The Bi-Weekly Advising Bulletin – Weeks 1-2, Winter Term 2018Let’s start off with the most immediate task of welcoming back your liberal arts advisees (if you have them). The first two weeks are a good time, before things get really hectic, to invite your advisees in for a quick chat about their plans for the term. Sophomores should begin or continue their conversations with you concerning their intended major(s). If you have sophomore advisees, below are some discussion prompts to help you get these conversations started. If you have first-year advisees, you ought to prepare a slightly longer conversation of about 15-20 minutes to have them reflect on their fall-term experience and to identify what they need to work on during the winter term. Below, you will find some prompts for these conversations with your frosh advisees.

Here is a handy list of the key academic deadlines during the winter 2018 trimester. It is a good idea to send your advisees this list during the first week of the term so that they can mark their calendars.

Tuesday, January 9, First Five-week Course Add Deadline and Ten-week Independent Study and Overload Petition Deadline (both at 5 p.m.) ALSO the Ten-week course Add/Drop deadline (11:59 p.m.) and the First Five-week course Drop deadline (11:59 p.m.)

Friday, January 19, First Five-week Late Drop and S/CR/NC deadline (5:00 p.m.)

Monday, February 5, Midterm Break Wednesday, February 7, Second Five-week courses begin Monday, February 12, Advising Days Begin (through Feb. 20) Tuesday, February 13, Second Five-week Course Add/Drop Deadline

(5:00 p.m.) Friday February 16, Ten-week Course Late Drop and S/CR/NC

Deadline (5:00 p.m.) Friday, February 23, Second Five-week Course Late Drop and

S/CR/NC Deadline (5:00 p.m.)

Please be mindful of deadline times as well as dates and make sure that your advisees do the same. Students have been known to miss the deadline because they thought it expired just before the “witching hour” when it had expired hours before.

Note, too, that the ten-week course late drop and S/CR/NC deadline is during advising days. Try to identify advisees who may need to consider these options and schedule appointments with them early (even before advising days) to make sure that they have sufficient time to decide prior to the deadline.

Great Hall after extensive floor cleaning during winter break (December 2017). Reminds one of the Stanley Hotel (a.k.a. the Overlook Hotel): “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Anyone want to throw a ball against the wall?

Conversation Prompts for Sophomore Advisees (Winter Term)You may use the following text to invite your sophomore advisees to see you. Feel free to adjust the agenda of conversation items listed in this prompt:

“Dear ______, welcome back for winter term! I think that the first week or two of the winter term is a good time to have a brief meeting where we can continue our conversations about your plans for the upcoming trimester. I would like to hear about your current thinking concerning your intended major, but we could also chat about your plans for summer internships and off-campus studies during your junior year. As always, come prepared to talk about your current registration and how it fulfills requirements. We should also talk about how your writing portfolio is coming together.”

Other agenda items to consider during your initial meetings with sophomores this term:

(1)Should a Minor be considered? Minors build on and complement departmental offerings by applying the methods and content of specific disciplines to broader issues and problems that cut across the disciplines. Students who seem confined by the disciplinary orientation of Carleton, who are interested in a specific area, or who show an interest in contemporary social issues are among those who may want to consider a Minor. Below, the Bulletin offers a useful tool for advising students about Minors and how they can overlap with Majors.

(2)Check in on notorious requirements that demand mindful choices: (a) progress on the language requirement, (b) the arts practice requirement, (c) four separate terms of PE.

(3)How do the courses your sophomore advisees are registered for in the winter allow them to explore and stretch beyond well-known areas of strength (and comfort)? Your sophomore advisees are still doing curricular exploration.

(4)If you need a useful prompt for the conversation about the choice of major, try the “Choosing a Major” worksheet.

Note this wisdom from the Advising Handbook:

“Some sophomores find it very difficult to choose a major. They may have so many interests in so many different subjects that they can’t bear to choose only one, or they may be dissatisfied with all of the subjects they have studied so far and feel discouraged at the prospect of choosing a major in any of them. In any case, there is no easy answer.

Those who are having trouble narrowing down their choice of major might be reminded that one doesn’t need to major in a subject to study it at Carleton; choosing a major need not commit a student to only one path. Among the potential majors, which would the student benefit the most from by taking all the courses required for the major? In which major would the student prefer to do a comprehensive exercise? Does the student have definite career plans? Which major would leave the most doors open when it comes time to pursue a career or further education?” Hint: Use Pathways (see below on its update) as a tool in these conversations.

One more thing on OCS programs: Depending on how specific your sophomore advisees’ plans are, you may get questions that are more technical in nature such as “How can I be assured that a non-Carleton program I take will allow me to transfer credits to Carleton (and to my intended major)?” Answers can be found here: https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/policies_procedures/credits/. If your advisees are interested in non-Carleton programs that have not yet been approved by the College, see this page:

https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/policies_procedures/approvals-of-non/.

Conversation Prompts for First-Year Advisees (Winter Term)You may use the following text to invite your first-year advisees to see you. Feel free to adjust the agenda of conversation items listed in this prompt:

“Dear ______, welcome back for winter term! I think that the first week or two of the winter term is a good time to have a brief meeting where we can continue our conversations about your plans for the upcoming trimester. I would like to hear about your developing interests and activities, now that you have had one term at Carleton. What worked well for you? What surprised you? What do you feel you need to work on? I would also like to hear about your current thinking concerning handling curricular exploration requirements, but we could also chat about your plans for the summer and any plans you might be developing to study off-campus during the next year or two. As always, come prepared to talk about your current registration and how it fulfills your goals and requirements.”

Other agenda items to consider during your initial meetings with frosh this term:

(1)How are your advisees handling homesickness (if any) from last term?

(2)Talk to your advisees about how their selection of courses is intentionally challenging and is stretching them.

(3)Are your first-year advisees interested in the sciences? It is never too early to become aware of what these departments require of majors. Have interested students study the webpages of the “First-Year Students’ Guide to....” Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Math and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy , and Psychology. Keep in mind that most departments have First-Year Students’ Guides on their webpages, so direct interested students to check them out!

(4)If any of your advisees mention “pre-med” or “pre-health,” review Pam Middleton’s very useful overview of Carleton’s pre-health program in the advising newsletter (summer/fall 2017) issue available here. You should also direct these students to become familiar with the Pre-Health Program webpage.

(5)Use some time to make sure that your frosh advisees understand what S/Cr/NC (“Scrunch”) is and how to use it (See https://apps.carleton.edu/handbook/academics/?policy_id=21531). Make certain that they understand what the Academic Support Center is and how to use it.

(6)If any of your advisees have used Special Needs Accommodations, follow up with them on how these have worked for them. If new or additional accommodations are needed, make certain that your advisees are familiar with our policies and the office of Disability Services for Students.

(7)Sometimes students will be forthcoming early in their Carleton careers about whatever economic struggles they might have concerning paying for books, fees, and other academic resources. If they are not already informed about it, they should follow up with TRIO/Student Support Services and, of course, there is Student Financial Services. Below, the Bulletin lists some other resources that you can direct your advisees to use.

Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcasts on higher edAs part of our preparations for the winter-break advising workshop on November 30, 2017, "Acknowledging Class through Advising," I recommended that participants listen to a highly relevant set of episodes of Malcolm Gladwell’s well-regarded podcast series, "Revisionist History." Like everything Gladwell does, it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. I certainly do not agree with each angle he takes on his subjects, but I have come away enlightened and challenged after each episode. 

If you know Gladwell, you know that he is somewhat obsessed with the linkages between the higher ed system in the US (he is Canadian) and inequality. His reporting tends to hold a mirror up to some elite institutions and he also engages in comparative work to unveil some hard truths. You will not always think he is being fair, but he is thoughtful and everyone in higher ed should be prepared to respond to these ideas. (After the passage of the new federal tax reform act, we should all be more interested in listening to criticism that singles out private, higher ed institutions!).

His first season includes three episodes that I recommend highly to you (go here):

Episode 4, "Carlos Doesn't Remember"

Episode 5, "Food Fight"Episode 6, "My Little Hundred Million"

I hope that you find these podcasts as thoughtful and stimulating as I and many participants in the winter-break workshop have. At the very least, they are good discussion starters.

Talking About Money: Some Tools and Advice for AdvisersFollowing up on many of the themes concerning the affordability of Carleton, first-gen students, and larger issues of class among our students and advisees, I wish to make all advisers aware of some useful tools that exist for advising students on financial matters.

Occasionally students will inquire about how they should manage their student loans. I know that the topic has come up during my own office hours. This is not a topic that advisors normally think that they should cover, but it is an important issue when we talk to students about their career plans, whether they can go on off-campus programs, or do an unpaid internship. I do know from experience and also from listening to colleagues’ stories that students often appreciate whatever wisdom faculty and staff professionals can offer regarding how to make choices in which financial considerations such as loan burden are relevant. Much of the research that the winter-break advising workshop participants reviewed supports the importance of advisers taking on financial concerns.

To aid advisers in this task, I would recommend a couple of sources. First, we recently updated “Beyond Financial Aid: A Student-Made Resource Guide,” a Carleton-specific set of tips for students on finding resource support for all kinds of things, including healthcare costs and academic fees. That source will be updated again shortly. Second, the New York Times ran a story a couple of months ago about Payback, a game that helps students navigate college affordability issues (see the story here). The Times has also put together a handy set of tips in their “Money” section that offers sound advice on how students should manage their student loans and what they definitely need to know to be better borrowers. The link is here. A similar list of tips is available from the Institute for College Access and Success (see here). I have reviewed several other sources that all seem to give similar advice.

Your advisees should also know that our Office of Health Promotion (OHP) on its wellness resources website maintains a link to a financial literacy program called “Cash Course.” The direct link to Cash Course is here. Specific resources on this site include: budget wizards, financial calculators,

worksheets, quizzes about specific topics (student loans, buying a car, being ready for a financial emergency, credit, etc.), and videos (budgeting, paying back student loans, saving, needs vs. wants, etc.). To access Cash Course, students only need to sign in using their Carleton email. Staff and faculty can be given access if they would like to download any information (Power Point slides, worksheets, etc.) or even assign specific tasks to students they think might benefit. Any advisors interested in gaining that level of access should contact Janet Lewis Muth (jlewismuth).

I will keep an eye out for other resources and services, but if you come across something really useful, send it my way (amontero) and I will be sure to distribute the knowledge via the Bulletin. In the meantime, feel free to send your advisees these helpful tips and links whenever you converse with them about financial issues.

Some Readings on First-Gen StudentsBoth the advising circles and the winter-break advising workshop focused on class and resource constraints for our advisees. Both types of sessions had some readings on first-gen students that all advisers may find useful. Here are a few on-line sources from common sources:

(1) Ashley A. Smith, “Who’s in First (Generation)?,”   Inside Higher Ed   November 10, 2015.

(2) Laura Pappano, “First-Generation Students Unite,”   New York Times   April 8, 2015 .

(3) Linda Banks-Santilli, “Guilt Is One of the Biggest Struggles First-Generation College Students Face,”   Washington Post   June 3, 2015 .

The workshop participants reviews research from some additional sources that they found very enlightening. If anyone would like to receive these pieces, please email me (amontero).

Pathways is UpdatedPathways is a useful on-line tool developed here at Carleton for advisers and advisees who are engaged in conversations about how a liberal arts curriculum can inform distinct professional paths. This tool is especially helpful for conversations with first- and second-year students who are beginning or continuing their exploration of the liberal arts curriculum and

are wondering how their academic work can link to experiences in the professional world. This can be an especially useful tool in your conversations with advisees concerning their plans for a major (or two).

My office has been updating Pathways continually, to make sure that it has the most up-to-date information. Note that we have two new areas – International and Social Work. In concert with efforts to create a Public Policy Minor, the Government, Politics, and Public Policy area has been expanded. If you have any questions about these materials, please contact me (amontero). I would also love to hear suggestions for additional materials or any changes that you would like to see to Pathways.

The World Can Be Yours, Advisees: The 2018 OCS Worlds’ FairThe 2018 OCS Worlds’ Fair will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2018, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in Great Hall. Please encourage your first-and second-year advisees to attend. The fair is staffed by returned students and faculty program directors for 2018-19. Attendees can talk directly to the experts, pick up brochures, enjoy a light lunch, and generally learn about OCS at Carleton. Winter term is also a great time for general OCS advising. If they haven’t already, invite your advisees to sign up for an individual appointment in OCS at their convenience. This can be done by stopping by Leighton 119, calling x4332, or going to https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/programs/ to request an advising time online.

Major/Minor Overlap WorksheetIt is widely known that degree audits do not track minors, so an option for departments and advisers of students pursuing a minor is to monitor student progress and make sure that students do not have too many overlapping courses. It helps to have students self-report their progress to their advisers. The Registrar’s Office has developed a useful tool for that purpose, a Major/Minor Overlap Worksheet that advisees may fill out before their advising meetings. In addition to this worksheet, the Registrar’s Office maintains a page with a number of forms regarding declaration of majors and minors. See here.

Office of Student Fellowships 

Happy Winter Term!  The major application cycle for Carleton-funded fellowships (often referred to as 'junior fellowships') is upon us: deadlines are January 31 and February 14.  Students are invited to an information session on summer opportunities (including these fellowships, internships sponsored by the Career Center and the Chaplain's Office, and internships and fellowships offered through CCCE) on Monday, January 8, at 5pm in Leighton 426.

We will continue with our 'new' procedure of sending direct requests for recommendations, due one week after the respective student deadline (February 7 and 21), and will include the finalized version of the application along with the request.  Faculty will receive a refresher on this process soon, and any questions may be directed to Marynel at mryanvanzee@carleton.edu.  Thank you for all you do to support the work of the Office of Student Fellowships.

Student Health and What Advisers Should Know The Office of Health Promotion (OHP) is highlighting an online tool, Kognito, that supports staff and faculty skills in having conversations with students who hold LGBTQ identities. Specifically, Kognito is designed to help advisers recognize when a student might be in distress and respond supportively. Very useful!

OHP will be offering two sections of Happy Hour again this term.  Happy Hour is a weekly, zero-credit course designed to help students develop skills and habits to promote their mental well-being. Both sections start second week, so students should register ASAP. For more information and to register, click here.

Also, please encourage students to participate in the Winter Wellness Challenge.  This year's challenge will be primarily app-based (using an app developed by CS majors as their comps project!) and encourages students to choose one of three tracks - exercise, mindfulness, or social connection.  Information on the challenge and how to download the app can be found here:  https://apps.carleton.edu/healthpromotion/wellnesschallenge/

Professional Development and the Career Center

The Career Center has some excellent opportunities approaching for students! Please encourage them to consider taking part in one of these programs as all offer excellent professional development and leadership experience. 

Global Edge Internships

Students interested in gaining international professional experience should be encouraged to apply to the Global Edge Internship Program. Students are matched with an internship tailored to their interests and needs in one of three sites: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Shanghai, China; and Cape Town, South Africa. Internship options are available in all sectors, including social entrepreneurship, business, education, health care, human rights, and many more. 

This competitive program will take place June 16 - August 11, 2018 and the Career Center will cover the program fee and associated expenses (travel, room, and board). 

Students must submit their applications, including two letters of recommendation, via the Tunnel by January 10, 2018. If students are unsure or have questions, please encourage them to visit the Career Center to learn more. 

For more info, visit: https://apps.carleton.edu/career/students/internships/programs/globaledge/

Gettysburg   Leadership Program

This three-day long seminar in Gettysburg, PA introduces 12 sophomores to concepts of leadership and team building using a historical framework. Students will come away with a better sense of their own leadership abilities, effective leadership in times of crisis, and a commitment to continuous leadership development. 

The program will occur March 22-24, 2018 with all costs during the program covered by Carleton College. 

Students must submit their application via the Tunnel by February 1, 2018. Interested students should attend an Information Session on January 12, 2018 to learn more about the benefits of the program. 

For more info, visit: https://apps.carleton.edu/career/students/programs/gettysburg/

Spring Break Scholars

The Scholars Programs provide experiential learning opportunities for students to explore career options, make connections, and hone networking and professionalism skills.  This year's programs will be Public Policy in Washington D.C. (sophomores & juniors) and Sustainability in the Twin Cities (all class years). 

For more information visit: https://apps.carleton.edu/career/students/programs/scholars/.

Students must submit their application via the Tunnel by February 1, 2018. Interested students should attend the Scholars Information Session on January 16, 2018. All expenses for participation are covered by the Career Center.

Career Kickstarter Course

Please encourage seniors who feel behind in their career planning to sign up for the Career Kickstarter Workshop seminar. This 5-week seminar will cover topics related to strengths and interests, job searching, networking, creating application materials, and interviewing strategies. 

Class Sessions: Section A: Wednesdays, 3:10-4:30 pm 

Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31 & Feb. 7 Section B: Thursdays, 3:10-4:30 pm

Jan. 11, 18, 25 & Feb. 1, 8

For more info, visit: https://apps.carleton.edu/career/events/?event_id=1650777&date=2018-01-05

Students must submit their application via the Tunnel by January 5, 2018. Students with questions should contact the Career Center. 

Useful Quick LinksForms and decision trees (https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/doc/advising/forms/ )

Whom to contact (https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/doc/advising/directory/ )

The Graduation Requirements on the Registrar’s Page

Academic Rules and Regs of the College

Off-Campus Studies Programs

The Career Center page with resource links for advisers