Page Eight THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, September 6, 1973 Page Eight THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, September 6, 1973- A choice in counseling Finding the classes and profs you want BY DIANE LEVICK supplement co-editor The days of scheduled appoint- ments with high school "guid- ance" counselors pouring over your SAT scores, predicting your future are gone. The only aca- demic counseling you'll get at the Big U is that which you request: It can be.all or nothing As a freshperson in LSA you can ch ose from two offices of- fering different viewpoints: the Freshman-Sophomore -Counseling Office in 1213 Angell Hall and the Student Counseling Office aown the corridor in 1018. The former is a regular Uni- versity-run agency where mem- bers on all levels of the teaching staff are available for consulta-s tion on a walk-in basis. The lat- ter, though funded by the LSA dean's office, is run exclusively by students-all volunteersa ex- cept for four student coordina- tors minimally paid. THE REAL difference between the .two services is their perspec- tives. Peter Honeyman, a sum- mer coordinator for the Student Counseling Office, compares his service with that of a lawyer and the University office with the service of a judge: "They sort of administer the rules; we try to get around them." Honeyman feels his office has been "pretty successful in in- forming students of the oppor- tunities open to them." If, for in- stance, a student finds a course he or she wants is already "closed," or if she or he doesn't have the required prerequisites, the Student Counseling Office can point the way through various channels to try to bypass the rules. "The more complicated a sys- tem is," says Seth Comstock, a summer coordinator of the same office, "the more loopholes there will be." And no one will dispute that the University is a compli- cated system. "The important thing in couii- seling," stresses 'Comstock, "is to show students you've helped how you went about doing it .. . We can't help those who don't want to help themselves." OPEN 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with no lunch break, the Student. Counseling Office's staff can rec- ommend specific courses and pro- fessors or help you explore your own thoughts about your future. "Quite a few freshmen come in and say they're 'not interested in anything'!" Comstock says. "We try to motivate them to figure out t h e m s e 1 v e s what they're interested in," Honeyman adds. Harry Marsden, Assistant to the Administrative Board of LSA and a staff member in the Fresh- man-Sophomore Counseling Of- fice, feels his agency tries to do the same. None of its counselors are academically trained as such, but they ,are faculty members 'im ie such as graduate student teach- ing fellows who "have some kind of background and demonstrate some kind of facility for this kind of work with students," accord- ing to Marsden. t "We don't know nearly as much as they (the Student Counseling Office) about student reaction to various courses and professors - says Marsden, "but we have peo- ple who can talk from the teach- ing point of view-on what is ex- pected from the student in a< course, for instance. We're in a better position to make referrals. to other University agencies;.$ we're likely to know the people who staff them.", YET, ACCORDING to Honey-k man, the Student Counseling Of-v fice holds "a lot of respect" from the faculty and administration. Together, the counseling offices offer much more than your high school counselors probably did, but it's up to you now. No sched- uled appointments are forced up- on you, though the resources are here. Seek and ye shall find. Academic alternatives help students in s tructured rupt Regi stration : steps to save sanity If you've been through that wonderful rite known as "fresh- man orientation," your fall schedule is probably all set. But before you know it, course selec- tion for winter term will be un- der way. Don't panic. The follow- ing is hopefully a comforting ex- planation of the ominous - sound- ing terms you'll face. As with all phases of registra- tion, the University publicizes- in The Daily, for instance - the dates of advance classification. First, make an appointment with your unit office. LSA freshper- Finally, a women's studies program. sons, for example, would go the LSA counseling offices in An- gell Hall. What has been known as the Freshman - Sophomore Counseling Office in the past will probably be'merged with the Junior - Senior Office by fall, 1973. Appointments are scheduled as group sessions at which you will receive course forms to fill out. The counselor present will then approve them and answer ques- tions, but for personalized con- sultation, LSA students are urg- ed to see counselors beforehand in 1213 Angell Hall or the Stu- dent Counseling Office in room 1018. At the group session you will self-address a postcard which will be sent to you in the case of closed courses or scheduling con- flicts. The advance classifica- tion office may, however, just give you a section meeting at a time different than the one you requested. That's one of the sur- prises you may discover at pre- registration. To hold the places in courses for which you advance classified, you must pre-register. As soon as the University announces this phase, you can rush your weary body over to the LSA bldg. lobby (if you're in LSA) or to your re- spective counseling offices (if you're in another University college) and pick up a registra- tionnaire. Filling out the registrationnaire can be quite a trip. Although the form lists some information as optional, students have been known to enter their religion as "druid", "Zoroastrian," "existen- tialist," "sanity," or "witch- .craft." Their "country of citizen- ship might be "Amerika," and their pastor might be "Satan." It is advisable, however, to enter one's real name and address. ' With ID and registrationnaire in hand, proceed to Waterman Gym and just follow everybody else. Registration workers will give you instructions as well as a handful of IBM cards, one of which will show your. final sched- ule. You'll get a fee assessment form and have your ID validated for the next term, too. If you've pre-registered, you can ignore regular registration, which comes at the beginning of each term, unless you want to drop a course and/or add a new one. You can drop-add beginning on the second day of registration. Go to your counseling office and have a counselor approve your drop-add form. Take it to Wat- erman Gym where you will find drop cards and adid cards to fill out. You may drop and add courses during the first two weeks of classes as well. Your counseling office will supply the forms and tell you what to do with them. In any case, you must get your form signed by the department of the course you're dropping and of the one you're adding. Good luck! (Continued from Page 3) classes in general, or if there is a subject matter you wivant to study and there is no class or those you find are not satisfac- tory, then you should find a kind- ly professor who will sponsor you for a semester of independent study. Generally speaking, the num- ber of credit hours, the aiount of supervision supplied by the professor, and any requirements such as tests, written ,work or oral presentations will be entire- ly bqtween you and the professor. Soon, literary college students may be able to get credit for some lower level courses merely by passing a comprehensive test in the .subject. This "credit by exanrnation" plan was approved by the literary college last Wn- ter term, but most departments are still attempting to figure out how to deal with the situation arm (Continued from Page 3) sial mass transit plan, during the last city elections. Scanning the cluttered RC bul- letin board, one senses the spon- taneity of events ranging from poetry-readings to concerts to parties-a gala Coronation Ball was held on inauguration day. Now RC members await the arrival of the new director for hints of new trends. Finally, in the winter of '72 Couzens caught on to the revolu- tion in dorm living and educa- tion. Couzens differs from Lloyd and East Quad in that half the resi- dents are engineering and nurs- ing students, the others LSA. A. COUZENS GOAL of five in- tra-dorm seminars, therefore, is to bring together students from varied vocational choices. And.construction of a "Couzens machine" is now underway to make the bridge fiends and mus- ical virtuosos aware of each others talents this fall. Although not on the same scale or its parent, Pilot, the Couzens program is demonstrating that it, too, has growing appeal for stu- dents. {' f and devising tests for various courses. The English department seems to have the jump on the other departments, and officially says that credit by examination is available this fall. Individual s concentration If you want to graduate from the University having officially "majored" in something but that something is not offered as a concentration by the- University then LSA has its Program of In- dividual Concentration. This program will allow you to make up your own maj:r using various courses from severail dif- ferent departments as you see fit. If you decide on an Indi- vidual Concentration then you have to work it out with the counselors of the departments in- volved and eventually apply for an Individual Concentration to the Committee on Interdiscipi- nary Studies. One possible drawbak of such a concentration is that it is neces- sary to chart your academic ca- reer very early, which many stu- dents find impossible to do. Foreign stud y Finally, if you can't find any- thing here you like, before you drop out there is the option of foreign study. There are several University- sponsored foreign study programs which will count as credit for graduation from the Big U. The literary college offers two junior year programs, one -in France and one in Germany, plus the University participates in the Intercollegiate Center for Classi- cal Studies in Rome. There are also summer study programs in Florence, Paris, London, and La- Coste. One can participate in a study program at Ibero American Uni- versity in Mexico, and the Center for " Afro-American and Afri-an Studies sponsors the Study in the Black World and Exchange Pro- gram which offers an academic year of study at one of several universities in Africa and the Caribbean. The School of Education also offers courses in education at the Universities of Sheffield, Keele and Edinburgh. All in all, academic alterna- tives do exist at the University, but like most good things they take a little extra effort to search out and take advantage of. And you have to do the searching yourself, but most students will tell you it is worth the effort. (Continued from Page 3) can't let you drop a course late. This is hogwash. Students have been known to drop courses right up to the final. Some have even managed to drop courses retro- actively. Although counselor number one won't let you drop, there is bound to be somebody who is willing to free you with the mag- ic signature. Just beef up your sales pitch and try another coun- selor. If that fails, go to the di- rector of the Freshman - Sopho- more Counseling Office to plead your case. If, for whatever reasons (legi- Tenure touchy (Continued from Page 3) number of papers and had good course evaluations. "I don't un- derstand, how they-didn't give me tenure," he said. ALTHOUGH NOT specifically mentioned by anyone in the chemistry department, the de- cision seemed to be political. Green taught his classes in a rather untraditional manner., In addition, Green had been sus- pended from his duties earlier in the year for showing an anti-war slide presentation to his classes. Dunn, who ordered the suspen- sion, claimed the slide show dem- onstrated a misuse of class time. Green, on the other hand believed the slides demonstrated the "mis- use that is possible of technology taught at the University. De- fending the relevancy of the .show, he continued, "Our edu- cational goals are not to impart our technical expertise in a vacuum, but rather to pass on the relevancy of our skills." Dunn reinstated Green after the formation of a review com- mittee to look into the entire affair. The committee reported that Green had indeed misused class time, while at the same time it criticized Dunn for over- reacting to the situation. THE EMPHASIS on publication coupled with attacks on radical teaching approaches will make it harder for the innovative, inter- esting teacher to survive thie Uni- versity. It will be students who lose out in the long run, as more and more professors are forced to .leave. timate or otherwise), you are de- termined to drop a course, do not take no for an answer. Keep on going up the hierarchy un- til you get what you# want. LET'S SAY YOU lucked out and got into a great course.' The professor is a good teacher, dis- cussions are stimulating and the readings are informative. Savor it, because it doesn't happen of- ten. There are still some techniques you can develop to make your semester a profitable one. The ability to negotiate is perhaps the most important of these. There may come a time dur- ing the semester when you feel a term paper or exam you wrote received a lower gade than it deserved. Do not hesitate-to talk to the professor about it. There's a chance he or she may have misunderstood the point you were trying to make. Or maybe you misunderstood a test ques- tion because it was poorly worded. Although the idea of groveling for a few extra points may not appeal to you, you may be put- ting yourself ata disadvantage if you don't even try, since just about everybody haggles over points when exams are returned. NEGOTIATING ability also comes in handy when you are in a bind with an assignment dead- line. If you work it right, a little fast talking can get you needed extra time without lowering your grade. All you have to do is come up with a believable story. Since many heads are better than one, you may get ,the best results by pooling ideas with the people on your corridor during one of those sessions when you're all sitting around getting stoned (talking about how much work you have to do.) As you may have guessed by now, fibbing,, fast talking and general underhanded activity will. get you a long way at this Uni- versity. But take heart. It's not all that crass. Sometimes a little ideal- ism breaks through your cynical exterior. And . sometimes you may even enjoy your work. THE M O S T IMPORTANT thing to remember is that few things at this university are ab- solute. The rule can always be bent or broken; the requirements can sgmetimes be avoided. But whatever you do, don't just plug yourself into the sys- tem and let it run your life for four years. That's cheating! C ( i- I I (Continued from Page 6) Program, believes the program will expand as interest and par- ticipation grows. The three official women's studies courses are interdiscip- linary. Wahlstrom describes them as courses designed "to explore the myths about women, their socialization and their roles." In addition to a standard lec- ture and section format, the in- troductory c o u r s e (Women's Studies 240) will sponsor field projects, availing students the op- portunity to work in the women's 4 ward at local hospitals, at the jail and the Women's Crisis 'Cen- ter. Wide ranging projects have ,paid off in the past for women's studies. One of the first courses taught was given a grant to teach students how to use TV equipment. A VIDEOTAPE on rape pro- duced by women's studies* stu- dents was shown at the Michigan Women's Political Caucus in May, at an Ann Arbor Commu- nity Women's Symposium, and in various University classes. s i It _ a " Yr 1 Y f One of the most familiar sights on the University of Michigan campus is people sitting on the steps of the Michigan Union. This ad is an attempt on the part of the Michigari Union to. move those on the steps into the building. The Union has a number of facilities and serv- ices located under its roof. So, the next time you find yourself sitting there, go inside you'll find it a nice place to spend your time. t I Regents: Wielding power from afar (Continued from Page 6) as a rubber stamp for the poli- cies of the Executive Officers? Most of the monthly agenda for the Regents comprises adminis- trative paperwork a p p r o v e d without discussionrand the group relies on -briefing from the execu- tive. officers in nearly every issue they decide. HOWEVER, THE .power of the Regental rubber stamp is not to be sneezed at. The body can okay a four million dollar library renovation plan in less than half an hour, as they did in February. Or they can stall, table and turn back reforms pushed by student and faculty groups for months or years. Such was the' treatment of the policy against classified defense research, fi- nally passed in a severely w iter- ed-down form in March 1972 after two years of deliberation. The Reants more tha, anv demands after a massive strike in spring 1970. An LSA building sit-in at which 107 people were arrested and the tension of con- ferring in a meeting room pack- ed with angry students apparent- ly convinced the Regents to ap- prove a student-controlled book- store in fall 1969. However, as activism cools, the Regents too became less en- thusiastic about reform. Of course the Regents do not present a completely unified front. Regents James Waters (D- Muskegon), Hueb'ner and Dunn occasionally distinguish them- selves from the pack with liber- al debate'and voting. But Regent Robert Brown (R- Kalamazoo), certainly represent- ed one aspect of the board's feelings about change within the University in Spring 1972 when the Regents rejected a proposal for an Afro-American housing unit. / "~ .. 1YV~J3T.. 00-O3d! an OW ,flI) qoxc fcc. o ope. 1 q Z7cp h ..7 0 103 p1X1Qt: 4i_____OIT n } FACILITIES Bowling Lanes, Billiard Tables Music Practice Rooms A Lounge Barber Shop Snack Bar Souvenir Stand Bookstore The University Club Hotel Rooms for Campus Visitors R inna nnd MA tinn Rnn oom SERVICE UNITS IN THE BUILDING Office of Student Services (O.S.S.) Office of Special Services and Programs (O.S.S.P.) . Office for Student Services Counseling (including 76-GUIDE) International Center - Alumni Association Development Council and Gift Receiving University Activities Center (U.A.C.) Student Government Council (S.G.C.) Office of Religious Affairs Inter Co-on Council (I C.C.) } ,1 I