At Maria College academic advisors play a crucial role in helping students pursue their academic and professional aspirations. They assist students in their academic growth and development by creating meaningful educational plans which are consistent with their life goals. The sensitive and thoughtful support and encouragement provided by academic advisors reflect the nurturing environment that defines the culture of Maria College.
What is Academic Advising?
All full time faculty members at Maria College serve as academic advisors to guide students along their academic pathway. All matriculating students are assigned an advisor who is a faculty member in their program of study. Advisors work closely with students on matters of course selection, degree requirements, schedule changes, specific educational needs, and career opportunities. Students should consult with their advisors before making any decisions that may affect their academic progress. Academic advising fosters the development of the whole student who is self-directed, motivated, and a responsible decision-maker and also facilitates the successful completion of degree requirements and timely graduation.
- Role of the Advisor
The advisor serves as:
- Facilitator of communication by creating an atmosphere of openness, caring and concern so that meaningful dialogue and trust can occur.
- Source of accurate information about program requirements, college academic policies and procedures.
- Coordinator of academic planning that includes course sequencing, scheduling options, and course adjustments through add/drop and course withdrawal processes.
- Agent of referral to other professionals and campus resources such as the Tutoring Center, Library, Counseling Services, and the Financial Aid Office.
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- Meeting with the Academic Advisor
- Students should meet with their advisors as often as needed to help develop and achieve their academic goals.
- Students must consult with their advisors to develop an academic schedule and to register for each approaching semester.
- Students must consult with their advisors and obtain their approval when considering any course or program adjustments 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
- changing their academic major
- Students should contact their advisors when encountering any academic problems. An advisor can recommend appropriate services on campus such as the Tutoring Center, the Counseling Center, etc.
- Advisor Responsibilities
The advisor is expected to:
- Proactively contact and be available to student advisees on a regular basis.
- Schedule and post adequate office hours for setting appointment times that are reasonable to accommodate student needs.
- Regularly communicate with advisees to monitor academic progress and to remind advisees of scheduled activities such as course selection prior to registration.
- Plan for extended advisement time during course selection periods prior to registration
- Safeguard confidentiality by meeting with each advisee in private.
- Be very familiar with program and college policies and procedures to facilitate accurate and reliable consultation on degree requirements and professional licensure needs if applicable.
- Assist students with planning a program of study based on their academic background, course prerequisites, and educational goals.
- Inform and if necessary, refer students to other institutional resources when academic, attitudinal, attendance, or other personal problems appear to require intervention by other professionals.
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- Advisee Responsibilities
The student advisee is expected to:
- Contact and schedule appointments with the advisor each semester as required or when in need of assistance.
- Be responsible for requesting transcripts of study completed at other colleges to be sent to the Office of the Registrar in a timely manner to facilitate well-informed course selection and program planning.
- Meet with the advisor every semester at the prescribed time to develop an academic schedule prior to registering for the approaching semester.
- Consult with the advisor when facing 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 and consultation to make well-informed decisions.
- Become knowledgeable and adhere to college and program policies, procedures and requirements.
- Read all communications from the college, academic department and advisor and respond accordingly and when required.
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- Summer Advisement
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 Dean of the College, Dr. Anne Jung at (518) 861-2532 or ajung@mariacollege.edu.
