Academic Advising --From UMD Catalog pp 38-39

By providing support, direction, and guidance, advisers at UMD help students reach their educational goals, experience academic success, and graduate in a timely manner.

Both students and advisers have advising respon­sibilities. While students ultimately make their own decisions concerning their academic plans and careers, advisers assist them with decision-making processes and the exploration of options. Students are encouraged to establish a close working relationship with their academic adviser and meet regularly with him or her to develop a better understanding of their responsibilities, the requirements of their curriculum, and other regulations. The Student Affairs Office of the student’s college of residence assigns each stu­dent an adviser.

While each student has an opportunity to work with a faculty adviser in their major field of study, professional advising staff may, in some colleges, serve as initial advisers for freshmen, transfer students, or for students who have not yet decided on a major. In other colleges, if the student has selected a major, as indicated on the Application for Admission, he/she is assigned a faculty adviser in the selected department. If the student’s interests or major objectives change, the student should request a change of adviser at the Student Affairs Office of the college that offers the desired program or major.

The adviser’s role is:

• to help students clarify their educational values and goals;

• to provide accurate information on educational options, policies, and procedures;

• to guide students toward an academic program in which they can be successful;

• to acquaint students with the campus resources that can support their academic and personal success.

The student’s role is:

• to prepare a plan for degree completion that incorporates all requirements and considers testing requirements, application dates, upper division requirements, and entrance and exit requirements;

• to develop competencies in using online aca­demic planning, resources, including eportfo­lio and APAS;

• to read the catalog, course schedule books, program worksheets, Web sites, and other available materials to understand University and college policies;

• to meet with their adviser regularly to review the academic schedule for the following term and progress toward degree completion. This can help students understand any sequencing of courses within their majors or other issues related to the integration of courses into a comprehensive program of study.

Students are responsible for scheduling, prepar­ing for, and keeping advising appointments; seek­ing out contacts and information; and knowing the basic requirements of their degree program. Students bear the final responsibility for making their own decisions based on the best information and advice available.

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