General Catalog 2023-2024

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Services Program for Adult Students (AVANCE)

Adult Student Services

The adult population presents characteristics, needs and interests different from the regular traditional population. The campuses will provide the professional counseling services and the academic advisement that responds best to the realities of this population. Newly admitted students will have interviewing services available as well as orientation by a professional counselor or by the person in charge of the AVANCE Program, in order to identify their needs and priorities and to refer them to the programs and services that will facilitate their integration to university life. Following are the norms that will be observed in the administration of these services.

  1. Orientation

    Orientation is the link between the promotion and admissions processes, curricular development and the academic offerings and is therefore an essential component of the Program. The campuses will offer the professional counseling services to the adults, at their most convenient daily and hourly schedules.

  2. Academic Advisement

    The campuses will offer the services of academic advisement to the adults, through available means and at their most convenient daily and hourly schedules.

  3. Schedule of Services

    In order to take care of their needs properly, an effective strategic planning is required in all campuses with regard to personnel use. In this way, services of optimal quality in teaching and academic management will be guaranteed, as well as in the offices of the Registrar, Bursar, Financial Aid, Orientation, Admissions and others.

  4. Academic Calendars

    Courses may be taken in the calendars established by the campuses for the regular terms, the summer sessions and the special sessions of October and March.

    Students, who have registered in the terms beginning in August or January, may complete or increase their academic load by adding courses in other sessions or terms, even though they may be studying simultaneously in two academic sessions, provided they do not exceed the amount of credits approved by their academic adviser.

Study and Learning in AVANCE

  1. Students of the AVANCE Program may register in courses of the different study programs offered by the University.
  2. The AVANCE Program makes available to adults several flexible forms or study alternatives, thus facilitating the possibility of taking courses through the regular modality and other nontraditional modalities of study, including among others: study by contract with support of the Web, courses totally online, and combined study.
  3. Educational activities will be conducted with suitable resources that facilitate and stimulate the learning experience, in which the professors can effectively develop the adult student classes. Each campus will provide support services that will assure the best conditions for the academic achievement of the student.

The Services Program for Adult Students offers a system of flexible admission, validation of experiences, diverse modalities of study and individualized attention to the adult population that undertakes post-secondary and university studies. In this way, AVANCE recognizes the continuous changes in society, the professional challenges and the need to enrich the continuous learning of adults.

AVANCE visualizes adult education as a process in which participants can face the challenges of employment, including self-employment, enhanced by a self-directed university experience.

The Program offers adult students the opportunity to:

  1. Acquire necessary experiences that stimulate personal development and strengthen adult citizen development.
  2. Promote learning experiences by means of special study sessions, flexible schedules and a diversity of academic terms, through the use of nontraditional curricular modalities, such as online courses, combined courses of study and study by contract with Web support.
  3. Offer validation of learning experiences by means of written tests, proficiency tests and portfolio.
  4. Update, expand and reorient their professional education beyond the academic degrees they already have.
  5. Have the means for the acquisition of an academic degree that aims to enable the adult in the performance of a profession in accord with the demands of the present world.

Admission of New Students to AVANCE

Students, who do not have university experience and request admission to the program, must comply with the following requirements:

  1. Be at least 21 years old or be legally independent, as demonstrated by means of an official and valid document (copy of the Birth Certificate, copy of the Liberation Document, copy of Marriage Certificate or copy of a document issued by some pertinent agency).
  2. Submit an official document issued in any tangible medium that serves to certify that the student has completed the high school graduation requirements.

The chancellors shall use administrative procedures and strategies that assure that the institutional commitment to offer students the necessary services while attending the University, are met. The adequacy, effectiveness and efficiency in offering these services contribute to improve learning, a higher retention rate and a good image in the community.

Changes from the Regular Program to the AVANCE Program

Active students of the regular programs, who wish to change to the Services Program for Adult Students of Inter American University of Puerto Rico, must meet the following requirements:

  1. Be at least 21 years of age or be legally independent at the time they request readmission. This must be demonstrated by an official and valid document (copy of the Birth Certificate, copy of the Liberation Document, copy of Marriage Certificate or copy of a document issued by some pertinent agency).
  2. Meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Norms. Students whose general average is less than 2.00 must also receive orientation from an adviser designated at the unit.

Placement Tests for AVANCE Students

  1. Students who have not taken the PAA test from College Board, will be given a placement test in English. This will determine the level of the English courses in which the student must register.
  2. Transferred and re-admitted students that do not present evidence of having passed English will be given a placement test in this subject, unless they present the test results of the PAA.
  3. The preparation of the placement test in English will be coordinated by the Vice-presidency for Academic and Student Affairs and Systemic Planning.

Readmission of Students Requesting a Change to the AVANCE Program

Regular students who have interrupted their studies for one year or more may be re-admitted to the Services Program for Adult Students of Inter American University of Puerto Rico, if they meet the following requirements:

  1. Be at least 21 years of age or be legally independent at the time they request readmission. This must be demonstrated by an official and valid document (copy of the Birth Certificate, copy of the Liberation Document, copy of Marriage Certificate or copy of a document issued by some pertinent agency).
  2. Comply with the academic progress requirements. Students, who have a grade point index of 2.00 or less, must in addition, receive orientation from an adviser designated in the unit.

Declaration of Major by AVANCE Students

Students admitted to the AVANCE Program will make their declaration of major at the time of their admission. For all the official purposes, students of the AVANCE Program will strictly observe the Satisfactory Academic Progress Norm established in the General Catalog of Inter American University of Puerto Rico.