In an attempt to improve student education, the Faculty Senate passed a movement supporting recommendations for the Undergraduate Academic Advising Policy at this afternoon’s meeting. It also passed a resolution supporting the Strategic Plan. The Undergraduate Academic Policy focuses on ensuring that new students experience a successful transition to the university. The policy also addresses “students’ ability to make positive connections with college personnel during their first term of enrollment and throughout their academic career,” as stated in the policy. A revision of the 1989 Academic Advising Policy, the new policy focuses more on students’ academic progress through support from campus officials, such as faculty advisers, and resource utilization.

Faculty Senate President Bruce Bikle said the revised academic advising policy is long overdue. To supplement this bill, Beth Merritt-Miller for Student Affairs presented a mandatory freshmen orientation and advising program that will help strengthen student success in school.

The program focuses on three phases of student advising, which occur during the summer orientation, fall semester and spring semester. The first phase of the program features a summer orientation program for all incoming freshmen. The students meet with their orientation leaders to help them choose their classes, and then meet with major advisers to determine the appropriate classes for their major. The second phase takes place in the fall. Students must meet with an adviser in order to remove the hold from their MySacState profile, so that they can register for classes. Students then choose their spring semester classes and complete a Major Finder program, which gives students an introduction to career exploration. In the spring, students meet with advisers to discuss the fall semester grades and focus on long-term planning. The students take a career exploration assessment, specifically designed for the Academic Advising program. In support of this plan, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Joe Sheley will collaborate with the Executive Committee to develop a plan that will establish conditions required to improve retention rates. In addition to improving student success through increasing student retention rates and graduation rates, the Senate discussed its Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan focuses on targeting the university’s core values, priorities and goals. The Strategic Planning Council concluded that the primary purpose of the university remains to achieve higher levels of academic excellence and student success. The Senate passed a resolution in support of the Strategic Plan draft. Amber Kantner can be reached at [email protected].