Academic Advising

Whether it is your first or final semester at Nebraska Wesleyan University, we are glad you are part of our academic community. You belong at NWU and your academic advisor is one more person who wants to see you achieve your goals. Academic advising is an interactive, supportive process where you and your advisor will work together to support your success. Advising can include everything from schedule and graduation planning to accessing the support resources available to you on campus. Your advisor is your point person; if you’re not sure where to go to get a question answered, your advisor is a great place to start. If they don’t know the answer, they will find out where you should go next.

Working With Your Academic Advisor

Every student at Nebraska Wesleyan is assigned an academic advisor. If you are a new, first-time college student, your advisor is the instructor for your Archway Seminar course. They will guide you at the start of your NWU career and help you understand the Archway Curriculum as you finalize your plans for a major. Once you declare your major, you will be assigned an advisor who is a faculty member in that department. You must complete an advising session each semester to be able to register for classes. But you may choose to meet with your advisor more often to discuss your progress, support resources on campus or your academic and career goals.

To find your advisor(s), go to Self-Service, select the Student Planning module, then the Plan & Schedule section. In the Advising tab, you'll find your advisor(s) name and email address(es). For detailed directions, see the Self-Service Instructions.

What To Expect From Academic Advising

NWU students can expect their advisor to assist them in understanding the ins and outs of academic life at NWU. Your advisor will help you to break down your degree requirements and ensure that the courses you’re planning to take will fulfill them. You can expect that your advisor will be invested in your success at Nebraska Wesleyan and connect you with resources that will help you thrive. If your needs are outside what an advisor can provide, they’ll direct you to other campus support systems, like the Cooper Center, Counseling Services, Accessibility Services or the Career Center. Your advisor will make themself available to you, but know that, depending on the time of the semester, you may not be able to meet with them or get a response to your email on short notice.

Advisor responsibilities

Advisors are responsible for:

• knowing the curriculum and degree requirements and academic policies and procedures; effectively and accurately communicating these to advisees
• assisting advisees in making academic decisions consistent with the advisees' interests, abilities and goals (not making advisees' decisions for them)
• making sure students declare a Thread
• knowing the support services on campus and referring advisees to them as appropriate
• listening carefully and respectfully to advisees; creating an environment of trust in which advisees can develop their goals and express their concerns
• giving an adequate amount of time to each advisee and being on time for advising appointments
• communicating with advisees in a timely fashion
• keeping accurate records of advisee meetings in Self-Service
• consistently monitoring advisees’ progress
• not being judgmental about other programs or “territorial” about students
• maintaining confidentiality of advisee records in accordance with FERPA

There are also expectations of you. You are expected to come prepared to advising meetings. If you plan to discuss classes for the next semester, review the course schedule and have options for classes picked out in advance. If you want to talk about choosing a major, spend some time reflecting on your strengths and interests beforehand. You should plan ahead and complete the advising process before registration begins. Make an appointment and then arrive on time. If you have several issues you need to discuss, you may be asked to make another appointment rather than trying to fit everything into too short of a time. Let your advisor know as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule.

Advisee responsibilities

Advisees are responsible for:

• knowing the curriculum and degree requirements and tracking your own progress toward graduation
• declaring Threads
• declaring majors and minors (if you want a minor)
• taking responsibility for your educational plans and outcomes; practicing self-advocacy
• collaborating with your advisor, and others, on making academic decisions consistent with your interests, abilities and goals; being open to considering alternatives
• utilizing campus resources as needed
• communicating regularly with your advisor and responding to advisor messages in a timely fashion
• being prepared and on time for advising appointments
• keeping family members informed about their academic progress if you so choose. (Advisors will not answer these questions from family members.)