IST Department Announcements, Reminders, and Events

Happy Autumn! We hope the first month of the semester has gone smoothly and you’re comfortable in your classes and doing well.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Changing your Major to IT
   The date for changing your major to IT has been extended to Friday, 30 September 2016. In order to be eligible to declare, you must have a minimum 3.0 in all IT foundation and Core coursework as well as a minimum of C in IT 106. All courses from the 2016-2017 catalog are included in the foundation and core GPA calculation, regardless of the catalog you are pursuing. If you meet these requirements, please schedule an advising appointment with Mrs. Howe, Ms. Genova, or Mrs. Sevilla at http://ist.gmu.edu/go/advising in order to declare.
   For more information, please visit: https://volgenau.gmu.edu/academics/academic-advising/criteria-declare-majors
2. Engineering Exit Assessment
   Open TODAY, 26 September 2016- 28 October 2016
   Graduating students:
   We value your thoughts and opinions about your education, and we are looking forward to reading your comments. Your survey responses are completely anonymous; your identity will not be connected with your responses.  However, we require that you print out the last page (without identifying information), sign, and submit to your department as verification of completion.Thank you! Your feedback is essential to our continuous improvement efforts.
   To access this assessment, please visit: https://wess.webebi.com/wess/anon.aspx?GMUExit:39231

3. Gowns for Grads

   Graduation regalia can be expensive! Bachelor’s regalia was priced at $62.98 and Master’s regalia at $107.98 this spring. Think of this as cost as an electricity bill, two trips to the grocery store, a new interview outfit, or 3 tanks of gas!

   Students in need can apply to borrow a free, gently used cap and gown for their ceremony that was kindly donated by a Mason alum. Students are selected to borrow regalia based on their need, so not just anyone gets a gown—only students expressing significant need! Last year, approximately 80 students borrowed regalia!

   Please consider posting the attached information about this helpful program in your office and/or sending it to your student listserv. You never know which students may be struggling financially! Read more about the program here.

   Please contact the program at gowns4grad@gmail.com with any questions about the program!

REMINDERS

1. Add/Drop and Selective Withdrawal Period
   DEADLINE (for Full-term courses) FAST APPROACHING: 30 September 2016
   
   For the full fall 2016 semester calendar, please visit the Registrar’s calendar.
2. Study Abroad Opportunity
   DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING: 09 October 2016
   Consider studying abroad in Barcelona this winter break while earning credit for IT 341!

   09-20 January 2017, led by Dr. Khondkar Islam

   You must meet all pre- and co- requisites to be eligible to take IT 341 in the spring 2017 semester.

   Students can be co-registered for IT 341 study abroad and IT 300 in the spring 2017 semester. The grade for IT 341 study abroad will be withheld until after the final drop deadline for spring 2017. If any student still needing to take IT 300 is no longer registered for IT 300 in the spring, after the final drop date, they will receive an F in IT 341 and will have to retake it in a future semester.

   For more information, contact Denise Ellese-Mdahuar at dellesmd@gmu.edu, 703.993.2155, by visiting the Study Abroad website, or visiting https://youtu.be/23GXismbY-0

3. Graduation Applications
   If you are planning on graduating in the fall 2016 semester, please make sure you submit your graduation application by the deadline (http://registrar.gmu.edu/students/graduation/timelines/)!

   More graduation information can be found here: http://registrar.gmu.edu/students/graduation/

4. Advising Appointments
   Even though the fall semester just started, registration for spring 2017 is just around the corner! Be prepared by scheduling an advising appointment with one of the IST Department full time academic advisors. Our faculty are also advisors, so utilize them for career and concentration advising.

   To view the spring 2017 priority dates and time tickets, please visit http://registrar.gmu.edu/calendars/spring-2017/.

   NOTE: Please do not schedule duplicate appointments–choose only ONE. If you cannot make an appointment for any reason, please cancel it, in advance, so you are not marked as a No Show and other students can schedule in your place.

5. Tutoring
   Having trouble in a course? There are a number of resources that can help you succeed:

   1. First, and most importantly, stay in contact with the instructor of the course. They are there to help you.
   2. If there is a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) assigned to the course, reach out to them. They are also there to help you.
   3. Seek out a Peer Mentor from the VSE Peer Mentoring Center, which offers tutoring in a number of IT courses.

EVENTS

1. Career Fair
   Wednesday, October 5, 2016 in Johnson Center Dewberry Hall, from 11am-4pm
   Science Technology, Engineering, Math focus
   For more information, visit University Career Services.
   
2. VSE events
   Visit https://volgenau.gmu.edu/events
   
3. Today@Mason
   Vvisit https://www2.gmu.edu/today-mason

in Advising Corner on September 26, 2016