Advisor and Advisee Responsibilities

Each college, school, and department has faculty and/or professional advisors who will listen to students and provide appropriate information about academic options, degree programs, and University resources. Academic advisors are interested in student learning and development and will help create educational plans consistent with academic, career, and personal goals. Advisors will also assist students in the preparation of an appropriate schedule each semester. However, advising is a collaborative process. It is the student’s responsibility to be prepared for advising appointments and to know and follow current procedures at the department, school, college, and university levels.

Student Responsibilities

• Consult with your advisor at least once each semester.
• Make appointments for advising via phone, email, or office hour sign-up sheets during mutually agreed-upon advising times.
• Be prompt for your appointments.
• If unable to make a scheduled appointment, notify the advisor in advance.
• Discuss academic and career-related needs and seek additional help from appropriate sources as suggested by the advisor.
• Be prepared for the advising appointment by bringing appropriate materials such as written questions, your DARS, and a prepared tentative schedule. Students should also check their catalog requirements and consult the course offerings for the upcoming semester.
• Seek assistance in decision-making rather than expect the advisor to make decisions.
• Follow through with the appropriate action after each advising session and consult with the advisor if critical decisions cannot be accomplished.
• Evaluate advising sessions and give formal and informal feedback to the advisor.
• Seek reassignment to another advisor if necessary.
• Be aware of departmental major, college, and university-wide General Education requirements.
• Understand how to read and use a DARS.

Prepare for Advising Appointments

While course registration is important, it is just one piece of academic advising. In order to have the most meaningful and productive conversation not only about course registration, but also the many opportunities available to enhance an Ohio University degree, students should do the following:

• Refresh your DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) reports. Read through the DARS report, and work to understand what courses are needed to complete the degree and what requirements have been met. Be prepared to view the DARS report on a laptop or take at least one copy of a refreshed DARS report to advising appointments.
• Read about your intended majors and minors in the catalog to understand the requirements for the degrees.
• Examine Course Offerings for the upcoming semester to be aware of available courses.
• Write a list of questions to ask the advisor. Questions like the following will help expand the advising conversation to include both short- and long-term academic, career, and personal goals.
  • When do you think I will graduate at this pace?
  • What campus resources are available to help me reach my academic potential?
  • What things should I be doing outside of class to contribute to my career success?

Meeting Frequency

Students should meet with their advisor at least once per term. Although meeting with an advisor before registration each semester is important, this is not the only time meetings are recommended. Advisors can help students gather information about the field(s) they are considering and can direct students to helpful university resources. Students struggling with coursework or who are considering changing their schedule, should contact their academic advisor.

Advising Holds

An advising hold will be placed on student records each semester to prevent registration for the next semester until you have met with your academic advisor. The advising hold is released by the assigned academic advisors after students meet with them. Students with more than one major will have an advisor and an advising hold for each major. It is not recommended that a student ask to have this hold lifted without meeting with their advisor because doing so means the student is registering without the guidance of a professional who will ensure that the student is making progress toward their degree goals. While some advisors do not require a meeting to remove a hold, it is in your best interest to request one!

Advisor Responsibilities

• Establish and adhere to reasonable weekly office hours, be available for advising appointments, and expand hours during registration.
• Be sensitive to the needs of students from diverse backgrounds.
• Understand the mechanics and deadlines of enrolling students, such as scheduling online, adding and dropping classes, closed-class options, and special enrollment forms.
• Understand how to read a Degree Audit Report, commonly referred to as a DARS, and how to request DARS for exploring other majors and programs.
• Understand university grading policies, including probation and academic dismissal.
• Be familiar with the variety of university degree and program offerings, departmental and college requirements, as well as university-wide General Education requirements.
• Assist students in exploring course and program offerings and career choices.
• Know where to refer students with special needs or interests (e.g., the Academic Achievement Center, the Career Network, International Student and Scholar Services, the Office of Student Accessibility Services, Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, Global Opportunities, Ombudsperson).
• Help students plan a course of study based on aptitudes, life goals, career interests, academic performance, and the frequency and sequencing of course offerings.
• Help students continually reassess their course of study in light of changing goals and overall academic performance.
• Share information about opportunities in the major and intended career field (e.g. internships, practicums, volunteer, and service learning opportunities).
• Refer students to the college office or the Office of the Registrar when appropriate.