Advising Responsibilities and Requirements

Advising Responsibilities of Students, Advisors, & Parents/Family Members

Academic Advising is a fundamental part of undergraduate experience at UCI. Advising is more than simply determining what classes to take each quarter. Academic advisors assist students with developing and implementing meaningful educational plans that are aligned with their career and life goals. Minimally, while enrolled in U/U, students are required to meet with their assigned academic advisor at least once per quarter.

The relationship between student and academic advisor is one of shared responsibility. Advisors will assist students with exploring their educational options, connecting to resources, and engaging in experiences and opportunities while progressing toward the completion of a degree. Students themselves are responsible for selecting the content of their academic program and making progress toward an academic degree.

Within the Undergraduate/Undeclared Advising Program, both students and advisors have responsibilities as part of the student/advisor relationship.

Important to also acknowledge is the important role that parents/family members play in the advising relationship. Parents/Family Members are an integral piece of the student’s support network. As such, parents/family members also have some responsibilities within the advising relationship.

Students have the responsibility:

To schedule and keep academic advising appointments in a timely manner throughout their academic careers to avoid seeking help only during busy registration periods
To learn the requirements of their academic program, select courses that meet those requirements in an appropriate timeframe, and monitor their progress toward graduation
To meet critical deadlines for functions such as registration, add/drop, and application for graduation
To be prepared for advising sessions
To continue asking appropriate questions until all concerns are addressed, and to take notes to be able to reference the information later
To seek help when needed, not waiting until a crisis develops
To inform the advisor of important changes which directly affect academic performance and educational goals
To discuss with the advisor any unsatisfactory academic performance and its implications to develop a program of action since the advising process is built on open and honest communication
To act, in appropriate circumstances, as an advocate for themselves

Academic Advisors have the responsibility:

To help students clarify their values, goals, and better understand themselves
To aid students in understanding the nature and purpose of a college education
To assist students in developing a well-planned exploratory program to facilitate choice of major and career
To provide accurate information about educational options, requirements, policies, and procedures
To help students plan educational programs consistent with the requirements of their degree program and with their goals, interests, and abilities
To assist students in continual monitoring and evaluation of their educational progress and in solving problems that inhibit that progress
To help students identify and integrate the many resources of the University to meet their unique educational needs and goals
To encourage students in refining career goals
To act, in appropriate circumstances, as an advocate for the student
To provide an advising delivery system that includes privacy, reasonable access, and appropriate record keeping

Parents/Family Members have the responsibility:

To help and encourage their student with taking responsibility for their own educational experience
To remind their student to seek out and connect to their advisor often
To support their student as they explore who they are, possible majors, and potential career paths
To ask how their student is doing
To offer advice, but not to make decisions that their student needs to make for themselves
To provide space for the student to make their own mistakes and learn from those as they develop into the person that they hope to be