1997-98 UAF Catalog

Academic Advising and Career Development

Academic Advising and the Advising Center

Deciding on a major, choosing electives and planning the classes you take each semester may be the most important decisions you make as a student at the university. Your advisor can help you by explaining programs and requirements, recommending courses and answering your questions. The role of your advisor is to help you choose a program to help you achieve academic and career goals.

If you are a declared major, your advisor will be a faculty member from your academic department. You should contact the department for specific assignment of a faculty advisor.

If you haven't chosen a major yet, the Fairbanks campus Academic Advising Center is available for students who need help in choosing a major, selecting classes and planning an academic schedule. It also serves as a clearinghouse for general university and degree information. The Advising Center has general advisors and faculty members from various disciplines throughout campus. You have access to all members of the advising team and department advisors.

In addition to advising incoming freshmen and undeclared students, Advising Center staff are available to help transfer students, non-degree students and rural students. The Advising Center assists students with nontraditional credit options, interdisciplinary undergraduate degrees and the Bachelor of Technology degree program. The Advising Center can also provide information on pre-professional programs.

The Advising Center, in cooperation with other departments, sponsors a variety of workshops on such subjects as degree programs and career exploration as well as a wide range of special topics.

The Advising Center is located in room 506 of the Gruening Building, (907) 474-6396.

Career Development Center

If you're an adult student needing career advice, the Career Development Center can help; the center offers help in making career decisions, designing training programs and developing job search skills. The counselor works with students on career planning, preadmission advising, program planning, personal crisis intervention and other concerns.

A specialized library of occupational and educational information, a computerized career guidance system, software and individual consultations at various stages of the career development process are available. The center assists students in gaining the information and experience needed for effective career planning, as well as the continuing process of career changes. The goal of the center is to assist students in identifying satisfying career choices based on a realistic assessment of themselves, accurate knowledge of the world of work and experience with ways to activate career plans.

Available both by appointment and on a walk-in basis, these services are free to enrolled and prospective students.

The center is a component of the Tanana Valley Campus Student Development and Learning Center. It is located at the Downtown Center, (907) 474-7400.

Department of Career Services

Alaska Teacher Placement (ATP) is Alaska's statewide clearinghouse for educational placement. ATP helps Alaska's public school districts employ educators for their schools.

ATP offers a free individual referral system to first-year UAF education graduates; others pay a fee. ATP also hosts a spring job fair in Anchorage and two summer job fairs in Fairbanks. These fairs, in which 40 to 50 school districts participate, are also free for first-year UAF education majors. ATP maintains permanent placement files for UAF education majors free of charge.

Alaska Teacher Placement is located on the fifth floor of the Gruening Building, (907) 474-6644.

The Career Resource Center (CRC) provides UAF students and alumni with individual and group career counseling; interest assessment inventories; career mentoring contacts; career, occupational and professional school literature; assistance in finding summer employment and academic internships; and help in finding professional employment after graduation. CRC also hosts career and job fairs to help you link with local and national employers, many of whom return to campus later during the academic year to recruit for summer and professional positions.

Job-hunting aids available to you at CRC include resume-writing tips, practice interviews, job vacancy listings, a 24-hour job hotline and credential files. The on-campus recruiting program offers qualified UAF students and alumni an opportunity to apply for full- or part-time jobs and summer positions, as well as internships with employers in a variety of fields. CRC coordinates these employer visits and helps students with applications and interviews.

The Career Resource Center is located on the fifth floor of the Gruening Building, (907) 474-7596.

Developmental Studies

Developmental studies courses are designed to prepare students for admission to occupational-technical and university-academic programs, help students who are having trouble with courses or want to improve their efficiency and help students who want to improve their skills but are not necessarily enrolled in a program.

The need for developmental studies is determined by high-school transcripts, test scores, other achievement data and discussion with counselors. Students may also elect developmental studies courses based on personal assessment. There are three types of developmental studies courses: communication skills development, math skills development and general academic development. Course descriptions for developmental studies are found under Developmental Studies, English and Mathematics.

International Student Advising

If you're a UAF student from another country, you may be faced with unique situations that American students don't usually encounter. You must comply with immigration regulations, adapt to a new and often strange culture, and adjust to the American higher education system. The international student advisor serves as a liaison between you and the U.S. Immigration Service, authorizes documents for student visas, helps you adjust to the U.S., Alaska and UAF, and provides counseling for personal and academic problems.

The international student advisor is located in Room 407 of the Duckering Building, (907) 474-7677.

Rural Student Services

Rural Student Services (RSS) is committed to responding to student needs by providing quality services to Native and rural students who expend positive effort in the pursuit of higher education and its opportunities.

Rural Student Services facilitates the transition from a small school and village environment to university life. RSS advisors/counselors provide comprehensive academic advising and referrals to various academic support services on the UAF main campus. Other services provided by RSS include assistance with paperwork required to attend the university, personal counseling and student advocacy.

Rural Student Services is located on the fifth floor of the Gruening Building, (907) 474-7871.

Student Development and Learning Center

The Student Development and Learning Center provides services that contribute to a successful learning experience or career transition. The center has three components: the Learning Center, career and academic counseling and developmental studies. SDLC services are available by appointment and on a walk-in basis. A series of student success workshops are sponsored by the SDLC on a variety of topics in the areas of study skills, career development and personal development. These workshops are available to students and members of the community at no charge.

The Student Development and Learning Center is located in the UAF Downtown Center, (907) 474-7400.

Student Support Services Project

Student Support Services Project is a federally funded program. The project offers academic advising, free tutoring, free developmental and degree-level courses and advocacy for its students. It also offers placement tests, financial aid information, study skills workshops and special tutoring services for disabled students. Students must meet federal eligibility criteria.

Student Support Services Project is located in room 508 Gruening Building, (907) 474-6887.

Tutoring Services

The Accounting Lab provides tutoring services to students enrolled in accounting courses. The Accounting Lab is located in the Bunnell Building and is staffed by accounting graduate students and outstanding undergraduate students. It is open Monday through Friday with assigned (but flexible) hours. For more information, contact Accounting and Information Systems at (907) 474-7121.

ASUAF tutoring provides tutorial services for individual courses. Please contact ASUAF (the student government) for more information, (907) 474-7355 or 474-7601.

The Learning Resource Center is located at the UAF Downtown Center, with outreach tutoring and labs for developmental students on the main campus. LRC staff help students improve and expand skills needed to be successful in university classes. Individualized instruction and tutoring in mathematics, writing, reading, grammar, spelling and study skills are provided.

LRC staff help students identify problem areas in courses and assist in developing personal study plans/skills. Students may work with course materials or LRC resources.

A variety of learning options are available, including tutoring, lab courses, workshops, independent and small group study and computer-assisted learning programs. Students may use the audiovisual aids, typewriters, computers, quiet study carrels and other resource materials. For more information, call the Learning Resource Center at (907) 474-7400.

The Math Laboratory provides flexible-hour assistance to students enrolled in mathematics courses. The lab is coordinated by faculty and services are provided by students. For more information contact the math department, (907) 474-7332.

The Writing Center is staffed by English graduate students and outstanding undergraduate students. It is open Monday through Friday and Sunday; it is available to all enrolled students. The staff will review student writing projects during the successive draft process. They also can help you improve your grammar and usage. For information, contact the English department, (907) 474-7193.