Incentive Awards Program Advising & Counseling Staff

Sasha Blum, Counseling Psychologist (2nd Floor).  For counseling on transitioning to college, stress management, managing anxiety and depression.  (50% time): For an appointment call (510) 643-9079.

Cristina Rojas, Academic Advisor (14 Chavez).  For academic related concerns and questions.  For an appointment call ( 510) 643-7267 or e-mail at cmrojas@berkeley.edu.

Ken Turman, Academic Advisor (2nd Floor).  For academic related concerns and questions.  For an appointment call (510) 643-1247 or e-mail at turman@berkeley.edu.

Advising and Counseling Services
The IAP provides more than scholarship money - once on campus, a strong network of counselors and academic advisors support you, the Scholar.  The IAP office is always open to you and we encourage you to speak to staff about personal matters, academic problems, letters of recommendation or anything else you may need.  While we may not be able to answer all your questions, we can direct you to the appropriate people who can help you.

Academic Advising

As an IAP Scholar you are expected to maintain good academic standing at the University and meet the satisfactory academic progress guidelines as defined by the Financial Aid Office.  Based upon our selection criteria, we have every expectation that you will perform well on campus. However, if your GPA drops below 2.8, you are required to make an appointment immediately with Cristina Rojas, the IAP Academic Advisor. If you fail to communicate with an IAP Advisor, you may be placed on IAP Program Probation, which may affect your good standing in the program and your scholarship.
If your GPA drops below 2.0 you will be on academic probation and at risk for dismissal by the University.  We are strongly committed to helping you if you are struggling to maintain a satisfactory GPA.  However, it is your responsibility to contact the IAP office and keep us abreast of your progress.

Financial Aid Advising

The IAP staff will work with you to resolve any financial problems you have and work collaboratively with campus partners within the financial aid office to keep you informed about changes in university procedures. However it is important every Scholar respond to all requests from the University promptly, follow all policies and procedures, make photocopies of all documents you submit, and keep us informed of problems before they become a crisis.

Please note that in order for you to receive your IAP award, you must apply for financial aid every year by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) due on March 2nd. You are responsible for submitting all additional forms and documentation that the Financial Aid Office requests.

Peer Advising

In addition to providing you with staff support, the IAP has also created an opportunity for you to receive support and assistance from your fellow scholars.  The IAP Peer Advisors will be providing advising to students, program planning support on IAP events, and will also conduct outreach to IAP students throughout the year.  Feel free to check in with the Peer Advisors on issues such as how to transition to Cal, how to navigate college policies and procedures, how to find an internship, as well as any other student issue you may confront while at Cal.

Counseling

IAP has a Staff Psychologist/Counselor that is available to meet with you to help you with any personal, academic, and career challenges. All of the counseling contact information is kept confidential. The only exceptions to confidentiality include: if there is imminent danger to yourself, to others or if legal requirements demand that confidential information be released to courts. You may also provide your written consent to disclose any information to another party that may provide further assistance to you.

How do you know if you should seek counseling? If you are asking yourself this question, it is the best indicator that you should pursue counseling. Thousands of students on college campuses pursue counseling services for a variety of reasons. For some, it may include feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, having eating problems, sleeping problems, relationship or family problems, sexual abuse, rape, drug and alcohol use, feeling lonely or guilty, having problems with classes or unsure about what career to pursue. For some students, some of these problems may have been occurring for a long time (e.g., at home), other times, problems may occur when starting college.  Another good indicator to pursue counseling is if you are having difficulties with academics, when your ability to concentrate or focus diminishes or when your pain becomes uncomfortable. Most important of all, keep in mind that you do not have to be sick to seek counseling. Often times the challenges that we experience are part of normal life development and counseling can prove to be beneficial in helping you cope and overcome these life experiences.

Isn't it best to try to fix my problems on my own? At times, yes this is the best thing to do. You have many skills, intellect and talents that have helped you to get here. When things get difficult you may seek the supportive resources that you have around you. These resources may include your family, friends, partners, peers, pastor, community leader, etc. Nonetheless, there may still be times when the people you love and respect do not fully understand what you are experiencing or may not know how to best help you. Counseling can therefore be another resource that you add to your toolbox to help you achieve academic and personal success. In addition, you may also want to utilize the counseling resources at IAP to consult about somebody else. If you are unsure about how to best help another Scholar, roommate, friend or family member you can discuss this with the counselor.

Do I have to pay for counseling? No. By being an IAP Scholar you receive personal counseling at no cost to you. If you have questions about the counseling process or would like to meet with the IAP Counselor, please contact Sasha Blum at (510) 643-9079.