ACADEMIC RIGHT START

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ACADEMIC RIGHT START! The Office of Academic
Enhancement Texas AM University at
Galveston www.tamug.edu/acen 2nd Floor, Mariner
Hall M-F 800 500pm [phone]
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The Office of Academic Enhancement WHO ARE
WE? Ric Montelongo, Director TJ Hyland,
Academic Advisor Debra Carraway, Lead Office
Assistant
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First step for a Right Start this
semester.. GET TO KNOW YOUR OFFICE OF ACADEMIC
ENHANCEMENT! Mission of ACEN is to create bridges
to help students adjust to the expectations and
changes they face at a 4-year university. ACE
N provides programs, services, honors awards,
and advising targeted at 1st and 2nd year
students. We want help ALL students, no matter
their situation!
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Overview of Tonights Meeting

• What is the Right Start for my semester?
• Academic Right Start Self-Assessment Form
• TAMUG Success Resources
• TAMUG Academic Expectations Awareness
• Peer-to-Peer Discussions What is Success?
• Getting Along with Your Prof Strategies to Use!
• Understanding Your College GPR
• Types of Academic Probation at TAMU
• First-year Grade Exclusion Policy
• QA

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What is the Right Start for the semester? Some
initial key advice

• Keep your priorities in focus
• Maybe you just had a bad semester
• Pick yourself up and move forward
• Understand TAMU grade policies
• Use Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction
• ACEN will keep you on your toes
• There is hope!

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What is the Right Start for my semester?

• Complete the Academic Self-Assessment Form
• Think about the questions and answer honestly
• Well discuss your answers and why they have an
  impact where you are at academically.

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TAMUG Success ResourcesThese fine folks are
ready to help you have a great semester!

• TAMUG Career Counseling
• TAMUG Writing Center
• TAMUG Admissions Records
• ACEN Academic Support (tutoring, SI)

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TAMUG Academic Expectations Awareness

• According to a sample of TAMUG students who were
  on probation after Fall 2007, which item had the
  highest percentage response as the primary cause
  for academic difficulty?
• PROCRASTINATION (58)
• TIME MANAGEMENT CAME IN 2ND (48)

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TAMUG Academic Expectations Awareness

• In Fall 2007, what was the mean GPR for all
  undergraduate students at TAMUG?
• 2.517
• In Fall 2007, what was the mean GPR for all
  undergraduate students at TAMU?
• 2.841

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TAMUG Academic Expectations Awareness

• In a Spring 2004 survey of graduating TAMU
  seniors, what percent Agreed or Strongly
  Agreed with the statement My advisor helped me
  plan a successful program of study?
• 70
• Measurement and Research Services, Quality of
  College Experience and Estimated Gains of
  Graduating Seniors, Spring 2004

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TAMUG Academic Expectations Awareness

• 1,000 TAMU freshmen were surveyed. When asked
  how much time per week do you expect you will be
  studying, doing homework, or writing reports,
  what was the hour range most responded with?
• 11-20 hours (55)
• Measurement and Research Services, Fall 2000

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TAMUG Academic Expectations Awareness

• What percent of students decided to pursue a
  different major since entering TAMU?
• 34
• Department of Student Life Studies, Your First
  College Year Survey, Spring 2007

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TAMUG Academic Expectations Awareness

• What percent of students failed one or more
  courses since entering TAMU?
• 22
• Department of Student Life Studies, Your First
  College Year Survey, Spring 2007

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ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR???
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WHAT IS SUCCESS??

• Peer-to-Peer Advice on how to find it and what
  to do to get it!

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Getting Along with Your Prof

• In the following clip, is this a good start or
  bad start with a professor?

http//www.youtube.com/watch?vYlVDGmjz7eM
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Getting Along with Your Prof Some Strategies to
Use!

• GO TO CLASS!
• Attendance may not be taken, but that doesnt
  mean that profs are not looking.
• Professors make decisions on helping students on
  the basis of attendance
• SO YOU WENT TO CLASS.
• Show interest in the class by taking a notebook
  and pen/pencilUSE THEM!
• Bring your reading materials to class
• This communicates that you are prepared

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Getting Along with Your Prof Some Strategies to
Use!

• GETTING TO CLASS EARLY DOESNT HURT..
• Watch your professor when students come late
• Research shows that sitting in front of class has
  positive benefits and outcomes
• HOWEVER, SLEEPING IN CLASS DOES!
• Hello.you are an adult now. You need to be
  responsible and mature. Wake up on time.
• If you have extenuating circumstance, call or
  email your prof IMMEDIATELY (contact info on
  syllabus).
• POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE

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Getting Along with Your Prof Some Strategies to
Use!

• MEET YOUR PROFS!
• Know his/her name and title. You might be
  surprised of their outside interests and hobbies
• Check out their office hours and schedule a visit
• Profs get sad when nobody comes to see them. ?
• Prepare any questions prior to a meeting
• If anything, just drop by to say
  howdyespecially if you are in a large class
• THE GOLDEN RULE
• Treat your prof as you would like to be treated
• When asking questions, dont sound demanding

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Understanding Your College GPR

• Grade Values
• (points per hour)
• A 4 points
• B 3 points
• C 2 points
• D 1 point
• F 0 points

• GPR formula
• Hours x Grade Points
• Do this for each course
• Ex An A in a 3-hour history class is worth
• 3hrs. x 4pts. 12
• GPR
• Total Points for Term  
• Total Hours for Term

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Understanding Your College GPR How It Is
Calculated?

• Course Title Course No.
  Grade Hrs. Pts.
• INTRO ACCOUNTING ACCT-229-401 A 3.0 4 x
  3 12
• INTRO BIOLOGY BIOL-111-401 C 4.0 2
  x 4 8
• INTRO TO LITERATURE ENGL-203-402 A 3.0
  4 x 3 12
• INTERMEDIATE TENNIS KINE-199-416 S 1.0
  S x 1
• TOP CONTEMP MATH II MATH-166-401 F 3.0
  0 x 3 0
• INTRO SHIPS SHIPPING NAUT-205-402 D 4.0
  1 x 4 4
• TOTAL PTS. 36
• TOTAL HRS. 17
• GPR PTS/HRS
• 36/17
• 2.118
• - S does not compute in grade average. Earned
  just credit. A grade of U DOES!

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Understanding Your College GPR Target GPR
Calculations

• What Cumulative GPR do you want?
• What Semester GPR will get you there?
• Use Spring semester schedule

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Understanding Your College GPR Target GPR
Calculations

• TARGET GPR CALCULATION
• 1. Look at a copy of your unofficial transcript.
  You can access your unofficial transcript from
  the Texas AM University Student Information
  System (MyRecord) 
• Go to myrecord.tamu.edu
• Login as Current Students
• Enter your NetID and password
• Select View Unofficial Transcript
• 2. Write down your Cumulative Grade Points
  GPTS. This number appears at the bottom of your
  transcript ______________
• 3. Write down your Cumulative Graded Hours
  AHRS. If you are doing a First-Year Grade
  Exclusion for a course this semester, subtract
  the credit hours for that course from your
  Cumulative Graded Hours and write down the new
  total _____________
• 4. Write down the number of credit hours you are
  taking this semester, subtracting the hours for
  any S/U courses _________________
• 5. Add lines 3 and 4. This will produce your
  total attempted hours ________________
• 6. Multiply the number above by 2.0
  ______________. This will produce the number of
  Grade Points GPTS you will need to achieve a
  2.0 cumulative gpr.
• 7. Subtract the number of grade points (or
  Cumulative Grade Points) you have already earned
  (on line 2) from the number above
  __________________. This will produce the number
  of points you need to earn this semester to be at
  a 2.0.
• 8. Divide the number above by the number of
  graded credit hours you are taking this semester
  (on line 4) ___________________
• This is the semester GPR you will need to achieve
  in order to place your cumulative GPR at a 2.0,
  the minimum for good academic standing.
• To calculate for a different target cumulative
  GPR, simply use that number in place of the
  numbers marked with a above

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Understanding Your College GPR Grade Point 2.0
Variance

• Same idea as GPR. Weighted by credit hours.
• Variance is the number of grade points
  above/below 2.0 cumulative GPR
• Running total calculated at end of each term
• Usually used to determine handling of student
  deficiencies
• Each course grade other than C has an affect on
  variance
• A 2 points
• B 1 points
• C 0 points
• D -1 points
• F -2 points

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Understanding Your College GPR Grade Point 2.0
Variance

• GPR is above a 2.0, variance will be positive,
  since you have more than the bare minimum grade
  points.
• GPA is below 2.0, you will have a negative
  variance, indicating that you have fewer than the
  necessary grade points. If you have a negative
  variance for your Semester, Major, or Cumulative
  GPR, you are not in good standing with the
  University.

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Grade Point 2.0 Variance

• Examples
• COURSE HOURS VARIANCE
• HIST-105 (3 hr) C 3 x 0 0
• BIOL-111 (4 hr) B 4 x 1 4
• ENGL-104 (3 hr) D 3 x -1 -3
• KINE-199 (1 hr) A 1 x 2 2
• CHEM-101 (4 hr) F 4 x -2 -8
• GPR 25/15 1.667 TOTAL VARIANCE -5
• COURSE HOURS VARIANCE
• HIST-105 (3 hr) C 3 x 0 0
• BIOL-111 (4 hr) B 4 x 1 4
• ENGL-104 (3 hr) D 3 x -1 -3
• KINE-199 (1 hr) A 1 x 2 2
• CHEM-101 (4 hr) A 4 x -2 8
• GPR 41/15 2.733 TOTAL VARIANCE 11

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Types of Probation

• If you are not in good academic standing with the
  University, your variance is used to determine
  how the University will handle your case

• Probation 1 (without terms)
• Probation
• Continued Probation (with or without terms)
• Continued Probation/Good
• Suspension I and II
• Dismissal

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Types of Academic Probation at TAMUG(short and
simple guide)

• Decision Scale based grade point deficiency
• -1 to -10 Probation
• -10 to -15 Probation w/ terms
• If terms are not met, Suspension may result
• -15 to -25 Suspension
• Beyond -25 Dismissal or Expulsion
• Seldom Occurs Suspension usually happens first

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First Year Grade Exclusion Policy

• Good advice to discuss first with advisor
• Exclusion forms available after meeting or at
  Office of Academic Enhancement

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Helpful Resources

• Do not do it alone!
• Tutoring at The Study, 1st floor Mariner Hall
  6pm-12midnight
• Supplemental Instruction (CHEM102, BIOL112,
  OCHEM)
• Faculty office hours (they would love to see
  you!)
• Residence Life staff (RAs, Neil, etc.)
• Academic Services (ACEN, AdmissionsRecords)
• Study groups WE WANT TO CONNECT INTERESTED
  STUDENTS! See Academic Enhancement

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We want your feedback!

• First year students - get connected to ACEN
• Academic probation students get advice from an
  ACEN advisor get help early

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING! WELL BE AVAILABLE
AFTER MEETING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS The Office
of Academic Enhancement Texas AM University at
Galveston www.tamug.edu/acen 2nd Floor, Mariner
Hall M-F 800 500pm [phone]