Academic Advising

First-Year: Students will, through their advising experiences:
Information Acquisition and Skill Development

• Be able to identify their assigned advisor and know how to best contact them.
• Know about the resources and assistance available through the Learning Resource Center (LRC), the Associate Dean of Students, and the Student Accessibility Coordinator.
• Be informed regarding their financial aid, housing, meal plan, and student account information.
• Learn to utilize the MIAD E-mail, Canvas, the MIAD website, and E-portfolio tools.
• Understand their FYE and Liberal Studies course requirements.
• Develop an effective time management/prioritization strategy, study skills, and the ability to understand and calculate their GPA.
• Understand the course registration process, including course selection, reading a program of study, how to build a schedule, and policies and procedures regarding registration.
• Learn about the major and minor options offered through MIAD.
• Become aware of Career Services and the options for gaining skills and experience outside of their studio education.
• Identify, communicate, and set goals and create action plans in relation to their personal, professional, and creative aspirations.

Cognitive Development

• Understand the value of building healthy relationships with their peers, faculty, and foundations advisor.
• Begin to develop professional and self-awareness.
• Take responsibility for their learning experiences and their personal and academic success.

Major Years: Students will, through their advising experiences:
Information Acquisition

• Develop an awareness and understanding of their individual Program of Study (POS), degree and major requirements, and course offerings.
• Actively utilize Career Services as a resource for opportunities such as internships, alumni and employer connections, resume and interview skills, and job search strategies.

Skill Development

• Work collaboratively with their advisor to develop a self-directed, comprehensive, and cohesive plan of coursework and learning experiences.
• Develop a professional attitude and approach to his/her learning.

Cognitive Development

• Identify and effectively communicate their creative professional goals.
• Understand how their personal, academic, and creative choices will impact their creative professional goals.
• Continually self-assess their goals and abilities.
• Develop an appreciation for and understanding of the benefit of lifelong learning, growth, and development and how these impact their ability to adapt to new challenges and environments in their future creative professional life.

As an advisee and student, my responsibilities are to:

• Schedule, be on time, and be prepared with necessary materials for all advising meetings.
• Contact my advisor prior to a scheduled meeting when I may need to cancel or reschedule.
• Check my MIAD E-mail account daily and respond in a timely and appropriate manner as necessary.
• Keep records of my advising meetings and experiences.
• Seek assistance when necessary with my study habits and academic progress.
• Follow through on agreed upon action steps and tasks identified during advising meetings.
• Utilize and understand my Program of Study.
• Become knowledgeable and adhere to institutional policies, procedures, and requirements.
• Request reassignment of a different advisor if necessary.
• Clarify my personal interests, skills and abilities, values, and goals.
• Explore majors and career as they relate to my interests, skills and abilities, values and goals.
• Accept final responsibility for my educational decisions.

As an advisor, my responsibilities are to:

• Be approachable and available to advisees.
• Be on time and prepared with necessary materials for all advising meetings.
• Respond to E-mail and phone calls from advisees in a timely manner.
• Maintain consistent and effective contact with each assigned advisee.
• Maintain accurate and complete records, a file, for each advisee.

• Interpret and provide rationale for instructional policies, procedures, and requirements.
• Request reassignment of advisee to a different advisor if necessary.
• Inform students of resources and services available for academic assistance and other identified needs.
• Offer advice and guidance regarding appropriate course selection, course load, and schedule development.
• Identify needs and make necessary referrals to MIAD Student Services when appropriate.
• Assist students in defining and developing realistic personal, social, academic, and creative life goals.

First-Year students meet individually with a dedicated faculty or staff advisor for their first year at MIAD before transitioning to their upper level faculty advisor in their chosen major. Students can, and are encouraged, to maintain contact with their FYE advisor as they move forward in their education. The transition to the upper level faculty advisor is essential for mentorship purposes along with career and professional practice guidance.

The advising partnership begins during Orientation when each student meets individually with his or her FYE advisor. Individual advising meetings are held throughout the students’ first year and can expect to receive regular and meaningful communication from their advisor. Foundations advisors are committed to working alongside students during their first year to bring about positive growth and development and aide in the transition to college. Students transition to their upper level faculty advisor in their chosen major at the end of the First-Year Experience. The final three years of a student’s tenure at MIAD allows for faculty to partner with and mentor the students in their majors.

The Advising and Career Services offices at MIAD also regularly make appearances in FYE as well as major level courses. Advising experiences are integrated throughout the curriculum at MIAD. Student success workshops are also provided during the first 10 weeks of the first semester of the academic year so that students can supplement their learning in the classroom with skills and strategies to assist and guide them in becoming strong and successful MIAD students.