Feedback Request for TESU BALS Humanities plan

[mlwilliamsiv]

I hope dfrecore was right about taking Study.com classes to get the Cornerstone waived. I just changed my major from BSBA in General Management to Liberal Studies and sent Academic Advising an email about getting it waived since I too have 105 credits. Their response was the cornerstone is a requirement that needs to be completed.

I've taken 3 study.com courses which are on my transcript. I'm going to inquire about this again with a "higher up" because I think it's ridiculous to have to pay $300.00 for a class that is totally unnecessary.

You need to ask them to switch you to the Study.com affiliate membership, that will give you a waiver.  But even without that, 104cr is supposed to give you a waiver too.

Hey Guys...

So I submitted an email to the Dean of the Liberal Studies department and this was the response I received from the Assistant Dean:

Dear Marshall,

 
First, congratulations on the progress that you’ve made toward degree completion.  I’m sorry that you feel frustrated with the TES-100 requirement.  This introductory course was created to support the success of students, and it is intended to do more than help you to navigate the ins and outs of college education in general.  According to our website, the course is “designed to acclimate you with the University,” and, once enrolled in the course, “you will explore the various ways to earn credit, gain knowledge of the institution's procedures, policies and resources, learn specific strategies for academic success, and discover where (and to whom) to direct questions so you can make the decisions that are right for you.”
 
Unfortunately, program requirement are not waived except in cases of extenuating circumstances.  I wish you the best of success in the rest of your coursework.

Now my little rant. I said in my original email that I can totally understand the TES-100 Cornerstone requirement being mandatory for incoming freshmen as well as those new to the whole distance learning realm. However, for students like myself who have over 100+ credits...have taken FEMA, TECEP, CLEP, DSST, Study.com, Straighterline, UExcel, and etc...should be allowed to get a waiver. If you're just using that as a cash cow to get $300.00 then so be it, just don't play me like an idiot. Also, I find it comical that you would state that basically it is able to be waived but only under "extenuating circumstances." Be nice if you could have given me examples as to what the $*@)# that's suppose to mean. So if I email you back and tell you my house burned down and my dog got eaten by a velociraptor...I would then qualify for a waiver??? Why would a student who has 105 credits...5 courses shy of completing an undergrad degree NEED to take this?

With that being said...I also emailed an advisor yesterday (due to a degree program change) to move some courses around where I needed them. Part of my request was granted but was promptly followed by "Math courses are not allowed in the Understanding the Physical and Natural World section." I find that quite comical because if this advisor bothered to look at your own website on the CLEP and DSST pages...it clearly shows math courses under that section. I find it ironic that you want to charge students for a 1 credit course to learn information that half of your staff doesn't even know. Maybe they should take the cornerstone course as well.