Purpose of the Meeting
– Cover important information not covered during your New Student Conference
– Reinforce crucial information covered during your New Student Conference
– Discuss preparations for Spring registration
– Provide information about recent changes to TEAM policies.
Your Home at A&M
Transition Academic Programs (TAP), a unit within the Undergraduate Studies Division, provides:
– Academic Advising
– Accurate, timely information
– Administrative Support
– Advocacy for TEAM students
In support of student success in the TEAM Program at A&M.
Guarantee
Guarantees at Texas A&M are rare, but here’s one: If you don’t read and heed TEAM emails we GUARANTEE you will encounter problems! Use your A&M or Blinn email accounts. Always include your A&M UIN/Blinn ID.
The Co-enrollment Challenge
– Co-enrolled students must pay close attention to double the details as students enrolled at only one school.
– You will be attending two separate schools with two different sets of rules!
— Examples: Attendance policy, holidays, deadlines
– You will have to accomplish most tasks twice (once for each school), but at different times.
How TEAM Works
– TEAM is designed to be a two-year co-enrollment program.
— However, it is possible for students to transition out of TEAM when they have:
— Completed 2 or more semesters, and
— Maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 at both schools, and
— Satisfied all entry requirements for their intended major
– Early transition is more likely for some majors than others.
— For some majors, satisfying the entry requirements will take two years.
– Students who are still in TEAM at the end of the two years must meet specific credit hour requirements at each school.
Differences Between High School and College
(1) College deadlines are REAL. Don’t expect professors to give extensions for assignments
Published or announced deadlines really are the last day to accomplish certain tasks.
(2) AP and Dual Credit courses are not as rigorous. Don’t assume college courses taken in residence will be easy just because you did well in AP and dual enrollment courses in high school.
Extracurricular Activities
– Choose from more than 1,000 recognized organizations.
– Make new friends, network, develop leadership skills.
– Limit your involvement to one activity during your first semester.
– NCAA varsity sport participation is not available to TEAM students.
– Some Greek and Sports Club organizations are bound by national organizational rules which require full-time enrollment at the sponsoring university for participation.
Keys to Success
(1) Ask Questions, Seek Help. Help is readily available but you will have to ask for it.
(2) Take personal responsibility for your success.
(3) Consider giving your parents/guardians access to your grades.
— Per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), the parents of a student claimed as a dependent for federal income tax purposes (as defined by the Internal Revenue Code) may be given access to the student’s educational records.
— Academic advisors cannot legally discuss a student’s academic record with a parent or guardian without a Certificate of Dependency verification on file.
— Students must initiate the request, which will also require parent name(s) and signature(s).
— For A&M, the Certificate of Dependency online form is located here:
https://registrar.tamu.edu/Registrar/media/REGI_Forms/Dependency_Certification.pdf
— For Blinn, access the form in the MyBLINN portal.
— At A&M, students may authorize parent/guardian access to view certain information (e.g., grades) within Howdy. Click Parent/Guardian Access for more information about setting up a parent profile in Howdy.
(4) Limit employment hours. Work 15 or less hours per week starting out. Work in Bryan/College Station rather then maintaining your hometown job. Work Study & other on-campus work opportunities are available.
Academic Advising
When should you meet with an academic advisor?
– At the fist sign of a problem
– Before Blinn registration begins
– Early in the semester to avoid long waits near registration
Academic Advising Locations
– TAP Advising (Your primary advising location) is in Hotard Hall (Opposite Northgate/near the A&M water tower/next to the A&M Post Office)
– Blinn Advising is primarily through email this semester (team@blinn.edu)
Communicating with academic advisors
– The quality of the advice you get is affected by the quality of information you provide to your advisor.
– The official means of communication between students and advisors is email.
— Always email from your TAMU or Blinn account
— Always include your name & UIN or Blinn ID number.
— Send your Blinn questions to team@blinn.edu
— Send your A&M questions to tap-blinnteam@tamu.edu
To Make an A&M Advising Appointment
– Go to http://tap.tamu.edu and click on the “make an appointment” tab
– Appointments can also be made via the Navigate app on your smartphone
TEAM Terms & Conditions
– To view the program’s terms and conditions at any time, go to: http://tap.tamu.edu, select “programs,” select “TEAM,” and select “Terms and Conditions.”
– In August the officials from A&M and Blinn renewed the TEAM Program Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) once again for another five years. The most significant change is that the new MOA decreased the number of Blinn credit hours required to complete the program if students remain in in TEAM for the full two years. Students will still need to complete a total of 60 credit hours, but only 36 are required to be from Blinn College instead of the former total of 45. Students who transition out of TEAM before the end of the program (as described in the “How TEAM Works” paragraph above) are still not required to have a specific number of Blinn credit hours.
GPA Calculation
The only difference between A&M and Blinn’s calculation of a student’s GPA is that Blinn has a grade replacement policy and A&M does not. For example, if a student repeats a course taken at Blinn, only the better of the two grades will be used in the student’s Blinn GPA calculation. Both A&M and Blinn use the Four Point Scale in which the grade points per credit hour listed below are earned.
A = 4
B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0
The formula for calculating GPA is Total Grade Points ÷ GPA Attempted Credit Hours
Here is an example of a TEAM student GPA calculation for a schedule containing two courses totaling four credit hours:
COURSE GPA CREDIT HOURS GRADE GRADE POINTS EARNED
GEOG 202………………..3……………………………B(3)………………………..9
KINE 120………………….1……………………………A(4)………………………..4
TOTAL ……………………4…………………………………………………………13
13 ÷ 4 = 3.25 GPA
Importance of First Semester Grades
Assume a TEAM student earns the following semester GPAs for two years while in the TEAM Program:
SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS GPA
Fall ’21……………………….4………………….2.0
Spr ’22……………………….5………………….2.4
Fall ’22……………………….6………………….3.0
Spr ’23……………………….6………………….4.0
TOTAL:…………………….21………………….2.95 cumulative GPA
This student consistently improved, but still fell short of the goal of obtaining the 3.0 cumulative GPA that was required to qualify for his/her intended major. The main reason for the shortfall was the low GPA earned during the very first semester. It is difficult to overcome a poor start. There is no “warm up semester,” your grades are important starting right now!
Course Drops (“Q-Drops”)
– Dropping a course is a way of avoiding a poor academic start.
– Your GPA will suffer tremendously if you receive a grade of D or F during your first semester.
– Some A&M freshmen never received a low grade in high school, and might not think it is likely. These determined students often have the idea that they would be “quitters” if they were to drop a course.
— (Question: Has the Aggie football team quit if they punt the football on fourth down? Answer: No–they have employed a tactical move to enable a strategic victory. Think of a Q-Drop as an academic punt that will allow you to achieve your goal of a high GPA.
– There are 2 sets of deadlines for dropping courses (A&M’s and Blinn’s).
— A&M Deadline = 60th class day
— Blinn 16-week course deadline = 12th week
— Blinn 8-week course deadline = Oct 8
– Q-drops begin after the 12th class day of the regular semesters. Drops before the 12th day are “schedule adjustments.”
– Dropping below 12 total credit hours will not remove a student from TEAM.
– Students drop courses on their own at Blinn via the MyBLINN portal, but must meet with a TAP advisor to drop a course at A&M.
– ALWAYS see an advisor to discuss possible course drops before doing so.
– The time a course drop will benefit you the most is when you are a freshman because your GPA is volatile. When you are a senior, a low grade in one course will not destroy your GPA because your average is based on many grades.
Your Upcoming Registration!
– Blinn registration for Spring 2022 began OCT 11 at 9:00am.
– In order to register for your Spring ‘22 Blinn courses, you must first identify ALL courses that would be appropriate to take next (at either school).
– If you need to meet with a TAP academic advisor to discuss courses, do so in September to avoid the last-minute advising rush.
– Your A&M freshman registration will begin in late November.
– Do not wait until A&M registration to register at Blinn.
Preparing for Registration
Prior to the start of registration, students should:
– (A&M & Blinn) Check for registration holds
– Contact the offices having placed the registration holds to determine what is needed in order to remove the holds PRIOR to your registration date.
– (A&M) Complete the “Location Update” for the Spring term
– (A&M) Complete the “Terms of Use” acknowledgement for the Spring term
– (A&M) Complete the “Lab Safety Acknowledgement”
– (A&M) Registration Tutorial Videos and Guides are available in Howdy to assist students in preparing for registration.
— Log into Howdy > visit the My Record Tab > go to the ‘Learn About the My Record Tab’ portlet > Click on ‘Registration Tutorials’ > click on ‘Preparing for Registration’ for a list of available tutorials
Early A&M Registration for Students Who Work
– Students who work on or off campus 12 or more hours per week, Monday-Friday, between 8am-5pm, may request an early registration time.
— This helps them schedule classes around their work schedules.
— For freshmen, this early registration date will be the last day of sophomore registration.
— Eligible students must submit a “Texas A&M University Student Employment Verification Form” by the deadline (October 6).
— Students must also ensure their supervisors complete their portion of the form on or before the deadline.
– For information go to: https://registrar.tamu.edu/Courses,-Registration,-Scheduling/Registration-Enrollment-Information/Student-Worker-Early-Registration
Registration Strategies
– Think holistically about registration (Think of your Blinn + A&M schedules as one schedule.)
– Before Blinn registration, determine all courses that would be appropriate choices to take next semester for your intended major.
– Create a wish-list that includes extra course choices as “back-ups.”
— TAP advisors can assist. You can also consult a degree plan from these sources:
http://catalog.tamu.edu reference your major’s degree plan in the undergraduate catalog
— The website of your intended major usually has a link to the degree plan
— Run a degree evaluation in Howdy
– Plan which course(s) you will take at A&M.
– Register for the others at Blinn.
How to Produce a Degree Evaluation in Howdy
– Log into https://howdy.tamu.edu.
– Click the “MyRecord” Tab.
– Scroll down to the window titled “Degree Evaluation.”
– Click “View Degree Evaluation.”
– You will be prompted to select a term (semester). Click “submit” to indicate the current semester.”
– You will now be at a screen titled “Degree Evaluation Record.” Scroll down and click “What-if Analysis.”
– The next screen asks for your “entry term” (semester). Select your first semester in college, then click “Continue.” (This is important—degree requirements sometimes differ from year to year.)
– You will be prompted to select your intended major. Click the arrow at right to scroll, then click on your selection.
– You will move to a page to verify the major you selected. In the “First Major” block, click the arrow on the right and select your major again. On the next screen click “Generate Request.” There will be a 5 to 10 second delay while the evaluation is prepared.
– Now click “Detailed Requirements,” followed by “Submit.” The required courses for your major will appear, showing those you have completed and those remaining.
Which Courses to Take at A&M
Consider these factors when deciding which courses to take at A&M:
– An introductory course in your intended major that isn’t available at Blinn.
— Example, If your intended major is Construction Science, take COSC 253 at A&M
– A course that your intended major prefers to see students complete at A&M
— Example: Consider taking BIOL at A&M if you will major in Biology
– For courses offered at both schools, take your strongest/favorite subjects at A&M
– If there is a course you need that has a very high grade history, take it at A&M.
Eventually, your A&M GPA will be your only GPA.
Which Courses to Take at Blinn
Consider these factors when deciding which courses to take at Blinn:
– Blinn does not offer all of the courses that are available at A&M.
– Blinn offers some courses that are in different formats or modes than might suit your learning style. For example, some are 16-weeks, while others are 8-weeks and cover the material at twice the normal pace. Some are face-to-face, while others are online or blended. The online courses might be at a set time, or asynchronous.
– Blinn classrooms usually have about 32 students, whereas many A&M classrooms are huge.
– It is easier to ask a question or get assistance from the professor in a small Blinn MATH class than in an A&M MATH class with 150-250 students.
– Blinn courses cost less than A&M courses–save money by taking more at Blinn and fewer at A&M.
Beware Switching Campuses During a Course Sequence!
– Freshmen who attempt to switch campuses in the middle of a subject sequence will encounter problems, particularly during their initial semester..
— Examples of course sequences include (but are not limited to):
— CHEM: 119 (1411), 120 (1412), 227/237 (2423), 228/238 (2425)
—- SPAN: 101 (1411), 102 (1412), 201 (2311), 202 (2312)
— MATH: 151 (2413), 152 (2414), 251 (2415)
– Blinn and A&M haven’t yet exchanged Fall transcripts, so neither school knows which courses you are currently taking at the other.
– If you are taking the first course of Chemistry, Spanish, Math, etc. at Blinn, and attempt to register for the second course at A&M, your attempt will fail because Howdy doesn’t know you are satisfying the prerequisite.
– In general, it is usually advisable to complete course sequences at the school where the sequence was begun.
Resolve Final Exam Conflicts Now
– Final exams are not given during normal class meeting times
— The final exam for each course is likely to be on a different day of the week, and at a different time, than your class meets during the semester.
– Now is a good time to check the syllabus for each of your courses to determine if you will have any time conflicts between final exams at Blinn and A&M.
— If you will be taking any 2nd 8-week courses at Blinn, you may have to wait until you get the course syllabus.
– If you discover that you will have a time conflict between a Blinn and A&M final exam, here is what to do:
— Check the schedule of courses in Howdy and myBLINN to determine if either professor teaches more than just your section of that course.
— If so, check the final exam schedules to see if a different section has its final exam planned for a time that would avoid a conflict.
— If so, contact the professor (in person) and explain your dilemma. Ask for permission to take the final exam with the other section.
— If your professor wants a letter from your department to verify your request, let TAP know the details and we will gladly provide documentation.
— If neither professor teaches more than one section, ask one or both if you can be allowed to take the final exam early.
— If your professor agrees to allow you to test at an alternate time, it is recommended that you confirm this via email so that you will have a written record of the agreement.
— If neither professor is willing to work with you, notify TAP of the details and we will appeal on your behalf.
-TAMU Student Rule 8.4 states that A&M students who have three final exams on the same day may request to reschedule one of the exams.
— Most TEAM students are not taking three courses at A&M.
— However, if you have three final exams on the same day and wish to request that an A&M final exam be rescheduled, complete the “Final Exam Conflict” form.
— See instructions and a link to the form here: https://us.tamu.edu/Students/Final-Exam-Conflict.
— Instructors are not obligated to approve requests if all three final exams are not in A&M courses.
Important Fall Semester Dates
Oct 8 BLINN Last day to drop 1st 8-week courses
Oct 11 BLINN Spring Registration Begins
Oct 20 BLINN Final Exams for 1st 8-week courses
Oct 25 BLINN 2nd 8-week courses begin
Nov 17 A&M Freshman Spring registration begins. (Check Howdy for your time.)
Nov 19 A&M Last day to drop a course or withdraw
Nov 24 A&M “Reading Day” (no A&M class)
Nov 24 BLINN No Class
Nov 25 BOTH Thanksgiving Holidays
Nov 26 BOTH Thanksgiving Holidays
Dec 3 BLINN Last day to drop 2nd 8-week and 16-week courses
Dec 6 A&M (Mon) “Redefined Day” students attend Friday classes*
Dec 7 A&M (Tues) “Redefined Day” students attend Thursday classes*
Dec 8 A&M Last class day
Dec 9 A&M “Reading Day” – no class
Dec 11 BLINN Last class day
Dec 10-15 A&M Final Exams
DEC 13-16 BLINN Final Exams
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