Advising Coordinating Committee


Thursday, October 18, 2001

MINUTES

Attending: John Mortensen (conducting), Cara Allen, Aaron Andersen, Kathy
Bayn, Heidi Beck, Melinda Beck, Debbie Buck, Peggy Buttars, Paul Ermer,
Penny Findlay, Kathryn Fitzgerald, Susan Ericksen, Terri Gass, Susan
Haddock, Tressa Haderlie, Stephanie Hamblin, Ruth Harrision, Arsenath
Hartman, Harry Heap, Joslyn Heiniger, Trudy Hess, Jill Hoffman, Julie Jex,
Janet Karren, Troy Kema, Joyce Kinkead, Peter Kolesar, Marilyn Kruse,
Vincent Lafferty, Mary Leavitt, Jana Kay Lunstad, Christine Lord, Leticia
Martinez, Irene McInerny, Sheri Noble, Wade Oliver, Darcie Peterson, Jan
Pichette, Karen Ranson, Deborah Reece, Sylvia Robinson, Mary Lou Reynolds,
Carol Sainsbury, Tami Spackman, Suzie Stones, Gary Straquadine, Madeline
Thimmes, Maureen Wagner
Extension sites: Salt Lake City, Snow College


1. SpEd 1010 (BSS) - Greg Gerard
This course, Disability and the American Experience, was recently approved
as a breadth social sciences course. The call number for spring semester is
21819. The class is also being offered with a Rehabilitation designation.
The call number for Reh 1010 is 21820. Both sections will meet Tuesday and
Thursday afternoons from 1:30 to 2:45 in the Education building auditorium
(Educ 131). The class has been capped at 60, however, the room holds 120.
Please refer any students who are blocked by the cap to Greg Gerard and he
may let them into the class if at all possible.

2. Changes in Credit by Examination for Language Credit - Jane Parsons
Starting Spring 2002, section "077" courses will no longer be available. A
new credit system will be incorporated that will work the same way in all
aspects except in the buying of credits. Students may still receive letter
grades, but will have all credits applied to their transcripts at one time
and with one fee. This fee will no longer be associated with tuition.
Credits will still be included in overall credits earned, but they will no
longer be listed as current semester credits being taken. Details are
forthcoming and will be available at: www.usu.edu/langphil.

3. Prestige Scholarships - Joyce Kinkead
Joyce went over a few prestige scholarships that are intended to reward
high-achieving students who seek fellowships and awards as an undergraduate
student. Two of the prominent national awards include the Goldwater Program
and the Morris K. Udall Scholarships.

4. New Priority Registration Schedule - Heidi Beck
In previous terms, the SIS Plus system has had a large volume of
transactions the first day that registration opens up after the fee payment
deadline. In order to alleviate some of that traffic, upper-division
students will be given higher priority in adding courses after the fee
payment deadline. The fee payment deadline for spring 2002 is Tuesday,
December 18. SIS Plus will be down on December 19. On Thursday, December
20, only matriculated graduate students, seniors, and juniors will be
allowed to register for classes. On Friday, December 21, only second
bachelor's degree students, sophomores, freshmen, and nonmatriculated
graduate students will be able to register for classes.

5. Independent Study and Online Classes - Vince Lafferty
Vince handed out several items including the Independent and Distant
Education Bulletin 2001-2002, a listing of Independent Study and Online
Courses, and a listing of Satellite courses offered Spring 2002.

6. University of Phoenix - Discussion
Bob King expressed concern about the acceptance of University of Phoenix
coursework. His argument is that a UoP bachelor's degree is accepted by
some graduate schools. Therefore, shouldn't we accept their individual
courses when students transfer to USU. Currently, coursework from UoP is
accepted at USU on an individual case basis. Students have to have their
coursework evaluated by various academic departments. It was suggested that
USU collect more information about the courses taught at UoP and that
articulation agreements be created, small as they may be, to provide better
information to students who consider transferring to USU from UoP.

7. New Drop Policy and Proposed Late Add Policy - John Mortensen

New Drop Policy (approved - effective Fall 2002) - Dropping Courses.
Students may drop courses without notation on the permanent record through
the first 20 percent of the class. If a student drops following the first 20
percent of the class, a "W" is permanently affixed to the student's record.
After 60 percent of the class is completed, the student's academic advisor
must sign any drop request, and a "W" with a grade assigned by the
instructor will be entered on the student's permanent record. A student may
not drop all of his or her classes without an official withdrawal from the
University.
Students who do not attend class during the first week of the term or the
second class meeting, whichever comes first, may be dropped from the course
by the instructor. (This does not remove the responsibility of the student
to drop classes that he or she does not plan to attend.) Students receiving
Veterans Education Benefits must notify the Office of Veterans Services of
any change in their registration.

New Pass/D+,D, F Deadline (approved - effective Fall 2002) - Changed from
30th day of class to the 60 percent point of the course.

Proposed Late Add Policy (pending approval) - Courses may be added through
the first 20 percent of the term. The instructor's signature is required
beginning the sixth day of the semester or second day of workshops and short
courses. Following the add period, the Provost's Office must also approve
any add request. The Late Add may be done only upon demonstration of
extenuating circumstances.

8. Open Advising Positions - John Mortensen

There are a few advising positions that will be created from the Second Tier
Tuition advising monies. These positions include an advisor in the College
of Business (position filled), a position in the College of Science, a
Program Leader for University Degree Audit/Articulation in the Registrar's
Office, and a transfer advisor in the Office of Advising and Transition
Services.

9. Advising Evaluations - John Mortensen
It is likely that USU will have a standardized advisor evaluation within the
next two years. Many institutions who complete advisor evaluations require
students to complete the evaluation prior to registered for classes each
spring. John hopes to setup something similar at USU. He has collected
many different surveying instruments and the one he likes best is the survey
used by ACT. He would like to see USU use this instrument, or come up with
something similar, and put it on the web for students to complete prior to
registering for classes. John is working with student leaders in ASUSU and
the University Assessment Office on this issue. He provided advisors with a
copy of the ACT evaluation and asked them to give their feedback. USU has a
Faculty Evaluation Committee that oversees the faculty evaluations. It is
likely that USU will create an Advisor Evaluation Committee to eventually
oversee this project.

10. Online Orientation - John Mortensen
John gave a quick demonstration of the Cyber Advising for Orientation and
Beyond website used at the University of South Florida (USF). USF has one
of the most sophisticated online orientations. It is not likely that USU's
online orientation will have as many bells and whistles when it is
originally created, but USU will use the USF website as a model to follow.
Advisors my view this orientation at: www.sa.usf.edu/advising/cyber/


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