Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus

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Academic Advising and Planning

What is advising?
University College academic advising is an interactive, participatory, and formal process that aids in students’ success. While some questions can be answered via e-mail or phone, advising almost always occurs during a scheduled appointment. Often, even a so-called simple question takes at least a couple minutes to answer with complete accuracy. Your advisor needs to research your academic history, plan, and progress in order to give you advice. Good advice that is!

Because advisors are here to help you make choices about YOUR goals and YOUR degree, we expect that you come prepared to your advising appointment by completing a Pre-Advising Worksheet. That way, we’ll both be on the same page – so to speak – and we can discuss topics that are important and specific to you. Students are ultimately responsible for understanding and fulfilling the appropriate degree requirements. We as advisors are here to assist you in that.

So, to sum things up:
  • You = prepare for your appointment by making a plan via the Pre-Advising Worksheet.
  • Your advisor = reviews, compares, researches, recommends, plans and prepares a Program Planner.
  • You and Your advisor = plan courses for your next semesters(s) based on your preparation and our expertise. Basically, together, we discuss, set, and monitor your goals for attaining a college degree.
What advising is not!
Academic advising is not registration. Although you and your advisor will select specific courses for the next semester(s) during the advising appointment, you are not registered for classes until you register yourself, ASAP, on a computer, via OneStart. Make sense?
  • Academic Advising = you and your advisor.
  • Registration = you and a computer.
Who’s my advisor?
UCOL students are assigned an advisor based on the major they have selected and their academic standing.
  • Academic good standing = cumulative GPA of 2.000 (+)
  • Academic probation = cumulative GPA of 1.999 (-)
  • Contact us to find out the name of your advisor.
What other related resources are available?