From the time you are admitted to the University until the time you are ready to graduate, Porter College advising staff are available to help you achieve your academic goals, to discuss policies and requirements, and to refer you to support services, as you need them. Porter advisors may also be helpful in alerting you to enriching opportunities at UCSC, such as interesting classes, internships, career planning workshops, etc. It is suggested that you meet with an advisor regularly to review your progress. During your first year, you should plan to see an advisor at least once per quarter.

Academic Preceptors Lupe Allen and Bob Giges are available to assist you in deciding on a major program, to help you maneuver through the system, or to discuss nearly any academic concern (one exception: you should see department advisers for information about major requirements). Mary Spafford, College Academic Advisor, is also available, often on a drop-in basis.

You may arrange to see any of the advising staff by calling the receptionist at 831-459-2273 or by coming in to the College Office to set up an appointment.

1. When should I see my College Preceptor/Advisor vs. a Department Advisor?
2. What can/can’t an Academic Preceptor do for me?
3. Maximum Quarters of Enrollment
4. Academic Progress
5. Academic Files – Student Records
6. Academic Integrity
   

When should I see my College Academic Preceptor/Advisor vs. a Department Advisor?

Your College Academic Preceptor is responsible for advising you in all areas outside of your major. This means that whenever you have questions about such matters as your academic goals, how to satisfy general education or University requirements, what to do if you need to drop a course, what to do if want an extension of enrollment, how to go about taking a leave of absence, what to do if you need to enroll part-time, what the consequences are of being on probation and what resources are available to help you if you are having difficulties…you should schedule an appointment with your College Academic Preceptor for assistance. Preceptors can also help you refine your choice of majors and/or minors as you proceed through your academic career.

If you have questions about what classes to take to complete your major, what graduate programs would be best for you, or what careers your major might lead to, you would want to schedule an appointment with an adviser or faculty member in the relevant department.

What can an Academic Preceptor do for me?

Give you sound academic advice.
Your Academic Preceptor can be a valuable resource as someone familiar with UCSC who is willing and able to assist you with your academic planning and decision-making.

Serve as a sounding board.
Consult with your Academic Preceptor as you ponder your next academic move, as you consider your options, or if you are worried about the implications of your decisions. Your Academic Preceptor has guided others through the maze of opportunities at UCSC and can help you make informed choices and keep on track.

Help you choose suitable courses.
Your Academic Preceptor can assist you with course selection by asking you your rationale for choosing courses, perhaps by challenging your assumptions, by ensuring that your course load is reasonable, and by making various suggestions or recommendations for you to consider. If you want to inform yourself about a particular course, it is best to consult a faculty member who is a member of the department offering the course or the staff person of the department who is the undergraduate advisor.

Help you select a major.
Most students who enter college are not sure of what they want to major in. While this is natural enough, the uncertainty of it is troubling for a lot of students. However, if you work with your Academic Preceptor on optional long-range plans conscientiously, it need not be a source of great worry to you; indeed, it can be an exciting adventure. Many (but not all) students have the better part of two years in which to familiarize themselves with departments and programs of interest by taking course work in those areas and by consulting with faculty about the major. Your Academic Preceptor can assist you with this exploration while also helping you to keep an eye on your progress towards completion of the general education requirements.

What can't my Academic Preceptor do for me?

Serve all your advising needs.
No Academic Preceptor, no matter how well trained or experienced, can be expected to know all the departments and programs, and all the faculty and course offerings at UCSC. However, your Academic Preceptor can probably answer many of your questions and should be able to refer you to others when s/he can't help you directly.

Tell you what to do.
As an adult, you assume primary responsibility for your decisions and for your academic progress. You misconceive your Academic Preceptor's role and shortchange yourself if you expect your Academic Preceptor to tell you what to do. Don't let others decide your future! Set your own goals and devise your own strategies for attaining them. Your advisor can help you meet your goals by serving as a "reality check" and by helping you to avoid pitfalls along the way.

Be the only source of advice as you choose a major.
No matter how well informed your Academic Preceptor is, s/he is only one of a number
of resources available to you as you prepare to elect a major. Here's where other advisors can come to your assistance in important ways: make appointments with advisor(s) in the field(s) you are considering and talk about what attracts you to the field, what your particular area of concentration might be, who on the faculty of the department shares your interests, what internship or other opportunities are available to you through the department, what career paths majors in that field have gone on to after they graduated,
etc. Instructors you have had, upper division students who are majoring in the same field, and the UCSC Career Center can be additional resources for you.

Adapted from Duke University's Academic Resource Center's website.

Maximum Quarters of Enrollment

Students are generally expected to complete their degree in four years (with transfer students having proportionately less time). When necessary, the College allows additional time to complete the 180 credits required for graduation. Other extensions are granted on a case by case basis.

If you are planning a secondary goal beyond your major, be it a minor, a second major, or particular courses for graduate school, it is expected that you will pursue this course work in lieu of electives. In many majors, it is essential to plan early. Several majors require identification of your intent as early as the first year in order to finish in a timely fashion. You are welcome to meet with Academic Preceptors to discuss your plans.

Academic Progress

My UCSC is the sign on point for student secure access to AIS self-service and associated campus links. These include Registration and Student Records, Student Billing and Account information, Student Financial Aid information, and more.

It is a good idea to discuss any academic problems you may have with an Academic Preceptor. See them as soon as you can when you perceive problems. As well as providing in-depth academic advising, they can refer you to a variety of campus services including tutoring, writing assistance, stress reduction and counseling. Informing them of difficulties, special needs, and unusual circumstances that might affect your academic work is the best way to avert academic censure as well.

Porter College follows the academic standing regulations set forth in The Navigator. If a student is sufficiently deficient in scholastic achievement to fall below minimum progress, the College Academic Standing committee, comprised of faculty members and Academic Preceptors, adjudicates his or her case. If the Academic Standing committee bars or disqualifies a student from continued study at UCSC, s/he will receive written notification of the action and will be given a brief time period in which to appeal in writing. The appeal is reviewed by the College Provost, who has the final authority to resolve each case.

Academic File-Student Records

As do all UCSC colleges, Porter maintains an academic file for each Porter College student that includes a record of course evaluations, courses passed, petitions, and academic correspondence. These files are located in the College Office and are available for review and photocopying upon presentation of photo ID.

Files of graduated Porter students are kept for 10 years (the Registrar has an official file on each student kept indefinitely). Files on students who leave UCSC without graduating are archived at Porter, going back to the late 1970s, as these older files have information invaluable to students who might reenter the UCSC system. The College Academic Advisor, Mary Spafford, supervises student records and you can direct questions to her any time. Her email is mjspaffo@ucsc.edu.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of a University education. All students need to inform themselves of what constitutes dishonesty, plagiarism, as well as what the "Honor System" is all about.

Naturally, the work you submit in your classes must be your own. Whether or not there are proctors monitoring exams, it is expected that you will work alone without the aid of notes or references (unless your instructor specifically indicates that collaboration is encouraged or that the exam is "open-book". When you complete writing assignments, it is essential to cite references for passages and ideas that are taken from others University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html#Print

If, for example, you are writing an essay on Hamlet and you are using specific ideas that you found in a critical essay on the play, you must use footnotes to indicate that you are borrowing the ideas for the purposes of your paper. Of course, when you use another author's exact words, you are also obliged to footnote. Plagiarism - the deliberate misrepresentation of someone else's words and ideas as your own - is a very serious offense and can lead to severe disciplinary actions as well as failing the course involved. Don't hesitate to discuss the use of sources with your instructors. Most are more than willing to assist you in utilizing reference works effectively.

As put forth in the UCSC student guide concerning academic integrity, "It is the student’s responsibility to understand University policy on Academic Integrity, as well as each instructor’s policy on acceptable collaboration and cheating. If a student is unsure whether his or her behavior violates university or faculty policy, then it is his or her responsibility to consult with the instructor or college provost for clarification." Please go to UCSC Academic Integrity for more information on this vital matter.