ADVISEE HANDOUT – Fall, 2003
GENERAL
Academic Advising: The primary purpose of an academic advising program is to assist you in the
development of meaningful educational plans that are compatible with your life goals. Because your goals
change or become clearer over time, academic advising is a continuous process of clarification and evaluation.
The ultimate responsibility for making informed decisions about life goals and educational plans rests with you.
Your academic advisor assists by helping you identify goals and assess alternatives and consequences of
decisions.
Responsibilities of the Advisee: Advisees have important responsibilities in the advising process to include
the following:
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Clarifying their personal goals and values
Becoming knowledgeable about policies, procedures, and requirements
Gathering all relevant decision-making information
Engaging in dialogue with advisors over academic decisions
Accepting responsibility for decisions made
How to Work Together With Your Academic Advisor: In your first year you will be assigned an academic
advisor, but you may change advisors at any time. Use your advisor to clarify your goals and to learn the
various policies of the College.
WHEN TO SEE YOUR ADVISOR
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To discuss any problems which affect academic performance
To select courses for the upcoming semester
To drop or add courses
To register to take a course pass-fail or audit
To discuss academic progress
To declare a concentration
To discuss career considerations
HOW TO SEE YOUR ADVISOR
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Become familiar with your advisor’s office hours/schedule
Whenever possible, call or email to make an appointment
Try to schedule longer conferences prior to or after the registration process
Guidelines for Advisees: Get the Best Out of Advisors: There are probably no elaborate rules for getting the
best advice from advisors, but a few general guidelines might assist as students earnestly solicit advice
(especially concerning life changing events or other delicate dilemmas).
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Seek advice from more than one source. Never ask only one person for advice when a major
decision is to be made. Ask several – other advisors, faculty members, administrators, students who
have experienced your dilemma, etc. This allows you to cover a wider range of considerations,
broaden your horizons, and contemplate events you might not have otherwise reviewed while you
are making your decisions.
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Be critical of advice given. You do yourself an injustice by accepting advice in an uncritical fashion.
The result of uncritical acceptance or unchallenged acceptance of advice and recommendations may
prove to be a disaster later.
Listen carefully to advice given. You must make certain that you have understood precisely what the
advisor has said. Hear your advisor out without interruption. When the advisor has finished, ask
questions to emphasize points that may have been overlooked. At the end of an advising session,
restate the conclusion in your own words to make sure that the meaning you gleaned was actually
the intended meaning.
Do not be defensive about advice. Try not to be defensive if the advice contains criticism of you or
the way you do things. This can be a very difficult task.
THE FIRST YEAR
Because of the transitions involved, both intellectually and emotionally, this is often a difficult year. Balancing
curricular, co-curricular, and social life can be challenging, and you will need to work to keep your primary
focus on academics. As explained in the summer academic orientation, teaching and evaluation are different in
college, and many students have difficulty with the adjustment and sometimes fall behind. If you are having
trouble see your academic advisor and also contact the Student Resource Center, which offers many helpful
workshops.
Having developed your first semester schedule in the summer, you need to reflect on that schedule and how it
reflects your educational goals. Through meetings with your academic advisor and using the Extended
Orientation program there are many opportunities to learn about academic life and reflect upon your own
interests. In late fall you will be meeting with your advisor to specifically consider courses for the spring.
Planning ahead is essential, and visiting your immediate and long terms goals is crucial in preparing for and
making wise course selections.
Decisions: In this decision focused advising system, the first year focuses almost entirely on Concentration and
Liberal Studies decisions. Making those decisions is based upon the reflection of intellectual interests and selfassessment of abilities.
Liberal Studies: During both the first and second semester you will spend much of your coursework fulfilling
the liberal studies requirements. These requirements are central to the Mission of the College in preparing you
with a broad base of learning. The curriculum is designed by the faculty to broaden your mental capacity,
virtue, and good character. Beyond these purposes, taking a broad array of courses can help you develop and
refine your interests in an area for more intensive study: the concentration.
Concentration: The choice of a concentration may have been made prior to enrollment, or you may have
chosen to explore concentration options further. In both cases, you should spend time in your first year
considering this decision. Those who have declared the option upon enrollment need to be able to articulate
their choice and explain it in terms of life goals, career and personal. Often these initial choices are based upon
limited information and advice. Providing a fuller understanding of the means and possibilities of the
concentration choice are crucial at this early point. If you are continuing to explore concentrations, you need to
choose courses that resonate with your interests or career considerations. This testing process is integral to the
first year experience for both declared and exploratory students. If you need help in this process see your
advisor, a relevant department chair, or the Student Resource Center.
Electives: While often unavailable because of enrollment priorities, electives can sometimes help you pursue
new interests and enhance your schedule. Selected electives are an important element of your undergraduate
studies; if you have a particular interest, raise this matter with your advisor or the teacher of the course of
interest.
Information: It is important to have full and easy access to the necessary information for wise decisions
regarding academic life. The following information can be helpful:
Saint Michael’s College Catalogue Academic Regulations, pg. 46
College Policies, pg. 23
Course Content, pg. 57
Honors Program, pg. 47
Mission and Tradition, pg. 2
Requirements
-Liberal Studies, pg. 54
-Concentration, pg. 56
-Graduation, pg. 37
-Minors, pg. 38
-Proficiencies, pg. 56
Study Off Campus, pg. 39
Writing Center, pg. 43
Student Resource Center
Career Guidance
Graduate Schooling
Study Skills
KnightVision
Course Schedules
Degree Audit
Transcript
Web Locations:
Catalogue – SMC Homepage>Academics>College Catalogues
Student Resource Center – SMC Homepage>Current Students>under Student Services>Counseling & Career
Development
KnightVision – SMC Homepage>Current Students>under Technology Services>KnightVision Academics
Academic Departments – SMC Homepage>Academics>Academic Majors