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Welcome to the Advising Center for Undeclared Students
Your role as a parent of a college student is an important
one. Your support and encouragement will continue to be
important even as your son or daughter becomes more
independent,
self-sufficient, and comfortable with his or her new role as
a college student at Kutztown University (KU).
How You Can Help
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Encourage your student to meet or
contact his or her
Advisor several
times during each semester to ask questions, discuss
concerns, and explore majors.
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Celebrate your student’s successes and encourage him
or her to seek out help when difficulties arise.
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Help your student to advocate for him or herself. It
is natural for students to turn to their parents for
help, at the same time, it is important for the student
to take responsibility for solving issues and problems.
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Encourage your student to get involved in campus
Clubs
and Organizations. This provides another
connection to the college and can help him or her
discover individual abilities, interests and career
paths.
Academic Advising
Academic Advising is an ongoing process that occurs
during each semester. Your student and an
Advisor
will
meet to discuss how to select courses, register for classes,
explore majors/minors and, career opportunities, and if
necessary, referrals to additional
Campus
Resources available to them. Students are required
to meet with an Advisor
prior to registration, however, the best way to take advantage of the
resources available from the Advising Center
for Undeclared Students is through frequent appointments with an Advisor.
How You Can Help
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Encourage your child to schedule regular appointments
with an Advisor,
starting early in the semester, and to
prepare by writing down questions to ask during the
appointment.
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Point out skills or abilities that you know your
child has consistently demonstrated. Students sometimes
overlook these and need to be reminded.
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Support your child’s exploration of new areas of
study and interests.
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Keep the lines of communication open by talking to
your son or daughter about the courses he or she is
enjoying and how well your student is performing in
those classes.
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Encourage your child to talk to his
or her
professors during scheduled office hours, utilize tutoring
and academic support services, and meet with
their Advisor when difficulties arise.
Choosing A Major at KU
As a parent you may have some concerns
about your student entering college without a declared
major. We understand that not declaring a major may create stress for both,
you and your
student. Entering Kutztown University (KU) as an
undeclared student
provides an opportunity for your child to research and
evaluate academic majors, and clarify goals, while
exploring interests through courses, programs, and
involvement in
student organizations at KU.
The Advising Center for Undeclared Students provides a
variety of resources and knowledgeable staff to help your
child make informed decisions about their course work at KU.
Click on the following link to view some of the electronic resources
for students
Choosing a Major.
How You Can Help
We encourage you to read the following articles written
for parents. Each article provides a list of specific ways
that you can support your son or daughter in the career
exploration process.
Academic Concerns
Transitioning from high school to college level work can
be difficult for some students. If your son or daughter is
having difficulty in a course or managing his or her course load, there are a variety of
support services he or she can utilize. If your student
recognizes the difficulty early in the semester, the more
options he or she will have for improving the situation.
How You Can Help
Listen to your student’s concerns and encourage your son
or daughter to:
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Talk to the professor who is teaching the course
about concerns or areas of difficulty. The
professor will have posted office hours, a telephone
number, and likely, an e-mail address.
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Visit
Tutoring Services, and/or the
Writing Center. Interacting and working with
a peer can assist your son or daughter with developing a
stronger understanding of the course content. Also the
Academic Skills Lab provides workshops on
important issues concerning the transition from high
school to college i.e. time-management, test-taking,
stress, note-taking, Praxis I.
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Schedule an appointment with his or her
Advisor in
the Advising Center for Undeclared Students to discuss
concerns about the course. Building a relationship
with an Advisor is an important part of a student's college
experience.
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Talk with a counselor in
University Counseling Services. Sometimes the
difficulty your son or daughter is experiencing in a
course might not be related to the difficulty of
coursework but, possibly due to personal issues.
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Utilize
Disability Services. If your child has a
documented disability, then he or she might be
eligible to receive reasonable accommodations within the
classroom.
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Withdraw from the course. If the strategies listed above do not help to improve the
situation, your son or daughter should make an
appointment with his or her Advisor to discuss
withdrawing from the course. Please be aware that there
are published deadlines each semester for course withdrawal. Also be aware
that a course withdrawal may affect
financial aid, health insurance, car insurance and/or
on-campus housing.
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If your child is struggling with his
or her entire course
load, withdrawing from KU might be the best choice. When considering taking a leave of absence, or
withdrawing from the university be aware that it could
affect financial aid, car insurance, health insurance,
and/or on-campus housing. Your son or
daughter should meet with an Advisor to discuss his
or her struggles, and check with the
Registrar’s Office on completing a
Leave of Absence/Withdraw Form.
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If your son or daughter’s GPA is under a 2.0, he or
she will become part of the
Academic Jeopardy
Program.
Frequently Asked Questions By Parents
What do Academic Advisors do?
Academic Advisors know about Kutztown University
(KU) policies and
procedures, so they can assist your son or daughter with
navigating and interpreting
general education requirements, the Undergraduate
Course Catalog, Master Schedule and additional university
publications. Staff
Advisors and
Faculty Volunteer Advisors
work with your student on researching and exploring majors
available at KU, selecting courses, and preparing for web
registration. Also, Advisors are able to refer students to
Campus Resources available on
campus.
What do Academic Advisors expect from students?
Advisors expect Undeclared Students to review and
identify courses of interest from the
Undergraduate Course Catalog and Master Schedule,
It is expected that your son or daughter will research and
investigate majors that interest them and ask questions
about degree requirements. Although it would be difficult
for your student to learn about all the majors that KU
offers; Advisors appreciate when the student has reviewed a
few majors, and asks questions to clarify information.
How can I learn how my son or daughter is doing?
The best way to find our how your student is doing
academically is to have clear communication with your
student. The
Family Education Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA)
prohibits the disclosure of private information like grades,
even to the student’s parents. A student would need to give
their Advisor written permission to disclose the information
to their parents, but without it, Advisors are very limited
in what they can discuss with you.
What if my student is having difficulty in college?
See
Academic
Concerns.
What if my student has a cumulative GPA below a 2.0?
Students who earn a GPA below a 2.0 become a part of the
Academic Jeopardy
Program.
Additional
Frequently Asked Questions.
Confidentiality
From time to time, you may have questions
and concerns that you would like to discuss with the staff
in the
Advising Center for Undeclared Students.
Staff is available to answer your
general questions about university procedures, resources,
and academic programs. However, the
Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
prohibits us from discussing specific students progress without their
permission. We encourage all students to discuss their
academic progress with their family. If your son or daughter
would like us to speak directly with you about
his or her situation, your child will need to complete and
submit a consent form (not an accessible PDF file).
The consent form is available in the Advising Center for
Undeclared Students, 119 Stratton Administration.
Link to Kutztown University’s policy on
Confidentiality of Student Records.
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