UW-Superior uses a student-centered advising approach that focuses on relationship building, skill development, effective communication, and student empowerment. Academic advising is seen as a collaborative and individualized process whereby students and their advisors are partners in creating academic plans aligned with the unique personal and career goals and the interests of the student. This advisor-student partnership requires building rapport, inviting participation, and expecting involvement of both parties as it is built throughout the student's entire educational experience at the university. Advisors are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment that is welcoming, respectful, and dedicated to the success of all students. To that end, the following are performance expectations of all academic advisors that serve as a foundation for successful student-centered advising.

Communication and Availability Expectations

Be accessible to meet with all advisees in-person, telephone, or virtually.

Meet with primary advisees at least once a term for academic planning.

• The expectation is that all undergraduate advisors make themselves available and hold a meeting each semester during the academic year with their advisees to discuss academic planning. Doing so helps ensure that students develop a connection with their advisor and that sound academic advice is provided prior to course enrollment. The meeting should precede the release of the advising hold. It is understood that not all students will ultimately meet with their advisor and this should not be held against the advisor in performance reviews.
• The expectation for graduate advisors is to communicate with each advisee and make themselves available to each advisee each term, meeting with all advisees that request to do so. The communication or meeting should precede the release of the advising hold.

Be responsive to student inquiries, generally within 2 business days excluding weekends and holidays

Curricular Planning and Degree Progress Expectations

Proactively inquire about student academic and career goals and facilitate connections between goals, post-graduation plans, and academic studies.

Understand and accurately communicate the value and purpose of the curriculum, course sequencing, scheduling options, graduation requirements, and university policies and procedures.

Effectively monitor degree progress through the University adopted technology, discuss with the student, and document in the student success management system.

• Advisors are expected to understand and use the features of eHive (PeopleSoft), in particular the advising report, as well as other tools including the course history, transcripts, and transfer credit report. These tools list all completed and remaining degree requirements individualized to each student, and they serve as the formal record of student achievement. Advisors should be able to effectively read eHive to understand the requirements and convey this information clearly to students to help in their planning.
• Currently, Navigate is the software system used to centralize advising activities including appointment availability, appointment scheduling, and advising appointment summaries. Informational materials providing support and training for the use of Navigate are hosted on the employee intranet and at the EAB website.

Review courses and credits to help maximize application of prior credits to UW-Superior degree requirements.

• Students enrolled at UW-Superior may have a wide array of prior courses or experiences that may satisfy UW-Superior graduation requirements. This includes courses completed at other 2- or 4-yr institutions, college credit earned in high-school (e.g. Advanced Placement courses, Dual Credit, Early-college Credit, Post-secondary Enrollment Options [PSEO]), and prior work or life experiences that may provide Credit for Prior Learning (CPL). All advisors should strive to ensure prior courses, credits, and experiences are appropriately applied by students to their UW-Superior graduation requirements.

Knowledge and Sharing of Resources and Support with Students Expectations

Know, understand, and refer students to University-wide resources and services.

• UW-Superior provides a broad range of resources to support students, ranging from career readiness exploration and academic supports such as tutoring, to basic student needs, mental health counseling, and various university offices responsible for specific functions (e.g. Registrar, Bursar, Financial Aid), etc. Advisors should be fully informed about the range of resources available to our students and how these resources may be accessed and utilized to promote student success. The resources are compiled into a website known as the student resource hub.

Demonstrate and empower students to use technological tools to monitor their own degree progress and connect with resources.

Policies, Procedures, and Professional Development Expectations

Use the student success management system for availability, appointment scheduling, and appointment summaries (Navigate).

Understand and refer students with compliance-related circumstances to appropriate university offices.

• Advisors should be aware of requirements and policies that may present compliance issues for specific groups of UW-Superior students. For the types of circumstances listed below, refer to the appropriate office:

  • Financial aid issues, especially when students add/drop courses that change their status definition as full- or part-time; refer to Financial Aid office and resources

  • Student athlete eligibility issues – refer to UW-Superior Athletic Director

  • For issues regarding international students, for example student visas, rules regarding work-study and internships, etc. refer to our Office of Intercultural Student Success

  • Students who disclose a disability or inquire about disability accommodations, refer to our office of Disability Support Services

Protect students’ privacy in accordance with university policy and the federal guidelines outlined by FERPA.

• FERPA refers to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act that covers the disclosure of student educational records by UW-Superior employees. The UW-Superior FERPA policy has information specific to our university implementation.