Academic Advising Syllabus

Advisor:

Office Location: determined by student after receiving advisor assignment (APSU 1000)*

Office Hours: as an assignment, student will go to office and copy the posted office hours (APSU 1000)

Phone:

E-Mail:

Materials Needed for the Advising Session:
University Bulletin, University Web Resources
Advising Portfolio (Career Search, 4-year academic plan—unless Undeclared; documentation from previous advising sessions; referrals and documentation of action)

*APSU 1000 is the freshman seminar required for all first-time, full-time freshmen. Students will receive the syllabus after being assigned an advisor. Determining the advisor information will be part of a class assignment.

Academic Advising at APSU

Vision

Academic advising at Austin Peay State University will be recognized for its focus on student learning which is enhanced by a balanced use of technological resources and personal interaction and its commitment to student success.

Mission

Deliberate and intentional academic advising at Austin Peay State University guides students in making responsible academic and career choices, setting goals, and developing education plans to realize those goals. Effective advising fosters critical thinking and informed decision making which supports meaningful living in a global society.

Values

Academic Advisement is a process that begins when a student enrolls at Austin Peay and continues through graduation. Undergraduate students meet with faculty advisors at the time of initial enrollment. Students are assigned to their permanent faculty advisors during their first semester. The role of faculty advisors is to help students clarify goals, career options, courses of study, program requirements, educational needs and identify university resources that support the academic goals. Faculty advisors regularly interact with their advisees in order to coordinate educational experiences and to monitor student progress throughout the year. While in the final analysis, academic choices rest with the student, faculty advisors assist students by helping them identify and assess the alternatives and the consequences of academic decisions.

Expected Student Learning Outcomes for the Advising Experience

(Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education)

Student will:

• Value the role of the academic advising process in the university experience
• Demonstrate the characteristics of a prepared advisee
• With the guidance of an academic advisor, make effective decisions concerning their degree and career goals
• Develop an educational plan for successfully achieving their goals; select courses each semester to progress toward fulfilling that educational plan
• Know the general education requirements and appreciate the liberal arts values reflected in the University core
• Use campus resources and services to assist them in achieving their academic, personal, and career goals.
• Follow through when referred to appropriate campus resources
• Be able to read accurately and effectively use a degree audit in their educational planning
• Graduate in a timely manner based on the individual educational plan

Academic advising is a collaborative educational process; students and their advisors are partners in meeting the essential learning outcomes that support student success. The partnership requires participation and involvement of both the advisor and the student and spans the student’s whole education experience at Austin Peay. In this partnership both the advisor and advisee have well-defined responsibilities.

Academic Advisor Responsibilities -- What You Can Expect:

You can expect me as your advisor to:

• Effectively communicate the curriculum and graduation requirements for your major and university and college academic policies and procedures
• Encourage and guide students as they define and develop realistic goals
• Encourage and support students as they make academic progress according to their educational plans
• Provide students with information about strategies for using the available resources and services on campus
• Assist students in understanding the purposes and goals of higher education and its effects on their lives and personal goals
• Monitor and accurately document students’ progress toward meeting their goals
• Be accessible for advising students in meetings either in groups or individually during posted office hours, telephone, e-mail, or web access.
• Assist students in gaining decision making skills and skills in assuming responsibility for their educational plans and achievements
• Maintain confidentiality
• Assist students in working closely with their professors and refer you to appropriate university sources as assistance is needed

Advisee Responsibilities -- What Your Advisor Can Expect

As an advisee, you have clear responsibilities in the advising partnership in order to be successful

• Schedule regular appointments or make regular contacts with advisor during each semester
• Come prepared to each appointment with questions or materials for discussion;
• Take your advising portfolio to advising sessions in which your progress will be assessed and a course of study for the following semester will be planned
• Be a active learner by participating fully in the advising experience
• Ask questions if you do not understand an issue or have a specific concern
• Enroll in the courses for which you and your advisor have determined that from educational objectives you are ready to pursue.
• Keep a personal record of your progress toward meeting your goals.
• Organize official documents in a advising portfolio that enables you to access them when needed
• Complete all assignments or recommendations from your advisor
• Gather all relevant decision-making information
• Clarify personal values and goals and provide advisor with accurate information regarding your interests and abilities
• Become knowledgeable about college programs, policies, and procedures
• Accept responsibility for decisions

Demonstrating Your Achievement of Learning Outcomes:

In order for you and your advisor to accurately measure and document that you have achieved the learning outcomes for academic advising, you will begin developing a portfolio of your advising work. This portfolio will consist of a variety of documents including your educational plan, your semester schedules, collaborative work done due to various referrals on campus, and a variety of documents that you and your advisor will develop together to demonstrate your achievement of these outcomes.

Assistance with Issues Involving Disabilities:

Any student who has a disability that may affect his or her academic performance is encouraged to make an appointment with the Coordinator of Disability Services to discuss this matter. (931) 221-6230 voice; (931) 221-7288 tty; or (931) 221-7102 fax