The graduation application begins with you, the department adviser, and the student.
The application consists of a DARS graduation audit (GDARS) signed by the student and adviser. The first section of the GDARS includes places for the adviser to add remarks, indicate multiple degrees, list minors and minor requirements, indicate the quarter of graduation, and sign the form. The rest of the GDARS is the same as a DARS audit, listing the student’s courses under each college and department requirement.
More information: Course Format for DARS
Entering a course in the correct format:
1
Campus Code |
2
Course Prefix |
3
Course ### |
4
XX Course Seq. Number in “Transfer Credit” |
- Field 1 – Enter a campus code: 1 = Bothell course; 2 = Tacoma course; 0 = All other courses
- Field 2 – Enter the prefix exactly as it appears on the audit:
HIST__
M_E___
FRENCH
H_A&S_
- Field 3 – Enter the course number: 424, 1XX, 4** (any 400-level course)
- Field 4 – Enter a sequence number—ONLY if the student has identical transfer courses ending in XX
MATH 1XX
MATH 1XX 01
MATH 1XX 02
Use the final two digits to tell DARS which course you want to use.
Use 00 to indicate the first course.
If the student has MATH 1XX at each of two or more schools, contact the DARS Office to assign different codes.
Tips
You can do this yourself if the prefix belongs to your department. Just change one of them to, say, MATH 1XX 50 on the SRF 325–>330 screen.
For use with the SDB
Your major’s requirements exist in DARS according to your catalog statement. You can modify any one of those requirements for a particular student by creating an RU exception.
The Basics
- When you want to modify a requirement, you must first tell DARS which requirement to modify. That’s the purpose of the PSNAME. You’ll find the PSNAME for requirements in your major on your Reference Table. Select the letter your major begins with. On that page, scroll down until you find it. Select and bookmark it!
NOTE: A&S advisers will also need a bookmark for General Education Requirements.
- To begin an exception, go to the SRF370 SCREEN, enter the student number and SEND. Enter RU in the lower, right corner and SEND. You are now on the SRU376. You can usually ignore all the information in blue:
________________________________________________________________________________
E X C E P T I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T M O D I F I C A T I O N
1033346 000957073 900-00-0110
STUDENT,DARS TESTY 11/11/11
CLASS: JUNIOR MAJOR: 0-ANTH -00-11 MINOR: 0-PHIL -00
0-PSYCH -00-15 Sequence Number: 0010 ADD (Type=RU)
PSNAME: _______________ Comment to display (Opt:________________________ Allow/Reject COURSE:_ _____ ___ __ UW#(Y/N):Y
QTR Range:___/____ thru ___/____
REQHRS: Change credits required (ex: -3, -0.5): ____._ REQSRQ/REQCT: Change # of courses required (ex: -1): ___
VAL (Rarely used): Change # of courses required (ex: -1): ___
REQGPA: Change GPA required: (ex -0.100): __.___
Internal Notes: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Authorized by: ____________ Authorization Date: __/__/____
Updated by: Date Updated:
MAXHRS: ____._ USECT/MAXCT: ___ ASSIGNC: _ AC1: _ AC2:_ RC1: _ RC2: _
MAXHRSCK: _ RCOURSE: _ ______ ___ __ UW#(Y/N): Y RNAME: _________
___________________________________________________________________________
- Comments, Internal Notes, Authorized by, Updated by You will almost always want to enter a “Comment to display.” Not only does this clarify to anyone who views the audit exactly what exception you are allowing for the student; it also serves a troubleshooting purpose. If your exception fails and the comment does not appear, you most likely have used the wrong PSNAME.
Optional: Use Internal Notes to remind yourself or to tell others who can view the exception why it was allowed, who was involved in the decision… anything you might want.
Optional: If you want to record who authorized this exception (someone other than yourself), use the “Authorized by” field.
When you “send” to finalize the exception, your UserID will appear, along with the date, in the “Updated by” line.
Modifications You Can Make
Allow a course not normally acceptable in a particular requirement
- In the left column of the Reference Table, find the requirement you want to modify. In the next column is the PSNAME for that requirement.
NOTE: Be sure that the third column tells you that it can be used to allow a course!
Enter it on the SRU376. Be sure to start in the first space of the PSNAME field.
Example: PSNAME: EE-MATH1____ Comment to display (Opt): _________________________
- After the PSNAME, enter a comment that explains what exception you are allowing for this student.
Example: BIOL 2XX SUBS FOR 180 H A&S 261 APPROVED
- To tell DARS which course you want it to use for this student, enter it in the line below the PSNAME:
Allow/Reject COURSE: a_ b______c__d__ UW#(Y/N):e Y fQTR Range:___/____ thru ___/____
- Enter 0 in the first field (or 1 for a UW-Bothell course or 2 for a UW-Tacoma course).
- Enter the course prefix as it appear in the audit/SDB in the second field. H_A&S_ not HA&S__ M_E___ not ME____ L_ARCH not LARCH_
- Enter the course number in the third field: 101, 599, 2XX. Tip: You can allow all PHYS 100-level courses by entering 0 PHYS 1** or all MATH courses by entering 0 MATH *** The fourth field is used only if the student has identical *XX courses, such as: 0 MATH__ 1XX __ 0 MATH__ 1XX 01
Use the sequence number, at the end, to tell DARS which to use. More information.
- After the course number comes a Y/N field: Allow/Reject COURSE:_ ______ ___ __ UW#(Y/N):Y
If you have entered an XX course or have used an asterisk in any field, change UW#(Y/N):Y to UW#(Y/N):N
- At the end of the COURSE line is the “quarter range.” Allow/Reject COURSE:_ ______ ___ __ UW#(Y/N):Y QTR Range:___/____ thru ___/____
Use the QTR Range only if this is a repeatable course which the student has taken or is likely to take more than once. More information.
- If you want to allow another course in this same requirement, take the following steps. If not, skip to 6).
- To allow more courses not normally acceptable in this requirement, enter a C in the Option: _ field at the bottom right of the 376 screen and send. You’ll then be on the 377 screen:
E X C E P T I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T M O D I F I C A T I O N 3.0001
1033346 000957073 900-00-0110 5/19/06 14:35
STUDENT,DARS TESTY 11/11/11
Sequence Number: 0011ACTion: A=Add, C=Change, D=Delete
ACT COURSE UW#? Qtr Range (if course is repeatable)
_ _ ______ ___ _ ___/____ thru ___/____
_ _ ______ ___ _ ___/____ thru ___/____
_ _ ______ ___ _ ___/____ thru ___/____
Examples of entries you might make:
A 0 MATH 3XX N ___/____ thru ___/____
A 0 MATH 498 Y AUT/2006 thru AUT/2006
NOTE: There is no way to distinguish among multiple MATH 3XX courses on this screen. You must use the 376. If necessary, you can create a second exception with the same PSNAME and enter the course in there.
- Send, transfer to the 390 screen and run a new audit.
Reject/Remove a course that is normally acceptable
Use the same procedure as in A) above. You’ll find the PSNAME on your Reference Table. It will usually end in -R, -RJ or -REJ. More information.
NOTE: Do not enter a comment to display.
Waive credit
Allow a requirement to be satisfied with fewer than the normal number of credits
- In the left column of the Reference Table, find the requirement you want to modify. In the next column is the PSNAME for that requirement.
NOTE: Be sure that the third column tells you that it can be used to waive credit!
Enter the PSNAME on the SRU376.
- Enter a “Comment to display,” e.g., 1 CREDIT WAIVED.
- Skip over the “COURSE” line to the next: REQHRS: Change credits required (ex: -3, -0.5): ____._
- Enter a minus (-) and the number of credits you want to waive as in the example. -3__._-3__.5
- Send. The number will format itself: – 3.0 – 3.5
- Transfer to the 390 screen and run a new audit.
Waive a course
Allow a requirement to be satisfied with fewer than the normal number of courses
- In the left column of the Reference Table, find the requirement you want to modify. In the next column is the PSNAME for that requirement.
NOTE: Be sure the third column indicates that it can be used to waive a course!
Enter the PSNAME on the SRU376.
- Enter a “Comment to display” e.g., PHYS 123 WAIVED.
- Skip over the “COURSE” and “REQHRS” lines to the next:
REQSRQ/REQCT: Change # of courses required (ex: -1): ___ NOTE: In a very, very few cases, your Reference Table may tell you to use the VAL: field, one more line down, instead.
- Enter a minus (-) and the number of credits you want to waive as in the example. -3_
- Send. The number will format itself: -3_
- Transfer to the 390 screen and run a new audit.
Reduce the required GPA—in the major or in a requirement within the major
(Do not confuse this with allowing a course with a grade below your minimum. For that, use, preferably, the RR exception or the CS exception.)
- In the left column of the Reference Table, find the requirement you want to modify. In the next column is the PSNAME for that requirement.
NOTE: Be sure that the third column tells you that it can be used to allow a lower GPA.
Enter the PSNAME on the SRU376.
- Enter a “Comment to display,” GPA BELOW 2.50 APPROVED
- Skip down to the line: REQGPA: Change GPA required: (ex -0.100): __.___
- Enter a minus (-) and the amount by which you want to lower the GPA. For example, if a 2.50 is required and you want to allow a 2.40, enter – .100. Send.
NOTE: You must enter three digits to the right of the decimal.
- Transfer to the 390 screen and run a new audit.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If no errors were made in formatting the COURSE field, SRU376 RECORD ADDED will appear at the top of the screen. However, even if the record is “added,” there may be another error which may prevent it from working. Running a new audit will help determine the issue.
If the exception fails, check the data which was entered. Return to the 370 screen and place a C in front of the exception. Click SEND. The data will be visible and editable once the error is found. Click SEND to finalize and run a new audit.
The text Invalid course – not found in database is highlighted at the bottom of the screen when a course is sent which has:
- a prefix that doesn’t exist; or
- a number containing XX or asterisks but have not changed UW#(Y/N):Y to UW#(Y/N):N
Correct the error and SEND again.
If the exception fails and the “Comment to display” does not appear, it’s likely the wrong PSNAME is entered or is not entered exactly as it appears on the Reference Table.
- If the exception works but the COMMENT doesn’t display, email DARS to request a fix.
- If the course is entered correctly and the COMMENT displays, but the course is not visible, check on the audit to verify whether this text appears under the course title: REPLACED BY: [other course]. If this is the case, use the title of the “other course” in the exception.
- Check the grade option of the course. Does this requirement have a minimum grade—which this course doesn’t have? Is the grade CR? The remedy is to delete the RU exception and instead use an RR exception.
If the COMMENT displays but the credit is not waived, check the – # in the REQHRS line, and not in REQSRQ/REQCT. Also, check the Reference Table allows credit to be waived with that PSNAME.
If the COMMENT displays but the course is not waived, check the – # in the REQSRQ/REQCT line, and not in REQHRS. Also, check the Reference Table allows a course to be waived with that PSNAME.
If there is not enough room for the COMMENT, create another RU exception with the same PSNAME. Use the “Comment to display” field only. This text will appear below the text of the comment in the previous exception. Please note: the new exception will also be preceded by “NOTE.”
Degree Audit Report System
The Degree Audit Report System (DARS), or degree audit, shows academic progress toward completion of an undergraduate degree in a student’s declared or proposed major. The progress is measured by how UW courses, transfer courses, and courses in progress apply toward degree requirements.
Staff & Faculty Resources for DARS
Minor Guide
The Guide for Minors with Approved Minor List elaborates on the process of running Minor audits and attaching them to the graduation application.
DARS Office Support
- DARS training
- Exceptions help
- Program changes
- Ordering batch audits
The CS exception is no longer needed.
The DARS CS exception, not available on EARS, was previously used for these purposes:
Low Grade: To accept a course whose grade is below the department’s minimum. Please use the more appropriate RR exception, available on SDB SRU370 screen.
Areas of Inquiry: To allow special topics and ancient courses to apply, advisers may:
- Use an RU exception on the SDB (SRF370); or
- Select, on EARS, “Allow a course to count toward a major requirement” (even though this isn’t a major requirement).
Diversity: Adviser should only make this exception for courses within their respective college. Courses outside their college must be petitioned.
Reminder: Independent study, fieldwork and research courses must be reviewed and approved by the College offering the student’s major; for the College of Arts & Sciences, please send petitions to the Dean’s representative in Undergraduate Advising at the Gateway Center.
| Advisers can: |
PSName |
Fields to use |
| Allow a course to apply as A&H |
APPR-A&H |
Course: |
| Allow a course to apply as SSc |
APPR-SSC |
Course: |
| Allow a course to apply as NSc |
APPR-NSC |
Course: |
| Allow a course to apply as Diversity |
APPR-DV |
Course: |
More Information: Specify a Quarter
To tell DARS to use the course taken, say, SPR 2006 only, enter it in both fields:
QTR Range:SPR/2006 through SPR/2006
To tell DARS to use all identically numbered courses from SPR/2006 through AUT 2006:
QTR Range:SPR/2006 through AUT/2006
Tip
If a student has more than one identical XX course, and if the quarter taken appears on the audit, you can use it instead of the sequence number.
More Information: Reject
Rejecting a course: You may occasionally need to remove a course permanently from a requirement.
- DARS usually shuffles courses eligible for use in more than one AofI to the best advantage of the student once the student has the required credits in each area. However, DARS occasionally places a course in the wrong area. You can fix that by forcing the course out of that requirement. Use the PSNAME for that purpose, found on your GenEd reference table. TIP: We strongly recommend that you do not move a course from, say, A&H to SSc before the student has enough other credits of A&H. Instead, ask the student to be patient!
- DARS may use an elective course that brings the major GPA below the minimum even though a course with a better grade is available. You can remove the low-graded course, and the other will take its place.
Your Reference Table gives you another option for “fixing” the GPA: In the section on “GPA in Major” you should find the PSNAME that will allow you to remove the low-graded from the GPA calculation while still allowing it to satisfy a major requirement.
Tips
- There’s no need to insert a comment into the audit when you remove a course.
- PSNAMEs used to reject/remove courses usually end in -R, -RJ, -REJ.