Lesson 14: Advising

Attention

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify the services Academic Advisors provide
  • Describe how to prepare for a meeting with their academic advisor

Teaching

Get Advised!

Academic advising is one of the most important services that is available to you as a student at KVCC

What Advising Is The word "advising" suggests "recommending," "suggesting," and "informing." The prerequisite for all this is listening. Faculty Advisors can be of great help to you in shaping your college program while still letting you make most of the decisions. An Advisor's input is especially important to first-year students.
What Advising is not

Academic advising is not:

- Having a faculty member choose courses for you or decide what major you should declare. (Of course, as noted above, we do need to make sure that certain courses are taken.) Good advising empowers students to make meaningful choices that direct their studies toward a goal.

- Personal counseling. Students that have personal problems that are interfering with studies, are ordinarily referred professions

What You Can Expect From Your Advisor


You can expect your advisor to be available to you for consultation on the matters noted above (What Advising Is). Your advisor should make his or her office hours available to you. You can get in touch, by phone, e-mail, etc.

Your advisor will want to meet with you at least a few times a semester. This is especially true for first-year students, who should meet with their advisor three times in the fall semester:

  • to get acquainted
  • to discuss midterm grades and get instructions for registration
  • to prepare for registration
  • Advisors are sensitive to the fact that some students need more advising than others. You may have more or fewer meetings with your advisor, as your needs require
What Your Advisor Expects From You
  • Contact your advisor at any time as questions about your academic program, or other issues arise
  • Talk about dropping a class in mid-semester BEFORE you do it
  • Come in if you are in academic trouble
  • See your advisor before registering for classes, and get his or her recommendations for courses

Your academic advisor is the person whom you will consult regarding course selection and the overall planning of your degree. Listed below are some examples of general reasons for which you might consult with an advisor. You are encouraged to meet with your academic advisor as frequently as needed and for whatever reason you see fit.

  • College admission requirements, Major/Minor Information, and General Education (GE) requirements
  • Degree Planning
  • Academic Policies
  • Graduation (verification of degree completion)
  • Transfer Credit Review
  • College Resources

Making the most of your Advising Relationship

Academic advisors are here to help you make the best choices. They cannot however do that alone. The level of your participation is directly related to the type of relationship you have with your advisor. For a successful relationship, both advisors and students need to fulfill their responsibilities.

You should:

  • Prepare a list of questions before your advising meeting
  • Observe academic deadlines
  • Schedule regular advising appointments in order to monitor your academic progress. You should check-in at least once a year via appointment; more often via e-mail
  • Accept a decision you made. An advisor will present options, along with pros and cons. The decision is ultimately yours
  • Inform you advisor, immediately, whenever you have a serious problem (e.g., medical, personal, financial) that disrupts your ability to attend classes and/or succeed
  • Create a folder just for your advising materials. Advisors will often write notes on your degree audit or other documents, it is important to keep these notes.
  • Talk with your advisor about your concerns if you do not see eye-to-eye. If you both agree that your relationship will not work, you might want to contact your college advising office and request a new advisor

Assessment

Lesson 14 Quiz

Be sure to complete the lesson quiz.

Lesson 14 Discussion

(If you have not already met with your academic advisor please schedule an appointment)

Please explain what you should bring with you to a meeting with your advisor. Create at least four questions that you would ask your academic advisor that are relevant to your educational goals. If you have met with your advisor, describe what the meeting was like.