College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Unit Head and Faculty Weekly Mailing 7-24-12
For Faculty
2. Advising Update Regarding Federal Student Loans
For Unit Heads
____________________________________________________________________________
For Faculty
By now you have probably noticed that the GVSU website has an updated look. The web team has been working very hard to implement these evidence-based changes which will allow the ever-growing number of users with hand-held devices to use our site productively. These tips may help faculty in the transition period:
How do I get from our departmental page to the GVSU homepage? Click on the GVSU logo in the upper left corner of the screen. It is linked to the GVSU home page.
How do I get to the GVSU site index? From the GVSU home page, click the Site Index link in the upper right corner.
How do I get to Banner or Blackboard now that Quick Links is gone? On the home page, there are Bb and Banner icons beneath the Search box.
How do I search for people on campus? Just type the name into the Search box. You’ll get both the information that PeopleFinder has always provided and links to other references to that person such as their faculty page.
I searched for something on the Site Index and didn’t find it. Let Monica Johnstone know, and she’ll ask the web team to add that keyword to the site index.
Can our departmental page be optimized for hand-held devices too? Yes, but you may want to wait until the numbers say that your content is being accessed that way. The web team can pull the stats on that. For instance, the CLAS website’s “For Unit Heads” page hasn’t been accessed by anything other than regular computers so we aren’t in a hurry to change it.
2. Advising Update Regarding Federal Student Loans
Very likely you’ve heard a great deal about federal student loan rates. As noted in a recent CUR (Council for Undergraduate Research) newsletter, the deal struck in Congress extends the current rate—but it also limits students’ access to loans once they reach 150% of their program length. This is something to consider when advising super-seniors or those contemplating becoming super-seniors.
Those interested in the role of the advisor in retention and graduation rates may enjoy this article: http://ed.stanford.edu/spotlight/stanford-study-shows-college-student-coaching-improves-retention-and-graduation-rates/
Thank you to all unit heads and faculty who again helped provide information for the Presidential Honor Roll project over the past few months. The Presidential Honor Roll is a national initiative to highlight universities that provide service learning and other hands-on, minds-on student opportunities. This is an opportunity to showcase the many ways that you positively impact your students using high impact practices such as: the service learning in your courses, the internships you oversee, student-faculty research, and other student-oriented co-curricular activities. Grand Valley has been honored each of the past three years for its many student-community activities. Thank you for sharing what you do for our students and our community.
~Mary
Thank you to the unit heads, COTs, and faculty for your work on resolving most of the overdue incomplete grades in CLAS.
~Mary
For Unit Heads
|
Important Dates |
Event |
Location |
|
July 24 |
Fall draft contracts hand delivered to UH |
|
|
July 25 by 5:00pm |
Fall contracts due to Dean’s Office |
Cindy Laug |
|
Aug. 3 |
Classes End 2nd 6 weeks and 12 weeks |
|
|
Aug. 6-7 |
Final Exams |
|
|
Aug. 6 |
Submission deadline for Issues course proposals |
|
|
Aug. 6 |
Regular faculty on payroll. |
|
|
Aug. 13 |
Grades due 2nd 6 weeks and 12 weeks before noon Banner and Blackboard close at this time |
|
|
Aug. 15 & 16 |
New Faculty Orientation |
|
|
Aug. 17 |
ED 431 Pilot Start Up Meeting; 10:00am – 11:30am |
EC 310 |
|
Aug. 21 |
Unit Head Retreat |
324/330 KEN |
|
Aug. 22 |
FTLC Conference |
http://www.gvsu.edu/ftlc/ftlc-2011-fall-conference-on-teaching-learning--127.htm |
|
Aug. 23 |
CLAS Faculty and Staff Meeting |
|
|
Aug. 24 |
Convocation |
Field House |
|
Aug. 27 |
Fall 2012 Classes Begin |
Page last modified July 24, 2012
