Advising Questions
Program Advising
As a Program student, you have two advisors.
For questions relating to Basic Studies classes,
including transfers or substitutions for Basic Studies
classes, your primary contact is the College of
Technology Advisor, Bob
Teehan. Bob is a great guy, and he is
very knowledgeable about Basic Studies and the Program.
Rumor has it that he's also much nicer than
your Program Advisor, Professor
Harbour. If you have questions about Program
classes, including transfers and substitutions for
Program classes, see Professor Harbour.
Top 10 12
14 Advising Questions
Here
are the questions we most frequently get asked during
student advising sessions. See if yours sounds
like one of these...
No. 14 What's the deal with this new
Program admission requirement?
Answer: First things first.
Have you read the policy? If not, surf over
here, then come
back for more information after you've read the
policy.
Good. Now that you've read the policy,
here's what's going on. We've discovered,
anecdotally and through post-graduate and field
assessments, that there is a positive correlation
between performance in the Program and a student's
ability to get and keep suitable post-graduate
professional employment, or to go on to
post-graduate education. (Non-academic
mumbo-jumbo interpretation: graduates and
employers have told us that if you want to get a
good paralegal job and keep it, you'd better do
well in the Program. Ditto if you're
thinking about law school.) We advise a lot
of students in this Program. Despite our
best efforts, some marginally-performing students
insist on believing that they can graduate with a
2.1 GPA and either go to work in a law office, or
go on to law school. The simple truth is
that such beliefs are, far more often than not,
unfounded.
How good do you need to do? If your GPA is
below a 2.5, you are not likely to be competitive
in the paralegal job market. We adopted this
policy because our experience has led us to
believe that you need at least a 2.5 GPA in
order to be an attractive entry-level candidate
with the required skills to succeed on the job.
Keep in mind that a 2.5 is the minimum GPA
required to get in the Program and stay in the
Program. While not required by the policy,
we recommend that you graduate with at least a 3.0
GPA. Many more potential employers will give
you a serious look, and again, performance in the
Program correlates to an ability to keep your job
once you get it.
A surprising number of students with low GPAs
(below 2.5) also think they're headed to law
school. In Slovakia, maybe, but a GPA less
than 2.5 won't get you into any ABA-accredited law
school we know of. If you want to be a
player at most of the ABA-accredited law schools
in this country, you need between a 3.25 and a 3.5
GPA.
The biggest deficiency we see in most students is
an inability to write well. The law business
is all about communication. Much of that
communication is written. Hence, we've made
ENGL 121, English Composition, and LEGL 304, Legal
Writing, Research, and Analysis I (as well as LEGL
211, Introduction to Paralegalism and Legal
Terminology) prerequisites to Program admission.
If writing isn't your strong suit, you should give
serious thought to whether the Program is right
for you. The Program research and writing
classes are legal writing classes; they
presume you have mastered college-level technical
writing competencies (spelling, punctuation,
grammar, syntax, and all that fun stuff). If
you have not mastered those competencies, you will
not learn them in the Program. You will not
pass the Program's research and writing classes.
All this sounds a bit harsh, we know. The
point is pretty simple. If you're spending
all this time and money on a college education, we
presume your long-term career goals don't involve
phrases like "Did you want fries with that?"
(Not that there's anything wrong with that, of
course - we know lots of nice and smart people in
the fast food industry - we simply doubt that's
why you're interested in studying the law in
college.) The admission and retention
criteria set forth in the Program's policy are
fairly minimal. If you cannot meet those
criteria, it does not mean that you're not
smart. It simply means that this course of
study isn't for you. You are not likely to
be able to get and keep a paralegal job, or to go
on to law school. We think you should know
that up front.
No. 13 Life has been a major bummer
this semester. Can I take an incomplete in
LEGL XXX?
Answer: Incompletes are, as a general
rule, a really bad idea. We realize that in
some rare circumstances, taking an incomplete
might not be a bad idea. To address those
rare circumstances, we've adopted a
policy.
The rest of the time, incompletes are a really bad
idea. Here's why: students rarely complete
incompletes. If you don't want to finish the
class now, chances are you're not going to want to
finish the class 3 months from now, or 6 months
from now, or whenever. So what happens?
You end up with a permanent "I" on your
transcript, which raises lots of questions you'd
rather not have to answer for prospective
employers. They tend to get concerned over
your ability to finish things that you start.
Employers are funny about stuff like that.
Of course, we realize that you have the
best excuse ever for wanting to take an
incomplete. Also, we're sure that you
will be that rare student who actually follows
through and completes your incomplete. We're
willing to grant you all that. Nevertheless,
our answer remains the same: incompletes are a
really bad idea. The instructor of record
has the discretion to deny your request for an
incomplete unless you clearly and
convincingly meet the criteria for taking an
incomplete. It is the policy of the Program
to exercise that discretion in favor of denying
your request. If the instructor of record is
a member of the Program's adjunct faculty, then
your request for an incomplete must also be
approved by the Program Coordinator. Good
luck there. Why? Because the Program
Coordinator may end up being the person who gets
stuck having to resolve your incomplete mess.
Suffice to say its a major hassle that the Program
Coordinator would just as soon avoid.
If you're thinking about asking for an incomplete,
you should hedge your bet and make sure you ask a
reasonable time in advance of the last date for
withdrawing from the class with a "W" grade.
Otherwise, if your request is denied, you'll end
up with an "E" in the class. Time, as
lawyers like to say, is of the essence.
So, inquiring minds want to know...what are some
winning excuses? Here are a few. Yes,
these are all real.
"I'm going to be a living liver donor for my
mother during the week of finals."
"My husband was in a car wreck yesterday and is in
a coma."
"My brother was killed in a car accident last
week, and I can't concentrate to take the final
next week."
Here are some lame excuses that failed to
persuade. Real or simulated tears are a nice
touch with these, but fail to make the excuse more
persuasive:
"I had a bad semester and I just cannot
concentrate to get things done."
"I am having a difficult time with my job and it
is conflicting with class." (Note: insert "boss,"
"spouse," "kids," "neighbor," "pet," "roommate,"
or "boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancee" in place of
"job" and it is still nonpersuasive.)
"I haven't been able to get the work done and it's
too late to withdraw from the class. I just
can't fail this class. Pleeeeeease!"
(See above re: hedging your bet.)
Here are a few where we really had to scratch our
heads:
"My [insert relation here] died two months ago and
I just can't get it together."
OK, we're sorry you've experienced the death of
someone you care about. We've all been
there, and we know how difficult it can be.
But if it happened two months ago and you've been
finding it difficult to cope, you should have
simply withdrawn from the class.
"I have a condition that has prevented me from
getting the work for this class done."
Vague and ambiguous. Help us out here.
If the "condition" is something you've just been
diagnosed with and is truly debilitating (e.g.,
cancer, diabetes, mono) then that's fine.
You stand a reasonable chance of getting your
request approved.
But if the "condition" is more like those that
epidemiologists have associated with college
students who simply don't want to do the required
coursework or who want to game their instructors (e.g.,
partyitis, procrastinationitis, or not-into-it-itis),
then that's not grounds for an incomplete.
Truth is, we were all in college once, and we know
that these "conditions" are highly virulent.
But we were considerate enough to practice good
academic hygiene, and not infect our instructors
with these dreaded afflictions. Stated a bit
differently, when you ask for an incomplete for
one of these "conditions," that's you trying to
make your problem our problem.
We've got enough real problems of our own to deal
with, thank you. Don't expect any sympathy
from us.
No. 12 I already know how to type. Can
I substitute BASK 200, Introduction to Basket Weaving
Technology, or [Insert Class Name Here] for BEDU
119 (or BEDU 123, or BEDU 220)?
Answer:
No. Well, most likely no. You see, we
presume that you know how to type when you arrive
for these classes. So these classes are not
the typing classes you took in high school.
In fact, they're nothing like the typing classes
you took in high school. If you've
got lots of experience with keyboarding, you might
talk us into allowing a substitution for BEDU 119,
but only if we're having a good day when you ask.
Your chances of getting a substitution for BEDU
123 or BEDU 220 are about as good as the chances
of the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl this
year (e.g.,
mathematically, roughly the same chance as you touching
the moon by jumping off your back porch).
All
of the classes in the curriculum are there for a
good reason. Namely, to help you get a job
when you graduate. Employers have told us,
time and again, that they want graduates with more
computer skills. Really, they have.
So the more time you spend here, in front of a computer
learning something, the more you're improving your
chances of getting a job to pay back all those student
loans you've taken out.
If
you're still not convinced and you think you've
got what it takes, you can try to test out of BEDU
119, BEDU 123, or BEDU 220. Many have tried...few
have succeeded. The exam is usually given
once a semester; keep your eyes open for posted
notices. Hint: don't try to test out unless
you've really mastered the competencies expected
of the students who take the class.
No. 11 I'm transferring from the East Blurfopolis
Community College. Will you take my transfer
credits?
Answer: At least some of them, probably.
The University decides what transfer credit you'll
get for your basic studies or general education
classes at East Blurfopolis. Here in the Legal
Assistant Studies Program, we have almost nothing
to do with that. We do, however, have a lot
to do with whether any classes you took at East
Blurfopolis will transfer for Legal Assistant Studies
Program classes (i.e., those with an LEGL
or BEDU prefix). The first thing you should
find out is whether the Program has an articulation
agreement with East Blurfopolis. If so,
the articulation agreement will tell you exactly
what courses from East Blurfopolis will transfer
for courses at the University. If East Blurfopolis
has a legal assisting program that is ABA-approved,
your chances of getting transfer credit are better
than if not. In each case, absent an articulation
agreement, the decision is made on a course-by-course
basis. If a course you want to transfer from
East Blurfopolis addressed the same or substantially
similar competencies as one of our Program courses,
and if you got a "C" or better in the
course, you stand a good chance (that is, better
than 50%) of getting transfer credit. See
the Program Policies
for more information.
No. 10 Can I take an Independent
Study for LEGL XXX?
Answer: No. An independent
study is a special research-intensive class taken
to enhance your knowledge of a particular legal
subject, the basics of which you already
understand because you've taken an introductory
course. So, for example, to enhance your
knowledge of probate, you must first know
something about probate. This means you must
take the required probate class.
Independent studies are not (repeat NOT)
intended as substitutes for any required or
restricted elective LEGL class.
No. 9 How long will it take me to
complete the Program?
Answer: It depends. If you're
an undergraduate taking a full load each fall and
winter, you should be able to get out of here with
a bachelor's degree in four years. If you're
a Second Bachelor's degree candidate taking a full
load each fall and winter, you should be able to
do it in two years. If you're working
full-time or part-time, or for some other reason
you choose to take less than a full load (a full
load is 15 hours fall and winter), it will take
longer. How much longer? Depends on
how many hours you take each semester. We'd
explain the math, but we're no good at math (see
No. 6, below). It's a function of the
required hours to graduation divided by hours per
semester, or something like that.
Occasionally, we have students who want to fly
through the Program at light speed. Such
students typically expect us to understand their
hurry, and to accommodate them with special favors
like substitutions, waivers, and independent
studies. We can understand your desire to
finish really soon (OK, in most cases we don't
understand, but for the sake of argument...), but
we won't essentially create a program just for
you. You see, we're an American Bar
Association-approved program. The ABA tends
to frown upon programs that let students decide
what they want to take to get a degree, without
regard to the curriculum. No, we won't waive
a third of the curriculum for you. No, you
can't get credit for the Program for all your
"life experience." No, you can't take most
of the courses out of order. No, you can't
do Program core courses by independent study.
Yes, by the way, students really have asked
us to do these things. Yeah...we were
amazed, too.
Slow down. These are the best years of your
life. Sure, hearing that makes you want to
gag, but someone told us that once. Turns
out they were right. Being a grown-up with a
job, and bills, and responsibilities does kind of
suck most of the time. Of course, if you
need to fly through the Program because you
are a grown-up with a job, and bills, and
responsibilities, we understand where you're
coming from. But the answer is still no.
No.
8 I'm transferring from Wanda's West Side
School of Exotic Cosmetology and Legal Assisting.
Will you take my transfer credits?
Answer:
Not likely. We can't really speak for the
University here, but we don't like transfer credits
from unaccredited or fly-by-night schools.
You studied really hard and made good grades, we
understand. But you see, we're an ABA-approved
program. Every seven years, the ABA takes
a painfully detailed look at virtually every aspect
of our Program. Sort of like a pelvic or prostate
exam, except that it's nowhere near as many laughs.
This detailed look includes the kinds of places
from which we accept transfer credit. Bottom
line: we've got to be choosy about the transfer
credits the Program accepts, and schools like Wanda's
West Side just don't make the cut.
No.
7 I hate accounting. Do I really
have to take ACC 240?
Answer:
Yes, you really do. Even though you plan to
be a legal assistant (or maybe a lawyer), you never
know where life might take you. As a legal
assistant or a lawyer, it's very likely that at
some point in your life you'll need to be able to
tell the difference between a debit and a credit.
In fact, as a legal assistant, you will often be
called upon to work in an administrative capacity
doing some of the accounting for the law firm where
you work. What's more, accounting is everywhere
in the law business. Family law? It's
there. Business law? It's all over the
place. Litigation? Yes, it's even there,
too. Probate and estates? It's all about
accounting.
So,
you'll just have to get through it. Accounting
really isn't that hard, we promise. At least
not at the level of ACC 240. Just remember
these important points, and you'll be fine: (1)
debits must equal credits; (2) assets minus liabilities
equals equity; and (3) it really is for your own
good.
No.
6 I hate math. Do I have to take
it?
Answer:
We can sympathize with you here. The only
math class Professor Ray had to take in college
was calculus. He got a "D" in the
class...and felt lucky to get it. Unfortunately,
the answer is still yes. Actually, this question
is just a variation of No. 7, above. Except
that here, the University has decided to make math
a Basic Studies subject to torture all of you who
are no good at it. If you want a degree from
EMU, you've got to fulfill the math requirement.
Because
it's a basic studies requirement, there is absolutely
nothing that we in the Legal Assistant Studies Program
can do to help you weasel out of it. Not that
we would even if we could, mind you. In order
to get here, we all had to take math, so
you do too.
No.
5 What's the difference between a restricted
elective and a free elective?
Answer:
Restricted electives are raised on a restricted
elective ranch; free electives are raised on a free-range
elective ranch. No, sorry, that's chickens.
Restricted electives are classes you must take in
order to satisfy Program requirements. You
choose these classes from a list we create, unless
we approve an unlisted class for restricted elective
credit. You must take at least 9 hours
of restricted electives. Free electives are
classes undergraduates take to get their total credit
hours to the 124 required for a Bachelor of Science
degree, if their Basic Studies and Program credits
total less than 124. For example, if you take
50 Basic Studies hours and 59 Program hours, that
totals 109 hours. (See, that college math
wasn't a waste after all.) This means you
would need 15 free elective credits to get to the
124 hours you need for your Bachelor of Science
degree. Free electives can be anything you
want. Even blow-off classes you take just
to raise your GPA.
No.
4 I'm a Second Bachelor's student.
All your literature says I don't have to take any
Basic Studies classes, but then I get this "Program
of Study" from the University that says I have
to take ENGL 324, ECON 201, and ECON 202.
What kind of false advertising is this? I'm
calling my lawyer.
Answer:
Relax. You don't have to take any Basic Studies
classes. Truth be told, we're at a loss as
to why those Basic Studies classes show up on so
many Second Bachelors' Programs of Study.
It's an issue we should probably take up with the
University's Second Bachelor's Degree Coordinator,
but we just don't have the time. It's easier
to do what we've always done, which is this.
When you get your Program of Study, bring it to
your advisor. That person will cross all those
nasty Basic Studies classes off the list.
You then sign it, your advisor signs it, and it
goes back to wherever it came from. There,
they correct it on your official University records.
No lawyers needed.
No.
3 I want to sign up for [Insert Class
Name Here] and I just discovered that the prerequisite
is [Insert Prerequisite Name Here], but I've not
satisfied the prerequisite. Will you override the prerequisite?
Answer: Personally, we hate to
override
prerequisites. Prerequisites are clearly published
in the University Catalog and
elsewhere. You
are responsible for knowing what classes have prerequisites
and for arranging your class schedules accordingly.
To the extent that the Program has anything to say
about it (see the Program
Policies for details) prerequisite overrides are
strongly disfavored.
The
truth, however, is that it isn't up to the Program.
The decision to override a prerequisite for a class
is up to the instructor of record for that class.
For example, Professor X is teaching BEDU 220 this
semester. You want to sign up for it, but
you haven't taken BEDU 123. You will have
to contact Professor X to see if he or she will
override the prerequisite for you. If a class
is being taught by an adjunct instructor, then you
should speak to the Coordinator of the program through
which the class you want to take is being offered.
Note that if you have satisfied a prerequisite
requirement but the University's registration
computer doesn't know that, then the registration
computer will not let you register. How might
this happen? For example, if you've met the
prerequisite by way of a transfer course that has
not been substituted for the prerequisite, then the
computer won't know you've satisfied the
prerequisite. Yes, it's very confusing, but it
happens all the time. This is not
considered a prerequisite override. Instead,
it's called paperwork. We do paperwork like
this all the time. If you need such paperwork
done, contact the
Program
Coordinator.
No.
2 I'm planning to graduate at the end
of this coming semester and: (a) I just realized
that I need to take [Insert Class Name Here], but
[Insert Class Name Here] isn't being offered this
semester; or (b) I tried to sign up for [Insert
Class Name Here], which I need in order to graduate,
but [Insert Class Name Here] has a prerequisite
that I don't have. What should I do?
Answer:
Probably need to change your graduation plans.
It is your responsibility to fulfill all course
requirements needed for the degree you are seeking.
The University Catalog and other resources clearly
describe the requirements for every program the
University offers, and it also clearly describes
all prerequisites. In addition, beginning
with the Fall 2001 term, the Program adopted a
Standard
Schedule of Program Course Offerings. The
Standard Schedule spells out what will be offered
during each fall and winter term. One of the
main reasons for adopting the Standard Schedule
was to make it possible for you to better plan your
Program course schedule through your graduation.
Having
said that, we realize that on occasion, a student
may find herself or himself in this position for
reasons beyond her or his control. For example,
you may have previously signed up for a course and
had it cancelled from underneath you for lack of
enrollment. In a circumstance like that, we
will do what we can to get you to the graduate ranks
on time. Contact the
Program
Coordinator for help.
No.
1 Professor Harbour is a real &%#!!*@.
Do I have to take her classes?
Answer:
Regrettably, yes. The University realized
it's mistake in hiring Professor Harbour almost as soon
as the offer had been extended. By then, however,
it was too late. We're stuck with her, and
you are, too. Here are a few pointers to make
your ordeal less painful.
First,
realize that when she was your age, she killed far
too many brain cells. As a result, early senility
has crept in. If you want her to do something,
put it in an email. She can barely remember
the conversation you had with her yesterday; forget
about what you discussed last month.
Second,
if at all possible, avoid her before 10 AM.
At her age, it takes several hours each morning
to reach a state of productive consciousness.
Mega-doses of caffeine are usually required.
Anything you ask her to do in the morning is likely
to get blown off until the afternoon anyway.
Third, her bark is worse than her bite.
If she's short with you or mean to you, it does not
mean that she doesn't like you. It just means
that you caught her at a bad time. O. K.,
so anytime during the day is a bad time. See
if you can catch her shortly after lunch - she's
usually in a pretty good mood right after feeding
time. We're told, by the few people
who have bothered to get to know her, that she can
be OK. Most of those people are
messed up, too.
Finally, yes, her exams are a major bummer.
But students who attend class, really try to understand
the material, and who prepare for the exams tend
to do just fine. The good news is that she
posts lots of old exams on his
Home page. Hint: if you are comfortable
with those old exams, you should do well on her
exams this semester. Fundamentally, she's just
too lazy to make up very many original exam questions
each term.
