Academic Advising

Advising model and assignment

Professional advisors (32 FTE): Housed in the Student Success Center (Founders Hall 200), caseload ~300 each. All first-years assigned a professional advisor (by college/school) for years 1–2. Faculty mentors (180+): Every major has faculty advisors; students transition at 45 credits (or declaration) to a faculty mentor in their department (caseload ~20). Dual-advising period (credits 30–45): both professional + faculty advisor visible in portal, student chooses primary. Special populations: Honors (dedicated Honors advisor), Athletes (2 athletic academic coordinators), International (2 international student advisors, SEVIS), Veterans (1 VA certifying official + advisor), First-gen (First-Gen Success Coach, 1 FTE). Accessibility: Drop-ins Mon–Fri 10–12 & 1–3 (15 min), scheduled 30-min appointments (book in portal, 2-week horizon), virtual option (Teams). Advising week (week before registration opens): required 30-min meeting for all students — hold lifted only after meeting.

The advising syllabus

Advising is teaching — every advising relationship has a syllabus (posted in portal, reviewed at first meeting):

• Learning outcomes: Navigate curriculum, interpret degree audit, connect co-curricular to goals, develop self-advocacy.
• Required meetings: 1) Orientation (30 min, before classes), 2) Mid-semester check-in (week 6, progress, resources), 3) Pre-registration (advising week), 4) End-of-year reflection (goals, resume, summer plan).
• Communication norms: Advisor responds within 2 business days; student checks portal/email daily during registration windows.
• Portfolio: Student maintains Advising Portfolio (OneNote template): degree plan, co-curricular log, reflection entries, resume drafts.
• Assessment: Mid-year advisor feedback survey (anonymous, improves practice); annual advising outcomes report (retention, graduation, satisfaction).

Degree audit and registration

uAchieve Degree Audit (real-time, portal-integrated): shows completed, in-progress, planned, and remaining requirements for declared major/minor/certificate. What-if audit: Test any major/minor/certificate combination instantly. Registration: Portal opens by credit tier (seniors → juniors → sophomores → first-years). Advising hold: Placed 2 weeks before registration; lifted only after documented advising meeting (advisor enters note + lifts hold in system). Waitlist: Auto-enroll when seat opens (notify via email, 24 hrs to accept). Add/drop: First 5 days (free), days 6–10 ($25/course), after day 10 (petition only, Dean’s approval). Withdrawal: Through week 10 (W on transcript, no GPA impact); after week 10 (WP/WF, instructor discretion). Summer/winter: Separate registration (opens March/Oct), no advising hold.

Major exploration and changes

Exploratory Studies (undeclared): 15% of first-years. Assigned to Exploratory Advisors (3 FTE, specialize in cross-college pathways). Major Exploration Series (fall, weekly): College deans + faculty + alumni panels (Engineering, Health, Business, Arts, Sciences). Major Change Process: 1) Meet current advisor (exit interview), 2) Meet new advisor (entry interview), 3) Submit Major Change Form (portal), 4) New advisor updates degree plan → Registrar processes (2 business days). No penalty: Credits apply to new audit; only limit is 150% of degree credits for financial aid. Double major/minor: Declare by 90 credits (form + both advisors sign); minor by 105 credits. Certificate stacking: 12-credit certificates (GIS, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Data Analytics) designed to fit within electives.

Probation, recovery, and early alert

Academic Probation: Term GPA < 2.0 or cumulative < 2.0 → Academic Recovery Program (mandatory): weekly 30-min meetings with Recovery Advisor (specialized caseload ~80), Learning Strategy Workshop (5 weeks, 1 hr: time management, active reading, test prep, growth mindset), Tutoring referral (required 2 hrs/week, Student Services Tutoring Center). Suspension: Probation for 2 consecutive terms → 1-semester suspension (appealable to Dean). Early Alert: Faculty submit alerts (weeks 3, 6, 9) for: missing assignments, low quiz scores, attendance drops. Response: Advisor reaches out within 48 hrs (text + email + call), schedules 15-min triage. Recovery outcomes (2024): 68% of probation students returned to good standing in 1 semester; 89% retained to next year.

Graduate and professional advising

Graduate programs: Each program has a Graduate Program Director (faculty) + Graduate Coordinator (staff) — advising on: plan of study, committee formation, milestone tracking (qualifying exam, proposal, defense), funding (GA/TA/RA), professional development. Pre-health/pre-law: 2 dedicated advisors (Pre-Health: MD/DO, PA, PT, OT, Pharm, Vet, Dental, Optometry; Pre-Law: LSAT timeline, personal statement, school selection, letters). Pre-health committee letter: Composite letter (interview + file review) for med/dental/vet — 92% acceptance rate for committee-letter applicants. Career integration: Career Services advisors embedded in Student Success Center (cross-referrals, joint workshops: resume + degree plan, interview + course selection).