October 2012 E-Newsletter

"So, umm, I have to sign up for next semester's courses. And I have no idea what I'm doing."  

We have some tips that will help you calm that jittery freshman and put him on the path to successfully registering for his second semester. 

 
First, some good basic Mom and Dad advice: Tell your student to take a deep breath and be calm. Remind him that he's already handled a lot of first times and that this one, his first time registering for college courses, is also manageable.  

Next, refer him to two readily-available Bona's resources. The first is my.sbu.edu, the University's in-house website that provides links to a variety of resources. Suggest to your student that he look for the "search for classes" link under "general links." There, he can find information on all the courses being offered in the spring 2013 semester. The link is also available in the "student links" section, under "register for classes." In that same area is a link to "registration information," which provides the date and time your student can register and information on who his adviser is and where she can be contacted.  

If he clicks the link on a particular course, it will open a window that provides additional information, including any prerequisites for the class and where information on the required textbook can be found. On the main schedule of classes, he will see a column marked available/capacity. If, for example, a number says 10/20, it tells your student the class is limited to 20 people and 10 seats remain.  

Also, under the student links section, there is a link to "degree audit." That document tells your student what courses he will need to graduate and what courses, if any, he has already received credit for. Encourage him to look carefully at the listings to be certain that he sees credit for any college-level or Advanced Placements he may have taken in high school. Those should appear marked "TE" on the right-hand side. Any course listed as "IP" is a course he is taking right now.  

While your student is on my.sbu.edu, he should check the "registration information" link. Any holds placed on his account -- by the business office, the registrar's office or health services -- will appear there.A student who sees any of them should act to deal with the restriction as far before his registration date as possible. 

The second important resource is his adviser.
 

She can help him understand what he's seeing on the degree audit and suggest which courses would be best for his next semester. She can also discuss with him questions ranging from changing a major to deciding on a minor to working on classes in which he is struggling. In addition, she can provide information on how to deal with a hold your student sees on his account.  

Many advisers have posted sign-in sheets on their door for students to set appointments to talk about registration. If your student's adviser has not done so, he may want to contact her to ask when he can sign up.   

When your student signs up, he should be certain to put the date and time in his planner, so he does not miss the appointment. If his adviser does not have a time on the sign-up sheet that will work, encourage him to contact her and ask what other times she might be available.  

Under the current University registration system, students enter their own courses online. They may place courses into a "wish list" on my.sbu.edu, but they cannot actually register until they reach the pre-selected time and date. Even then, the student will not be allowed to register if he has not met with his adviser.  

Because your student is a freshman, it is very possible that he may be closed out of some classes he hoped to take. His adviser can tell him which classes are offered every semester or every other semester, and what would make good options if his first choices are closed. Remind him that he may not be able to find exactly the class times he would prefer, but keeping in mind the times he is most and least alert may help him succeed, especially in a class in his major or in an area he finds difficult.  

Those two resources — my.sbu.edu and your student's adviser — plus a healthy dose of his own common sense will allow him to register without unmanageable problems. And by this time next semester, the whole process will look considerably easier.  

By Cristabell Ramdial, Class of 2013 

October brings the arrival of fall weather and, for some students, chilly news via midterm grades. 

Here’s where you, as a parent, can again help your student with her adjustment to college. Remind your student that midterm grades are progress reports of how she is doing in classes so far. If she’s not happy with what she sees, she can make changes. 

If your student is doing well in his classes, just urge her to keep up the good work. Remind him how easy it can be to fall behind in her class work. That’s exactly what happened to Cristal Mota, a senior psychology major.  

“I got all A’s during my freshman year for midterms, and I slacked off because I thought I was doing really well,” she said. “I wish I knew then how easy it is to fall behind because at the end of the semester my grades suffered.” 

If you notice your student isn’t doing well in midterm grades, encourage her not to panic. She can do a lot to move toward the grades she wants. Ann Lehman, registrar and director of institutional research, offered these tips to help your student improve her grades.  

1.     The first, and most important, tip is to go to class, even if the class is at 8:30, even if he thinks it’s boring.   

Brett Keegan tutors Siika Merriman at the Teaching and Learning Center in Doyle Hall. [Photo by: Madison Thieman]

2.     Sit in the front row.  

3.     Talk to your professor.  He or she should be the first person you ask for help. 

4.     Do the homework, read the readings and complete all the assignments.  

5.     Seek out other assistance from the Teaching and Learning Center (located in the basement of Doyle, which includes the Writing Lab) or from the Math or Writing Center. (Located in De La Roche and the basement of Plassmann, respectively). 

6.     Speak to your adviser. 

7.     Change your study strategies. If you’re doing poorly at midterms, whatever you’re doing isn’t working for her in a college-level class.   

8.     Do some work for each class everyday.  

Freshmen who made "Dean's List" at midterms attended an Academic Success Reception in the Hall of Fame room at the Reilly Center on October 25.

If, however, your student decides after consultation with the professor as though there is no possible way to improve the grade in a particular class, he can withdraw from the course and take it at another time. Lehman said a “W” does not affect a student’s GPA. However, W’s do not look the best for future employers or graduate schools who request transcripts and, if repeatedly done, the W’s could possible affect graduation.  

“If a student is considering withdrawing from a course, she must have the signature of the adviser and the instructor on the withdrawal form.  The form can be downloaded from My.SBU.edu or picked up from the Records Office,” she said. 

To withdraw from a class, the form must be submitted, with all valid signatures, no later than 5 p.m., Nov. 1.  

By Madison Thieman, Class of 2015   

Leadership skills can be learned. And St. Bonaventure University is now offering a chance for freshman students to learn those skills as they start their college careers in the new Freshmen Leadership Program.  

The program is a collaboration of several offices and departments: the Leadership Center, the Career and Professional Readiness Center, University Ministries, the Damietta Center, ROTC and the Center of Community Engagement, explained Steve Kuchera, assistant director of activities, recreation and leadership.  

Each year, University 101 instructors will nominate freshman students for program entry. Kuchera said potential students must show an interest in leadership, demonstrate respectfulness to peers and have a good attendance record.  

Admitted students “ …will be doing a different workshop once a month,” said Courtney Kempski, graduate assistant for campus activities, recreation, and leadership.  

Workshops already planned include an evening at the friary, an exotic meal at the Damietta Center, an interview stream to build job preparedness and a Jeopardy board game on wellness. Kempski said community service initiatives and other workshop opportunities are being discussed. 

 Kempski said the program offers “an opportunity for professional development (and) community engagement.”  

Students will be divided into groups of six and have a leadership mentor. Kuchera believes small group interaction will benefit the participants. “(The students) won’t just be going to a speaker. They’ll be fully engaged and active during the workshops.”  

After students complete the program and get their certificates, they can apply to be mentors the following year. These students will also have potential job/academic references available upon request.  

“The program will prepare (students) to serve as leaders here on the St. Bonaventure campus,” said Kuchera. “At the final ceremony students will be defining what being a leader at St. Bonaventure means to them.”    

By Brianna Kasperek, Class of 2016  

From left to right: Diana Adegoke, Kelsey Koos, Megan Cutia and Kendra Worley.

Four young women will lead the Class of 2016 for its first year at St. Bonaventure University. Elected this month were Kelsey Koos, president; Megan Cutia, vice president; and Diana Adegoke, treasurer. The Student Government Association, which coordinated the voting, said almost 75 percent of the class voted.  

No secretary was elected, which meant the three officers had the responsibility of appointing someone to the post. Kendra Worley will soon be officially appointed to fill this spot. The three newly elected officials choose Worley because she had the most write-ins during the election.  

President Kelsey Koos comes from Medford, N.J. After serving on the Student Council during her freshman and sophomore years of high school, she knew she wanted to run in this year’s elections. 

“I wanted to get involved,” she said. “I wanted to lead my peers and help make our  

freshmen year an unforgettable one." Koos, a biology major, is also a part of the Leadership Program at Bona’s.  

Vice president Megan Cutia is a Bryden, N.Y. native, who recently moved to Auburn, Massachusetts. Though there was no form of student government at her high school in Bryden, Cutia wanted to showcase her leadership abilities. She is an early education major and is also a part of SBU’s hip-hop team.  

Serving as treasurer is Diana Adegoke. Adegoke, from Queens, N.Y., served as Student Government treasurer at her high school. She says she wanted to run for treasurer again “to be able to make responsible financial decisions for our grade.” She said she knew she was qualified because she is “responsible, diligent, and accountable.” Adegoke is also a part of the Leadership Program. She said her “tenure will be an unforgettable one.”  

By Jackie Roberts, Class of 2016 

Sr. Kathy Dougherty, a former member of St. Bonaventure’s University Ministries, returned to campus on Oct. 22, to speak with students and reconnect with former colleagues. Sr. Kathy presented a lecture called “Prison and Prisoners and Lessons Learned.” The Quick Center for the Arts’ Loft was filled with St. Bonaventure University students attentive to the presentation.  

The lecture focused on Sr. Kathy’s experiences at the Baltimore City Detention Center where she has worked for the past three years. Sr. Kathy related her experiences to the All Bonaventure Reads book selection, “In the Sanctuary of Outcasts.”  

Sr. Kathy began with a quotation from the Irish priest and writer, John O'Donohue: “The earth is full of thresholds where beauty awaits the wonder of our gaze.” Setting the theme for her presentation, Sr. Kathy shared a personal story of mountain climbing in Ireland. She explained the tedious and tiresome task of climbing the mountain and how tempted she was to stop and turn around. However, when she reached the top of the mountain, she saw an amazing view she would never forget. 

“If I had given up, I would not have seen that beauty,” she told her audience.   

Beauty cannot be discovered if one gives up, only if one perseveres can he discover the beauty that awaits.   

At the Baltimore City Detention Center, Sr. Kathy spends many of her days with women who have drug addictions or criminal records. The more she learned about these inmates, she said, the more she understood that many of them were not the malicious or sinister individuals they were made out to be. Some were vulnerable women who had been victims of abuse throughout their lives.  

As she spent more time with the inmates, Sr. Kathy began to experience a strange phenomenon. She compared the phenomenon to the expression, “Gaze upon Christ, consider Christ, contemplate Christ.” Sr. Kathy described. While looking at the inmates, she began to see the face of Christ. While in prayer, she would see the faces of the inmates.   

A lesson that can be learned from Sr. Kathy’s presentation, and from the inmates, is to always have hope.  

Sr. Kathy said she was awestruck by the giving nature and strong faith of these women who have suffered so greatly.