I was reading Geoff’s blog and laughed.  He is excited over Summer Break and I am wondering how the summer went by so fast.

I have been busy with the house, as you all know.  But I have been busy here as well and I still don’t have my summer projects STARTED!

Some of the things I must get done before classes start are:

• Make the changes in General Education for the degree progress reports
• Make changes for Supply Chain Management
• Change the BUS-Z 312 requirements
• Work on entering academic exceptions for students’ degree progress reports

All of these take a while to get done.  Along with this, I still answer e-mails, see student appointments, check those applying for graduation, help others in the office.  I keep very busy!

So, where did the summer go?  I’m not sure, but glad we still have a couple of weeks before classes start!

Want to know what a Recorder does outside of the office?

I just bought my first house...well, since I was divorced 16 years ago.  I swore I would never get a house again.  I didn’t have the money to fix things and I didn’t want to worry about upkeep.  An apartment was just fine for me.  That was until my older daughter moved back in with my younger daughter and me.  She also brought her 2 cats.  It got crowded!

Well, April 24th I closed on my 2 story 3 bedroom 2 ½ bath house.  It needed work, and I couldn’t get out of my lease until the end of July, so I figured we would paint, put in new floor, etc.

It is now June 17th and we are still working on it.  I knew I wanted to put in a new floor in the kitchen.  However, I didn’t realize how hard it is to remove the adhesive off the cement slab from the vinyl linoleum that was on there.  We also had to remove wallpaper from the kitchen walls.  It came off easily, but so did the paint on the rest of the walls!!  It peeled off just like the wallpaper did!  No, they didn’t paint over wallpaper, it just peeled.

We now have the kitchen primed, cabinets clean, and the floor just about ready for the vinyl peel and stick flooring we are going to put down.  It has taken a VERY long time, but it will be worth it.

My daughters’ bathroom also had wallpaper on it.  We thought, “no problem, we know what to do now.”  No such thing.  This paper is not about to come off.  We rented a steamer thinking it would do the job.  It is, but according to my daughters, the people who lived there got paper that was made to last for 100 years.  They have been working on it all day and that is what I am going to be doing when I leave here tonight.

I have not had a hard time sleeping for the last 2 months.  I work here at IUPUI and then go straight to the house and work until 9 or 10.  I then go to the apartment and crash.  If you come to see me and I am yawning, please take no offense.  It is just because I didn’t get enough sleep!

I plan to have the house fixed enough for us to move into it during the first week of July.  That will give me time to get the apartment really clean.  I NEED that deposit now!

Now you know what a Recorder does on her “free” time...at least for the next few months.  It will take us that long to get everything all done.  But it will be nice to have a place that I can truly say is mine!

OK.  My last blog was about spring break and now it is summer.  How did that happen?  Time has a way of moving way too fast.

Since I last wrote, I have checked students who plan to graduate in August to make sure they meet all requirements, got things ready for Commencement, updated records, put in exceptions, certified May graduates (Congratulations to those who graduated).

I finished my two classes in the spring and made myself VERY happy with my grades.  I have found that on-line classes require LOTS of work, but I really learned a lot this semester.  Ask me about the different philosophies of education.  There are many and they are all very different.  Some I agree with and others I think are just crazy ideas.  Others really like those, so it is up to each person what they believe about education.

I also found out about gemstones (my one credit hour fun class).  You can ask me about cut, clarity, carat, color.  I know what they mean now!  I can’t wait to have the money to buy some jewelry now.

Now it is summer.  No, I don’t get the summer off.  I work 12 months of the year.  I used to have time during the summer to get special projects done.  Now I am so busy during the summer, that my special “summer” projects get done during the fall semester!

I am getting ready to check records for students who plan to graduate in December.  I also have to update the degree progress reports (DPR) so the new general education requirements are in there and working properly (which is going to be a challenge).  I also have to work on getting exceptions entered into the DPRs so any changes we have made on records show up and make requirements complete.

Along with this, I will be seeing transfer students, returning students, answer e-mail and the good old...other duties as assigned!

The life of a recorder is never slow.  We are always busy helping students, making sure records are correct, etc.

Here’s to a great summer!

Gee, can you believe it is time for spring break?  Seems like the semester just started.  However...the cold has been here forever.  I hope those of you who are going somewhere warm lots of fun.

Me, I am taking the week off work, but am studying.  I have a big paper due at the end of the semester and want to get started on it.  I figure a week should be a great start!

I do plan to have a little bit of fun and getting some things done that I don’t get done while working.  It should be a nice time.

I hope you all have a great week and come back ready to finish the semester!  Be careful on your trip and don’t get sunburned!!!

Well, SIS is back up...sort of.  The Administrative Center, which is what the academic advisors and I use to see what is going on with students, is up and running.  The Student Center and Faculty Center aren’t up yet.  At least not where I can see it!  They both should be up soon, so don’t panic.

We are having lots of fun in the office figuring out how to find the stuff we need to use.  It is all there, just in different places.  Please give us some slack if you call us or come into the office.  We are all in learning mode!

Well, not much else right now.  Don’t forget to make appointments with advisors soon.  Registration starts March 19th!

I know this is not the first time you have seen this, but SIS is going down on Friday, February 15 and will not be available until Thursday, February 21.  This means you can’t do drop/add (this stops the 14th) check grades, do a degree progress report (yes, you can find what you have left to take...just not during this time), or anything that has to do with your records.  Do not fear!!!  Oncourse will still be available and all classes will continue as normal!

This means academic advisors will not be able to run records during this time, either.  If you want an appointment with a Kelley advisor while the system is down you have to call and make it by 5 on the 13th.  On the 14th we are running records all day for the following week. 

What will I be doing during this time?  I will be seeing the students that made appointments, answering e-mail, entering advising notes into our system, filing, cleaning out files, cleaning out e-mail.  All sorts of fun stuff. 

I will NOT be seeing students when the system comes up because I am the office "go to" person and will be helping anyone who has difficulty with the new system.  This means our staff and faculty.

We will all make it through this time with no problem if we all work together!  I know our office does this very well.  I am sure our campus and the whole IU system will get along as well.

Let me know what you think of the new system when it comes up!

Deb

I want to apologize for not writing for so long.  Things got a bit crazy here in the office and I didn’t get around to writing.  Right now, things have calmed down just a bit, so I am getting lots of work done and writing my blog is one of them!

Just a quick reminder -- Student Information Systems is going to be down from February 15-February 21.  You will not be able to do any drop, add, bill payment, check transcripts or anything like that.  Oncourse will be unaffected by this.  Just don’t do any schedule changing during this time.

I am taking a class again this semester and I really like it.  It is an online class, so I don’t have to go anywhere, and I really like that.  However, because it is online, there is a HUGE amount of writing that has to be done.  Thing is, I enjoy doing these projects.

That is my school life, now for my office life!  I am working on getting things ready for Commencement.  It sounds like it is so early to get started, but it takes a long time to get everything ready to run smoothly on the big day.  I have to find award winners, those that are going to tentatively graduate with honors, send a list to the photographers, and all sorts of other things. 

It won’t be too long until priority registration starts for summer and fall.  Then I will be checking all the August graduates to make sure they have everything for graduation.  Then it will be Commencement Day! 

This year will be difference since the RCA Dome will be gone and the Lucas Oil Stadium will not be ready yet.  It makes it a bit "scary" not knowing exactly how things will be done (don’t worry, we will know by the big day) but exciting knowing it will be different!  No other graduating class will have one just like this one!

Well, it is the end of the day.  Talk later!

I can't believe it is time for classes to start already.  Seems like summer just started.  It is especially shocking this fall as I start my grad degree this fall. 
I was admitted to the Master of Science in Adult Education program.  Most of the classes are on-line.  Because this is new to so many of us, there is an Orientation class to get us used to Oncourse CL, APA style writing, and doing assignments again.  This course actually started August 15th and my first assignement was due Saturday.  I have been busy already!

I graduated with my bachelor degree 10 years ago. Sitting down and studying is something I have to get used to doing again!  Text books are a LOT different than the novels I have been reading.  I find myself reading and rereading the same thing over and over trying to understand what is being said.

I also found that housework becomes more interesting when I am supposed to be studying.  Gee, dishes need to be done.  Animals need to be fed. Wow, look at the dust on that table!  This all MUST be done before I can sit down to read.  OK. Not really, but it does distract me.

I know a lot of you deal with the same things.  You have work, family, pets, house work, meals to fix, childrens' homework as well as yours.  It is very hard to get it all done.  I totally understand.

The thing to remember is...You are taking classes to better yourself and those around you!  And, if you have children, you are setting a good example on how to study (at least I hope you are). 

Well, it is now time for me to quit putting off the homework.  Time to read again!

I'll let you know how it goes.

We are in for the hottest weather of the summer.  That means classes start soon.  Why do classes start NOW?

That is a very good question.  One I cannot answer.

I remember...in the dark ages when I was in elementary school...we didn’t go back until after Labor Day.  It was one last holiday before the drudgery of school.  But it wasn’t as hot and we didn’t mind going back.

My daughters started school in August and it seemed like the summer was SO short?  Who had time to get everything done they planned to do in the summer?  Even my daughters thought the summer was short.

For us "college kids," classes start before Labor Day, but not nearly as early as the poor elementary and secondary kids do.  That is a bit of a bonus.

IUPUI starts classes when they do so that every day of the week has the same number of meeting times.  We have a full 16 weeks of classes and every class must meet the appropriate number of times.  If not, we could lose our accreditation.  That would not be a good thing.  That explains some of the question.

So, I am sitting here, wondering where the summer went; how I am going to get everything done I had planned to do; figure out how I am going to get ready for classes (first time in 10 years; and find some time to relax and "enjoy the summer."  Guess it is too late for the latter.

Hey, at least I still have Labor Day!!!

It is July and the middle of the summer.  For me, it is my “quiet” time of the year.  I actually have time to get caught up with all the things I tried to get done but didn’t during the first half of the year.  I already told you what the first half of the year was like.  July is my calm.

It won’t be long before I get hit with lots of appointments with students wanting to come back to school or transfer here from somewhere else.  The beginning of August reminds everyone that school is about to start and they want to join in again!

August is also the time we start admitting all the students who applied to Kelley for Fall 2007 and have finished all their courses in Summer II.  I am also getting the August graduates reviewed and certified.  Then school starts, we have orientation, induction and all the other fun stuff at the beginning of the semester.

So, I will get the degree progress report program updated with the new Supply Chain Management major and the Accounting major changes.  I will enter all the advising notes that I didn’t get done previously.  I will enter all the exceptions into the degree progress reports for students who have substituted a course for a requirement.  And maybe take a day or two off to have some time at home.

It is now time for a deep cleansing breath, relax...and get things done!!

Last week I was eating my lunch in my office, as usual.  I got a frantic call from my younger daughter.  She and her friend were trying to find a building downtown to run an errand and were lost.

From the story I got, they asked a friend how to get there.  I don't know if he didn't know what he was saying or if they misunderstood what he meant.  Either way, they were lost.

They called "Mom" because I know where everything is downtown.  (Yeah, right...I was close by and their best bet!)

As it was, I had a good idea where it was and told them how much further they had to go to get there.  They were happy. 

Well, it seems it has been a while since I was down there, and they couldn't make a right hand turn where I told them.  They came to get me to show them where to go.

I got in the car and showed them where they needed to be.  Of course there was no parking, so we dropped the friend off and let her get her stuff done while we went around the block a couple of times waiting on her.

They brought me back to finish my lunch.  Everyone was happy that the errand was completed.

That made me think that this relates to what academic advisors and I do. When students get "lost" in what courses, we are here to guide them to the correct sequencing, requirements, electives, to finish their degree and get the most out of it.

Many times students get lost because they listen to what other students have done.  This can be a problem because not all students are on the same plan...even if they are doing the same major.  So much depends on when each student was admitted to Kelley as far as requirements are concerned.

Or, sometimes a student asks for help without giving all the correct information and the directions they received were based on the information given.  Not always a good thing, either!

Make sure you see an advisor at least once a year...every semester is best!!  This will keep you from getting "lost" and having to turn around and back track.

Here's to always moving forward!!

Wow!  Time sure flies.  Some how I lost the month of May.  Actually, I didn't lose it.  The days were very busy for me and I am now able to breathe and it is June 4th.

So, what had me so busy, you ask? Again, you ask very good questions.

The first week of May I sent out e-mails to certain tentative graduates letting them know they were able to wear honor cords at Commencement and when to pick them up.  I also sent out reminder e-mails about the mandatory meeting on May 11th.  I made sure all the awards were correct and ready for the ceremony.  I didn't do this all by my self.  Julie Moore, Recorder for the Evening MBA program, contacted the award company and I gave her all the names and types of awards.

Along with that, I made a list of all the faculty cap and gowns I needed to order because I didn't know these people were coming to the ceremonies.  This was quite a list.  These faculty were award winners and didn't know they were coming until just the week before.

I also go over to the Registrar's Office and stuff 350 diploma covers with the "Congratulations on Graduating" letter.  This takes about 2 1/2 hours.  I don't have to pack them up and take them to the Dome, however.  The Registrar's Office does all that for me.  I am very grateful for all they do for us over there.

The next week, I sent the list over to the Alumni Office so they could get all my faculty apparel ready for me at their convenience.  I end up with about 30-35 orders.  That is quite a few for them to pull while all the graduates are trying to get their apparel too.  The next day I get the apparel and get them all ready for the faculty to pick up.  I send e-mails to all of them letting them know their apparel is ready.

I also go over to the Alumni Office to get the Honor Cords for the students who are graduating with honors.  These are the students who are graduating with Highest Distinction, High Distinction and Distinction.  NOT the students who have completed the Business Honors Program.  Two TOTALLY different kinds of honors.

I make sure I have all the supplies ready for commencement.  I run to the store and pick up items I need.  I also get all the names printed and put on the index cards for the graduates to give to Professor Ken Carow so he can announce them as they go across the stage.  I also get the "right" and "left" cards ready.  This isn't hard work, but it is time consuming!

Finally, it is Friday before Commencement!!  We get the vehicles all loaded up with the things we take over to the Sagamore Ballroom, have the mandatory meeting for those coming to Commencment.

On top of all this I try to get some students certified for graduation.  They are students whose employers need notification so they can get their promotions.  Unfortunatly, they have to wait until grades are official on transcripts and Friday is it!!  I check out the students and mail/fax/e-mail the letters to the proper people.  I manage to get it all done!!!

The next week begins with Commencement.  It goes very well.  The next two days I spend getting things back and put away from Commencement.  I then get to work on certifying the graduates.  This year went pretty well.  I didn't have very many students who didn't make it.  That is such a relief.  I hate letting students know they aren't going to graduate.  I have a couple of students who need to get some incompletes changed and I have until Tuesday of the next week to get them done.

The next week begins just fine.  I work on getting students ready to process their degrees.  I find out who actually graduates with honors and get everything ready.  I just have to finalize it on Tuesday.

Tuesday morning I wake up very sick.  I KNOW I have to get the grads done.  I come into the office and get them all done and go home.  I am there the rest of the week!  I haven't been this miserable for about 6 years!!!  I am just glad everything is done for May.

That brings me to last week.  I had 4 days to get everything caught up from the two weeks before.  I didn't quite make it, but made great strides.

Now it is June.  Things are calming down a bit.  That is why I am able to get things caught up a bit.  I still have LOTS to do.  I need to check tentative December graduating students to make sure they have everything they need.  I am seeing transfer and returning students.  I also have lots of e-mails to answers.  However, I don't think June will disappear like May did.  I sure hope not.

Have a great summer.  Don't let it disappear!!

I know that title makes many of you happy. 

For me it means there are students who are graduting and we may not see them again.  It is exciting to see them achieve their goal of finishing their bachelor degree.  Knowing they are off starting their career is such a rush.  That is why I enjoy Commencement so much.  As I watch the Dean hand the diploma cover to the graduates it gives me chills.

The end of Spring also means lots of work.  Summer is when I try to catch up on all the things I didn't get done during the spring.  Alas, there is no rest for us here at the Student Services Office.  I code degree progress reports, update records, certify grads, set up new files, shred old files and any other projects my director has for me.  I keep thinking I am going to get it all done during the summer, but it never happens.  There is too much to do and the summer is MUCH too short.

The end of Spring also means vacations.  That is always fun. I am not sure if I am going anywhere this summer.  I may put it off and take more time at the end of Fall semester.

What ever the end of Spring means to you, I wish you the best summer ever.  If you are taking summer classes, I hope you do well and have some time to relax.

I am now a week late in submitting my blog.  I have been very busy answering e-mails, seeing students, reviewing transcripts of returning and transfer students, and other duties as assigned.  Writing my blog totally slipped my mind.  Now I am trying to figure out what to write.  I have always hated deadlines for papers!

Yes, I am like many of you.  When I had to write a paper I put it off until 2 a.m. of the day it was due.  I am not saying it is the best way to write a good paper.  It is just how it always happened.

Now, I am writing a blog and can't think of anything to write!  HEY!!  I have an idea!

I applied to graduate school earlier this year.  I appled to the Higher Education and Student Affairs program.  I worked very hard writing my personal statement, finding people to write my letters of recommendation and getting all my college transcripts rounded up and mailed. It is a bit of a hassle to get them all.  One of the schools I attended is no longer a school.  I have to contact a state agency to get it.

I got it all done by the deadline date of January 15th.  Then I waited, and waited and waited.  Then I got an e-mail telling me of the Outreach 2007 for candidates to come and visit Bloomington and meet their possible colleagues.

It was very different for me.  I am older than most of the people who were there.  I also stayed in a dorm room.  That was a BIG adjustment for me.  I never stayed in a dorm room before.  I got to know some of the candidates and envisioned us in classes together.

Well, I just found out I was denied admission to the program.  Disappointing, yes.  But I found I wasn't as upset as I thought I would be.  I found another program that sounds very interesting and had a deadline date of July 1.  That means I still have time to apply for this fall!!

I do have to write another personal statement, find someone to write recommendation letters for me and get my college transcripts put together.  I am better prepared for the process this time.  I feel better about getting into this program.  I think this is the one for me...I hope!

Anyway.  Realize you are not the only one looking at starting something new.  Your friendly Academic Recorder is going to become one of you...A STUDENT!!

Wish me luck!

I actually had a vacation during spring break.  Most of the time I work through the week because I have so much to do for Commencement.  This year I wanted to get away.  I was tired of the cold.  I was tired of the dreary weather.  Face it, I was tired of work!

My daughter and I went to Las Vegas.  It was the first time either of us had ever been there.  It was wonderful!  The sun was so bright and it was WARM!!!  That made me very happy.

We did a lot of walking.  We went from one end of the strip to the other.  We went from casino to casino checking out the décor of each hotel...and the slot machines.  Hey, we had to rest from walking so much.

We had good food, too.  We went to the Nine Fine Irishmen in the New York, New York.  It wasn’t cheap, but sure tasted like I think food from Ireland should taste.

Most of all, we relaxed.  We weren’t at home or at work.  All those worries were back here in Indy.  It just felt good.

Then it was time to come back.  I had to face over 200 e-mails and all the stuff I didn’t get done before I left.  It was still here, but I had the energy to tackle it all head on.  I am still doing some catch up, but it is almost done.

I hope you all used your spring break to rest, relax and came back to school ready to finish the semester.  The break is there to refocus so you can be ready for the last few weeks.  I hope you came back a new person as I did.

That is it for this message.  I’ll be back in two weeks!!

By the way...did you seniors get your cap and gown ordered?  I got all the faculty done on Friday!!

Yep.  I can’t believe it, but it is time to get things ready for Commencement.  It is May 13th this year.  Of course, it is Mother’s Day, same as it has been the past 20 years.  OK, maybe one time it was not Mother’s Day, but what is one out of 20?

What do I do to get ready for Commencement, you ask.  LOTS of fun stuff.  I will just give you the highlights.

I pull records to make sure everyone is entered into the system as a December 2006 graduate or a tentative May or tentative August graduate.  If they aren’t in the system, they don’t get any information about ordering cap and gown, announcements, rings, when it is, what Kelley is going to do, or anything else.  This is why I am after students to get their Intent to Graduate submitted so far in advance before they actually finish their degree.

Then, I have to find out who looks like they might graduate with honors for May and August.  This can be very tricky as it is based on Fall’s grades.  Who knows what may happen in the spring or summer?  That is why they are Tentative Graduates and Tentative Honors for May and August.  December graduates are official.  After I figure out who is in the top 10% of their graduating class, I notify them that they might receive honors, and that they get to wear honor cords at Commencement.  This is LOTS of fun.  Some of them are SO excited to find out they are getting honors.

Next, I have to go through the Commencement Program graduate list.  I have to make sure everyone is on the list and that their major is right.  This is for the BIG IUPUI Commencement ceremony.  Every school has all of the graduates listed in the program.  I have a very short turn around to get it done this year as I am going on vacation next week (Spring Break) and have to get it done before I leave. 

I also have to invite the eligible students to become members of Beta Gamma Sigma.  This is the business honor fraternity.  Only the top 5% of Juniors and top 10% of Seniors are eligible.  This is my first year of actually sending out the packets and entering them into the BGS database.  Someone else has always done it before, but she retired and now I get to do it.  I love learning new things.

There are lots of other little things to keep me busy, too.  However, they aren’t as fun to do or discuss. 

Hey, if you are graduating, don’t forget to order your cap and gown before March 23rd.  You don’t want to pay extra fees.  I have to make sure I get the faculty apparel ordered before then, too.  Let’s see who gets it done first!!

I am sure many of you are thinking, what is a Recorder?  That is a VERY good question!  The Recorder is the manager of student records for a school.  What does that mean?  I keep track of everything you take and make sure you meet all degree requirements.  To make it even easier to understand...

I’m the one who puts the degree on your transcript!

It sounds easy.  In fact, it only takes 20 minutes to put degrees on over 100 students’ records.  Unfortunately, it is getting up to that point that isn’t so easy.  I check each student’s record individually to make sure all degree requirements are met.  For three or four days after grades are officially on transcripts I shut my office door and start going through records.  I often feel like my eyes are crossed from looking at the monitor for so long.  However, it is all worth it when I get to send the e-mail that says CONGRATULATIONS!!!

There are lots of other things I do, too.  I see students who have questions about graduation and want to make sure every requirement has been met.  I really enjoy working with students and seeing them finish their degree.

My favorite day of the year is Commencement.  Yes, it is Mother’s Day, but seeing students cross the stage, being handed their diploma cover and shaking hands with the dean can bring tears to my eyes.  This can be a fantastic Mother’s Day present.

Just think, in a few weeks or a few years, I can celebrate with you when you cross that stage!!!