By Lan Nguyen
As the semester comes to a close, advisers are busy helping students plan their fall schedules. But advising, though usually recommended, is not mandatory for all students. Advising policies vary from school to school. In the School of Arts and Sciences, freshmen with less than 24 credit hours are required to be advised, along with students with 72-plus hours who haven’t applied formally and been accepted into a major program. At the School of Music, freshmen and sophomores are required to sign up for advising; juniors and seniors have a choice. There is not an advising center for every graduate program, but each student is assigned a faculty adviser who works in the department in which the student is enrolled.”They do have advising, though it’s not needed every semester,” said graduate department adviser Libby Leggett. “Usually, students go to their adviser when they need to make sure they’re fulfilling all the requirements for their degree.” Several advisers said turnout for advising this semester has been about average, but noted that general education classes help familiarize students with advising procedures. “GEN 101 takes the pressure of having so many students walking through the door trying to get advised,” said Kate Lawniczak, of the College of Arts and Sciences.”At least half the Music School junior and senior students continue to be advised,” said Beth Loree, the sole adviser for Music School students. Typically, an appointment must be made to speak with an adviser. The College of Arts and Sciences offers walk-in advising, but in some schools, like the School of Music, advising is done by appointment only. Students should call their respective advising department for more information.
