MBA Student Services

This portion of the orientation will familiarize you with the policies and procedures of greatest relevance to you as an MBA student, as well as discuss how to resolve some of the most common administrative questions and problems.

Admission Status

MBA students are admitted to the program as fully approved, conditionally approved, temporarily approved, or conditionally temporarily approved.  The letter you received from the Office of Admissions and Records lists your approval status in the fields "Admissions Status" and "Classification." 

• Fully approved students have met GPA and GMAT requirements for admission (or already hold a graduate or professional degree).
• Conditionally approved students have submitted all required information for admission, but have a weakness in their academic preparation which has led the SoBA Director of Services or the SoBA Dean to grant admission on the condition that the student take a specific action to reassure the SoBA that they will be successful throughout the program.  Conditionally approved students will have registration limitations imposed until the listed conditions are met.
• Temporarily approved students have submitted transcripts but have not yet completed GMAT requirements.  They may not enroll for a second semester until they are either fully or conditionally approved.
• Conditionally temporarily approved students are generally missing both GMAT scores and official transcripts (although unofficial transcripts have been filed) and must submit official transcripts by the 12th class day of their first semester in order to retain their status.  They also may not enroll for a second semester until they are either fully or conditionally approved.

Questions regarding your admission status should be posed to Linda Parr in the Office of Admissions and Records.  Linda is the Admissions Analyst for all MBA students and your best source of information regarding your transcripts, GMAT scores, and any technical difficulties you encounter related to your admission or the registration process.

Degree Planning and Advising

SoBA employs four academic advisors--Rhiannon Davila at the Victoria campus; Kristy Hennessey and Holly Verhasselt at the Sugar Land campus; and Rosie McCusker at the Cinco Ranch (Katy) campus.  When you were admitted to the MBA program under any status, your admission information was provided to your advisor.  She will review your records and our admission decision and prepare a degree plan for your signature.  Regardless of your admission status, you will not be allowed to register for a second semester as an MBA student until you have signed and returned your degree plan.  The purpose of filing an official, signed degree plan is to protect your interests--once you have been formally admitted to the program, as long as you remain a student in good standing we cannot make changes to your degree plan that would result in an overall appreciable increase of total credits required for graduation.

Your SoBA academic advisor will be your primary point of contact with UHV throughout your enrollment.  She will be available to you for questions you may have about your program and your course schedule.  In addition, your advisor will be your liaison with the School of Business Administration.  If you have a crisis which affects your enrollment in the program, your first contact should be with your advisor, who can assist you in developing an action plan and, if necessary, assist you in apprising your faculty of your circumstances.  Your advisor will also be your representative in the event that you need to file an appeal for an exception to SoBA policies.  All MBA students are encouraged to establish positive relationships with their advisors early to take full advantage of the benefits that these professionals have to offer their advisees.

Registering

UHV students may register by phone or online for each semester.  A complete course schedule and registration instructions will be available from our website before registration opens.  Registration typically opens approximately two months before the beginning of a regular semester, or one month before a summer term.  SoBA strongly encourages you to contact your advisor before registration opens for assistance in selecting your courses, and to register as early as possible to ensure that you enroll in your preferred classes before they fill.

When you register, the Voice Information Processing (VIP) System may tell you that the courses you have selected have prerequisites.  However, it will not prevent you from registering for a course for which you do not have the prerequisites.   The prerequisites are published in the course catalog, on the SoBA website, and in individual course syllabi available online prior to each semester, and you are responsible for finding out whether you meet the prerequisites for your courses.  Neither the faculty nor your advisor has the authority to waive a course prerequisite for you.  Shortly after registration opens, SoBA staff will review student prerequisites and notify students that they are being dropped from the rosters of classes for which they do not meet prerequisite requirements.  If you are dropped from a class for missing prerequisites, it will be your responsibility to identify an acceptable alternate class or apply for a refund for that class.

On occasion, a SoBA course may be canceled due to low enrollment (generally fewer than five students).  If we are forced to cancel a course for which you have registered, your advisor will contact you and assist you in enrolling in an alternate course.

Students who are attempting to enroll in SoBA classes which have already reached or exceeded their enrollment caps, as well as students attempting to enroll in classes during the last week of regular registration or during the late registration period, will need to request their registration through SoBA's online waiting list.  You will find a link to the waiting list on the left-hand menu of the website under "Registration Information".   Your advisor will notify you of the decision SoBA makes regarding your registration request.

If, after completing registration, you decide not to remain in a course or not to remain enrolled at the University, you must notify the Office of Admissions and Records of your decision in writing immediately to ensure your eligibility for the appropriate refund.  In addition, if you make such a decision after the deadline for dropping courses with no grades for that semester, you must also contact your faculty member to request a grade of W for the course.  In both instances, you should also notify your advisor of the change to your schedule or enrollment status.

Paying Tuition

Information regarding your billing and payment instructions are available through the VIP System.  It is extremely important that you pay your tuition and fees on time each semester.  Failing to pay the minimum amount due on your tuition and fees by the deadline may result in the University withdrawing you from your classes.  Questions regarding your billing should be addressed to Lois Lemke in the Office of Business Services.

Reviewing Syllabi

Whenever possible, students are encouraged to review official course syllabi online prior to completing their registration in order to make informed decisions about their schedules.  As a SoBA student, you are required to print a copy of the syllabus for any face-to-face or interactive video course you are taking prior to the first class day.  Syllabi are not distributed in class.  The syllabi for a given semester are typically loaded beginning approximately one month before classes begin, with the last syllabi loaded the last week before classes begin.

Buying Textbooks

SoBA publishes a list of the required textbooks for each semester approximately two months before classes begin.  We will also list recommended options for obtaining textbooks on our webpage.  You are free to use the publication information we provide to obtain your textbooks from your favorite online vendors.  However, before doing so you should find out what your vendor's anticipated shipping time is, and what their return policy is in the event that they ship you the wrong edition of your text or you are forced to make a last-minute change to your schedule due to missing prerequisites or a canceled course.

Completing Courses

When you enroll in a SoBA course, whether live or online, our expectation is that your schedule will allow you to meet the requirements for that course during that semester.  As a result, only under extremely unusual circumstances will your faculty grant you permission to miss class meetings, submit assignments late, complete exams on other than the officially scheduled dates, or receive a grade of Incomplete for a course.  

Each semester, you should be candid with yourself about how much time you have to devote to your coursework based on your other commitments.  MBA students who are not working full-time may enroll in up to 12 hours per semester.  MBA students who are working full-time (35 hours per week or more) are discouraged from enrolling in more than 6 hours per semester.  In addition, if in reviewing a class schedule you determine that you will have a personal or professional conflict with fulfilling course requirements, you should make every effort to move into a course whose schedule is not a source of conflict.

If an unforeseen crisis prevents you from fulfilling your course obligations, contact your advisor as soon as you are aware of the problem and seek her assistance in finding a resolution which will be acceptable to your faculty.

Online Courses

More than half of SoBA students complete at least a portion of their degree program through online courses.  Online courses provide a scheduling flexibility that is extremely useful to students with complicated schedules.  However, students enrolled in online courses should be aware of certain policies and procedures related to the course.

When you enroll in your first online course, you will need to complete an orientation which demonstrates our course delivery system, WebCT Vista.  A link to this orientation is available on the SoBA website.

Students who enroll in online courses will be "loaded" into their online classrooms a few days before classes begin (or, for students who add classes late, a day or two after they have added an online class).  However, students should not necessarily expect to have access to an online class before the first official day of the semester, just as students in live classes could not expect to visit the classroom a week before and find the class in progress.

Your semester class schedule as it appears on your WebCT account is not your official University schedule.  If you are loaded into one or more WebCT classes, and then are dropped from classes because of missing prerequisites, a canceled course, or failure to pay the minimum due on your tuition, the courses will generally still appear on your WebCT schedule.  However, if you were dropped from the University roster for the course, you will not receive credit for the course even if you complete all of the work for the course.  Therefore, if at any point you have a question about your current registration, you should use the VIP system online to verify your enrollment.

SoBA employs two online support technicians--Mary Borden in Victoria, and Vicki Causey in Sugar Land.  These staff are available to assist you with technical questions about your WebCT access, and may also be able to provide you with limited support on other computer issues related to your online classes.  They are also your liaison with faculty on any WebCT-related complications which affect your completion of course requirements--for instance, if you have technical difficulties submitting a homework assignment or completing an online exam, your online support technician would need to verify your situation for the faculty member and assist both of you in finding a solution.

Transferring Courses

MBA students may receive transfer credit for up to six hours of equivalent graduate coursework with the approval of their advisor.  If you would like to transfer a course or courses into the MBA degree plan, you must submit a copy of the course description and official syllabus for the course you have identified.  If the course is appropriate for transfer, your advisor will notify you of this conclusion in writing.  Your advisor can also supply you with a letter of good standing on request should the other institution require one.  Please keep in mind the following guidelines when researching classes for transfer credit:

1)  Transfer courses must be within a business discipline (accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, or quantitative management science) and must be offered at the graduate level.

2)  You must receive a B or better in any course for it to transfer.

3)  The institution you will transfer a course from must be accredited by AACSB International or a comparable accrediting agency.

4)  In most cases, your transferred courses will be listed as electives on your degree plan rather than as core courses.  Because our curriculum is substantially integrated using the strategic planning model, you will have difficulty identifying a course at another institution which is equivalent in content, focus, pedagogy, and assessment to our required courses.

Confidentiality

Information in student records will be released only to faculty and staff for authorized university-related use.  The student's consent is required to release information other than public information to any non-university personnel unless required by law or upon receipt of a subpoena duces tecum.  In general, SoBA personnel will not release even public information to anyone not employed by the university unless legally compelled to do so.

SoBA's expectation is that you will contact us on your own behalf to discuss your questions and concerns unless it is impossible for you to do so.  Should you choose to have a family member or friend contact us with questions on your behalf, please understand that our determination to protect student privacy will prevent us from discussing with them any issue related to complaints, appeals, or grades.

Graduation

When you are preparing to enroll for your final semester of MBA coursework, you should contact your advisor and ask them to verify your outstanding graduation requirements.  After you have completed registration for the semester, you will file an application for graduation with the Office of Admissions and Records.  Linda Parr will review your application and forward it to the SoBA for approval.  After SoBA has responded, Linda will send you a copy of your graduation application which lists your outstanding requirements.  Keep in mind that certain requirements which may not be listed on the application must still be met, including minimum GPA of 3.0 and no more than two grades of C for the entire program.

Parking

Student parking areas are provided at the University of Houston-Victoria, the University of Houston System at Sugar Land, and the University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch. 

Parking on the UHV campus is shared with The Victoria College.  All vehicles parked on the UHV campus must display either a valid decal or temporary permit with the exception of visitors parked in designated spots.  A parking permit does not guarantee a parking space but allows a student to park if space is available.   Parking decals are distributed during the first week of classes, and are also available from the Information Booth in University Center.

Parking permits are not required at this time on the UHS-SL or UHS-CR campuses.

Student IDs/Library Cards

If you attend class on campus in Victoria or live in Victoria County, you may get your student ID card at the VC/UHV Main Library Circulation Desk. The picture ID also functions as your library card.

If you attend classes at UHV - Cinco Ranch, you can get a student ID/library card by filling out our online application form. You may find a Texshare card more helpful to you than a student ID card. Cards will be sent to the Cinco Ranch location for pick up, others will be mailed.

If you attend class at UHS Sugar Land, can get a student ID card for UHS Sugar Land at the Administration Office in the George Building. You may obtain a UHV student ID by completing our online application. Both cards are not necessary. Cards will be sent to Sugar Land and may be picked up at the UHS Sugarland Library in the George Building.

Online students who do not come to campus can complete the online application for a Texshare card or student ID card. The card will be mailed to the address listed on your student record.

Scholarships, Financial Aid, and Graduate Assistantships

UHV administers a wide range of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study employment for students who qualify.  Students may be considered for all available financial aid options by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a UHV Financial Aid and Scholarships Application.  Students who are specifically interested in scholarships should notify their SoBA advisor so that SoBA may provide the Financial Aid Office with additional information to support your applications.

Full-time MBA students are also eligible to apply for graduate assistantships.  A link to the application appears on our main website on the left-hand menu under "Admission Information".

Academic Center

The Academic Center is a resource center for students, faculty, and staff.  By appointment or online, the Center staff review class papers, articles for publication, and university publications.  In addition, the Center maintains a comprehensive website that contains writing and ESL resources, including such items as APA and MLA documentation and grammar.

All students enrolled in MGT 6351 will be required to have their research papers reviewed by Center staff.  As a result of such a review, a Center staff member will make recommendations about how to improve the quality of the paper specifically, and may also make recommendations about how to improve your writing in general if you appear to be weak in such areas as grammar, punctuation, or sentence construction.  If they recommend skill-building in one or more areas, your instructor and the SoBA student services staff will be notified.  You must complete any such prescribed skill-building activity before you will be allowed to register for subsequent semesters.

All students are encouraged to continue to consult the Academic Center on writing assignments throughout their enrollment.

Information Technology and Email

Information Technology provides academic and administrative support for computer users of UHV, including access to microcomputers, minicomputers, our local-area network, and the Internet.  Microcomputers labs are maintained at all three campuses where UHV offers the MBA program.

Email accounts at UHV are automatically created for all currently enrolled students during the week prior to the first class day, and disabled at the end of each semester or if a student withdraws.  Both the University and SoBA will conduct most official communication with you through these email accounts.  You should check your UHV email account at least once a week to be sure that you are not missing any critical announcements.  Neither the University nor SoBA will be held responsible for any consequences associated with your failure to check this email account.  Complete instructions for accessing your university email account are available here.

Library Services

MBA students enrolled at all locations as well as online have access to VC/UHV Library services, including research databases, electronic reserves, and interlibrary loan.  Students should review the library's main information page for information about specific services available.

Student Recruitment and Relations

The Student Recruitment and Relations Office provides a wide variety of services to students, including information on housing and insurance, campus tours, vehicle assistance (jumper cables, slim jim), information on student organizations, and career placement resources.  Students should review both the Student Recruitment and Relations webpage and the UHV 2005-2006 Student Handbook for more information.