Academic advising

Graduation project

Academic Advising Information system majors are encouraged to seek advice from their advisor whenever they have questions about their progress, grades or courses. The sources for advice are: The undergraduate secretary, your faculty academic advisor, and the Computer Science or Information Systems program directors. Each semester Prime Time, an academic advising period preceding advance registration for the next semester, is used to advise all IS majors who are juniors. The basic idea is that students can often be given useful advice at this stage to avoid problems later on that may delay their graduation. Faculty are assigned Information Systems students to advise. During Prime Time juniors will receive, by mail, a packet which includes an advisory form, detailed information and the name of the student's advisor. Students may inquire with the undergraduate secretary to find out which faculty member they are assigned to and to make arrangements for advising. Students may arrange to speak to the program directors if they have not been assigned an academic advisor.

Academic advising begins with orientation and continues through a series of meetings each semester during the student's first year. Students are assigned to an academic adviser depending on the student's area of interest and the adviser's area of expertise. Academic advising is mandatory at Iowa, which means that students must meet with their academic adviser or faculty adviser before registering for classes. Meetings with an adviser are confidential and are designed to provide students with the information needed for a successful academic career.

What does an Academic Adviser do?

Academic advisers provide intensive advising support through regular contact with their advisees. Advisers help students explore various fields of interest, select a specific academic major, research career options that relate to their programs, and develop plans of study appropriate for their educational goals. They also refer students to other campus offices for assistance in academic, personal, and career counseling; academic skills development; and financial aid.

Visit your adviser when you:

have questions about majors, minors, certificate programs. want to plan a schedule for the next semester or create an academic plan for your major. have questions about the registration process. are preparing to register for the next semester. Students must meet with an adviser to be cleared for registration. have questions about anything on campus from "How to drop or add classes" to "Where can I get career information?" are having academic difficulties. need someone to talk to about personal issues.

Orientation:
First-year students meet with their adviser during Summer Orientation. Transfer students who are registering for the first time meet with an adviser during Transfer Orientation. Academic advisers work with students as they prepare to register for classes. Students meet individually with their adviser to work out a schedule of courses for the coming semester and to learn about major and general education requirements. First-year students also make an appointment for the fall "New Student Meeting" with their adviser.

Registration Appointments take place each semester . They begin about two weeks before students start registering for classes. These appointments are quick, usually lasting 15-20 minutes. Students prepare a schedule of classes, along with alternative choices, to share with their adviser. It is the adviser's job to review the schedule to assess whether courses meet the needs of the student's proposed plan of study. Students must have this appointment to receive the registration number needed to register.