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LAES Spring 2012 Update

Dear LAES Students,

Welcome to our LAES Spring 2012 communication. Please review and respond as needed.

We wish to THANK YOU for your participation in our February Program Review Site Visit. The day went very well and we expect to receive some good suggestions from the reviewers very soon. We are continuing down the path to getting our final Program Review package to the Senate and then to the Chancellor's Office by the end of this year and so we may still "call" on your help via a survey or some other form, so stay tuned...

We hope you all had a good Winter quarter and are ready for Spring!

- David, Michael and Karen

Here's a summary of items addressed in this update:

 

301 and 411 Classes

The LAES 301 and 411 classes are only offered in Spring and Fall, so this would be a great time to register if you still need these classes. The 301 class is open to all majors of Sophomore status and above, so we ask that you help spread the word to your friends who may be interested in our program. Students of other majors will need to request a permission number from laes@calpoly.edu. Read the class flyer (PDF document).

LAES/ET Studios Projects Update and Meet-and-Greet

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 5 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. for a LAES and ET Studios projects update discussion and general meet-and-greet. We have many great projects in the pipeline to share, some new LAES students for you to meet and we wish to celebrate those who will be graduating this Spring. We haven't had one of these promotional gatherings in quite awhile, so you are encouraged to attend this well-deserved time of PROMOTION, CONNECTION, FOOD, MOVIES and FUN!! This is also a great event to invite your friends who are curious about or considering LAES as their degree program. Your RSVP to laes@calpoly.edu by Monday, April 2 is required.  Please let us know if you are bringing a friend so we can make sure to have enough food on-hand.

Commencement Ceremonies

Those who plan to graduate this Spring, need to RSVP to laes@calpoly.edu to tell us which ceremony you want to participate in, so the program book will reflect your choice. The CLA ceremony is on Saturday, June 9 at 10:00 a.m. and the CENG ceremony is on Sunday, June 10 at 10:00 a.m. Details about our after commencement department ceremony will be communicated soon. Order your graduation announcements and invitations and schedule your senior portrait during Grad Days, April 17-20 in the El Corral Bookstore. The Grad Center opens on May 17 for cap and gown and commencement ticket purchases. More information is available on the Student Life website.

Advising Sessions

Annual advising sessions will be scheduled in early April. This 30 minute MANDATORY advising session is for students who have not met with the LAES Directors this academic year. Discussion topics include your academic progress, academic and career goals, study abroad and graduation planning. You will be contacted in a few weeks to select a day and time for your individual meeting. Read more about this on the Annual Advising page.

Expense Reimbursements

We are estimating budget requests for the remainder of the academic year and need to know if you have expenses you want reimbursed during the Fall 2011 and Winter 2012 quarters. If so, bring your receipts to the Program Office by Friday, March 16. Per the CBF Policy established by your student CBF Committee, we reimburse up to $500 each academic year for travel aid and project related expenses. This is your money, so please don't be shy and make your request.

Senior Projects

Senior Project students should note that the last two sections of the Senior Project Guidelines have been revised. To accommodate your graduation timeline, make sure to sign up for these courses in the appropriate quarter. Both LAES 461 and 462 are offered this Spring, 462 will be offered again in Fall and 461 next Winter 2013.

Study Abroad Policy

Students who are ready to go abroad must review and adhere to the NEW Study Abroad Guidelines. Begin your planning by attending a MANDATORY IEP Information Session.  Once you have explored your study abroad choices and have one or two in mind, contact the Program Coordinator to schedule a meeting with an LAES Director.

Expressive Technology Lab

Student Assistants

We now have several assistants to help you with the Lab equipment and their "on-duty" schedules should be posted in the room. Feel free to contact any of them with your Lab questions; their contact information is available on the Expressive Technology Workshop page.

Lab Keys

Please do not lend your key to others. You are responsible for your key and have agreed to not loan or transfer it out. If your key has been lost or stolen, please notify the Key Shop and University Police immediately.

Equipment

Equipment that is checked out from the Program Office should be returned on the date promised. Our students need this equipment for a variety of projects and in some cases are on a wait-list for popular items. Under no circumstances is this equipment to be left in the ET Lab. If you need to keep the equipment longer than originally thought, notify us on the day it is supposed to be returned. If you need to hand-it-off to another student over the weekend, let us know in advance. Please help to keep all of our equipment secure and in good working order. 

Staying in Touch

Because our students are involved in many things, it is critical that we stay in touch.  Make sure to check your Cal Poly e-mail regularly for official notifications and announcements and update your Cal Poly Portal information when you have a change. You may also VOLUNTARILY provide additional contact information to the LAES Program Office, such as a secondary e-mail or phone number. To do that, fill out the Communication Form.

Electronic Signatures

Now that many documents require e-mail delivery, some wonder how they can add their signature. One way to capture your electronic signature, is to sign a blank page, then scan the page and save it as a JPEG. Once you have saved your signature to a JPEG, you will probably need to size it down using photo editing software. That’s it! You now have an electronic signature that you can add to any document or e-mail.