August 14, 2014 - UAAC Meeting Notes
UAAC MEETING NOTES
August 14, 2014
Present: Bradley Merrill, Rachana Patel, Amanda Tuckett, Teri Clawson (Admissions); Joy Velarde (Anthropology); Zachary Franzoni, Saolo Betham (Architecture and Planning); Nevon Bruschke (Art and Art History); Erik Weierholt, Taryn Horner, Lauren Storer, Colby Vranes (Athletics); Michelle Brooks (Atmospheric Sciences); Dave Gard (Biology); Anna Johnson, Ben Repak, Jess Taverna (Business); Kathy Leslie (Career Services); Vicki Jackson (Computing); Candace Krukiel, Janet Goff (Continuing Education); Jill Wilson (Economics); Arlene Arenaz (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Shawn Adrian (English); Elizabeth Archuleta (Ethnic Studies); Wendy McKenney (Exercise and Sport Science); Jenny Stout (Family and Consumer Studies); Amy Capps (Financial Aid); Sean Reid, Natalie de Montreux (Geography); Judy Martinez (Geology and Geophysics); Shari Lindsey (Health); Heidi Collier (Health Promotion and Education); Erica Rojas, Aaron Reynolds, Michelle Taliaferro, Holly Pokorny (Honors); Christopher Anderson (Housing and Residential Education); Lisa Hutton (Languages and Literature Religious Studies); Lorelei Rutledge (Library); Kacey Campbell, Genevieve DuBois (Linguistics); Bonnie Ogden, Mark Mun (Mechanical Engineering); Takara Blamires (Medical and Laboratory Science); Kellie Hubbard (Middle East Studies); Mary Ann Dresher (Music); Kelly Brown (Occupational Therapy); Garrett Kachellek (Orientation and Leadership Development); Betsy Cook (Parks, Recreation and Tourism); Lynn Higgs (Physics and Astronomy); Dallin Cowles, Michael Santarosa, Zack Klc (Registrar’s Office); Cary Lopez (Scholarships); Lam Nguyen (Social Work); Paul Fisk (Student Equity and Diversity); Donna Jordan-Allen (Student Support Services); Kristen Lindsay, Sara Hatch (Teacher Education); Lyndi Duff (Undergraduate Studies); Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski, David Eisen, Sarah Rollo, Sean Crouch, Shelley Nicholson, Martina Stewart, Steve Hadley, Julia Popp, Marilyn Hoffman, Becki Broadbent, John Nilsson, Amy Urbanek, Latu Kinikini, (Academic Advising Center); Kira Jones, Lena May-Fraser, Rachel Osterman (Academic Advising Center / Fine Arts); Angie Gardiner (Academic Advising Center / Mathematics), Tamara Young (Academic Advising Center / Physics), Lisa Shaw (Writing and Rhetoric). Total: 80
Presentation
Anne O’Brien and Janet Goff distributed information about FlexU courses to be offered at the Murray site during fall break: SOC 1010-60, NUTR 1020-60, and PHIL 3640-60 (which is full at this point, with a waiting list). These are five-day intensive courses that fulfill General Education and/or IR requirements, depending on the course. The classes will definitely be offered (i.e., won’t be cancelled) if there is even one student enrolled. They are a good option for a student who (for example) dropped or withdrew from one of their courses, and needs to fulfill a 12-credit-hour requirement. Permission codes are required.
FlexU courses will be offered again during the week before Spring Semester 2015 (January 5-9); although the offerings haven’t yet been decided, there will again be three, and they will count toward graduation requirements just as the Fall courses do.
Information was also distributed on the Fall BlockU options to be offered at the Murray site, as well as an overview of Continuing Education programs.
Plan to Finish: Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski offered a quick reminder on the Plan to Finish Initiative. It included a request to advise students to complete QA Math and WR2/Writing as soon as possible. She shared this equation:
Complete QA + WR2 < 60 credits = Timely Graduation
Also, t-shirts and buttons were available for advisors and advising colleagues to take to wear and share.
Admissions – Brad Merrill and Rachana Patel
- Teri Clawson (associate director of undergraduate processing and data entry) and Amanda Tuckett (assistant supervisor for data entry) were introduced.
- The articulation and Getting Ready guides were sent out (electronically). The website is currently being updated.
- The new application form has gone “live”.
- Returning and nonmatriculated students will be accepted up until August 22 (the former must have a complete application by then).
- Processing of application for Spring Semester will probably begin during the first week of September.
Registrar’s Office – Dallin Cowles and Michael Santarosa
- Enrollment is currently at 28,976 total (down a bit from last year)
- Dates/deadlines:
- August 25 – Fall Semester classes begin
- September 1 – last day to add without permission code for semester-length courses
- September 3 -- last day to drop/delete semester-length and first-half courses
- September 8 – tuition due; last day to add, elect CR/NC, or audit semester-length
and first-half courses
- The Registrar’s Office does have a Twitter account and posts student information there.
- Zack Klc is the new academic coordinator in the Registrar’s Office. Dallin will be moving to Disability Services.
- Degree posting has been 80% cleared for graduate students and 33% for undergraduate students; the process should be completed within the next two weeks.
- Remember to send graduation inquiries to graduation@utah.edu (as opposed to personal e-mail addresses).
- Carol Uresti will retire at the end of September.
Financial Aid – Amy Capps
- Satisfactory Academic Progress holds were run this week; students seeking appeal letters may be asking to see departmental advisors.
- It’s currently planned to release financial aid funds starting in the middle of next week.
- Walk-ins (to see financial aid counselors) will be available between August 25 and September 8; daily hours may vary.
- Any petitions for Fall Semester aid must be submitted by November 1.
- Students who currently have a financial aid hold will likely not receive money by the tuition deadline (and so may need to make other temporary arrangements).
Scholarships – Cary Lopez
- Disbursement of funds to the student tuition account should happen by August 19; between 3,000 and 10,000 awards are anticipated. Questions can be submitted to scholarships@sa.utah.edu.
- For students who will be receiving a refund check: if they have direct deposit, students may see their deposit as early as August 22; those waiting on a paper check will see it a few days later.
Curriculum Administration – Lyndi Duff
- Spring changes (new courses, changes to existing courses, etc.) are due by August 25.
- Catalog editors have received a memo that includes deadlines for the e-catalog. Changes will be due by January 20; there will follow a two-week period during which college editors can review the information and make edits (to be done by February 1). Refresher training sessions will be offered. March 1 is the anticipated catalog publication date (along with the Fall Semester class schedule).
DARS/GPS – Shelley Nicholson
- Richelle and Shelley are currently updating DARS reports to match the catalog changes made during the past year. Patience is appreciated. Proofs will be sent out individually. GPS will not be updated until DARS reports are updated.
- The next DARS purge date is September 15.
- Reminder: for questions about DARS or GPS, please don’t e-mail Richelle or Shelley directly; instead use DARS@sa.utah.edu.
- For any problem situations encountered wherein PeopleSoft information for a given student isn’t being reflected in DARS, send the student’s uNID to the above e-mail address along with the relevant information.
Advisor Education and Development – Steve Hadley
- The next PeopleSoft / DARS / GPS training will take place on August 19.
- The monthly campuswide inservice took place this morning (with the Women’s Resource Center). There will be no such inservice in September, but remember the MAP kickoff on September 12 (information with links for RSVP has been sent out; advisors who haven’t received it should contact Martina Stewart at mstewart@uc.utah.edu.). Kickoff attendees will receive a workbook on the topic of appreciative advising.
Orientation – Garrett Kachellek
- Some 5,000 students have attended first-year orientation. Students who still need orientation should call the office (801-581-7069) or e-mail orientation@utah.edu. An alternative orientation (which includes a half-day attendance on August 22) is a possibility for students.
- Welcome Week is coming up (schedule available at www.welcomeweek.utah.edu). It will include the new student welcome event on August 23 at 4:00pm, in Kingsbury Hall (President Pershing will speak). New this year is an out-of-state student reception on August 25 at 4:00pm, in the Union East Ballroom. The Class of 2018 picture will be taken on Friday, August 29 at 3:00pm in Rice-Eccles stadium (both first-year and transfer students are welcome)
Transfer Student Issues – no report
Committee and Task Force Reports
Mandatory Advising Program – Martina Stewart
- For first year MAP, students will be selected on September 29th and advising begins on this date.
Advisor Awards – Angie Gardiner
- New this year: the advising award winners will be featured in the FYI faculty/staff publication.
Marketing and PR for Advising – Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski (for Taunya Dressler)
- A couple of the taglines chosen by the Committee appear in the new Undergraduate Bulletin.
- A faculty focus group is planned for fall. This year, the goal is to finish up with focus group analysis and work with University Marketing and Communication to create marketing materials that will target specific areas of the campus community.
- The Committee is in need of new members; if interested, contact Sharon (saiken@uc.utah.edu) or Taunya (taunya.dressler@utah.edu).
The Advisor Position – Jess Taverna
- The Committee will soon reconvene and will consider some possible changes on campus that may be coming out of the Committee’s presentations to the Council of Academic Deans and others.
- This committee is also in need of new members; contact Jess at Jessica.taverna@utah.edu.
Continuing and New Business
Major Expo: Sarah Rollo reported that the floor plan is being prepared. Work is underway with the Chronicle to set up the inserts; advisors should soon receive an e-mail asking if their department / program would like to have advertising space in the Chronicle. Advertising packets (including full-sized flyers and quarter sheets) are currently being compiled; they will be available to departments by the first week of Fall Semester. It’s important to remember that while the event is targeted primarily to undecided students, others will find much information of value as well (minors, certificate programs, and other campus opportunities). Expo branding: the “puzzle piece” has been retired, and there is a new logo (UExplore; information on the Expo and upcoming major exploration events was distributed).
New: all incoming undeclared students will now be assigned to a specific advisor in Academic Advising Center (based on surname). Each student will get an e-mail and/or postcard with a picture of their advisor, along with an invitation to the Exploring Students Welcome Social on September 2.
Open Houses – another eight are scheduled for this academic year; fall dates are October 20 and 27, and November 10 and 17. These are lunchtime events, each focused around a specific theme (and encompassing several available majors). Those departments that have agreed to participate will receive a package with relevant materials.
Business Transfer Equivalency Guide: Ben Repak announced this new tool that the School of Business has created for transfer courses. The equivalency guide is available at http://transfer.apps.business.utah.edu. As petitioned courses are approved, they will be added to the online display. Domestic courses that are approved will be reflected on DARS reports.
Academic Standards: Becki Broadbent distributed the “major meeting forms”: a couple of years ago, Academic Advising Center began requiring students on academic probation to meet with the advisor in their major (or program). The aim is for students to familiarize themselves with the area in which they wish to study (and its requirements), and to consider (with the advisor) a realistic academic plan. (One suggestion for advisors to ask students in these meetings: “How many hours are you planning to work (at a job)?” These meetings are seen as an opportunity to discuss with the student how they can be successful, times at which required courses are offered, etc. The form is now attached to the notification (of academic standing) that students are sent. Advisors should add notes (that come out of these meetings) to the Advisor Notes panel in PeopleSoft.
Art Bash: Kira Jones announced this event, on September 3 from 11:00am to 2:00pm on the Library Plaza; it’s free to all students. The primary goal is to educate students about the many opportunities to get involved in and experience the arts on campus (exhibits, performances, participation, etc.). There will be booths hosted by all College of Fine Arts units and others; live performances will take place as well.
Honors College Update: Erica Rojas introduced herself and the other three advisors (Holly Pokorny, Aaron Reynolds, and Michelle Taliaferro) that make up the new advising unit in the Honors College. This link offers an explanation of advisor assignments for the Honors College: www.honors.utah.edu/students/student-advising.
Math Fall Semester Registration: Angie Gardiner distributed a handout with information on the procedure for students who need to request a permission code, along with Fall 2014 Registration Office Hours. Important: permission codes will not be handed out to students in person.
The two Math boot camp courses (MATH 10 and 15) will be taught next week (August 18-22).
Enrollment Opportunities: Mary Ann Dresher handed out information about School of Music ensembles, which are open to all students (placement is typically made by audition). Information on the Music minor was also distributed.
Other: Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski announced that the University has purchased a campuswide license for the Appointment Manager software (currently used by Academic Advising Center and the College of Social and Behavioral Science). Academic Advising Center has been asked to oversee campuswide implementation. Work is currently underway with specific colleges and programs to implement its usage; e-mails have been sent to appropriate personnel in each college, inquiring as to level of interest.
Complete College America materials will be going out via the UAAC listserv.
Cranium Café is a product that offers an opportunity for use of virtual advising. The advising community hopes to pilot this tool during 2014-15. This will be helpful as more online degree programs emerge in 2015.
Registrar’s Office Summit: next one will be on December 2 (information was sent earlier today via e-mail).
Next month’s UAAC meeting coincides with Employee Appreciation Day; the meeting will still take place at the usual time and location.
THE Next UAAC meeting IS SCHEDULED FOR
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 at 2:00pm IN AEB, ROOM 320