Academic Advising Report
Through LOCUS (Loyola's Online Connection to University Services), students may obtain an Academic Advisement Report—a tool to help track individual progress in fulfilling curriculum requirements. Working with departmental and college advisors, students can use this report as a guideline to identify needed courses quickly and easily, and make the most of their learning opportunities at Loyola.
For more information about the Academic Advisement Report, please review the FAQs below. To obtain your copy of the report, please visit LOCUS where this report can be accessed either from the student tab or by using the following Enterprise Menu path: Academics—Academic Advisement Report. If you have additional questions, please contact your advisor, or e-mail: ADVreport@luc.edu. Be sure to include your name, LID number, your advisor's name, and a specific description of your concerns.
- What is the Academic Advisement (ADV) Report?
This unofficial advising tool, available through LOCUS, provides students and advisors with an overview of progress toward fulfilling specific curriculum requirements.
- What information will appear on your ADV Report?
- Your current unofficial transcript, including transfer courses and advanced placement (AP) credit
- Your university residency requirements (coursework completed at Loyola) and hours needed for graduation
- Your Undergraduate Core Knowledge and Values areas
- Your major and minor requirements
- How will I know whether a requirement is fulfilled?
When all or part of a specific requirement is not complete, the heading will appear in boldface, and the message "Requirement Not Satisfied -" will appear in red.
Requirements for courses that are "In-Progress" appear as though they are satisfied before the grade is earned. In this case, the requirement will not be in boldface, but will be followed by: (IP). The "Grade" space will remain empty until grades are posted at the end of that term. If you withdraw from the course or do not earn a passing grade, the requirement will no longer appear as being satisfied and the red flag will reappear.
When a requirement IS satisfied, the requirement will no longer appear in boldface and information will be complete for course, units, grade and code. In addition, the prompt for Courses (required/actual/needed): will disappear when courses are no longer needed to complete that particular requirement, as follows.
The code "EN" means that the requirement was fulfilled by enrolling in a class at Loyola. A code of "TR" indicates the requirement was fulfilled through transfer credit, which would also include AP credit.
- If I transferred into Loyola, will the ADV Report show whether my transfer courses fulfill Core requirements?
Automating transfer credit articulations in LOCUS is an enormous effort, and will be an ongoing project for Loyola. Transfer rules are currently being defined in phases for the ADV Report, beginning with the Illinois institutions from which we receive the greatest number of transfer courses. Students who transfer into Loyola come from colleges and universities all over the world, and the articulation rules for all these institutions have not been entered into the system. For now, the ADV Report may show transfer courses as fulfilling some requirements, but not all.
In most instances, you will see your transfer courses posted at the top of the unofficial transcript from the school from which you transferred. Please see your advisor to verify which requirements may be fulfilled with your transfer coursework. Your advisor is able to manually place some of your transfer courses into your required Core courses, upon request.
In the example above, GOVT 2305 and GOVT 2306 do satisfy Undergraduate Core societal and cultural understanding and will also satisfy the School of Business Administration's BBA Core requirement. However, you will need to meet with your advisor to determine if the courses you transferred will satisfy requirements.
In some instances, you may see on the report a generic transfer code: TRAN 9999. This means that your transfer courses have been received by Loyola, but have not been posted.
- If I entered Loyola with Advanced Placement (AP) credit, will this be noted on my Unofficial Transcript?
Yes, and if your AP credit is for a course that satisfies a requirement, your ADV Report will indicate this as well. Note that Grade and Code will show up as "TR", like a transfer course.
- I took a course that was cross-listed with a Core-approved course, but it did not show up on my Advisement Report as meeting a Core requirement. Does that mean I will not be able to fulfill my Core area with that course?
We have made effort to ensure that cross-listed courses are loaded into the system. However, occasionally we may discover that one was overlooked. Please consult your college or department advisor to make sure that the course should count toward fulfilling the requirement you intend. If it is a valid course, please have the advisor send an email to ADVreport@luc.edu and we will update the list of acceptable courses for that requirement
- I took a course that was not on the approved Core course list. Now I see that it is on the approved Core course list. Can the earlier course that I took now count for the Core?
No, the earlier course cannot be counted toward your Core. In fact, your earlier course isn't eligible to be listed on the approved Core course list for Fall 2005 and beyond. The reason is that the faculty had to submit courses to the Core Committee for approval. To be approved, faculty had to reshape their courses to meet the new learning outcomes outlined under each Core area. All of this means that the earlier course you took is very different from the current approved Core course—even if they share the same course title.
- At the end of my ADV Report, what does the comment "x Plan/Subplan - No Requirements" mean?
At the end of your report, you may see a few lines, such as:
Comparative Literature-No Requirements
This indicates two things: 1) "No Requirements" means that the requirements for that particular Plan (major) or Subplan (minor, emphasis, certificate) have not yet been defined in LOCUS - in this case, for the BA in Comparative Literature. However, if the Plan is listed on the ADV Report, that means that the student is officially declared in that Plan, and should work closely with an advisor to ensure all requirements are met.
For students who have not yet declared a major, you will see the following:
Undecided Concentration-No Requirements
This indicates simply that there are no specific requirements defined for an undeclared major.
- When I register for next semester, will my ADV Report show how the courses I register for fit into my Core program?
Yes, it will. In the example below, the student registered for an English course for Fall 2005. The report drops the course in with IP (in-progress) next to it. The ADV Report is designed to help you get a good sense of how the courses you register for will fulfill requirements.
- Will I satisfy Core requirements by completing courses for my major?
Check the section, Core and Your Major, on the Core Curriculum Website for details. Please make sure that your major is accurately reflected in LOCUS. Your college advisor can help you verify this. If you change your major or add a second major, these changes could affect your progress in completing the Core. Again, it's best to check in with your college advisors if these changes occur.
- According to the Core Curriculum Website, I only need two courses to complete Core Values based on my transfer credit, but my ADV Report says I need four courses. Which is correct?
The Core Curriculum Website is the correct source. Your ADV Report may indicate you need all four areas until the requirement is filled. It is designed to display all of your options until you have completed the requirement.
Your ADV report also will read all courses that will complete the requirement even if you only need two courses. So, for example, if you take the two courses you need to complete the values areas, the report will read the requirement as completed. If you take another course as part of your major, a minor or an elective, which also will satisfy a values area, your ADV Report will show that course also.
Look at the following example to understand how the ADV Report works: This student has more than 60 hours and the "University Values Required of All Undergraduates" is not in boldface. This means that the requirement is completed. However, the report does record the student's in-progress PHIL 282, which will complete another area of the values.
- Is it true that we cannot get lower than a "C-" in a Core course and that at least a "C" average is required in the Core to complete it? I got a grade lower than a "C-" before Fall 2004. Will this course still count for my Core?
Yes. Before Fall 2004 students could get a "D" (1.0) in a Core course and it would count. After Fall 2004, a "C-" (1.67) is needed. You still must have a "C" (2.0) average in the Core overall.
So, if your ADV Report looks like the following example and says that the requirement is not completed, first check when you took the course. In this example, THEO 101, taken in Fall 04 shows a "D" grade. The course will count. Just confirm with your college advisor, and any discrepancies can be resolved.
- Is there a writing intensive requirement in the Core?
No, but there is a writing intensive requirement in the undergraduate college and schools. Generally, two courses are required, but it is important for you to check with your college advisor. Some programs incorporate the requirement into required courses. Other programs do not. Your college advisor has the information you need.
- Does the ADV Report eliminate the need for advisors? Where can I get help?
You should continue to meet with your advisor on a regular basis throughout your Loyola career. Remember that the ADV Report is not an official document, but only another tool that gives you and your advisor more time to discuss issues that are really important to you such as career goals, study habits, international study and any other aspects of your Loyola experience. Most importantly, the ADV Report eliminates the drudgery of counting courses and credits over and over again.
Finally, if you suspect that your ADV Report contains an error, or if you have other questions, please contact your advisor. You also can e-mail: ADVreport@luc.edu. Please remember to always include your name, LID number, your advisor's name, and a detailed explanation of your concerns.