How do I Read My DARS Report?

1. How do I Read My DARS Report? A Quick Reference Guide “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”  ~Henry Ford

2. Table of Contents • What is a DARS Report? • Where do I get my DARS Report? • Obtaining a DARS Report Online • Reading your DARS Report • Obtaining a “What if” DARS Report Created by Tom Leach and edited by Cindy Lou Matyi April 2008

3. What is a DARS Report? • The DARS report, or Degree Audit Reporting System is a written progress report for your particular degree major. • Analyzes degree requirements for your major. • Shows courses from which you can take to complete your major and courses already taken. • It is a “snapshot” of where you stand relative to your graduation.

4. Where do I get my DARS report? • Your personalized DARS report for your major(s) can be obtained from the Ohio University website at any time. • DARS reports are prepared for all students and made available during “DARS Days” in the front foyer. Check your email for dates and times. • DARS reports may also be obtained at any time from your campus student services office.

5. Obtaining DARS reports online • The website for obtaining DARS reports online is: http://www.ohio.edu/registrar/darsonline.cfm • Or, from the Ohio university website, follow the instructions on the following slides.

6. From the Ohio University Chillicothe website (homepage here at OUC) click on the Ohio University logo at the top left corner of the screen to navigate to the Ohio University website.

7. Now, click on the “Students” link on the Ohio University Webpage, at the top center of the page.

8. From the students page, click on “DARS” under “links/resources”

9. On the DARS page, click on the DARS Report link under “DARS Online.”

10. Enter your Oak ID and Password, then make sure to click “yes” to agree to terms of usage (it is defaulted to “no”). Now, click on “View Report(s).

11. Patterson, James (P001029534) Click on “View Details” for the DARS report you wish to view.

12. Reading Your DARS Report When you open up your DARS report, you will find several green buttons at the top. The “Help” button will explain the function of each one.

13. When you navigate to the DARS window, you will find that a lot of the information is hidden, or collapsed. Click on the triangle at the left side to expand that section, or Click the “Expand All” button at the top to expand all sections. Here is the same section expanded to show all information in that section.

14. Color Coding for Online DARS Red letters indicate a requirement that is not met. Green letters indicate a requirement that has been met. Classes in blue are classes that have been completed or registered to take. Classes in black have not been completed or registered to take.

15. How to read a course line Once you have completed a course and it is listed on the DARS report, it will be listed in blue lettering. It also will tell you what term and year it was completed, the number of credits given for the course, the number of credits earned, and the grade that you have earned. Here is an example below: In this example the student would have taken the class in the spring quarter of the 2002 school year and is currently taking the class. There are no credits earned because the course was not yet completed. The student has registered this course for the current quarter of the DARS.

16. Record of Courses Taken The record of courses taken will show all courses the you have either taken or have registered to take up to the time that the DARS was developed. It will also show courses that have been transferred from other accredited institutions as long has Ohio University has accepted these courses for credit.

17. Using the Legend At the end of the DARS report is a legend that will help to decipher some of the symbols and abbreviations that are used throughout the document.

18. Obtaining a “What If” DARS Report • Let’s say you are thinking of obtaining a minor in Psychology. You want to see what classes are required to earn your degree and what classes you can take next quarter. • You can run a “What If” DARS report to find this out. It is as easy as running your current DARS report. Follow the next few slides to see how it’s done.

19. Peterson, James (P001029534) From the list of DARS reports available to you, click on the button toward the bottom of the page labeled, “Request New DARS Report(s).”

20. Now you can decide which type of “What If” DARS report you want. You can choose between an undergraduate major, undergraduate minor, or an undergraduate certificate. Choose the one that you want to find out about by clicking on the button to the left of the choice then click “Continue.”

21. Choose the catalog calendar year that you started at OUC. Then click “Continue.”

22. Now you can select your program of study from the drop down list provided. Once you have selected your program, click on “Continue.”

23. Now Click “Submit” to obtain your new DARS.

24. Peterson, James (P001029534) Now you just have to wait for the new DARS to be prepared. It will take less than five minutes. Just hit the refresh button on your browser. When it is ready you will see the new “What If” DARS listed as below. Just click “View Details” to view your new DARS. Peterson, James (P001029534)

25. Summary • At first glance, a DARS report can look like only someone who already HAS their college degree can figure it out !! Hopefully, this step-by-step description has made you more comfortable with this marvelous tool for tracking your progress and exploring alternatives throughout your college career.