Advising - Advisor Resources

Welcome to the Faculty Advising resource guide!

Below, you will find information and documents that will assist you in your work advising students.

Can't find what you are looking for? Please contact the Advising center in the Center for Student Success by emailing advising@stmartin.edu

As a Faculty Advisor, you help students to navigate their way through their academic experience at Saint Martin's. This includes helping them understand requirements for completing a degree, such as credits and GPA needed, CORE, and major requirements, and assisting them with scheduling and registration, and connecting them to supports and resources if they are struggling academically or personally.

Basic Advising responsibilities:

• Connect with assigned advisees prior to each major registration period during the academic year (November/December for Spring registration, April for Fall/Summer registration). This may be a 1 on 1 meeting with a student to review their progress on CORE and major and then assist them with finding appropriate classes for the following semester, a group advising session to cover basic requirements for an academic program, or an email with updates on student progress and course offerings. The format in which you engage with students will depend on how may advisees are assigned to you, how well the student is doing academically, and the curriculum of your academic department. What is important is that each semester, connection with each advisee is made.
  • A list of current advisees can be found in Reports (https://reports.stmartin.edu). After signing in with your SMU username and password, go to Advising>Current Advising List for Advisors>select yourself from the advisor drop down menu and then click the "view report" button
• Approve student schedules in Self-Service
• Keep a copy of all forms filled out for advisees (ex. change of major, exception to requirement) in their Advising file
• Keep notes on meetings with students, a notes page can be found in students advising file. Please Note: Advising notes kept in the file are considered a public record, please be careful with what information you record knowing others may see your notes.
• Touch base with students in academic difficulty upon receiving mid term or final grade reports
• If you ever become concerned about an Advisee, please submit a Saints Care Report (https://www.stmartin.edu/current-students/saints-care )

While you are the expert in your own discipline, and regarding the curriculum for your academic department, we certainly do not expect you to be and expert in all areas of the curriculum or academic policies! This is where the Advising Center can be a support for you.

A student's faculty advisor will ideally be the main point of contact in regards to their academic questions, but the Advising Center is here to help all students at Saint Martin's, at any time. 

Responsibilities of the Advising Center:

• Experts on the CORE curriculum and general requirements for graduation
• Familiar with academic policies and procedures
• Organize initial registration and education of new students when they start at the University
• Connect and work with students on Academic Probation or not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid
• Help students in special populations (Athletes, Military, PReP) navigate requirements and how they will affect the student's schedule
• Assist students in academic difficulty

If you ever have an advising related question you are unsure about, we encourage you to connect with the Advising Center. We will either work with you or the student directly, or direct you to the appropriate office to assist them with their need.