Mission Statement
The University of Arizona recognizes academic advising to be a critical component of the educational experience of its undergraduate students. Through individual, collaborative relationships with academic advisors, students are best able to define and implement sound educational plans that are consistent with their personal values, goals and career plans. While academic advising occurs most visibly in these individual relationships, a broad network of professionals, faculty, staff and students exists in support of the Institution's overall advising mission. The University acknowledges its obligation to provide students with accurate and timely academic advising, delivered through its academic departments and colleges, as well as through additional units and colleges devoted to specific student populations such as undecided, transfer, and pre-professional students, first-years, and those with disabilities.
Goals:
As an institution, the goals of academic advising include helping students:
- clarify their life and career goals;
- develop suitable educational plans;
- select appropriate courses and complementary educational experiences;
- interpret institutional requirements;
- enhance their awareness of available educational resources (such as internship opportunities, honors, and tutoring programs);
- evaluate their progress toward established goals;
- assist them in completing degree requirements in a timely manner;
- develop decision-making skills;
- reinforce their self direction;
- seek out and use support services in the institution and the community;
- collect and distribute data regarding student needs, preferences and performance for use in making institutional decisions and policy.
Objectives of the ARC
The ARC was established by an Academic Advising Task Force convened in 2001. The ARC has five main objectives:
- Provide accurate and thorough referral services for students which enhance access to academic advising, counseling, and other student services they seek;
- Assist advisors in developing a working knowledge of the range of counseling and student services available to students, and answer questions they may have in assisting individual students;
- Provide a program of coherent and timely training and professional development for campus academic advisors;
- Collect and maintain data about advising practices nationally and at the university; and
- Consult with colleges and departments about aspects of good advising practices, recognition and rewards for advisors, and assessment of advising practices.
Academic Advising Task Force II was convened in 2010 and produced a second report identifying additional recommendations for strengthening academic advising at the UA (appendices).