Tuesday, March 20, 2007

FOIP

What is FOIP?
FOIP is Alberta's "Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act".

"The purpose of the Act is to make public bodies, including the University, open and accountable to the public in the way they acquire, use and dispose of information."
-University of Lethbridge

What does this mean for you? FOIP is there to protect your privacy. It means that your personal information such as your personal records, including address, phone number, and grades are protected. FOIP ensures you are the only person who has the right to view such information. Not even your personal guardians are able to access your grades without your consent.

The Five Key Principles of the Act are:


1) Right of Access
This means that institutiosn must make infromation accessable. For example you have the right to inquire about your own grades and there is a system in place to ensure you can obtain them. The University of Lethbridge allows access to this infromation through the Registar's Office.

2) Personal Privacy is Protected
This means that your information must be kept in secrecy. No one else but yourself has access to it.

3) Right to See Personal Information
This means that you have the right to view any information that the University has collected on you. The University does not have the authority to withhold this information from you.


4) Right to Request Correction
This means that you have the right to change any information that might have incorrectly recorded. This may not be a big deal if it is simply an address or phone number, but if it is your grades or a situation such as academic probation, you have the right to ensure the information is accurate.


5) Independent Review
This means that if you feel that violations have been made to the FOIP policy an outside party will be responsible for reviewing your case and carry out corrections as necessary.



Got Questions?

- Visit the Registar's Office on Level One of the Students' Union Building (SU140) or email: inquiries@uleth.ca

- Visit the Alberta Government FOIP website. http://foip.gov.ab.ca/






Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Considering a major change? How to choose the right major for you.


Think about it: Do you really want to change majors? How far along in your degree are you? If you are in the second semester of your fourth year and are about to graduate it probably isn’t the best time for a major change. If you are sure you want to change your major you should ask yourself, why? What are you hoping to get out of a major change? Maybe you are changing your major so you can get a specific type of job after graduation or maybe you just want to change to a major you enjoy more.

Take some classes: Make sure you take at least a couple of courses offered by the major you are considering changing to.

Ask an advisor: Before making any decision about changing majors you should consult with an academic advisor and see if a major change is the best option for you. The advisor may suggest a combined degree or doing a double major instead. Explain why you want to change majors and any specific career goals that you may have. Below is information about the different faculty advising offices.

Faculty of Arts and Science
SU060; 403-329-5106, artsci.advising@uleth.ca
Lynn Ambedian, Brenda Bell, Carla Buziak-Prus, Shawn Johnsrude, Sue Kovach, Lesley Rode, Barb Wolstoncroft

Faculty of Education
B820; 403-329-2254, edu.sps@uleth.ca
Trevor Humphrey, Judy Lavorato

Faculty of Fine Arts
W660; 403-329-2691; make an appointment online
James Dobbie, j.dobbie@uleth.ca; Valerie Richardson, richardson@uleth.ca

School of Health Sciences
AH166; 403-329-2699, health.sciences@uleth.ca
Jennifer McArthur, Tom Samuel

Faculty of Management
Lethbridge Campus
E480; 403-329-2153, undergrad.management@uleth.ca
Joan Kendall, Shyanne Shannon, Kathleen Willms

Talk with friends: If you have friends who are already majoring in the subject you are considering switching to ask them about their experiences and what they like and dislike about the major. Ask about professors and the workload involved in most courses.


Monday, March 05, 2007

Registration and Wait Lists

Registration for the Summer 2007 and Fall 2007 semesters begin Friday, March 16, 2007. The timetables can now be viewed at: http://www.uleth.ca/ross/timetable.html

Continuing students:

To access your registration dates log onto the Bridge and click on Registration. To register, log onto the Bridge, click on the Registrar’s Office and Student Services link, then Registration, and then the Add/Drop Classes link. After your classes have been successfully added you may print off your class schedule by clicking on Student Schedule by Day and Time, and printing. For more information on registration visit: http://www.uleth.ca/ross/timetable.html


Note: All outstanding fees must be paid in full before you will be granted permission to register for the Summer 2007 and Fall 2007 semesters. You can check the status of your fees by logging onto the Bridge, clicking on the Registrar’s Office & Student Services, clicking on Student Records, and then on View Holds. If any holds exist they will appear on the screen and if you have none it will say so.

Tips for registering:

ּ Register as early as you can on the first date assigned to you. This will give you a better chance of gaining access to your desired classes. Lots of registration times begin at 5:00 in the morning, and the people that get up that early will have a better chance of getting their classes then people that wait until later.

ּ If you are planning on taking five classes and can’t decide on which to choose, remember you can add a sixth course on the first day of classes. This way you can go to all of them, and then drop whichever one you don’t want BEFORE the add/drop period ends (September 11, 2007).

ּ If you are taking classes with labs/tutorials make sure that you enter their course registration numbers AND ALSO the registration numbers for the lecture when registering.

ּ If you can’t get into a class right away, keep trying; persistency is key for accessing your courses.

ּ Pay attention to room numbers when registering in courses, if you have a course at 10:00 in E690, and then one at 11:00 in PE275, you may want to choose a different time. I have done this many times and I find it stressful to have to run up and down the hill to get to class on time!

ּ When you are taking a full course load, remember that it is a big responsibility, and you are not going to want to work too many hours a week. If you find that you are too stressed out with school, you may want to give away some shifts or cut down on your hours.

Wait List Information

If you are not able to able to access a course that is a requirement for your major you have the option to be put on a wait list. To do this you will have to see an academic advisor in your faculty (Arts & Science, Management, Education, or Fine Arts). Each faculty will set aside certain times in which you can drop in and see an advisor to be put on a wait list. The wait listing period usually consists of five days, and finding out when these are is crucial, as this is your only opportunity to be placed on a wait list. These times will be available in the paper copy of the Summer/Fall 2007 timetable, as well as on the notice board and also in your faculty’s office. Each faculty has different criteria, which they use to assess your need to be put on a wait list, so check with your faculty as to what these criteria are.

In most cases, you will NOT be put on a wait list if:
ּ You missed your initial registration window, (the specific times assigned to you that could be viewed on the Bridge)
ּ You want to take courses which are in excess of the minimum required to complete the major (if you are required to have twenty Psychology classes as a requirement for your major, and you want to take your twenty-first course, you will not be wait-listed, as you can only have twenty).
ּThe course you want is an elective (not required for your major)
ּThe course you want is for your minor (If your major is Education with a minor in Social Studies, you will not be wait listed for a Sociology course).
ּ The course you want is a senior-level requirement outside of your major
ּ You want to take a course to fulfill the General Liberal Education Requirement (GLER).
ּ You have a course or section preference. This means that if a course is available which would fulfill your requirement, you should register in it. If you want to take the same course at a different time, however, you won’t be put on a wait list if there is still room in the other class
.
**** Remember: keep trying to access your courses on your own, even if you are on a wait list!!****



Summer Courses

Pros: Taking summer classes allows you to catch up in your credits if you are behind, or want to get ahead. I find summer classes are much more interesting and sometimes easier than fall or spring classes. I find them easier because not as much material is usually covered in summer as compared to taking the course in the Fall or Spring semesters.
ּAlso, if you need to repeat a course summer is a good time to do it, if it is being offered.
Summer semesters are close to a month and a half long, and there is one semester in the middle that is three weeks long. The time flies by, and going to school twice a week for three hours (for one class) with breaks is not bad at all.

Cons: Cons, what cons??? Well, if anything the obvious downfall of summer classes is that you are missing out on your summer vacation. Taking classes interferes with your break from school or maybe even your summer job.
ּTaking classes in the third summer semester (July-August), and then going straight into the fall semester, and then spring semester can be hard without a break.
ּAlso, if you want to go home for the summer, or travel, summer courses will probably not work for you.

Are You Falling Behind in Your Courses?

  • Falling behind in your courses? Here are some tips to help you catch up!


1. Mark down due dates
Mark them down in a calendar that you routinely look at. This way you can see the entire month, so nothing can sneak up on you.

2. Use a journal to organize homework for that week
Plan your week, but only focus on current readings. Keeping up-to-date will help you stay current in your classes.

3. Make a list of what you are behind on
Write down what chapters or assignments you are behind in. Then you’ll need to prioritize them. Plan to finish any assignments that are due first, then go back and finish whatever readings you are behind in. Make sure that these readings don’t take precedence to current readings, plan to only spend half an hour to an hour each day on your catch-up readings.

4. Mark tip 3 in your journal
Fill up any gaps in your journal that may be left to add assignments and catch-up-readings. Make sure that you account for your work schedule in your journal. Also plan your journal realistically. If you know that you can only focus for three hours don’t schedule yourself longer than that.

5. Follow your schedule
This is going to be the hardest tip to follow. You’re going to have to clamp down on yourself for this tip. Don’t let yourself get distracted. Get your work done before you do anything else that day, and reward yourself once you’ve finished the journal entries for that day.

***Don't forget that the Students Union gives out free handbooks!***

Here are some websites that you may find useful

http://www.law.ttu.edu/lawWeb/oasp/tips/OverwhelmedBehindSleepDeprived.shtm
http://www.econcordia.com/courses/study_skills/lesson2/100.aspx

If you have any catch-up tips add them in the comments section!