2011-2012 Meeting Minutes

September 2011

Meeting Date: 

September 14, 2011

 

ACA Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 8:15-10:00am

SSB Glenn Maloney Room

 

8:15   Breakfast and Social Time (Sponsored by ACA)

8:30   Welcome from ACA President Theresa Thomas

Theresa welcomed everyone and acknowledged the hard work of our members, as well as past and present executives, that has made our organization’s voice heard and valued on campus.

On that note, Theresa announced the new ACA theme for this year: “Sharing Our Voice.” She spoke about communicating our collective experiences and expertise in order to postiviely affect changes on campus. With the increased focus on improving UT’s four-year graduation rate, Theresa stressed the importance of getting feedback from members about the difference facets of this issue. To ensure that our organization’s ideas and thoughts on the matters at hand are heard, the current executives are sitting on a number of committees that are discussing and ultimately changing policies.

8:40   Brenda Schumann and Dan Knauft, Associate Registrars from the Registrar’s Office 

Brenda spoke about the One Time Exception Policy (OTE) and went over some key points concerning the policy. More specific information can be found via the online 2011-2012 General Information Catalog. 

  • Students must initiate the OTE drop or withdrawal by the last class day. Forms must be returned to the student’s dean’s office before the first day of final exams.
  • Any OTE drop or withdrawal allowed will be subject to the same academic and financial aid rules governing other drops or withdrawals taken during the semester.
  • The OTE drop is considered an academic drop (Q drop) and is included in the six Q-drop limit. The OTE withdrawal does not count toward the drop limit and will result in “W”s on the student’s record.
  • The standard add/drop form will be used to execute OTE drops. Please write “OTE” in the upper right-hand corner of the drop form and mark the drop as an academic drop.
  • The Registrar is not tracking the number of OTE’s a student has used.
  • OTE drops require the professor’s signature. If a professor refuses to sign the form, then the Dean’s Office in the College may override, although this should be the exception, not the rule.
  • A student may not OTE drop if there are pending investigations of scholastic dishonesty for the class in question.
  • If a student has been here longer than two long semesters, then they must have a D+ average or lower in the course to use their OTE. Students in their first two semesters at UT may use their OTE regardless of their grade in the class.
  • Students may use their OTE to withdraw for any reason, except for academic dishonesty, and no professor signature is required.
  • Students with dual majors will need signatures from both colleges.

Brenda also discussed the new “mid-semester deadline.” The deadline for dropping classes, withdrawing and changing classes to pass/fail is now on the same day, which falls on the 60% mark in the semester. This change was made so all deadlines will align with financial aid’s 60% mark. This semester, the mid-semester deadline falls on November 1st. Students must initiate the form by November 1st at 5:00pm and have a grace period of 5 business days to submit the form. Dates on the forms should reflect the November 1st deadline, as the forms will be filled out on the day the drop is initiated.

Dan spoke about the new online grade change process and answered questions.

Professors may now change grade to grade, grade to incomplete, incomplete to grade, and extend an incomplete all online. As we make the transition this fall, both paper forms and the online system will be in use, but in the spring everything will be online. Training sessions and online video tutorials will be available through the student deans’ offices and department chairs.

The Process: Instructors authorized by the department complete the online grade change form, which is then sent to the dean’s office. The dean’s office either approves or denies the grade change and it is sent to the Registrar for final approval. The Registrar then either approves or rejects the decision. Upon approval, the system will automatically change the student’s grade/ symbol and recalculate GPA. The Registrar will update scholastic probation status manually. The Registrar’s Office will notify students of the grade change, possibly by SAN so that it is recorded in the Advisor’s ToolKit.

At the end of Dan’s discussion, the idea of moving fall registration later in the semester to be more in line with the new drop/ withdrawal/ pass-fail deadline was presented. Brenda said that this issue was going to be further discussed in the future, but for now the dates for registration are staying where they are.

9:10   Jennifer Sims, Staff Ombudsperson

Jennifer spoke about her position as Staff Ombudsperson, where she acts as a resource for staff members to speak confidentially and openly about concerns they have concerning their jobs at the University. Her office reports to the Office of the President, not the Human Resources department. Jennifer stressed the importance of confidentiality in her office. They do not keep any records or identifying information on staff members once a case is complete. Jennifer remains impartial in cases, and it is up to the allows the staff member to determine the course of action they wish to take. Jennifer listens to concerns and assists with developing appropriate options. Some common reasons staff members often consult an Ombudsperson include performance evaluations, reorganizations, lay-offs and general work environment stress. Visiting the Ombudsperson’s office is not like going to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), where you can visit during work hours with supervisor approval. Due to her commitment confidentially, she will not sign anything to identify a person to a supervisor. If you cannot make it to her office during work hours, then she can meet you after hours. Jennifer can be contacted via e-mail at staffombuds@austin.utexas.edu or phone at 512-232-8210.

9:25   ACA Committee Showcase Spectacular (Speakers from past committees speak)

Former chairs spoke about their committee involvement last year to encourage members to join and participate this year. Clipboards were available for members to sign up for different committees at the end of the presentation.

Ana Dison spoke about the Professional Development Day and the ACA Mentor committees.

Kristin Tommey and Jay Guevara will chair the Advising Expo this fall. The event will be held in the Student Activities Center from 10am-2pm in the Ballroom. This was a quick decision, and because involvement is so important to the event success, they will gauge the members to see how many could actually participate via online survey. 

Melva Harbin and Kristen Anton are the co-chairs for the R.O.A.D. Committee. They will send an email to ACA when the first meeting will be this fall. All members are encouraged to join/ attend.

Angie Martinez and Alejandra Zamorano are the co-chairs for the FUNdraising Committee.

Juanita Gonzales and Lovelys Powell discussed their recent involvement with the Holiday Planning Committee.

Andrea Chytil spoke about the Nominations Committee.

Wendy Boggs talked about her work with the Awards and Recognition Committee.

9:50   General Announcements

Jay Guevara, ACA Treasurer: Remember to pay your dues and complete your membership application by Oct. 1st.

Kristen Anton: If you’re interested in participating in the UT/ACC Advisor Networking Forum, please register by Sept. 16th at 5:00pm.

New ACA members and staff in new positions were recognized.

Jeff Hallock announced that he is leaving UT to go to St. Edwards University.

Brad Popiolek: Postcards with information about the major exploration website, Wayfinder are available to hand out to students. Please contact Brad if you’d like more, or if you did not pick up your stack of 100 at the meeting. He thanked the ACA membership for all the help in developing the content for the different majors on the site. Wayfinder just added its 100th major. Brad also announced that he is leaving UT to take a job in San Francisco.

Lauren Campbell: The Bridging Disciplines Program has a new BDP program called “Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies,” and they will be holding information sessions for students throught the semester. Postcards with infromation about BDPs are available to hand out to students.

Eirin Gould from the Career Design Center (formerly the Health Professions Office) spoke briefly about some recent service changes. They will have a new website soon and will continue to offer the advising aids for health professions courses online.

**Please check the calendar on the ACA website for meeting dates and times, advising-related events and more! Including:

September 23       UT/ACC Advisor Networking Forum (8am-1pm ACC Cypress Creek Campus)

September 27       Advising Expo (9am-3pm, SAC Ballroom) possible date

October 2-5          NACADA Annual Conference in Denver

October 12           ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Glenn Maloney Room)

November 9          ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Glenn Maloney Room)

December 14        ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, TBA)

 

October 2011

Meeting Date: 

October 12, 2011

 

ACA Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

8:15-10:00am

SSB Glenn Maloney Room

8:15 Breakfast and Social Time

Sponsored by the Business Foundations Program (Thank you!)

 

8:30 Business Foundations Program (BFP)

Regina Hughes thanked the ACA membership for promoting BFP to students and gave tool boxes as gifts. She distributed a brochure for the Haliburton Business Foundations Summer Institute Program and gave an overview of the curriculum and application process. The BFP office is happy to speak to FIGs, student groups, or other interested organizations about BFP and the Halliburton program. Interested parties can contact the BFP office.

BFP Trivia

How many students take BFP courses in any given year? 4,000

What is the total seat count for BFP classes? 10,000

How many students actually complete the BFP certificate? 1,000 (They have increased from 900 last year)

What year did BFP start? 1993

Business Foundations Certificate Program

BFP has two tracks: General and Global. With the Global track, the student must study abroad and achieve fourth-semester proficiency in a foreign language (note: the study abroad experience and language do not have to be related). In order to complete the certificate in either track, students must achieve a 2.0 overall GPA in all of their BFP courses. (An “F” grade in a BFP course does not affect the overall BFP GPA, but the student must repeat the course for credit).

Students can begin taking BFP courses at any point in their undergraduate career and may complete the certificate up to one year after graduation. Certification must be completed through UT, and many requirements cannot be fulfilled by courses taken outside of UT. In a study abroad situation, the BFP office may evaluate the course to determine if the course fits the program.

Regina invited ACA members to considering serving on a committee that would evaluate courses currently on theequivalency lists for the MIS302F and statistics BFP requirements. She shared that many departments offer courses that can fulfill these requirements, but that the current list is outdated due to recent changes. ACA members interested in serving on the committee are encouraged to contact Regina.

Business Summer Enhancement Program

Traditional business courses are open to non-business majors for summer only. Note: Regular business courses do not replace any of the BFP courses, with the exception of ACC 311 and 312, which together can be substituted for ACC 310F.

Haliburton Business Foundations Summer Institute

The Summer Institute is a rigorous program where students take 15 hours of BFP coursework over an 8-week period. Students need an overall GPA of a 3.0 in order to apply.

The summer program includes IB 320F instead of the LEB 320F, so students may choose the global or general track option. LEB faculty serve as guest lectures in IB 320F, so students are still exposed to some business law.

The program has a strong focus on career development and features guests from Google, Microsoft, and other companies to conduct mock interviews with students.

The program costs $4,500 (including textbooks) and is financial aid eligible, but all of the classes in the summer institute are considered out of residence since they are taken through University Extension.

The BFP office is currently accepting applications and a deposit for accepted students is due in February.

 

8:50 Office of Student Financial Services

Veronica Castro covered the updates to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies in the Office of Student Financial Services. The OSFS PowerPoint is available on the ACA slideshare account. Changes to SAP took effect July 1, 2011 and were initiated by the Federal government to prevent ensure that students being awarded financial aid are making adequate academic progress. SAP will now be measured by looking at a student’s GPA and hours, as well as adhering to a maximum timeframe.

The required GPA did not change, students still must achieve a 2.0 or above. OSFS is no longer utilizing the strike system regarding students who fall below full time.

OSFS will now monitor students’ academic progress by calculating “pace.” A student’s pace can be calculated by dividing a student’s cumulative number of hours successfully completed by the cumulative number of hours a student has attempted, to come up with a percent. To be making satisfactory academic progress, current students should have67% or better. Cumulative number of hours successfully completed includes claimed credit by exam credits, transfer courses, UT Extension courses, passing grades in courses at UT, CR courses, and courses completed while studying abroad. Cumulative number of hours attempted includes Q drops, failed courses, Incompletes, temporary delay of completion (X), No Credit course (NC), and withdrawals. Remedial coursework does not count toward pace.

Maximum timeframe: Current students get 180 hours to complete undergraduate program. Students will have to appeal if they go over this total number and want to receive financial aid. Incoming freshmen have a maximum timeframe of 160 hours. SAP will be evaluated at the end of each semester starting Fall 2011.

If students are not meeting pace then they will be placed on one of the following financial aid statuses: warning, probation, probation with academic plan, and suspension. If students are not meeting pace requirements of a 2.0 and 67% or better, then they will receive a financial aid warning. The warning lasts one semester, during which students have the opportunity to raise their GPA and hours percentage to meet pace. Students are then reevaluated at the end of the warning semester, and if they still do not meet pace, then they may appeal to be placed on financial aid probation and continue to receive aid. If appeal is approved, then students may continue with a plan to receive aid for a semester but they are expected to attempt to meet pace by the end of the semester. If students do not meet pace requirements at the end of the semester, they will be placed on financial aid suspension. Students may not apply to receive aid until they meet pace. If and when they do meet pace, then they may apply for financial aid.

 

9:20 Bridging Disciplines Program

Lauren Campbell introduced all the BDP team members: Christine Anderson, Lauren Campbell, Erin ThomasRose Mastrangelo, and Katie Matteson

All BDP areas are 19 credit hours each, and students may apply to do more than one. Students may participate in a BDP and the Business Foundations Program. Some BDP 101 forum seminars are only offered once a year, so if a student doesn’t see the one they want on the course schedule, then it will typically be offered the next semester. Students do not have to be a BDP student to take a BDP 101 course, however if they are not 1st or 2nd year, or a BDP student, they will be asked why they are taking it. These seminars are for students pursuing the BDP program, and are not intended to be used to fulfill certain hour requirements (like for graduation purposes). Apply to BDP: extended deadline is October 17th at 5pm.

 

9:35 Updates from the First-Year Experience Office

Patty Micks gave announcements concerning the First Year Experience Office. The FIG office is currently accepting FIG mentor applications for next fall, which are due November 7 at 5pm.

There are certain signature courses (UGS 302/303) with seats for transfer students and students with upper division standing. Patty will be sending a PDF with the details to the ACA membership. A total of 3,000 seats are being held for this student population. Students must call the Signature Course Office (512-471-4421) during their registration access time to be hand-added to the signature course. It is highly recommended these students call during their first registration access period. Otherwise, they could risk not getting a spot. Signature course advisors cannot add a student to a closed course. The courses are restricted to “true freshmen” and first-year UT students. Several signature courses will be offered in the summer and many will contain writing flag.

Patty explained that according to surveys, students mostly enjoy the UGS signature courses, but there are some who assume the signature courses are going to be easy. The Signature Course Office asks for the help of advisors on campus to educate students about signature courses and explained that they are not easy, but rather are demanding college level classes that aim to prepare them to succeed at the college academic level.

Reminder: Petitions for core requirements should be directed to the Center for Strategic Advising in FAC 338.

A new course UGS 303 “The Ethics of Art and Giving” will be offered in the spring and student are encouraged to apply by October 14th. This opportunity was made possible by an anonymous $100,000 donation and aims to teach students about generosity.

 

9:45 Announcements

The Professional Development Day will be held February 9, 2012 in the Student Activity Center.

A survey is being sent to the ACA membership regarding the 4-year graduation rates. The ACA executives are meeting with the provost on November 1st and need to collect important information for the meeting.

FUNdraising Committee will be doing goodie bags for the November meeting, so please bring money so you can send bags to your co-workers!

Next Meeting: November 9th 8:15-10:15 am, Union 3.304, Quadrangle Room

This meeting is sponsored by the Study Abroad Office as a part of a full day of events with the UT Study Abroad Symposium. Please RSVP by October 24th — you will be given the option on the RSVP to indicate which sessions you will be attending.

 

 

November 2011

Meeting Date: 

November 9, 2011

 

ACA Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

8:00-10:15 am

Texas Union Quadrangle Room (3.304)

8:00 Breakfast and Social Time

Sponsored by the Study Abroad Office (Thank you!)

 

8:30 UT Center for Students in Recovery

Ivana Grahova and Todd Maison spoke about the UT Center for Students in Recovery (CSR), a resource and community on campus that supports students who are recovering from addictions. Ivana and Todd encourage students to engage in social activities that help strengthen their sobriety and provide a variety of related programs and resources, including 12-step meetings every day. The CSR program is a division of University Health Services, but their offices are located in the School of Social Work. The CSR team asks that advisors help spread the word so that students striving to stay in recovery while in college can connect with this community and its resources. Services are confidential, but some students choose to disclose stories about their addictions and road to sobriety. Some individuals may not want this information shared with others (like a potential employer) and in these situations they are protected with confidentiality by the program.

 

8:40 ACA Treasury Updates

Jay Guevara, ACA Tresurer, reported there is $4,395.00 in the ACA account, as well as $547.52 in savings. There are 220 people who have completed the ACA membership application, but not all have paid dues. Please contact Jay to pay your dues, if you haven’t already.

 

8:45 Four-year Graduation Rate Survey Results

Nathan Vickers, ACA President Elect, thanked the ACA membership for their participation in the four-year graduation rate survey during the busy registration time. He presented some of the highlights from the meeting between the ACA executive board and ACA Advisory Council representatives and Provost Steven Leslie and Vice Provost Gretchen Ritter. The group discussed various issues related to four-year graduation rates and some proposals on the University can improve. They discussed implementing mandatory advising, however, it was noted that in many departments there would be too many students and too few advisors to facilitate mandatory advising. Provost Leslie discussed the use of “e-advising” or other tools like MyEdu to lessen the number of students coming in and open up advisors’ time for students in need of more developmental advising. The group also discussed bottlenecks in many high-demand courses during registration. Limited access to certain courses can keep students from progressing in their major and thereby prolong their stay at UT. The idea of creating consistent looking degree plans across majors was tossed out for debate, as was emphasizing a four-year graduation plan at freshmen orientation. According to the survey, ACA agrees that students should be allowed to change their major during the course of their academic career. The group discussed trying to start a conversation with students about sticking to a four-year plan as early as possible so that they understand the various policies and requirements for their college and can plan ahead. Nathan reiterated that several people across campus are working to improve the graduation rates, and that ACA’s input has been helpful to those making the decisions. The ultimate goal is to raise the 4-year graduation rates to 71%. Provost Leslie is very interested in and appreciates ACA’s contributions on how to improve student graduation rates.

 

Announcements

  • The FUNdraising committeeinvites ACA members to participate in our “Goody Bag” fundraiser! For every $1 donation, we will deliver a Goody Bag to an on-campus person you designate. The money collected will go toward the ACA Student & Professional Scholarship fund. We are also accepting candy donations.
  • The FUNdraising committeeinvites ACA members to an American Traditions Potluck on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 from 12:00 – 1:00pm in GSB 5.130.
  • Professional Development Daywill take place Thursday, Feb 9 in the Student Activity Center. The PDD Committee is now accepting proposals! The theme for this year is THRIVE: Transforming, Helping, Resilience, Inspiration, Vision and Education. Please submit your presentation proposals by December 16.
  • The Awards and Recognitions Committeeencourages you to recognize someone you know who does outstanding work by submitting a NACADA advising award nomination. We need your help identifying those individuals and program across campus who deserve to be UT’s representatives in the national NACADA awards competition! We’re hoping to gather as many nominations as possible this year, and have extended the nomination deadline to December 2nd.
  • Cynthia Gladstoneannounced the FLAS Fellowship. She sent a message out with program information to the ACA membership.

 

9:00 Creating Access to Global Education Symposium

Dr. Heather Barclay Hamir, Director of the Study Abroad Office, presented on “The First Abroad Initiative.” Heather discussed her research regarding underrepresented students studying abroad, as well as degree completion rates for students who study abroad versus those who don’t. The goals of the First Abroad Initiative are to increase access to study abroad for a diverse and underrepresented population, enable seamless integration of study abroad into degree progress, and contribue to student retention and success at UT. SAO plans to achieve these goals through scholarships, partnerships, outreach, and mentoring. 250 scholarships over five years will be awarded to first-gen students with financial needs: Hutchinson International Scholars (awarded at admission) and First Abroad Scholarships(students can apply in first/second year of attendance). SAO has internal partnerships with the College of Liberal Arts(for programming and scholarships), the School of Undergraduate Studies (for programming), and Longhorn Scholars Program (for outreach). SAO has extrenal partnerships with The Coca-Cola Foundation (China-specific) and theCouncil on International Educational Exchange. SAO has increased outreach and mentoring through a peer advising program and staff support (Coordinator for Hutchinson International Scholars program, Longhorn Scholars Program advising, and student and departmental outreach).

J.P. Regalado, Senior Program Coordinator for the Longhorn Scholars Program (LSP), spoke about LSP’s services and population of students, as well as its relationship with SAO. The LSP staff works to promote the study abroad exprience to underrepresented students at UT.

Dominick Ruiz, a first-generation student who studied in China last year, also shared his perspective on study abroad.

 

January 2012

Meeting Date: 

January 12, 2012

 

ACA Monthly Meeting

Thursday, January 12, 2012

8:15-10:00am

Norman Hackerman Building (NHB) 1.720

 

8:15  Breakfast and Social Time – Sponsored by ACA

 

8:45  Internal Transfer Panel — click the name of the program to be taken to the Internal Tranfer page

Architecture – Garret LoontjerKatrina Kosted

  • Students can apply once a year, in the spring, for fall admission.
  • Information sessions are held in the fall, and students must attend one. The advisors will meet with prospective students, but they prefer they attend the session first.
  • Students need a 3.25 or higher to be eligible to apply.
  • Katrina emphasized that the essay portion of the application is extremely important.
  • Students can choose to apply to enter into the first-year or second year of the Architecture program. Must have M408C/K and PHY302K+102M to apply to be a second year; also must complete intensive summer design studio program.
  • Physics and calculus are acceptable from ACC, and concurrent enrollment for it is allowed.
  • If non-Architecture students want to take ARC 318K the prerequisite of ARC 308 is not enforced.

 Business – Charles Enriquez

  • Students may apply once a year, in the spring, for fall admission. The application is open from March 1-May 15th.
  • All prerequisite courses needed to apply must be posted to academic record by the May 15th
  • Admission decisions are mostly GPA driven, must have a 3.0 to be eligible to apply, but a competitive student typically has a 3.5 or higher.
  • They receive 350-400 applications a year and admit 250 of them.
  • Students are encouraged to attend an internal transfer sessions. Advisors are in attendance to assist students with application and degree-related questions.

 Communications – Xavier Oaks

  • Students may apply in the fall and in the spring.
  • To apply, students must have a 2.25 GPA or higher, but a candidate with a 3.0 or above has better odds of getting into the college.
  • The College prefers students who have taken communication courses.
  • Application is online. Students also need to include a resume and a statement of purpose as part of the application.
  • A “B” or better is required in ADV 318J for students interested in Advertising or Public Relations.

Engineering – Diana Flannery

  • Students may apply in the fall and spring, with the exception of the Biomedical Engineering program, which only accepts applications in the spring, for fall admission.
  • To apply, you must attend an internal transfer session, which will be online in the future.
  • Students must complete 24 hours in-residence (taken at UT), and have credit for M 408D or M 408M and PHY 303K+PHY 103M.
  • Two GPA’s are considered for admission: 1) Cumulative in-residence GPA and 2) technical in-residence GPA. Technical GPA includes all math, science, and departmental area strengths.
  • If students want to get into restricted courses, they should contact the individual Engineering department on the first class day.

Fine Arts – Roland Garcia

Theater and Dance

Music

Art and Art History

Geosciences – Jesse Garcia

  • Students may apply in the spring (by the May 1stdeadline) for fall admission only.
  • To apply, students must have a 2.5, but most admitted students have between a 3.0-3.3 GPA or higher.
  • Students must complete GEO 401 (or GEO 303) and CH 301 – the more science and math (calculus preferred) completed, the stronger the applicant.

Applied Learning and Development (ALD) & Kinesiology – Richard Hogeda

ALD

  • Students need at least a 2.0 GPA to transfer, however, a 2.5 GPA is required to begin their teaching sequence (which can be 3-4 semesters long).
  • Students in ALD need two semesters of a foreign language.
  • Also required to take a 4-semester sequence of NSC sciences courses for teachers, so they should avoid taking sciences classes before they’re in the program.

KIN and Health Education

  • Students who have attempted0-35 hours can transfer to KIN with a 2.0 or higher. Attempted hours include all grades, Q drops, withdrawals, etc.
  • Students with 36 hours or more need a 3.0 or higher to transfer. GPAs close that are not rounded up.
  • Sport Management and Athletic Training have additional applications, and students should be aware of this before transferring.
  • Advisors meet with prospective students year round except during registration advising

Nursing – Rebeca Trevino

  • In fall 2012, the minimum GPA to apply to pre-nursing will be raised from 2.5 to 2.75.
  • Students must attend an internal transfer information session to be eligible to apply, which students can sign up for online (only 50 students are allowed per session).
  • Note: Students must take anatomy and physiology at the same institution.

Psychology – Joel Mendolusky

  • Students may apply in the fall and spring.
  • Students must have at least a 2.5 UT GPA and UT Psychology GPA.
  • Must attend an internal transfer info session to be eligible to apply.
  • The number of psychology courses completed versus the number of attempted hours completed is taken into consideration for admission.
  • Students must have taken at least one Psychology course in residence to be eligible to apply.

Social Work – Kristen Boyd Kessel

  • Students need a 2.0 GPA if they have 45 hours or more.
  • No GPA requirement if they have fewer than 45 hours.
  • Students may contact Kristen Boyd Kessel or Affiong Eyo if they are interested in transferring to the School of Social Work.
  • Internal transfer perameters will be changing once the 2012-2014 catalog takes effect.

 

8:30  Sustainability Directory

Jim Walker and Alice Gerhart spoke about UT’s new Sustainability Directory, which allows students, faculty, and staff to search for courses, research projects, faculty members, degree programs, and curriculum related to sustainability.

 

9:45  Student Ombudsperson

Due to lack of time, Lauren Bloom will return and speak at a future ACA meeting.

 

Spring Semester Highlights

February 8  ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Glenn Maloney Room)

February 9  ACA/APSA Professional Development Day (8:00-4:00, SAC)

March 7       ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Glenn Maloney Room)

April 4          ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Glenn Maloney Room)

 

February 2012

Meeting Date: 

February 8, 2012

ACA Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

8:15-10:00am

SSB Glenn Maloney Room

 

8:15  Breakfast and Social Time

Sponsored by McCombs School of Business’s Master of Science in Finance program (Thank you!!)

 

8:30  Master of Science in Finance program in the McCombs School of Business

Jay Hartzell and Katie Stephens, the MSF Program Coordinator, introduced McComb’s new Master of Science in Finance program. It’s currently going through the approval process but they expect it to be official soon. It is a one-year program designed for non-business students just out of an undergraduate program. Applicants are not expected to have any work experience, unlike most MBA programs. This program is not intended for business majors; students from a variety of non-business backgrounds will be accepted. Applicants need strong quantitative aptitude and ideally should have taken a statistics course. Applicants who have completed Business Foundations Program will be looked upon favorably.

Program Details: Student will earn five hours in the summer (four weeks) and then 31 hours spread over subsequent fall and spring semesters. A practicum providing “read-world” experience will be taken in their final semester. Tuition is expected to run about $43,000.00, but McCombs plans to offer merit based financial aid to academically strong students. MSF will be holdinginformation sessions throughout the semester. Please refer interested students to these, or to the MSF program coordinator, Katie Stephens.

 

8:55  Business Foundations Program

Regina Hughes spoke about BFP’s two new courses which will be piloted this summer and offered online through University Extension: BA 320F and FIN 320F. A flyer with an overview of the courses has been provided to ACA and is available on the Slideshare account. The BA 320F is a course designed to help students get internship credit, and will be offered on a pass/fail basis. Students will be required to keep a journal and must clock 160 hours or more.

The purpose of the course is to help students gain real-world experience and relevant job skills. Students are responsible for finding their own internships, but if they are struggling, they can contact Regina for assistance. Although it must have some sort of business aspect to be approved, the BA 320F course will not substitute for a listed BFP certificate course. Here is a listing of all BFP summer courses available.

The Haliburton Business Foundations Summer Institute is full and has a waitlist. Advisors should soon be receiving forms, from their students regarding residency, since the courses associated with the Institute are considered out of residence. Added two courses to the summer institute, BA 320F and MAN 337. The MAN 337 course is not counted toward the certificate but assists students with learning how to job search effectively.

 

9:00  Bridging Disciplines Program

Lauren Campbell updated and reviewed ACA on the Bridging Disciplines Program. Students who want to participate in a BDP must be enrolled as a degree-seeker for at least two semesters after the semester in which they apply to the BDP. The BDPs are open to undergraduate students from every college and school. BDP applications are reviewed each fall and spring semester. Although there is no minimum GPA requirement, faculty reviewers look for strong students with genuine intellectual interest in the BDP topic. Note: The program is no longer accepting applicants for the Film Studies BDP. Students should be redirected to either Cultural Studies or Digital Arts and Media BDP.

All BDP certificates are 19 hours each. Students must be seeking a degree in order to complete a certificate. Students may apply to do more than one. Students may pass/fail only one course counting toward the certificate. Students may also participate in the Business Foundations Program while pursuing a BDP.

Forum Seminars: BDP 101 forum seminars are typically only offered once a year, some in the fall and some in the spring. They are intended for first or second year students, those exploring a BDP or those actually pursuing a BDP. They are not meant to meet 1 single hour for graduation purposes.

The connecting experiences component is considered one of the most valuable portions of the BDP. This is where students participate in either research or an internship. All must be preapproved and are overseen by faculty mentors for academic credit.

The office is currently updating the curriculum sheets which will be posted to the website as well as sent to the advising centers.

 

9:20  Texas Success Initiative

Joseph Schaub, the new TSI Program Coordiantor, updated ACA on TSI. TSI is a state mandated college readiness program where students demonstrate their readiness for college-level courses through tests is math, reading and writing. For those students who do not meet these basic skills, then they are required to take developmental courses.

Changes happening with TSI: Beginning in the fall 2012, there is a plan to eliminate the ACUUPLACER, COMPASS, or ASSET tests and only accept scores from the THEA, which UT offers through Student Testing Services at CTL. In addition, the plan calls for raising the minimum acceptable scores on the THEA by 20 points in each area. The new minimum acceptable scores will be:

Math – 250/300, Reading – 250/300, and Writing 240/300. The changes could result in more TSI bars during registration and the number of students needing developmental courses. For more information about TSI, visit this site.

 

9:30  Wayfinder update

Kristin Tommey, the new project manager for Wayfinder, presented some changes and updates to the site.

Wayfinder was founded in 2009 and funded by a grant from the AT&T Center. The website houses information for nearly every major and certificate program at UT Austin. The Wayfinder website has a new login feature where students can save information, including self-assessments and the majors they are currently exploring. Wayfinder is partnering with UT Admissions with the goal of reaching out early to prospective and newly admitted students and encouraging them to participate in major exploration. Kristin has also created a Wayfinder social media presence (via FacebookTwitter, and Wayfinder Blog) as another way to dispense major and career exploration content to students. She also aims to post the internal transfer information on Wayfinder for consistent student/advisor access.

 

9:45  Fundraising Committee update

Angie Martinez and Alejandra Zamorano are collecting slips and donations for goodie bags for the “Month of Love” fundraiser.Jay Guevara also announced that ACA will match the donated amount to help boost the total and encourage people to give.

Update:

This ACA Scholarship fundraiser raised $225!

Last semester’s fundraiser brought in $247!

Add in the $300 matching donation from the ACA Executive Committee for a grand total of:  $772

 

9:50  Awards and Recognition Committee update

Rose Mastrangelo announced the 2012 Vick Award winners and UT Austin’s nominees for the NACADA awards.

Announcement of Vick Award winners: Congratulations!!

Jay Brown – Dept. of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts

Megan Conner – College of Liberal Arts

Tom Griffith – Department of History, College of Liberal Arts

Kristen Boyd Kessel – School of Social Work

Sarah Kitten – Cockrell School of Engineering

 

UT Austin NACADA nominees: 

Pacesetter Award: Dr. Gretchen Ritter, Vice Provost – Executive Vice President and Provost

Outstanding Advising Award – (Primary Role): Monica Malhotra, International Advisor II – International Office

Outstanding New Advisor Award – (Primary Role):  Sarah McKay, Assistant Academic Advisor – School of Undergraduate Studies

Outstanding Advising Award – (Administrator): Elizabeth Hastings, Academic Advising Coordinator – College of Liberal Arts

Outstanding Advising Award – (Faculty):  Dr. Paul Adams, Associate Professor – Department of Geography and the Environment, College of Liberal Arts

Outstanding Advising Program Award:  Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP)

Technology in Advising:  STAR Program – College of Communication

 

9:55  Announcements

Kristen Anton announced the ROAD committee is meeting soon to discuss creating a professional development event this semester. Expect a notice soon.

Jay Guevara reminded Professional Development Day participants to remind their respective departments to pay for the conference.

 

Spring Semester Highlights

February 9 – ACA/APSA Professional Development Day (8:00-4:00, SAC)

February 15 – ACC/UT Marketplace  (ACC’s Rio Grande Campus)

March 7 – ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Glenn Maloney Room)

April  – ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Glenn Maloney Room)

 

March 2012

Meeting Date: 

March 7, 2012

 

 

ACA Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

8:15-10:00am

SSB Glenn Maloney Room

 

8:15  Breakfast and Social Time

Sponsored by Cockrell School of Engineering (Thank you!!)

 

8:30  Cockrell School of Engineering

Laura Wick spoke about the videos she created to help convey routine advising messages in a student-friendly way. The videos have been well received by students.

The first video Laura created is called Susie Q Drop Visits the SAO. It depicts a student arriving at their advising center and receiving information about Q dropping a course.

Laura showed ACA a second video, Moments that Shaped the Cockrell School, which is shown during Freshmen Orientation.

 

8:50  University Health Services and Counseling and Mental Health Services Overview

Sherry Bell, Senior Program Coordinator for UHS, gave an overview of UHS and CMHS services.

Meningitis Vaccination update

Any student entering a Texas institution of higher education this summer under the age of 30 must have proof they received the meningococcal vaccination (bacterial meningitis). Current UT students need to be aware of this new requirement if they plan on enrolling at a community college over the summer. UHS offers this vaccination and the appropriate documentation for verification.

University Health Services Overview

Overall, UHS averages 600,000 contacts with patients a year. UHS uses The National College Health Assessment  to better understand the issues students are facing and figure out how to best tailor UHS programs accordingly. The survey revealed that in the fall 2011, 15% of students reported having a negative academic impact (for example a lower grade in class or on a project/exam, Q drop or withdrawal) due to having a cold, flu or sore throat. UHS understands that healthy students will perform better academically, so they offer several programs to help students stay healthy. For example, UHS offers Cold and Flu presentations during which they encourage students to engage in healthy habits. UHS is also undertaking a sleep campaign, because a large number of students reported that not getting enough sleep negatively affected their academic success.

Research also revealed that 26% of the students who never used UHS were concerned about the quality of care provided. The students who did use their services, however, gave very positive reviews. The same research showed that 7% of students had never heard of UHS, but that 24% would seek healthcare advice from a University staff member. Sherry encouraged advisors to help educate students about the services available at UHS.

Any enrolled UT student may use UHS, and they will receive more services than if they went to their family doctor. UHS has behavioral consultants who work with students who have psychological issues that manifest into physical symptoms. A student may see one of these professionals first if they are reluctant to visit the counseling center. UHS offers a 24-hour Nurse line that students may access anytime, and walk-ins are available in their Urgent Care office. Physicians may be seen by appointment during regular business hours. Not all doctor visits are free; there is a $5.00 charge for regular consultations, but if the student needs more work to be done (like lab tests, x-rays, blood work, etc.), then they may accrue additional charges. Students should consider getting insurance to help them offset costs, because healthcare can become very expensive, especially if they are referred to an outside healthcare professional.

UHS has a Health Promotion Resource Center where they offer classes, information and population-based initiatives. For example, they are launching a campaign encouraging students to eat breakfast, even if it’s “bar food,” like cereal bars.

Counseling and Mental Health Center Overview

Sherry emphasized that CMHC is very accessible to students now. They offer short-term therapy sessions and many group counseling opportunities. They offer same-day appointments and 24-hour telephone counseling for those who are concerned about physically going to a counselor in the center. They offer couples therapy and psychiatric services as well. In crisis situations, call UTPD. If appropriate, staff are encouraged to walk to CMHC with a student in crisis. If you’re concerned about a student’s behavior, make sure to call BCAL (Behavior Concerns Advice Line).

There are 150 people on the UHS staff who maintain high standards of quality healthcare and they are accredited. Both faculty and staff may fill prescriptions with the UHS pharmacy as long as you carry Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance.

 

9:05  Office of the Student Ombuds

Lauren Bloom, UT’s Student Ombudsperson, spoke about her office and the services offered. The University of Texas was one of the first campuses to house an ombuds office (1968). Services are now offered to faculty, students and staff. They see people on walk-in basis, by appointment or over email. The staff prefers in person contact so that conversations are “off record.” It was emphasized that this is a very confidential, informal office where they do not request UT EIDs to assist people. Laura works part time, but she has many graduate students working with her who meet with students. They are neutral, empathetic and do not take sides. Their most frequent visits are from upper-class students with a grade dispute or a problem with a professor.

 

9:20  Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)

Kelli Bradley, a disabilities services coordinator for SSD, gave an overview on SSD policies and services. SSD  provides accommodations and support for student with disabilities. There are a number of accommodations available depending on the student’s particular needs. SSD staff members consult with both faculty and staff regarding students’ accommodations. These accommodations are provided as a result of medical documentation (assessment) that meets federal guidelines — not just a doctor’s note. Once the documentation has been provided, then professors must implement the accommodations that have been determined. Top 3 examples of accommodations: 1) Extended time on tests 2) Reduced distraction in environment 3) Copy of class notes.

Students registered with SSD can take a reduced courseload (minimum 6 hours) and still be considered full time. If they apply for a courseload reduction by the deadline, approved Q drops will not count in the SIX limit.

Many students in need of accomodations aren’t aware that SSD’s services apply to students with “invisible diabilities.” Many are reluctant to register in the first place, but priority registration can sometimes drive a reluctant student to register. Invisible disabilities are the most common disabilties on campus, which include ADHD, psychological disabilities and learning disabilities. Kelli noted that students who have been diagnosed with ADHD have also benefited from meeting with a peer coach in the Sanger Learning Center.

SSD offers walk-ins for students who are seeking initial help in determining whether accommodations are necessary for college. Walk-ins are available 9-4 p.m. and a coordinator will answer general questions. The question was asked whether students should seek help from SLCC or SSD and it was emphasized that students with unidentified disabilities (only suspected) may have deeper issues that just time management, for example, and should first visit SSD. They will then refer them to appropriate offices as needed (they may refer to CMHC instead, depending on the issue).

 

9:50  R.O.A.D. update

ROAD is a professional development resource for advisors on campus. Road co-chairs, Kristen Anton and Melva Harbin, reported what was reviewed during the brown bag for the Professional Development share. They are working on getting a NACADA Webinar over Legal Issues in Advising together for this semester. They are also planning on having a new advisor orientation this spring. Both announced they will be stepping down as co-chairs and invited new advisors to step into this leadership role.

 

9:55  Announcements

On behalf of the Awards and Recognition Committee, Sarah McKay announced that they are currently accepting applications for staff and student scholarships. The application is due March 28th, 2012 at 5:00pm.

 

Spring Semester Highlights

April 4          ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Glenn Maloney Room)

May 8          ACA Monthly Meeting (1:00-3:00pm, TBD)

June 12       ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, TBD)

July 19        ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Stadium)

 

April 2012

Meeting Date: 

April 4, 2012

 

ACA Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

8:15-10:00am

SSB Glenn Maloney Room

8:15  Breakfast and Social Time

Sponsored by the College of Communications (THANK YOU!)

 

8:30  College of Communications – IE Pre-Graduate School Internship 

Tommy Darwin spoke about the IE Pre-Graduate School Internship program. IE helps undergraduate students learn about graduate school and see whether or not it right for them. Currently serving 150 interns, the internship is open to undergraduates in all UT colleges and schools in the fall or spring semesters (not available for summer). It has been discovered that nearly 40% of students who participate decide graduate school is not for them and pursue other interests, but, as a result of the IE experience, many have a better sense of their direction. They have also found this internship particularly helps underrepresented and first-generation students. Participation is contingent upon finding a graduate student mentor and/or faculty member willing to supervise in your chosen field of study. The internships are project based and they start the program by signing a contract with a mentor. Students can earn course credit for the internship (CMS 164M, 264M or 364M). You may refer interested students to Tommy Darwin, the director of the program.

 

8:45  ACC Procedures for UT Students

Audra Sneed discussed the steps students need to take to enroll in courses at Austin Community College.

“ACC is not a “fast food” service!” ACC wants UT students and advisors to know that ACC has an entire application process that needs to be followed before students can attend. It takes 24 hours for an application to ACC to process. Summer ACC sessions have limited enrollment and students must meet prerequisites. Not meeting course prerequisites can result in students being dropped from the course by the instructor. The ACC system will allow students to register for classes without prerequisites, but instructors may drop students who do not qualify. Not following ACC prerequisite policy results in them losing 30% of their tuition. Fulltime at ACC, in the summer, is 12 hours and if students want more hours then they need written approval. First time enrollees should visit first with Admissions/ Records to clear any “holds” and then visit advising. Wait times for advising can exceed an hour during the busy times.

The ACC team reiterated that prerequisites are enforced. The most common offender is not having RHE 309K before trying to take E 316K. The ACC Math department also strictly enforces the calculus requirement. Students must have a TSI score or M 301 (College Algebra), Trigonometry and M 305G (Pre calculus) on record before signing up for calculus I. UT students may also opt to take a departmental assessment ($10.00) to place into calculus.

 

9:15  Office of Admissions

Augustine Garza presented information on the entering class. A record number of students applied to UT for the upcoming fall 2012 semester. Over 35,000 students applied. They expect the incoming freshmen class to be around 7,200. They have about 226 on the admission waitlist, those of which were also offered CAP and are being encouraged to take it. Because of Senate Bill 175 (replaced the old top 10% rule), UT can somewhat control who is admitted to UT and has some room for the non-ten percent group. This gives the admissions staff the opportunity to give applications a “harder look.” Due to this, students who are in the top 10% but did not take seriously their admissions essay and resume may not be admitted into their first school choice and cascaded to their second choice. This has caused some angry students, parents and many appeals. There is no deadline for students to appeal their admissions decision but the longer they wait the less likely it will be approved.

 

9:55  ACA Nominations for 2012-2013

Jennifer Jordan spoke about the ACA office nomination process. Send an email to Jennifer to nominate someone or yourself! Deadline to nominate is May 2nd. If you are running for an office then be prepared to give a brief, candidate speech at the May 8th meeting. View the ACA bylaws for a list of positions and their descriptions.

 

Spring Semester Highlights

May 8          ACA Monthly Meeting (1:00-3:00pm, NHB 1.720)

June 12       ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, TBD)

July 19        ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Stadium)

 

May 2012

Meeting Date: 

May 8, 2012

ACA Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

1:00-3:00 pm

NHB 1.720

 

1:00  Ice Cream Social

Sponsored by New Student Services. Thank you!

 

1:20 Awards and Recognition Committee

Sarah McKay announced the 2011-2012 NACADA Award winners were announced. Congratulations!

Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP): Winner, Outstanding Advising Program

Elizabeth Hastings: Certificate of Merit, Outstanding Advising Award – Academic Advising Administrator

Sarah McKay: Certificate of Merit, Outstanding New Advising Award – Primary Advising Role

The ACA Student Development and Staff Development Scholarship awards were also announced. Winners were awarded $250.00. Congratulations!

Students: Kayleen Freeman (RTF major) and Nancy Cardenas (Government and International Relations and Global Studies double major).

Staff: Patty Micks (Senior Program Coordinator, UGS) and Kristen Kessel (Academic Advisor, Social Work)

The next round of awards is coming up! Nominate someone for an ACA Advising award.

The ACA Awards is your final opportunity in the 11-12 academic year to nominate ACA member(s) for recognition for their devotion to students, innovation, and service/support to the profession. You may submit information for anyone you nominated for NACADA, and you may self-nominate.

Characteristics for these awards:

 

  • Professionals who take initiative and creating positive change– This is a good category for someone who has developed a new system, tool, process, or program within the last three years in your office or college. The committee will consider group impact/interactivity and creativity. If this is an electronic medium, please include a link.
  • People who are dedicated to students– This is a good category for someone who has direct advising interaction with students and makes a positive impact on students on a day-to-day basis.
  • Service to advising profession– This is a good category for someone who is involved with professional development opportunities and/or participates in leadership positions in professional organizations.

 

Please submit your nominations online by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 1st, 2012.

 

1:30  New Student Services

In order to emphasize academics and encourage four-year graduation, there are many changes are happening to summer orientation. Students must complete modules before being allowed to register for classes. Students will need to acknowledge they have read these modules, or they could have a bar placed on their record during the spring registration period in October. Students will be allowed to make up modules.

The modules include:

1)   How to read the course schedule/ How to register

2)   UT mindset

3)   FIG/Signature courses

4)   Changing colleges

5)   Campus resources

6)   Honor code

Freshmen orientation will take place W-F, except the week of July 16-18. The first four freshmen orientation sessions are full.

Freshmen summer orientation dates by college.

Transfer Orientation dates by college.

Day 1 of orientation includes a day for Family Orientation. 

Day 2 of orientation is the academic advising portion where students are pre-advised or advised on the same day. Please note that the session “Making the Transition/ Bevonomics Program is now required.

Day 3 of orientation includes additional academic advising sessions and registration for classes. They are back in FAC (Flawn Academic Center) this day.

Recognition of Alice Andrews who is retiring soon! This was her last ACA meeting and she was an original member! Standing ovation!

 

2:20  UGS Updates

David Spight updated ACA on changes in the School of Undergraduate Studies. The Center for Strategic Advising is now the Center for Strategic Advising and Career Counseling. Their office is moving to the first floor of Jester (where the Career Exploration office was formerly housed). A number of reorganizations have occurred. If a student needs to see an advisor in the Bridging Disciplines Program, then after May 24th, they will go to FAC 330E – not their current location. The portion of the Sanger Learning that works with TA’s and courses will also move to FAC 330E, but the actual learning center (tutoring) will remain in it’s present location in Jester. Longhorn Scholars is moving back to FAC from Carothers and TSI is moving to Carothers, however, if a student has a question about a TSI bar they will need to see an advisor in the CSA office (Jester, after May 24th). The UGS Dean’s office will be moving from FAC to the Tower. Petitions will continue to be received by CSA.

 

Treasurer’s Update

Jay Guevara provided ACA with a Treasurer’s update. ACA’s account has a balance of $4,409.00 and the Professional Development Day earned a profit of $1,515.00 for the organization.

 

2:30  2012-2013 Nominee Speeches

Jennifer Jordan introduced the nominees for the ACA executive board:

Vice-President/Program Chairs:

Co-chair: Kayla Ford (Business) and Kristin Tommey (UGS)

Secretary:

Co-chair: Cynthia Sullivan (UGS) and Julia Chinnock (UGS)

Historian:

Co-chair: Angela Mirabito (Business) and Cynthia Gladstone (Liberal Arts)

Public Relations/ Communications Coordinator:

Mathew Haynes (Liberal Arts)

President-Elect:  

Kelly Strait (Liberal Arts)

Rob Poyner (Natural Sciences)

After the speeches were delivered, an ACA member made a motion to vote in the uncontested positions during the meeting. The majority at the meeting in unison approved the motion. Voting will take place for the contested President-Elect position. Candidate speeches will be posted on the ACA Argosy Blog.

Spring Semester Highlights

June 12       ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, NHB 1.720)

July 19        ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Stadium)

 

June 2012

Meeting Date: 

June 12, 2012

 

 

 

ACA Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

8:15-10:00 am

NHB 1.720

 

8:15  Breakfast and Social Time – Sponsored by School of Undergraduate Studies — Thank you!

 

8:35  Hindi Urdu Flagship

Selina Keilani spoke about the Hindi Urdu Flagship, a federally funded undergraduate program designed for students who wish to achieve advanced professional proficiency in Hindi and Urdu. HUF students complete the program in addition to majoring in a wide variety of programs, including Business, Communications, Engineering, and Liberal Arts. Students who participate may receive a National Language Flagship Certification. There are two program tracks: The first track is 5 years long and designed for students without any background in the language, and the second track is 4 years for students with some basic knowledge of Hindi/Urdu. Students who are highly motivated, academically strong, and have an interest in study abroad opportunities are encouraged to apply. The program works well with any major/ degree option. For more information, you may contact Selina Keilani, Assistant Director.

 

8:50  AlcoholEdu

Kazique (KP) Price spoke about AlcoholEdu, an online alcohol education program available to the entire UT community. This alcohol awareness program is designed to educate drinkers and nondrinkers and help them make healthier choices. The confidential program comes in two parts. Part 1 is to be completed before freshmen come to campus, and part 2 is taken after they arrive. Part 1 should be completed before August 24th and part 2 by October 19th. If students do not complete the online modules, then a bar is placed on their record. The bar prevents students from accessing their end-of-semester grades online. It was noted, however, that students are still able to order official transcripts. The program emphasizes the importance of the health, safety, and academic success of every incoming student.

 

9:10  OSFS Summer Withdrawal Process

Reanna Addison spoke to the membership about upcoming changes. In an effort to comply with federal law this summer, the Office of Student Financial Services will be contacting students to have them confirm their attendance for the second session. Students need to be registered for six hours this summer or their financial aid could be withdrawn. Students should visit their “cash page” and confirm their course selections for the second summer session. University Extension classroom courses are included in financial aid – but not online/ correspondence courses! When second session begins, July 9th, students have until the 4th class day to confirm classes on their cash page.  Advisors may contact Reanna with questions.

 

9:30  Campus Climate Response Team

The Campus Climate Response Team (CCRT) develops the implementation of appropriate responses to campus climate incidents impacting the UT Austin community. The office may be utilized by anyone in the campus community (faculty, staff, students). Lately, their most frequent incidents involve derogatory comments posted on social media. They serve as a referral hub to UTPD and Dean of Students.

The core functions of the CCRT include:

  • Investigating and managing specific incidents
  • Supporting individuals involved, including both those targeted by an incident and those who initiated the incident
  • Providing appropriate and effective education
  • Identifying and connecting with appropriate support services
  • Evaluating the response process post incident
  • Coordinating, when appropriate, activities with other campus-wide entities, especially those involved with crisis management.

In addition, through the work of the CCRT, potential gaps in UT Austin policies and procedures that may impede the university’s ability to minimize campus climate incidents may be addressed, increasing the likelihood of creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment.

9:40  Announcements

Next ACA meeting is July 19th and will be in the stadium with Athletics as the sponsor.

Susan Brown announced that the Astronomy Student Association is hosting star parties during the second day of freshmen orientation this summer. They will be held on the roof of RLM.

Encourage students to enroll in a FIG because UGS 302/303 and PSY 301 will be difficult to get into on their own!

RHE 306 will open seats every week during orientation.

Summer  Highlights

July 19        ACA Monthly Meeting (8:15-10:00am, Stadium)

 

ACA Argosy Blog

http://theargosy.blogspot.com/

 

ACA Website

http://www.utexas.edu/staff/aca/

 

July 2012

Meeting Date: 

July 19, 2012
ACA Monthly Meeting

Thursday, July 19, 2012

8:15-10:00 am

Red McCombs Red Zone, Stadium

 

8:15  Breakfast and Social Time –  Breakfast provided by Athletics (THANK YOU!)

 

8:30  Welcome

Athletics welcomed the ACA membership and thanked us for the work we do for their students. Athletics’ Advisors  introduced themselves and each briefly mentioned their roles specifically within the department. The athletics academic counselors team is broken into pods, with each pod being responsible for a particular program or project. Pods include eligibility, mentoring/tutoring, career services, community service, and resources.

Kat Richter, head of the eligibility pod, reviewed the NCAA’s academic eligibility guidelines for UT athletes.  She also announced that seven teams received recognition by the NCAA for their APR (academic progress report) scores. 20 UT alumni are participating in the 2012 Olympics, representing seven countries.

Dr. Tina Kien, the head of the new athletic’s career services, spoke about the services they now provide, including: resume workshops, graduate school night, “After Texas” (for students not going pro), and more.

Jonathan Edwards manages the mandatory study hall.

Jason Bourgeois helps to coordinate advising night, an opportunity for student athletes to connect with advisors across campus.

Annette Smith Knight, who was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame,  oversees the community service pod. Student athletes volunteer with numerous organizations in the area, including Dell Children’s Hospotal, Orange Santa, Marathon Kids, and Neighborhood Longhorns.

A recent student athlete shot-putter graduate, Jacob, spoke about his experience adjusting to campus life and academics with the support of the athletics counselors and the UT academic advising community.

 

8:50 Awards and Recognitions Committee

Sarah McKay and the Awards Committee presented the following awards:

Award winnders received plaques and $50 checks. Thank you to the members of the Awards Committee for their hard work in determining who would be this year’s recipients.         

9:00 Committee Awards and Recognition

ACA Committee Chairs  recognized and thanked members of their committees and recapped significant accomplishments of committees (see handout on Slideshare)

  1. Awards and Recognition Committee, Rose Mastrangelo & Sarah McKay
  2. Advisory Council, Nathan Vickers
  3. Advising Expo, Jay Guevara & Kristin Tommey
  4. Holiday Program Committee, Jay Guevara
  5. Professional Development Day Committee, Angela Mirabito
  6. Resources for Ongoing Advisor Development (R.O.A.D.), Kristen Anton & Melva Harbin
  7. Executive Committee, Theresa Thomas

 

9:20 Executive Summary

Theresa Thomas, ACA President, gave a recap of year (see speech on Slideshare).

 

9:35 Swearing in of new Executive Committee Members

This year, all incoming executive board members recited an oath of office:

“I (state name), as duly elected officer of the Academic Counselors Association at The University of Texas at Austin, do swear to faithfully fulfill the duties of this office as outlined in the Bylaws and  to the best of my ability, I will uphold the mission of the Academic Counselors Association and The University of Texas at Austin.”

 

ACA Argosy Blog http://theargosy.blogspot.com/