The Advising Session

Roles and Responsibilities of Students and Advisers

What Happens in a typical Advising Session?

• Inform the student of your office hours, phone number, and E-mail address
• Review students progress in the major
• Refer Student to Appropriate Campus Resources as needed
• Learn about your advisees' personal and career goals
• Discuss questions/problems/discrepancies related to the student's STAR
• Discuss and Suggest course options and priorities
  

You will want to guide the student to appropriate course selections for his or her degree and major. Student’s often have questions about the applicability of course work to their desired life’s goals and objectives. Your understanding of the curriculum supporting your discipline area will prove an invaluable resource in guiding student’s in their course selection. Occasionally, the following extra-curricular activities will impact a student’s course scheduling:

         1) work hours/internship

         2) scholarships and student loans

         3) athletics

         4) an international student

• Document the Session

Documenting your recommendations and the issues covered in a given advising session is important for a number of reasons: it encourages consistency of practice, it communicates to the student the importance of the session, and it records for future advising appointments the important points discussed in the meeting with the student. Generally speaking, basic documentation should include the following:

           1) Date of meeting

           2) Suggested classes

           3)  Follow up actions for student

           4) Special circumstances/Adviser notes

• Be aware of student information confidentiality

Students come to faculty advisers with various levels of expectations and experience. You will find yourself meeting with some advisees new to the campus (transfer) as well as students who have spent a number of years on campus. At the start of any advisement session, you may wish to review the student's STAR to determine that the student’s degree plan/major(s)/minor(s) are correct. Some students may need to see two advisers. If the student is in the University Honors Program, Project Success, or has a double major/double degree he or she should see all of the appropriate program adviser(s). If the student has declared a pre-professional program (e.g. pre-medicine or pre-law or pre-engineering), the student will want to consult with the pre-professional adviser in the Undergraduate Advising Resource Center in Student Success Center Suite 202.

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