Welcome to Fall 2014!

Welcome back to campus!

Another great semester awaits us and before all of the announcements and important messages that will follow - I wish you all a fantastic semester - full of growth, learning, critical thought, and engagement.  Now for the announcements and messages:

1.  Senior Verification Cards will be available to eligible seniors beginning Tuesday.  If you are eligible you should have received a message with instructions through my.sjsu.  If you have questions, please contact AARS at (408) 924-2129.

2.  Dwight Bentel Hall has unexpectedly closed due to water damage and is awaiting repairs.   If you have a class scheduled in Dwight Bentel this Monday or Tuesday you are being asked to please head to the new Student Union Ballrooms A & B and find the table with your classroom number on it.   Your instructor will be meeting you there and further instructions will then be given.  The University hopes to have temporary classrooms for all classes affected by later this week.

3.  The Health Science Fall 2014 enrollment update is not ideal.  We are currently over-enrolled and as a result, faculty have been instructed to not issue add codes to any student under any circumstance.   Some students will be eligible to petition the department for an add code, these students include those who have financial aid agreements that require full-time status and students who are graduating this academic year.   If you feel that you meet these criteria and you want to petition you need to compile documentation to explain your case, including:  For seniors - present your senior verification card, a copy of your graduation worksheet indicating the courses that you still need, a printout of the courses that you are currently enrolled in, and a list of those you still need to take.  For students with Financial Aid agreements you need to show evidence of financial aid, a printout of your current courses, and a note indicating the course and section in which you are requesting.    You should drop off the documentation with the Health Science office staff and the Interim Department Chair will review your case.  You  should receive a decision within 24-48 hours.   The HS Office Staff and Chair will not be responding to individual email inquiries for codes.   If you want to add a course and you meet the stated criteria, your case will only be considered if you follow the process above.   While waiting, please attend class.  

4.  If you are looking for an elective course, here are some courses that are still open and appear promising, relevant, and interesting - thus, potentially worthy of your consideration.

MCOM 105: Lifestyles, Diversity, and the Media - T TH 1:30-2:45

GERO/SOCI 166: Medical Sociology M 6:00-8:45 PM

SOCI 116: Global Society T 6-8:45

SOCI 120: Contemporary Social Issues MW 1:30-2:45

SOCI 162: Race and Ethnic Relations MW 4:30-5:45

SOCI 163: Social Change MW 4:30-5:45

SOCI 164: Social Action TTh 10:30-11:45

SOCI 165: Poverty, Wealth and Privilege TTh 3-4:15

SOCI 169: Political Sociology TTh 1:30-2:45

SOCI 170: Sociology of Family T 6-8:45

SOCI 172: Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender Studies TTh 1:30-2:45

ANTH 108: Medical Anthropology TTh 10:30-11:45

ANTH 122: Magic, Science and Religion MW 10:30-11:45 or TTh 3-4:15

ANTH 130: Kin, Kith, and Community: The Anthropolgy of Social Organization MW 10:30-11:45

ANTH 140: Human Sexuality (multiple offerings available)

URBP 103: Local Government and Politics T 6-8:45

CA 172: Arts in US Society TTh 7:30-8:45 AM

CA 134: Religion Film & Media Online

POLS 130: Making Public Policy

PSYC 126: Drugs +Brain and Behavior

5.  Another course resource is CourseMatch, which is the pilot program to increase access to online courses across the entire CSU system.   To see what courses are available, check the CourseMatch webpage.   There is an application and approval process, so, if you want to pursue this option, please get started with the process as soon as possible.   Here is a tip sheet to see if you're ready for an online course.  

Wishing you a pleasant start.   Feel free to stop by during drop-in advising, come to the student success center events, and don't forget to pay attention to the deadlines.   

Health Science and Recreation Undergraduate Reunion

Tomorrow is our chance to welcome students and faculty back to campus with the Health Science and Recreation Department reunion.  We are expecting a fantastic turnout and we have plenty of activities to inspire, motivate, and ready you for the coming semester.

The agenda for the day  ....

Health Science & Recreation Fall 2014 Department Reunion

Morris Dailey Auditorium

10:00am - 10:20am     Welcome & Program Overview
10:20am - 10:30am     Ice-Breaker
10:30am - 10:50am     Student Involvement
10:50am - 11:00am     Breakout Overview
11:00am -  2:00pm      Breakout Sessions (MacQuarrie Hall)

Health Science and Recreation Fall 2014 Department Reunion Breakout Sessions

All Breakouts are in MacQuarrie Hall

Room#	Session I:  11:30-12:30	Session II:  12:30-2:00
223	Recreation Therapy Advising	Recreation Therapy Advising
224	Recreation Management Advising	Recreation Management Advising
322	Internship Group (11:00-11:30)	Faculty Panel 1:00-2:00
323	HS Advising: Graduation Applications	HS Advising: Academic Planning for Administration Concentration
324	Student Involvement	HS Advising: Academic Planning - BS with minor/electives

  

Breakout Session Descriptions

HS Faculty Panel: Join HS faculty who will be available for student questions about courses and the program curriculum.   

Student Involvement:  Health Science and Recreation Student Clubs will be on hand to discuss the various clubs and opportunities to participate.  

HS Internships:  If you are enrolled in HS 166A or B this fall, stop by and check in with the instructor to be sure you are ready for this important professional experience.   If you don’t have a field placement - or you have been invited directly by the instructor - this is a really important session for you to attend.

Academic Advising:  Meet with Health Science and Recreation Peer Advisors for help creating or reviewing your academic plan, forms and paperwork, or questions about the program.  

HS Faculty Advising:  Thursday afternoon appointments are available after meeting with Peer Advisors.  Peer Advisors will be scheduling faculty advising appointments for the afternoon.

Summer Advising, Fall 2014 Department Reunion, and electronic communication

Summer Advising: 
The Health Science Advising Team and the Health Science Office have been receiving a high volume of emails this summer. As we work through these emails, please be patient and know that we are receiving your messages and we are working to address your questions.  

Department advising is available during the fall and spring semesters and on a limited basis throughout the summer. Please prioritize meeting with a Peer Advisor, GE Advisors, and (if needed) a department advisor during the semester. There will be advising opportunities available during the Department Reunion, which is scheduled for Thursday, August 21st from 10-2. We will send more information about this event when it gets closer, but for now, please save the date.

Summer advising is currently prioritized to respond to fall enrollment questions and concerns for current Health Science students and new Health Science students.   In most cases, academic planning can wait for the reunion in August, but over the summer this blog will be updated and additional resources for academic planning will be made available.  

Electronic Communication Recommendations and Expectations
Email is an important form of communication and can be a really effective way to get your questions answered.  In order for your questions to be answered in a timely and appropriate manner, please consider the following recommendations:

1. Including URGENT!!! in the subject is not going to get your email answered any faster.   Everyone's email is important and emails will be responded to in the order in which they are received.   
2. Emails should be written as if you are writing a letter.   Address the recipient by name (if known) and always include your own name.  
3. When you are emailing with advising and/or course related questions, please include your student ID and be as detailed as possible with your question.   The information that is most helpful to include is:  your projected graduation date, the major courses you have completed, and your projected coursework.  
4. It is not necessary to email everyone with your same question.   Please send your email to the person you think is most appropriate and wait... If you feel that you have sent your request to the wrong person you can try another, but it is not necessary to send your advising related questions to everyone in the Health Science department.   Advising related questions should be directed to the either the Health Science office or the department advisor.  
5. Check the advising blog to be sure your question has not been answered here already.
6. Plan to meet with a peer advisor and/or academic advisor during the regular semester. 

Enrollment Update

Here is the latest update on the department process for permission codes for core major courses.  
The department has sent out codes for HS 158, 159, and 166 A&B.   We will be working on and sending 104 by next week and 165 will be sent out this week.

If you have applied to the University for graduation for Fall 2014 you will be sent an add code to HS 165.

If you are graduating in Fall 2014 or Spring 2015 - and you completed the enrollment survey - you were sent an add code for HS 159.  If you did not complete the survey, please complete the late enrollment survey (see link in previous post).   HS 159 has limited capacity and you are not guaranteed a spot in the course, regardless of your proposed graduation date.  We will prioritize students based on eligibility, graduation date, and date of survey completion.  It is not likely that you will receive a code in this course if you are graduating after spring 2015.   It is recommended that you look to other courses that you can take in the fall and enroll in 159 in the spring.  

If you are officially declared in Health Science and you meet the required pre-req's, you should not need add codes for the following courses:  103, 161, 167, 164, 135, 162, 170, 117, 174, 74, 25, 15, 1, 67.

If you were just recently accepted to Health Science in our change of major process, you will need assistance enrolling in Health Science courses that are restricted to HS majors because your paperwork will likely not be processed before your fall enrollment date.  If this is the case, please email the faculty advisor for assistance in accessing the permissions that you need.

If you believe you have not received a code - in error - please contact the HS department office.  

Fall 2014 Change of Major application Closes tomorrow - Friday June 6th at 11:59 PM

The deadline to apply the the Health Science Major for fall 2014 is tomorrow - Friday, June 6th at midnight.   If you are interested apply online now!

You will need your unofficial transcripts available to help you accurately complete the required questions about  GPA, units earned, and courses completed.

Fall enrollment add codes

Many HS students have questions about fall enrollment.  Two common questions are currently being asked:

The first is in regards to add codes:  The add codes are coming. We are working on determining eligibility and the department office should start sending codes out by early next week. No one has been issued codes, so the courses won't fill up.

The second is in regards to problems with enrollment. If you are experiencing enrollment problems, please complete this survey and notify the department.  We will review your situation and let you know how to proceed with fall registration.

Fall 2014 Enrollment Update

Fall enrollment is now underway and many students are inquiring about permission codes for courses that require department consent.    So, here's an update of where we are in this process.

First, the courses that require department consent (which means you won't be able to enroll without a code that is issued by the Health Science office) include:

• HS 104
• HS 158
• HS 159
• HS 165
• HS 166A/B

Second, we are working on the enrollment for these courses and we request your patience.    Until we release codes to priority students who are eligible for enrollment in these courses, no one is enrolling in them, so, they are not going to fill up.     

We will send codes for 158 first - these should go out soon (hopefully this week) and then we will send codes for 165 and 166A/B.   We are still reviewing the enrollment for both HS 159 and HS 104 and we will send codes to these courses as soon as possible.    

Once you receive your code - do not lose it and please use it.  If you are not going to use a code that you received, please notify the office so we can plan accordingly.  

If you have questions you can contact the department advisor through this blog or via the HS office.