Advising
Assignment of Advisers
Each
student entering a degree program at UNC Charlotte is assigned an academic
adviser or advisory committee in his or her major field. Students who have not
chosen a major field are assigned as adviser through the Academic Advising
Center (324 Fretwell, 704-687-4303) in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Non-degree students do not have assigned advisers. Freshmen participating in
SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising and Registration) may or may not continue
with the same adviser who worked with them in the summer. The method by which
advisers are assigned and the division of responsibility for advising varies
from department to department.
A
large number of UNC Charlotte students are evening students for whom
appointments with advisers during business hours are inconvenient. Evening
students are encouraged to contact departments and major advisers in advance to
set up evening appointments and to verify that they are meeting all degree
requirements. Some colleges make special arrangements prior to registration to
meet the needs of evening students. The Office of Adult Students and Evening
Services (106 Barnard, 704-687-2596) is open in the evenings to assist students
with General Education advising questions.
Every
student is responsible for proper completion of his or her academic program, for
familiarity with the requirements and regulation as published in The UNC
Charlotte Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog (www.uncc.edu/catalog/cata_choice.htm),
for maintaining the grade average required and for meeting all other degree
requirements. The adviser will provide information and advice, but the final
responsibility remains that of the student.
The
adviser has the responsibility to talk periodically with advisees, especially at
times to enable students to prepare themselves for participation in advance
registration, registration, and drop-add. Faculty members will probably need to
schedule extra office hours during those periods to accommodate advisees. In
addition, the adviser should be available to advisees throughout the academic
year and should feel free to schedule routine appointments with them to discuss
their academic progress.
The
adviser assists students in planning academic programs suited to their
interests, abilities and career objectives. This assistance may take the form of
encouraging students to explore academic areas outside their chosen disciplines
or of exploring career possibilities that the student may not have considered.
Students rely upon advisers to provide accurate information about academic regulations and procedures, course prerequisites, and graduation requirements and to provide signatures on special request forms. The signature may indicate the adviser’s recommendation for such things as exceptions to the course drop deadlines or registration for more than 19 credit hours. If the adviser does not recommend the action requested by the student, the signature, with appropriate notation, may be used to indicate that the adviser has discussed with the student the consequences of the requested action.
In
addition, the adviser should be available for discussing nonacademic problems as
well as academic concerns. For example, an adviser can assist an advisee in
making academic adjustments in a case of serious illness or injury. The adviser
should refer students to support services offered them by the University. Brief
descriptions of these services are located in the University Services for
Students section of this Handbook.
Students
sometimes ask advisers to confirm that they have completed all requirements for
their degree. While the adviser can assist the student to review the
requirements and how the student’s coursework corresponds to them, the
Registrar’s Office is responsible for the official degree audit and
certification that the student has met General Education and other University
requirements. The department chair is responsible for certification that
departmental requirements are met.
In
an ideal adviser-advisee relationship, the adviser does not make decisions for a
student but serves as a sympathetic listener who assists the student in
considering various alternatives and their consequences. The adviser helps the
student recognize personal strengths and weaknesses and encourages the student
to make maximum use of native ability. An adviser should not attempt to handle
cases of emotional disturbances that fall outside normal behavior patterns.
Complex mental, physical, personal, financial, employment-related, and other
counseling problems can be referred to support services such as the Health
Services, Counseling Center, or the Financial Aid Office. It is also important
that the adviser encourage the advisee to set up an appointment with a staff
member in the University Career Center (150 Atkins, 704-687-2231) to discuss
employment and career goals.