INTEGRATED ADVISING SYSTEM FOR UNION
Document prepared Feb. 11, 2000
by the Integrated Advising (Becker Center) Committee

[Note.  This document was used as background for a focus-group on advising at Union.  The Committee moved on to an in-depth written survey of the Class of 2000 on the subject of advising.  -- J D Klein]

The goal of this integrated advising model is to give students and their advisors a more effective, consistent means to assess where they are, and where they want to go in and with their Union education. Technology will provide all advisors with more information about students, so that their face-to-face time can be more focused and productive.

Key features of the integrated advising model are: 

• better trained freshman and sophomore advisors 

• pre-freshman & sophomore survey/progress assessment to guide students & advisors 

• student records online, accessible to students and advisors 

• online advising, registration, and drop-add (from advisor offices) 

• integrated advising center in Becker Hall (one-stop advising center)

Description of the Integrated Advising Model 

All pre-freshmen would be surveyed about their strengths, goals, skills they want to develop, and areas they want to explore. At Orientation, students would meet in a small group with their advisor to get an overview of the advising system. The advisor would then meet individually with each student to review the questionnaire that he/she filled out, discuss goals, and register for Fall term classes. The advisor would have online access to student records and interests, and could add additional information. This would occur each term during the first two years.

The advisor would encourage the student to explore course and extracurricular options in considering possible majors. When it seems useful, the advisor will refer the student to the Career Center for workshops/individual advising regarding self-assessment programs geared to assist students in exploring long-range goals as well as exploring/choosing a major. Pre-med, pre-law, pre-business students will also be directed to consult with the appropriate pre-professional advisor in the Advising Center in Becker Hall. Becker Hall will become an integrated advising center, housing career and pre-professional advisors as well as written and online resources students would need to develop and implement their career plans.

During the sophomore year, all students will complete an assessment of progress toward a variety of goals, such as Gen Ed requirements, selecting a major, and post-graduate planning (grad. school or career planning). The advisor will enter the results into the advising database, and they will be used as a guide in planning the student's final two years at Union. The sophomore assessment will enable students to gain more from their education at Union and better prepare students to succeed in setting and meeting their post college goals.

As now, when students declare a major, they will be assigned a departmental major advisor, either by the Department or with the assistance of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies. Minor and ID advisors will be similarly assigned.

Throughout their Union careers, students will come into contact with many advisors: freshman, major, minor, career, pre-professional, scholarship and fellowship advisors. They new system will insure that there is a seamless advising network available to the student at every turn, and a central advising facility.