Advising Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate Academic Advisors
Mr. Daniel Sharpless (sharples@indiana.edu) and
Dr. Julie Knapp (julknapp@indiana.edu)
Call 812-855-4711 for an appointment

How often should I see an Academic Advisor?
We expect our undergraduates to have at least one conference each semester with their advisor… at the minimum to schedule classes for the upcoming academic semester.

Is it true that I must see an Academic Advisor to register for classes each semester? Yes. During your registration advising appointment, the RPTS academic advisor will complete an Academic Advisor Registration Approval form. Once that form is filled out and signed by the advisor, YOU, the student, will take the form to the HPER dean’s office (Room 115) and then an advising hold will be released and you will be able to register for your classes via Onestart (on your appointment day and time). Check your assigned day/time for registration on Onestart (check ‘enrollment appointment’ in OneStart). REMEMBER: Schedule your appointment well in advance of your registration appointment – advising appointments fill very fast!!!!

How do I Schedule an Advising Appointment, and where are the Advisors located?
Please call the main office at (812) 855-4711 to schedule an advising appointment with one of the RPTS advisors. Their offices are in HPER Room 127. When making the appointment, please give your ‘full legal name’ including middle name. The advisors use it to access your transcript in preparation for the meeting.

When should I make the advising appointment to register for classes?
Summer class registration- book appointments between early February- late February.
Fall class registration- book appointments between late February- mid March.
Spring class registration- book appointments between late September and mid October.

What requires an advising appointment?
If you are a student in the Dept. of RPTS or if you are interest in becoming a RPTS major, please schedule an appointment to do the following:

If you are interested in pursuing a RPTS major
If you have questions about your degree or RPTS major requirements and your progress.
If you are interested in overseas study at Victoria University in Melbourne Australia or fieldwork opportunities in Hawaii (KMC), Navy MWR overseas internships, or a year + opportunity in Germany (Edelweiss Resort).
To schedule classes for fall, spring or summer semesters. YOU MUST always see an advisor before scheduling classes via Onestart.

Are you planning on graduating in May or December? What is the application for graduation?
Make sure that YOU fill out the ‘application for graduation paperwork’ and apply for graduation. The form is available online, in HPER Room 133 or from one of the academic advisors in HPER room 127. The form should be completed during your last academic year prior to graduation (at least two semesters before graduating). Its main function is to alert the HPER School Records Office that you think you are going to graduate in the near future. It triggers an audit of your academic transcript. You will receive a letter telling you what classes you have remaining and whether you have the necessary GPA to graduate. Once the ‘application for graduation’ form is completed, you will submit it to the HPER Dean’s office, HPER room 115.

How do I see my advisement report and transcript?
In OneStart go to your student center and choose “Academics”, then click “My Academics and Grades”. Under “Advising” click “View My Advisement Report.” Here you can find your GPA (last one in your transcript) and also your tab sheet with the requirements you have completed or in progress indicated. Do check this online resource before you come in to see your academic advisor.

What is the 320 hour practical field experience requirement?
Developing as a professional involves a combination of academic preparation and practical field experience. Competencies provided in the classroom are tested by the student through practical assignments beyond the classroom. Therefore, the purpose of this requirement is to explore the various recreation, park and tourism service agencies through paid and/or volunteer services. The 320 hours must be from two different settings and must be completed prior to the start date of the Professional Internship (HPER R363). The experience must have been initiated any time after high school. Students must document their 320 hours by completing a 320 hour form that is available in HPER Room 133. They must fill out the form, have their supervisor complete a critique and sign the form and finally have their academic option coordinator sign the form. See the secretary in HPER 133 to determine who the student’s option coordinator is.

What is the professional internship requirement- HPER R363?
All RPTS students must complete a professional internship as part of their curriculum requirements. The internship is HPER R363 for 14 credit hours and is a semester long experience (14 weeks where the student works 40 hours each week). The internship is typically completed during their senior year. The 14 credit hours of internship are part of the 124 credit hours that the student needs to graduate. Students enroll in 14 hours of course credit and pay tuition for the internship experience. Students must complete their 320 field work hours, as well as HPER R301, R367, and R272 before completing their internship. The internship must be approved by the RPTS Internship Coordinator, Dr. Julie Knapp. The guidelines, requirements and process are covered in detail in HPER R301 (the internship preparation course).

What is a good source of information for jobs and internships related to RPTS?
There are two courses in the RPTS curriculum that cover the internship search process and careers in RPTS (HPER R301 and HPER R231). In addition, HPER Career Services offers workshops related to interviewing skills and volunteer opportunities. The School of HPER also manages a website (HPERCareers.com) that lists potential jobs and internships and allows students to upload their resumes for potential employers to view. The RPTS Department also coordinates visits from Hotel Management Companies, the Student Conservation Association and others throughout the year. Every February the RPTS Department host an internship/job fair for its students. The School of HPER hosts the Summer Camp Jobs Fair in February where camps from across the U.S. visit Indiana University in search of summer seasonal employees (www.indiana.edu/~campfair).

How do I find out about career fairs, visiting companies recruiting RPTS students, local part time job announcements, club meetings, and other department information?
You will need to be on the RPTS Department email list serv. This will allow you to receive many emails from the Department concerning internships, jobs, interviews, meetings, etc. You will need to email Terra Smith at terdsmit@indiana.edu to ask her to add your name to the Email Listserv for Department majors.

Other Important Information

Links:
Registrar- (questions about Onestart): 855-0121 www.registrar.indiana.edu
Bursar (questions about your fees): 855-2636 www.bursar.indiana.edu
Student Financial Assistance (questions about your financial aid): 855-0321
Overseas Study (questions about Overseas Study programs-Franklin Hall 303) 855-9304
Admissions (questions about credit transfers from other institutions): www.admit.indiana.edu
CAPS (for appt or drop in with Health Center Counselor): 855-5711
HPER Dean’s Office and Records Office: 855-1561
RPTS Website: www.indiana.edu/~recpark
HPER Website: www.hper.indiana.edu
www.HPERcareers.com: a website for internships and full time jobs

Be sure that you know University dates/deadlines for important procedures. Please refer to the Registrar and Bursar web pages for a complete listing of fees. Also refer to your Enrollment and Student Academic Information Bulletin. Bulletins are available in the HPER Dean’s office (Room 115).

To make a schedule change during the first week of class, you need to use OneStart. Select the ‘Register and Drop/Add’ feature. You will be charged $8.50 during any day in which you enter they system and make a change to your schedule (so try to make all changes at once if possible).

To just drop a course from your schedule after the first week of class, use the eDrop feature in OneStart. This means that you can drop a course using OneStart through the AUTO W date in the semester. Select the ‘Register and Drop/Add’ feature. Your drop request is reviewed by the department the course is from and dean’s office and then processed by the Registrar. Any courses dropped after the first week will result in a ‘W’grade showing on your transcript.There is a charge of $23.00 for each dropped course but not a charge to add a course. The Registrar’s Web pages have information about any procedural topic (dates/deadlines/grades/schedule of classes, etc.): http://www.indiana.edu/~registra/. TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, DO NOT DROP A COURSE WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING YOUR ADVISOR.

To add a course to your schedule after the first week of class, you can use eAdd. Again, you need to use OneStart and select the ‘Register and Drop/Add’ features. Put in the section number of your course. The information will be routed electronically to the professor for approval and then to the other approving people. If the professor approves the ‘add’, you should get the course electronically added to your schedule within a couple of days. Keep in mind it is to the discretion of the professor to first approve the add to their course. If you were on the waitlist, you will need to drop off the waitlist and then go back in and add the class.

To drop and add courses on your schedule after the first week of class, you can use the eDrop/eAdd process in OneStart. The eDrop feature is only available for the first two months of the semester. Again, you need to use OneStart and select the ‘Register and Drop/Add’ features. Make sure you do both on the same calendar day so you only get one charge to your bursar bill for the total drop/add process. Changes to your enrollment that are not completed on the same calendar day which result in fewer than 12 hours or in more than 17 hours will incur additional costs. The dropped hours will be credited at the percentage amount appropriate to the refund period (see your enrollment information book or the registrar’s web page for enrollment fee information) and a late schedule change fee will be assessed. The added hours will then be charged to your account at 100 percent of the cost.

If you feel uncomfortable with the whole process of drop/add online, you can still use a paper form that will be accepted by the registrar’s office.

If you are on a waitlist, the list remains active through Saturday noon at the end of the first week of class. Check your schedule in OneStart daily to see if you get the waitlisted course. Attend the waitlisted course!

You may take a class ‘Pass/Fail’ only if it is an elective in your major. Complete a Pass/Fail form by a specified date early in the semester: