Advising - Advisor Resources

There are several resources available to Faculty Advisors to assist you in working with your advisees. 

Below are links to the most commonly used resources. The Schedule Planning guide and Academic Catalog provide information on specific requirements for the University in general, as well as for specific academic programs. The Advising webpage has resources as well as instructional videos for students on how to navigate and register using self-service.

2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Advising Center webpage

Self-Service (Advisee records and information)

TES (Transfer Equivalency System)

Commonly used forms (the following forms, along with others can be found on the webpage for the Office of the Registrar):

Change of major, minor, concentration, certificate, or advisor

CORE course substitution/waiver

Course Add/Drop form

Exit from Saint Martin's University

Graduation Application

Program course substitution/waiver

Self-Service

Self-Service is where Advisors will go to find student schedules and unofficial transcripts.

Log in with your Saint Martin's username and password, same as other Saint Martin's systems.

Once logged in, click on the Student Advising link to be able to access student information.

• You can search for any student by entering their name, but if they are not your advisee, you will need to select "All Students" from the drop down menu under list. 
• You can find a list of your advisees my selecting "my advisees" from the left hand menu

Once you have found the student you are looking for, click on their name and a drop down menu will appear

• Schedule will show you the course information for the class the student is currently enrolled in
  • At the bottom of the student schedule is where both faculty and students can find the student's advisor listed
• Unofficial Transcript will show you any transfer credits the student has brought in (translated into Saint Martin's class numbers), as well as classes and grades the student has taken since enrolling
  • GPA and major/minor are at the top of the transcript
  • Total earned credits are at the bottom of the transcript

When working with special student populations, there are certain schedule guidelines to keep in mind. The basics for different student groups are laid out here, but we do not expect you to be an expert! If you have questions- please reach out to the Advising Center.

Military-Affiliated Students

Our institution serves a diverse population of students, including active-duty military personnel, veterans, National Guard members, reservists, and military dependents. These individuals may utilize a variety of military funding sources, each with distinct eligibility requirements. Navigating these complexities can be challenging. The following guidelines outline general considerations and referral protocols.

Degree Plan Adherence:

Many students utilizing military funding are required to maintain a detailed education plan and adhere to it rigorously. Students must take courses that directly contribute to the declared degree program.  Minors are allowed but need to be declared.  Students must take one in-person class in order to get 100% of the housing allowance.  If students take only online courses, they will only receive 50% of their allowance.

Housing Stipend Requirements (often referred to as BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing):

Students receiving housing compensation must maintain full-time enrollment (12 credit hours or more) throughout each academic semester. For summer terms, the number of required credits varies based on the length of the class.

For students enrolled in half-semester courses (8 weeks), the cumulative credit load must consistently remain at or above 12 credit hours for each respective segment of the semester, not the overall total.

Examples:

Example A: A student enrolled in three full-semester, 3-credit courses (9 credits total) and two half-semester, 3-credit online courses (Sessions 10 and 11) attains a total of 15 credits for the semester, while maintaining a consistent enrollment of 12 credits throughout each weekly period.

Example B: A student registered for 13 credits in full semester courses, and a 3 credit session 11 course, will have 16 total credits for the semester, and will never fall below 12 credits.

Potential Partial Aid Reimbursement:

Students who fall below full-time enrollment (12 credit hours) at any point during the semester may be subject to partial aid reimbursement which causes a significant loss of funding.

Before making any schedule adjustments, such as dropping or withdrawing students from a course, students should first consult with the Veteran Success Advisor or the VA Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office.

Referral Recommendations:

If students have financial questions about billing, please refer them to Student Financial Services.

Additionally, the Manager of the Center for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) is a valuable resource for military-affiliated students and is a member of the Saint’s Care team.  The CEVSS team will gladly present information about veteran students and VA policies upon request.

Student Athletes

In general, students who want to be able to compete as athletes need to be enrolled full time (at least 12 credits per semester), and must stay in good academic standing (at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA). A more detailed break down of what student athletes need to stay in competition is listed in the NCAA document below. If you ever have questions about what a student athlete needs, or if they are considering withdrawing from a class, have them connect with either the Advising Center or the Athletics department.

Advising is a profession supported by a body of scholarship which pulls from education, psychology (in particular developmental theory), sociology, and communications, among other fields. 

The professional organization for Academic Advising is NACADA: the Global Community for Academic Advising. the NACADA website has information on advising best practices, professional guidelines, and articles related to advising theory and practice.

Below are some of the documents supporting the approach to advising we take here at Saint Martin's. These include, the CAS standards for Advising, values and principles of NACADA, and and article by Mark Lowenstein about one of the guiding philosophies of Advising, Advising as teaching.