Sculpture by Fine Arts Graduate Student Winter Reiser

Academic Advising in the College of Fine Arts
Submitted by Dr. Norma Humphreys
Assistant Dean, College of Fine Arts

The College of Fine Arts has a wide range of advising practices within its four undergraduate schools, but all employ the use of faculty advisors to assist with getting students from admission to graduation and beyond.  There is an expectation throughout the College that all faculty will actively engage in the advising process in ways which move our students through the intricacies of coursework which is often skill and/or competency based, sequential in nature, often with little room for electives. 

College-wide efforts

Although the bulk of student advising is assigned to faculty within the Schools of Art, Dance, Music and Theater, there are also efforts made at the College level to provide information to Fine Arts students.  One example includes the distribution of specialized information and tips to each student via a “FAQ Sheet for Fine Arts Advising” during the summer Precollege sessions.  This information is also available to them on the College website and includes helpful links to advising and student support information throughout the University.  Updates on advising issues are also sent to all students and faculty throughout each quarter by means of an electronic newsletter sent from the Dean’s office entitled “Fine Arts FACTS”.  The College’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee, comprised of a student services representative from Art, Dance, Music and Theater along with the Assistant Dean for Student Services, has recently discussed the viability of developing an advising syllabus which could be utilized by individual advisors to assist in clarifying the advising process, advisor/advisee expectations, and developmental or holistic advising practices per discipline.

Common Advising Practices Across Disciplines

Each student is assigned to a faculty advisor within the major and is expected to meet with this advisor at least once per quarter to receive registration materials and discuss course selection for the next quarter. 

Most Fine Arts disciplines have highly structured curricular requirements which are outlined in the catalog. A large number of majors employ curriculum guides which list courses by the quarter and year in which they must be completed.  Many required courses in the various majors are offered on a rotational basis, some are offered once a year and others require pre-requisites and skill-based competencies to pass from one level to the next.  Since students are often unaware of these “quirks” in the curriculum, the faculty advisor is an invaluable guide to helping the students to stay on track.

Special Advising Advantages in Fine Arts

Due to the nature of the Fine Arts disciplines, our students have numerous occasions to interact with faculty advisors and other faculty members within their School on a regular basis.  Our students all start out from their first quarter on campus with a full load of required courses in their major, often with little room for general education courses.  This means a large amount of their time is spent in classes with faculty in their in major, informal meetings in the hallways, and quality time together in required ensembles, rehearsals, productions, and studios.  These daily one-on-one and small group interactions are part of the special culture of the College of Fine Arts in which faculty and students come together to create their work and hone their skills, and in essence, become a type of extended family.  Conversations revolving around topics such as career goals, networking, challenges in the discipline and creative research are a commonplace in the hallways and rehearsal breaks. These informal gatherings expand the notion of academic advising from one of basic course selection to a more developmental approach limited only by the level and nature of the faculty/student interaction. 

Special Practices per School

Although not billed as an “advising” session, the Schools of Dance, Music and Theater all require their majors to attend a zero credit course 9-12 quarters of their time on campus.  These courses are called performance labs (PL) and afford faculty and students a weekly opportunity to come together to share their creative work and ideas, explore new avenues of thought, and engage in conversations about relevant topics in their fields.  This curricular expectation is a built-in avenue for informal advising which strengthens the bond between faculty and students.  Although the School of Art does not currently have a PL course in place, it is considering adding a 1 hour course to its curriculum to address some of the advising needs of its large number of general art majors.  Part of this class would be geared towards helping students prepare for the portfolio submission required at the end of their sophomore year for entry into a specific art major.