Located in the UMKC Student Success Center

Mailing Address
University of Missouri-Kansas City
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499

Associate Vice Provost-University College:
Kim McNeley, Ph.D.

 

General Information

What is a University College?

The University College is an administrative structure that coordinates the overall academic experience of incoming undeclared/exploratory students and continuing students in transition between majors.   University College is a portal to the ultimate academic unit in which the student will be granted a degree.

Exploratory or Transitioning Student

Exploratory students are students that are simply not ready to select a major, whether at the time that they enter UMKC or after realizing their initial decisions regarding a major are not what they want.  Nationally, a large percentage of student entering colleges and universities are unsure of their academic plans.  Estimates indicate that as high as 70% of students change their major at least one time during their academic careers. 

Mission

Our mission is to offer every exploratory or transitioning student the opportunity for success through the engagement with faculty and staff, the development of educational plans, the clarification of career and life goals, and the appreciation of the value of the core skills developed through UMKC’s general education.

The University College will contribute to the University’s mission of providing a “vibrant learning and campus life experience” through the development of a focused community of faculty, students, and staff with a shared responsibility for each student’s achievement of advising goals and progress toward degree completion.

Explore, Network, and Decide

Exploratory students are expected to take an active role in their education through systematic exploration, networking, and active decision making.  UC student success teams will provide a supportive environment for this approach.  The UC student success teams will be made up of:  the Associate Vice Provost for University College, University College Retention Coordinators/Advisors, seminar series faculty, librarians, peer mentors, and Student Success Center staff. 

Cross-Campus Collaboration

The University College mission is impossible without a multidisciplinary participation and collaboration among all undergraduate academic units.  Students in the University College explore academic options across the University. Faculty selected to mentor students through the UC seminar series are purposely drawn from a breadth of disciplines. Close collaboration between UC and all academic units is critical to the successful exploration and ultimate transition of students to their most appropriate academic homes in the College or one of UMKC’s schools.  
Academic Advising

Academic Advising

University College Retention Coordinators will partner with each student in the development and completion of educational goals.  Retention Coordinators will provide cross-college academic advising and connections with potential academic units, and facilitate ongoing support and evaluation of each student’s progress.

University College Requirements and Regulations

Registration Approvals

All University College students are required to secure an adviser's approval to register for classes.

Required Enrollment

All University College students will enroll in the appropriate level UNIV seminar course during both Fall and Spring semesters.  Early and continuous enrollment in English and mathematics courses are required depending upon the student’s selected exploratory track.

Repeated Courses

University College students receiving D level credit in English and mathematics general education courses may be required to repeat this course in the subsequent term.

Academic Standing

Undergraduate degree-seeking students' academic status is assessed at the end of every term, whether the student is full-time or part-time for that term. A summer session is considered the same as a semester for the purpose of the following regulations:

1.  
   1. In general, students will be placed on academic probation whenever their official UM grade-point average falls below 2.0 (C average). First time college freshman admitted to UMKC on the basis of high school records, who have grade-point averages between 1.50 and 1.99 at the end of the first semester of either full- or part-time study will be placed on academic warning. Students on academic warning must achieve an overall 2.0 average by the end of their second semester or be placed on regular probation. After that, they would be subject to the regular probation requirements.
   2. Students on academic probation will be restored to good standing whenever the UM grade-point average reaches 2.0.
   3. Students on academic probation must maintain a 2.0 grade-point average during each subsequent semester or summer session while they are on probation. Otherwise they are ineligible to re-enroll without University College approval.
   4. Students on academic probation must remove themselves from probation within three successive semesters (including the semester in which they originally were placed on probation). Otherwise they are ineligible to re-enroll without University College approval.
   5. Students are responsible for knowing their academic status by referring to Pathway and their permanent transcript.

Declaration of Major

When exploratory students are ready to declare a major (before the end of the sophomore year), this decision will be informed by courses completed, an understanding of themselves, a greater understanding of the specific major and their intended career goals.  Students are required to complete processes of Change of School and Declaration of Major with the appropriate academic unit and the University Registrar.

Students unable to make a decision regarding their major at the end of the sophomore year must provide a plan for the upcoming academic year and petition University College for permission to continue.

Undergraduate Courses

University College Seminars
Career and Major Exploration Seminars