Fall Break and Perspective

For most people, Fall Break can't come fast enough…that's how I always felt when I was an undergrad at Scranton.  Don't get me wrong; it's a wonderful and exciting community to be a part of but mid semester tends to be a little overwhelming.  After long nights or early mornings spent in exam preparation, some students can head home feeling a little overwrought.  I hope you all enjoy a break full of family, friends, relaxation and maybe a little catch up time but that you also take advantage of the next couple of days to regain you perspective and to remember that despite all the stress involved in obtaining your education, it truly is an enormous blessing that few get to claim.

Malala Yousafzai

It is important to remember that while studying may feel burdensome at times, throughout the world, people are willing to risk everything for a chance to receive an education.   Malala Yousafzai, sixteen-year-old Nobel Prize nominee and advocate for education rights for women and girls, has demonstrated this reality through her fearless action an eloquent speech, openly opposing the Taliban when they came to her home in the Swat Valley of Pakistan and eventually forbade girls there to attend school.  On October 9, 2012, she was shot in an attempt to silence her defiance but she miraculously survived and continues her campaign.  Despite the terror she has faced, she remains dauntless and speaks of justice and peace rather than hatred and retribution.  

She reminds us that education is about so much more than obtaining a degree or entry into a lucrative career.  It’s about freedom, dignity, the expansion of understanding and purpose and a means to gaining power over one’s circumstances.  As a means of shaking off ignorance and challenging oppression it can bring light to the dark places of the world.  She explains in this video, “Education is a power for women and that is why the terrorists are afraid of education.”

You can watch her powerful interview with Jon Stewart here. 

College life can difficult but it is also tremendously rewarding.  If you feel overwhelmed, come to see an advisor.  We can help ensure you are making the most of your educational opportunities and can help you find ways to navigate the challenges you may be experiencing!

Have a wonderful, happy and safe break and take time to ask yourself, what is the purpose of my education?  Why am at Scranton?

Katherine Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
Katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Fall Into the Advising Center for Registration!

You may feel like you've really just started your first semester but it's already time to start planning for the spring!  Picking your classes for the first time can be a stressful and overwhelming but the CAS Advising Center Staff is here to help demystify the process for you!

Follow these steps and you will be prepared for your appointment!

 

Pick Up Your Advising Materials!

If you haven't done so already, stop by the Advising Center in STT 209 to pick up your advising materials.  You will get your Appointment Letter which will tell you when you are scheduled to come in to meet with an advisor to get your schedule approved.  You will also receive your personal CAPP sheet and a registration form.

We're waiting for you!!

Attend a Registration Information Session

Each academic department will be hosting its own information session to help you prepare for your advising meeting.  These sessions will provide you with information specific to your major.

 If you are undecided, the CAS Advising Center is offering the following sessions to help you prepare:

September 30, 2013
12-12:50—LSC 333

2-2:50—BRN 102

4:30-5:20—HYL 102

5:30-6:20—HYL 102

October 1, 2013

9-9:50—LSC 333

2:30-3:20—MGH 110

3:30-4:20—MGH 110

October 2, 2013

9-9:50—HYL 102

12-12:50—LSC 333

2-2:50—BRN 102

October 3, 2013

 9-9:50—LSC 333

2:30-3:20—MGH 110

October 4, 2013

9-9:50—LSC 333

12-12:50—LSC 333

 

Before your appointment—Completely fill out your course Registration form. To do this you will:

• Fill out the Semester Questionnaire in your appointment letter envelope.
• Review the online catalog (www.scranton.edu/catalog) to determine what major and cognate courses are required for your major for the spring semester.
• Review your CAPP to determine your progress in completing required general education courses. Decide which ones you would like to complete in the fall.
• Use the purple sheet to guide you in accessing the online course search. Look up the courses you plan to take. Choose the specific sections for which you intend to register.
• Put all course information on the Course Registration Form. Don’t forget to record all the CRNs and days and times for each course. (see example)

On the day of your appointment—arrive on time for your appointment.

Bring your completed Semester Planning Guide and your completed Course Registration Form. At this appointment, you will discuss your intended schedule with an academic adviser. Once your adviser approves your schedule, he or she will give you a registration term PIN.

On Registration Day

Friday, November 22—use your PIN to go online and register for your courses for the spring 2014 semester. Your PIN will become active between 3 and 4:15pm. Once it becomes active, you can go online to register for the classes your adviser approved. Your PIN stays active until the end of the first week of class in the Spring 2014 Semester. If you experience difficulty in registering, call the CAS Academic Advising Center (570-941-6323).  Details of this will follow in future blog posts.

Academic Difficulty and Dropping a Course--How to Stay Afloat

Welcome freshmen! The semester is in full swing and you should be beginning to get adjusted to life at Scranton.  You also should have a fairly good feel for your class schedule and probably have had a few tests or quizzes.  You have been completing assignments and attending classes for a month at this point.  With all this under your belt, you may be feeling confident about your academic abilities.  However, what do you do if things aren't going so well?

Ask for help!

From your faculty:

The first step you should take if you are struggling in a course is to seek help!  The staff and faculty are all eager to assist you.  Discuss your concerns with your professor.  He or she has likely heard it all before and has seen students succeed and fail many times.  Your professor is an excellent resource for study strategies.  Generally speaking, professors look much more kindly upon the struggling student that seeks help than the student who seems unconcerned about poor academic performance.   When grades are calculated, sometimes it helps if your professor has witnessed you making a genuine effort. 

From your advisor:

The advising staff in the CAS Advising Center can often help you troubleshoot your academic difficulties or can help you determine what your next move should be.  We are aware of resources that you can take advantage of and have experience helping freshmen successfully transition to college.  We love talking to students and helping them get on the right track.  Stop by and see us!!!

From CTLE:

The staff of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence can assist you in a multitude of ways.   They can provide you with tutors or help you to become a better reader.  CTLE is also responsible for providing disability services.  The staff of the Writing Center can review your writing to help you improve your papers.  The students who perform the best at Scranton are usually the ones who avail themselves of these services.  Visit their website to learn how they can help you succeed!!

What if Nothing is Working?!

So what if you have tried all these things and you are still performing badly in a class?  Or what if you hate the class and can't face attending it even one more time?  Come and talk to an academic advisor about your options!  Wednesday, September 25, 2013 is the last day to drop a course without a grade. If you drop a course at this point, it will not appear on your transcript and will not be calculated into your GPA.  If you drop between September 26 and November 11, you will receive a "W" for the course.  An advisor can help you decide what the right option for you is.

If you decide to drop the course, you will have to obtain a drop form from the CAS Advising Center, obtain the signature of your professor and Mrs. Butler, the Assistant Dean by 4:30 September 25.  This can be a time consuming process so don't delay if you believe you want to drop.


As always, we are here to answer your questions.  Stop in, call or email me!

Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Summer Orientation

Welcome, Freshmen, to your first days at Scranton!!  Summer Orientation is officially underway here and the campus is in a flurry of activity.  We only began Orientation 2013 just yesterday but so far, all of my interactions with students and parents have only reaffirmed that our community truly boasts the most interesting, kind and wonderful people anywhere.  I feel privileged to have such a wide window into the lives of so many unique individuals.  I have continually been impressed by the passion and enthusiasm I have encountered in the Class of 2017!  Thank you to all the wonderful students and parents who have shared their stories with me.  I am exited and  honored to be able to help you write the next chapter of that tale!  All of us in the CAS Advising Center look forward to meeting the entire incoming class in the days ahead. If you haven't made it to Scranton for summer orientation yet, here is a little of what you can expect from the College of Arts and Science Academic Advising Center when you arrive!

Check-in

A face to a name: Kevin Abbot and Katie Robinson

On Day One of every session, Kevin Abbott and I are working check-in between 8am and 9am.  The Orientation folks have divided you into groups based upon your major or area of study.  If you have had an epiphany and have decided you want to change or declare your major, stop in and see us in the morning so we can be certain that you are in the orientation program that is tailored to your specific information needs!  We are also there to answer any general academic questions or just to meet you if you want to stop and say hi!  We will be seated in DeNaples Hall on the 1st floor near the stairs!  You can also meet reps from other AACs!

Group Advising

At 3:15pm on Day One of every session, either a professional advisor or a faculty advisor will be leading an advising session for your entire group.  During this hour, we will be providing valuable information about your fall class schedule and your transition to academics at Scranton.

Individual Advising

On various times on both Day One and Day Two, all freshman in CAS will be meeting one-on-one with an academic advisor.  This is an opportunity for you to learn about your placement test results, adjust your schedule, change your academic program, obtain information about services at Scranton and get to know faculty and staff!  This experience is crucial for students and advisors alike so don't miss it!

Post Orientation

The CAS Academic Advising Center stays open all summer.  If you have questions or want to make adjustments after orientation, we are here to help!

Looking forward to working together!  Follow our blog for updates about the Advising Center move and the academic information that matters most to you!!

Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

I Have Some Reservations About that Class...

Over the course of the last couple weeks, the CAS Advisors have been sifting through registration difficulties to help you get the most ideal schedule possible.  However, if you received the "reserve closed" error during registration, there wasn't very much we could do to help you...until today!!

What does it mean if I receive the "reserve closed" message?

Many majors offered at the University of Scranton require specific courses to be taken at specific times during a student's academic career.  Not getting these classes by a certain point could place a student in peril of not graduating on time.  Therefore, to ensure that this does not happen and that all University of Scranton students have a fair opportunity to graduate in four years, departments temporarily reserve seats in required classes for their declared majors and minors.  Students are generally granted one week after Freshmen Registration to claim their reserved seats. 

The Reservations Have Been Removed!

For most classes, reservations are being removed today.  The process officially began at 8:30am but may not be completed until later in the day.  If you think the reservation should have been removed from a class but you are still unable to register for it, you can call our Assistant Dean, Mrs. Butler at 570-941-7562 or email her at gina.butler@scranton.edu to seek additional information.  

Not all reserves get removed.  Some sections have seats reserved for incoming freshman.  Others are reserved for seniors only.  These seats will continue to be reserved. 

I Have a Problem You Didn't Mention!

If you have any other issues, please let us know!  We are aware of certain concerns, such as the fact that organic chemistry is closed, and we are working with department chairs to address them, but you should email me so I am aware of your situation.  If you are holding out for a particular professor or time in any class, grab a seat in a less ideal section and email the advising center to get your name added to the wish list.  We check course enrollments each day and if we see an open seat and you are next on the list, we will add you to the course.  It's a long summer and people change majors, leave the university or realize that they no longer are permitted to continue in certain classes.  Seats may open up!

Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Dropping a Course

Academic Difficulty

Midterm grades are in and things aren't going so well in that one class.  You got a deficiency report and an email from the Advising Center and you are wondering if you should stick it out or drop the class.  The decision to drop a course at this point in the semester is not to be made lightly.  You've come so far and probably committed a significant quantity of time and tuition dollars to this course.  You might be concerned about your GPA but equally worried about the impact of a "W" on you future goals.  The last day to drop a course is April 11 so you can't put off a decision much longer...what's the right choice?

Know the Facts
Earning an "F" or a "D" can have a serious and detrimental impact on your GPA.  If your overall GPA falls below a 2.0, you will be placed on academic probation and potentially face dismissal.  While you can reverse the impact on your GPA by retaking the course in a future semester (at The University of Scranton only-not at another institution), the first grade will always remain on your academic transcript.  You do not earn credit for any course in which you earn an "F".  

A "W" does not impact GPA.  While it also remains on your academic transcript forever, it will not impact your academic standing and is generally not viewed as negatively as an "F" or a "D".  Taking a "W" might not be the right choice for everyone but it can sometimes be the only way to make the best of a bad situation.

Deciding What to Do
So should you drop or stick it out?  There is no easy answer but there are some steps you can follow to help you arrive at a decision:

• Talk to your professor.  Don't skip this step even if you are worried that he or she is unapproachable or that the meeting will be awkward.  Talking to your professor can help you determine exactly where you stand in the course.  At this meeting you should be trying to figure out the answers to questions like:  what exactly is my grade right now?  What is contributing to my deficiency at this point?  (test or quiz grades? attendance? projects?)  What is the maximum grade I can receive in this course?  Is it realistic to think I can pass?  If I remain in the course, what strategies can I employ to maximize my efforts?

• Talk to an advisor.  We can help you sort out the facts and weigh your options.  There is a lot of information to consider.  For example, for some courses, you only have to pass.  In some, you must earn a "C" or better.  In that case, hanging on for a "D" doesn't make sense.  We can also help you determine what your options are for repeating a course.  If you decide to remain in the class, we can connect you with resources to make your semester more successful.  If you decide to drop, you can start the process in our office.  

• Talk to Financial Aid.  In order to maintain financial aid and scholarships, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of above a 2.0 and must maintain the PACE requirement established for their academic class.  PACE is the total percentage of the courses for which a student is registered after the drop date (March 1, 2013) that he or she completes.  Freshmen and Sophomores must complete 65% of the courses while juniors and seniors must complete 70% of courses.  Contact the Financial Aid for information regarding how your drop might impact your PACE.

 Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu