Note to Seniors About Spring Term

As you know, Spring Term includes many innovative and interesting 4-credit courses. Students on campus must take one regular 4-credit academic course. If they wish and their schedules allow, you may also take some other one-credit course OR a PE skills course. In other words, all students will be enrolled in one, and only one, 4-credit course; some students may have an additional small-credit experience. No one will be allowed to take more than 5 credits.

Please look ahead and make sure that you can take full advantage of the new opportunities available in the Spring without any risk to the completion of your graduation requirements. Here are a few general things to consider:

  • Don't postpone any remaining FDR requirements until the Spring. In the past, some seniors were able to take a lab science or a literature course in their final term at W&L. While some Spring courses will satisfy FDR requirements, they may not be in the areas you need or they may fill up early in the registration process.
  • Finish the PE requirement by the end of the winter term. While physical education skills classes will be offered the Spring , but not as many as we have had in the past. Moreover, the regular course you choose for this Spring might involve travel off campus or special activities that conflict with the PE time slots. No one will be able to take more than one PE course in the spring, and no student may enroll in a PE course which conflicts with their primary 4-credit course. The safe bet is to finish your PE requirement before Spring term.
  • Try to avoid incompletes in your last Winter term. It has always been difficult for seniors to resolve grades of Incomplete during Spring term. Students with Incompletes or Work-in-Progress grades may not declare Spring Option.
  • Pay attention to your degree audit and make sure you take care of transfer credits, study abroad transcripts and other information that needs to be delivered to the University Registrar's Office. A complete and accurate degree audit will give you, and your faculty adviser, a clear picture of what you need to take this year.