Please note: This is NOT the most current catalog.
Academic Advising
Academic Advising at St. Olaf College
Academic advising at St. Olaf College encourages
the integration of the mind, body and spirit as students pursue academic,
career and life-long goals. Central to this developmental process is
the partnership between students and their faculty advisers. This partnership
assists students in directing their intellectual curiosities, in overcoming
personal or academic barriers to learning and in guiding them in attaining
their goals.
Advisers
Each student is entitled to a faculty adviser. Advisers
for new students are assigned by the Academic Advising Center. The student
may remain with this faculty member or change to another faculty adviser
at a later date with the permission of the new faculty adviser. All
students have the right to change to a different faculty adviser at
any time during the academic year.
The Academic Advising Center and the department
chairs and program directors oversee the re-assignment of advisees for
faculty on sabbaticals or other leaves.
The advice of faculty advisers does not constitute
a promise or a contract ensuring a student's graduation on schedule
or the completion of specific requirements. Students and faculty advisers
must refer to the Class and Lab Schedules to determine which
courses fulfill specific graduation requirements. The responsibility
for understanding and meeting degree requirements rests entirely with
the student. Computerized student degree audits which detail each student's
progress toward graduation are available, with 24-hour notice, free
of charge anytime during the year at the Registrar's Office. In addition,
students have access to their academic records at any time on St. Olaf's
World Wide Web page.
Student/Advisee Responsibilities
The responsibility for understanding and meeting
degree requirements rests entirely with the student. To fulfill this
responsibility, students should follow the guidelines below:
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Develop plans for achieving academic, career
and personal goals;
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Take the initiative to acquire advice and to
develop a relationship with a faculty adviser;
-
Become familiar with the General Education
requirements and graduation requirements;
-
Schedule appointments with assigned faculty
adviser when requested and prepare for the meeting;
-
Consult with your faculty adviser if making
major changes in your semester class schedule or when dropping courses
during the semester.
Faculty/Adviser Responsibilities
Faculty advisers assist the student in fulfilling
their responsibilities by:
-
Being accessible;
-
Empowering advisees to explore and make their
own decisions regarding academic, career and lifelong goals;
-
Assisting advisees in long-range planning as
well as immediate problem-solving;
-
Assisting advisees in making choices that will
lead to developing a realistic major;
-
Providing advice and when appropriate referring
advisees to the relevant office or resource person;
-
Not guessing in response to an advisee question
about policy or requirements and referring advisee to the relevant
office or person for an answer;
-
Encouraging advisees to change advisers if
they no longer have an interest in the adviser's area and/or it
is felt that a positive relationship is not developing.
The advice of faculty advisers does not constitute a promise
or a contract ensuring a student's graduation on schedule, or the completion
of specific requirements. The responsibility for understanding and meeting
degree requirements rests entirely with the student.
Academic Advising Center
The Academic Advising Center provides administrative
and curricular support to all St. Olaf students and faculty advisers.
The center provides high quality, timely service on routine and general
academic curricular questions and encourages all students to become
more knowledgeable and involved in planning their academic programs.
Academic Peer Advisers (APA)
Academic Peer Advisers are a select group of current
St. Olaf College students who assist the Academic Advising Center in
providing quality, timely service on routine and general academic curricular
questions. With the center, they enable their peers to become more knowledgeable
and involved in planning their academic programs. Academic Peer Advisers
also assist with academic planning sessions during Week One, set up
academic planning sessions during the year, provide support during registration
times and assist the center as needed.
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