DARS Exception Processing Manual

Students must earn a minimum of:

• 120** semester hours for a bachelor’s degree
• 60 semester hours for an associate degree
• 30 semester hours for a master’s degree
• 90 semester hours for a doctoral degree

**Students must complete 120 semester hours for one bachelor’s degree and 135 semester hours for two bachelor’s degrees.

• Any exceptions to BRICKS (or TIERS) requirements must be appealed to the General Education Committee.
• If approved, the General Education Committee forwards approved exception requests to the DARS team for processing.

Degree/Program residency (credit earned at Ohio University - OU)

• Bachelors - A minimum of 30 semester hours in OU coursework
• Associate – A minimum of 18 semester hours in OU coursework
• Master’s and Doctoral programs – See catalog Transfer Credit Limits

Major residency

• Undergraduate – A minimum of 50 percent of coursework taken to fulfill
  your major concentration, minor, or certificate must be completed at OU.

Undergraduate Catalog

Navigate to the Requirements section of the student’s catalog.

• Pathway: catalogs.ohio.edu > Graduation Requirements –
  Universitywide > Requirements

Graduate Catalog

Navigate to the Degree and Certificate Requirements section of the
student’s catalog.

• Pathway: catalogs.ohio.edu > Ohio University Graduate Catalog (select
  catalog drop-down) > Degree and Certificate Requirements

University Policies

Navigate to the University Policy page; see Academic Matters section.

In most cases, the Requirement Modification tab and RM-Requirement Modification exception code can be applied. 

 RM exceptions can be used to modify:

• sub-requirements
• number of required courses (count)
• number of required hours (hours)
• required GPA
• maximum hours allowed (max hours),
• and course condition codes

When particular courses in the “select from” or “not from” list should be substituted with a different course, the SC-Substitute Requirement exception code should be applied.

SC exceptions can be used to modify:

• Individual course requirements
• sub-requirements
• number of required courses (count)
• number of required hours (hours)
• required GPA
• maximum hours allowed (max hours)
• and course condition codes

If a course should be added to the current “select from” or “not from” list, the AC-Add Course exception code should be applied.

AC exceptions can be used to modify:

• required course listings (additions)
• number of required courses (count)
• number of required hours (hours)
• required GPA
• maximum hours allowed (max hours),
• course condition codes.

If a course should be deleted from the current “select from” or “not from” list, the DC – Delete course from list exception code should be applied.

AC exceptions can be used to modify:

• required course listings (removals)
• number of required courses (count)
• number of required hours (hours)
• required GPA
• maximum hours allowed (max hours)
• course condition codes.

This exception can be used to waive (no longer require) a requirement.

Pros

• Student’s unneeded requirement is
  waived

Cons

• All courses in the requirement can also be used (duplicate) elsewhere
• Makes the requirement appear as if no courses were ever required
• All required hours now equal zero

This exception should only be used for non-course requirements. Applicable non-course requirements may include external experiences or requirements that are programmed into DARS but can only be fulfilled with manual intervention from an exception processor. The FR exception code forces a sub-requirement to completion.

Note: This exception was previously called “Waive Subreqt (WS – Waive Subrequirement)”

Pros

• Student’s unneeded sub-requirement is waived

Cons

• Forces requirement fulfillment by adding unearned credit hours
• If minimum hours are required for the major, makes it appear that student has accumulated hours that they have not truly earned.

FAC – DARS Page

• Go to the Advising tab - DARS
• Enter the student’s ID number and select Lookup
• Select Request Administrative Audit

• Enter the student’s Plan Code; Catalog; and List All – Pseudo

• It is rare, but there are situations where the List All: Full should be used. Here are a couple of situations where List All: Full may be useful:

  o If the pseudo name is needed for a requirement that is already fulfilled
  o If the pseudo name is hidden
      ♦ If an administrative audit is run with List All: Pseudo, but the pseudo
         name is still not visible.

• Otherwise, List All: Full should not be used. Exception processors run the risk of negatively impacting DARS encoding and setup.

• To view the DARS, select View Month DD, YYYY Audit

*Note: Students cannot see the Administrative Audit(s) section.

1. Sub-requirement pseudo names

• Exception processors will use this pseudo most frequently.
• Sub-requirement pseudos always begin with $:
• If multiple pseudo names are listed, use the first pseudo in most cases.
• In example below (0MPHIL2): Can be used to add, substitute, or delete a course in the “Other Requirements: PHIL 6901…” section.

2. Requirement pseudo names

• This pseudo is rarely needed.
• At the undergraduate level - this Pseudo applies to the major.
• At the graduate level - this Pseudo may apply to the entire program, so
  proceed with caution.
• In example below (0MPHIL): Can be used to require 2 sub-requirements instead of 3 (Core Areas, Other Requirements, and Thesis).

3. Group pseudo names

• This pseudo is rarely needed. These pseudo names typically have a “GR”
  near the end.
• In example below (0MPHIL1GR2): Can be used to add, substitute, or delete a course in the “ANCIENT” group.

**Pro tip: Copy/paste the pseudo (without the $:) Most exception processing errors come from typos in pseudo names.

Note: all graduate-level pseudo names start with the number zero “0,” not the letter O.

Do not use pseudo name that end in “R”

• These are reject-line pseudo names.
• Reject-line courses and pseudo names are italicized and highlighted in red.
• Used to exclude courses from a requirement.

Never use pseudo names that start with an “XL”

• These are X-line pseudos
• X-line pseudos are only needed for the DARS encoders/programmers.

An asterisk (*) is a wildcard

• In the example below, “MIS****” means accept any course with an “MIS”
  subject code.

The PS - DARS Pseudo Name Search can be found using the following pathway:

• Custom Applications > Student Records > DARS Exception > DARS Pseudo Name Search

Enter the student’s Plan Code and Catalog Year

• Leave the radio button selected for “order as displayed on DARS report”
• Select Retrieve List

The DARS Pseudo Name Search displays the overall requirement pseudo names.

In the example below, ADLGENLIB is the requirement pseudo.

• Knowing the requirement pseudo would only allow the exception processor
  to make changes to the number of sub-requirements needed (2 SUB-REQTS in example below).

Most exceptions require modification of sub-requirements (“COMPLETE 10
ADDITIONAL LIBERAL…” in the above example).

• To find the sub-requirement pseudo, the exception processor has two
  options:

1. Run an Administrative Audit with List All: Pseudo
2. Understand and apply the Pseudo Naming Convention

The DARS Team typically follows a naming convention when creating pseudo names. The naming convention is structured by Requirement, Sub-requirement, and Group.

1. Requirement = Requirement pseudo may be found in PeopleSoft Pseudo
   Name Search or by Running an Administrative audit.

• In example below: 0MPHIL

2. Sub-requirement = Requirement pseudo + 1, 2, 3…

• In example below: 0MPHIL2

3. Group = Requirement pseudo + GR1, GR2, GR3…

• In example below: 0MPHIL1GR2

• Select “Sample Audits”

• Plan Code (e.g., OR6922)
• Catalog Year (e.g., 2024)
• List All dropdown: Pseudo

1. Do not select “Full” from the list all dropdown.
2. Selecting “Full” provides an overwhelming amount of information about
   the DARS encoding.
3. There are rare situations where the “Full” option must be used to find
   hidden pseudo names.

DARS exception processing begins with the DARS Exceptions page:

• Pathway: Custom Applications > Student Records > DARS Exception > DARS Exceptions

• Enter the student’s EMPLID or PID and select Search

Use the tabs at the top to find and apply the appropriate exception type.

*If there is already an exception entered, select the plus (+) icon to add a new
row/exception.

Below is a description of the tabs that most exception processors have access to. There are additional tabs that can only be accessed by the DARS Team. If you’re experiencing issues processing an exception, do not hesitate to contact us at dars@ohio.edu.

1. Requirement Modification Tab

The requirement modification tab is the most frequently used tab because it can be used to perform most functions:

AC – Add course to list

• Use to modify a sub-requirement by adding a course to a list of “select from” or “not from” options. If at least one course has been entered, the
  following fields can also be modified: number of required courses (count), number of required hours (hours), required GPA, maximum hours allowed (max hours), and course condition codes.

DC – Delete course from list

• Use to modify a sub-requirement. If at least one course has been entered, the following fields can also be modified: number of required courses (count), number of required hours (hours), required GPA, maximum hours allowed (max hours), and course condition codes.

NT – Add note

• Use to add a note to a requirement or sub-requirement.

RM – Requirement modification

• Use to modify a requirement or sub-requirement. The following fields can
  be modified: number of required sub-requirements, number of required
  courses (count), number of required hours (hours), required GPA, maximum hours allowed (max hours), and course condition codes.

SC – Substitute course

• Use to modify a sub-requirement. If at least one course substitution has
  been entered, the following fields can also be modified: number of required courses (count), number of required hours (hours), required GPA, maximum hours allowed (max hours), and course condition codes.

WR – Waive requirement

• Use to waive (no longer require) a requirement. USE CAUTIOUSLY. All
  courses normally used in the requirement will be released for use in other requirements. DO NOT USE this exception type to force a requirement to completion; it treats the requirement as never having been required. Consider using the RM exception type.

2. Force Reqt/Create Pseudo Tab

This tab is not used as frequently. Most of the functions needed can be performed on the Requirement Modification tab. Note: the FR-Force to completion exception was previously called WS-Waive subrequirement.

FR – Force to Completion

• Use to force a requirement or sub-requirement to completion. Courses
  that are listed in the sub-requirement prior to adding the WS exception will continue to be listed in the sub-requirement and will not be released for use in other requirements that might need them.

  CAUTION: This exception type can have unintended consequences. For
  example, if used in a sub-requirement that requires a minimum number of credit hours and the student still needs those hours, DARS will generate those hours and reduce the overall hours at the requirement level accordingly.

PC – Create Pseudo Course

• Use to add a pseudo name to the student’s record. A few sub-requirements have been coded to accept a pseudo in place of a real V. PS Step-by-Step Instructions | 24 course. Staff from the Office of the Registrar will inform staff from the college whenever this exception code should be used.

3. Conditional Requirement

This tab is used to embed a declared minor, certificate, or concentration in a student’s DARS. This is not required for most programs, but some majors require it. Feel free to contact us at dars@ohio.edu if you are unsure about whether this exception is needed.

AR – Add Requirement to Plan

• Used to insert a requirement, such as a minor, certificate, or concentration, into the DARS report for the student’s major. Use this only when the student’s major requires declaration of a minor, certificate, etc.

4. Course Modification

This tab is used infrequently. Feel free to contact us at dars@ohio.edu if you are unsure about whether this exception is needed.

CC – Add/Remove Course CC

• Use only when advised to do so by a staff member from the Office of the
  Registrar.

FC – Force Course to Subreqt

• Use to force a course to apply in a specific sub-requirement. This overrides any existing minimum course grade requirements and the normal processing order.

ST – Add Course Using Title

• Use to force a course to a specific sub-requirement using the course number and title.

XC – Remove Course Credit & GPA

• Use to remove credit and GPA effect for a course. Limited to staff members from the Office of the Registrar.

5. High School Foreign Language

This tab is rarely used and is limited to staff from the following colleges: A&S, FAR, ENT, & HTC.

HS – High School Foreign Language

• Use to add high school foreign language equivalency. This should be used only for Q2S transition students.

6. System Cond Code Modification

This tab is rarely used. Feel free to contact us at dars@ohio.edu if you are unsure about whether this exception is needed.

SY – Set/unset System CC

• Use only when advised to do so by a staff member from the Office of the
  Registrar.

If a course should be added to the current “SELECT FROM” or “NOT FROM” list, the AC-Add Course exception code should be applied.

Example: In the example below, a student is receiving dean-level approval to count GEOG 6430 in the “SELECT FROM” list for their Research requirement.

Before

After

PS – DARS Exceptions > Requirement Modification: AC Instructions

AC – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: AC – Add course to List
3. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., 0MGEOMSR2)
4. Enter the Note for Audit: (maximum 27 characters)

• * The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

5. Enter the *Course Subject and *Course Number of the course(s) that should be added to the list.

• Select the + icon to add additional courses
• An asterisk (*) can be used as a wildcard (e.g., add any 4000-level chemistry course by entering CHEM subject and 4*** course number.)

6. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

If a course should be removed from the current “SELECT FROM” or “NOT FROM” list, the DC-Delete Course exception code should be applied.

Example: In the example below, a student is receiving dean-level approval to remove MIS 3800 from the “SELECT FROM” list, as the course will be used elsewhere.

Before

After

PS – DARS Exceptions > Requirement Modification: DC Instructions

DC – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: DC – Delete course from list
3. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., CTCSMU1)
4. Enter the Note for Audit: (maximum 27 characters)

• * The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

5. Enter the *Course Subject and *Course Number of the course(s) that should be removed from the list.

• Select the + icon to add additional courses
• An asterisk (*) can be used as a wildcard (e.g., add any 4000-level chemistry course by entering CHE subject and 4*** course number.)

6. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

This feature is rarely used since it only applies a note to a student’s DARS. The following is applied in Peoplesoft. A Term Type, Exception code, Pseudo Name, and Note for the Audit must be entered.

The NT – Add note exception code produces the following note on the DARS.

The RM – Requirement modification exception code can be used to apply multiple exceptions under one pseudo, on the same screen. The RM exception code is typically used to adjust hours needed at the requirement and sub-requirement level. It can be used to modify: number of required sub-requirements, number of required courses (count), number of required hours (hours), required GPA, maximum hours allowed (max hours), course condition
codes, and required courses (add, delete, substitute).

Example: In the example below, a student is receiving dean-level approval to reduce the number of required courses to 15 and permit CHE 4000 to apply to the Chemical Engineering Major requirement.

Before

After

Note that the subrequirement header text does not change (it still says Complete 16 Courses). However, the subrequirement is marked as IP+, which means that the subrequirement is complete, but it still includes one In Progress (IP) course.

PS – DARS Exceptions > Requirement Modification: RM Instructions

RM – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: RM – Requirement modification
3. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., CTCSMU1)
4. Enter the number of required courses you would like to add or remove from the sub-requirement required count

• To add 1 more required course, enter “1.0;” to subtract 1 course enter “-1.0”

5. Enter the Note for Audit: (maximum 27 characters)

• * The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

6. Enter the *Course Subject and *Course Number of the course(s) that should be added to the list.

• Select the plus (+) icon to add additional courses
• An asterisk (*) can be used as a wildcard (e.g., add any 4000-level chemistry course by entering CHEM subject and 4*** course number.)

7. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

 The SC – Substitute course exception code can be used to modify a sub-requirement by substituting required or optional courses in the “SELECT FROM” list. If at least one course substitution has been entered, the following fields can also be modified: number of required courses (count), number of required hours (hours), required GPA, maximum hours allowed (max hours), and course condition codes.

Example: In the example below, a student is receiving dean-level approval to substitute SPST 4910 for the required MKT 4910 internship.

Before

After

PS – DARS Exceptions > Requirement Modification: SC Instructions

SC – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: SC – Substitute course
3. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., CTSALE2)
4. Enter the Note for Audit: (maximum 27 characters)

• *The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

5. Enter the *Course Subject and *Course Number of the current required course(s) that should be substituted.
6. Enter the *Rcourse Subject and *Rcourse Number of the replacement course(s) that is approved as the substitution.
7. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

The WR – Waive requirement exception code can be used to waive (no longer require) a requirement. This means a plus (+) or minus (–) symbol will no longer apply next to the sub-requirement USE CAUTIOUSLY. All courses normally used in the requirement will be released for use in other requirements. DO NOT USE this exception type to force a requirement to completion; it treats the requirement as never having been required. Consider using the RM exception type.

Example: In the example below, a Dean has verified completion of all major requirements for an Honors Tutorial College (HTC) student. The WR exception code is appropriate in this instance since there are no course or credit requirements. 

Before

After

Note that there are no plus (+) or minus (-) symbols to the left of this requirement. The WR exception treats the requirement as if it was never needed.

PS – DARS Exceptions > Requirement Modification: WR Instructions

WR – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: WR – Waive requirement
3. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., HTCECONMJ5)
4. Enter the Note for Audit: (maximum 27 characters)

• * The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

5. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

The FR-Force to Completion code can be used to force a requirement or sub-requirement to completion. Courses that are listed in the sub-requirement prior to adding the FR exception will continue to be listed in the sub-requirement and will not be released for use in other requirements that might need them.

USE CAUTIOUSLY: This exception type can have unintended consequences. For example, if used in a sub-requirement that requires a minimum number of credit hours and the student still needs those hours, DARS will generate those hours and apply them toward overall hours at the sub-requirement and requirement level.

Example: In the example below, a dean has verified completion of all major requirements for an Honors Tutorial College (HTC) student. The FR exception code is appropriate in this instance since there are no minimum credit hour requirements. 

Before

 After

PS – DARS Exceptions > Force Reqt/Create Pseudo: FR Instructions

FR – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: FR – Force to Completion
3. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., HTCECONMJ5)

(* ) Note for Audit:

• Enter the Note for Audit: (maximum 27 characters). This may not appear on the audit.
• The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

4. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

The PC – Add pseudo course exception adds a pseudo name to the student’s record. Some sub-requirements have been coded to accept a pseudo name in place of a real course to automatically fulfill a requirement. Staff from the Office of the Registrar will inform staff from the college whenever this exception code should be used.

Example: In the example below, the pre-nursing requirement has been encoded to use pseudo names to reflect requirements as fulfilled. This student has completed comparable coursework in an external program to fulfill the Human Anatomy/Physiology requirement.

Before

After

PS – DARS Exceptions > Force Reqt/Create Pseudo: PC Instructions

PC – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: PC – Add pseudo course
3. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., PRENURS4)
4. Enter the Note for Audit: (maximum 27 characters)

•  * The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

5. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

The AR – Add requirement to plan code is used to insert a declared requirement, such as a minor, certificate, or concentration, into the DARS report for the student’s major. Use this only when the student’s major requires declaration of a minor, certificate, etc. For some programs, the AR code is used to add a block of requirements/courses to a student’s major

Example: In the example below, the student is using their declared Social Media Certificate to fulfill the “Related Area” requirement in their Communication Studies Major. 

The Conditional Requirement – AR exception is appropriate since the student is pursuing the certificate/minor declaration option. If the student were using proscribed coursework to fulfill the requirement, a Requirement Modification – AC exception would be appropriate.

Before

After

PS – DARS Exceptions > Conditional Requirement: AR Instructions

AR – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: AR – Add requirement to plan
3. Add the Marker Name: Always begins with $ (e.g., $COMSR, $SPEC, $REC)

• * Caution: Marker names are different depending on program and DARS setup. Please consult your college or the DARS team before adding a Marker Name.

4. Add the Requirement Name: This may be the plan code for a minor, certificate, or approved block of requirements. (e.g., OR4251, CTSOME, CTSALE)

•  * Caution: Requirement names vary. The above is only an example. Consult
  your college or the DARS team if you have questions.

Requirement Term:

• The requirement term defaults to the student’s declared University Catalog year (found in the header of the DARS). The Requirement year should only be entered if the student plans to follow certificate or minor requirements from a different catalog year.

5. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

This exception code is used to manage behind the scenes code in DARS, called Condition Codes (CC). This exception should only be used when an exception processor is advised to do so by the DARS Team. As a reminder, this exception code applies to all instances of a course throughout a student’s DARS.

Example: In the example below, the University Curriculum Council (UCC) has approved a course restriction that does not allow students to have credit for EDTE 1000 and EDTE 1010. However, the student below completed both courses before the restriction was in place. An Assistant Dean has contacted the DARS team for assistance in getting both courses to count. Instructions are not included in this manual since instructions vary depending on the requirement.

Before

Note: The >L symbol and 0.0 GPA credit next to EDTE 1000 means that credit has been deducted from the course (because it was taken out of sequence or some other limit).

After

The FC – Force course to subreqt. exception is used to force a course to apply in a specific sub-requirement. This overrides any existing minimum course grade requirements and the normal processing order (the DARS processes courses from top to bottom).

Example: In the example below, the college has approved MDIA 4176 to apply to sub-requirement 6 instead of sub-requirement 3. Once a student is active in a course, the DARS will attempt to apply credit from top to bottom. Without the FC exception, MDIA 4176 would only apply to sub-requirement 3 (even if Requirement Modification – Add course to list exception is used in sub. 6).

Before

After

PS – DARS Exceptions > Course Modification: FC Instructions

FC – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: FC – Force course to subreqt.
3. Enter the Course you’d like to apply to the sub-requirement: (e.g., MDIA4176)

• No spaces should be entered if the course subject is 4 characters. If the course subject is 2 or 3 characters, spaces should be included to ensure 8 characters are entered.
• Unlike other exception types, if a course has been renumbered, the original number that the student took must be used.

4. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., MDIAGAMJR6)
5. Enter the Note for Audit: (maximum 27 characters)

• * The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

6. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!

The ST – Add course using title exception is used to force a course to a specific sub-requirement using the course number and title. This exception is typically used to apply a particular transfer or special topics courses to a sub-requirement when there are multiple courses with different titles that share a course number (e.g., BIOS2XXL).

Example: In the example below, the student has several TECE 2XXL transfer courses, but the student’s college would only like to approve “INTRODUCTION TO SONOGRAPHY” to apply to sub-requirement 9 Electives.

Before

After

PS – DARS Exceptions > Course Modification: ST Instructions

ST – Steps:

1. Enter the Term Type: Semester
2. Select the Exception Code dropdown: ST – Add course using title
3. Enter the Course you’d like to apply to the sub-requirement: (e.g., TECE2XXL)

• No spaces should be entered.
• Unlike other exception types, if a course has been renumbered, the original number that the student took must be used.

4. Find and enter the Pseudo Name: (e.g., INTHLTMJR9)
5. Enter the Course Title in the Note for Audit: (INTRODUCTION TO SONOGRAPHY)

• Pro tip: Copy and paste the title directly from DARS
• * The Memo is optional but strongly recommended. Indicate who approved and the date of the approval.

6. Don’t forget to Save and rerun the audit in the FAC to check your work!