1. New Faculty Academy Academic Advisor Training
October 2016
Dr. Barbara Cobb
Coordinator of Academic Advising
Professor, English
Coordinator, Liberal Arts (multidisciplinary) Major
The Advising Committee, composed of academic advisors from the colleges and schools at Murray State University, serves as the steering and advisory committee for Murray State University Academic Advising.

2. Murray State University Academic Advising
Mission
Murray State University Academic Advising
To provide academic advisors and students
with the resources they need
to promote student academic success.
MSUAA provides:
academic advisor training, both “live” and online
the Academic Advising website, with resources and training for students and academic advisors
academic advising support for students and advisors Advising Committee 9/2015

3. Advising Model at Murray State
“Blended Decentralized”
CHFA – all advising by faculty, discipline-specific
JCSET – almost all advising by faculty, discipline-
specific
BCOB – CUBA Advising Center + faculty advising
COEHS – Undergraduate Advising Center + faculty advising
SONHP and HSOA– advising by faculty
ALL faculty members “advise” as teachers, mentors, career/professional advisors

4. Our campus: Housing Student Support Services Counseling Services
Stadium
Admissions
Retention Office
Blackburn, 2nd Floor
Career Services
Testing Center
Mills Multicultural Center
Women’s Center
Curris Center
Student Affairs
Applied Sciences
Racer Writing Center
Racer Oral Communication Center
Student Disability Services
Student Health Services
Wells Hall
Waterfield Library
Financial Aid
Honors Program Tutoring
Transfer Center
Institute for International Studies
Registrar’s Office
Study Abroad
Bursar
Sparks Hall
Lowry Center
Woods Hall

5. Connecting Resources to Students Academic Advising Quick Links
Admissions
Retention Office
Student Affairs
Student Support Services
Student Disability Services
Office of Multicultural Affairs
Tutoring
Center for Academic Success
Counseling Center
Career Services
Women’s Center
Housing

7. 3 Major Advising Seasons
Fall: Before Advanced Scheduling (mid-October - early November)
Spring: Before Advanced Scheduling (mid March - April)
Summer: Summer Orientation – May-July (trainings Apr & June)

8. for Winter Term October 31st click HERE for timetable note: ALL can register on this date at either 8 am or 8:30 am for Spring November 7th -11th click HERE for timetable Special Populations may register starting Nov 4th myGate Academics Registration Status
Advanced Scheduling

9. In mid-October: Contact Advisees
myGate Teaching/Advising tab, Advisee Listing then click the envelope icon
for list
use Google Scheduler or other scheduling app
add extra “Open” Office Hours
AACSB Programs: check CUBA Advising Schedule
give advisees clear instructions for advising
Advising website, Your Advisor tab:
responsibilities, checklist for advisees
Davies, Robert M
Dunker M

10. How to Read a RACR (10 minute training)
All Academic Advisors use RACR for academic advising
RACR, Racer Academic Completion Report, is the degree audit that the Registrar and Graduation Office use to determine progress to graduation
Your advisee needs to make sure that all information on the RACR is correct and that all coursework is credited appropriately
Academic Advisors help Advisees ensure that the RACR is correct. AACSB Program Advisors: Refer to CUBA

11. Click-through to course descriptions:
RACR
120 credit hours to degree
42 credit hours at 300+ level required (39 for BIS)
Degree Requirements
Click-through to course descriptions:
University Studies / Honors Sequence
Area, Major, Minor
Electives (at bottom) – evaluate for use
Course Exception Form (Registrar Forms)

12. RACR What-If Choose options Options will populate
here. Then click up here

13. Notes Feature
Notes can be seen by student and anyone else who has access to RACR. Consider them public, within the advising community.

14. RACR – Area, Major, Minor Match with the Bulletin
Each program will look a bit different
Prerequisites, co-requisites
Univ Studies required courses
Tracks
Advisor Approved Electives (AAPR)
-- use Course Exception Form (Registrar Forms)

15. Unrestricted Electives: Additional Hours Toward Degree
Look closely at courses in this box: Transfer credit that has not been evaluated as equivalent (often TRN prefix) and other courses that may be eligible for substitution in University Studies, Area, Major, or Minor may be here – use Course Exception form (Registrar Forms) to move these courses If equivalent, contact Transfer Center.

16. Transfer Advising Transfer Center
Maria Rosa, Director
Jennifer Husemann, Transfer Credit Evaluator
Common transfer course prefixes: TRN, CLL, SCL, HLP, MLL, SOS, ESC, GAC, GED Evaluate these courses for equivalency or substitution
Advisees considering taking courses elsewhere
See Transfer Center/Transferring Classes to pre-evaluate courses

17. Transfer Course Equivalencies
If course should be equivalent, contact the Transfer Center
(course will be evaluated and added to equivalency for ALL FUTURE evaluations)
If course should be substituted for University Studies for THIS STUDENT ONLY, use the University Studies Course Substitution form
If the course should be substituted for a course in your program, use the Registrar Course Exception form
Note: if a 200-level course from another institution is substituted for a 300+ course at MSU, the course will NOT count toward 300+ credit hours for graduation.

18. RACR: Do the Math!
Your advisee MAY need more than 120 credit hours to complete all requirements.
Your program MAY require fewer than 120 credit hours; your advisee may need electives to reach 120 credit hours.
Check GPA; advisee may need to retake courses to meet GPA requirements.
Ask if advisee is succeeding in all current courses.
Mapworks includes midterm grades, Referrals, other info.

19. Before Meeting Advisee: Schedule of Classes
Schedule of Classes is available now: check for availability of classes for students in your program
Schedule of Classes can be found on
myGate Teaching/Advising (instructor/advisor)
myGate Academics (student)
RacerNet
Registration 101 for Students
for Academic Advisors
see the Academic Advising website

20. Referrals and Mapworks
See Advising website for Referrals/Mapworks training.
Use Mapworks Referrals to refer to “Central Coordinator” (Retention Office) for academic or other difficulties.
Mapworks provides easy access to Midterm grades, referrals, and more.

21. Advising Session – Advisor Checklist
Meet with every student
Use RACR and the Bulletin to help student choose classes
Know prerequisites and advise accordingly
Make sure student is making progress; discuss plans for future semesters
Discuss strengths, weaknesses, successes, challenges
Discuss plans for future (career/professional)

22. Appreciative Advising

23. Models Based on Appreciative Inquiry
Our “Five Points” Model
Appreciative Advising
Disarm
Discover
Dream
Design
Deliver
Don’t Settle
Mostly student-centered
Define
Discover
Dream
Design
Deliver
Fully student-centered

24. The Five Points of Academic Advising
Advising Philosophy:
The Five Points of Academic Advising
With Advisor guidance,
Advisee will:
Dream
your future
Design
program to achieve goals
Discover
options to pursue career
path
Student
Define
program and
career path
Deliver
follow through,
make it happen
Beginning
Advising Session
Graduation
and Beyond

25. Ideally . . . “15 to Finish” 15 credit hours per semester toward
Area, Major/Minor, University Studies
= 120 hours in 8 semester
= Graduation in 4 years
Students should register for at least 15 credit hours/semester.
Some exceptions apply.

26. Advising Honors College Students
Honors Sequence REPLACES University Studies
See RACR
Honors College students MUST enroll in AT LEAST ONE Honors Sequence course every semester until Honors Sequence is complete
Honors Program students register with Special Populations (Nov 4th)
Holds MAY be released by the Honors College advisors (make sure that they are advised by you, too!)
If the Honors Sequence disappears from an Honors College student’s RACR, the student should contact the Honors College office immediately.

27. Practically . . . Full-Time Status
Bursar: Full-Time = 12 credit hours NON-WEB
Housing: Full-Time = average 12 hours per semester, Fall / Winter / Spring
Scholarship: rules vary; be sure that student knows how to stay in good standing
International: rules vary; be sure that student knows requirements
Veterans: Full-Time = 12 credit hours; no WEB remedial/developmental allowed

28. Advisor Hold Release Advisor Hold ONLY after successful advising
session.
Also note “Release Consent”: see Academic Advising website for IMPORTANT information on FERPA-required compliance with Consent to Release.

29. Declaring Area, Major, Minor
45 Credit Hours: Student MUST have Area or Major declared before Advanced Scheduling
60 Credit Hours: Student with a Major MUST have MINOR or second Major declared before Advanced Scheduling
Change of Area/Major: use this FORM (Registrar Forms)
Change of Minor may be done on same form; student MAY change Minor without advisor signature

30. Contacts – email addresses
Registrar: RACR: Ashley Rogers Transfer: Maria Rosa International: Bill McKibben Retention: Peggy Whaley Academic Advising: Barbara Cobb

31. Barbara Cobb, Coordinator of Academic Advising
Renae Duncan, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
Advising Committee Representatives:
JCSET: Emre Bahadir, Ed Thome
COEHS: Tressa Ross, Paul Lucko
BCOB: Steve Cox, Linda Johnsonius
CHFA: Gina Claywell, Barbara Cobb
SONHP: Lori Ballard, Kathy Stanczyk
HSOA: Felecia Jones, Ryan Morrow
Undeclared Advising: Peggy Whaley