Exceptions in DegreeWorks
Presented by
Tara George, Associate Registrar
Exception Types
Allow (AA)
• Also
Use to expand the course options aviailable for a requirement. These are typically courses
that may not be listed in the Academic Bulletin and/or not yet approved officially by the
Academic College.
• Apply Here (AH)
Use when you need to move a course from one place in the audit to another. A routine
need is moving courses from Electives/Fallthrough to a specific requirement.
• Substitute (RR)
Use to substitute one course for another. If there is a course restriction (i.e. MinGrade B
or better and your substituted course does not meet that rule- the exception will not be
enforced.
• Force Completion (FC)
Forces a requirement to be met when there is no substitution available or course
options are outside the parameter. i.e USC Connect Graduation with Leadership
Distinction and waiving the Foreign Language requirement.
• Remove Course/Change the Limit (NN)
Use for partially completed requirements. i.e. student receives authorization to satisfy
a requirement with 3 credit hrs. opposed to 4 as documented in the bulletin. These
exception types will need to be approved by the Registrar Office.
University of South Carolina
2
Also Allow Exception
• Used when a course rule needs to allow more choices
Original Scribe Requirement:
5 Credits in MATH 311, 312 , 250
But Advisor says: “Mary took MATH 250, and
she needs to graduate.”
• Auditor will apply the course here, OR perhaps on
another requirement that fits MATH 250
University of South Carolina
3
Apply Here Exception- Higher level exception
• Used when a course rule needs to allow more choices
Original Scribe Requirement:
5 Credits in MATH 250
But Advisor says: “Mary took MATH 250 with 4 credit
hours completed, and she needs to graduate
• Auditor will ALWAYS apply the course here
• Major difference with “Also Allow”
University of South Carolina
4
Substitute Exception
• Used to substitute one course for another
Original Scribe Requirement:
1 Class in MATH 311
But Advisor says: “Mary took MATH 305
because 311 wasn’t offered senior year.”
• Auditor will attempt to apply the course here
• Exact match must take place
— 112:115 range – replacing MATH 311 will not work
University of South Carolina
5
Force Completion Exception- Higher level exception
• Forces a rule, rule qualifier, or block qualifier to be
complete
• Does not change the requirement
Original Scribe Requirement:
MinRes 30 Credits
But Advisor says: “Mary clerked for Judge
Judy, so I’m waiving this requirement.”
• Be careful about cascading exceptions…
University of South Carolina
6
Remove Course & Change the Limit Exception
• Change the number of classes, credits, etc. associated
with a requirement
• Explicitly changes the requirement
Original Scribe Requirement:
MaxClasses 0 in TTEC
But Advisor says: “Mary has 1 technical transfer
course that matches the content of a required
course that she needs to graduate.”
• This exception changes the limit so that the auditor
uses the new amount
University of South Carolina
7
The Dreaded Cascading Exceptions
BEGIN
10 Classes
MinGPA 2.0
MinClasses 2 in (SOC)
;
4 Classes in SOC @, PSY @, POL @;
3 Classes in MATH 115 + 116 + 117;
3 Classes in BIOL 1@, CHEM 1@, PHYS 1@
MinGPA 2.0;
#Rule 1
#Rule 2
#Rule 3
Change the limit from MinGPA 2.0 to MinGPA 1.5 in rule #3
Substitute SOT @ for SOC @ in rule #1
Cascade: The block header MinGPA of 2.0 needs a Change
the Limit exception if the block GPA is pulled below 2.0
University of South Carolina
8
Let’s Apply Some
Exceptions
University of South Carolina
9
**Only Advisors, Faculty, or Staff with ADV user authorization have access to the
Exceptions Tab in DegreeWorks at the University of South Carolina-Columbia
campus and the Regional Campuses (Salkehatchie, Sumter, Union, and Lancaster).
**Academic Colleges are encouraged to develop a work-flow for reviewing and
tracking exceptions. i.e. Advisors may be asked to add notes to the individual student
record when an exception may be needed and email the ADV (exceptions access) user
to complete the exception in DegreeWorks.
**When granting an exception on a course with two instances sharing the same
discipline code and course number, you will need to use criteria within the exception
rule to target the course needed for the exception. i.e. student has HIST 002T with a
grade of A (FA 2014) and HIST 002T with a grade of D (FA 2013) in electives. Typically
you will want to apply the course with the highest grade; in this example course grade
or term can be used to filter the specific course needed to process the exception.
**If a student changes major/program, exception/s will be inactivated.
How to Process an Exception
1. Click on the Exceptions Tab in the individual student worksheet.
2. Select the Desired Exception Type from the picklist. Then click load.
Instructions: Also Allow
1. Select the course that you are allowing to be applied to a program requirement by scrolling to that
course and clicking the subject abbreviation and number of the course. That course will then populate
into the Allow Subject boxes.
2. Scroll to where in your program requirements you want that course to be applied and click on the radio
button.
ALSO ALLOWED- CONTINUED
3. Add a description into the Description field, then click “Add Exception”.
4. You will see a message stating “your exception has been added to the database successfully”. Click “OK”.
5. To assure the exception appears correctly, you can either click “Run New Audit” or go back to the
student’s worksheet and click “Process New”.
Instructions: Apply Here
1. Select the course that you are allowing to be applied to a program requirement by scrolling to that
course and clicking the subject abbreviation and number of the course. That course will then populate
into the Allow Subject boxes.
2. Scroll to where in your program requirements you want that course to be applied and click on the radio
button.
APPLY HERE- CONTINUED
3. Add a description into the Description field, then click “Add Exception”.
4. You will see a message stating “your exception has been added to the database successfully”. Click “OK”.
5. To assure the exception appears correctly, you can either click “Run New Audit” or go back to the
student’s worksheet and click “Process New”.
Instructions: Substitute
1. Select the program requirement that you are allowing a substitution for by scrolling to that requirement
and clicking the radio button. Type in the course abbreviation and number of the course that you want to
replace, and the course abbreviation and number of the course that it will be replaced with.
2. Add a description into the Description field, then click “Add Exception”
SUBSTITUTE- CONTINUED
3. You will see a message stating “your exception has been added to the database successfully”. Click “OK”.
4. To assure the exception appears correctly, you can either click “Run New Audit” or go back to the
student’s worksheet and click “Process New”.
Instructions: Force Completion
Force Complete forces the requirement or credit to be fulfilled. Always verify
credit hours before force completing a requirement that requires credit hrs.
1. Select the program requirement that you are allowing to be fulfilled by scrolling to that requirement and
clicking the radio button.
2. Type in a description, then click “Add Exception”’.
3. You will see a message stating “your exception has been added to the database successfully”. Click “OK”.
4. To assure the exception appears correctly, you can either click on “Run New Audit” or go back to the
student’s worksheet and click “Process New”.
Instructions: Remove Course/Change the Limit –
Registrar Restricted Exception: Contact the Registrar Office before processing this Exception Type
1. Select the course that you are removing and/or changing the limit of by scrolling to that requirement and
clicking the radio button. Type the course abbreviation and number into the Remove Subject boxes
and/or Change Limit to boxes. Add a description into the Description field, then click “Add Exception”.
2. You will see a message stating “your exception has been added to the database successfully”. Click “OK”.
3. To assure the exception appears correctly, you can either click on “Run New Audit” or go back to the
student’s worksheet and click “Process New”.