Disclaimer- Current Undergraduates or prospective students should always contact the RTF office or the undergrad advisor to determine current requirements and status. This document may not always be up to date. WU.

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UNDERGRADUATE RTF CONSENT PROCESS

Instructor consent is required before any student may register for any upper division RTF course. The term "consent" refers both to (1) instructor permission and to (2) the process of acquiring that permission. Thus, a student receives consent during the consent period.

Consent is a process developed by the RTF Department to more efficiently provide students with the classes they need. The department frequently has more requests from students for RTF courses than there are spaces available. The production courses, in particular, each accommodate a very limited number of students because the availability and amount of production equipment is restricted. The consent process allows the department to monitor the enrollment of all RTF courses and accommodate as many students who meet the proper prerequisites as possible each semester.

Students request permission (consent) to register for specific upper division RTF courses one semester in advance. Consent dates are posted in the department and are also printed in every Course Schedule. The following dates are general guidelines, but just prior to these periods students should check postings in the department for specific consent dates.

Consent usually occurs during the first week of October for the following Spring semester, during the first week of March for the following Summer, and during the first week of April for the following Fall. Without consent no student can register for any upper division RTF courses.* Transfer students should consult the Undergraduate Advisor regarding consent.

Students must meet the following requirements to go through the consent process: have already passed the GSP test, completed or registered for RTF 305 & the appropriate 3 other lower division RTF courses, minimum grade of C in RTF courses, minimum GPA of 2.0 in the College of Communication, minimum GPA of 2.25 in UT overall, and minimum of 60 hours by the end of the semester.

Individual instructors have their own additional criteria for determining who to admit to their classes. Meeting the minimum requirements listed above does not guarantee a student will receive consent, due to the large number of students competing for courses and the instructor's additional requirements.

Consent is a simple procedure for students.

1. During the consent period, students pick up consent materials in the hallway across from the elevator on the 6th floor of the CMA building. Consent materials will include an information form, a consent card, and the RTF course schedule pages which list courses, unique numbers, instructors and times for the approaching semester.
2. Students fill out one consent card on which they may indicate, in order of priority, up to three RTF courses they would like to take the next semester.
3. Students return the completed consent card to the Department Office (CMA 6.118) during the posted hours. After all students return their cards:
- 1. A list of all the students who requested a particular RTF course is generated for the instructor of that course. This form includes very minimal information: each student's name, student ID number, major, whether a graduating senior or not, total hours completed (including transfer hours), current hours taking, individual grades received in lower division RTF courses, UT GPA, RTF lower division GPA (not including transfer grades), and GSP status.
- 2. The instructor who will teach a course receives the list of students requesting consent to enter that course. Each faculty member selects the students who will receive consent. In the case that an instructor has not yet been assigned to an upcoming course, the person making consent decisions will either be the current instructor or the Area Head. Lists posted outside the RTF Office (CMA 6.118) indicate Area Heads for each RTF area or track. Each faculty person uses an individual formula to determine who will receive consent. Different aspects of a student's record may be weighed differently according to the instructor's requirements and preferences. For example, one instructor may place more emphasis on a student's total hours while another may place more importance on a student's core GPA. Students may contact individual instructors for information about their particular consent formula.
- 3. Once the faculty indicate their decisions, the consent lists are returned to the Departmental Office. Final consent lists are printed for each class and posted on the bulletin boards across from the elevators on the 6th floor of CMA building.
- 4. The consent lists are usually posted no later than the Friday before Registration. The consent lists will indicate, for each course, those students who received a Y (yes) or W (wait list). Students with a Y by their names may register for a course during the registration period. Students with a W, or whose names are not posted, have not received consent and are not alllowed to register for the course.
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*STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN WAIT-LISTED OR WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED CONSENT MAY NOT REGISTER FOR AN UPPER DIVISION RTF COURSE. HOWEVER, SUCH STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS AND SEEK PERMISSION FROM THE INSTRUCTOR TO ADD THAT COURSE.

SPACES MAY BE AVAILABLE IN CLASSES THE FIRST DAY EITHER BECAUSE STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED CONSENT DECIDED NOT TO REGISTER, OR BECAUSE STUDENTS DO NOT ATTEND THE FIRST DAY AND ARE DROPPED.

STUDENTS REGISTERED FOR RTF UPPER DIVISION CLASSES ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS. INSTRUCTORS MAY DROP A STUDENT WHO DOES NOT ATTEND THE FIRST CLASS DAY, EVEN IF THAT STUDENT HAS REGISTERED AND PAID.

From this description it should be obvious that faculty make decisions as to who to admit to their classes. Employees in the RTF office have no input into the decision-making process. The Undergraduate Advisor has no input into the decision making process. If you have any questions about the criteria applied by an individual instructor, you should contact that instructure yourself. The RTF Office and the Undergraduate Advisor are available simply to guide you through the consent process and to facilitate your understanding of the process and your options.

TRANSFER STUDENTS: Reminder! You must see the undergraduatd advisor with your transfer transcript as soon as possible to avoid any problems which may adversely affect your consent process.