GradStar FAQs

Who can use GradStar? GradStar is available for advisors for all students who started OCU as of Fall 2012. It will be open for student use in the Spring 2014 semester.

Can I access GradStar on any computer? Yes. Access to GradStar is through the Web. Anywhere you can log in to BlueLink will allow you access to GradStar.

Is my information confidential? Yes. Like other processes you use through BlueLink, GradStar is accessed through your secure log in. Remember your advisor, faculty, and authorized staff will be able to view the information contained in GradStar.

How current will my information be in GradStar? The information in GradStar is refreshed each night. Any changes made today (e.g., grade changes or classes added/dropped) will be seen in GradStar tomorrow.

Can I register for classes in GradStar? No. GradStar is a snapshot of courses in-progress, planned, and in academic history. Registration will continue to be handled through the Student tab on BlueLink.

Can I see how many classes I have left to fulfill my requirements? Yes. GradStar is laid out in block format displaying degree, major, minor, and concentration requirements information. Look for unchecked boxes to identify requirements you still need to complete.

Will I be able to plan for future courses? Yes. See the Plan section for information.

Are my grades visible in GradStar? Yes. Once grades have been posted at the end of the semester, they are viewable in GradStar following the nightly refresh. Courses in progress are listed with an “ENRL” grade.

What do I do if I believe my academic information is incorrect? You should consult with your academic advisor for a review of your audit. Any exception to major, minor, or concentration requirements should be discussed with your major/minor advisor.

Why isn’t my information up-to-date? There could be several reasons. One is that GradStar has not been refreshed since the change was made (information is refreshed nightly). Second, there could be some paperwork which needs to be completed. For example, if you have completed transfer courses, it is possible OCU has not received an official transcript, the courses have not been evaluated through our Transfer Equivalency System (TESS) or the coursework is pending departmental review. Check with the Registrar’s Office if your transcript or audit does not reflect transfer work you have completed.

How can I update the information? You cannot update course information in GradStar. To change your major/minor/concentration, please see your academic advisor and fill out a change of major form.

If I have additional questions about GradStar, whom do I contact? You may contact the Registrar’s Office at (405) 208-5352 or [email protected].

How do I log in to GradStar? You just log in to BlueLink and click on the Academics tab.

What is an audit? A GradStar audit is a review of past, current and planned coursework that provides information on completed and outstanding catalog requirements necessary to complete a degree/major/minor/concentration. The audit is divided into block requirements such as Degree, General Education, and Major Requirements. Each block works like a checklist that has boxes which are automatically checked when a requirement is met.

How do I use the audit? Your audit will display the courses you’ve taken or are registered for and will show you any degree, major, minor, or concentration requirements which are being met by the courses you’ve taken or which may be met upon satisfactory completion of courses in progress.

How current will my information be in GradStar? The information in GradStar is refreshed each night. Any changes made today (e.g., grade changes or classes added/dropped) will be seen in GradStar tomorrow.

I think my audit is incorrect. What should I do? Please ask your advisor for assistance. The first step is to clarify what information you believe is wrong. These are the most common problems and courses of action:

• My major is wrong on my audit If you have not officially changed your major, contact your current advisor for instructions. If you have already officially changed your major, the GradStar audit will only display your active degree audit. If your change is effective for a future term, the change may not reflect until that term.
• The requirements for my major are wrong. Look at the catalog term that appears on the major requirements block of the audit. According to our records, this is the catalog you are using to complete your major requirements. If you believe you should be using older or newer requirements, contact your advisor.
• My transfer courses don't appear in the right place. If you are concerned about a transfer course that should be applying in the audit, contact your advisor.
• Classes are not applying in the "right" place. GradStar uses a ‘best fit’ approach for meeting requirements so classes may apply to different sections as you take more courses. If you have further questions, please contact your advisor.
• My advisor or department chair gave me permission to substitute a course, but it's not showing on my audit. Talk with your advisor. Advisors can request the dean’s office for an exception to the standard requirements. Exceptions must go through a petition process. Once the petition has been approved by all necessary departments, the change will appear on the audit.
• My minor is missing from my audit. If you have not officially declared your minor, contact your current advisor for instructions. If you have already officially declared your minor, the Registrar’s Office may still be updating your records. Please contact the Registrar’s Office for a status of the change.
• My major requires me to complete a concentration, but it didn't appear on the audit. What's wrong? If you have not officially declared your concentration, contact your current advisor for instructions. If you have already officially declared your area of emphasis, your department may still be updating your records. Please contact your department for a status of the change.

If none of these problems describe your situation, or if you need additional help identifying what’s wrong, contact your advisor. If the advisor believes a technical error exists on the audit, they can contact the Registrar’s Office at [email protected].

When should I look at my degree audit? At least four times a semester. You should always review your audit:

1. Before you meet with your academic advisor to discuss registration for an upcoming semester.
2. After you register to ensure the coures you selected applied to your requirements like you thought they would.
3. After your grades for each semester are posted.
4. Any time you make a change to your schedule or major.

How is my degree audit different from my transcript? Your degree audit is a tool to provide you with academic information related to your degree progress. It displays courses required and completed in your degree program. Your transcript is your official university academic record and provides a chronological list of courses completed and other academic information.

How does GradStar decide where to place courses I’ve completed? GradStar looks at your program holistically, and places each course using a “best fit” scenario. The “best fit” process will not always be perfect, particularly when multiple possibilities exist. Classes may apply to different sections as you take more courses. If you have a course which does not appear in the area in which you expected, please contact your advisor for assistance.

GradStar placed one of my courses in two different places. Is this okay? In most cases, yes. GradStar is programmed to recognize some courses may fulfill more than one requirement. If you have any questions, contact your advisor.

Where can I find my major GPA? Your major GPA is calculated based on coursework used to fulfill major requirements. This GPA will appear within the major block requirements of your audit.

How do I know what classes I need to take? Your audit will outline courses still needed to meet degree, major, minor, and/or concentration requirements within each specific block. You may then use this information to discuss your plan with your academic advisor.

Why isn’t there a check mark next to a requirement I’ve already completed? Your academic advisor is your primary point of contact. If you advisor determines your audit is incorrect, he/she will contact the Registrar’s Office for assistance.

I’ve seen the ‘@’ symbol in several places on my audit. What does this mean? This is a wild card in GradStar. If the @ sign appears with course numbers after it (i.e., @ 1000:4999), it means you can take any subject area with that level (a 1000-4000 level course from any subject area). If it appears after a subject prefix (i.e., PSYC @), it means you can take any course with that subject prefix (any course in Psychology).

Why are my courses still in the In-Progress section of the audit when I already received grades? Each term GradStar will reset the In-Progress term to the upcoming term. This will happen the day after completion of grade processing.

Can I save or print my audit? Yes. Utilizing the “Save as PDF” button, you can save or print a .pdf version of your audit. When doing so, please be aware of FERPA regulations. Please see the Student Handbook or contact the Registrar’s Office for more information about the Federal Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Where can I see my second major or my minor? GradStar is designed to show a listing of your majors and minors in the Student View audit. Additionally, each major and minor is broken out into individual requirement blocks within the audit. Students pursuing simultaneous degrees or a second major in a degree will need to click on the Degree drop-down box at the top of the Student View audit in order to view the additional requirements.

Where can I see my audit for my second degree? Once AP scores are received from the College Board and credit is granted they are posted to the student record and will appear on the audit. Likewise, transfer work if articulated by the Transfer Equivalency System (TESS) will also appear.

Why isn’t my transfer work meeting a requirement? There could be several reasons. First, the course did not meet either the minimum number of credits and/or minimum grade requirement for use in your program of study. Second, all requirements have been met and this course is simply not needed. Third, your course has not been evaluated through the Transfer Equivalency System (TESS) and so does not match up with your requirements. Please contact your advisor or the Registrar’s Office for more information about how to submit a course to TESS for evaluation.

If I withdraw from a class, will it be reflected in my audit? There could be several reasons. First, the course did not meet either the minimum number of credits and/or minimum grade requirement for use in your program of study. Second, all requirements have been met and this course is simply not needed. Third, your course has not been evaluated through the Transfer Equivalency System (TESS) and so does not match up with your requirements. Please contact your advisor or the Registrar’s Office for more information about how to submit a course to TESS for evaluation.

Why isn’t my transfer work meeting a requirement? Courses from which you have withdrawn will appear in the “Insufficient” block. Your requirement will still show as incomplete.

My advisor told me a course I took would be substituted for a requirement. Why doesn’t this information appear in my audit? You should contact your advisor to resolve any substitution issue. Any waivers, substitutions, or exceptions for major, minor or concentration requirements must be communicated to the Registrar’s Office through a student petition form.

If all of the boxes are checked, does that mean I am graduating? Not necessarily. If you have applied to graduate, your academic advisor will perform a graduation certification of your coursework and a final audit after all final grades have been submitted to determine if you are eligible to graduate. Missing requirements will be communicated to you by your academic advisor or the Registrar’s Office.

What is the What-If feature? The What-If feature allows you to hypothetically change your major, minor, or concentration. The What-If audit will show you what coursework is required for the new major, minor, or concentration, what courses you have taken which satisfy requirements, and what courses are still left for you to take.

If I use the What-If feature does this mean I have changed my major? No. The What-If feature is for informational purposes only. You will see the header What-If Audit displayed at the top of the audit whenever an audit is run on a What-If scenario.

I am thinking of changing my major/minor/concentration. Will I be able to see how my current classes fit into my What-If major/minor/concentration? Yes. The What-If feature will perform an audit based on the hypothetical major/minor/concentration and will show how your completed, current, and planned coursework meets the requirements of the hypothetical major/minor/concentration.

Can my advisor see my What-If scenario? Since What-If scenarios are not stored on GradStar, your advisor can only see your results if the two of you work through a What-If procedure together.

Can I view multiple What-If scenarios on the same screen? Yes. GradStar will allow you to select more than one major at a time, or to select multiple major(s), minor(s) and concentration(s).

Can I save a What-If scenario? No. What-If plans are not saved on GradStar. You would need to run a new What-If scenario next time you log in to see it again.

Can I print a What-If scenario? Yes. If you want to share it with your advisor at a later date, you should print your What-If scenario.

If I like what I see in a What-If scenario, how do I initiate the changes? Always speak with your advisor first. They can help you to initiate the changes.

What does the Graduation Calculator show? The Graduation Calculator option on the GPA Calc tab will show what average you will need in your remaining credits to graduate with your desired GPA. The graduation GPA excludes credit not taken at OCU.

What does the Term Calculator show? The Term Calculator will show you your estimated cumulative GPA after you fill in hypothetical grade information. By putting in your current earned units and GPA and placing your in-progress courses in the table (this will default in for you) along with the grade you anticipate receiving for each course; you will see a revised cumulative GPA based on the estimates you provided.

Is this calculated GPA guaranteed? No. This is an estimate only.

Why can’t I select a grade of “CR”? “CR” grades do not count in your GPA. Remove courses for which you expect to receive a “CR” from your course list before calculating GPA.