SA/08/AS/08/UEPC - Academic Advising Policy

Effective May 8, 2008

I. Mission Statement

The advising mission at CSU Stanislaus is to provide current and prospective undergraduate students academic advisement that is accurate, consistent, and timely so that students can develop meaningful educational plans compatible with career and life goals.

II. Statement of Philosophy

Effective academic advising is essential to the realization of the University’s instructional mission. The University strives to offer a workable program of academic advising for every enrolled undergraduate student. All students are entitled to accurate, reliable, consistent, and timely advising provided by faculty and Student Affairs Staff Advisors and to advising materials available on-line and in print. Students are encouraged, and in some cases required, to use advising services.

III. Goals and Objectives

• The goals of academic advising at CSU Stanislaus are:
  • Provide accurate and timely advising to students.
  • Offer readily available advising to meet the needs of students.
    • Be available during regularly scheduled advising hours.
    • Provide sufficient advising hours for day, evening, and branch campus students.
    • Provide multiple methods of current advising technologies.
  • Assist students with the development of meaningful educational plans and learning goals.
    • Help students understand the value of the general education program.
    • Assist students in choosing educational and career objectives compatible with their skills, interests, and abilities.
    • Assist students for education beyond the baccalaureate.
    • Assist first-time freshmen and transfer students in selecting appropriate courses.
  • Assist students with transitions from their previous academic environment.
    • Assist first-time and transfer students with acculturation to the university setting.
    • Assist and provide current and prospective students seeking information on major or minor declarations and/or changes.
  • Provide regular training for academic advisors on all relevant issues.
    • Provide advisor training on available university and community resources.
    • Maintain a current database for university and community resources for students and university advisors.
  • Recognize and reward faculty for outstanding advising.

IV. Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibility for the attainment of these goals is shared by students, faculty, staff and administration.

A. Responsibilities of Students

The ultimate responsibility for academic success rests with the student. Students are to seek academic advising at completion of 45 units and are expected to:

• Comply with the University’s published academic policies, regulations, and deadlines.

• Meet regularly with an advisor in the student’s major or, in the case of undeclared majors, advisors designated by the Academic Advising Office.

  • Students who have declared a major shall comply with departmental policies requiring students to meet with advisors.

  • Students who have not declared a major shall follow an academic advising plan for undeclared students.

  • Students are expected to take advantage of the resources available to them such as the student handbook, the academic calendar, the schedule of classes, and the university catalog when selecting or planning their program of study.

• Meet with the major/concentration/program advisor at a point determined by the major department/concentration/program(s) which lies between the completion of 75 and 90 units.

B. Responsibilities of the Vice President for Student Affairs

• Administer and monitor the University’s Advising Resource Center.
  • Assign an appropriate administrator to coordinate university efforts to improve academic advising and to monitor the implementation of approved policies and practices.
  • Secure the support and resources needed to assure the success of the university advising program.

C. Responsibilities of College Deans

• Supervise and monitor the development and implementation of clearly defined advising policies and practices within their colleges.
• Provide guidance and assistance to academic departments/programs to improve academic advising.
• Secure the support and resources needed to insure a successful advising program for their colleges.
• Recognize outstanding advisors.

D. Responsibilities of Academic Departments and Programs

• Standardize and publicize a comprehensive plan defining the department’s advising policies and procedures. It shall include:

  • Procedures for advisor selection or assignment.

  • Schedules for advising meetings with departmental advisors.

  • Frequency of required or suggested meetings with department faculty and/or peer advisors.

  • A plan for training and supervising peer advisors to insure they have knowledge of department programs and university policies (if the department elects to have a peer advisor program).

• Regularly evaluate advising services, including evaluative feedback from students and faculty.

E. Responsibilities of Faculty

Program faculty have responsibility for delivering advising services to students within their respective departments on matters related to the major degree programs of their departments.

• General objectives of departmental advisors are to:

  • Provide accurate, consistent, and timely information to allow students to develop meaningful educational plans compatible with career and life goals.

  • Assist students in planning their academic programs within the major and in resolving problems related to their progress towards a degree within the major.

  • Create a welcoming and supportive environment for advisees, recognizing a diverse student body.

• Specific responsibilities of Faculty Advisors are to:

  • Participate in advisor training sessions as needed in order to stay current on issues related to advising within the major.

  • Help the advisee understand the academic process within the respective college and department.

  • Explain department programs, options, entry requirements, expectations, and paths toward a degree.

  • Help the advisee plan a course of study related to a major within the college and department.

  • Refer advisees to other resources when appropriate.

  • Assist the advisee in the graduation application and clearance process as it relates to their major.

F. Responsibilities of Student Service Professional Advisors

Student Service Professional Advisors are primarily responsible for delivery of academic advising services to freshmen and sophomore students except for those students in departments that choose to do their own academic advising. Some advising services are provided for juniors and seniors in special major or programs (e.g., Communicative Disorders, EOP, and students transitioning between majors).

• General responsibilities of Student Service Professional Advisors:

  • Assist students with the development of meaningful educational plans compatible with career and life goals.

  • Work with the General Education Director and the General Education Subcommittee to provide general education advising for prospective, entering, and continuing students.

  • Assist students in making course selections, including lower division major prerequisites and other program requirements.

  • Create a welcoming environment for advisees.

• Specific responsibilities of Student Service Professional Advisors:

  • Provide accurate, consistent, and timely advising.

  • Develop and administer a comprehensive academic advising program for students with undeclared majors.

  • Administer an advising/counseling program for students on academic probation.

  • Provide in-depth, on-going training for faculty and peer advisors.

  • Organize and implement the University’s orientation program for new students and coordinate these programs with departmental advising activities.

  • Review and certify the general education/All-University Requirements portion of all undergraduate graduation evaluations.

  • Assist Enrollment Services, including Admissions and Evaluations, and the Office of Information Technology in developing needed mechanisms for departments to implement their advising programs. 

  • Provide transfer evaluation review, course selection, and registration assistance to new and continuing students.

  • Advise students regarding general education courses, major prerequisites, graduation requirements, university procedures, rules and regulations, and other student services.

  • Assist students in identifying academic problems, evaluating them realistically, and dealing with their aptitudes and abilities as related to their particular needs.

  • Help students select appropriate educational goals and develop individual education plans.

  • Review and advise students regarding evaluations, remedial contracts, academic disqualification/reinstatements, petitions, and appeals.

  • Establish regular contact and monitor each student’s academic progress, including assisting students with a smooth transition to their major departments.

  • Participate, when possible, in the planning and delivery of academic advising services for new students and parents during orientation.

  • Train and supervise peer advisors to insure they have knowledge of university resources, methods of student mentoring, and new student orientation.

G. Responsibilities of the Office of Enrollment Services

• Deliver in a timely manner the student data needed to maintain departmental advising files.

• Coordinate the implementation of priority and late registration with departmental advising activities and University orientations.

• Provide staff to assist with training and answering questions of faculty and peer advisors.

• Provide degree audit information.

• Include with the student’s advising hold notification message the identification of the appropriate advisor for releasing the advising hold.

H. Responsibility of Information Technology

• Provide the programming support needed to implement effective advising.

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