Academic Advising
It is University policy that each student is entitled to academic advising. Advising expedites course selection and helps the student create a personal academic program suited to his or her needs and the University’s graduation requirements.
Each undergraduate student is strongly encouraged to work closely with his or her assigned advisor in selecting Liberal Arts Core courses, major and minor offerings and elective courses from other disciplines. If a student has more than one major or minor they are encouraged to see advisors in each area of study prior to course registration.
Academic planning is best achieved when a student works with a qualified advisor. Declared students are assigned a faculty advisor in the program. Advisor names can be found in Ursa, under “Registration Tools,” by clicking on “View Student Information.” If an advisor name is not present, call the department of the specified major to have an advisor assigned. Students declared as Exploring and selected 'seeking' majors are advised by SOAR. Each advisor has access to a complete summary of a student’s academic records, which are updated each semester.
Information provided by the Office of the Registrar and information from advising sessions with the student equip the advisor to help with a variety of academic issues, procedures and opportunities.
All students are encouraged to make full use of the advising system including, but not limited to, a visit to an advisor before registration each semester. Appointments are encouraged for all students, and are mandatory in most offices, to receive a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the upcoming semester class registration.
The PIN changes each semester and is required in order to register for upcoming semester classes. For a misplaced PIN, contact the advisor who issued the PIN. Summer and Interim sessions do not require a PIN. Students changing majors must meet with an academic advisor in the newly declared major to obtain a PIN.