121.3 Academic Advising

121.3 Academic Advising

A. Background

While individual students are ultimately responsible for the decisions they make regarding their academic programs, the University recognizes its obligation to provide students with accurate and timely information concerning academic requirements and to advise and assist them in making their decisions.

B. Policy

All full-time faculty members are responsible for participating in the academic advising program.  Part-time faculty who express an interest in the advising program may serve as academic advisors for majors in their department and for students who have yet to declare a major, if approved by the appropriate Department Chair and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean.  Administrators and professsional staff members who express an interest in the program may serve as academic advisors for students who have yet to declare a major if approved by the Assistnat Academic Dean and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean.  Once a student declares a major, he/she will be assigned to a faculty advisor in the appropriate department(s).

C. Guidelines

1. All faculty members are to be familiar with the academic regulations contained in the Furman University Catalogue.

2. Faculty members are expected to offer all their advisees the opportunity to meet with them to discuss courses and academic matters during the pre-registration periods for fall, winter and spring terms.  Other meetings during the academic year may be scheduled at the discretion of the advisor and the student.

3. The Assistant Academic Dean will assign students to advisors and will supervise the academic advising program.  Faculty members will normally be assigned four to six new students to advise each year.

4. Department chairs are responsible for coordinating the advising of majors (see File 111.2, C. 4.).  All full-time faculty will generally be expected to advise majors.  The Chair will attempt to assign majors in an equitable fashion so that the advising load is evenly distributed throughout the Department.  The Office of the Assistant Academic Dean can assist the Chair in determining the total number of advisees that an advisor has been assigned, including students who have not yet declared majors.

5. Faculty in their first year of service are excused from advising duties.

6. Normally, faculty conducting study abroad programs will be assigned no advising duties to be performed while they are away from Furman.  Depending upon the term and duration of the program, however, they may be assigned freshmen advisees.

7. Normally, faculty on sabbatical leave will be assigned no advising duties.  Such faculty will not be assigned freshmen advisees during a sabbatical year.

8. In rare cases, other faculty members having unusually heavy responsibilities may be excused from advising by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean.

9. The Assistant Academic Dean will conduct annual training sessions for new faculty in academic advising.  Review sessions for current advisors will be held as deemed appropriate based on changes in the curriculum or registration procedures.

10. Academic advisors are not required to counsel students on personal problems but should be prepared to make referrals to appropriate professionals when such problems come to their attention.

11. Department chairs, the Faculty Status Committee, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean will take advising into account (see Files 101.1 and 157.3) when considering faculty members for promotion and/or tenure, and annual salary increases.  For their tenure and promotion files and annual evaluations, faculty members may request documentation from the Office of the Assistant Academic Dean as evidence of unusually heavy advising responsibilities.

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