32-00 Advising Policy
32-00 Advising Policy-
32-10 The University's Advising Program
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32-20 The Nature of the University's Advising Program
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32-30 Responsibilities of Advisers and Advisees
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32-40 Assignment of Adviser
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32-50 Audit of Unfulfilled Requirements
The policies of Section 32-00 define the goals and purposes of the
university's academic advising program.
The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to
help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their
intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both
in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed
learners and decision makers.
Editorial Revision 4/10/07
The policies of Section 32-10 describe the structure of the University's
advising program.
Oversight of the University's academic advising program rests with the
University Advising Council. This Council will be chaired by the Vice
President and Dean for Undergraduate Education and will consist of two
faculty who are members of the Senate Committee on Undergraduate
Education, two students, two academic advisers, and two administrators
appointed by the Chair of the Council. The Council will have sufficient
authority to aid all academic units in improving the delivery of their
advising programs in accordance with the criteria for effective advising
listed below. The Council will guide the following policies and assess the
quality of the University's advising program.
Editorial Revision 4/10/07
Each
academic unit will establish an academic advising program designed to meet
the goals set forth in 32-00. An effective academic advising program
possesses the following elements:
- POLICY. An advising policy stating the program's
philosophy and practice and what students can expect from the advising
program.
- STRUCTURE. An organizational model for the delivery
of effective advising.
- SUPPORT. Appropriate information, resources, and
electronic systems to work effectively with students.
- PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT . On-going professional development for all advisers within
a comprehensive development program.
- DELIVERY. Strategies to accommodate the specific
advising needs of the unit's advisees.
- FIRST YEAR STUDENTS. Assurance that all students in
their first two semesters of study at the University, including all
transfer students, will consult with an academic adviser.
- FREQUENCY OF CONSULTATIONS. Workable guidelines
concerning the ratio of advisees to adviser and the frequency with which
they should consult.
- RECOGNITION AND REWARD. Recognition of academic
advising in the general rewards structure.
- ASSESSMENT. A comprehensive assessment to
measure the effectiveness of the advising program.
Editorial Revision 4/10/07
The policies of section 32-30 delineate the responsibilities of advisers
and advisees within each of the various university advising systems.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising
relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in
their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit
of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's
unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic
adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and
referrals to other specialized resources. The college or department also
will monitor the progress of its advisees towards satisfactory completion
of all graduation requirements and inform students of their status each
semester. Advisees in turn will routinely contact their advisers each
semester and will assume final responsibility for course scheduling,
program planning, and the successful completion of graduation
requirements.
A. Responsibilities of Advisers
The Academic Adviser's Role is to:
- Help the advisee to understand the nature of the University's academic programs and to understand the expected standards of achievement and likelihood of success in certain areas of study. The
adviser also seeks to understand each advisee's particular concerns
affecting academic progress.
- The adviser helps the advisee to follow appropriate University procedures and to understand their purposes. The adviser neither grants nor denies administrative approval for the advisee's particular academic actions.
- Discuss the educational and career objectives suited to the advisee's
demonstrated abilities and expressed interests. The adviser helps the
advisee to understand the relationships among the courses, General Education, University requirements, programs,
undergraduate research opportunities, internships, study abroad
programs, and other academic experiences provided by the university.
- Help the advisee to plan a course of study and give advice about
courses and the adjustment of course loads. The adviser will inform the
advisee about the prerequisites for subsequent courses in the advisee's
program.
- Refer advisees to other resources when appropriate.
- Participate in the professional development provided by each college
or department to keep informed and current.
B. Responsibilities of Advisees
The Advisee's Role is to:
- Acquire the information needed to assume final responsibility for
course scheduling, program planning, and the successful completion of
all graduation requirements.
- Seek the academic and career information needed to meet educational
goals.
- Become knowledgeable about the relevant policies, procedures, and
rules of the University, college, and academic program.
- Be prepared with accurate information and relevant materials when
contacting the adviser.
- Consult with the adviser at least once a semester to decide on
courses, review the accuracy of the degree audit, check progress towards
graduation, and discuss the suitability of other educational
opportunities provided by the university.
Editorial Revision 4/10/07
- Degree Candidates - Advising responsibility for every student with
degree status rests with the college in which the student is enrolled or
with the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in
that division.
- Provisional Students - Advising responsibility for every student with
provisional status rests with the Division of Undergraduate Studies in
consultation with the respective college to which the student seeks
admission.
- Nondegree Conditional Students - Advising responsibility for
nondegree conditional students rests with the college to which the
student seeks reinstatement and re-enrollment.
- Nondegree Regular Students and Nondegree Conditional Students - Advising responsibility for Nondegree Regular and Nondegree Conditional Students who have never been enrolled in degree status at Penn State rests with the respective colleges to which the students seek admission or with the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the students are undecided or exploring curricular options.
Revised: March 27, 2006 (Passed January 31, 2006)
The degree audit report is an important advising tool that specifically
tracks progress to completion of degree requirements. The degree audit
report combines the official academic record with the student's declared
academic program to identify those program requirements that are completed
and those program requirements that are unfulfilled. Each undergraduate
degree candidate (Baccalaureate or Associate) must have access to a
current copy of that student's degree audit report each semester the
candidate is enrolled.
This page maintained by the University Faculty Senate Office (afb11@psu.edu)
Last Update: April 10, 2007
