Academic Advising at Southern
All Academic Advising services are covered by your student fees and do not involve any extra costs.
Advising is a collaborative partnership between you and your advisors! Your advisors are not here to simply tell you what to do. Rather, their purpose is to help you navigate your academic journey and assist with important decisions. It's important to remember that this is your education and you are in the driver's seat!
In order to provide meaningful and individualized advising support, every Southern student has an Assigned Advisor and the ability to meet with an Advising Specialist:
Your Assigned Advisor is your main advisor. Assignment is based on several factors, including whether or not you're a first-semester student (freshman) and/or have a declared major.
IMPORTANT: You must connect with your Assigned Advisor to receive your registration PIN.
Your Assigned Advisor: See "Who Are My Advisors?" to find out who your Assigned Advisor is.
Your Assigned Advisor is your go-to person for:
- Mentorship with your major
- Course selection
- Mapping our your degree plan
- Exploring expriential learning opportunities (internships, research, etc)
In addition to the support you'll receive from your Assigned Advisor (above), an Advising Specialist offers a full range of services through our Academic Advising Centers (AACs). An Advising Specialist is not your primary advisor (unless you are Exploratory), but they're here to help you with the tricky things that might come up from time to time.
IMPORTANT: An Advising Specialist cannot provide your registration PIN. You must connect with your Assigned Advisor (above) for that.
Your Major's Advising Specialist: See "Academic Advising Centers" and find the AAC and Advising Specialist associated with your major.
An Advising Specialist is your go-to person for:
- Exploring majors
Examples: students unsure of intended major or struggling within current major)
- Academic challenges
Examples: academic warning or probation, failing/struggling within a current course, etc)
- Navigating Southern curriculum, policies and procedures
Examples: understanding grades, withdrawing from a course, etc)
- Other tricky or complicated academic-related issues