Academics at IWUDr. Jonathan Green, Provost and Dean of the Faculty

Chandra Shipley, MSEd, Director of Academic Advising & Coordinator of Disability Services

A brief agenda

• The student-teacher relationship• Academic expectations• Academic resources• Some advice for parents• First-year advising program• Graduation requirement overview• Questions and responses

Student-teacher relationship

• As distinguished from high school:– A combination of classroom exchanges,

assignments, mentoring, and extracurriculars– Ongoing mentorship across semesters as students

grow; community building within departments

• Multiple faculty roles:– Teachers, scholars / artists, community members

• By design, we are busy but available:– Academic advising, office hours, research

partnerships

Academic expectations

• Excellence, excellence, excellence!• Pre-class preparation is key• Approximately two hours of study for each

hour in class – college is a full-time (plus) job• Transition from consumers of knowledge to

producers of knowledge• Competently and creatively challenging

authority – question everything

Academic expectations

• Some of the biggest challenges for students:– Active reading: note taking, textual criticism– Learning to ask, “Why do we pose the question this

way?”– Using office hours effectively– Responding to written feedback– Making time for high-impact extra-curricular activities

(summers, internships, spring breaks)– Developing the courage to pursue lofty goals

• Again, train to smartly question authority

Academic Resources

• Professors• Advisors• Academic Advising Center• Academic Skills Series• Writing Center• Language Resource Center• Departmental Tutors• Library Faculty

Some advice

• This will be a time of lots of decisions– Moving from a highly structured to a less structured

environment– The best help from parents probably comes in the

form of probing questions– Try not to panic when daughters and sons change

majors (med-school? maybe not)

• Creating a safe place for experiential learning, including occasionally falling down (and learning how to get back up)

What is First-Year Advising?

First-Year Advising (FYA) is a program that facilitates a successful transition from high school to university life in which an IWU faculty member assists the student in academic planning and offers advice concerning academic decisions a student must make throughout his or her undergraduate career.

Who are the First-Year Advisors?

• Faculty members who volunteer and are trained to work with first-year students

• Assigned to each Gateway Colloquium course or is the Gateway instructor

• Focus is on liberal arts foundation (general education program)

• Follow curricular plan for recommended course of study for each major– Available online

Role of the First-Year Advisor

• Assist students with the transition into the university

• Provide GUIDANCE in selection of courses and academic planning

• Monitor anxiety about registration process• Promote reasonable balance of work• Facilitate assistance with academic difficulty• Direct access to resources (e.g., psychological

difficulty, career counseling, writing skills)

• Come to appointments on-time• Prepare for appointments• Keep organized records• Provide accurate information • Be an active partner in the advising

relationship• Take responsibility• Follow through on referrals

Role of the Student

• Be available to support and encourage your student

• Encourage your student to do things they can for him/herself

• Re-direct your student’s concerns and questions to their FYA

• Respect the role of the advisors• Remind your student of the various resources

available to assist on campus

Role of the Family Member

Process Overview

Summer 2015• Email from the Office of the

Registrar– sent on 6/13– due on 7/18

• Turning Titan: New Student Orientation– 2 group advising sessions– a 30 minute individual

advising appointment– registration for Fall 2015

classes will occur immediately following the individual advising appointment

Fall 2015/Spring 2016• Required individual

appointments for Spring/May Term 2016 and Fall 2016 Registration

• Individual appointments as needed

What’s After FYA?

• Second/Sophomore Year: Transition to a faculty advisor in their major department.

• Undeclared students: Either stay with their FYA or are assigned to the Director of Academic Advising.

Transfer Student AdvisingSummer 2015:•Email from the Office of the Registrar•Students can make an appointment with the Director of Academic Advising to review how credits transfer in•Turning Titan: New Student Orientation

– group advising session with Director of Academic Advising– 30 minute individual advising appointment with the Chair of their declared

major department– registration for Fall 2015 classes will occur immediately following the

individual advising appointment

Fall/Spring:•Required individual appointment each semester•Individual appointments as needed

Graduation Requirements

The Basics• Major• Minor (Optional)• General Education

Requirements • Electives (varies)• 2.0/4.0 GPA• +/- Grading system

UNITS

The unit:• 1 unit = 4 semester

hours/6 quarter hours• 1 unit = minimum of 150

minutes/week in class• Majority of our classes

are 1 unit• Typical course load is 4

units/courses per semester

General Education Requirements

Category (# of units/courses)• Gateway Colloquium (1) • Analysis of Values (1) • The Arts (1) • Contemporary Social

Institutions (1) • Cultural and Historical Change

(1) • Formal Reasoning (0-1)* • Intellectual Traditions (1) • Literature (1)

Category (# of units/courses)• Second Language (0-3)* • The Natural Sciences (1-2)* • Encountering Global Diversity

Flag (1)• Encountering U.S. Diversity

Flag (1)• Writing Intensive Courses (1)• Physical Education (0 units/2

semesters)

*The # of units required for these categories varies by degree.

Sample Schedules

Nursing

Class Units

Gateway 1

Biology 101 1.25

Chemistry 201 1.25

History 151 1

TOTAL

4.5

BusinessClass Units

Gateway 1

Economics 100 1

Math 110 1

French 101 1

TOTAL

4

Biology

Class Units

Gateway 1

Biology 107 1.25

Chemistry 110 1.25

Human Nutrition 230 1

TOTAL 4.5

PsychologyClass Units

Psychology 100 1

Biology 107 1.25

English 101 1

Spanish 201 1

TOTAL

4.25

Academic Skills Series

• Collaboration between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs

• Series of 10 programs to assist students in the development of and/or strengthening of academic skills needed to be successful at IWU

• Offered in the fall and the spring– Wednesdays at noon– Pizza provided for lunch

• Students can attend any or all

Academic Advising Center

Services include:

• providing drop-in and academic advising by appointment as an additional resource

• facilitating major exploration for undecided students or students considering changing majors

• drafting semester-by-semester plans• assisting students experiencing academic difficulty• referring students to campus resources• coordinating academic accommodations• answering questions about advising, university policy, and

registration

www.iwu.edu/advising 110 Holmes Halladvising@iwu.edu 309-556-3231

Accommodations

• IEP or 504 plan in high school?

• Disability Services:– secures and maintains documentation of

disabilities– determines reasonable accommodations– works with the student, faculty, and staff to

develop plans for providing such accommodations

www.iwu.edu/access

Questions?*

* yes, everything is fair game