Academic Advising Syllabus

Mission: Advisors and students working together to successfully navigate college by developing strategies for achieving students' academic, career and personal goals.

Kansas State University has identified learning outcomes in five areas. Specific advising outcomes include:

Knowledge
Demonstrate a working knowledge of degree requirements, career options, campus resources, and enrichment activities.
Critical Thinking
Demonstrate the ability to identify goals, construct short-term and long-term plans, respond and adapt to changing situations, interpret degree requirements, make complex decisions, solve problems, and evaluate actions.
Communication
Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
Diversity
Demonstrate awareness and understanding of the skills necessary in order to live an work in a diverse world.
Academic and Professional Inquiry
Demonstrate awareness and understanding of the ethical and professional standards of the university, academic discipline, and profession.

Your advisor will work with you to meet these outcomes through regular advising appointments and communication.

Who are academic advisors?

  • Teachers - who empower students to take responsibility for their academic success.
  • Mentors - who work with students to reach their goals.
  • Guides - who help students navigate their college experience.
  • Resources - who serve as a point of contact and refer students to campus services.
  • Experts - who help students understand the university, its programs and curricular requirements, and related learning opportunities.
  • Advocates - who comply with FERPA and disability policies to protect students' privacy and rights.

If you are already enrolled, your advisor is listed in Navigate under Your Success Team. If there is no advisor listed, contact your department.

Student Responsibilities

  • Get to know your advisor.
  • Work with an advisor to develop and implement short-term and long-term academic, personal and/or career goals.
  • Discuss the following: goal setting, campus involvement opportunities, changing majors, time management, study tips, adding minor/certificate/secondary major, career planning/life after graduation.
  • Utilize your advisor when academic or personal challenges arise. Familiarize yourself with campus resources.
  • Familiarize yourself with requirements for your major by utilizing the information given to you by your advisor and the Degree Audit Report System (DARS) in KSIS. Remain informed of progress in meeting academic requirements.
  • Schedule and keep appointments with your advisor. Attend appointments prepared by bringing appropriate materials, identifying course choices from requirements of the preferred program or major, and identifying questions to address.
  • Know academic policies and procedures, academic calendar deadline, and degree or program requirements.
  • Tell your advisor if you have any special needs or require any learning accommodations.
  • Understand the enrollment requirements needed for your financial aid, scholarship or international status.
  • Check your email on a regular basis. You will be responsible for reading any messages sent to your K-State email account which will be used to disseminate information from your advisor.

Advisor Responsibilities

  • Help students set both short-term and long-term educational and career goals.
  • Prepare students for graduation by discussing the degree requirements of their department, help with strategic course selections to minimize the number of semesters required for graduation, and inform students of opportunities in their field of study.
  • Maintain reasonable hours and methods of availability for students. Students should be able to set up appointments for an adequate amount of time to discuss goals and career choices, make curricular selections, and answer other questions.
  • Refer students to appropriate campus resources.
  • Inform students how to change college and/or departments and provide information to explain the process students follow to enroll in their curriculum and to drop or add courses during the semester.

Objectives of Advising Relationships

Year One: Transitioning and adjusting to college
  • Explore your academic and career interests.
  • Explore interpersonal factors related to academic and career goals.
  • Clarify your personal values, especially as they relate to academic and career choices.
  • Assess your strengths and skills.
  • Use multiple resources to maximize your undergraduate experience (advisors, study groups, student organizations, volunteering, electives, student services).
Year Two: Academic exploration and personal development
  • Focus your interests and study one of them in more depth.
  • Continue assessing your skills, strengths, and interests.
  • Explore connections between your interests and strengths and potential careers.
  • Arrange for experiences that will help you clarify your goals.
Year Three: Academic enhancement and career goal setting
  • Discover how your interests and skills apply to the world of work.
  • Research multiple career options to find the best fit.
  • Network with at least three people who work in a field of interest to you.
  • Identify education and/or additional skills you'll need to attain emloyment or training in your field.
  • Be able to articulate what you are studying and why.
  • Research graduate school options and start the application process.
Year 4 Plus: Transitioning out of college into career or graduate school
  • Research employment options and start applying.
  • Understand skills employers and graduate schools seek.
  • Be able to market your skills and education to employers.
  • Continue networking.
  • Continue assessing your options.
Stay on track with K-State's Student Success Checklist.

You can also download this information as a pdf.