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SISGradAdvising
Marley Crutcher sisallgrad-L@listserv.american.edu
Grad Advising Bulletin 9/8/15 - Sept TOR Exam Registration, Elections for GSC Senators, Internships and
Professional Experience Requirement, Alumni in the Atrium, Mentoring Workshop
09/08/2015 04:40 PM
Senator Job Description.pdf
NEW Registration Open for September TOR exam (September 28 -
Oct 2)
Students planning to take the free Tool of Research exam to fulfill the
SIS MA language requirement
should be aware that the first (of two) exam period for the fall 2015 semester will be held
September 28-October 2, 2015
. For more information on the TOR exam and to register, click here
. The last day to register for the September exam is
Friday, September 18
. The Graduate Advising office recommends that students planning to take the TOR exam to fulfill their language requirement do so early in their program.
UPDATED Elections for Graduate Student Council (GSC) Senators (by
MA program)
Elections for 2015-16 SIS Graduate Student Council Senators are now open! GSC consists of a four person Executive Council and one Senator representative from each MA program. Applicants should expect to devote a minimum of 3-5 hours per week and should be available for GSC meetings every other Monday at 8pm (see attached position description for more information).
Nominations for senators
(including self-nominations) should be submitted to ausisgsc@gmail.com by midnight, Tuesday, September 15
. In their nomination, applicants should address 1) why they would be the best representative for their program and 2) how they will make time to meet the position responsibilities.
Applicants are also highly encouraged to arrange a short meeting or phone conversation with the GSC Executive Council via ausisgsc@gmail.com
before applying.
Internships and the SIS Professional Experience Requirement
Students completing an internship this fall to fulfill the SIS MA
Professional Experience requirement must register the internship.
Internships can be registered either for non-credit (no tuition charge, only fulfills the
Professional Experience requirement) or for academic credit (tuition charges apply, may fulfill the Elective requirement in addition to the Professional Experience requirement). For more information about the SIS Professional Experience requirement visit the SIS Graduate Advising website . For more information on registering internships, please see above or review the
FALL ADD/DROP
REGISTRATION FAQs
or visit the SIS Graduate Advising website .
Internship and Independent Study (including SRP and thesis)
Registration Deadline
Students registering Internships (for academic credit or non-credit to fulfill the professional experience requirement
) or Independent Studies (including

SRPs and theses) for the fall 2015 semester are required to submit their completed registration materials (including any necessary approvals and attachments) to the
Graduate Advising office by
Thursday, September 10
to allow time for processing before Monday, September 10. Incomplete paperwork will not be processed.
Students who anticipate securing a fall internship after the registration deadline, or who will be unable to complete registration paperwork by the deadline for any reason, should contact their academic advisor in advance of the deadline
to discuss options.
For information on registering independent studies (including SRPs and theses) and internships, please review the
FALL ADD/DROP REGISTRATION FAQs
or visit the SIS Graduate Advising website .
Fall 2015 Add/Drop Registration FAQs
Fall 2015 classes begin
Monday, August 31
and the last day of the add/drop period (the last day to make changes to your schedule for a 100% refund and without a 'W') is
Monday, September 14
. All internships (academic credit or non-credit) and independent studies (including SRPs and theses) must be registered by
Thursday, September 10
.
STUDENTS ARE RECOMMENDED TO
REVIEW THE FALL ADD/DROP REGISTRATION FAQs FOR MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT FALL REGISTRATION .
FAQ topics include:
·
Add/Drop Registration Deadlines and Information
·
Approved Second-Level Methods Courses
·
Waitlists
·
SRP, Thesis, Independent Study Registration
·
MA Professional Experience Requirement
·
Internship (Academic Credit or No-Credit)
Fall 2015 SIS Graduate Orientation Materials
Materials from this year's Graduate Orientation, including notes from the Strategic
Advising sessions and various handouts, are now posted on the Graduate Advising website under News and Announcements for any students who were unable to attend
Orientation or who would like to refer back to the materials provided. Handouts include lists of campus resources/contacts and language learning resources at AU and in DC.
Express Advising - Now scheduled online and in-advance, in-person or via phone
Graduate advisors will be holding Express Advising
Monday, August 24 -
Friday, September 18
. Unlike Appointments, Express Advising meetings are 15 minutes in length and should be used for immediate questions related to fall registration. (30 minute appointments for long term degree planning will resume
Monday, September 21.)
STUDENTS WILL NOW SCHEDULE EXPRESS
ADVISING MEETINGS
ONLINE AND IN-ADVANCE,
AND ALL EXPRESS
ADVISING MEETINGS WILL NOW BE AVAILABLE EITHER IN-PERSON
OR VIA PHONE.
We hope that this increased flexibility will better accommodates our students' busy schedules. We will no longer be able to guarantee same-day availability, so students should schedule in advance if they wish to meet with their advisor.
Students can schedule an Express Advising meeting with their advisor at: https://sisgraduateadvising-

expressadvising.youcanbook.me/
. If you have any questions about Express
Advising, please call the Graduate Advising office at 202-885-1690.
New AU Graduate Academic Regulations
The AU Faculty Senate has approved updates to the Graduate Academic Regulations effective Fall 2015. These regulations will govern all AU students enrolled in graduate degree or certificate programs or registered for graduate non-degree coursework beginning August 31, 2015. To read the announcement from the AU
Office of Graduate Studies, click here here
. Changes relevant to SIS graduate students include changes to the regulations governing academic probation and dualdegrees. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the new AU
Graduate Academic Regulations found here
.
SIS-600 Int'l Affairs Stats & Methods Skills Refresher on Blackboard
Students who are registered for SIS-600 International Affairs Statistics and Methods for fall 2015, or planning to take the course in a future semester, are encouraged to visit the SIS-600 Skills Refresher on Blackboard. On this course page, you'll find the following resources to help you feel ready for success in SIS-600.
A quick self-assessment to help you gauge your familiarity with the mathematical tools you'll need for SIS-600 or any other stats course.
Tutorials to get you up to speed. You'll find brief videos, instructional guides, and practice problems focusing on the mathematical concepts we use in class.
Advanced training and review for those interested in pursuing more advanced training after SIS-600.
Information about SIS-600 and the Professors who teach it.
Please note, not all SIS graduate students are required to take SIS-600. For For questions about your program requirements, please contact your academic advisor and/or review your program worksheet on the Graduate Advising website at: http://www.american.edu/sis/gradadvising/worksheets.cfm If you have any questions or comments about the refresher or do not have access to the course on Blackboard, please email Professor Austin Hart at ahart@american.edu.
Advisor Transitions in Grad Advising (EPGA, IC, IM, IER, IE and GEP)
As of
Monday, August 24
, the
Global Environmental Politics
(GEP)
program will be advised by Marisa Rivero ( mrivero@american.edu
). Click here
to read the announcement about the new GEP advisor.
As of
Monday, July 20
, the following programs were assigned new graduate academic advisors:
Ethics, Peace and Global Affairs (EPGA)
: Mike Rosenberger
( rosenber@american.edu
)
Intercultural and International Communication (IC) and International
Media (IM)
: Annie Belott ( abelott@american.edu
)
International Economic Relations (IER) and International Economics
(IE)
: Marisa Rivero ( mrivero@american.edu
)
Click here
to read the full announcement about advisor transitions in EPGA, IC,IM,
IER and IE, including more information about each advisor.

Apply to Graduate for Fall 2015
Students planning to complete all degree requirements in the Fall 2015 semester must apply to graduate via their myAU portal
(under Academics – Apply to
Graduate). We recommend that you complete the application now (the application takes less than 5 minutes) if you plan to graduate in fall. Click here
for information about the December 2015 AU Commencement ceremony.
Economics Placement Exam (October 8-10) Registration
Students wishing to take the SIS economics placement exam to waive the ECON-
603 prerequisite to register for SIS-616 International Economics, SIS-620 Intro. to
Environmental Economics, SIS-635 Intro. to Economic Development, or other economics courses may now register for the next available exam in October. Some
MA programs may allow students to waive ECON-603 based on other criteria, so students should check with their academic advisor if they have any questions about whether they should take the exam.
The online economics placement exam is offered live and is proctored (students must be on webcam during the test administration). The exam consists of 50 multiplechoice questions that cover both microeconomic and macroeconomic principles.
Students have 90 minutes to complete the exam. Students may only take the examination once as an SIS graduate student. A passing score is a 74%. There are three different time options available in October:
Thurs, Oct 8: 5:30-7:30pm EDT
Fri, Oct 9: 9:30-11am EDT
Sat, Oct 10: 10-11:30am EDT
Please click here to register for the exam.
The registration deadline is Thursday, October 1 .
After registering, you will receive information about how to access the online testing space.
This is the only exam period that will be offered prior to Spring 2016 registration beginning.
NOW Alumni in the Atrium: Shawn Woodley, SIS/MA '13 (Bulletin
Intelligence)
Tuesday, September 8 , 4:00-5:00pm, SIS Atrium
Students, alumni, faculty and staff are invited to join an informal discussion with
Shawn Woodley, SIS/MA '13 , Energy Industry Analyst with Bulletin Intelligence.
Shawn will be discussing his work and career path since SIS. No RSVP is necessary. The SIS Alumni in the Atrium series occurs most Tuesdays from 4:00-
5:00pm in the SIS atrium. The event is offered in collaborative partnership among
SIS, AU Career Center, and SIS Graduate Student Council.
NEW Graduate Enhancement Workshop: Mentoring for the Graduate
Student
Wednesday, September 9 , 6:00-7:00pm, Bender Library Graduate
Research Center (GRC) Classroom
For more information and to RSVP: http://www.american.edu/provost/grad/upcoming-events.cfm
Are you a grad student looking to build a productive and professionally rewarding relationship with a faculty mentor? This workshop will cover what to look for in a

Mentor, the importance of communication and expectations, and discussing and handling differences. We'll share worksheets, resources, and tools that will help make a mentoring relationship successful!
NEW Graduate Enhancement Workshop: Time Management - Tips and Tools
Tuesday, September 15 , 5:30-6:30pm, Bender Library Graduate
Research Center (GRC) Classroom
Presented by Julianne Winn, Associate Director, Learning Resources
For more information and to RSVP: http://www.american.edu/provost/grad/upcoming-events.cfm
Time management is the foundation to one's success in graduate school. Juggling classes, schoolwork, work, and life's demands is difficult and can lead to undue stress that affects your performance and productivity. Attend our workshop to learn about planning and study apps, prioritized to-do list-making, strategic studying, and multitasking to help you stay on top of your work, hopefully with time to spare. It's sure to be a good use of your time!
Graduate Enhancement Workshop: Teaching/Research Assistant
Orientations
Varied dates and locations (Sept 9-12)
For more information and to RSVP: http://www.american.edu/provost/grad/upcoming-events.cfm
The Office of Graduate Studies is offering several general orientation sessions for teaching and research assistants. These three-hour sessions will cover general issues relevant to all TAs and RAs across campus, including cover faculty mentorship, campus regulations and resources for graduate students, and graduate financial aid requirements. The sessions will also focus on campus-wide issues and resources related to teaching (such as Blackboard and academic integrity) or research (such as library support and computer software). This year, we have added a case study component to foster discussion and bring real-life experience to the sessions. The sessions are intended for first-time assistants, although experienced assistants are welcome to attend. Please note that research and teaching assistant orientations are offered as separate sessions. Assistants need only attend one orientation. There will be some "virtual" sessions for those who cannot attend in person.
FOR SIS EVENTS: http://www.american.edu/sis/events
TO ACCESS TO SIS GRADUATE ADVISING WEEKLY BULLETINS ON
THE WEB: http://www.american.edu/sis/gradadvising/News-and-
Announcements.cfm

To schedule an appointment, please call the Graduate Advising Office at (202)
885-1690.
For advising resources, and Express Advising schedules (as applicable), please visit the Graduate Advising website at: www.american.edu/sis/gradadvising .
For up to date advising information, please visit our News and Announcements page at: http://www.american.edu/sis/gradadvising/News-and-Announcements.cfm
.