1. Academic Advising For Summer O
April 2017
Barbara Cobb, Coordinator for Academic Advising
Advising Committee
Emre Bahadir, Lori Ballard, Gina Claywell, Renae Duncan, Linda Johnsonius, Felecia Jones, Ryan Morrow, Kathy Stanczyk, Ed Thome, Peggy Whaley
Please see the Summer O website
and the Academic Advising website
Edited

2. Summer O Dates: Honors: April 21 Session 1: April 22 Session 2: June 1
Session 5: July 23
Session 6: July 10
Session 7: August 3
Transfer Orientations: all but 21 April
New Student Advising is 10:55-12:40;
Honors and Transfer Student Advising is 1:45-3:15.
(Some/most transfer students will be registered already.)
Edited

3. Summer O Itineraries See the Summer O website for:
Honors Summer O Itinerary
First-Year Summer O Itinerary
Transfer Student Summer O Itinerary
scroll down for transfer schedule
note that the Adult and Veteran Summer O coincides with
the Transfer Student Summer O on July 10

4. Academic Advising Website
How to Read a RACR for Students and Advisors
Registration 101 for Students and Advisors
QuickLinks for Academic Advising
Academic Advisor Training
and much more
Links to the Advising Website are promoted in Summer O Booklet and Academic Life Session

5. Pre-plan as much as possible
What you need BEFORE
Summer O Advising:
RACR / Plans / Sample Schedules
Schedule of Classes / Classes Available
Student Test Scores and Placement Info
VZ provides Chairs/Advisors with Student Info
access to VZ
University Studies and Area/Major requirements, inc. prerequisites
Pre-plan as much as possible

6. Placement and Testing Information
Testing Link on Summer O site Know what is available and advantageous for your students
Developmental Course Requirements and Placement Charts myGate, Teaching/Advising tab -- check student test scores
Students should enroll in required developmental courses
Students who do not complete developmental courses on initial entry to the university have low success rates. Be the “gorgon at the gate” who helps them to succeed by completing developmental coursework asap.
AP Equivalencies
Make sure ALL prior coursework and testing is counted!

7. Modern Languages Online Testing
ALL students enrolling in language classes need Placement Testing unless they have NEVER taken a class in that language
B.A. Degree: complete ONE language through 202 level (200-level language not offered at MSU MAY transfer as MLA 201/202)
Link to Placement HERE (scroll down) and on Summer O site
Fee for test (credit card payment); scores available immediately
Test scores valid for 1 year

8. Academic Life Session precedes Academic Advising
Content:
Provost’s Welcome
University Studies Overview
What is an Area/Major/Minor
What is RACR
What is an Academic Advisor
Dual Credit/Transfer Credit/AP Courses Summer O Academic Advising Logistics
Advising and Scheduling – what to expect
Consent to Release (Registrar)
Academic Advising Website

9. Student Summer O Booklet: digital this year – NO paper book
Paper Change of Major Form
and
AP/Dual Credit Worksheet
to advise students whose scores are not yet submitted
are in students’ Summer O bags

10. Scores and Placements on myGate
Teaching/Advising
P2S / Pathways to Success / Tier 4 students
are not permitted to declare area/major and
MUST be advised in the P2S Program.
Be sure that your students are enrolled in required prerequisite, co-requisite, and developmental courses.
Each advising unit sets its own policies.
Some advisors forbid cell phone use.
Others have students with smart phones register using their phones.
Family members will NOT be with advisees for Academic Advising

11. What your Students Need During Advising/Scheduling:
Academic Plans for Area/Major
or RACR (use What-If if major is not accurate – easy!)
Classes, with CRN #s
Alternatives, with CRN #s
Coordinate within your college/department to provide the appropriate # of Academic Advisors.
All students should have a schedule (min. 12 hours) before leaving advising session and going to the library.

12. “Special Sections”
COM , 81, 82, 83: for P2S ONLY (your advisees may NOT register for these sections)
ENG and ENG
ENG and ENG
reserved for ENG ACT 17/ REA ACT 20+
(ENG ACT 17 and REA ACT <20: ENG 096, REA 096, and ESS 120)
MAT , 20, 21: MAT ACT 19-20
MAT , 18: MAT override:

13. Prioritize Schedule 100T Transitions
All Required Developmental Classes
University Studies – Major specific
University Studies – student interest
Honors Sequence Course(s) for HON College students
Prerequisites for program (area, major, minor)
Credit for previous/in-progress work
Use RACR to check
edited

14. ASK advisees to self-identify as Honors Program
Honors Program students take AT LEAST ONE Honors Sequence course per semester until sequence is complete. Students may be dropped from the Honors Program if this requirement is not met.
Honors Sequence REPLACES University Studies for students in the Honors Program
Does an HON course satisfy a prerequisite for your program? Accommodate when possible. Course Exception form may be used for course substitution in your area/major/minor.
ASK advisees to self-identify as Honors Program

15. Advanced Placement Dual-Credit Courses
If student does not have AP scores “in hand”
or already on file: schedule must be established based on scores “in hand”/on file
Use the form included in the Summer O bag to provide instructions for drop/add once scores arrive
(be sure to provide student with chair or advisor contact for questions;
be sure students submit scores to MSU)
AP Equivalencies listed here
Dual-Credit Courses
With supporting docs, use Override
(Chairs, Coordinators, and designated reps have Override authority)

16. How to Read a RACR for Academic Advisors on Advising website
Transfer Credit
RACR will include classes already evaluated.
Look closely at the Unrestricted Electives: Additional Hours section at the bottom of RACR for classes that might not have been evaluated.
Use Course Exception form to substitute these for required courses or contact the Transfer Center if the course should be equivalent to an MSU course.
How to Read a RACR for Academic Advisors on Advising website

17. Transferring Classes resource HERE
If student has a transcript from another school, you may be able to determine equivalencies using this tool.
If courses are not listed, contact the Transfer Center for evaluation.
If Transfer Evaluation has not been completed, but transfer credit is pending, use Override.
Evaluation may be needed before student can register. Provide a plan of action.

18. Be positive and supportive. If you don’t have answers,
Know your program.
Be positive and supportive.
If you don’t have answers,
connect advisees to those who do.
Be prepared.
Prepare for as many challenges
as you can anticipate.
Be sure that every student has a schedule.

19. Checklist:
Connection: connect student to program, area/major: make sure student has contact info for at least one person.
Registration: help student to create a schedule with CRN #s and to register for classes inc. any needed developmental classes.
Adjustments: make sure that student knows what to do when test scores and placements are complete or something else changes.

20. Summer O is a Recruitment Orientation/Registration Event:
as well as an
Orientation/Registration Event:
We need to ensure that
every student at Summer O
is a Racer in August.
A good experience at Summer O,
especially with Academic Advising
and Scheduling,
achieves this goal.

21. If you need additional information for Summer O Academic Advising,
please contact Dr. Barbara Cobb
Coordinator of Academic Advising
Resources to supplement this training are posted
on the Academic Advising website.
For access to VZ (student information/placements), contact Mallory LaPlant
RACR Questions: