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 Major Advisor and the ability to meet with a Professional Advisor:
Your Assigned Major 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 Major Advisor to receive your registration PIN.
Your Assigned Advisor: See "Who Are My Advisors?" to find out who your Assigned Advisor is.
Your Assigned Major Advisor is your go-to person for:
- Mentorship with your major (if you're a declared student)
- Major exploration (if you're an Exploratory student)
- 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 Major Advisor (above), a Professional Advisor offers a full range of services to help you with the tricky things that might come up from time to time.
IMPORTANT: A Professional Advisor cannot provide your registration PIN. You must connect with your Assigned Major Advisor (above) for that.
A Professional Advisor 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