Academic Advising Syllabus
The United States Air Force Academy
Fall 2014-Spring 2015
Division of Academic Advising and First-Year Programs (DFRA)
Advisor: Dr. Julie Tetley
Office: Suite 2G13, Student Academic Services and Academy Registar
Phone: 719-333-8973
Email:
Office Hours: Email me an Outlook request for an appointment or drop by.
Text/Materials: USAFA Curriculum Handbook, USAFA Cadet Handbook, Cadet Administrative Management Information System (CAMIS)
USAFA Mission Statement
To educate, train, and inspire men and women to become officers of character motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service to our nation.
Academic Advising Philosophy Statement
At The United States Air Force Academy, academic advising is a teaching and learning process. Academic advisors mentor cadets--challenging them to be engaged, self-directed learners who capitalize on their strengths in order to reach their potential as future leaders of character. Advisors promote intellectual and personal growth by encouraging cadets to reflect on their experiences and critically evaluate their interests, abilities, strengths, and goals in relation to the values and ideals represented across mission partners and within USAFA’s mission and institutional outcomes.
Academic Advising Definition/Description
At The United States Air Force Academy, academic advising is an educational process that, by intention and design, facilitates cadets’ understanding of the meaning and purpose of higher education and fosters their intellectual and personal development toward academic success and lifelong learning (adapted from National Academic Advising Association, 2004). At USAFA, academic advising provides cadets the opportunity to build a relationship with their advisor for the purpose of mentorship and assistance in planning their educational, athletic, military, and airmanship careers at USAFA. Academic advising is a collaborative educational process whereby cadets and their advisors are partners in meeting the essential learning outcomes, developing an individual plan for academic success, and outlining the steps towards becoming officers in the U.S. Air Force. Every cadet is required to meet with their advisor at least twice per semester in order to maintain essential oversight of their academic program. The advisor-cadet partnership requires the active participation and involvement of both individuals. While both the cadet and the advisor have clear responsibilities for ensuring the advising partnership is successful, completion of all USAFA graduation requirements is ultimately the responsibility of each cadet.
Our USAFA Outcomes, embodied in the USAFA Officer Development System (ODS), provide the foundation for commissioning leaders of character who embody the Air Force Core Values: Integrity, Service, and Excellence.
The academic advising process is designed to address and support the following USAFA Institutional Outcomes:
I. Committed to Societal, Professional, and Individual Responsibilities
1.3 Service to the Nation (sense of duty)
1.4 Lifelong Development and Contributions (self-awareness)
2. Empowered by Integrated Intellectual and Warrior Skills
2.4 Critical Thinking
2.5 Decision-making
2.8 Discipline (self-discipline)
Expected Student Learning Outcomes for the Academic Advising Experience
Learning outcomes represent the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that we expect cadets to have achieved or realized as a result of the academic advising process.
As a result of the academic advising process, cadets will:
I. Demonstrate self-awareness of their background,[1] personal characteristics,[2] skills,[3] academic sense of duty,[4] academic interests,[5] and their growth and development.[6]
II. Articulate how the USAFA core requirements, institutional outcomes, and the USAFA mission partners (academics, military, athletics, and airmanship) contribute to their development as leaders of character.
III. Demonstrate an awareness of their academic pathway, the USAFA core curriculum, and progress toward graduation to include the following:
· locating university policies and procedures regarding registration, satisfactory academic progress, and cadet conduct,
· interpreting a schedule of courses, an academic program summary (APS), and general academic requirements, and
· utilizing appropriate technology including Cadet Administrative Management Information System (CAMIS), Outlook, and other tools to manage their academic progress and organize their daily responsibilities.
IV. Identify an academic major, field of study, and potential career paths based on their individual assessment of their strengths, skills, learning preferences, abilities, aspirations, interests, and values.
V. Demonstrate an awareness of the various educational opportunities (including cultural/language immersion, study abroad, academy exchange, independent research, co-curricular activities, etc.) offered at the USAFA.
VI. Apply strategies to increase their success and engagement at USAFA by:
· utilizing available academic support services (Writing Center, Quantitative Reasoning Tutoring Center [QRC], academic advisors, cadet academic officers, etc.) when appropriate to enhance their educational experiences,
· constructing a self/time-management plan, and
· utilizing Extra Instruction.
VII. Create a personal strategic plan for success in the demanding environment of USAFA.
IIX. Apply critical thinking[7] and decision-making[8] skills during the academic advising process.
Cadet Responsibilities
Cadets share a significant responsibility in the success of the advising relationship and should take the initiative to seek advice and develop close relationships with their advisors.
In order to proactively monitor their own academic progress and develop an effective advising relationship with their academic advisor, cadets should:
· actively engage in a process of reflection and critical self-assessment of their background, personal characteristics, skills, sense of duty, academic interests, and individual growth and development.
· respond to all requests from their academic advisor; prepare for and attend all meetings.
· accept responsibility for their academic choices, track their progress toward degree completion.
· consult with their advisor when they wish to add or drop courses or otherwise change their approved course schedule.
· be familiar with the full range of opportunities and academic support services at USAFA.
· be knowledgeable about and adhere to the graduation requirements, major requirements, minor requirements as outlined in the USAFA Curriculum Handbook.
· actively explore an academic major and consult with their advisor to declare a major. Cadets must declare a major no later than a week prior to the registration deadline during their third semester (fall of third-degree year). However, some majors (because of major-specific requirements, for example, Computer Science and Chemistry) should be declared before the end of the fourth-degree year.
· comply with all registration changes, academic major declarations, and academic major change procedures and deadlines described in the Curriculum Handbook and Cadet Handbook.
· deliver all annotated Academic Program Summaries (APSs) with course changes for the following semester to the Office of Student Academic Affairs and Academy Registrar (DFR), if after the registration deadline.
· verify the accuracy of each document returned from DFR following the processing of course change requests.
· follow through with the actions identified during each advising session.
Associate Air Officer Commanding for Academics (AAOCA) Responsibilities
Academic advising is integral to fulfilling the teaching and learning mission at USAFA.
Using the advising as learning philosophy, academic advisors will:
· provide mentoring and guidance toward cadets’ achievement of their personal, academic, and professional goals.
· assist cadets in understanding connections between their courses and the structure and logic of the USAFA core curriculum.
· provide opportunities for cadets to enhance their skills of reflection, self-assessment, goal-setting, problem-solving, and critical thinking/decision-making skills through the academic advising process.
· review the academic plan for each cadet and assist them in devising a logical plan that includes an appropriate balance of technical and nontechnical courses each semester.
· assist cadets in the exploration and declaration of an academic major (and minor, if desired).
· be knowledgeable about and refer cadets to appropriate resources, helping agencies, and opportunities at USAFA.
· hold cadets accountable for meeting deadlines established in the USAFA Curriculum Handbook.
· interpret and provide rationale for institutional policies, procedures, and requirements.
· be available for cadet appointments concerning registration changes, academic major/minor declarations, academic improvement, and academic program changes.
· coordinate and approve all designated educational transactions including all course changes, academic major/minor declarations, and academic program changes by completing the online Q2 registration process. Ensure each advisee's academic program includes all requirements for graduation. Approve late registration changes by signing an annotated APS.
· initiate, at the beginning of the semester, an annotated APS to drop all overload courses for cadets who do not meet minimum GPA criteria for overloads.
· verify each advisee's program meets course prerequisite requirements and that waivers and department approvals have been obtained as required.
· maintain an academic folder on each cadet containing, at minimum: (a) a copy of their current APS, (b) Academic Review Committee (ARC) action letters, (c) academic probation notification and USAFA Form 68 (if applicable), (d) a copy of the end-of-semester grade reports and current mid-semester Prog grade reports, (e) notes of formal and informal advising sessions.
· ensure cadets on academic probation are counseled at each progress report. Assist and counsel advisees in preparing their USAFA Form 68 and ARC appeal packages. Assist them in preparing for the ARC interview. Accomplish registration or academic program changes as directed by the Academic Review Committee (ARC).
Important Dates:
Fall Classes Begin, 13 August 2014
Fall Major’s Night, 30 September 2014
Deadline for Class of 2017 to Declare a Major: 17 October 2014
Fall Prog, 09 & 10 October 2014; grades released on 15 October
Last Day for Registration for Spring 2015: 24 October 2014
End of Semester grades released, 23 Dec 2014
Spring Classes Begin, 06 January 2015
Spring Prog: 04 & 05 March 2015; grades released on 09 March
Recognition: 12-14 March 2015
Last Day for Registration for Fall 2015: 20 March 2015
End of Semester grades released, 19 May 2015
The Division for Academic Advising and First-Year Programs (DFRA) Faculty
Dr. Sonia Esquivel, , DFRA Lead Advisor, Group 1
Ms. Lisa Robinson, DFRA Lead Advisor, Group 2
Dr. Julie Tetley, , DFRA Lead Advisor, Group 3
Dr. Maxine Fawcett-Yeske, , DFRA Lead Advisor, Group 4
Offices located in Registrar’s Office, 2nd floor of Fairchild, Suite 2G13
719-333-3970
USAFA Common Advising Referrals
Airmanship Courses and Programs
MR CHARLES NEWCOMB, ABW/XPI
Airmanship Registrar
333-9328
MR JOHN (TJ) TOMJACK
Airmanship Program Analyst, Program Offerings and Sequencing
333-6724
UAS/RPA (Unmanned Aerial System and Remotely Piloted Aircraft)
COL JOHN MCCURDY, DFEI
333-8225
Cyber
DR MARTIN CARLISLE, DFCS
333-7623
Athletic Department, PE Course Scheduling/Changes
MR CHRIS HOFFMAN, ADPVEG
333-9265
Foreign Language Placement Concerns
DR MIGUEL VERANO, DFF, 4L12
333-8648
Premedical Advising
LT COL JENNIFER GUESS, DFB
333-6054
Academy Scholars Program
Dr. DEREK VARBLE
333-1894
1
Resource / WebsiteDFRA SharePoint with Advising Toolkit / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/fs/DFRA/default.aspx?FolderCTID=0x012000C1E0AE059CB9CD47BB81964BDFD135EB&View={df90df65-1263-4cf8-819e-6c4d6cc6d21a}&RootFolder=%2Facademics%2Fregistrar%2Ffs%2FDFRA%2FShared%20Documents%2F%5FAdvising%20Toolkit%20Materials&SortField=LinkFilename&SortDir=Asc
Advisors In-Charge / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/Cadet%20Services/SharePoint_AIC_List.pdf
Air Force Forms / http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/
AOC/AMT Squadron List / https://eis.usafa.edu/cw/AOC/Rosters/Forms/AllItems.aspx
Athletic Department / http://www.usafa.edu/?catname=Athletics
http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/
Cadet Homepage / https://eis.usafa.edu/cadetwing/SitePages/Home.aspx
Cadet CW Training Schedule / https://eis.usafa.edu/cw/CWT/CWTS/CMTS/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx
CAMIS / https://camis.usafa.edu/
Center for Character and Leadership Development / http://www.usafa.edu/Commandant/cwc/?catname=cwc
Chaplain / https://eis.usafa.edu/centers/chapel/SitePages/homenew.aspx
http://www.usafa.edu/hc/fc.cfm
Clubs / https://eis.usafa.edu/cw/CWT/CWTM/clubs/default.aspx
https://eis.usafa.edu/cadetwing/afcw/clubs/default.aspx
Curriculum Handbook / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/Curriculum%20Handbooks%20and%20Supplements/CHB2013-2014.pdf
DFRA Advising Resources and Toolkit / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/fs/DFRA/default.aspx
Form 68: Get-well Plan / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/cadet/Shared%20Documents/USAFA68.xfdl
Form 69: Academy Waiver / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/cadet/Shared%20Documents/AcademicWaiver.xfd
Graduate Scholarship Program / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/graduate/default.aspx
Maps of Fairchild / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/cadet/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=%2facademics%2fregistrar%2fcadet%2fShared%20Documents%2fMaps%20of%20Fairchild&FolderCTID=0x01200097588372643F81469CDEB825307A7B00
Major’s Night / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/Faculty/Majors%20Night/MajorsNight.aspx?PageView=Shared&ContentEditorPopUp=True#Preparation_for_Majors_Night_
Peak Performance Center / https://eis.usafa.edu/cw/cwcc/PeakPerformanceCtr/default.aspx
QRC EI Videos / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/Evening%20Tutor/EI%20Videos/Forms/AllItems.aspx
Quantitative Reasoning Tutoring Center (QRC) / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/Evening%20Tutor/default.aspx
Reading Enhancement / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/reading/default.aspx
Registrar Forms / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/Site%20Pages/Forms.aspx
Registration Related / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/Site%20Pages/RegistrationInfo.aspx
Schedule of Calls / https://eis.usafa.edu/cadetwing/Lists/Favorites/Attachments/27/SOC%20Approved%20(As%20of%207%20Feb%2013).pdf
Sexual Assault Response Coordinator / https://eis.usafa.edu/cw/cwcc/SARC/default.aspx
Strategies for Academic Success: Study Skills / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/study/default.aspx
Student Academic Affairs and Academy Registrar (DFR) / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/default.aspx
Writing Center / https://eis.usafa.edu/academics/registrar/writing/default.aspx
[1] High school experience, academic preparation, prior enlisted experience, and family structure.
[2] Strengths, personality, learning style, values, beliefs, and attitudes.
[3] Reflection, self/time management, critical thinking, test-taking, memory, interpersonal, organization, and goal setting.
[4] Purpose, performance of duties, etc.
[5] Prospective major and possible minor.
[6] How they have changed during their time at USAFA across the mission partners.
[7] Critical thinking is the process of questioning and analyzing assertions, in order to make an informed judgment or propose solutions. Three essential components of this process are the evaluation of relevant evidence, identification of biases and assumptions, and consideration of multiple perspectives.
[8] Decision-making is the process of identifying the issue to be decided, the facts, missing information, assumptions relevant to the issue, the criteria for assessing alternatives, generating realistic alternatives, and applying criteria to alternatives to reach a sound and timely decision.