Lincoln College. Advisor handbook

Transcription

1 Lincoln College Advisor handbook

2 Philosophy and Goals of Advising Philosophy The primary objective of academic advisement at Lincoln College is to assist students in realizing their maximum educational potential. Many aspects of academic advising are aimed at helping students determine and attain their educational and career objectives, achieving a GPA commensurate with their abilities, and developing a meaningful relationship with their advisors. Academic advising should include all facets of academic planning: deciding on semester course plans, adding/dropping courses, CASP, midterm grade reviews, and additional attention, if needed, to monitor academic performance. Because of the strong commitment at Lincoln College to personal student mentoring/advisement, faculty members serve as academic advisors. The advisor's role is primarily one of consultation and guidance, students must ultimately assume full responsibility for the course of their educational careers. Goals The goals of the academic advising program are to To guide students toward a better understanding of the requirements for their program of study. To assist students in the proper utilization of the resources, systems and personnel on campus. To share strategies and techniques that will the increase a student s chance for personal success and goal attainment. To advocate on behalf of student concerns within the college. To review periodic status reports to recommend a course of action. 2

3 Organizational Structure Coordinator for Academic Advising The Coordinator for Academic Advising is appointed by and reports to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The duties of the Coordinator for Academic Advising are to Recruit and train new academic advisors. Assign advisees to advisors. Maintain a reasonable ratio of advisees to advisors. Collaborate with Director of Transition and the Admissions Office on summer registration date planning. Coordinate advisors during registration periods. Be a resource to all academic advisors about policies, procedures and techniques. Produce and maintain advising documentation that will assist students and advisors in choosing the best track of courses to meet students' academic goals and needs. Provide opportunities for professional development for academic advisors Maintain advising data and implement an evaluation process of the advising system 3

4 Advisor Responsibilities To be knowledgeable about AA/AS degree and program requirements and explain this information to the student in a way they will understand it. Offer advice on course selection and help students develop an academic plan that moves them toward graduation. Keep regular office hours and be available for appointments. Contact students if they have concerns about your attendance or grades in your classes. Help students clarify goals and discuss actions necessary to meet those goals. Monitor student progress and keep advising records and meeting notes. Stay up-to-date about advising policies and procedures and program changes. Refer students to appropriate campus resources as needed (i.e. Transition Services, Academic Success Center, Student Counseling, etc.) Guide, encourage and support student development while preparing them for your next step in their academic journey. Time Commitment There are times in the typical semester when students are more likely to seek out and need help from their advisors. These times coincide with add and drop periods for classes. Advisors will have to make sure they have regular office hours each day and make appointments with their advisees during these periods. They include: First Full Week of classes. CASP Report time (after the fourth week), Week before Mid-semester break and two days after mid-term classes begin. Three days leading up to registration for the following semester. Orientation (4 out of 6 sessions each summer) Training and Professional Development New advisors will go through new advisor training which consists of MyLynx use, programs of study, AA/AS checksheets, academic policies and procedures. This will be conducted early in the new school year or over the summer if time allows. All advisors are expected to participate in advisor professional development opportunities each semester in order to stay up to date with academic policies and procedures, degree requirements, and any other necessary information. 4

5 Good Practices of Academic Advisement Treat students with respect and teach them to accept responsibility for their own actions and choices. Proactice active listening. Demonstrate interest and helpful involvement to establish a productive relationship. Be generous and flexible with office hours. As often as possible, set goals for students; they react well to realistic predictions that suggest hope for success. Help students be mindful of transfer issues; when to apply, how to find degree requirements, transfer courses, etc. Take initiative with students; do not wait for them to contact you. Be realistic with care, help students recognize their possible limitations. Follow up on commitments made to advisees. Teach the language of higher education, e.g., Associates in Arts, general education requirements, Illinois Articulation Initiative, articulation. 5

6 Academic Policies Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Students, their parents, their advisors and their instructors form a group who work together towards a successful college experience. To this end, it is often important to share information. In order to do this and to be in compliance with FERPA, Lincoln College requests written permission of the student. Advisors and Instructors are free however to share information with parents whose student have been claimed as a dependent on their parent's taxes. Advisors must be aware of the status of each advisee. CASP Reports Concern About Student Progress (CASP) reports are collected at the end of the fourth week of classes. Parents and advisors of students receiving grades of "D" or "F" receive written comments from instructors indicating an explanation of the students' lack of progress, as well as recommendations and comments. Advisors share this information with advisees and take appropriate actions that may include signing up for tutoring, making appointments with individual instructors or withdrawing from a course. Midterm Grades Midterm grades are collected at the end of the eighth week of classes. The midterm grades are essentially progress reports and are not computed in a student s grade point average. A copy of the midterm grades is sent to the legal home address provided by the student. Academic advisors may commend advisees for good performance or improvement, while those advisees with poor grades or indication of decline in performance may be counseled to determine the necessary course of action. It may be appropriate to direct advisees to individual instructors for help or to refer the students to the Academic Success Center for assistance. Transcript Requests Requests for official transcripts must be made in writing to the Registrar s Office, and a $5.00 processing fee must accompany each request. No transcripts will be released until the student has met all financial obligations to the College and has submitted all required documents, such as final high school transcripts and official G.E.D. results. Repeating a Class If a student elects to repeat a course, the last grade received will be used in computing the cumulative grade point average. However, all grades received will be recorded on the permanent record, and other institutions may include all grades in evaluating the student s record. Graduation Requirements and Responsibilities Students need to complete the Graduation Application at least one semester prior to when they plan to graduate. Students are allowed to participated in graduation ceremonies if they are 7 credit hours (or less) short of the graduation requirements. Students intending to do this must complete the Transfer Coursework for Degree Completion Petition and submit it to the Registrar s Office. Academic Standing Good standing: cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher Probation: Cumulative GPA less than 2.0 (maximum enrollment of 15 credit hours) Suspension: Cumulative GPA less than a 2.0, subsequent semester GPA is also less than a 2.0 6

7 Academic Probation Students with a cumulative GPA less than a 2.0 will be notified of their Academic Probation by the Registrar s Office and by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Students on Academic Probation are limited to an enrollment of no more than 15 credit hours. Students transferring to Lincoln College will enter on Academic Probation if their cumulative grade point average from other institutions is below Students re-entering Lincoln College after having been academically dismissed from any other institution of higher learning will reenroll on Academic Probation. Transfer students and re-entering students placed on Academic Probation are limited to an enrollment of no more than fifteen semester hours. Students who are on Academic Probation will remain on probation until they bring their cumulative GPA to a 2.00 or higher, and continue to earn a 2.00 each semester they are enrolled. Academic Suspension Students who are on Academic Probation and who do not achieve 2.00 gpa for that semester will be suspended from Lincoln College. The first suspension is for one semester. Subsequent suspensions are for one calendar year. Students placed on suspension for one calendar year must apply for readmission to Lincoln College. Academic Suspension Re-Enrollment (Petition to return early) A student placed on academic suspension may petition the Vice President for Academic Affairs for an early return to Lincoln College. The petition form must be accompanied by a written statement from the student explaining the basis for the petition. If the petition is approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the student will be permitted to return to Lincoln College on Academic Probation and carry a course load of no more than fifteen semester hours. Conditions of re-enrollment will also include specific attendance requirements and use of academic support services to assist the student in returning to Good Academic Standing. A student permitted to re-enroll through petition must earn 2.00 GPA or higher in that semester in order to continue enrollment the next term. A student who does not earn an institutional GPA of 2.00 that semester will be dismissed from Lincoln College for one calendar year. Students may be granted an early return from dismissal by petition only one time. Academic Renewal The Academic Renewal Policy allows Lincoln College students with a cumulative GPA below 2.00 to have one opportunity to make a fresh start at the institution after an absence of three calendar years from any postsecondary institution. Students can be granted Academic Renewal only once. Students must apply for Academic Renewal in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. If a student is granted Academic Renewal, credit for previously completed coursework, including any transfer work, will be retained only for courses in which a grade of A, B, or C has been earned. Credit for D grades will be forfeited. Retained grades are not calculated in the Academic Renewal GPA but are counted as hours earned. Any scholastic suspensions that occurred in the past will remain recorded on the student s academic record. The Academic Renewal GPA begins with the first term of re-enrollment. The granting of Academic Renewal does not supersede financial aid policies regarding satisfactory academic progress. 7

8 Courses Transferred to Lincoln College - Transfer hours are applied to the total number of hours needed for graduation - Only those hours earned at Lincoln College will be used to compute a student s cumulative grade point average. - If all the work completed by a student at any other accredited college averages 2.00 or better, D s may be accepted; if not, then only C s and above will transfer.* Courses accepted by Lincoln College for a particular student are listed and placed in the advisor s file. The advisor should take this into account when scheduling classes with the advisee. Students must complete their final 27 credits while a student at Lincoln College to receive a degree, unless a Transfer Coursework for Degree Completion Petition is approved, in which case a student can transfer back up to 7 of the last 27 credit hours to earn a degree. Course Loads - A student must maintain enrollment in a minimum of 12 semester hours to be considered a fulltime student. o Students must be full-time in order to live on campus. o If it is in the best interest of a student to withdraw from a course, which takes them to part-time status, advisors can contact the VP for Enrollment Management and Student Services to request an exception to allow the student to remain living on campus. - Students who receive the State of Illinois MAP grant must take 15 credit hours in order to get the full amount of the award. (Contact Financial Aid to verify whether or not the student receives MAP funding.) - Students may not enroll in more than 18 hours in any semester without the written permission of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Course Changes No student may withdraw from a course, add a course, or change from one section of a course to another without the consent of the advisor. Independent Study (Course numbers: 176, 177, 276, 277) A student may arrange for independent study with an instructor if there is demonstrated need for such an arrangement. The instructor and the student must complete an Independent Study Proposal form available in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Independent Study Proposal must be approved by the appropriate instructor, Division Chair, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. 1. This approval procedure must be completed before work on the Independent Study begins. 2. A student may receive credit for no more than one Independent Study course per semester. 3. An Independent Study course may be approved for one or two hours of credit but will not be approved for more than two hours of credit. 4. All Independent Study courses must be officially approved and filed prior to the seventh week of the semester. 5. Independent Study credit may be used only for elective credit in fulfilling degree requirements. Student Class Status Freshman...Less than 30 credit hours Sophomore credit hours or more 8

9 Advisement Procedures Assigning/Changing Advisors The Coordinator for Academic Advising assigns advisees to advisors. In most cases, academic and extra-curricular interests are the determining factors. A student who wishes to change advisors must make the request to the Coordinator for Academic Advising (room B2 Gehlbach Hall). Adding Courses Advisors can add courses up until the posted drop/add deadline in MyLynx. After the deadline, students can not be added into a course without the approval of the Dean of Academic Affairs. Dropping Courses Advisors can drop a course on MyLynx through the drop/add period. After that deadline, they must complete the Drop/Add form with the student, and have the student submit the form to the Registrar s office. There are two deadlines during the semester that students and advisors need to be aware of as it pertains to dropping courses. - Drop with a W: students dropping before the WF grading begins will receive a W on their transcript, which will not affect their GPA. - Drop with a W/WF: students earning a C or higher during this period will still receive a W if they drop a course during this period. If they are earning a D or F, they receive a grade of WF, which computes as an F into their GPA. Things to consider when withdrawing from a class: o It could delay graduation or being able to transfer to a 4-year institution o It could impact Financial Aid Financial Aid calculations for satisfactory academic progress include all attempted courses, which includes withdrawals. 9

10 Degree Checksheet Basics Language and Humanities Requirements - 18 hours o ENG 101 (3) o ENG 102 (3) o SPE 101 (3) o Remaining 9 hours must come from 2 of the 3 areas (Humanities, Fine Arts, Language & Communication) In order to meet IAI requirements, students must take 1 Fine Arts course that is IAI approved (in bold on the checksheet) Natural Sciences - 7 hours o 1 course from Life Sciences o 1 course from Physical Sciences - 1 course must be a lab Mathematics - 3 hours for Associate of Arts - 6 hourse for Associate of Science o Math 091 is not credit-bearing o Math 101 counts toward 4 hours of elective credit Social Sciences - 9 hours o Must come from at least two different disciplines within the Social Sciences Physical Education (only for Associate of Arts) - 2 hours o HEL 101 is a 2 credit class, but only 1 credit applies to this requirement * Final 27 hours must be completed at Lincoln College - advisors can petition for 7 of the last 27 hours to be transferred back * Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in order to graduate - reminder--- grades earned in transfer courses will not help the student s gpa 10

11 Financial Aid & Satisfactory Academic Progress In order to be considered for any type of institutional grants or aid, students must complete a FAFSA each year. Advisors should encourage their students to submit their FAFSA as soon as possible each year in order to be considered for all types of aid that they could be eligible for. - Those students who receive the MAP grant from the State of Illinois should try to submit their FAFSA no later than the end of February in order to have the best opportunity to receive continued funding In order to receive the full amount of aid awarded, students must be at full-time status (12 credit hours during fall or spring, 6 credit hours in the summer). - Students receiving the MAP grant must take 15 credit hours to receive the full amount of the award Students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to continue receiving federal or state financial aid. This means students must meet the following requirements: pass at least 67% of all credit hours attempted Cumulative GPA (for classes taken at Lincoln College) must meet or exceed the Financial Aid guidelines (see current catalog) Students are allowed a maximum of 150% of a program s length to complete a degree Students not making satisfactory academic progress will be notified at the end of the spring semester if their aid will be suspended. Students can appeal that decision in writing to the Director of Financial Aid. The appeal must explain the mitigating cicumstances that caused the student not to make satisfactory progress, as well as their plan for improving in the future. Students who are granted an appeal, will be allowed to keep their aid if they comply with the SAP Recovery Plan. Waiver of A.A. or A.S. Degree Requirements In special circumstances students may petition the Academic Committee at Lincoln College for waiver of graduation requirements for the A.A. or A.S. degree. When petitioning the Academic Committee for waiver of degree requirements, the following items must be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs: 1. Completed petition (forms may be obtained from the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs). 2. Copy of the student s Lincoln College transcript. 3. Copy of the student s graduation audit showing the current course schedule. Withdrawal from College Students planning to withdrawal from all classes for any reason are required to notify the Vice President for Student Services. If students withdraw from the College between the beginning date of the semester and the posted date for withdrawal without penalty, they receive a W for each course. Grades for students who withdraw after the posted deadline for withdrawal without penalty will receive a W for courses in which they are earning a C or higher, or a WF in courses in which they are earning grades of D or F. 11

12 Resources for Advisors NACADA (National Academic Advising Association) NACADA is probably the best advising association out there, and the website offers a wealth of information for advisors, from novice to veterans. The most useful information on this site is housed under the NACADA Clearinghouse. This section features member written articles addressing more than 250 advising topics. Annotated bibliographies help advisors read more about issues and member suggested web links also connect advisors to more than 10,000 relevant resources. MyLynx Advisors have access to the Advising tab in MyLynx for course registration, advisee grade reports, unofficial transcripts and degree audits, MyLynx has a tab at the top titled "Advising" that has lists of current and historic advisees and the appropriate links for looking up classes and adding and dropping students classes during the add/drop periods. Commonly used forms or helpful information are also posted on the Advising tab, under the handouts section. itransfer.org itransfer is a portal for transfer assistance in the state of Illinois for students seeking transfer between Illinois higher education institutions. The website is a clearinghouse of information regarding the transferability of courses among 111 participating Illinois schools. Academic Success Center The ASC offers free tutoring for students in all subject areas. Students can call ext. 303 or stop by the ASC to schedule a tutor appointment. Students can also get assistance in the math and english walk-in labs at specified times during the week. Contact the ASC or visit for the most current schedule. The Academic Success Center also offers Enrichment Workshops for students throughout the semester. First year students, and students on probation or returning from academic suspension should be strongly encouraged to attend these sessions to further develop their academic skills. See the ASC website for the semester schedule ( Career InfoNet Offers a wealth of career information and tools for career exploration. 12