Online Tutorial for Academic Advisors
Click on Slide Show and click on From Beginning
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Produced by the Academic
Advising Redesign Team, 2009
Revised, August 2011
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Basic academic advising protocol
How to answer questions about University
policies and procedures
Best practices in academic advising
Contact and referral information for related
offices
A fundamental approach.
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Help students…
1.
Create realistic academic and professional goals.
2.
Access the University online resources and processes.
3.
Develop an educational plan that leads to timely completion of
educational goals.
4.
Access University academic and student support services and
resources.
5.
Follow academic and administrative policies and procedures.
6.
Develop the critical thinking and independent decision-making
skills required to accept responsibility for academic decisions.
7.
Discover and integrate co- and extra-curricular activities and
programs that enhance the collegiate experience.
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Serve as a guide, teacher, facilitator, coach, and
counselor to students.
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Provide insight about major and career requirements.
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Be knowledgeable about University policies and
procedures.
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Provide realistic options for student decision making.
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Be resourceful, utilizing web-based resources,
advising tools and professional development
opportunities.
Make appropriate referrals as necessary.
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Treat them courteously.
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Provide accurate and timely information.
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Be available and accessible through a variety of
modes (Niner Advisor, email, telephone, in-person).
Offer sound advice that supports the best
interest of the student.
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Be supportive of decisions.
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Be responsive to needs and issues.
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Keep accurate records.
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Become familiar with major, minor, general education,
and graduation requirements.
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Know current GPA, enrolled credits, and earned
hours.
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Schedule and arrive on time for appointments with
Advisor.
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Utilize CAPP degree audit, prepare questions, and
create a course schedule before meeting with Advisor.
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Make notes and keep all paperwork from advising
sessions.
Protects the privacy of student information.
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Faculty, staff, and administrative officers must treat education
records confidentially, unless a legal exception applies, or the
student provides written consent to disclose.
A "Student" is an individual who is or who has been attending
UNC Charlotte and does not include persons who have been
admitted but did not attend the University.
FERPA ensures privacy from others, including a student’s parent
or guardian, unless a consent form has been filed or tax
dependency of a student is demonstrated by submitting to the
University a copy of the most recently filed federal income tax
return.
Consent forms to waive FERPA rights are available online and in
the Registrar’s Office.
Click here for more information about
FERPA & view a copy of the waiver form.
for Academic Advisors.
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Official University document governing the academic programs,
policies, regulations, and requirements that is published for a
specific academic term.
Understanding which version of the Catalog pertains to which
students:
 For degree requirements, students are generally held to the Catalog
pertaining to the year in which they commenced their studies. More
specific details are outlined in the Introduction of the Undergraduate
Catalog.
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Advisors must read & understand:
 Academic regulations & degree requirements
 Your specific Departmental/College information
 Course Descriptions
*Memorizing is not as important as knowing what kind of information is
available and where to locate it.
Click here to view the Undergraduate Catalog.
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Official University documents (some online)
that authorize students to manage their
academic records.
Some examples include:
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Change of Major/Minor
Academic Petition
Transient Study
Grade Replacement Request
*Be aware of your departmental process for approval.
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Used to update a student’s University record
when a major or minor is declared or
removed in a department.
Many Colleges have specific rules about when
students can declare or modify their major or
minor.
Check with your department about following
proper protocol.
Click here for an example of a completed
Change of Major/Minor form.
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Used to petition for a variety of special circumstances
a student may encounter.
Typically used to request an exception to an
established policy and must be approved by an
Assistant Dean, Associate Dean, or Dean.
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Some examples include:
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Check with your department about following proper
protocol.
 Permission to file paperwork past the published deadline.
 Permission to request a course substitution.
 Permission to withdraw from classes past the published
deadline.
Click here for an example of a completed
Academic Petition form.
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Gives permission for a student to enroll in and transfer
coursework from another institution.
Typically used for summer courses. Some departments at
UNC Charlotte have restrictions on the transferability of
courses.
Students must file the form PRIOR to enrolling in the course.
Credit is not granted retroactively.
Students must complete last 25% of the degree requirements
(approx. 30 hours), including the last 12 hours for the major
and 6 hours for the minor at UNC Charlotte to meet
Residency Requirements.
Check with your department about following proper protocol.
Click here for an example of a completed
Transient Study form.
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Policy gives permission for an Undergraduate student to replace
grades for up to 2 courses (maximum of 8 hours).
Both grades are reflected on the transcript but only the higher of the
two will be used in the GPA calculation.
The policy only applies to courses taken in the Fall 2007 semester
and beyond.
Students must request a grade replacement online no later than the
last day to drop a course with no record in the semester or summer
session in which the course is to be repeated.
Students may not revoke this request once it is filed.
Click here to view a demonstration for
filing Grade Replacement online.
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Administrative unit responsible for creating
and maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and
privacy of the official academic record for all
students.
 Manages the registration process by which students
enroll in courses.
 Records and processes University forms relating to
a student’s academic record.
 Maintains official University transcripts.
 Certifies graduation requirements.
Click here to visit the Registrar’s website.
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A student’s degree requirements typically contain 3 basic
components:
 General Education Requirements
 Major/Minor Requirements
 General Electives
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General Education coursework is required of all students
regardless of the major.
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Each College defines the degree requirements for majors/minors
in the Undergraduate Catalog.
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General Electives typically make up the difference to ensure 120
earned credit hours (minimum needed to graduate with any
degree).
 Be aware of your department’s credit hour requirements.
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Provides undergraduate students, regardless of
their majors, with the foundations of a liberal
education in 4 areas:
1.
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4.
Development of Fundamental Skills of Inquiry
Inquiry in the Sciences
Themes of Liberal Education for Public & Private Life
Communication Skills
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General Education is typically completed during the
Freshman and Sophomore years.
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Transfer students with a 2 year degree may be
exempt from General Education (refer to the Undergraduate
Catalog for details).
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Some major requirements also fulfill General
Education. Check with your major department.
Click here to view the General Education worksheet.
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The UNC Charlotte website for Academic
Advising covers a wide-range of topics including:
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Academic enrichment
Academic policies
Academic support
Dates & deadlines
Declaring a major/minor
Forms & resources
Graduation information
Improving grades
Registering for classes
Probation and suspension
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Adult/Nontraditional Students (OASES)
◦ 49er Finish
First Generation College Students (BEST)
Graduate Students
Honors Students
International Students
◦ International Admissions
◦ Transcript Evaluation Services
◦ Education Abroad
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Learning Community Students
Multicultural Students
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New Students
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◦ Multicultural Academic Services
◦ Diversity
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Admissions
Orientation
Financial Aid
Open House
Re-admission
Click each link underlined in RED to
access additional information.
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Post-Baccalaureate (Non-Degree) Students
Pre-Health Students: Medical, Dental, Veterinary, Pharmacy, Optometry, etc.
Pre-Law Students
Probationary & Suspended Students
◦ Suspension Appeals
◦ Student Conduct
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Student Athletes
Students in Crisis
Students with Disabilities
Teacher Certification and Licensure Students
Transfer Students
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Undecided/ Exploratory Students
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◦ Transfer Admissions
◦ Transfer Credit Evaluation
◦ University Advising Center
◦ University Career Center
Veterans
Visiting Students
Click each link underlined in RED to
access additional information.
for Academic Advisors.
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BANNER is the software system used by the
University to manage student records.
Advisors must achieve proficiency in either
Self-Service BANNER or Internet Native BANNER.
Check with your Department to determine the
appropriate system required.
BANNER training sessions are offered
periodically. Contact the Information &
Technology Services (ITS) Training Department
for scheduling.
Click here to view the ITS Training website.
Self-Service and Internet Native BANNER
contain essential advising information. Below is
a sampling of information that can be accessed
through BANNER:
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Course registration schedule(s)
Student transcript and grades
Student schedule
Student contact information
Registration hold(s)
Registration overrides
Registration history
CAPP degree evaluation
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BANNER is the software system used by the
University to manage student records.
Advisors must achieve proficiency in either
Self-Service BANNER or Internet Native BANNER.
Check with your Department to determine the
appropriate system required.
BANNER training sessions are offered
periodically. Contact the Information &
Technology Services (ITS) Training Department
for scheduling.
Click here to view the ITS Training website.
Niner Advisor is an online portal accessed
through the 49er Express, where Advisors
can:
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Create appointment availability for advisees
View scheduled advising appointments
Maintain a system of notes for each advisee
Download and attach documents
View advisee academic records
Share information with other Advisors
Coming Soon… Niner Advisor Guide.
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To utilize online tools and software properly,
Advisors must follow a process for assigning
students as advisees through BANNER.
Check with your Department about the
procedure for assigning advisees.
Effective strategies to maximize your time.
It’s inevitable. As an Advisor, you are likely to experience
the same scenario from a variety of students in a day’s
work. Keep a fresh perspective by actively listening as if
each student is telling you about an issue for the first
time.
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Active listening…
Reduces error and ensures comprehension.
Decreases the need for a second meeting.
Communicates care and concern for the student.
Increases the student’s comfort level in approaching you
with more serious concerns.
◦ Allows you to provide better service.
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Policies & protocol change periodically. Always provide
accurate and timely information by complying with
current standards.
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Fact:
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Fact:
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Fact:
◦ Errors in advising may cause a student to enroll in
unnecessary coursework, increase tuition costs, and in
some cases, delay graduation.
◦ A long delay in responding to students can lead to a
phone call to your supervisor from frustrated parents.
◦ Inaccuracy can cost you hours of lost productivity time.
Advising students about sensitive issues can
sometimes lead to challenging situations. To
minimize the effect:
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Remain calm and speak in a softer, nonthreatening tone without becoming defensive.
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Allow the student to speak and model good
listening skills.
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Offer some means of resolving the issue while
being direct.
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Invite another Advisor to provide reinforcement
or to offer additional alternatives.
Never engage in a verbal battle.
Remember you are the professional.
Universities are governed by rules, policies, and
procedures. How an Advisor communicates a negative
response can impact how a student receives the
message.
Try these tactics:
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Even when you know the answer is “no,” always listen to
the student’s synopsis of the situation.
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Respond to each point and provide a logical rationale or
explanation of the policy(s).
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Provide a few alternative options for the student to
consider.
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Answer any related questions and reassure the student
that he/she was correct in asking for assistance.
Advising Related Offices and Referrals.
Call Center and Directory (704.687.2000)
 Admissions (Undergraduate)
 Banner Training
 Bookstore
 Campus Activities Board
 Computing Services
 Continuing Education and Distance Learning
 Counseling Center
 Dean of Students (Judicial Process)
 Disabilities Services
 English Language Training Institute
 Financial Aid and Scholarships
 General Education
 Graduation Information
 Health Services
 Information & Technology Services (ITS)
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Office of Intercultural Outreach Programs
Office of the Registrar
Parking & Campus Maps
Police and Public Safety (704.687.2200)
Registration Information & 49er Express
Residence Life and Housing
Student Organizations
Student Accounts/Cashier’s Office
Summer School and Summer Programs
Testing Information: Advanced Placement, Foreign Language Proficiency,
Math Placement Exam, CLEP Exam
Tutorial Services & Supplemental Instruction
University Career Center (Internships & Cooperative Education)
University Center for Academic Excellence
Volunteer Services
Writing Resources Center
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National Academic Advising Association
(NACADA)
Association of American Colleges & Universities (AACU)
College Student Educators International (ACPA)
Learning Communities National Resource Center
National Center for the First-Year Experience and
Students in Transition (FYE)
 National Collegiate Honors Council
 National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students
 Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
(NASPA)
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http://chronicle.com/
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http://www.diverseeducation.com/
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http://www.insidehighered.com/
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http://www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/