Miss Us? We're Here all Summer

Remember, just because you all leave town doesn't mean that we close down shop! The SPEA Undergraduate Programs and Advising Office remains open all summer long, with normal operating hours. We're happy to continue to schedule appointments, and, if you're away for the summer, can arrange for phone or Skype appointments to address advising needs.

The only changes for the summer months? We do not have walk-in hours--advising is by appointment only. Also, please be aware that many of our advisors are assisting in overseas programs, helping future SPEAons at orientation advising, or taking time for vacation during the summer--so please be flexible with our staff. Thanks!

Congratulations, Graduates!

To all SPEA students concluding their undergraduate careers this week--congrats!

And--to all SPEA students attending the Recognition Ceremony this Friday, here's the basic info. Please remember that we do need you to RSVP!

We are very excited to celebrate the culmination of your undergraduate studies on the evening of Friday, May 6 with the SPEA Recognition Ceremony at the IU Auditorium! As a reminder, the reception will begin at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 for early check-in). The ceremony itself will begin at 8 p.m. All graduates need to be checked in prior to 7:30 in order to line up for the procession into the Auditorium.

If anyone in your party requires assistance because of a hearing, visual, or mobility disability, please let me know so that we can provide appropriate accommodation.

• Map: http://www.iuauditorium.com/site/images/Bus-Shuttle-Bottom-PRESSsm.jpg
• Directions: http://www.iuauditorium.com/site/directions.html
• Parking: http://www.iuauditorium.com/site/parking_info.html

We will provide substantial appetizers and desserts as well as beverages before the ceremony.
Attire for the event is business professional. We suggest a suit and tie for gentlemen and a suit, skirt suit, business-appropriate dress (with wrap or cardigan if needed) or skirt or dress pants and blouse/sweater for ladies. Though the ceremony is a celebratory event, we recommend thinking if your outfit would be appropriate for dinner with your boss or a similar professional situation when assessing your clothing selection for the evening.

Again, congratulations on arriving at this point in your college career, and we look forward to celebrating with you!

Scholars in Global Citizenship--Vietnam

Have you been thinking about your summer plans, but haven't been able to come up with anything exciting? Consider this 3-week study abroad program in Vietnam, led by Prof. Matt Auer, the dean of the Hutton Honors College and SPEA professor. This program will be sure to open your eyes, expand your horizons, and stand out on your resume!

IU Summer Course in Vietnam! A Few Spaces Still Available!

* SPEA - V450 Scholars in Global Citizenship - Environmental Policy and Management in Vietnam

* Professor - Matthew Auer, Dean of Hutton Honors College and SPEA faculty

* Summer 2011 SPEA-V450 (Honors credit eligible) 3 credit hours

* June 24, 2011 - July 16, 2011

* To apply, please contact Stephanie Lewis (stelewis@indiana.edu) by February 28, 2011

The Scholars in Global Citizenship Program (SGCP) prepares groups of high-achieving IU undergraduates to discover and learn from countries that are in the midst of major economic and political changes. Our country of interest in 2011 is Vietnam.

More information at: http://www.indiana.edu/~spea/spea_abroad/SGCP.shtml

SPEA Abroad Deadline Extensions

Deadlines have been extended for TWO SPEA Abroad programs! SPEA in Moscow requires all applications to be in by Friday, February 18, and SPEA in Speyer, Germany requires applications by Friday, February 25. The Moscow program will study Russia’s systems of public policy and administration, and the Speyer program will investigate policy and administration in the EU, Germany, and the US.

Study Abroad--Deadlines!

Deadlines for application to two of SPEA's largest summer programs for undergraduates, SPEA in London and SPEA in Pamplona, are approaching! Applications are due Monday, February 14 for BOTH of these programs. Learn more and apply online.

Winter Weather...

Here in the SPEA Undergraduate Programs and Advising Office, we try to be available to you, our students, as much as possible. However, winter weather conditions--especially poor road conditions--sometimes make this impossible. We'll do our best to alert you as soon as possible if we have to cancel. You can help us with this by watching your email, and, if you have an appointment scheduled during a winter storm, check your email before coming in.

Walk-ins have been cancelled for this afternoon. Tomorrow's walk-ins are tentatively on the schedule, but please watch your email for updates.

The Happy Dancing Snowflake thanks you.

SPEA Abroad

Have you checked out the overseas opportunities available through SPEA for this summer? If not, now is a great time to take a look! SPEA has programs in England, Germany, Vietnam, Spain, China, Russia--have SPEA, will travel.

Applications for many programs are due soon, so don't delay in getting to know our programs and getting applications in. Each program has contact information on its individual page, and don't hesitate to get in touch with program directors with any questions.

SPEA USA Call-Out--TODAY!

Please join SPEA USA for their semester-opening call-out meeting at 7:30 in the Undergraduate Lounge in SPEA. Learn about upcoming opportunities and get to know your fellow SPEAons.

Walk In Hours: First Week of the Semester

The first week of the spring semester, Walk In Hours will be:

Monday through Friday, 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Admitted students and students seeking SPEA minors and certificates only.

After the first week of the semester, normal Walk In Hours will resume:

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 1-3 p.m. Admitted students and students seeking SPEA minors and certificates only.

Pre-SPEA students: Please contact the UPO about Pre-Admissions Advising! We're very sorry, but we cannot accomodate pre-SPEA students during walk-in hours. To give your questions the attention they deserve, please reserve a space in one of our Pre-Admissions Advising sessions.

V450 Change, IT Policy and E-Government and Tech Policy

There has been a change to a V450 course for spring--second eight weeks E-Government and Tech Policy, originally at 3 credit hours, will now be taught as a 1.5 credit hour class. It will be taught at the same time as first eight-week V450 course IT Policy, making the two a great companion pair of classes to equal the three credit hour requirement. If this change affects your schedule, please feel free to come to SPEA Walk-In Advising next week-9-11 and 1-3 every day.

Heads Up! First Day of Classes!

In last summer’s orientation materials (a planner, for students, and a guide for parents) FYE mistakenly noted Tuesday, January 11 as the first day of classes for the spring term (instead of Monday, January 10). The mistake was discovered mid-term in the fall and FYE sent multiple mass e-mails to both students and parents to correct this error – and they included this update on their regular website and on the FYMe website.

So, if you have heard that the first day of classes isn't til Tuesday...sorry, but no such luck. See you back in classes on Monday the 10th!

Winter Break Office Hours

Safe travels and enjoy your time away from school! Here in the SPEA UPO, we will observe normal office hours, open from 8-5 daily if you need to call to make an appointment or check into anything. However, we will be short-staffed as our employees take time to spend with family, so please be patient with us if your call is not answered or an email not immediately returned.

We will NOT have walk-in hours over the break. We will have limited appointments available; all advising over break will be by appointment only. We have phone appointments available if you can't wait to return to Bloomington to resolve an issue.

We will be closed:

December 24--closed for the Christmas holiday
December 31--closed for the New Year's holiday

The first week of classes of the spring semester will be walk-ins only.

Commencement...Graduation...What's the Difference?

Around this time of year, we start to get a lot of questions about graduation and Commencement. We've just asked you to apply for spring and summer graduation, and December gradution is right around the corner! But many inquiries confuse something--the Commencement ceremony is not quite the same thing is graduating.

Let’s separate two thing out—there’s official graduation (the university conferring a degree and you receiving a diploma) and there’s Commencement. Graduation is certified after final grades are in, and, I know this seems odd, after the Commencement ceremony. This means that you walk in Commencement before you have officially graduated--and even means that, sometimes, if a requisite course is failed or is incomplete, a student may walk in Commencement but not actually graduate. Students sign up for Commencement in good faith that they will graduate, and we certainly have students who are short in the end because of transfer credits, failing grades, and internships not being completed—but this is all after Commencement. In short--just because you walk in Commencement doesn't mean you've graduated. Yet.

One more thing--your official graduation date isn't the date you walk in Commencement. It's the date your degree is conferred, so for summer graduates, this is particularly significant. If you finish your coursework in August, you graduate in August--even if you walk in May (which is very normal and many of our students do this).

To add one more wrinkle, in addition to the University Commencement Ceremony, SPEA holds its own private Recognition Ceremony each May to honor our graduates. If you run into any confusion when it comes time to graduate--or commence!--please don't hesitate to contact us, or to contact the Office of Universtiy Ceremonies, which handles IU Commencement.

Thanksgiving Break

This Week: Walk-ins are cancelled for the Thanksgiving holiday (affecting Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, November 23, 24, and 25). Safe travels, and enjoy your turkey!

We will have limited appointments available through Wednesday, but the office will be closed on Thursday and Friday (November 25 and 26).

How to Apply for Graduation

Graduating this spring or summer? Remember to apply for graduation! Students planning to graduate in May, June, or August 2011 will need to complete an application for graduation prior to December 1st, 2010.

In order to complete your application for graduation, you must be registered for your spring semester – we cannot help you to be sure you are ready to graduate until you have registered.
Students must complete a graduation application with an advisor. You may utilize:

1. A group session – meeting with a group of students, the academic advisors will preview your record and be ready to help you complete the application. Students must register here for these sessions so that we can prepare for you. Sessions are scheduled for 1 hour, and students should plan to spend an hour, and can be pleasantly surprised if finished early.
Sessions will be offered:
Wednesday Nov. 10th 10:00am – 11:00am
Thursday Nov. 11th 1:00pm-2:00pm
Wednesday Dec. 1st 9:30am – 10:30am
Wednesday Dec. 1st 11:00am -Noon

2. A walk-in – special times will be set aside for walk-in graduation applications only (10 minutes or less) and will be announced soon via email. You may also utilize walk-ins during our normal scheduled times. In order to use this method, you MUST:
a. Be sure that all transfer credits are in (if you have them)
b. Any outstanding Incomplete’s or R’s are complete, or are in the process of being completed.

3. An appointment - if you feel you will need additional time(30 minutes) to talk with the advisor. For grad aps only, we encourage you to check out a group session or walk-ins.

We are excited to help you apply for graduation!

Second Eight Weeks Class--V275

Looking for a second eight-weeks class? Consider V275, Introduction to Emergency Management! The course will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00-9:30 p.m. and counts as a major selection for:

Management
Public Management
Nonprofit Management
Environmental Management
Legal Studies
Health Administration
Policy Analysis

However, as it is not a regularly offered course, it will not automatically count in your degree. You will need to drop into our walk-ins or schedule an appointment to complete a substitution form for it to count properly—the course is approved, so this is merely a paperwork issue, but it is vital that you complete the paperwork. If you decide to register for this course, please remember to complete the sub form with an advisor.

More info on the course:

SPEA V275
Introduction to Emergency Management
2nd 8 Weeks, Fall 2010

Debra Schneck, Instructor
7:00-9:30 pm, Monday & Wednesday

Emergency management is a rapidly expanding multidisciplinary field that requires educated professionals with individual backgrounds in public, nonprofit, and for-profit management, policy analysis, public health, environmental studies, and risk communications, among many, many others. In fact, in the future, it is quite likely that professionals will have some relationship or role in emergency management, whether it relates to business and government continuity, the specific role and response of their organization, or as a professional responder or volunteer. This course provides a basic introduction and overview of the principles and practices of emergency management at the local, state, national and international levels; discusses intergovernmental and intra-governmental relationships important to emergency operations; provides an overview of the current U.S. emergency management system; outlines the general concepts of preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery; and, provides students with the resources necessary to critically assess media reports, popular culture, and political rhetoric related to disasters. This course will discuss basic best practices and proper methodologies for emergency managers as well as ways that students can further develop skills and capabilities that may be important to future employers, either directly or as part of other duties, as they seek individuals who are familiar with the language and general practice of emergency management activities.
The course will include some lecture, class discussion, reading assignments, internet-based assignments, and video presentations. Course requirements include two tests; the preparation of a case summary; and the completion of two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) online lessons. The case summary will describe the conditions surrounding a specific emergency chosen by the student and as seen through the lens of the student’s academic interests. For instance, a student interested in working for a nonprofit organization could choose to write about the Red Cross’ role in a particular hurricane response and recovery. Students will also be expected to complete two FEMA online courses: IS-230, Principles of Emergency Management, and IS-22, Citizen Preparedness. These take a few hours to complete; the lessons are free; the student receives an electronic certificate for each; and it introduces students to different types of online certification programs which students may pursue on their own through the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/FEMA.
Ms. Schneck has over 20 years experience in the areas of emergency preparedness, and licensing and regulatory support for nuclear facilities (both commercial nuclear power plants and defense facilities), as a consultant/contractor and after 9/11, as an employee of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). As an Emergency Preparedness Specialist at the NRC, her responsibilities included being the FEMA Coordinator for the Agency. Earlier as an independent consultant/contactor, she performed work for the NRC, FEMA, the Department of Energy, the Tennessee Valley Authority, private utilities, and various state and local emergency management agencies. Her projects, specific to emergency planning and preparedness, included providing assistance for drills and exercises; preparing revisions to emergency plans and procedures; performing reviews of regulations and related industry standards; acting as a Controller/Evaluator/Observer in emergency response facilities during emergency preparedness drills and exercises; and, reviewing state and local emergency plans and procedures for completeness and compatibility. Currently, she is a PhD student and Associate Instructor at Indiana University-Bloomington, and is still used occasionally in the summertime in a training role, and as a non-technical evaluator at NRC- and FEMA-evaluated radiological emergency preparedness exercises.

What is the Auto-W Deadline?

The Auto-W Deadline is the final day that you can drop a course for an automatic grade of W. The W on your transcript indicates that you began a course but withdrew from it before completing the course. It does not affect your GPA, but dropping a course may affect your full-time student status--check with an advisor or the Registrar if you are unsure if dropping a course will take you below full-time status.

The Auto-W Deadline is set by the university. For full-term classes this fall semester, the date is Wednesday, October 27. You can always find these dates on the Registrar's Calendar.

Use Onestart to drop courses--the e-drop feature on Onestart will permit you to drop a course up through the unversity deadline. You do not have to see an advisor to drop a course or add a second eight weeks course, but we encourage you to utilize our walk-in hours or an appointment if you have quesitons or are concerned.

Students intending to drop a course for a grade of W must do so prior to the university deadline as set by the Registrar. SPEA abides by all university policies and deadlines, including those regarding withdrawals. After the Auto-W date you cannot access e-drop and cannot drop a course without extenuating circumstances, documentation, and an involved exception appeal process.

A Friendly Reminder to Plan Ahead

As we get further into the semester, you may be beginning to think about next semester's classes, long-term academic plans, the possibility of studying abroad...all things that we're happy to help you with here in the Undergrad Advising office. But here's the catch--just as you need to plan ahead with these opportunities, you need to plan ahead when scheduling your advising appointment.

So, the reminders:

1) We don't do same-day appointments. Your advisor needs time to prepare for you, which means the soonest we'll ever schedule is next-day.
2) BUT--we're often booked further out than a day anyway. Right now, for instance, we're booking most appointments a week in advance. Please don't wait to make an appointment until you're on a deadline. We may not be able to make an appointment in time.
3) These big-picture, long-term plans need to happen in an appointment. We can't cover even half of what you'd need to talk about in a walk-in. Please continue to utilize walk-ins for schedule changes, adding minors, or other quick quesitons, but leave the study abroad, Washington Leadership Program, Accelerated Master's Program, and four-year plans to an appointment.

Have a great week, and we hope to see you all soon!

First Two Weeks of Classes--All Walk-ins!

Our office is holding Walk-In Advising Only for the first two weeks of classes. Our daily schedule is 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Please note the following exceptions to this schedule:
Wednesday, Sept. 1: no afternoon walk-ins
Friday, Sept. 3: walk-ins from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. only
Monday, Sept. 6: closed all day—Labor Day Holiday (PLEASE NOTE: Classes still meet on Labor Day!)

If you have any questions about adjusting your schedule, adding/dropping a course, or making a course pass/fail, please visit us during these extended walk-in hours.

End-of-Internship Paperwork

Nearing the end of your summer internship? If you're earning credit for a SPEA internship, remember that paperwork is due at the completion of your internship.

The following items must be filed before credit for your internship will be awarded:

Internship Summary Report: During the last week of your internship, you will be required to complete an online summary of your duties, responsibilities, and experiences. The information from the summary will be made available to current and future students via the online Internship Summary Database, so try to be as professional, yet honest, as possible.

Supervisor Evaluation: During the last week of your internship, your supervisor is required to complete an online evaluation of your work. The information regarding the evaluation is emailed to your internship supervisor when your internship is approved. Please note that students are NOT allowed access to this form. OCS can only email login information to the supervisor, not the student.

For more information, check out Career Services' webpage on internships, and take a look at their FAQs.