III - 2.50 - Policy on Undergraduate Academic Advising

I. Policy and Purpose

One of the primary concerns of Bowie State University is the individual growth and development of its students. The University will ensure that all students receive the level of academic advisement necessary to attaining their educational goals and the timely completion of degree requirements. This Policy details the requirements and procedures of the University's undergraduate guidance and academic advising program.

II. Applicability

This Policy covers all three (3) components of advising, including: (1) academic advising; (2) mentoring; and (3) career guidance through a network of different but complimentary services which are made available through shared responsibility by various segments of the University.

III. Guidelines and Standards

A. Faculty Responsibilities: 

1. The faculty member assumes advising as an essential part of his/her teaching load and is evaluated on his/her effectiveness in the evaluations for tenure, promotion and merit pay.

2. The faculty members must be prepared to assist students in many ways including, but not limited to, developing the student's academic program of study.

3. Faculty may not advise students against taking any course, set of courses or major on the basis of a suspected or known disability. However, faculty may inform students with disabilities of potential obstacles involved in completing certain degree requirements.

4. Students are to be advised and counseled on a case-by-case basis during scheduled office hours and extended office hours during registration periods, which are convenient to both faculty and students.

5. The initial meeting with a student advisee should include the following:

a. A determination of the student's interest within the department/discipline/program.

b. A determination of general and discipline requirements met and those to be met by the student.

6. The faculty advisor should assist the students in developing a program of study that meets both major and University requirements, gathering information/formulating questions, selecting courses, and keeping pertinent records. The faculty advisor also should schedule regular advising sessions for his/her students.

7. Faculty advisors should schedule regular reviews of their advisees' Academic Advising Packet (AAP) to note courses taken, courses needed, and grade point average. This information will assist the faculty member in monitoring the student's progression and in determining needed referrals to campus academic support units.

8. If appropriate, the faculty member should advise students who are visually or physically impaired on the kind of difficulties they may experience as they proceed to complete their requirements and refer them to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laboratory, if necessary.

9. If appropriate, the faculty member should schedule subsequent meetings with students who appear to be having difficulty dealing with course content as it relates to their majors/programs to determine what alternative recommendations should be offered.

10. Each faculty member should maintain a record of advising sessions and concerns and recommendations made, if any, to the advisees.

B. Student Responsibilities: 

1. Undergraduate students, including transfer students and students with undeclared majors, are expected to familiarize themselves with the requirements and policies set forth in the Undergraduate Catalog, to obtain appropriate advising, and to make decisions accordingly. Students share responsibility for setting and keeping advising appointments; for gathering information, formulating questions, and completing pertinent forms for selecting courses and planning a program of study; and for keeping a record of their academic progress.

2. Students are responsible for adhering to established procedures, meeting departmental and University deadlines, and fulfilling degree requirements. Frequent contact with advisors will help ensure that students have correct information and are moving satisfactorily toward their educational goals.

3. Each student should maintain a record of advising sessions, course substitutions, concerns, etc. if any.

C. Department Responsibilities:

1. The Department must support the advising activities of each faculty member. Some departments designate faculty for specific student groups within the major.

2. The Academic Department is responsible for developing an effective advising system and for supporting the faculty in this activity.

3. The Department Chair, School Dean, and the Provost are responsible for ensuring that the system works.

4. Upon a student's declaration of a major, via the Registrar's Office, the appropriate Chair will ensure that each student who has declared a major has an advisor appropriate to that major.

5. Evening and weekend students who are degree-seeking and have declared majors will be assigned department advisors who will work with extension coordinators in the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education for advisement and registration purposes. Extension coordinators will have all necessary major checklists and sequence sheets.

6. The Academic Department will regularly update and post the names of student majors, their departmental advisors, and the advisors' office telephone numbers on the department's bulletin board and distribute to students in class by faculty members teaching department-related courses. The posting will encourage students to contact their advisors as soon as possible to establish advising schedules.

7. Each Academic Department will provide the appropriate School Dean and the Office of Academic Affairs with a regularly updated list of advisors and advisees, which advisees will be entered into SIS by the Department.

8. The Academic Department will provide each major a packet describing general and major course requirements and, if appropriate, a sample program outlining sequences in which major requirements should be fulfilled as delineated in the University catalog.

9. Each Academic Department will maintain an Advising File on each declared major, which will contain at a minimum: (1) a computer generated AAP for each declared major; (2) a written report on each advising session (Advisement Conference Form); (3) check list of courses taken and grades attained; and (4) such other information as may be pertinent to the student's academic progress (e.g. honors received, course waivers, and the like).

a. Advising files will be forwarded to the appropriate department if the student transfers to another major discipline.

b. If the student drops out of school, his/her Advising File will be maintained in the academic department of his/her respective discipline for two (2) years, after which it shall be placed in the Department's inactive file.

10. The Academic Department will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of faculty academic advisement.

11. The Department Chair will take note of outstanding faculty academic advisors and forward their names to the appropriate School Dean and the Provost.

12. Departmental Chairs should be aware of students who appear to have difficulty in successfully coping with University and or discipline-required courses.

D. Academic Advising for Undeclared Majors

1. Undergraduate students who have not declared a major will be referred to the Student Success and Retention Center (SSRC) for advisement.

2. The SSRC will provide general academic advising and encourage non-declared students to take the computer-based Career Interest inventory (CII) and will provide follow-up analysis of CII. The SSRC will refer students to the chairs of the departments offering the discipline/program identified by the CII.

3. The SSRC will provide academic advisement and mentoring to on-campus evening and weekend degree-seeking students without a declared major.

4. The SSRC also will conduct the initial testing and course selection advisement for all entering freshman.

5. The Office of Academic Affairs will monitor the effectiveness of student advisement and mentoring in the SSRC.

IV. Result

An effective system for monitoring an essential part of the student's academic development.

 

Replacement For:

Additionally, this policy supercedes, in whole or in part, any policy (ies) and/or procedure (s) established by the Regents, Trustees, Presidents, or their designees, of the former institutions of the University of Maryland, and of the former State Universities and Colleges, and of the Regents of the University System of Maryland that are in conflict with this policies purpose, applicability, or intent, that may be have been overlooked and not included as a specific citation under "Replacement For".

 

Effective Date:  01/24/2002