Undergraduate Advising Handbook Advising

The Advisee File

In addition to the permanent file kept in the Registrar's office, OAA creates/reorganizes and distributes to the academic advisor an advisee file of pertinent information which may include (depending on the student's status: FR/TR/Re-admit) the following:

• Current major/minor form
• Any substitution/waiver forms
• Notification of transfer credit (AP, IB, CLEP, credit from other colleges)
• Transfer Credit Evaluation (for Transfer Students)
• Anything related to the Committee on Academic Standing
• Academic contract
• Personal Core Form

File Maintenance

Throughout students' enrollment at SJFC, the Registrar's office sends copies of official paperwork to students and their academic advisors. Both advisee and advisor are asked to be diligent about filing all such documents in the advisee's file. Personal meeting notes and correspondence should be held in a separate file or labeled as "notes to myself" and should be discarded before the file is returned to OAA.

Advisors should maintain their advisee files until/unless:

• The student has graduated
• Advisor receives notice that the student has changed major.
• The advisor leaves the College temporarily or permanently.

In case of any of the above, the advisee files should be returned to the Office of Academic Affairs, Kearney 202. Advisors may elect to keep notes on former advisees in order to write references.

Freshmen advisee files contain copies of the high school transcript, test record (SAT, ACT, AP, IB), evaluation of transfer credit from other colleges, course registration form, outline of Core requirements from applicable SJFC Bulletin, and Degree Progress Tracking Form.

Prior to course registration in April, OAA sends the advisor a 'major/minor' confirmation form for each advisee.  At the course registration advisement meeting (April), the advisor and student review/sign the form and place it in the advisee file. At the end of the academic year (May), advisors print the student's transcript from Fish'R'Net and update the Degree Progress Tracking Form. Both documents should be kept in the advisee file. Advisors should discard any personal notes from the advisee files and return the updated files to OAA no later than June 15th.

Freshmen who have decided on a major will be reassigned to an advisor from the major department. Freshmen who remain 'undeclared' at the end of the academic year will be reassigned to an advisor in OAA. OAA will distribute the updated files to the appropriate advisor(s) prior to the start of classes for the Fall semester.

Transfer advisee files generally contain the course registration form, the most recent Transfer Credit Evaluation (TCE), and a Tentative Long Range Plan, in addition to the items noted above. Transcripts from previous colleges are included for Education and Nursing majors.