General Information About Academic Advising

How can Your Advisor Help You?

Your advisor can assist you in many ways including the following:

• Selecting your course schedule
• Choosing a major
• Mapping out your educational plan
• Improving your study skills
• Referring you to helpful university services Applying for graduation

What Can You Expect When You Meet With Your Advisor?

Your advisor will…

• Attempt to understand your college and life responsibilities and assist you in balancing them
• Assist you in choosing a major by providing intentional processes that will assist you in clarifying your values, educational goals, and life goals.
• Provide you with accurate, up-to-date information regarding the requirements of the degree you plan to pursue
• Assist you in selecting courses
• Orient you to university policies and procedures pertinent to your issues/concerns
• Challenge you to develop strong decision-making and self-advocacy skills
• Promote self-directed learning
• Refer you to the appropriate campus resources when necessary
• Educate you about online advisement resources
• Attempt to create a rapport with you based on open communication and mutual respect

Your advisor will not…

• Make your decisions for you
• Register you for courses or make changes to your schedule (although we will be happy to teach you how to do these things online or through the Registrar’s Office)
• Approach professors or university administrators on your behalf to resolve an issue
• Speak to anyone (including parents/guardians) about your records (i.e. grades, academic progress) unless you provide written authorizations that allows us to share this information

What Will Your Advisor Expect From You?

Because the advisement relationship is a mutual endeavor, you will need to be prepared to do the following to get the most out of your meetings:

• Know who your advisor is and keep in touch with him/her
• Initiate advisement appointments and seek campus mentors to assist you in navigating through your higher education experience
• Openly share information about your career and educational goals, your responsibilities outside of college, and your particular skills and challenges
• Take a proactive approach in investigating and eventually choosing a major, with guidance from your advisor if necessary
• Do all that you can to be academically successful including approaching professors periodically to go over progress and seeking assistance when performing poorly in a course
• Be knowledgeable about your progress toward graduation; review your transcripts for accuracy and apply for graduation the semester before you plan to finish your graduation requirements