Undergraduate Academic Advising
Academic advising is critical to student success. At Fei Tian College, we consider advising to be an integral part of teaching and believe an effective advisor will help their advisees become better students.
Scope of Advising
An advisor and the student shall meet at least once per term prior to registration. The advisor will receive copies of all official correspondence concerning the student’s academic standing from the Office of the Registrar. The academic advisor must approve the courses for which the student registers.
In general, advisors are responsible for providing the following advising services:
General Academic Advising
- General education requirements
- Class registration
- Class add/drop/withdrawal
- Major exploration (when feasible, help students select the major that suits their background and interests)
- College transfer
- Graduation requirements and planning
- General academic policies and procedures
- Probation and suspension
- Academic petitions
The Office of Academic Services provides additional materials on advising procedures and policies to help advisors.
Academic Advising for “At-Risk” Students
The Office of Academic Services works closely with instructors and monitors the performance of each student. When observing signs of a student being “at-risk,” the instructor should fill out the “Academic At-Risk” form and discuss with the office the appropriate action to take, be it giving a warning, recommending proper support services, or counseling.
Advisor Assignment
Each newly-enrolled student is assigned an academic advisor who is a faculty member at the College, either from LAS or his or her own department before registration. The academic advisor and the Office of Academic Services serve as the primary channel for academic advising and student support.
Specifically, the Office of Academic Services coordinates with faculty from LAS and academic departments to provide advising services for the first two years of a student’s education at the College. Starting in the student’s junior year, he/she will be assigned an advisor in the Department. The Office of Academic Services will work with the Department Chairs to select appropriate advisors and assist in transferring the student to his/her new advisor.
Students are assigned alphabetically and based on their major unless the student or advisor requests a change. Typically, each faculty advisor is assigned no more than 10 students at a time.
Advisor Change
Any student wishing to change advisors may do so. Students can speak with the Office of Academic Services directly alerting the Office of their preference. Reassignments may also be made due to faculty leave or shifts in duties.