A Time of Odds & Ends

Now That Grades Are Posted
1/4/08 at 8:31:09 AM

—Rebecca Rassier, Community Coordinator
Individualized Degree Programs

Now that grades are posted, we are seeing a few students who couldn't quite manage to pull off a C- in a final course. Even though the student is probably already aware of their situation, the email message informing them (in case they are not aware) is never fun to compose.

On the flip side, I had the opportunity to write a letter of recommendation for a public radio fellowship for an amazing student who developed an IDIM around personal narratives in public history. To my eyes, she looked like a great candidate for a very competitive opportunity. As with most students, however, she waited until after finals to start working in earnest on her materials for a 12/31 deadline. I felt that she needed extensive work on presenting her numerous achievements and remarkable qualities and knew that we had great resources for helping her out—namely, Sally Lieberman and the CCLC. Thankfully, both Sally and an unknown person in the CCLC could work with her the week between the holidays—a big thanks to them for being around on a "slow" week and helping her out!

I held up the fort on the 31st and got the usual slate of bizarre calls—it seems that on work days which are almost holidays the only people who need service are the irrational or desperate.

Finally, I'm going to do a bit of "tsk-tsking," which never makes one popular. In one word: commencement. The lack of advisers who volunteer for this important event always amazes me, especially when other offices such as the CCLC, the Assistant Dean's Office and the Associate Dean's Office—offices that often don't have as much direct student contact as the advising offices—are well represented.

I understand that it's hard to come in on Sunday, but we don't have to work that many weekends or evenings—the open house is the only other weekend requirement that comes to mind. If you have ever been to the CLA commencement, you can attest that it's a very big deal to our students and their families. To say that, as an adviser, you serve our students but that you haven't helped out at one of the biggest days in our students' lives seems incongruous to me. If you haven't helped out at a ceremony yet, I can report that the student speaker is amazing and it's an incredible feeling to hear your students' names pronounced as they cross the stage and their families and friends (and perhaps you) cheer. And we serve good food!

We have a number of repeat volunteers and I'd like to think that once you've tried it, you'll come back and help again because it's such a enjoyable experience. With that said, we don't expect many volunteers from the advising ranks for the spring because the regional NACADA conference falls that weekend, but we (the committee—which is just a bunch of CLASS folks working on something we know is important to our students and their families) look forward to your participation at future ceremonies!

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