Academic Advising
By providing support, direction, and guidance, advisers at UMD help students
reach their educational goals, experience academic success, and graduate
in a timely manner. The Swenson College of Science and Engineering endorses the
following principles regarding academic advisement:
--Advising in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering is an integral component
of its teaching and learning mission. The purpose of academic advisement
is to assist students in identifying academic and career goals, developing
educational plans consistent with those goals, and evaluating progress
toward those goals.
--Both the student and the advisor bear responsibility in the development
and completion of an educational plan, and ultimately each student's academic
career is his or her own responsibility. The responsibility of the advisor
is to provide guidance, information, and assistance as students make academic
and career decisions.
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 Swenson College
of Science and Engineering Student Affairs Office 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.
At UMD, 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.
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.
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 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.
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