will be pre-registered, if you decide you would prefer something else.

Part II: Overview of the IWU Pre-registration Questionnaire

You will find the link to the IWU Pre-registration Questionnaire after the instructions below, please read through carefully. 

1. Basic Information:

You can find your email address and ID number on the postcard that will be sent in early June by Information Technology Services.

2. Intended Major: 

When you applied for admission at IWU, you indicated your intended major.  To assist in enrolling you in the proper courses, we want to confirm your choice of major or allow you to change your major if necessary.  On this section of the IWU Pre-registration Questionnaire use the drop-down boxes to indicate what your major is, as well as any educational goal you may have.

a. Please note that majors in Music, Music Theatre, Theatre Arts, Art, and Nursing all require special admission procedures (e.g., auditions, portfolios).  You can not change to one of these majors without consulting with the Program Director for that program. 

b. Additionally, due to space limitations, if you were not admitted as a Biology major, you may not shift to Biology at this time.

3. Gateway Colloquium Preference:

All first-year students are required to take a Gateway Colloquium, a course designed to develop writing and critical thinking skills during their freshman year.  Each has a different topic; please review the course descriptions for Gateway Colloquium 2011-2012 and indicate your choices in order of preference on the questionnaire.  Every effort will be made to enroll you in one of your seven choices.

4. Second Language Study Preference:

IWU has a three-semester foreign language requirement for a BA or BS degree and a two-semester requirement for a BFA or BM degree. Although not required, students seeking a BME or a BSN are encouraged to include language study in their degree plans as well. Your responses on the IWU Pre-registration Questionnaire will help us determine whether or not you will need to take IWU’s placement exam during Turning Titan: New Student Orientation.

Please be sure to fill out the information requested as fully and accurately as possible.  Click IWU Pre-registration Questionnaire to complete your questionnaire.

Part III: Topics to consider

• Mathematics:

Depending on your major or educational goal, mathematics may be a required part of your studies.  The Guide to First-Year Mathematics has been posted for your review. 

• Students who typically enroll in mathematics their first year do so for the following majors:  Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Mathematics, Physics majors. 

• If you do not need mathematics for your major or do not wish to continue studying mathematics, the general education program has a Formal Reasoning requirement that you will eventually have to meet over the course of your undergraduate study. While this can be met with a mathematics course, it can also be successfully completed with courses in other departments.

• Your First-Year Advisor will be available to assist you in choosing the correct mathematics and/or Formal Reasoning course during Turning Titan: New Student Orientation. 

• Second Language:

Most high schools provide students with a limited set of opportunities for foreign language study. We recommend that you continue with foreign language learning in college for the enormous benefits such study provides. Your abilities in English will improve as you study another language, and you will broaden your cultural awareness. Do not hesitate to consider learning a different language from the one you began in high school. We offer the following different modern language areas: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish, as well as, Ancient Greek and Latin.

• What else do you want to take?:

In high school your classes were often selected for you.  College is an opportunity to explore a variety of disciplines.  Over the summer, peruse IWU Catalog and look over the course descriptions to see what might be of interest to you for your first semester.  You will be that much more prepared for your first advising appointment!

If you have any questions about the IWU Pre-registration Questionnaire, please contact the Registrar’s Office at (309) 556-3161 or  iwureg@iwu.edu.  If you have any questions about First-Year Advising, please contact the Academic Advising Center at 309-556-3231 or advising@iwu.edu.

Please complete the IWU Pre-registration Questionnaire by July 15, 2011.  We will begin registration processing on July 18, 2011.  Any questionnaires received after that date will be processed on a first come, first serve basis.