Cheryl DePaolo

EDLD 8735
Midterm Reflection
I am completing my practicum at the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary
Medicine. I have spent an average of six hours a week in the Office of Academic Affairs,
working with multiple officers, as well as a minimum of twenty hours working on a special
project at home. My experience thus far has not met my expectations. I do not feel as though I
am gaining all that I can from this practicum. If I had to rate the experience right now, I would
give it a 3.
My mentor, Amy, is the Program Coordinator and Coordinator of Student Services. In
addition to developing the curriculum, she oversees scholarship information and graduation. I
have not had the opportunity to work directly with her, though I have had the opportunity to
observe her interactions in the office. I sometimes feel as though I am only invited to the office
if they have something specific for me to do. For example, two weeks ago I arrived for my
regular hours in the office. I was told that my supervisor was unavailable because they were in a
curriculum meeting. They did not have any projects for me, so I was free to work on something
at home. I was disappointed because I would have enjoyed observing the curriculum meeting
and gaining insight into that process.
The Office of Academic Affairs consists of an administrative associate, who is anchored
at the front desk. She answers questions, handles incoming calls, and greets visitors to the office.
There is also an administrative specialist. She is in charge of externship requests,
reimbursements, and the calendar for the Dean. There is an Academic Advisor and an
Admissions Counselor, as well as the Associate Director of Admissions and the Coordinator of
Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. The woman who was working as the Coordinator for

Diversity has since left the position and moved into another position on campus. Finally, there is
the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Dr. Cornell is new to this position. She assumed the
duties at the beginning of January. I have worked with Dr. Cornell in the hospital for the nine
years that I have been employed that the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
During my practicum time, I have had the opportunity to work with Tim, the Academic
Advisor. He was helpful and open to any questions I had. He had worked as an advisor in
another area on campus, and has found the position here to be more straightforward. I also
worked with Parker, the Associate Director of Admissions. I assisted him with the
acceptance/rejection letters for the applicants. He was very open to any feedback I offered with
regards to the letters themselves. He was thankful for my catch of some of the grammatical
errors in the letters. In addition, he explained the process in detail and answered any questions
that I had. Interestingly, he also had questions for me with regards to my experience with the
Georgia Southern masters program. I have also worked with Esther, the Admissions Counselor.
She is the lead on the visitation day for approximately 90 prospective vet students. I volunteered
to assist with this event. The office staff was not happy with the term visitation day and wanted
to come up with something catchy. My daughter said, jokingly, that they should call it
Vetsitation day. I told them about it and they loved it, so Friday, March 27th is Vetsitation Day at
the UGA College of Vet Med. I have helped assemble the informational folders for the students,
and I will help man the reception desk. I have been told that they may need me for other things,
but are unsure about specifics at this time. I have also assisted with the ribbon cutting ceremony
at the new Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which is scheduled to open on March 25. I helped to
meet visitors and students, direct guests, and to schmooze with those touring the new facility.

I really enjoyed this event, as I got to interact with the development associates, as well as the
student ambassadors, and returning graduates.
Before Lakecia, the Coordinator for Diversity, left I requested to meet with her to discuss
Vet Camp. She has overseen the Vet Camp experience for high school juniors and seniors for the
past nine years. The camp is held in June on the UGA campus, and it is used as a tool to
diversify the veterinary community. I expressed an interest in assisting with anything I could
with regards to the camp. I met with Lakecia, as well as Parker and Esther, the Admissions
Counselor. Lakecia outlined what had been done so far, as well as how she historically handled
incidents, scheduling, events, and dorm assignments. I am hoping that I am able to play a part in
this amazing event, as I believe it would be a very enriching experience, as well as a wonderful
learning opportunity.
The biggest eye-opener of my experience thus far is the educational experience that is
had by many of these associates. For example, Parker has assumed the position of Associate
Director of Admissions with a bachelors degree. He began working in admissions as a student
worker in a small, private college. After graduation, he stayed on as an admissions counselor
and then took the position here. He is now looking at going back for his graduate degree.
Obviously, Dr. Cornell is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and also has a PhD. Amy,
my practicum supervisor is the only one in the office with a graduate degree. I would have
thought that a masters degree was a requirement to work with students in a postgraduate
situation such as vet school.
Another eye-opener for me is the tunnel vision in the office. For example, during the
meeting about Vet Camp, I asked about incident reports. Lakecia was discussing that she calls
the parents of the student if there is an issue with illness or injury. She explained that there is

always at least one student that faints during the chicken necropsy lab. She would call the parent
and inform them that their child fainted and this is what was done, and that is sufficient. I asked
about written documentation so that it was on file for others, as well as to document what was
done, outcome, etc. She informed me that there was no need to carry additional papers. The
phone number for the parent was in the phone log and that was sufficient enough. She said that
she had never had a problem in all of the years she was doing this and did not see the need for
that. I would think that it would be helpful for others to see where there have been issues, what
procedures have been followed, or even to simply cover yourself against a liability if a student or
parent were to come back to the college. Perhaps that is the voice that comes from being a
parent, or just life experience.
My mentors administrative philosophy is fairly unknown to me, so it is difficult to
answer this question. I can say that we both share a desire to see the students succeed. I have
seen her interact with the students in the office, as well as off campus, and she seems to have a
genuine compassion when dealing with them. She is skilled at developing relationships with the
students, her co-workers, and other external stakeholders of the vet school. She seems
passionate about the success of others.
An area where we may differ is difficult to discern, as I am not well informed of her
philosophy. I have to base my response on my experience with this practicum. If I was
mentoring an individual, I would want to evaluate their experience on a regular basis so that I
could ensure that they were gaining the knowledge that they needed to succeed. I would reach
out to that person to gain their perspective on their activities and try to improve upon them. If
that person showed initiative in taking on additional responsibility, I would give that person the

tools to help them, and myself, succeed. I would want the experience to be rewarding for all
parties involved.
I wish that I was able to gain more knowledge with regards to the registration system and
the advising process. I hope to gain employment working in that capacity, and that experience
would help me to achieve my goal. As a non-traditional student, I feel that my knowledge and
experience from working in the veterinary hospital affords me an advantage in working with
prospective and current vet students. The addition of the knowledge that I have gained through
this program has allowed me to see things from an administrative perspective, as well. In other
words, I can see where we could save money when assembling packets, or how we can better
serve the students with regards to available grants for underserved students.
Overall, my experience has allowed me to experience the life of an academic affairs
officer. I have gained knowledge in the admissions process, with regards to diversity and the
selection process, as well as had the opportunity to meet some very experienced individuals that I
can refer to when I am in need of advice in my future endeavors. I am only halfway through, and
I hope to be able to spend more time with my mentor discussing curriculum and the financial
aspects of veterinary school.