Advising Coordinating Committee


Thursday, January 17, 2002

MINUTES

Attending: John Mortensen (conducting), Nazih Al-Rashid, Cara Allen, Aaron
Andersen, Kathy Bayn, Heidi Beck, Karen Bindrup, Debbie Buck, Peggy Buttars, Christine Christensen, Krystin Deschamps, Penny Findlay, James Gordon, Amy Greenway, Fawn Groves, Tressa Haderlie, Hyrum Hall, Lisa Hamblin, Ruth Harrison, Joslyn Heiniger, Trudy Hess, Janet Karren, Joyce Kinkead, Peter Kolesar, Marilyn Kruse, Vince Lafferty, Mary Leavitt, Rachel Lewis, Jana Kay Lunstad, Christine Lord, Leticia Martinez, Lynn Meeks, Cathy Myers-Roche, Sheri Noble, Wade Oliver, Darcie Peterson, Sally Peterson, Tom Peterson, Jan Pichette, Karen Ranson, Sylvia Robinson, Mary Lou Reynolds, Isobel Roskelley, Carol Sainsbury, Steve Scheiner, Lynne Slade, Tami Spackman, Suzie Stones, Dan Stormont, Maureen Wagner

Extension sites: Bob King- Toelle, Susan Williams- Brigham City

1. GRE & LSAT Preparation Course - Michelle Campbell
A GRE/LSAT will be taught spring semester from March 6 through April 18 on
Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Main 115. The course is
taught by Dr. Richard Sherlock and Dr. Charles Johnson. For more
information, contact Michelle Campbell (797-0423 or michellec@ext.usu.edu).

2. Time to Graduation - Joyce Kinkead
USU's Freshman Cohort consists of all first-time, full-time, degree-seeking
students. Statistics show that 22 percent of USU's students graduate in
four years and 44 percent graduate in six years. At our peer institutions,
64 percent graduate in six years. Special efforts are being made to help
retain 924 "cream of the crop" students, those with an ACT of 24 and above
(Attached is a list of these students). Another intiative is "project red
tape" to improve customer services around campus. Advisors were given
brochures for "Finish In Four" and "FasTrac." Advisors are to look at these
programs and provide feedback to John Mortensen (mort@cc.usu.edu) if it is
feasible to lay out a program for their areas. Also, advisors were asked to
identify students who came in this year with lots of concurrent enrollment
credits who might fit into the FasTrac program.

3. English Classes - Lynn Meeks
Goal is to put enrollment cap at 20 for better teacher/student ratios. A few
ways to alleviate the demand for classes: CLEP tests, concurrent
enrollment, AP in high school, and extension courses.

4. Transfer Advisor - Rachel Lewis
Rachel is working with students who transfer from institutions for which USU
does not currently have articulation agreements with. She will evaluate
their courses to see how they fit into USU's University Studies Program, and
then forward the students to their major advisors. For more information,
contact Rachel Lewis (797-8066 or rdl@cc.usu.edu).

5. Orientation and Advising Registration Holds - John Mortensen & Aaron
Andersen
A discussion took place in which it was decided that two registration holds
be placed on new students when they are admitted. There will be an
orientation hold and an advising hold. Both holds would be removed by the
SOAR Office when a student attends SOAR. An advisor may remove an advising
hold at any time. After implementation, we will no longer use the SOAR
Transfer Advising Form. Transfer students will have their advising hold
removed by their advisor. Transfer students may register as soon as both
holds are removed. New freshmen would not have their orientation hold
removed until they attend SOAR or purchase an orientation packet. Aaron is
working on an Online Orientation for those who are not able to attend SOAR.
It will be a better orientation option than the orientation-by-mail. One
major problem is the number of students who are admitted just prior to or
immediately following the beginning of a semester. Currently, these
students are at a major disadvantage because they have not attended SOAR nor
met with an advisor. It is recommended that there be a final admission
deadline a few weeks prior to the beginning of a semester. It was mentioned
that the First Semester Suggested Schedules that are included in the SOAR
packets are specific to fall semester only. A revised document should be
given to students who begin taking classes mid-year.

6. What Constitutes Evening School? - Heidi Beck
Students get an in-state tuition rate if they are ONLY taking evening school
classes(any class at 3:30 or later) or extension classes. Out-of-state
students are not eligible for in-state tuition if they have any courses that
do not fit into these categories.

7. Advising Websites - Wade Oliver
Wade would like to link the Advising and Transition Services (ATS) website
to individual department advising websites. He passed around a list for
individuals to write down the specific URL's for their websites. Wade is
willing to assist advisors in setting up basic websites.

8. Nominations for Advisor of the Year - John Mortensen
John handed out information about nominating individuals for the
Professional Advisor of the Year. The winner will automatically be
nominated for a national award. The nomination deadline is February 1.
Nomination information is available at:
www.usu.edu/ats/foradvisors/awards/.

9. UAOA & NACADA Call For Proposals - John Mortensen
John handed out the Call for Proposals for the Utah Advising and Orientation
Association (UAOA) and the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA).
Proposal deadlines are:
February 1 - UAOA
February 8 - NACADA

10. Other
There is an open house scheduled for this Friday, January 18, from 2:00 to
4:00 p.m. on the west end of the TSC Third Floor. Advisors are welcome to
visit the new offices for:
Advising and Transition Services (TSC 304)
Science/HASS Advising Center (TSC 302)
Academic Resource Center (TSC 305)


The next Advising Coordinating Committee meeting is Thursday, February 7.


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