V530.09 Academic Advising
The mission of the academic advising program is to promote student development, provide resources for academic success, and prepare students for their careers, citizenship, and their lives. Academic advising is coordinated through the Office of the Registrar. Each student is assigned an adviser at the time of enrollment from the appropriate academic program area.
The assigned adviser assists the student with interpreting academic requirements and regulations, establishing career and educational goals, and determining course schedules. The adviser will also advocate for student success and persistence. While input from other professionals on campus is valuable, the official adviser serves as the best individual on campus for students to seek counsel from in terms of their program, course scheduling, and achieving academic success.
The student has the primary responsibility for making decisions about career and educational plans and for meeting all appropriate academic requirements. The student is responsible for meeting with their official adviser at least once per semester to receive assistance with class scheduling.
The adviser, through collaboration with the advisee, will maintain an advising record containing general and pertinent information. The adviser adds or changes information as the student progresses academically and personally.
A student may request a change of adviser at any time. Advisers must be approved by the appropriate department's chair. Any change is processed in the Office of the Registrar.
INSTITUTIONAL PROCESS
- Undergraduate, degree seeking students, including undeclared, will be assigned an adviser at the time of their matriculation.
- Advisees will be assigned to advisers based on guidelines provided by each academic department.
- Advisee assignments will be communicated to the academic departments.
- Undeclared students and University Studies may be assigned to the Director for Student Academic Services.
- Upon assignment, Advisers will make contact with new advisees to begin the advising relationship, communicate any department expectations, and describe advising work flow.
- Departments are expected to determine advising expectations for students in their programs. Expectations may include, but are not limited to: required advising sessions, group advising, or use of non-department based advising.
- Departments will coordinate with Student Academic Services, the Registrar’s Office, and other campus services to ensure expectations are being upheld.
- Requests for changes to an academic plan should be initiated by the student using the "Major Minor, Certificate, or Advisor Change Form" found in OneStop.
- Changes to an academic plan may require a change of adviser. New advisers will be assigned by the Office of the Registrar, based on guidelines provided by academic departments.
- The Office of the Registrar will communicate the change of academic plan and adviser assignment to the necessary faculty members and department chairs.
- Newly assigned faculty advisers are responsible to communicate with the previous adviser to gather any information maintained in the student’s advising record.
- Students wanting to change advisers should complete the "Major Minor, Certificate, or Advisor Change Form" found in OneStop.
- Students may indicate their first choice of new adviser on the form.
- The Registrar will consult with the department chair when there is a discrepancy between the student request and the general guidance provided by the department for assigning advisors.
- The department chair may also recommend a different adviser be assigned in order to maintain faculty workload balance and to ensure appropriate faculty assignments.
Sponsored by: Vice President for Academic Affairs
Effective: Fall, 1990
Reviewed:
Revised Number: February 2010
Revised: August 2016
Revised Spring 2022