Category Archives: News You Can Use

Meet The Advisors, News You Can Use, Why We Do What We Do

An Interview with Sandy Monroe: Director of University Undergraduate Advising

An Interview with Sandy Monroe:

Director of University Undergraduate Advising

By Danielle Gilbert and Jennifer Radecki

 Sandy Monroe’s connection to Purdue was forged early.  A daughter of Seymour, IN farmers, she sought out the diversity and opportunity she wasn’t receiving at a small Chicago university by transferring to Purdue.  The change afforded her access to excellent advising and experiences, culminating in the opportunity to be the first student from Purdue to complete an Indiana University-sponsored student teaching semester on a Navajo Indian Reservation.  There she learned what it was like to be a minority, how to fully respect another’s culture, and what the 24/7 lives of her students really entailed.  Her commitment to teaching was solidified and she graduated with a B.A. in Social Studies Education.

Afterwards, Sandy dove into a Purdue graduate degree in counseling (College Student Personnel).  While completing her degree, she served as the “house mom” for Shoemaker Cooperative.  This experience brought her into contact with wonderful mentors at the Office of the Dean of Students (ODOS) who encouraged her professional development, such Bev Stone, Barb Cook, Betty Nelson, and Linda Ewing.  She transitioned to a full-time generalist counselor position with ODOS where she stayed for 10 years, continuing to advise co-operative housing through what is now called Student Activities and Organizations.

ODOS is also where she met her husband of 32 years, Jim Westman, who recently retired as the Director of the Purdue University Student Health Center (PUSH).  To have both spouses working in the student affairs field is almost ideal, she said, because serving students is “a lifestyle and not just an 8 to 5 job” – a commitment they both understood.  Over time, Sandy held varied positions in the Office of the Dean of Students.   As an Associate Dean of Students, she served as the director of the On-Call Team to assist students in crisis.  Later, as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, she led the Behavioral Intervention Team.  Her career so far has allowed her the joy of “[being] invited to be a part of students’ lives” and to affect them positively.

At the time of our interview with Sandy, she had been the newly-minted Director of University Undergraduate Advising for a grand total of 8 weeks.  The position was the result of a Foundations of Excellence (FOE) recommendation encouraging a “unified academic advising focus,” with a “central point person” representing academic advising at the highest levels.  This person would be a “centralized resource responsible for advisor advocacy, as well as best-practice review.”  Sandy hopes that the creation of this position will bring visibility to the importance of academic advising in the undergraduate experience.

Sandy believes that academic advising is a student’s introduction to the higher education experience and it is important for that student to establish a one-to-one advisor connection early.   Advisors can challenge students to think critically about their personalities, interests, goals, and the different worldviews they are experiencing.  In her interaction with advisors, she has always been constantly impressed with what we do, our hard work, and our commitment to students and to the Purdue community at-large.

Sandy feels she has made good progress in her work with the Academic Advisor Project, which focused on the restructuring and standardization of academic advising positions.  A task bank, created by a committee of academic advisors and advising directors, was implemented to assist in delineating new advising levels.  Career ladders within each level will follow.  A new standard for student to advisor ratio has been set (at 225:1) and new advisor hiring has been proposed to move this goal toward fruition.  Throughout, Sandy has been representing advisors at campus-wide committee meetings.

Sandy feels that our advising community’s greatest challenges are to obtain recognition of, and respect for, our profession and our accomplishments.  Collecting student feedback, continuing to be involved in student-related projects, committees, and programs, and actively participating in professional development opportunities are just a few ways for us to address these challenges.  Ultimately, advising needs to remain student-focused and centered on continuing to assist and improve our services to them.

Positive changes for advising are just beginning.  Sandy would love to hear advisors’ ideas for continued improvements, whether it’s through e-mail, during her attendance at a staff meeting, or through an informal talk while returning from an advising event.  Her e-mail is skmonroe@purdue.edu and her phone number is 494-5779.   Meetings can also be set by calling Julie Wise, her administrative assistant, at 496-2690.

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The Latest on the Honors College

Purdue’s new Honors College will welcome its first group of freshmen fall 2013.  The growth from the University Honors Program into a separate college has been an exciting process and has produced many changes including new requirements, new staff, a new location, and shifting from a non-residential to a residential program.

Although the UHP requirement of 24 academic credits will remain, the components of the 24 credits will change. For example, all new students will take a one credit honors class both semesters their freshman year. Later on, before graduation, they will complete a scholarly activity or thesis. Students will continue to have co-curricular opportunities like community building activities and leadership activities, some of which will be embedded in HONR classes.

As part of the move to a residential model, the Honors College offices will relocate from Beering Hall to Windsor Hall. First year Honors College students who live in the university residence halls will be required to live in the Honors College community in Shreve Hall in fall 2013. Beginning in fall 2014, Honors College students will live in Windsor and Vawter field while a new Honors College facility is being built. This shift, to a residential model with classrooms and both staff and faculty offices located right in the residence hall where the students live, is one of the most striking changes for the program.

Since it is not possible to cover all the new information in such a brief space, specifics about the proposed curriculum and frequently asked questions can be found at http://www.purdue.edu/honorscollege/info/documents/HCCurriculum.pdf  & http://www.purdue.edu/honorscollege/info/documents/ProposedHCCurriculumFAQ.pdf .

Some points of special interest to advisors:

  • Students will be enrolled in an academic college and affiliated with the Honors College.  Students will continue to receive academic advising from their academic college, and they will meet with their academic advisor to discuss classes to schedule for the next semester and to receive their PIN number.
  • Fall 2012 freshmen will have the option of continuing with their present program or changing to the new one.
  • There will be a set of summer classes available to honors students. The program is called Honors ASAP (Accelerated Summer at Purdue), and is open to both the incoming 2013 freshmen (7 credits) as well as last year’s 2012 freshmen (6 credits). New freshmen will take a one-credit class called “The Idea of Honors” designed specifically for them. Both groups will take two of the three following classes: COM 11400-H, ANTH 20500-H or an HONR class titled “Bicycles, Transportation and Politics.”
  • As a part of the new program and its growth, the process of recruiting honors students has also undergone change.  One change is the move from a single Scholars Day to a choice of two different Golden Honors Days. These all-day events, scheduled for Friday, March 22, 2013 and Saturday, April 6, 2013, are designed exclusively for students invited to join the Honors College.

Some program components are still being fine-tuned and the Honors College welcomes feedback from PACADA members.  Comments received before March 18 will be especially helpful.  Send your thoughts to Associate Dean Dr. Emily Allen at elallen@purdue.edu.

Honors College contact info: BRNG 3268/494-2929

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Teacher Education at Purdue

Teacher Education at Purdue

 

Purdue’s Teacher Education Program consists of a unique partnership among six different colleges. Teacher education students share several foundational education classes as agreed upon by all the colleges involved. However, because Purdue also wants teachers to have a strong knowledge of their content areas, each college has developed its own program requirements. Each major is usually housed in the college which contains the content area.

For advisors, this means that program requirements for each of the 16 teaching majors could be quite different and that CODO requirements will vary by college. The list below provides a quick reference of which college to contact for each teaching major. This website  contains links to plans of study for each major.

Agricultural Education—College of Agriculture

Art Education (Visual Arts/Visual Design)—College of Liberal Arts

Biology Education—College of Science

Chemistry Education—College of Science

Early Childhood Education and Exceptional Needs—College of Health and Human Sciences

Earth/Space Science Teaching—College of Science

Elementary Education—College of Education

Engineering/Technology Teacher Education (Technology)—College of Technology

English Education—College of Liberal Arts

Family and Consumer Sciences Education—College of Health and Human Sciences

Health and Safety Education—College of Health and Human Sciences

Mathematics Education—College of Science

Physical Education—College of Health and Human Sciences

Physics Education—College of Science

Social Studies Education—College of Education

Special Education/Elementary Education (dual major)—College of Education

In addition, Purdue now has two non-licensure education majors—both majors are housed in the College of Education.

General Education: Curriculum and Instruction (non-licensure)—College of Education

General Education: Educational Studies (non-licensure)—College of Education

These majors are good starting points for students who have no idea what they want to teach but who do plan to teach. However, not all students who are interested in education plan to teach. Some are interested in school counseling or school-related law. Others like educational research. For these students, the large number of electives in the general education majors allows them to acquire a background in relevant areas such as political science or psychology.

For students who would like to learn more about teaching as a career and who are at least second semester freshmen, a pair of linked classes, EDCI 20500 and EDCI 28500 (“Exploring Teaching as a Career” and “Multiculturalism and Education”), are an excellent first step. The classes (called Block I) are taken as a pair and have a combined field experience. The combination of self-examination in the two classes with the field experience in a local school helps students know if teaching is a good fit for them. However, scheduling the two classes can be complicated because some of the Block I components are linked together, so use the sanity-saving Block I scheduling grid for stress-free scheduling! For questions or a copy of the grid, contact an education advisor.

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A Boilermaker Dream Come True: Student to Staff member of The Purdue Musical Organizations

In 2005, Lance Connolly began his journey to Purdue University from the small town of Rushville, IN. During Lance’s time here as a student he was an active member of Purdue’s Varsity Glee Club serving as Chairman of the Purdusirs his senior year. Being part of this organization proved to be some of the best experiences he had as a student. Lance was able to learn valuable time management skills while working towards his Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. When asked how he managed it all, he simply stated, “The Mortarboard,” utilizing this simple organizational tool, allowed Lance to manage his daily rehearsals with the Varsity Glee Club, academics, and traveling the world to such places as South Africa performing shows with the Purdue Musical Organizations (PMO).

While, being a student and part of the Varsity Glee Club was truly rewarding in itself, his experiences did not stop there. In 2009, Lance graduated from Purdue and joined the PMO staff as their Scheduling and Events Coordinator. This gave him a whole new perspective to PMO. First being a student and now a full time employee Lance was able to experience the “behind the scenes” work in organizing large events such as the annual PMO Christmas Show.

In 2012, Lance made the move within the organization by becoming their Director of Donor Relations and Events. Lance truly enjoys his job with PMO and appreciates the experiences he had with this program as a student, as it helped shape him into the person he is today.

PMO is currently busy gearing up for their Annual Christmas Show which will be held December 1-2 in Elliot Hall of Music. In May, they will travel to Europe for their International Tour performing over a two week period in countries such as Austria, Germany, France, and Switzerland.

–by Ashley Welchans

Meet The Advisors, News You Can Use, Why We Do What We Do

More Inspiration from Award Winning Advisors

Last time we hoped to inspire you with quotes from former Outstanding Advisor Award winners.  This time we have more inspiration for you—but from further back!  Enjoy this blast from the past!

Rita Baker, 2002 Winner

A successful advisor will remove the word “I” from their repertoire when talking with students.
If a minute count were done, a successful advisor will have spent more minutes listening than speaking.  A successful advisor puts the world aside and listens with ears and eyes.
A successful advisor puts themselves in the seat of the student, literally and figuratively, often.  Empathy is a key player in quality advising.
The student leaving the advising session should leave feeling like someone has not only listened, but heard and cared.  “You have all the qualities it takes to do well…please let me know how it goes” can be the one statement that makes a student feel cared for at college.

Erik Props, 2000 Winner

To me, the most important advice is to be a good listener. By listening you’ll find out what their goals are and what they are passionate about so you can help put them on a path to success. You’ll also hear about their struggles; and, sometimes, what they do not say is very telling. You should also know as much as possible about your own programs as well as other campus opportunities and resources. Share your knowledge with the idea of empowering the student to make their own decisions and take control of their career and college experience. Help them grow by pushing them beyond their comfort zone.

Cher Yazvac, 1995 Winner

Being a successful advisor is a combination of being knowledgeable about the myriad of programs and procedures at Purdue, being an insightful & creative listener and communicator, and being 100% “for” each student.

Roberta Schonemann, 1994 Winner

Advisors need to be well-informed on university and school (They call them “colleges” now?) policies. Importantly, they should be good listeners, make an effort to learn their advisees’ names, and encourage independent decision making (not make the decision!) through the discussion and evaluation of options. Above all, like and respect young people.

Alan Welch, 1992 Winner

Just one thing? Wow. I doubt I’ll stop at one!
Treat students like adults, whether or not they are acting like adults. Resist the urge to be their parents away from home. People will generally respond appropriately, and if you talk to them as an adult, they’ll learn how to respond that way. The students need to learn to talk to their parents the same way.
Make a connection with your advisee that’s something more than their name and major. It will help you remember them better and will let the student know that you care about them as a person.
Don’t get hung up on ‘the company line’. Help your students dream about what they can really accomplish and what they are passionate about, even if it’s not furthering the current stated goals in retention or goals of the University. If the goals they have are not matching with evidence (grades, progress, etc.), give them that evidence and let them draw their own conclusion; you don’t need to spell it out for them. It might take a little longer, but the effect will be more lasting.

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The Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program

The Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program is beginning its 8th year.  Thank you for suggesting the program to your hard-working, eager students.  Our instructors indicate that their classes stay strong when they are filled with motivated students looking to add some turbo to their major areas of study.

To date, 965 Certificates have been awarded to students and 105 are scheduled to complete requirements in December 2012.  We anticipate a large group of recipients in May 2013.   Our alumni stay actively engaged through our LinkedIn group.

We continue to offer 7 sections of 44 spaces of ENTR 20000 (3) Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation, each fall and spring.  The total number of students who have taken ENTR 20000 since launch in fall 2005 is over 4000.

Just as a reminder – in order to complete the Certificate, students need to complete:
ENTR 20000, Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation
ENTR 31000, Marketing and Management for New Ventures
Two Option courses and One Capstone course, some of which may already be woven in to their major requirements.  Check out the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation website for details and more information about our program, academic requirements, events, and stories on student entrepreneurs.

This fall we once again co-sponsored with the Department of Communication, ENTR 47000/COM 49100 Women and Leadership, designed to encourage young women to become the entrepreneurs and business leaders of tomorrow.  This course has been well received by students of every major.  It fills an option requirement for the certificate.   We plan to offer it each fall.  It is a fact that women run a large percentage of successful startups.

During Maymester 2013, we will offer our 7th Global Entrepreneurship Study Abroad opportunity to China.   Interested students should write soon to Jessie Thayer, jthayer@purdue.edu, to get their names on the email list and with questions.  The trip is worth 3 credits and students may choose to use the class as either an option or capstone course.

We will continue to send information to you about upcoming events and scheduling.  If you are a new on staff we can provide you with an ENTR Toolkit folder which includes tools to help you track students through the program.  We appreciate your input and could not offer this opportunity without you.

 

Contacts:

Nathalie Duval-Couetil, Director

Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program

Associate Director, Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship

Purdue University, 1201 State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907

765-494-7068, natduval@purdue.edu

 

Rita Baker, Coordinating Academic Advisor

Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program

Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship 220D
Purdue University

1201 West State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907
Phone: 765-496-7912, bakerr@purdue.edu

FAX: 765-494-9870

 

 

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Retreat Information!

PACADA Retreat
Wednesday, September 19
Beck Agricultural Center
8:30AM ‐ 4:15PM
Wear your name tag!
Bring a business card for door prizes!
*Many prizes, including 3 sets of season tickets to Purdue Theatre
(Must be present to win door prizes)
PACADA would like to thank Sandy Monroe, Director of Advising, for generously providing breakfast items

Meet The Advisors, News You Can Use, Why We Do What We Do

Words of wisdom from award winning advisors

As we begin another school year, the Communications Committee thought it might be nice to share with you some words of inspiration from past Outstanding Advisor Award winners.  We asked them, “What trait makes an advisor successful?”  We hope their answers will motivate you to be just as outstanding this year!

Truda Strange, 2012 Winner

It is difficult to name just one because there are several.  But after thinking about it I would say that I like to use humor.  However, one must be careful and not overuse it or use it inappropriately.  The use of humor with my advisees has helped me build a positive relationship with them.  It has made me more approachable, interesting, fun, and human. I like to smile too.

Mary Beth Lencke, 2011 Winner

I think one of the traits (because there are many!) that makes an advisor successful is the ability to save somebody. And by that, I don’t mean literally saving a person from a fire or from drowning or something like that… I view my students as needing saved from “something” every single time they come in to see me. I envision myself as sort of their superhero, willing to swoop in, fight their battles, lift them up when they are weary, BE ON THEIR SIDE… basically save the day. I empower them, to be sure; but I also want them to know – very clearly – that I am with them in this journey. Because, very often, we advisors are saving them from themselves. And the best part? Sometimes all it takes is a hug.

Sharon Kraebber, 2010 Winner

I can’t just answer one thing!!!  But as a short answer…An outstanding advisor has to convey a passion of education and learning through a caring, helpful attitude using strong interpersonal skills.  This advisor would cultivate a relationship and rapport with advisees helping them integrate their undergraduate education, curriculum, and experiences into their overall personal and professional journey/goals.

Mark Diekman, 2009 Winner

I think one of the most important traits of being a successful advisor is to be accountable in a timely fashion—let the advisee know what you are going to do and then do it.

LeeAnn Williams, 2008 Winner

I think an outstanding advisor truly cares or has passion about his/her students’ success.  This passion drives the advisor to engage with students in developing individual academic plans that not only meet graduation requirements, but encourage academic options such as minors, study abroad, certificates, etc.  An outstanding advisor uses this same passion to guide students as they make decisions about internships and career options,  promotes personal and professional development through co-curricular activities,  and serves as a sounding board when students are walking through the decision making process. An outstanding advisor doesn’t need to have an answer to every question, but a desire to assist students to find the answers and introduce them to the correct resources.

Debbie Landis Bearden, 2007 Winner

Wow! “What trait makes an advisor successful?” That is a hard question. So many things come to mind. Since I have to pick just one trait I would have to say “compassion for students”.

Jamie Schoenbeck Walsh, 2006 Winner

For me the key to being a successful academic advisor is always remembering who I’m doing this for: the students. They have been my best teachers the last 12 years. I feel I can only measure any success I’ve had as an advisor through the success of my students.

Nancy Kester, 2005 Winner

It is important to be yourself and use your personality, strengths, and passions to develop a connection and trust with your students.  Listen and ask follow-up questions.  They need to know you care about them as individuals as well as for their academic and professional success.  Make suggestions and send them information about classes, minors, volunteer, professional, student organization, and study abroad opportunities that might be pertinent to their career goals and dreams.  Follow up with additional information and resources when you say you will or, like me, when you think of it after they have left your office.  Teach and coach them to become independent learners and owners of their own educational and professional paths.

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Changing Faces, Changing Places – Academic Success Center

Things will be changing soon at the Academic Success Center! Kathy Kroll, Director of the Academic Success Center will be retiring this month after 30 years in student services at Purdue–29 of those years leading the ASC. In addition, the center will be moving from its current location in Beering Hall to the Engineering Administration building. The move will place them closer to the other SATS offices of which they will soon be a part.

What will the move mean for students and for PACADA Members? The Academic Success Center will continue to provide their usual services such as GS classes, workshops, one-on-one consultations and computer labs.  Kathy sees the move as another way of increasing ASC visibility to all students and as simplifying access to various student services by using a single location. She emphasized that the SAME services will continue and wanted to be sure that PACADA members realize that location is the major change.

Academic Success Center

ENAD 242

8:30-4:30

494-5569

What about leadership? The interim director will be a familiar face: staff member Maggie Selo.

How has the Academic Success Center changed over time? Kathy reflected on the many adjustments as ASC has grown and adapted to new needs and methods. The center opened its doors in 1972 as the Learning Center with funding from the College of Liberal Arts. The first GS class was designed in 1975. From that small start, ASC has expanded to 11 GS offerings each year (both 8-week and 16-week classes of 1-3 credit hour each), 8 workshops each semester, and 6 staff members serving approximately 3,100 students in 30,000 contacts each year. Along the way, as technology became more sophisticated and then became a 24-7 factor in our lives, the ASC acquired more computers and incorporated more technology into service delivery. In addition, as more international students began to attend Purdue, these students discovered how much the GS classes helped them succeed here which then led to a surge in the number of internationals using the ASC.  Although the bulk of ASC work is with freshmen and sophomores who must make a leap in skill development to handle the quantity and depth of understanding needed for college classes, Kathy has noticed an interesting increase over the years of academically talented students wanting help to achieve even higher goals. At times even graduate students come in for help navigating the learning curve as they move from undergraduate to graduate level work. Year after year her favorite parts of her work have remained constant: the one-on-one work with students and teaching.

What’s next for Kathy? A true administrator—Kathy was reluctant to shift focus from the ASC services and the multi-talented staff to herself. However, she did admit that she has travel plans. With six grandchildren in several states, she looks forward to visits as far as California. She also hopes to do some volunteer work that will involve young people.

Farewell words! As Dale Whittaker said at Kathy’s retirement party, “When you change the life of one student, you change the life of that family and the lives of generations to come.”Have a wonderful retirement, Kathy! Thanks for all you have done for all of us!

Meet The Advisors, News You Can Use

Happy Retirement – Linden Petrin

When CCO Associate Director Linden Petrin first took a job at Purdue, she expected to stay only one year. Twenty-six years later, she’s finally retiring. I talked with Linden about her time at Purdue, the changes she’s seen at the CCO, and her plans for retirement.

Linden earned a master’s degree in mental health counseling, and when she found out she had to take a career counseling class as part of her degree, she tried to get out of it since she thought it would be a waste of time and money because she would never use that information. It’s a good thing the faculty made her take it, however, because after a year working for a local social service agency, she took a job with the Office of the Dean of Students as a career counselor.

At the time, CCO was called University Placement Service, and students who needed career counseling went to ODOS. Linden worked in University Division, a program for students between majors at Purdue. She was primarily a career counselor but also did mental health counseling, academic advising, and taught a class for UDV students. Linden was one of the original members of PACADA and was the newsletter editor for several years before joining the professional development committee.

Around the year 2000, University Placement became the Center for Career Opportunities, and broadened its mission to include career counseling. At the same time, University Division became part of the Undergraduate Studies Program. Ken Coleman moved to USP, and Linden moved to the CCO. Linden was not excited about moving at first, since she didn’t feel like she had any choice in the matter, but it turned out to be a wonderful move for her.

Linden Petrin, with her husband Don, at Don's retirement reception in April, 2012

She no longer officially did academic advising but she still advised students on courses to take or majors to investigate as part of the career exploration process. She stayed active with PACADA because she wanted to stay connected to the academic side of Purdue.

I asked her how the CCO had changed during her time at Purdue, and she said that besides adding career counseling, it has changed its general approach to serving students. Instead of placing students in jobs, now CCO staff members try to teach students skills, make them aware of resources, and provide opportunities to connect with employers. She says it’s much more student service oriented.

I asked what changes she sees ahead for the CCO, and she said they will probably be driven by changes in technology. For example, online social networking has become a major part of resourcing job openings, and it didn’t even exist a few years ago. Also, as budgets continue to be tight, she expects technology will help the CCO continue to serve students in new ways without increases in manpower.

She has really enjoyed the closeness of the staff at the CCO, and says that when she retires she will miss her CCO family. However, it’s clear that she’s looking forward to retirement. If you look at her office clock to find out the time, you instead see the words, “Who cares?” and all the numbers are in a heap at the bottom.

Her last day at Purdue will be July 6th, and she and her husband have already made plans to cross several items off their retirement “bucket lists.” Their eleventh grandchild is due in July, so they will use the minivan they equipped with a mattress in the back to start traveling around the country visiting far-flung family members and seeing the sights. They are also going on a riverboat cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam for fifteen days in October, and next spring they hope to drive on Route 66 from Chicago to California. Besides traveling, the biggest item on her list is to use up all her craft supplies before she dies so her children don’t have to sort through all of them. It’s a good thing she plans to live a long time, because it will take a while to go through all the supplies that currently fill the craft room, the garage, and the attic. Linden enjoys woodworking, weaving, scrapbooking, needlework, and making soap, candles, and jewelry. She also hopes to finally have time to cook every single recipe she’s collected over the years.

Between ODOS and the CCO, Linden has helped hundreds (or thousands?) of students over the years. She’s also been a great member of PACADA, staying active herself and recruiting new career counselors as they join the CCO. She has helped me personally many times with improving the class I teach, and I know she’ll be greatly missed by everyone at Purdue. Happy retirement, Linden!

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The Latest from Distance Learning

How do students sign up for a Distance Learning Class?

  • Students need a Form 23 completed by their Academic Advisor.  This form needs to list the exact class/classes a student may take.  Before a student is sent over to the Distance Learning Office, please make sure that they do not need an over-ride for credit hours.
  • ICN Form & ICN Authorization Form are required.
  • Students can schedule an appointment (765.494.8619) or come to walk-in hours prior to 4:30pm.

How does a student drop an ICN course?

  • A student still needs a completed Form 23 by their advisor & then needs to take the form to the Distance Learning Office.  The same Office of the Registrar deadline applies to ICN courses.

When will you post Summer & Fall 2012 ICN Courses?

  • These classes should post around March 16th.

How can we get more ICN & Online Purdue-based classes offered in the future?

  • Contact Lindsay Roberts—lindsayroberts@purdue.edu or 765.494.2973

What do Academic Advisors need to know about Distance Learning?

  • Distance Learning does not have Academic Advisors on staff.  Students must have a list of specific classes needed on the Form 23.
  • Distance Learning cannot add students into Online Purdue-based classes.  Students will still need a Form 23, instructor permission, schedule deputy permission, and take the Form 23 to Hovde 45 for processing.
  • Students will not be able to enroll in ICN courses until the Purdue options are full.

Is there flexibility with deadlines or any open-enrollment classes?

  • At this point in time, no.  There are no year-long classes available anymore.  There may be 6-month options available through Vincennes (for possible emergency situations).  Contact Lindsay directly for more information about this, if needed.

How would you like for us to handle students who need to sign up for Summer or Fall 2012 ICN courses if they have left campus?

  • A student’s Academic Advisor will need to complete the Form 23.  This form can be scanned & then emailed to the Distance Learning Office along with the email from the student requesting to add the class (from his/her Purdue email address).  The student should also submit the ICN Form & ICN Authorization Form to The Distance Learning Office.  The Advisor should then put the original copies in campus mail to the Distance Learning Office.

How soon can students start signing up for Summer or Fall 2012 ICN courses & do they need to pay ahead for Summer ICN courses & how do they show proof of payment?

  • Students can begin signing up for Summer & Fall 2012 ICN courses starting on March 20th.
  • Students still must pay ahead for Summer ICN Courses.  They should pay for ICN course(s) at the Bursar’s Office & show the receipt to the Distance Learning Office.  Students who receive Financial Aid should print off proof of financial aid from mypurdue & bring this when signing up for an ICN course for this summer.
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Get to Know…Athletic Advising!

Ever wondered what athletic advisors do and where to find them if you need them? Tanya Foster, athletic advisor and Associate Director of Academic Support Services, met with Jennifer Radecki and Janet Robinson early this summer to give an overview of athletic advising.

Where:  Athletic Advising offices are located in the Drew and Brittany Brees Student-Athlete Academic Center on John Wooden Drive between the giant Purdue Pete sculpture and the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. When you enter the door, you will see the reception desk on your right, and the receptionist can help you find the advisor you need.

Who: There are six athletic advisors who work with about 550 athletes in 18 varsity sports. Each advisor focuses on a set of particular sports. On the Academic Support Services website you will find a list of advisors, their sports, and their contact information: http://www.purdue.edu/athletics/student_services/pages/academic/staff.shtml.  Students in club sports are not supported by the athletic advising office and depend on their academic advisors, their coaches and the Office of the Dean of Students for assistance.

What: Like many advisors, athletic advisor responsibilities fall into two general categories: program and student support.

Program responsibilities mainly involve   the never-ending task of monitoring compliance with the frequently changing and staggering number of Big Ten and NCAA rules. As we all know, when rule infractions occur, there are major problems and often major publicity. Therefore, it is important for academic advisors to alert athletic advisors when there are program of study changes such as GPA requirements or standardized test changes.   An important component of athletic advising is keeping tabs on all rules for each athlete.

The other major component is support for student athletes—academic, emotional, mental, social, and moral. Since the advisors have all been or are athletes themselves, they have a strong understanding of the unique pressures, stresses and time management issues athletes face. In addition to personal support, advisors can assist students in accessing a wide array of academic support provided especially for student athletes. For example, at times student athletes must miss a class during their sport season to travel to an away game. However, they are also expected to stay caught up (or ahead) in classes and to maintain a certain GPA for sport eligibility. Many resources are available to help including tutors, note-takers, study tables, and various forms of technology found in the Chris Ribnek Computer Technology Center located down the hall in the Brees Center.

Why:  Many reasons! Resources when your student athlete seems to struggle academically. Information about rules and flexibility when your student athlete needs a specific class offered at only one time–which conflicts with practice. Assistance when your student athlete does not return your calls or respond to your e-mails. (The athletic advisor is your best friend on this one. Students often return your call within minutes of your having spoken to the athletic advisor!) Clarification when your athlete says his or her athletic advisor says he or she should take some class instead of the required one you are suggesting.

As Tanya said, “we are all on the same side. Call us—there are no dumb questions!”