Policy and Procedure

Internal Audit Web

ACADEMIC OPERATING POLICY AND PROCEDURE

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Academic Operating Policy and Procedure (AOP) is to emphasize the importance of advising and provide guidelines for establishing quality advisement for all students.

REVIEW

This AOP will be reviewed every four years or whenever circumstances require an earlier review by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs (APAA) with recommendations for revision presented to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1. Every student in the University will have access to quality academic advising.

2. All undeclared undergraduate students will be advised by staff in the University Academic Advising Center.

3. All new freshmen who have an ACT score less than 21 and a core high school grade point average less than 2.5 will be advised by staff in the University Academic Advising Center until the student accumulates a minimum thirty (30) hours of course work.

4. Students are required to declare a major upon the accumulation of sixty (60) credit hours. New transfer students may remain in an undeclared status until the student accumulates 60 hours of total work (transfer + MSU credits). If a transfer student matriculates with greater than 60 hours, s/he are allowed one semester as an undeclared major and will be advised by staff in the University Academic Advising Center during that period. Following the completion of one semester as undeclared, a transfer student must declare a major.

5. All students with declared academic majors will be advised by faculty and/or professional staff in their respective units. Each unit will develop its own academic advising system.

6. Advisors will be assigned immediately after a student declares a specific academic major or prior to their first registration. All students will be informed of the faculty/staff advisor’s name to whom they have been assigned.

7. Training of academic advisors is the responsibility of the unit, although workshops are scheduled throughout the year by the Academic Advising Task Force.

8. Advising will be assessed by the respective unit, and an advisor’s level of performance will be included as a factor in decisions related to annual salary increase, promotion, and tenure.

9. Academic advisors will be assigned a reasonable number of advisees relative to the individual’s other work assignments.

10. All new students, both freshmen and transfers, will be invited to participate in summer orientation and advising sessions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

                      AOP 12.38
11/15/06

For information about this policy, contact the responsible/reviewing department hyperlinked above.