8.2 Academic Advisement

Academic advising is essential to the discovery and development of the academic potential of students. The advising process includes the collection, interpretation, and delivery of a plethora of information. Advisers must disseminate accurate, up-to-date information regarding educational programs, curricula, courses of instruction, resources, policies and procedures, and career options to aid students in pursuing their educational goals. The adviser is a "system coordinator" who attempts to blend the student's needs with the resources available via the faculty, academic classes, academic support services, and counseling services. The key element of the advising process is the adviser/student relationship. Through this relationship, the adviser helps a student to select, plan, monitor, and complete educational goals.

At the Florida State University, academic advising is generally conducted by faculty advisers in the student's major, coordinated by the Undergraduate Advising Center The Undergraduate Advising Center advises undecided students and places special emphasis on working with students who are encountering academic problems of any kind.

The Undergraduate Advising Center; publishes the Academic Adviser's Handbook; which contains the "Official University Policy on Advising" (reprinted below) as well as a broad collection of information to assist advisers in their work with students. The Center operates SASS (Student Academic Support System), an excellent tool with which all advisors should be familiar.

8.2.1 The Student Academic Support System (SASS)

The Student Academic Support System (SASS) is a computerized academic advising system which reads a student's permanent academic record and processes the courses taken against the academic requirements for the student's degree program, producing a report showing which requirements the student has satisfied and what is still needed in order for the student to complete work toward the degree. Reports are produced each semester just prior to the advising period and are distributed to students through academic advisers. Students may also request SASS reports at any time through the Undergraduate Advising Center.

8.2.2 Official University Policy on Advising.

General Statement on Advising

To progress satisfactorily through a degree program, each student must have available ample and accurate academic advisement, tailored to individual educational needs. The Florida State University is committed to a strong program of effective academic advising for all of its students. The Florida State University understands academic advisement to be a function considerably broader than assistance with course scheduling. Academic advising is a process which helps students interpret the values and benefits of higher education, assists students in their choice of educational and career objectives commensurate with interests and abilities, and examines the consequences of possible short- and long-range goals.

The faculty and staff of the University affirms its responsibility to make available to every student information about academic policies and requirements, timely notification of changes either in the University's policies and curricula or in the student's academic standing, assistance in evaluating course options and in planning successful completion of educational goals, guidance in developing decision making skills, and referral to the various academic and student support services on campus available to help the student make the most of his or her educational opportunities. Further, the faculty and staff affirms its responsibilities in the advising process.

8.2.3 The Faculty's Role in Advisement

1. Each department, school or college will formulate its own plan to meet undergraduate advising needs and problems. The plan shall include attention to appropriate advising loads and to the method of recognizing and rewarding individual advisers' work in advisement for purposes of annual evaluation, promotion and tenure. The plan, agreed upon by the appropriate unit, shall be filed with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and updated annually.

2. Each unit shall designate one member of the faculty as director or coordinator of undergraduate advising for the unit. This faculty member will serve as the unit's liaison with the Division of Undergraduate studies to solve special advising problems. Units shall also monitor closely the quality of their advising and ensure that it meets the goals of the University.

3. The unit will not assign a first semester faculty member to advising unless there is ample evidence of prior college- level advising experience. Each adviser shall attend a workshop before he or she begins advising duties for the first time and at least every two years thereafter.

4. Recognizing that sound advisement and a successful undergraduate experience should begin even before the student arrives on campus, units shall communicate with students accepted as freshmen or transfer students, outlining requirements and preparatory work expected for specific degree programs. Such contact with admitted students shall be coordinated with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

5. Each unit will provide a planning guide for lower division students working toward their majors, designed to help students understand course requirements, prerequisites and sequences, to enable them to move into the major as efficiently and as well prepared as possible. A similar planning guide will be available for junior and senior students in the majors. Both guides will be filed and updated annually with the Division of Undergraduate Studies.

6. Advisers should be aware that students transferring to FSU after the freshman year have as great a need for detailed information and advisement as do freshmen. Extra care should be taken to inform these students of The Florida State University's rules and regulations which may differ from their previous college-level experience.

7. Advisers should also be aware of the special needs of the undecided students they advise. Directors or coordinators of advising in each unit should take care to inform advisers of the Undergraduate Studies Advising Center, CCIS, and other services on campus available to students.

8. Advisers should inform students who may have other special needs (part-time students, disabled students, returning students, minority students, etc.) to the student support services available to them. Directors or coordinators of advising in each unit will ensure that advisers are aware of these student support services.

9. Advisers should take a role in identifying students who are working toward certain majors which may be inappropriate (e.g., a student with low math test scores and/or poor math preparation seeking a major in computer sciences or engineering.) Such students may be referred to the Advising Center for help in clarifying their interests, abilities and academic options.

10. Units should identify students who have declared a limited access major but who, it appears, are unlikely to be able to meet the special admission requirements of that major. Such students should be made aware as early as possible of the strong likelihood that their intended major will be closed to them; advisers may wish to refer these students to the Advising Center.

8.2.4 The Student's Role in Advisementt

The Florida State University expects students to assume an ever increasing responsibility for their own academic progress as they move through the University. To accomplish this goal, each student will:

1. Assume responsibility for knowing the rules, regulations and policies of the University and the requirements pertaining to his or her degree program, and will consult the University Bulletin and Directory of Classes for up-to-date information.

2. Furnish a current address and immediately inform the Office of the Registrar of any change of address.

3. Know his or her adviser, make timely contact with the adviser upon arrival on campus, and continue to see the adviser at least once a term until achieving junior status.

4. See his or her adviser immediately after being placed on academic warning or probation.

5. Notify the appropriate Dean's office of any change in intended major or any problems he or she is experiencing with advisement.

6. Recognize that the matriculation catalog governs each student's graduation requirements. This catalog remains in effect for six years for the Bachelor's degree.