DARS Exceptions – RU Guide

For use with the SDB

• Allow a course not usually acceptable
• Reject/Remove a course
• Waive credit
• Waive a course
• Allow a lower GPA
• Troubleshooting

Your major’s requirements exist in DARS according to your catalog statement. You can modify any one of those requirements for a particular student by creating an RU exception.

The Basics

1. When you want to modify a requirement, you must first tell DARS which requirement to modify. That’s the purpose of the PSNAME.  You’ll find the PSNAME for requirements in your major on your Reference Table. Select the letter your major begins with. On that page, scroll down until you find it. Select and bookmark it!
   NOTE: A&S advisers will also need a bookmark for General Education Requirements.
2. To begin an exception, go to the SRF370 SCREEN, enter the student number and SEND. Enter RU in the lower, right corner and SEND. You are now on the SRU376. You can usually ignore all the information in blue:
   ________________________________________________________________________________
   E X C E P T I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T M O D I F I C A T I O N
   1033346 000957073 900-00-0110
   STUDENT,DARS TESTY 11/11/11
   CLASS: JUNIOR MAJOR: 0-ANTH -00-11 MINOR: 0-PHIL -00
   0-PSYCH -00-15 Sequence Number: 0010 ADD (Type=RU)
   PSNAME: _______________ Comment to display (Opt:________________________ Allow/Reject COURSE:_ _____ ___ __ UW#(Y/N):Y
   QTR Range:___/____ thru ___/____
   REQHRS: Change credits required (ex: -3, -0.5): ____._ REQSRQ/REQCT: Change # of courses required (ex: -1): ___
   VAL (Rarely used): Change # of courses required (ex: -1): ___
   REQGPA: Change GPA required: (ex -0.100): __.___
   Internal Notes: __________________________________________________
   __________________________________________________
   Authorized by: ____________ Authorization Date: __/__/____
   Updated by: Date Updated:
   MAXHRS: ____._ USECT/MAXCT: ___ ASSIGNC: _ AC1: _ AC2:_ RC1: _ RC2: _
   MAXHRSCK: _ RCOURSE: _ ______ ___ __ UW#(Y/N): Y RNAME: _________
   ___________________________________________________________________________
3. Comments, Internal Notes, Authorized by, Updated by
   You will almost always want to enter a “Comment to display.” Not only does this clarify to anyone who views the audit exactly what exception you are allowing for the student; it also serves a troubleshooting purpose. If your exception fails and the comment does not appear, you most likely have used the wrong PSNAME.
   Optional: Use Internal Notes to remind yourself or to tell others who can view the exception why it was allowed, who was involved in the decision… anything you might want.
   Optional: If you want to record who authorized this exception (someone other than yourself), use the “Authorized by” field.
   When you “send” to finalize the exception, your UserID will appear, along with the date, in the “Updated by” line.

Modifications You Can Make

Allow a course not normally acceptable in a particular requirement

1. In the left column of the Reference Table, find the requirement you want to modify. In the next column is the PSNAME for that requirement.
   NOTE: Be sure that the third column tells you that it can be used to allow a course!
   Enter it on the SRU376. Be sure to start in the first space of the PSNAME field.
   Example:  PSNAME: EE-MATH1____ Comment to display (Opt): _________________________
2. After the PSNAME, enter a comment that explains what exception you are allowing for this student.
   Example:  BIOL 2XX SUBS FOR 180 H A&S 261 APPROVED
3. To tell DARS which course you want it to use for this student, enter it in the line below the PSNAME:
   Allow/Reject COURSE: a_ b______c__d__ UW#(Y/N):e Y fQTR Range:___/____ thru ___/____
   1. Enter 0 in the first field (or 1 for a UW-Bothell course or 2 for a UW-Tacoma course).
   2. Enter the course prefix as it appear in the audit/SDB in the second field. H_A&S_ not HA&S__ M_E___ not ME____ L_ARCH not LARCH_
   3. Enter the course number in the third field: 101, 599, 2XX.
      Tip: You can allow all PHYS 100-level courses by entering 0 PHYS 1** or all MATH courses by entering 0 MATH *** The fourth field is used only if the student has identical *XX courses, such as: 0 MATH__ 1XX __ 0 MATH__ 1XX 01
      Use the sequence number, at the end, to tell DARS which to use. More information.
   4. After the course number comes a Y/N field: Allow/Reject COURSE:_ ______ ___ __ UW#(Y/N):Y
      If you have entered an XX course or have used an asterisk in any field, change UW#(Y/N):Y to UW#(Y/N):N
   5. At the end of the COURSE line is the “quarter range.” Allow/Reject COURSE:_ ______ ___ __ UW#(Y/N):Y QTR Range:___/____ thru ___/____
      Use the QTR Range only if this is a repeatable course which the student has taken or is likely to take more than once. More information.
4. If you want to allow another course in this same requirement, take the following steps. If not, skip to 6).
5. To allow more courses not normally acceptable in this requirement, enter a C in the Option: _ field at the bottom right of the 376 screen and send. You’ll then be on the 377 screen:
   E X C E P T I O N  R E Q U I R E M E N T M O D I F I C A T I O N 3.0001
   1033346 000957073 900-00-0110 5/19/06 14:35
   STUDENT,DARS TESTY 11/11/11
   Sequence Number: 0011ACTion: A=Add, C=Change, D=Delete
   ACT COURSE UW#? Qtr Range (if course is repeatable)
   _ _ ______ ___ _ ___/____ thru ___/____
   _ _ ______ ___ _ ___/____ thru ___/____
   _ _ ______ ___ _ ___/____ thru ___/____
   Examples of entries you might make:
   A 0 MATH 3XX N ___/____ thru ___/____
   A 0 MATH 498 Y AUT/2006 thru AUT/2006
   NOTE: There is no way to distinguish among multiple MATH 3XX courses on this screen. You must use the 376. If necessary, you can create a second exception with the same PSNAME and enter the course in there.
6. Send, transfer to the 390 screen and run a new audit.

Reject/Remove a course that is normally acceptable

Use the same procedure as in A) above. You’ll find the PSNAME on your Reference Table. It will usually end in -R, -RJ or -REJ. More information.
NOTE: Do not enter a comment to display.

Waive credit

Allow a requirement to be satisfied with fewer than the normal number of credits

1. In the left column of the Reference Table, find the requirement you want to modify. In the next column is the PSNAME for that requirement.
   NOTE: Be sure that the third column tells you that it can be used to waive credit!
   Enter the PSNAME on the SRU376.
2. Enter a “Comment to display,” e.g., 1 CREDIT WAIVED.
3. Skip over the “COURSE” line to the next: REQHRS: Change credits required (ex: -3, -0.5): ____._
4. Enter a minus (-) and the number of credits you want to waive as in the example.
   -3__._-3__.5
5. Send. The number will format itself: – 3.0 – 3.5
6. Transfer to the 390 screen and run a new audit.

Waive a course

Allow a requirement to be satisfied with fewer than the normal number of courses

1. In the left column of the Reference Table, find the requirement you want to modify. In the next column is the PSNAME for that requirement.
   NOTE: Be sure that the third column tells you that it can be used to waive a course!
   Enter the PSNAME on the SRU376.
2. Enter a “Comment to display” e.g., PHYS 123 WAIVED.
3. Skip over the “COURSE” and “REQHRS” lines to the next:
   REQSRQ/REQCT: Change # of courses required (ex: -1): ___
   NOTE: In a very, very few cases, your Reference Table may tell you to use the VAL: field, one more line down, instead.
4. Enter a minus (-) and the number of credits you want to waive as in the example.
   -3_
5. Send. The number will format itself: -3_
6. Transfer to the 390 screen and run a new audit.

Reduce the required GPA—in the major or in a requirement within the major

(Do not confuse this with allowing a course with a grade below your minimum. For that, use, preferably, the RR exception or the CS exception.)

1. In the left column of the Reference Table, find the requirement you want to modify. In the next column is the PSNAME for that requirement.
   NOTE: Be sure that the third column tells you that it can be used to allow a lower GPA.
   Enter the PSNAME on the SRU376.
2. Enter a “Comment to display,” GPA BELOW 2.50 APPROVED
3. Skip down to the line: REQGPA: Change GPA required: (ex -0.100): __.___
4. Enter a minus (-) and the amount by which you want to lower the GPA. For example, if a 2.50 is required and you want to allow a 2.40, enter – .100. Send.
   NOTE: You must enter three digits to the right of the decimal.
5. Transfer to the 390 screen and run a new audit.

Troubleshooting Common Issues