The Advising and Academic Services Office of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences

The Advising and Academic Services Office of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences provides an array of services to Ohio State students and other constituents.

The advising office reports to the Executive Dean of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with the deans of the five Arts and Sciences (ASC) colleges: Arts, Biological Sciences, Humanities, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The advising office is headed by a senior assistant dean. Directly reporting to the senior assistant dean are an assistant dean for the Honors Program, an administrative director for communication and pre-professional advising, and directors of career services and diversity services, as well as a staff assistant for academic standards.

The academic advisors in the ASC advising office are organized into four clusters: 1) Arts, 2) Humanities (including History of Art, as well as interdisciplinary programs in Film, International Studies, and Middle Childhood Education), 3) Social and Behavioral Sciences, and 4) Biological Sciences and Mathematical and Physical Sciences. In addition to the advising cluster, we have specialized advising offices for students: Honors Office, Diversity Services Office, and the Career Services Office. We also have a Graduation Certification unit, as well as internal departments devoted to reception services, student records and imaging, .... Academic advisors and program coordinators for three Scholars programs (Arts; Humanities; and Politics, Society, and Law) are also housed in ASC Advising.

To serve as a model within The Ohio State University, and to be recognized nationally, for delivering high-quality academic advising and related services to the university community.

To advance Ohio State’s educational mission by providing:

• Comprehensive liberal-arts academic advising
• Advising services for Ohio State’s diverse student population
• Degree-planning that supports students’ academic and post-baccalaureate goals
• An academic home and high-quality advising to both new and transitional undecided students
• Integrated career planning services

To build on the strengths of our current efforts and programs including core advising, recruitment, orientation, University Survey 100 course, pre-professional advising, non-traditional student advising, student-athlete advising, transfer student services, Honors, Exploration, Diversity Services, Career Services, and Graduation Services

To use technology to enhance the delivery of advising services

To play an active role in the university-wide decision-making process

To contribute ideas relating to degree requirements and degree planning to curriculum committees

To measure the effectiveness of our programs and services

To hire, develop, and retain high-quality staff committed to the art of academic and developmental advising

Beginning with recruiting high school students to Ohio State and continuing through commencement and employment or graduate/professional school, we serve students at all stages of their undergraduate academic careers and beyond. Our primary function is to assist students in degree and career planning.

We provide student services in various ways. One-on-one scheduled advising appointments are the best known. Advisors also serve students via:

• email
• phone counseling
• workshops and other group information sessions
• walk-in same-day appointments
• drop-ins
• major fairs
• advising in the residence halls
• speaking to student groups

We also see students in the classroom (University Survey 100 course) and in other group settings (e.g., recruitment, orientation). In addition, we serve students by performing many behind the scenes functions, such as evaluating students’ transfer credit before they arrive at Ohio State, or assuring that each student who has earned an Arts and Sciences undergraduate degree receives a diploma at the quarterly commencement ceremonies.

Day-to-day academic advising involves assisting students in making progress toward their eventual degrees. Since the challenges and opportunities facing students on their journeys to degrees take many forms, the daily work of an advisor includes providing information and assistance to students in a multitude of ways across many subject areas. Some of these include:

• Choosing majors (first, second, and third)
• Re-deciding choice of major--finding the right “fit” for student’s interests, goals, and aptitudes
• Understanding the goals, rationale, and value of the General Education Curriculum (GEC) and helping students choose courses to meet those requirements in the context of the student’s program of study, interests, and goals
• Choosing minors and special programs
• Optimizing course choices to take advantage of overlaps and synergies between the majors, general education courses, minors, special programs, and special interest areas
• Meeting general degree requirements
• Exploring study abroad opportunities
• Understanding transfer credit and its application to an Ohio State degree
• Identifying need for, and assisting with preparation of, petitions (registration, curriculum, and reinstatement)
• Designing and teaching University Survey 100 courses
• Assisting students with scheduling questions and difficulties (e.g., course sequencing and prerequisites, restrictions on days/times student is available for classes, distance learning, etc.)
• Navigating the university and the various rules and regulations (degree requirements; faculty rules; policies of the Registrar’s Office (OUR), Financial Aid, Fees & Deposits, etc.)
• Issues relating to special populations and interest areas
• Addressing global academic performance issues (from highest achievement levels to performance which may lead to academic dismissal)
• Addressing academic performance in specific courses (if and when to consider dropping a course) and in broader areas (when performance indicates consideration of change of major or change of degree [B.A. vs. B.S.] or pursuing different course choices [up to and including seeking curricular substitution by petition])
• Assisting students faced with charges of academic or other misconduct (violations of Code of Student Conduct)
• Assisting students with personal issues (financial, medical, mental/psychological, interpersonal relationships, family problems, disabilities, employment, parenthood, etc.) affecting their ability to make academic progress
• Exploring and planning careers
• Helping students optimize undergraduate experiences to enhance future success (research, theses, internships, employment, co-curricular opportunities, volunteer experiences, skill development)
• Preparing for professional school (including preparation for graduate- and professional-level testing, resume-building, academic achievement, intern and volunteer experience, co-curricular experience)

Supporting students often requires consultation with departmental advisors, faculty, other Ohio State offices, family members, employers, etc. Resolving issues requiring petitions can require many follow-up conversations.