Course Syllabus

Building your future, not just scheduling next semester’s classes.

 Academic Advising Syllabus
Nursing & Heath Professions

Meet Your Advisor

Heather Thomas – heather.thomas@usu.edu or 435-797-9684

Schedule An Appointment (Links to an external site.) 

Mission Statement
The mission of the Nursing & Heath Professions Advising Office is to provide an inclusive environment in which the advisor will assist you as you make responsible and informed decisions about your educational plans and professional/life goals consistent with your values, interests, and abilities.

Academic Advising Description/Definition
Academic advising is an educational process that, by intention and design, facilitates students’ understanding of the meaning and purpose of higher education and fosters their intellectual and personal development toward academic success and lifelong learning. (NACADA, 2004)

In the Nursing & Heath Professions Department, academic advising provides students with the opportunity to build a relationship with their advisor for the purpose of gaining assistance in planning their educational career, in learning the skills needed for academic success, and in learning how to access the variety of resources and services available whether on the Main Logan Campus, at educational centers around the state or online around the world.

Academic advising is a collaborative educational process whereby students and their advisor are partners in meeting the essential learning outcomes, ensuring student academic success, and outlining the steps for achievement of the students’ personal, academic, and career goals. This advisor/student partnership requires participation and involvement of both the advisor and the student as it is built over the student’s entire educational experience at the university. Both the student and the advisor have clear responsibilities for ensuring that the advising partnership is successful.

Communication

All communication will be disseminated from Canvas or during class time. I will use Announcements in Canvas to communicate high priority and timely information. You must set your notification preferences in Canvas to receive Announcements and Conversation Messages to ASAP by and email, cell phone for text messages, or other social networking services of your choice.

How to set up notification preferences in Canvas
How to use the Inbox for Conversations in Canvas

Advisor Responsibilities – What You Can Expect

You can expect your advisor to:

• Understand and effectively communicate the curriculum, graduation requirements, and university and college policies and procedures
• Encourage and guide students as they define and develop realistic goals
• Encourage and support students as they gain the skills to develop clear and attainable educational plans
• Provide students with information about and strategies for utilizing the  available resources and services on campus
• Assist students in understanding the purposes and goals of higher education and its effects on their lives and personal goals
• Be accessible for meeting with advisees via office hours, telephone, or e-mail
• Assist students in gaining decision making skills and skills in assuming responsibility for their educational plans and achievements
• Maintain confidentiality
• Assist students in working closely with their professors.

Advisee Responsibilities – What You Are Expected To Do

As an advisee, you have clear responsibilities in the advising partnership in order to be successful:

• Schedule regular appointments or make regular contacts with advisor during each semester
• Come prepared to each appointment with questions or material for discussion
• Be considerate of others and do not be late to an appointment – reschedule if necessary
• Be an active learner by participating fully in the advising experience.
• Ask questions if you do not understand an issue or have a specific concern
• Organize official documents in a way that enables you to access them when needed.
• Complete all assignments or recommendations from your advisor
• Gather all relevant decision-making information
• Clarify personal values and goals and provide advisor with accurate information regarding your interests and abilities.
• Become knowledgeable about college programs, acceptance and retention policies, and procedures,
• Accept responsibility for decisions

Expected Student Learning Outcomes for the Academic Advising Experience
Through the academic advising experiences with Nursing & Health Professions:

• Students will demonstrate the ability to make effective decisions concerning their degree and career goals.
• Students will develop an educational plan for successfully achieving their goals and select courses each semester to progress toward fulfilling that educational plan.
• Students will utilize the resources and services on campus to assist them in achieving their academic, personal, and career goals.
• Students will make use of referrals to campus resources as needed.

• Students will be able to accurately read and effectively utilize DegreeWorks in their educational planning.
• Students will graduate in a timely manner based on their educational plan.

Demonstrating Your Achievement of Learning Outcomes

In order for you and your advisor to accurately measure that you have achieved the learning outcomes for academic advising, the two of you will develop an on-going collection of your advising work. This collection will consist of a variety of documents including your educational plan, your semester schedules, collaborative work done due to various referrals on campus, and a working knowledge of DegreeWorks. Working closely with your advisor will help you demonstrate your achievement of these outcomes.

Assistance with Issues Involving Disabilities
Utah State University is dedicated to providing equal opportunity and access for every student. It is important that if you feel you need accommodations for a learning or physical disability that you make your advisor aware of these accommodations. In some cases, your advisor may refer you to the Disability Resource Center for assistance. The staff of Disability Resource Center (DRC) provides a broad range of supportive services in an effort to ensure that the individual needs of each student are met. In addition, the staff functions as an advocate for students with disabilities at USU. Through active involvement with all areas of the University, the office is able to monitor conditions relevant to students with disabilities and to provide help with decisions affecting their quality of life.  Check out the DRC Website - http://www.usu.edu/drc/

Assistance with Career Services
The Career Services Center at Utah State is a great resource for students making academic/career decisions.  Whether you are just beginning your freshman year or getting ready for graduate school, the Career Center has the resources to assist you.  You may take aptitude tests, get help with resumes and cover letters, practice your interviewing skills, prepare for graduate school and admission tests and get help with finding a job. It would be well worth your time to stop by Career Services and take advantage of the full range of programs and resources available. http://www.usu.edu/career/

Registering for Classes – After meeting with your Advisor

1. Go to www.usu.edu/myusu
2. Click on Access (Banner)
3. Click on Login to Access (Banner) and login using your A# and password
4. Click on Student
5. Click on Registration
6. Click on Look up Classes
7. Select the Subject and click on Course Search
8. Find the course and click View Sections
9. Click the box and select Register

Viewing your Progress in DegreeWorks

1. Go to www.usu.edu/myusu
2. Click on Access(Banner)
3. Click on Login to Access(Banner) and login using your A# and password
4. Click on Student
5. Click on Student Records
6. Click on DegreeWorks

 For information about Nursing and Health Professions department and other services please refer to our website.

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