January 2019 Newsletter

News from the Office of Undergraduate Studies

January 2019

From the Dean's Desk

Happy New Year! I hope your winter break was restorative. With this newsletter, the Office of Undergraduate Studies intends to be practical—1) with an update about the role of permission numbers during the first week for courses with available seats and 2) with language you can incorporate into your syllabi and Cougar Courses to encourage your students to use the respective learning centers that complement your courses. Think Academic Success Center, Academic Success Center, Math Lab, STEM Student Success Center, and Writing Center.

These academic centers are here to support our students! Staffed by trained peer educators, during the fall 2018 semester, the five learning centers that comprise CLASS supported 28,152 visits. The power of peers is undeniable. At CSUSM, we know that students who make at least five visits to a single center to support their learning for a specific class typically earn higher grades. I thank you for encouraging your students to visit the learning centers. They are sure to experience the power of peer support.

Best wishes for your spring semester,

Dawn 

Dawn M. Formo, Ph.D. 
Dean, Undergraduate Studies 
Division of Academic Affairs 
dformo@csusm.edu 

Students at the Chavez Statue

From the Vice Provost Kamel Haddad

As you prepare for the first day of classes, please be aware that effective Spring 2019 (and ongoing), during the 1st week of classes only, permission numbers will not be required in cases where the class is open (green circle on the class schedule page). As discussed at Academic Senate, this step removes an enrollment barrier for students, and should ease faculty administrative tasks during the first week.

Students will receive this information through multiple media (email messages, social media, MyCSUSM announcements, etc.) over the next few days, and the following websites have also been updated:

Enrollment Calendar: https://www.csusm.edu/schedule/spring2019/index.html

Enrollment Information: https://www.csusm.edu/schedule/spring2019/registration_information.html

Enrollment Strategies: https://www.csusm.edu/academicadvising/tips.html

Syllabi/Cougar Course Language from the Centers for Learning and Academic Success Services

Faculty are our most powerful partners in engaging students with academic support resources on our campus. To assist you in directing students to campus academic support resources, we have drafted language that you may include on your syllabi/cougar courses about each center/program and have provided contact info for each center/program. We look forward to working with you to ensure students have access to available academic resources.

UNIV 302-2: Growth Mindset, Resiliency & Student Success

OUGS is piloting a course for the upcoming semester, UNIV 302-2: Growth Mindset, Resiliency & Student Success. This 1-unit course is designed for first-year students who fell into Academic Notice after their  Fall 2018 semester. The course will highlight holistic student success by focusing on the foundations of personal narrative and community history, personal responsibility, coping skills, learning strategies, and intensive academic planning and support. Four sections of this course are planned to run this semester. If you have questions about the course, contact Ashley Gragido agragido@csusm. edu . 