ETSU Co-Op Rules

As you are advising students about possible options, please note the following rules regarding use of ETSU via the co-op program:

1.  We as a general rule only approve courses at ETSU during the school year for courses that a student must have and cannot get at Milligan.

    So, this basically means required courses that we aren't offering in a reasonable period of time (that is, the student can't fit it in with any reasonable planning), OR courses that a student cannot take because of schedule conflicts.  The area chair must sign off on all requests, so please do the double checking, faculty and Area chairs:  I really hate being the only one that says no.

    On occasion we do approve of courses that are needed, even if not required.  These would include courses outside our curriculum that simply fit a specialized field of study (e.g., a student wanting to compare Asian and European religions and culture, where we offer nothing in Asian stuff).  But the bar is high, and you will need to persuade me to make an exception, knowing that every exception is cited as a precedent by others with far less compelling a rationale.  The big point here is that the burden of proof is on the student and you, the adviser.

2.  During the summer, however, we generally allow a student to take just about any course via the co-op.  And the rationale is clear... students can and do take classes at local colleges and transfer them in.  We usually don't question that.  The co-op in this case is our service to students that stay in the area.  It also can allow a student an mechanism to help an ailing gpa.  Because remember, ETSU co-op courses are Milligan grades (while transfer courses are not, and do not affect a gpa).

Mark Matson

8/2/2005