Satisfaction of advising responsibilities by academic advisors (herein referred to as advisors) is essential to the successful functioning of a university. Michigan State University (MSU) conceives these responsibilities to be so important that performance by advisors in meeting the provisions of this Code shall be taken into consideration of performance of their responsibilities.
Responsibilities of Undergraduate Academic Advisors
The principal purpose of academic advising is to guide students to successful completion of their undergraduate careers. Many activities may be involved however, the primary advising functions are providing advice on university policies, course selection, enrichment opportunities and post-collegiate careers. Individual advisors may have the expertise to advise students on all of these matters or they may need to refer students to other resources. Academic Advisors perform their roles under the Core Values recommended by The Global Community For Academic Advising (NACADA) (https://nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Pillars/CoreValues.aspx). The Mission Statement and Core Expectations of MSU Academic Advisors can be found at https://undergrad.msu.edu/programs/academic-advising. With these premises in mind, the university’s expectations for advisors are as follows:
Commitment to Student Success
Academic advising is a critical piece of MSU’s commitment to the success of students. Advisors are responsible for supporting students in their personal, educational and professional growth. Connecting students to suitable majors is essential for student achievement. Advisors will identify appropriate campus resources, programs, policies, and procedures, making referrals as appropriate to support students in their academic journey and in their preparation for post-collegiate life. It is the responsibility of advisors to stay up to date on information about available resources and connect with colleagues to build networks of support for students. Advisors will approach the advising of students consistently in terms of fairness, objectivity, and impartiality.
Knowledge and Implementation of University Policy
Advisors will provide accurate and consistent information to their advisees that conform to current requirements as outlined in the Academic Programs Catalog and other relevant sources. They will strive to keep their knowledge of MSU policies and procedures up to date, and will communicate changes to their advisees in a timely fashion. They will maintain awareness of majors and minors beyond their primary area of responsibility, including those in other colleges, to refer students to the appropriate departments or units for information on requirements and procedures. They will maintain awareness of non-academic support services to which students may need referral.
Timely Communication and Recordkeeping
Advisors will provide accurate and consistent information to student advisees that conforms to current requirements and policies as outlined in the Academic Programs Catalog. They will maintain electronic records of all advising appointments and relevant correspondence, including specific course recommendations in the MSU-sanctioned system that is accessible both to the student and the advisor’s supervisor. Advisors will be responsive to communications from students and when able, initiate conversations to engage proactively with student advisees. Advisors will maintain the confidentiality of academic records in accordance with university policy and adhere to all FERPA regulations.
Degree Tracking
Advisors will provide students with accurate degree tracking information, including conducting degree requirement checks in accordance with the Academic Programs Catalog, to track progress toward degree completion. They will assist students in identifying a realistic plan to complete their educational goals.
Advising Appointments
Advisors will provide students opportunities to schedule appointments consistent with unit-level guidelines. If advisors need to cancel appointments, they must notify students of the cancelation and offer opportunities and/or provide instructions on how to reschedule the session.
Responsibilities of Students in the Advising Relationship
Completion of Degree Requirements
Students are responsible for learning university, college and departmental requirements and policies as published in the Academic Programs Catalog. Although advisors provide important reminders and consultation on course progression and selection, students are ultimately responsible for completing the courses required by degree programs. Any deviation from stated requirements requires documented approval in the student’s record from an academic advisor, advising director, department chair or assistant/associate dean who oversees the program.
Use of Electronic Resources to Support Degree Completion
Students should use the available electronic resources to monitor academic progress, noting limitations for some unique programs. Any discrepancies between monitoring systems and the Academic Programs Catalog should be addressed with advising staff immediately upon discovery.
Communication with Advisors
Students should recognize that MSU conducts university communications via email and are expected to read all university messages sent either electronically or by mail related to academic matters. Students are responsible for knowing and following guidelines or requirements communicated to them by these means.
Appeal of Advising Errors
Students should consult departmental/college organizational leaders for information on seeking relief in instances of advising errors that impact student progress to degree. Initial outreach with concerns related to academic advising should be directed first to unit administrators (e.g., department chair, director of advising) who have the ability to adjudicate and rectify any errors. If the matter remains unresolved, students may contact the Office of the Ombudsperson for additional support in seeking resolution. Grievances may be filed under the processes specified in Article 7: Adjudication of Academic Cases found in the Spartan Handbook.