An advising relationship is a partnership between you and your advisor or counselor. Your advisor or counselor is your consultant, helping you understand your requirements and your options, but you make the decisions - you are in charge of your education!
Your Advisor or Counselor ...
- Is responsible for providing you with accurate information about the university's programs, requirements, policies, and procedures that you need to make informed academic choices.
- Can assist you in making educational plans consistent with your goals, abilities and interests - your advisor is interested in you and what you want to do.
- Will ask you questions to get to know you better and to help you clarify your thinking.
- Will assist you in exploring alternatives and determining a realistic course load.
- Will assist you in selecting courses and combinations of courses that best meet your individual and academic goals and requirements.
- Can assist in helping you solve problems related to requirements.
- Can help clarify university, college and major requirements, policies and procedures.
- Can refer you to appropriate sources of information and assistance.
- Keeps notes of issues you discussed and information you were given.
- Keeps your records private, as required by law.
You ...
- Can share your interests, concerns, hopes, and goals with your advisor or counselor - the better they know you, the better they can advise you.
- Take initiative to contact your advisor or counselor when you have a question or concern - don't wait until you get into academic difficulty before seeing your advisor.
- Make decisions about your program and courses, and develop plans that are realistic to achieve your academic, career and personal goals.
- Take your assessment exams, and complete orientation to gain the information you need to plan your program.
- Check course prerequisites, to be sure you are prepared to succeed in the course.
- Know what information is available from the catalog, class schedule, and web site and use them actively.
- Check course availability on the web.
- Become familiar with the institution's policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Become familiar with the full range of campus resources, and use all those you need.
- Track your progress, and satisfy all requirements for your degree program.
- Keep an updated curriculum checklist for your total education plan.
- Communicate with your advisor/counselor regularly, and follow his or her recommendations.
- Have your school records available when seeking advising help.