Advising Center
Advising Resources for Students
All newly admitted First Year and Transfer Students are required to attend an Advising and Registration Day. Click on the link below for more information on the Advising and Registration Day Program for new incoming students.
new first year students
There are a number of great advising resources for new first year students at St. Cloud State. New incoming first year students are assigned to an advisor based on their choice of intended major or acceptance into the Honors Program.
- Honors - Honors Advising, CH 216
- All intended Business Majors - Pre-Business Advising Center, CH 229
- All intended Nursing Science Majors - Steve Olson, BH 213
- All other intended majors - Advising Center, CH 366
See the link at the bottom left of the page to look up your advisor.
Group Advising for Students
Still need to see your advisor? Come to a Group Advising Session with staff from the Advising Center. In these sessions we will review graduation requirements, the Liberal Education Program, how to interpret your degree audit and general information about advising. We will also help you choose courses for spring semester. If your assigned advisor is in the Advising Center you can also receive your access code. If not, you will still need to meet with your assigned advisor to receive your access code for spring semester registration.
Sign up for a Group Advising Session
Academic Road Map
The Academic Road Map is an advising tool for first year students assigned to an advisor in the Advising Center which can be accessed through D2L. There are four components (three surveys and a questionnaire) of the Academic Road Map and two are compulsory for students who would like to move on to a major advisor. Each component is designed to help you reflect on some questions as you think about class registration for upcoming semesters and eventually moving to an advisor in your major of choice.
Individual students are ready to commit to an intended major at different stages in their academic career and will want to complete the different surveys, prior to seeing an advisor, at a pace which works best for each student.
MAP-Works
MAP-Works is designed to help make your highest achievement here a reality. It will help you understand how you fit in at SCSU, what challenges lie ahead, and what services are available to help you meet those challenges. It results in a personalized report written to and about you, as well as an abbreviated report for your advisor and residence hall director (or commuter advisor for commuter students). Your MAP-Works report uses information supplied by you, so the report is unique to only you!
If you have yet to take the MAP-Works survey, you can access link below:
Scheduling an Appointment
Students are wise to schedule an appointment with an advisor well in advance of the opening of their registration window. Appointments in the Advising Center can be scheduled by phone or in person. It is a good idea to check with other advisors and/or centers about the best method for scheduling an appointment.
Advisors will...
- Help you clarify your educational goals
- Understand the General Education Curriculum
- Discuss Major and/or Minor options
- Provide assistance in course selection
- Explain university academic policies and graduation requirements
- Encourage you to be responsible for your own academic progress
- Provide referrals to additional campus resources
- Take time to listen…
Students / Advisees will…
- Schedule and attend advising appointments at least once per semester
- Be courteous (schedule appointments early and cancel or reschedule if necessary)
- Come prepared with questions and/or topics to discuss
- Take primary responsibility for course selection
Questions to Ask your Advisor
- Are there any courses I could double count in my major and general education?
- Are there any pre-requisite courses required for my major?
- What requirements must I complete in order to be eligible to apply for my major?
- Do I need a minor? Are there specific minors you would recommend?
- What is the GPA requirement for my major? Are there any other GPA requirements I need to be aware of?
- If I try to register for a course within my major and it is full, are there any particular strategies you would recommend?
- When should I meet with you to discuss my academic plan for next semester and receive my access code?
If a Course you want is Full
- Remain diligent in checking the on-line registration system for open seats. Students can make changes to their schedules through several days into the semester, so an opening could occur at any time during that period.
- Check with the department that offers the course to see if they keep a waiting list of students wanting to register for a particular course. Some departments place a “Course requires special permission” hold on certain courses so that when a student drops out of the course, not just anyone searching online for openings will be able to register for the course. The department is then able to take someone from the waiting list and give that person the special permission override needed to register for the course. Keep in mind that not all departments utilize waiting lists, so you will need to inquire at each department office to find out their policy.
- Try to contact the professor in person, by stopping by his or her office, by phone, or by e-mail to politely inquire whether he or she anticipates being able to allow any additional students into the class. In many cases this will not be possible, but the professor may be able to offer other suggestions.
- You can go to the first class meeting to see if any of the registered students do not attend, and then ask the professor about the possibility of getting into the class. The instructor reserves the right to ask any students who are not registered for the course to leave.
ACADEMIC WARNING, APPEAL, SUSPENSION, AND PROBATION
Advisors in the Advising Center, the Multicultural Academic Support Center and the Herberger Business School serve as a first point of contact for students who are working to return to a status of good academic standing.
- Advising Center (Centennial Hall 210, 320-308-6075)
- Business Advising (Centennial Hall 229, 320-308-3214)
- Multicultural Academic Support Center (Centennial Hall 221, 320-308-3952)
Academic Warning: Students on Academic Warning are required to see an advisor to discuss the parameters of Academic Warning and to create an Academic Success Plan.
Academic Suspension and Appeal: Students who are suspended should refer to their email notification for an explanation of the suspension and the steps required to file and appeal.
Academic Probation (returning from a suspension): Students returning from a one term or one year suspension must meet with an advisor to create an Academic Success Plan. Below are two resources for your consideration as you work through the process of returning to school.
Data privacy
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, commonly referred to as FERPA, is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. This federal law prohibits the university from sharing student records, including grades, with anyone but the student. If you have any questions about data privacy you can ask your advisor.
