Contact persons: Tammy Aagard, Registrar, the university’s FERPA compliance officer, at (X6-5724) tagaard@uwyo.edu.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (PL-380) (FERPA) establishes the parameters of students’ rights to privacy. It guarantees that students have:
1. The basic right to have access to their educational records.
2. The assurance that their official data/information is protected from access by others who are not officials of the University with legitimate need for that information in the course of their duties, parents of dependent students, those with the student’s written consent, and to a court of competent jurisdiction and otherwise pursuant to the law.
3. The rights to challenge their records if they believe the records are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy.
Each university employees has a responsibility to protect the right of privacy of all students about whom the university holds information, records, and files. Violation of the law by allowing inappropriate access and release of information creates risk of sanctions and possible personal liability and loss of federal funding. The summary of the law as it pertains to universities is found in the UW General Bulletin University of Wyoming General Bulletin: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Contact person: Audrey Shalinsky, Associate Dean
Recruiting activities are the responsibility of every department and program, faculty and staff. Brochures, flyers, and Web site offer good avenues to signal the advantages of your department or program, as well as those offered by the university in general — small class size, quality of faculty, availability of faculty, opportunities for involvement in research and internships. Targeted, vigorous student recruitment has been a successful strategy for many programs.
1. Undergraduate students
Discovery Days
The Admissions Office schedules several Saturdays during the academic year for
“Discovery Days” recruiting event. These days are intended to attract
prospective students and their parents to come to campus and learn about the
University of Wyoming. The day’s activities begin with a continental breakfast,
during which time department heads (or their designated faculty members) visit
with prospective students and parents around the A&S Display Table. The Dean's Office requests
representation from the departments. This
request usually comes on short notice. In addition, some departments/programs
have their own display table, perhaps organized by the department's club. If so, any
faculty assigned to this table must be in addition to the faculty member at the
A&S Display area.
The Visitor Services Center
Prospective students contact the Visitor Services Center to arrange visits to
campus.
The Center
contacts the department to arrange for a
faculty to meet with the student and perhaps to visit a class. If you are
contacted, please make every effort to accommodate requests for visits.
Data show that a positive experience during a campus visit correlates highly
with students attending UW.
It is the responsibility of everyone to recruit the best graduate students possible. There are a variety of ways of doing this; different strategies are employed in different disciplines. For example, some departments send letters and/or brochures about their graduate programs to colleagues at other schools; others invite prospective graduate students to visit campus.
Contact person: Ilona J. Reif, Coordinator, A&S Student Affairs (ireif@uwyo.edu)
Faculty play an important role in facilitating a friendly, helpful atmosphere in which students have the opportunity to succeed. This includes access to advisors, accurate and timely information, and, when necessary, referrals to other appropriate offices or personnel to promote progress toward completion of degrees.
Also important is appropriate intervention with at-risk students, including early identification, midterm contacts, and follow-up. Research and literature show a high correlation of a student's connection with someone on campus and the retention of that student.
Instructors and advisors have a positive effect on a students' continued enrollment by participating in the department's recognition of their achievements, the student organization, and in other events that encourage student involvement in the intellectual and social life of the department .
This section contains the following topics related to retention: Academic advising, Academic information, Waivers and substitutions, Transfer credits, Exceptions to rules, regulations, and requirements, Student faculty contact, and Advisor evaluation and training.
Each department/program has an Advising Coordinator designated by the Head/Program Director. Advising Coordinators meet with the Dean and the A&S Coordinator of Student Affairs twice a semester to discuss issues and concerns related to advising and retention. The Advising Coordinator is a resource for advisors in the department/program.
Two advisors in the Center for Advising & Career Services (766-2398):
Advise A&S undecided students
Evaluate out of state transfer credits indicated as 'General Transfer' on a student's Transcript Evaluation (for the A&S Core requirement
Serve as a resource for advising information.
A designated faculty member (or the head) is selected to be the department's initial contact advisor for prospective transfer students who have questions about requirements and what transfer credits will fulfill major/minor requirements. This person may also serve as a resource for other advisors. The list of transfer advisors is at http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/a&s/Current/transfer_advisors.htm.
Become familiar with the useful information for advisors, teachers, and students in the current students section of the A&S web site. In addition to specific A&S advising/teaching information, there are links to university-wide resources.
Thoughtful, thorough academic advising includes the following:
q Helping students to
Articulate educational and professional goals
Identify strengths
Evaluate the knowledge and skills that require more development.
q Introducing students to
Expectations and opportunities of the academic community, its values and rewards
Benefits of a broad liberal arts and sciences general education (University Studies Program and A&S Core requirements).
q Assisting students to
Make wise choices in selecting courses
Decide on concentrations, minors or second majors
Explore research, internship, and study abroad opportunities
Learn about the academic resources on campus
Visit the Center for Advising & Career Services and/or the Web site to learn about career options in the major.
q Encouraging students to participate actively in the learning process.
q Teaching students how to use available academic information and other resources to make decisions and take responsibility for those decisions.
q Providing feedback to reinforce success and resolve academic difficulty.
q Making sure that your students/advisees use their @uwyo.edu email address because advisors, instructors, and administrators use the UW address to communicate.
Adequate and accurate information is essential to good advising and academic progress. The College web pages at http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/A&S/ in the Current Student section include the requirements for the University Studies Program, the A&S Core, and links to other university and department sites.
q Faculty and advisors use WyoWeb to access academic records of their advisees/students and course information, among other items. The level of access is granted by the Office of the Registrar; click on the Request for Banner/WyoWeb Access link at http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/registrar/faculty.asp
q The UW Bulletin, UW Class Schedule, and any of your department check-sheets and brochures include a wealth of information such as requirements, University deadlines, rules, and regulations for both students and advisors. The front section of the Class Schedule includes each semester's relevant information such as deadlines, tuition and fees, repeat course policy, etc. These publications are considered definitive when conflicts arise in academic decisions. The most current versions are available on the Web.
q The syllabus is a contract between the student and the teacher. Students have a right to know basic information about the course content, how they will be graded, attendance expectations, and so on. The document Syllabus.doc describes what should be included. Syllabi may be used as evidence in grade appeals.
q Include with the syllabus the college document, A&S Students and Teachers Working Together or its web address http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/a&s/Current/Advising_Information.asp. This compilation of expectations was written by a committee of A&S faculty and students to assist in creating a positive teaching/learning environment.
A. Scheduled Advising Times
1. New student orientation sessions are held during the month of June and at the end of August just before classes begin in the fall. In June, advising in the departments takes place on Monday and Thursday afternoons. Additionally, one day is scheduled for transfer students. Department heads designate who will advise students during this time.
Faculty who teach summer school are expected to advise both new and current students during the summer months as needed.
B. Admitted with conditions, probation, suspension
1. Students admitted with conditions - These are first-time college students or those with fewer than 30 credit transferable hours who have not met one or more categories of minimum requirements:
High school college preparatory curriculum
High school grade point average
ACT or SAT test scores.
These students are limited to a maximum of 16 credit hours during the first semester. All conditionally admitted students are enrolled in the Synergy Learning Community with three or four specific courses for fall semester and one for spring. Advising these students into other courses for the semesters is the responsibility of the major department' advisor. Additional information is at http://www.uwyo.edu/Synergy/.
2. Students on probation receive a letter from the Registrar informing them of their academic status and recommended courses of action. For the College of Arts and Sciences, the students are referred to advisors in the Center for Advising and Career Services (766-2398) to discuss options about revising the class schedule, repeating a course, or seeking tutoring. These students are encouraged to contact their academic advisor at the beginning of the next semester.
3. Suspended A&S students may petition for reinstatement through the Center for Advising and Career Services. However, unless documented extenuating circumstances justify immediate reinstatement, students may not petition until one full semester (excluding summer term) has elapsed.
The decision to reinstate A&S students with less than 80 earned credit hours is made by the Center for Advising and Career Services. If reinstated, the students are advised and receive their Personal Registration Code (PERC) in the Center until they are once again in good academic standing. Faculty, of course, may continue to offer counsel and recommend courses.
If the suspended student has 80 or more earned credit hours, the Center will request input from the department of the student's major and/or the advisor for the decision. If reinstated, the upper-class student will receive basic advising and career counseling from the Center, but specific advising for courses in the major will be needed from the student's advisor.
Refer students to the Registrar's web page, in Students and then to 'Petitions and Forms' http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/registrar/student.asp
Circumstances sometimes necessitate modifications to university, college, or department degree requirements for individual students. These may result from institutional misinformation, advising errors, cancellation of required courses, assessing prior learning experience, etc. Some situations beyond the control of the individual student may be accommodated to avoid undue hardship.
For the process, see Waivers-subs.doc.
Several offices are responsible for evaluating courses taken by students at other colleges and universities for their transferability, equivalency, and application to university, college, and department requirements. These include the Admissions Office, Office of the Registrar, the A&S advisors in the Center for Advising and Career Services, and the departments.
It is important that transfer courses are correctly applied to the student’s CAPP progress report in a timely manner. For details refer to Transfer credits.doc. Additional information about transfer credits, Advanced Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program, International Baccalaureate, etc. is at http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/registrar/bulletin/credit.html and http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/registrar/transfer.asp
As of Academic Year 2001-2002, if a student earns an Associate of Science or an Associate of Arts degree from a Wyoming Community College, the student has completed the Wyoming Core and is considered to have completed the UW University Studies Program, except for the third writing course, WC. Also, the student will have to take a second math course if it was not taken at the community college prior to transfer (The 2nd math course could be taken at the community college or at UW). Students in the College of Arts and Sciences must still complete the A&S Core Requirements. http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/a&s/Current/Advising_Information.asp
When a student requests exceptions, follow the required procedures and use the forms created by the Office of the Registrar or other offices. A list of the common forms and specific procedures that require advisor, instructor, department head decisions and signatures are at Requests for Exceptions & Other Forms.doc
Depending upon the form, some may be initiated and processed online by the student or instructor.
General Guidelines to consider before agreeing/denying any student requests:
q Do not sign a blank form.
q Consider the request on the basis of the appropriateness for the student’s circumstance weighed against fair and equitable treatment of all students in similar circumstances.
q Decisions made capriciously compromise academic standards.
q Advisors, instructors, and heads/directors may, and in many cases, should, request documentation if supporting material helps to evaluate the request. This documentation should be attached to the petition unless highly personal circumstances call for discretion; however, the Dean’s Office and the registrar may request access to such.
q Include any additional information or reasoning to support your decision in denying or approving a request to assist others in evaluating the petition.
Research and literature show a strong correlation between student retention/success and faculty contact. In addition to your required 3 hours per week office hours and student appointments, use the UW email addresses of your students/advisees to:
q Inform students about opportunities for research and/or internships, department clubs and honoraries and other activities. These will give them opportunities to develop and exhibit interpersonal and leadership skills and be very important when they apply for scholarships, graduate or professional schools, and employment.
q Alert students about advising weeks; include information about signing up for advising appointments and how to prepare for the advising appointment.
q Consult with students whose grades at midterm put them at risk.
q Encourage students to attend exhibits, lectures and performances by visiting scholars and artists.
q Advisor evaluation. The department head and staff implement the university’s advisor evaluation process when scheduled by the university. Department staff distribute the PERC number for students to register for classes.
q Orientation/training for advising. The Coordinator for A&S Student Affairs, Ilona Reif, holds information sessions prior to Advising Week for new advisors or those needing a refresher. Advisors should attend other appropriate information sessions sponsored by the Center for Advising and Career Services and the Registrar's WyoWeb training sessions.
Contact person: Greg Brown, Associate Dean
Please check the A&S website for specific information.
The college has several scholarships available to Arts and Sciences students. Students must apply to the Dean's Office in January. The A&S Scholarship Committee ranks the applications and an associate dean determines the awards. The application and instructions can be obtained under Current Students - Scholarships.
Many departments also have scholarship funds. Be aware of these resources. Departments with scholarship accounts receive estimates of the money available in each account in February. The department should call Student Financial Aid at (X6-2117) to ask that the information be faxed. Her office waits for a request because its experience has been that the information is misplaced if sent before department heads are ready.
If your department has scholarships available, be sure to inform students how and when to apply for them. Award all the funds available.
The university's policies on scholarships are constantly under review. Currently, the Student Financial Aid Office requests that scholarship awards be reported to that office by mid-February, especially for those students who may be just entering the university.
Paul Stock Grants-in-aid of up to $300 are available to full-time students to fund travel to present research or products of creative activity at regional and national conferences. There are five application deadlines throughout the year: October 1, December 1, February 1, April 1, and July 1. Application forms are available in the Dean's Office, and on-line Paul Stock http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/A&S/Scholarships/PS-Instructions.htm.
Up to twenty graduating seniors are chosen each spring as College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Graduates. A name and brief description of the student's accomplishments are required for the nominations. See Outstanding Graduates call for nomination memo .
In late August, two students are chosen as Honors Convocation speakers. Faculty should nominate students who are good speakers and have interesting individual study project results to present. Examples from recent speeches are research results, a poem, and a series of photographs.
Contact person: Audrey Shalinsky, Associate Dean and appeals coordinator
An on-line Change of Grade form by the instructor can be used to handle miscalculations or unrecorded grades.
Click here for College Guidelines for student appeals. If a student is not satisfied with the instructor's reconsideration, the student should meet with the head. The head should review the complaint and the instructor's response and then take the appropriate action: 1) explain to the student why the appeal appears to be without merit, or 2) talk with the instructor about the charge and possibility of losing the appeal due to some violation of rules or fair treatment. It is best if these grading situations can be resolved at the department level. If the student still wants to pursue the appeal, the head should refer the student to the appeals coordinator in the dean's office. A department head should not change a grade without telling the instructor!
The College’s Web site has Guidelines for Cases of Academic Dishonesty and links to other important documents concerning the handling of academic dishonesty cases. This link also connects to the Uniregs that deal with academic dishonesty and Code of Student Conduct.
When an instructor believes an act of academic dishonesty has occurred, the instructor first must consult with the head concerning the offense and appropriate actions. The head should decide if sufficient evidence exists to bring the charges against the student. The college checklist and guidelines should be followed to ensure due process for the student. The college has designated certain faculty members as consultants concerning academic dishonesty cases. These individuals also hear appeal cases for academic dishonesty. Feel free to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss the situation with someone who has experience in the process. Contact the Dean's Office for the name of a consultant.