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Minors on DARS

Verification of a Student’s Minor

  • In SDB, check Screen 390 to verify if the student has declared a minor.
  • The minor code appears right below the major codes near the top of the screen.
  • Students can add or drop a minor by completing a Major/Minor Update Form. UW NetID
  • Submit the Major/Minor Update Form to the Office of the University Registrar, second floor Schmitz Hall. This form should be signed by the major adviser.

How to Run a Minor Audit

  • In SDB Screen SRF 390 enter the student’s UW ID number.
  • Enter program to audit, using the appropriate minor code, for example: 0-CHEM -00- make sure you delete the second set of digits.
  • Enter F in the action field and hit enter ? DARS will find the correct set of requirements. If a student has not had a Minor audit run for the program, a Problem with Request message will appear at the top of the screen. Disregard this message and continue.
  • Enter A in the action field and hit enter.
  • Review the audit on screen.

Graduation Applications with Minors

It is the major adviser’s responsibility to accurately list minor requirements on the student’s graduation application.

Print the Minor Audit

  • Enter Y in the action field and hit send key. Attach a copy of printed minor audit to the student’s Graduation Application.
  • Write on the Graduation Application in the section for minors: DARS attached.
  • A listing of Minor codes is available within the EDW (Enterprise Data Warehouse) reporting environment: EDW Minor Codes Report UW NetID
  • Please visit the UW Data and Analytics page on Requesting Access to Reports  to request access to this report.

Exceptions – RR

This exception requires exactly the same elements as exceptions that allow a course not normally acceptable.

  • On the 370 screen, enter RR in the bottom right corner and SEND. You are now on the 379 screen.
  • Enter the PSNAME for the requirement in question from your Reference Table.
  • Enter a comment, naming the course.

For example:

  • Enter the course that is currently not being accepted because of its low grade.*
    If the number ends in XX, change UW#(Y/N):Y to UW#(Y/N):N
  • SEND and re-run the audit. Your comment should display at the top of the requirement, and the course should appear.

Important: If the student has taken and retaken the course without reaching the minimum grade, you must input into DARS which attempt you want to accept. Use the quarter range, entering the quarter twice. Example:

*Previously advisers used the CS exception to accomplish this purpose. The CS exception changes the course so that it appears to have a higher grade in whatever audit the student or an adviser might run. The RR exception changes the specific requirement – so that it doesn’t check this course’s grade. It only affects how the course is viewed in your audit.

DARS Exceptions on SDB

Exception Types

  1. Requirement Update (RU): Is the most common exception which can modify requirements in several ways. The Requirement (RU) Exception Guide leads you through the process of creating an RU exception on the SDB. On EARS, a question mark ( ? ) invites you to click for help with specific items.
  2. RR: To allow the use of a course that does not meet the minimum grade for a requirement, follow the Guide for the RR Exception, available from the 370 screen of the SDB only.
    Not available on EARS
  3. Area of Inquiry (AofI): To assign an AofI to a UW variable/special topics course or very old course, follow the procedures in Flagging UW Courses for Areas of Inquiry (CS exception).

Reference Tables

The following Reference Tables aid advisers with RU and RR exceptions. They contain all Requirement Names (PSNAMEs) and fields to use:

If symbols in the audit are confusing, review the Key to Reading the Degree Audit.