Advisement

The advisor serves as a(n)

• facilitator of communication by creating an atmosphere of openness, caring and concern so that meaningful communication and trust can occur.
• source of accurate information about alternatives, limitations and possible consequences of academic decisions.
• coordinator of academic planning such as course sequencing, scheduling options, course adjustments (add/drop/withdrawal), and program requirements.
• assistant in helping the student to identify barriers to and explore strategies for academic success. This may include discussions on time management and study skills.
• agent of referral to other professionals and campus resources such as the Learning Resource Center, the library, counseling services, tutoring, and financial aid

Advisors are assigned to matriculated students by the Office of Student Records. A matriculated student is someone who has been accepted for admission to the College and is pursuing courses toward a degree or certificate.

• Incoming students who are accepted directly into their program of choice are assigned advisors from their program.
• Incoming students, who lack pre-requisites for the program they wish to enter at a later date and/or want to take courses to lighten the load once in the program, are assigned advisors from their program of intent, with the exception of students with intent for the nursing degree program.
• Students with intent for the nursing degree program are assigned advisors from the Liberal Arts/General Studies faculty.
• Incoming students who need to show academic maturity, those students who need to take initial pre-requisites prior to required courses and those students who are unsure of their immediate academic goals are advised by faculty from Liberal Arts/General Studies.
• Non- matriculated students are not assigned an advisor.

• You may meet with the advisor as often as needed to help plan for and achieve your overall goals. You should contact the advisor with any questions and concerns that come up at any point in the semester.
• You must consult with the advisor to plan for and to register for each upcoming semester.
• You must consult with the advisor when any course adjustments must be made, such as:
  • adding or dropping a course during the first week of the semester
  • withdrawing from a course after the first week of the semester
• You should contact you advisor if you encounter any academic problems. Your advisor can connect you with other services on campus such as the Learning Resource Center, the Counseling Center, etc.

The advisor is expected to:

• Maintain adequate office hours and appointment times that are reasonable to accommodate your needs.
• Keep all scheduled appointments and to notify you in advance if it is not possible to keep the scheduled appointment.
• Ensure confidentiality by meeting with you in private.
• Know college/program policies and procedures to effectively and accurately articulate specific degree requirements as well as college curriculum, and licensure requirements, if applicable.
• Maintain a complete, accurate, and confidential file in order to monitor your progress towards goals and graduation requirements.
• Assist you in setting and clarifying realistic academic, career, and life goals, and evaluate progress toward those goals.
• Assist you with planning a program of study which reflects your academic background, course prerequisites, and educational goals.

Adapted from Advising Skills, Techniques and Resources, David S. Crockett, Editor (NACADA)

The advisee is expected to:

• Learn the name and office location of your advisor early in his/her first semester.
• Schedule appointments with your advisor and to keep them. If you find that it is not possible to keep the scheduled appointment, you should notify your advisor before the appointed time.
• Understand program and college policies, procedures and requirements as listed in the catalog, student college handbook, and student program handbook, and accept the responsibility for fulfilling them.
• Be responsible for requesting transcripts to be sent to the Office of Student Records, in a timely manner, so that your advisor may assist the advisee in course selection based on transfer credits.
• Consult with your advisor on a regular basis, for course selection, when in academic difficulty, prior to changing majors, prior to making changes in an approved schedule, prior to transferring to another college, or withdrawing from college.
• Take responsibility for decisions made. The advisee will seek assistance with the decisions to be made rather than expect the advisor to make the decisions.
• Follow through with appropriate action after the advising session in a timely manner.
• Clarify personal values and goals in advance of the advisement session and will be prepared. The advisee will have an idea of the kind of courses required and a list of alternatives.

Adapted from Advising Skills, Techniques and Resources, David S. Crockett, Editor (NACADA)

Academic Advisors may be on campus less frequently or not at all during the summer sessions.  If advisement questions come up during the summer, please contact the Academic Dean, Dr. Margie Byrd at 438-3111 Ext. 213 or mbyrd@mariacollege.edu.

Registration Dates

New Student Orientation Dates

Deadlines