Roles and Responsibilities of Students and Advisors

What is Advising?

Academic advising at Pacific University is a collaborative process between students, faculty advisors, and the Academic & Career Advising Center. Consistent with the philosophy of advising as teaching, undergraduate students at Pacific University will be able to learn and develop knowledge, skills, and positive behaviors by participating in advising activities. Advisors help students to create meaningful educational plans that addresses their academic, career, and life goals. 

Who is an Academic Advisor?

Tenured and tenure-track Forest Grove undergraduate faculty members who have worked at Pacific longer than one year serve as Academic Advisors.  Academic Advisors go through special training on advising.  Pacific also has professional advisors that work in the Academic & Career Advising Center who serve as advisors primarily to first-year and second-year students and are available to advise any student.  Deans, School Directors, and some extended-term faculty members may serve as Academic Advisors in special circumstances. 

Academic Advisors for the Academic Majors and Minors  

A student must select an eligible academic advisor in any major when they declare their major.  A student with a double major must have an advisor in each declared major.  Having an advisor for a minor is highly recommended. Anyone may view faculty advisors who are in the major/minor department on our website including the process for deciding on and declaring a major.

Support for Advisors

Responsibilities of Student Advisees

  1. Assume ultimate responsibility for their own academic programs
    • Make use of the available electronic advising tools, in particular the program evaluation, to track their progress on their academic programs.
    • Make use of resources such as faculty advisors, Academic & Career Advising, academic coaching, tutoring, and the library. 
  2. Know and understand the academic programs and policies of Pacific University
    • Contact their Advisors and/or the Academic and Career Advising Center with questions about academic programs and policies.
    • Use the Advising Handbook and Academic Catalog to learn about academic programs and policies.
  3. Make academic decisions that are guided by the academic policies of Pacific University
    • Withdraw from a class before the withdraw deadline.
    • Change and correct their schedules during the Add/Drop period.
  4. Select advisors within their majors
    • Establish a graduation plan with their selected advisor.
  5. Track progress on the graduation plan every semester during the Advising Cycle
    • Establish regular meetings with their advisors.
    • Bring required items to the advising appointment, including draft schedules and any other items the advisor requests.
  6. Meet with Advisors during the required Advising Cycles
    • Contact advisors for meetings outside of the Advising Cycles when needed.
    • Establish advising relationships with secondary advisors as needed to support special needs.
    • Meet with their minor advisors to address concerns with their minors.
  7. Check communications and consult with Academic & Career Advising center for supplemental advising assistance
    • Keep advising records up to date (BoxerOnline Notes, education plans, etc.)
  8. Schedule classes based on their degree needs and future plans
    • Contact Academic & Career Advising and Department Chairs if classes needed are not available.

Advisors: Expectations and Responsibilities

  1. Be accessible to advisees by means of scheduled appointments, office hours, telephone, and email during all contract periods o Respond to advisee concerns and questions in a timely manner
    • Meet with advisees when they request appointment which are outside of the advising period
  2. Meet personally with students during the advising period for pre-registration
    • Make clear how students should contact advisor and schedule advising appointments
    • Set expectations for both the advising appointments and other assignments before providing advising clearance for registration  
  3. Know and understand Pacific University's academic programs and policies
    • Requirements for department majors
    • Ability to read, decipher, and explain introductory requirements in other majors
    • Academic Core Requirements
    • Undergraduate Degree Graduation Requirements: total required credits, upper division credits, 52-hour rule, activity rule, and residency requirement
  4. Flag when a student is falling behind on meeting requirements
    • Proactively intervene with students in academic trouble
    • Low Mid-Term and/or final grades
    • Academic Alerts received
    • On Warning or Probation or returning from Suspension
    • Students who reach out with academic concerns
  5. Disseminate timely information to advisees about academic support services available to students, such as program changes or advising information
  6. Understand the registration process, including online registration
  7. Understand the mandates of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as Amended (FERPA).
    • Keep advising records up to date (BoxerOnline Notes, education plans, etc.).
  8. Provide approval for special academic activities such as the Internship Learning Contract and Independent Study Contract.

Academic & Career Advising 

The Academic and Career Advising Center offers additional academic and career advising services for students.  The Center oversees the undergraduate advising systems and offer advising support to both advisors and advisees.  The Center is available for all students to use and the advisors in the Center are the academic advisors for some undeclared students (and on rare occasions for some declared students).  The advisors in the Center are also the Career Advisors for students.