Student/Faculty Advising

What is Advising?

Academic advising is a collaborative partnership between you and your advisor designed to enhance your educational experience at VSU. Through regular meetings and ongoing communication, your advisor helps you understand degree requirements, select appropriate courses, explore academic opportunities, and develop strategies for academic success. Advising extends beyond course selection to encompass your broader goals, challenges, and aspirations as a student.

More Than Registration

Many students first encounter academic advising during course registration, but advising serves a much broader purpose in your education. While selecting courses each semester is certainly part of the process, effective advising helps you see the bigger picture of your college experience. Your advisor supports you in understanding how individual courses fit into your overall degree plan, how your major prepares you for future opportunities, and how to navigate challenges that arise during your time at VSU. Specifically, your advisor helps you:

• Understand and navigate degree requirements for your major
• Explore how your coursework connects to career options
• Connect with campus resources when you face academic or personal challenges

The Advising Partnership

Successful advising requires engagement from both advisor and student. Your advisor brings knowledge of university policies, degree requirements, and available resources. You bring your goals, interests, challenges, and questions. Together, you create an academic plan that reflects your individual circumstances and aspirations.

Effective advising relationships are built on good communication. Meet with your advisor at least once per semester, and contact them whenever you have questions or concerns about your academic progress. Between formal appointments, advisors are available through email and office hours to provide guidance and answer questions.

Your Responsibilities as an Advisee

While your advisor provides guidance and expertise, you are ultimately responsible for your academic decisions and progress. Successful advising depends on your active participation and ownership of your education. The most effective advising relationships occur when students come prepared, stay informed, and take initiative in managing their academic journey. Your responsibilities include:

• Attending scheduled appointments prepared with questions and information about your academic situation
• Reviewing your degree audit, understanding your remaining requirements, and taking ownership of your academic journey
• Knowing important deadlines for registration, add/drop, withdrawal, and graduation applications
• Communicating proactively when you encounter academic difficulties or changes in your plans
• Following through on action items discussed during advising meetings and selecting the proper courses as advised
• Reading university communications about policies, deadlines, and requirements and reviewing your audit sheet consistently for courses you have taken and need to take relative to degree requirements

Think of your advisor as a knowledgeable guide rather than a decision-maker. Your advisor can explain options, consequences, and university policies, but you make the final decisions about your courses, major, and academic path.

What Your Advisor Can Help With

Your advisor is equipped to assist with a wide range of academic planning and policy questions. From straightforward course selection to complex decisions and understanding your major. Your advisor has the knowledge and resources to guide you. While the specifics of each advising conversation differ based on your individual needs, advisors commonly provide support in several key areas. Your advisor is equipped to assist with:

• Course planning and selection based on your degree requirements and interests
• Understanding prerequisites, course sequencing, and academic policies
• Interpreting degree audits

When to Seek Additional Support

Some situations require specialized expertise beyond academic advising. While your advisor can provide excellent guidance on academic matters, VSU has dedicated professionals and offices equipped to handle specific student needs. Your advisor recognizes when an issue falls outside the scope of academic advising and can connect you with the appropriate campus resources. Understanding which office to contact for different concerns ensures you receive the most effective support. Your advisor can refer you to appropriate resources:

• Mental health concerns should be addressed through the Counseling Center
• Financial aid questions are handled by the Financial Aid Office
• Disability accommodations are coordinated through Disability Support Services
• Career planning and job placement receive dedicated support through Career Services
• Academic misconduct or conduct violations are managed through the Office of Student Conduct

Your advisor can help you navigate these referrals and ensure you connect with the right campus office for your needs.

When Yor Advisor Cannot Help You

• Pass another professor's course
• Speaking to another professor how you can pass their course
• Change a grade in another professor's course
• Making calls for you pertaining to another Department's policies
• Intervene in another's professor's course for any reason on your behalf
• Register your courses or anything else of this nature
• Take responsibility for your not taking ownership of your academic journey
• Complete University forms on your behalf

As a student at the University you will need to take full ownership of your academic journey.

Building a Productive Advising Relationship

The quality of your advising experience depends significantly on how you engage with the process. Students who approach advising proactively, come prepared, and maintain open communication with their advisors consistently report more satisfying and productive advising experiences. Simple strategies like scheduling appointments early and doing basic preparation can transform advising from a perfunctory requirement into a valuable partnership. To get the most from advising:

• Schedule appointments early in the semester, particularly before registration periods
• Come to appointments with specific questions and a list of courses you're considering
• Review your degree audit before meeting with your advisor
• Be honest about your academic performance, challenges, and goals
• Follow up on advice and recommendations from previous meetings
• Keep your advisor informed about significant changes in your academic plans

Remember that your advisor is invested in your success and wants to help you achieve your goals. Approach advising as a collaborative process, and use it as an opportunity to clarify your path and access the support you need.

Types of Advisors at VSU

Depending on your program and year, you may work with different types of advisors. Each type of advisor brings unique strengths to the advising relationship, and your assignment reflects the kind of support that best serves your current academic stage and needs. Faculty advisors offer deep disciplinary knowledge and can mentor you in your field, professional advisors specialize in policy navigation and planning, and peer advisors provide relatable insights from students who have recently navigated the experiences you're facing. Understanding these different roles helps you know what to expect from your advising relationship:

• Faculty advisors are professors in your major department who combine academic advising with mentorship in your field
• Professional advisors specialize in academic planning and policy guidance, often working with first-year students or those exploring majors
• Peer advisors are trained upper-level students who can share their experiences and help with basic questions

Regardless of which type of advisor you're assigned, the goal remains the same: supporting your academic success and helping you navigate your path through VSU.