RECIPE FOR SUCCESS MARCH 20, 2012 Nuts and Bolts of being a College Student

COLLEGE IS DIFFERENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL  IN High School, most of your education decisions are made for you by your parents or teachers or the state curriculum  IN College, a few decisions are made for you but there is a LOT of choice. And lots of independence!  In fact it you DON’T do things for your self, things will not get done!

WHO ADVOCATES FOR YOU?  High School  Your Parents  Your Teachers  You after age 16  College  YOU  Your parents might be in one meeting with you and the Disability office. But they cannot advocate for you during the semester or with your professors,.

PLANS IN HIGH SCHOOL V/S COLLEGE High School  504 Plan  IEP  Teachers responsible for plans being implemented College does not have a written plan like High School Student is responsible for  requesting academic accommodations from the Disability Office with documentation supporting the request  Notifying Professors  making testing arrangements  Ensuring they are using the services as necessary  Following the time lines of their school

WHAT DO I MEAN BY ADVOCATE?  You have a disability.  You have to be COMFORTABLE discussing your Disability.  You have to KNOW your Disability and any limitations your disability causes that might impact your access to a College Education.  You have to KNOW your disability and any limitations well enough to ASK for reasonable accommodations.

“ADVOCATE” CONTINUED  By knowing your disability, you will have ideas about what the college and you can do to reduce the impact of your disability.  You are allowed reasonable academic or residential accommodations to help reduce the impact of your disability on educational access.  If you don’t ask for the help or the accommodation you may need, it may not be offered.

HELP RESOURCES ON CAMPUSES For All Students:  Academic Support Services  Writing Center  Tutoring office  Help tables in various departments  Counseling Center  Health Center/Wellness Center  Academic Advisement Center In Addition, For Students with Disabilities:  Disability Office

DISABILITY OFFICE  This is the office that will work with you to receive equal access to the College  You have to identify yourself to this office as a person with a disability  You have to provide documentation of your disability and its functional limitations  You have to work together with the Disability Office to determine reasonable accommodations  If you don’t’ identify with the Disability Office the college does not know that you are on campus and does not know you may need accommodations.  Accommodations start AFTER you identify with the office

DOCUMENTATION PART OF ADVOCACY  Each disability has different documentation requirements  Discuss with your college what documentation is required for your particular disability  Discuss how CURRENT the documentation needs to be (some within 6 months, others within 3 years - - you are responsible for documentation NOT the college)

GOOD ADVOCATE KNOWS: REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS –  Reduce the impact of the disability on access to the educational environment, physical or educational  Do not reduce the rigor of the academic program  Do not change the graduation requirements  Do not provide a service for free that others have to pay to receive  Do not provide personal aides or tutors  Do not provide free technology that others have to pay to receive

GOOD ADVOCATE KNOWS: UNREASONABLE ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS INCLUDE:  Free services that other students pay to receive (tutoring, for example)  Personal Aides for personal care or assistance with study or work.  In general any request that changes the graduation or major requirements of the college  There are some colleges that will consider substitutions, but other colleges consider a substitution a fundamental alteration of the curriculum.  Know the GRADUATION or major requirements before you apply.

GOOD ADVOCATE KNOWS:  Other requests that may be unreasonable  Color code the important information in the text book FOR you  Someone to keep you on task in the classroom  Directions simplified  Test questions explained or simplified  Exemptions from general education requirements  Door to door transportation

TO BE A GOOD ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF YOU NEED TO:  Know the NAME of your Disability  How does your disability impact or limit you in School?  How does your disability impact or limit you with on- campus housing?  How does your disability impact or limit you in everyday life?  Know the vocabulary that a college or University uses in describing courses, requirements, rules and regulations.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  College Vocabulary is different for every college, but there are many terms that are used everywhere. Make sure you learn the special vocabulary for your particular college.  Part of the vocabulary will deal with deadlines, rules, regulations, behavior, residential life, parking management whatever life on campus is like, there will be special terms for it = = =like your very own “secret code” for your particular college!  What follows is a sampling of vocabulary you will need to know to start navigating you way around college!

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Code of Conduct/ Community Rights and Responsibilities Every college has a written statement of behavior expectations for students, either in the classroom or in residential living. There are procedures in place to deal with students who cannot follow the rules. In general there are NO behavioral contracts in college. In general, if rules are broken, a disciplinary report is made, a student can be referred to a conduct hearing and various penalties can be imposed, from community service to dismissal from school. It is your responsibility to KNOW and follow the code of conduct! Disability is NOT an excuse for bad behavior.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Academic Advisor A staff member who teaches in your academic department and is also given the responsibility of helping students schedule courses. Your college may have a special Advisement Center for advising you until you declare a MAJOR.  TERM/CUM GPA A student's Grade Point Average. The school sets a minimum GPA For graduation..

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  CUM GPA Most colleges and Universities REQUIRE a CUMULATIVE GPA of 2.0 ( C average) to graduate. If the Term or CUM GPA falls below a 2.0 various academic warnings or notations will be made such as - - -

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Academic Probation A student will be placed on academic probation at the end of a semester in which the student’s term GPA falls below that which is required to graduate from the college. Some Colleges require the student to meet with an academic advisor to develop an academic intervention plan prior to attending the following semester.  Academic Suspension/ Terminal Probation this is the second level of warning and occurs when the student’s cumulative GPA falls below that which is required for graduation. The student is in danger of being academically dismissed and has a short time period in which to improve grades.  Academic Dismissal A student is removed from matriculated status and cannot register for any credit or credit equivalent courses at the college. That is the student is sent home.

VOCABULARY  Add/Drop The first week or 2 at the start of each semester, a student can change his/her schedule (add or drop a course) without it being noted on the student's transcript.  Contact Hours The number of hours a student spends in a classroom for each class he/she is taking. For example, a student who is registered for Psychology, which is worth three credit hours, will spend a total of three hours in that class each week  Course Load The number of courses and credit hours a student is taking during anyone semester. For Fall/Spring semester school, this is 12 to 18 credits or 4 to 6 classes.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Credit Hours Each course is given a credit hour rating. IN General, to graduate from a community college a student needs a total of 60 or more credit hours for an associate’s degree or From a 4 year college or University, 120 credits or more for a bachelor’s degree as listed in the catalog for each degree program

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Curriculum /degree plan/ major 1. The academic department to which you have been accepted. This is AFTER you are accepted to the College of University to be a student. You have to apply for and be accepted to a major. Example: Automotive, Nursing, Liberal Arts, Psychology, History, etc. 2. The material an instructor plans to cover during a semester. Curriculum/degree/program Change When a student changes from one program of study to another. You must go to the department chairperson to do this.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Dean's List A very high academic honor earned by full-time, matriculated students. Every college or University has a different standard for this honor. See the college catalogue for details.  Degree The successful completion of all the work required in your curriculum/program of study. To be granted the degree, a student must meet all the requirements set by the college, including all the academic work, payment of bills, return of books and equipment, etc.  Degree Requirements All the steps a student must complete to receive a degree.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Final Grades These are the grades given in each class for the total semester's work. Final grades appear on your college transcript.  Full-time Student A student who is taking at least 12 credit hours. This is important for financial aid. Most students take 15 credit hours per term to finish a degree on time ( 2 years for associate ‘s degree, 4 years for bachelor’s degree)  Graduation A student must complete all degree requirements, have a 2.0 GPA and have all bills paid – check the school you intend to attend for specifics.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Incomplete In some cases, a student is unable to complete the semester's work and will ask the instructor to approve a grade of "incomplete" (I). You schools catalogue will tell you how long you have to complete the course before your grade becomes an automatic failing grade.  Instructor/ Professor Other terms for teachers.  Intersession A mini-semester between the fall and spring semesters. A full semester's work is covered during this three- to – four week period

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Lecture Hall A large auditorium-type room for larger numbers of students Colleges and Universities have lecture halls/centers that have rooms that hold up to 500 or more students at one time. These types of classes usually have 2 or 3 exam grades for the entire semester, no in class work or extra credit.  Matriculated Registered in a curriculum and taking courses to complete a specific degree program.  Mid-term Grades these are the marks that show your progress halfway through the semester. May be based on ONE exam given at the mid point of the semester.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Non-matriculated Means that a student is taking courses at the college but is not enrolled in a degree program  Non-credit Courses / Electives Courses that do not count toward earning a degree. However, in some cases, the grade earned will be counted in your GPA. Some programs have Electives that are required, but are not part of the major or minor.  Major/Minor Major is often what your degree will be called (psychology), Minor is another area in which you will have an expertise  General Education Requirements the courses that you are required to take for a well rounded background. These include Math courses and Foreign language instruction. Check with the school if you think you will need a substitution, which may or may not be possible.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Syllabus An outline for a course. Generally, the syllabus includes topics to be covered, a list of readings and assignments, how students will be tested and graded, and other information the instructor thinks important. The professor may not mention assignments or chapters to be read again, since you will have it in writing and you are expected to note these assignments on your calendar.  Office Hours Each instructor sets aside times when students can come to his/her office for assistance. Generally, instructors give this information to students at the start of the semester on the syllabus.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Part-time Student A student who is taking fewer than 12 credit hours. Anyone choosing to attend part-time must be aware that financial aid is very limited and that students who are carried under a parent's health insurance plan may no longer be covered.  Registration A term used to mean that you have created a class schedule for the next term, and you have paid your bill. Students who have not paid the semester's bill are not registered, will not have an official schedule, and may not attend classes.  Registrar's Office The office that is responsible for keeping student records. Requests for transcript copies or questions regarding the student's transcript should go through this office.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Semester/Term The academic year is divided into semesters or terms. Many colleges or Universities with a 2 semester system have a16-week fall semester, a 16-week spring semester. Summer sessions may run 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks or 12 weeks, In addition, there may be a mini-semester during the vacation between semesters and one following graduation in May. The schedule you are given lasts only one semester.  Check with your intended school, as some schools operate on Quarters and have 11 or 12 week quarters instead of semesters. (three 11 or 12 week sessions between September and May)

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Semester Break This is a break between classes that begins after Fall semester finals (mid-December) and lasts until the start of the second (Spring) semester in mid-January. Most Colleges and Universities have a 4 to 6 week semester break between Fall and Spring term or semester. Other breaks during a semester are called BREAKS or vacations. Fall usually has a Thanksgiving break. Spring usually has a week break near the mid part of the spring semester ( March or April).

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Student Schedule The courses a student has chosen to take during a semester. Once the student's bill has been paid and the student is registered, a copy of the schedule will be given to the student, or be available on line in the student's account page.  Please note that STUDENTS have to CREATE their OWN schedule. If you do not register for your classes you will have NO classes. The Student is responsible for scheduling his/her classes so that they can make use of needed academic accommodations and rest periods between classes.

COLLEGE VOCABULARY  Transcript This is an official record of your academic work while at a high school or college.  Withdrawal This is an opportunity the college gives a student to exit a course and not receive a failing grade. To be able to get the grade of "w," a student must complete necessary paperwork by the cut-off date set by the college  Dead-line posted dates on the college or University calendar that are important to meet. If you miss a dead-line, you loose options, such as adding or dropping a class, withdrawing from a course or term, paying a bill, creating a class schedule.

BUILDING CODES  Your College or University will use shortened codes for the buildings you will go to for classes. This is different for every college or University. At UAlbany, we have SS, EDU, HUM, LC, PAC, UNH  Other schools may name a building after a famous alumni, Batts Hall, Lally building, Seik Center, etc.  Check the web site to discover the building names and codes so you can find your classes.

FINALLY  College is all about discovery and growth, as well as getting a specialized education in a field of your choice. Enjoy the process by knowing your self so the academic accommodations as in place, pick classes that are interesting, join lots of groups and activities, as well as studying some of the time.  Copy of this presentation and all conference materials maybe found at this web site: University at Albany Disability Resource Center Prospective Students tab