Academic Advising is considered a major focus in the educational process, as it facilitates the students' journey through university life by providing guidance and helping them in course preparation and registration, all of which are factors that help them adapt to the requirements of the undergraduate degree.
Most higher education institutions rely on the expertise of faculty members to guide students in academic matters, such as choosing a major, providing them with suggestions and advice that contribute to improving their academic achievement, helping them overcome their academic and administrative problems, knowing their preferences and capabilities in order to make use of the expertise and services available at the university.
Academic Advising Unit
It is responsible for supervising the academic advising process in the college and organizing the process of registering schedules for students who have problems. It serves as a link between the academic departments and the Deanship of Admission and Registration. The unit provides the following:
- Developing a plan for academic advising in the college and following up its implementation
- Spreading awareness among students about what the unit is, its importance, and how to benefit from its services, through meetings and announcements via university email, social media and on the unit's website
- Raising awareness of the importance of academic advising and the importance of communicating with the academic advisor through announcements via university email, social media and on the unit's website
- Familiarizing students with the college's goals and mission, its educational programs, its scientific departments, the fields of work of its graduates, the aspects of care and services it provides to its students, as well as informing them and directing them to choose the appropriate specializations that suit their abilities and capabilities
- Assigning new students to academic advisors, following up on linking students with their advisors, and publishing lists on the unit's website at the beginning of each year
- Contributing to solving students 'psychological, financial, social and employment problems by directing them to the College Guidance and Counseling Center and the College Vice-Dean for Student Affairs to take the necessary action
- Activating early advising intensively and at the best level to ensure the success of the early registration process
- Submission of periodical report that includes the unit's activity as well as a report on students level to the college administration
- Studying students 'cases and preparing reports on them
- Considering the students 'academic problems raised by the Academic Advisors and seeking to solve them in cooperation with the College's administration
- Considering female students 'complaints of an academic nature and providing solutions that suit them or raising them to the college administration if necessary
- Holding intensive training courses to educate students on how to benefit from the academic system (Banner) and the study plans and courses that they must add
- Supervising orientation programs for new students to introduce the system of study and tests in the college
- Meeting periodically every 4 weeks to discuss periodic or exceptional reports submitted by the Academic advisors.
Academic Advisor Responsibilities
- The list of the students assigned to advisor is posted on the door of her office
- A schedule that has advising hours is posted on the door of her office
- Meeting with the students to follow up the progress of their studies according to their approved study plans, in a way that guarantees their graduation within the specified period
- Providing students with a sample of study plan, and tracking her status through her academic record and an online certificate evaluation service to ensure that the student has passed all the requirements for the level at which she is currently registered
- Explaining the differences between university requirements, specialization courses, elective courses
- Providing the Academic Advising Coordinator in the department with a case study of students whose cases require action by a higher administrative body, such as presenting them to the relevant department council or college council or addressing the admission and registration deanship about it
- Following-up of students who are expected to graduate, allowing the addition over the maximum number of hours when needed
- Providing the academic advising coordinator in the department with the minutes of the meeting with the students, and the 'follow-up reports
- Signing the forms such as course withdrawal form.
Academic Advising Coordinator Responsibilities
- Assigning an academic advisor for each group of students to guide them on their academic conditions
- Providing supervisors with their tasks and training them on how to benefit from the academic system (Banner)
- Preparing a place to receive and direct students at the beginning of each semester during the registration period
- Announcing the advising location
- Providing academic advisors with study plans and academic advising forms
- Studying critical and special cases
- Following- up on schedules posted with office hours on their doors of the academic advisors to facilitate meeting with students
- Following-up the reports of academic advising
- Tracking students who are expected to graduate and need to increase their hours to the maximum limit, so that their names will be submitted to the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, and follow-up on the students being informed of the new updates by the advisor
- Providing the Director of Academic Advising at the college with a report on the status of academic advising in the department