Advisors Workshop September 15 2014 Academic Advising Academic
Advisors Workshop September 15, 2014
Academic Advising Academic advising is a decision-making process through which students, aided by advisors, maximize the educational experience through interaction specifically pertinent to both curricular and career planning.
Advisor Responsibilities 1. To provide students with appropriate guidance relative to their academic programs and curriculum requirements. 2. To assist students in course selection. 3. To assist students in choosing educational and career objectives commensurate with their interests, strengths, and abilities. 4. To assist students in exploring the possible short-term and long-range consequences of their choices.
Advisor Responsibilities (Cont. ) 5. To make students aware of the wide range of services and educational opportunities that may be pertinent to their educational objectives. 6. To encourage students to engage in the intellectual atmosphere that is available at this University. 7. To expose students to the existing needs for community service—locally, nationally, and internationally. 8. To provide students with information regarding how to contact the advisor, i. e. , telephone number, e-mail address, office hours, and, in case the advisor cannot be reached, who to contact in case of emergency.
Student Responsibilities 1. To know and follow all policies as outlined in official documents, e. g. , Loma Linda University Catalog, Loma Linda University Student Handbook. 2. To know and meet graduation and other requirements. (The student is ultimately responsible for ensuring both timely registration and completion of required courses. ) 3. To make every reasonable effort to obtain adequate academic advising. At least once a term, ideally before registration, contact an advisor to obtain current academic information and to ensure that acceptable progress is being made toward academic goals. 4. To evaluate the academic advisement process and procedures.
Advisor Step-by-Steps
Practical Advising • There are four main points of contact expected between student and advisor: • Acceptance/Confirmation • Registration • Check-in Points • Degree Completion
Acceptance/Confirmation • Review acceptance letter for expectations (e. g. , co-requisites) • Create contract with advisee on degree plan (include timing of corequisites) • Course articulations available www. llu. edu/students • Check New Student Portal to ensure advisee is ready for first registration
Registration • Once registration begins the Registration Portal contains appropriate deadlines and holds (student receives email when registration is open) • Check advisor registration emails against degree plan • Review DCR/Degree Plan (ready within first term of matriculation) - if not available and needed for an advising meeting contact University Records so it can be prioritized
Registration (Cont. ) • When students make course schedule changes federal regulations require that the changes be reported within specified timelines: • Financial Aid: 14 calendar days to return funds (for dropped units) • International Student Services: 30 calendar days to report load change to immigration • University Records: 30 calendar days to report load change and any resulting monetary difference to VA for certified students • University Records: 15 calendar days to report load change to NSLDS
Student Degree Plan • Block course programs: Courses and timing are already determined - if student goes off block an individualized student degree plan is required • Non-block course programs: The advisor and student should develop an outline of the complete graduate experience, with time and activities specified as fully as possible (both course and non-course requirements).
Check-In Points • Registration emails sent to primary advisors • Block course programs: only sent when courses outside the block are changed • Non-block course programs: sent each time advisee clears finance and when student “un-clears” to change schedule • Update degree plan as needed (e. g. , failed course, course not offered selected term, etc. ) • Submit Academic Variances as soon as possible
Degree Completion • Graduation Petition (turned in two terms before expected completion) • Non-block course programs • Students who are offblock • Evaluate DCR/Degree Plan (especially the two terms before expected completion) • All programs
Loma Linda University Ownership
Student Expectations • University Marketing and Enrollment Management Initiatives • Advisor responsibilities related to group sponsorship • Student Mistreatment Policy • Academic Integrity
Good to Know Other Pieces to the Puzzle
Time To Degree • Master’s degree: Five years from admittance • Doctoral degree: Seven years from admittance • Approved leaves are included in time to degree
Length of Program • Federal regulations require “normal” length of program limits to dictate expected graduation date • Length of program forms submitted to Office of the Provost to enter in University Catalog handed off to Financial Aid to originate loans sent to University Records to update expected graduation dates
Course Credit Expiration • Master’s degree: courses nullified seven years after completion date • Doctoral degree: courses nullified eight years after completion date • Courses can be revalidated upon petition to show competency (e. g. , conferences, reading, teaching, etc. )
Grading • Grades are due three business days after completion of course as built in the course schedule • Repercussions of late grades (not an exhaustive list): • Potential financial aid implications • Potential Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) implications • Inability to graduate on time • Unnecessary pre-requisite holds
Course Scheduling Notes • Canceling courses: • Student and Financial Aid receive a notification when a course is cancelled - student is advised to work with advisor to select other course(s) within program if more units are required • Independent study courses: • “Offered to provide opportunity for a student to have a special academic experience beyond that offered in his/her regular classwork” (Academic Policy C-9, 11 a) • Courses listed in catalog must always be taken under their course prefix and number, regardless of class size • Unless included in curriculum independent study courses cannot be used to establish financial aid or international student eligibility
Resources • Wednesday Morning meetings (ad hoc) • Wiki. Records • Become a watcher and receive notifications and updates of procedures and processes • Advisors Manual (Updated 9/2014) • www. llu. edu/students • Student tools • Student Services access
Demonstrations
www. llu. edu/students
Degree Compliance Report (DCR) www. llu. edu/students
Degree. Works
Thank you! Erin Seheult, Director of University Records eseheult@llu. edu | x 87895 | cell: 909 -838 -8831
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