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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

SCSU Academic Advising Handbook

The Advising Process at SCSU: From Entry to Graduation

  1. New Student Advising and Registration Days
  2. Advisor Assignments
  3. Advising and Registration
  4. The Advising Center
  5. Declaring a Major
  6. Advising Majors
  7. Graduation Audits

Advising and Registration Days

  • All new entering first year students and transfer students have the opportunity to attend an Advising Day before they enter SCSU. They are strongly encouraged to do so. Vital information concerning graduation requirements are explained and students are shown how to locate this information for future use. New entering first year students register for classes during their Advising Day; transfer students receive help with registration as needed.
  • Entering students work with advisors from the advising center and admissions offices, faculty advisors and student advisors, who assist them in registering for classes and answering questions about all aspects of student life at SCSU.
  • At their Advising Day students take the math placement exam, learn about the SCSU General Education Program and get their first chance find out about the major and minor programs that interest them.

Advisor Assignments

  • The Administrative Director of Advising Center assigns entering students to an advisor. Assignments are made using a list of advisors provided by the departments.
  • Assignments reflect the students’ indicated major, i.e. Business majors are assigned to the College of Business Office of Undergraduate Programs, Biology majors to a faculty member in that department, etc.
  • Departments designate faculty interested in serving as advisors for entering students (i.e. pre-majors).

Advising and Registration

  • Students are urged to make an appointment with their advisor several weeks prior to their registration date.
  • Students not admitted to a major must secure an access code from their advisor; the purpose of the code is to get students to meet with the advisor. Codes change every term and have no intrinsic meaning – again, they exist in order to get students to meet with an advisor.
  • Good advisors meet with each advisee to discuss course selection and issues related to the major.
    • THEY DO NOT POST ACCESS CODES ON THEIR OFFICE DOOR.

The Advising Center

  • Student who do not indicate an intended major are assigned to an advisor in the advising center.
  • Advising center staff contact their advisees by email early in the fall, inviting them to come in to get acquainted.

    The Advising Center Will Gladly

    • Advise undecided students.
    • Help students with the process of choosing major and minor programs.
    • Audit students’ general education courses to make sure they have completed the program.
    • Answer general advising questions.
    • Change a student’s advisor.
    • Provide training for faculty and staff.

    The Advising Center Cannot

    • Give out access codes without providing an advising session.
    • Give out access codes over the phone.
    • Give out personal or academic information about students to anyone other than the student involved. This includes parents.
    • Provide major or minor advising!!!
      • We will gladly help students look at major and minor programs, but such advising must happen in the appropriate departments.

Declaring a Major

  • Students go to the appropriate department to declare a major.
  • They receive a major/minor form and are assigned a faculty advisor in the department. The advising center can make the official advisor change.
  • Students complete the form with the help of the advisor (the advising center can help with the general education part) including the appropriate signatures.
  • Students admitted to a major no longer need an access code to register.

Advising Majors

  • Faculty have the opportunity to serve as mentors to advisees in their major.
  • Often faculty and students will know one another from class, and their discussions can focus on more than course selection.
  • Faculty advisors can provide information concerning graduate education and careers as well as strategies for succeeding in the major and careers.

Graduation Audits

  • Students should apply for graduation a year before they graduate. This allows time to make up any discrepancies.
  • Faculty advisors can play an important role in helping students prepare for the graduation audit by looking over the major/minor application to ensure that the student has completed all requirements.

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