Academic Advising at Saint Michael’s is integral to the work of a learning community. Over the four years of an academic career, students take on increased responsibility for the decisions which shape their learning and coursework. The relationship of advisor to advisee in this process is not divorced from the larger teaching context; rather, it is an extension of the focus upon the student and the development of autonomous learning. In support of these concepts, Academic Advising has four principles; it is learning centered, student focused, information rich and multi-layered.
Learning suggests that the advising process does more than support course registration; it involves the growth of the advisee’s capacity for reflection on individual interests and strengths, and the application of those judgments to immediate and long term goals. Understandably, the focus must remain on student development which requires active engagement by both advisee and advisor. To arrive at such autonomy, students must have an environment rich in the necessary information for important decisions and the capacity to seek guidance from many sources. While the Academic Advisor remains central to this process, a variety of other advisors should be consulted as the advisee refines the ability to invite and evaluate the judgments of peers, parents, and teachers.
The goals of Academic Advising levy responsibilities on both advisor and advisee and fall into four basic areas: Background, Deep Academic, Surface Academic and Skill Development.
Background
Those goals which set the context for advising and are necessary to the development of an appropriate relationship between advisee and advisor. Advisors and Advisees will:
1. know one another as members of a learning community
2. be accessible and in contact, as appropriate
3. treat one another with respect and care
4. be knowledgeable with College academic policies
5. examine advisees’ academic strengths and weaknesses
Deep Academic
Those goals which are generally longer term and indirectly influence advisee course and "major" decisions. Advisors and Advisees will:
6. explore advisees’ long term (College) educational goals
7. explore advisees’ long term (post-College) educational goals
8. explore career options within the context of educational, academic and personal goals
Surface Academic
Those goals which relate directly to the selection of courses and curricular course options as an undergraduate. Advisors and Advisees will:
9. understand the basic procedures for registration
10. understand the requirements for graduation
11. jointly explore course selection
12. monitor progress toward degree completion
Skill Development
Those skills which emerge from the advising process and can be applied to the advisee’s general learning skills. Advisees will:
13. be capable of systematic planning
14. make decisions through gathering of information and choosing options
15. understand how to develop as a "learner"
16. be capable of transferring learned skills to other applications
Over the course of an undergraduate career, the academic decisions are progressive within the curricular/course framework and related to life-long learning and career choices. There are five categories of decisions which students must make; while not rigidly sequential, there is a general progression through the categories:
Initial Decisions -- those decisions made before full-time enrollment at the College
1. Selection of College (prior to semester 1)
2. Selection of first semester courses (Summer, prior to semester 1)
3. Tentative selection of major (prior to Semester 1)
Liberal Studies Decisions -- those decisions required for completion of the Liberal Studies requirements for graduation
1. Course selection (primarily semesters 1-4)
"Major" Decisions -- those decisions required for completion of the "major" requirements for graduation.
1. Formal Declaration of a "major" and development of Plan (semesters 2-4)
2. Selection of a Minor -- optional (semesters 2-6)
3. Selection of "Major" and Minor courses (semesters 2-8)
Elective Decisions
1. Selection of courses (semesters 5-8)
2. Selection of Off-Campus Study [internships, study abroad] (optional) (semesters 5-7)
3. Selection of Summer Study in support of programs (optional) (semesters 3-6)
Post-Graduation/Lifelong Learning Decisions
1. Course selections (semesters 7-8)
2. Selection of Post-graduation options (semesters 7-8)
The work of the advisor and advisee is to jointly work through these decisions, reflecting regularly upon the connection of each decision to the other, and working to bring each into the whole.
While the dialogue between Advisor and Advisee should be ongoing, the formal Advising/Registration Process takes place each semester. In October and April, an advising period is designated as a time when Advisors are available for special meetings with Advisees in order to discuss their present academic status, review and make appropriate academic decisions and prepare a plan for registration for the next semester.