I love the major, the classes are great, my advisor is very helpful and understands my academic needs. ~ D. Fontaine, Junior, Gen. Animal Science MajorThe advisor / student relationship should be one of the most significant aspects of a students college experience. Academic advisors provide essential guidance and will assist with course selection each semester. In addition, advisors offer valuable career information and often help students obtain useful practical experiences and may help establish professional contacts.
The department that offers the student's major has assigned a faculty advisor starting their first semester. If a student changes their major, they need to change to an advisor in the new major. If at any point a student decides that they need to change advisors, please contact the department support person for the major, and she/he will help make that change. Please feel free to contact Student Services if you have any questions or concerns about advising.
Students may contact advisors by phone, e-mail or in person. If they are having difficulty reaching their advisor, they should ask for help from the support person in their department who may know, for example, if the advisor is unavailable for a long period of time.
It is the student's responsibility to contact their advisor if they are having difficulty with courses or course load. If something is causing a student to struggle in class (sickness, personal problems, or a learning disability), the student should contact the advisor and/or Rose Laba for help and information. Faculty advisors and students are encouraged to review courses and requirements, including the CALS Core Requirements, early and often to avoid unnecessary frustration when problems are identified close to the anticipated semester of graduation. If a student has transfer credits, it is especially important to verify the credits as early as possible.
If students receive a warning letter from a course instructor they should see the advisor and seek guidance. There are many resources available to assist students through out the semester.
When students reach senior status in CALS, they must complete a senior record check before graduation, which should coincide with the CATS report. The first semester of the senior year is the ideal time to meet with an advisor to complete this form.
To summarize: students should feel comfortable consulting with their
advisor for a variety of academically related reasons.As
the advisee, students need to contact the advisor and be on
time and prepared to meet with them. Hopefully both the student and the advisor will
make a lasting connection that will contribute to academic success
at
the University and future endeavors.
Last modified September 29 2009 12:10 PM
