Academic Planning, Advising and Services
The Academic Planning, Advising and Services strives
to provide comprehensive supportive services to enable all students to reach
their full potential. The office provides a centralized location for students
to utilize a variety of services tailored to individual learning styles, background
and needs.
Advisors and Advising
The role of the student in advising has been
defined as follows:
Each student is responsible for conceiving and carrying out his or
her own liberal education, including a program of academic study consistent
with his or her intellectual needs, skills, and interests, as well
as with University requirements. In so doing, it is not only
a right but an obligation to seek and receive the
best counsel which St. Lawrence can give. The purpose of our
advising system is to ensure that each student has at least one faculty
member to approach for assistance with this process. At a minimum,
the student must consult with his or her advisor about the choice of
semester courses and obtain their registration PIN. It
is the student’s obligation to schedule appointments with his
or her advisor. A student will not be allowed to register
if he or she does not have an on campus academic advisor.
The student should be aware that it is his or
her responsibility to be informed concerning University regulations
and departmental programs. The student should be familiar with
the University policy documents such as the University Catalog and Student Handbook. These
contain the most authoritative information and should be consulted regularly. Specific
questions should be addressed to the associate dean of academic advising,
Whitman 160.
A. Selection of Academic Advisors
1. First-Year
Students: All first-year students at St. Lawrence participate
in the First-Year Program and are assigned a primary advisor who is
a faculty member in their residential college. Many students
remain with their First-Year Program advisors for two years. However,
any student who wishes to change advisors to a faculty member in an
anticipated field of study prior to the declaration of the major may
do so with the consent of the proposed advisors and by completing and
returning the change of advisor card to the advising office, Whitman
160. It should be noted that students have the option of taking on
a second advisor if they so choose.
2. Majors: At
the time a student declares a major in the spring of the sophomore year, or
sooner, the student also accepts a faculty member from that field of study
as his or her major advisor. The major advisor may be a faculty member
who agrees to work with the student at the student’s request,
or may be assigned by the department chair.
3. Double
Majors: Double majors must have advisors in both departments
or fields of study and both should be consulted regularly.
4. Multifield
Major: A multifield major is advised by faculty in each of the
fields chosen to constitute the multifield. The student designates one
advisor to serve as the overall multifield advisor. Proposals for a multifield
major are submitted to the Multifield Major Committee. Information
can be obtained from the chair of the committee.
5. University
Scholars: University scholars are advised by their First-Year
Program advisor and later by their major advisor. Scholars are
encouraged to consult with the associate dean of the First Year about
their program of study.
6. Special
Students: Those individuals admitted as special students
are advised by the associate dean of the First Year.
7. Transfer
Students: Transfer students will be assigned advisors in
their general area by Director of Advising.
8. Seniors: All
seniors must have changes in their majors and/or minors completed and
turned in to the advising office, Whitman 160, by early April 2007.
(Seniors will be notified at the start of spring semester of the exact
date changes are due.)
Students are expected to solicit advice
from resource persons associated with other programs or departments
relevant to their intellectual and personal development. Supportive
advising is provided for students who are members of the Higher Education
Opportunity Program and/or the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry
Program. The student
life and co-curricular education division also provides counseling to students
through a variety of offices including career planning (Student Center), and
counseling services (Dean-Eaton).
B. Changing Advisors
Students may change advisors at any time. To change
advisors, a student must obtain a change-of-advisor card from a department
or from the advising office, Whitman 160. The card requires the
signatures of the new advisor, and the student. This card must
then be submitted to the advising office, Whitman 160. Questions
about advising should be directed to the advising office, 229-5964.
