Academic Advising Policy
Quality academic advising and strong faculty support are hallmarks of the undergraduate experience at SMWC. Students and faculty advisors share responsibility for effective communication in the advising process. The academic advising program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is designed to individually assist each student to achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals, and make good use of the resources available.
Each student is assigned an academic advisor, normally a faculty member in the department that offers their major. A student who has not decided on a major is assigned an advisor who serves until a major is declared. Students in some majors or those pursuing double majors or a minor may have more than one advisor. Students admitted on restriction or placed on probation receive additional academic support from the Academic Support Team.
Through the academic advising process a student meets regularly with their academic advisor for goal setting and designing an academic program to meet personal, academic and career goals. The faculty advisor serves as guide and support, rather than director and bookkeeper, as the student makes decisions about educational pursuits. The student is responsible for:
- maintaining regular contact with their advisor(s) through mutually coordinated appointments;
- communicating needs, accomplishments and concerns to their advisor;
- following up on commitments;
- knowing the course requirements for their major and minor and for the general studies program;
- completing forms (e.g., registration, graduation) by established deadlines;
- become familiar with the Undergraduate Catalog and the Student Handbook.