What Is First Year Advising

WHAT WE DO

The goal of the First Year Advising Office is to provide all new students with less than 24 credit hours with support to make sure they have a smooth transition to college life and to help ensure that every student has a "go-to" person to help them every step of the way during their first year. First Year Advisors connect with their students early on and continue to build a relationship with their students, while providing support and monitoring their student's academic progress. 

HOW WE MONITOR STUDENT PROGRESS

Closely monitoring the progress of our students is an important part of making sure that first year students are staying on track for academic progress and success.  First Year Advisors monitor student progress in a variety of ways including:

Advisor Holds 

All students advised in First Year Advising have a hold placed on their account which ensures students are working with their First Year Advisors while making enrollment decisions(e.g. registering for classes, adding/dropping, withdrawing).

Early Alerts 

Early alerts are sent to students by faculty to inform them of their progress in current course(s).  Advisors use this information to outreach and interact with students to offer support as needed.

Mid-Semester Grades

Mid-Semester grades are unofficial grades provided at the middle of the semester to let students know how they are progressing in their classes.  Advisors check these grades and intervene with students as needed.

Final Grades/Academic Standing 

First Year Advisors closely review their student's final grades and academic standing at the end of each semester and work with students who are not performing at their best to develop a plan for improvement.

HOW WE ADVISE OUR STUDENTS

First Year Advising offers students a variety of options for students to stay connected to their advisor:

Scheduled Appointments 

Students can meet with their advisor for a scheduled hour-long appointment.

Drop-In Advising 

All First Year Advisors have Drop-in hours available weekly so students can "drop in" for assistance. ZOOM ADVISING is available to students physically unable to be seen in our office, giving them greater flexibility in meeting with their advisor using Zoom. This can be utilized during our Drop-ins period or for scheduled appointments.

Email and Phone Calls

First Year Advisors use email and phone calls to help stay connected to their students and offer assistance as needed.

MOVING ON AFTER FIRST YEAR

After successfully completing 24 credit hours, students who also meet the following criteria to move out of First Year Advising:

·         Completed college-level English and Math course

·         Have a declared major

·         Are in good academic standing

Once a student meets this criteria, they make the transition out of First Year Advising and are assigned to the appropriate advisor(s) based on their major/program of study (undecided is OK!). The student's First Year Advisors helps to make sure there is a smooth transition to the new advising office for the student.