2-8-2008
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM COORDINATORS
GUIDELINES
First steps for new certificate coordinators
1. Contact Rita Freiburger (rita@uwm.edu ) of Department of Enrollment
Services (DES) and ask to be named a secondary adviser for students
enrolled in your program. You will then be able to review your students’
transcripts online.
2. Contact Julie Kline (jkline@uwm.edu) and ask to be added to the
certificate coordinators email list (cert_coord@uwm.edu).
3. Familiarize self with your certificate requirements.
4. Meet with your Advisory Committee and clarify the roles to be played by
individuals associated with your certificate program, including the faculty
advisory committee, faculty coordinator, and the hands-on coordinator
who will handle the day-to-day administration of the program.
STUDENT ADVISING
Enroll a student in the program
1. Collect name/student ID.
2. Make an appointment with student to review transcript and courses
needed to meet requirements. A standard declaration form can be found
at http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/forms/index.html. List courses completed,
with grades, and courses not yet completed. Keep for own records; offer
copy to student.
3. Add student to your certificate email list.
4. Notify your faculty coordinator of newly enrolled students.
5. Send name/ID to Barbara Ebert of L&S (msbke@uwm.edu); ask that
certificate be added to student record.
6. Check transcript via PAWS within 2 weeks to see if added. If not, re-ask.
7. Build a database of enrolled students; useful for data tracking over time.
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Monitor student progress
Encourage certificate students to notify you (by appt or email) when they have
taken a course that can be added to their declaration form.
Review PAWS advisees list periodically to update certificate records.
Email your certificate email list each semester to inquire which students intend to
graduate. Work with students in person or via email to review and update their
records.
Student’s completion of certificate requirements
Notify Barbara Ebert (msbke@uwm.edu) with name/ID when a student
completes all requirements.
Send a list to Barbara each semester with names/IDs of all students who have
completed requirements and will graduate that semester. To monitor semester
certificate graduates, contact Sherry Kulhanek (sherry@uwm.edu) about 6-8
weeks after graduation to request a list. You can also check individual
transcripts to be sure a student was cleared for graduation.
Award paper certificates
In addition to the certificate appearing on a student’s transcript, a student
graduating with the certificate should receive a print certificate as well.
Certificate programs are encouraged to produce and distribute their own paper
certificates, rather than relying on production through L&S. A certificate template
can be requested from Julie Kline (jkline@uwm.edu).
Please notify Barbara Ebert of L&S (msbke@uwm.edu) if you intend to produce
and mail your own certificates.
Tracking Alumni
If you would like to try tracking certificate alumni, provide Jennifer McKenzieFlynn, L&S (jmckenz@uwm.edu) with student names/IDs. She’ll work through
the UWM Alumni Association (which has a better ability to stay current with
address changes).
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PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
Certificate Faculty Committee
Each certificate program has an appointed faculty advisory committee, preferably
with staggered terms. Check program files for details or request information from
Connie Jo (conniejo@uwm.edu).
Provide annual recommendations to L&S Dean’s Office to fill open committee
appointments, preferably during summer in anticipation of the academic year
term.
Approved Course Review
Certificate faculty advisory committees periodically should review courses eligible
to meet program requirements.
Connie Jo (conniejo@uwm.edu) maintains files on all approved courses for your
program.
To add courses to your approved list, file a “Special Listing Request” (SLR) form,
available online at: http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/forms/index.html . These courses
will appear automatically in your Schedule of Classes and Catalog/Bulletin
listings. If the course is a “topics” course, list the specific subtitle(s) you wish to
have approved.
To remove courses from your approved list, notify Connie Jo that you wish to
eliminate a course. She will remove the SLR from the program files.
Semester Course Offerings
The hands-on coordinator should review each semester schedule (certificate
programs are listed in the section “Multi-Disciplinary Programs not under specific
School/College”) and provide any additions/deletions by the Special Listing
deadline established by L&S. (Send any Schedule of Classes changes to
Connie Jo so that she can verify the approval status of the courses being added
or dropped.) Re-check your listing about 4 weeks later, as the web schedule is
dependent upon departments’ finalizing their semester offerings.
Annual Report
Each certificate program is required to submit an annual report to L&S, preferably
upon completion of the academic year and no later than September 1. An
Annual Report model format can be found at:
http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/forms/index.html . Certificate programs will undergo
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formal University reviews, so use the annual report as a means of collecting
information and data in anticipation of your program review.
Marketing/Promotion
Each semester, request that faculty members teaching certificate courses add a
reference to the certificate on their syllabi.
Request that faculty members share information about the certificate via their
student email lists for appropriate courses.
Visit classes to pitch your certificate; when possible, have class presentations
done by certificate students.
Work with Sherry Kulhanek, L&S Data Management (sherry@uwm.edu) to
identify and email students who may already have completed courses applicable
to the certificate.
Make regular presentations to L&S advisor meetings, coordinated by Tom
O’Bryan (obryan@uwm.edu).
Make use of the joint certificate postcard, which can be found at:
http://www.uwm.edu/letsci/forms/index.html .
To review samples of certificate brochures, contact Julie Kline (jkline@uwm.edu)
who maintains a set for review.
Participate in the joint certificate booth at Open House (October) and Certificate
Day.
Request assistance from Homer Hruby, L&S (thhruby@uwm.edu) if your
certificate website needs to be re-designed.
Provide visibility to your program by sponsoring/cosponsoring at least one
student-oriented event per year.
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