Academic Advising

OSU recognizes that quality academic advising is integral to the academic development and well-being of students. Quality academic advising includes both the prescriptive elements of advising (assisting with course selection, maintaining curriculum checklists, tracking degree progress and completing degree audits, etc.) and the developmental aspects of advising (major and career decision making, integration in campus and academic cultures, assistance with and referrals surrounding issues affecting a student's academic success, etc.).

While each college has developed an advising system sensitive to the needs of its academic disciplines and departments, there is consistency in that each has a Director of Advising and a designated lead for New Student Advising. Undeclared/Exploratory students receive advising through the University Exploratory Studies Program (UESP).

Vision

The academic advising community at Oregon State University aspires towards providing the highest quality support to both the learning efforts and experiences of our undergraduate students.

Mission

Oregon State University academic advising supports students to achieve their educational, career, and life goals. Through an inclusive and mutually constructed teaching and learning process, we foster student persistence, engagement, and advancement. Our work reflects our responsibility to the individuals and communities in the State of Oregon and beyond.

Goals

OSU academic advising reflects the institutional goal of providing "transformative education that is accessible to all learners." Our goals are to:

Collaborate with students as they make meaning of their experiences, work to actualize their academic interests, and implement their educational and career plans.
Provide timely and accurate information, requirements, opportunities, policies, and procedures to students and colleagues.
Teach students to utilize university resources to maximize their unique educational and personal potential.
Assist students to understand the nature, purpose, and culture of Oregon State University and the potential of undergraduate education.
Engage in ongoing assessment of our advising practice, structure, and programs to assure the efficacy and improvement of our efforts.
Work continuously on our competency as academic advisors and educators, especially regarding:
- inclusive and socially just practices
- the conceptual, informational, and relational components of our work.

Commitments

We commit to:

Be accountable to our students through timely, accurate, and intentional advising
Foster inclusive communities and work to mitigate and dismantle systemic barriers that negatively impact student persistence, degree completion, and well being
Establish reciprocal relationship with students and campus partners based on an ethic of care, shared responsibility, and accessibility
Engage in data-informed practice and support solutions to meet the evolving needs of our students
Model and facilitate critical thinking, sustainability, growth, and social responsibility
Create and sustain an engaged community of advising practice that serves students from OSU’s diverse academic colleges, schools, departments, and programs and centers advisor professional development

Purpose of Academic Advising

Academic Advisors act as interpreters of the OSU learning environment and facilitators to the undergraduate degree experiences. In working toward degree completion, an advisor can help make sense of options, obligations, and opportunities related to student’s academic interests. An advisor can also help students start to think about how undergraduate learning relates to career opportunities. An advisor can help in the decision-making process, especially when the relationship is based on openness, honesty, and trust. Above all, an academic advisor is a person who is invested in helping students create rewarding learning experiences.

For the advising relationship to be effective, students and advisors both need to be engaged in the process. OSU advisors have created this list of Advisor-Advisee Responsibilities to outline the obligations of each:

As a student, you should:

Understand and accept that you are ultimately responsible for your education and your own decisions.
Initiate a purposeful relationship with your advisor and make appointments when requested and/or when necessary.
Utilize the technological resources available to inform yourself on your degree requirements and options.
Prepare for and be active in your advising session, and ask questions when you have them.
Work to clarify your personal values, abilities, and goals and share them with your advisor.
Provide accurate and truthful information when being advised.
Keep your local address and phone up to date in OSU's student information system and utilize and check your Oregon State email account daily for important information coming from your advisor and the institution.
Monitor the Tasks menu in Beaver Hub to be aware of any recommended tasks coming from your advisor.
Learn OSU's policies, procedures, and requirements and understand how they relate to your academic success and/or degree completion.
Follow through on action plans identified during advising sessions.
Be aware of and abide by academic calendar deadlines.
Cancel appointments that cannot be kept.

Advisors should:

Develop a purposeful relationship with and be an advocate for their advisees.
Inform their advisees of the nature of the advisor/student relationship.
Assist their advisees in defining and developing expressed educational, career, and life plans.
Provide timely and accurate educational information.
Promote learning opportunities that will help students define or meet personal goals and plans.
Assist their advisees in preparing an academic program that is consistent with their abilities and interests.
Monitor progress toward educational/career goals.
Interpret and explain institutional policies, procedures and requirements.
Guide and refer their advisees to campus resources and services that can enhance or supplement their academic or personal experience
Cultivate expertise on shared technological resources that are part of their advisees' academic journeys.

Executive Director of University Advising

Carla Harcleroad
B211K Kerr Admin Building
Phone: 541-737-5383
Email: carla.harcleroad@oregonstate.edu

Associate Director for Advising Practice

Chris Gasser
B211K Kerr Admin Building
Phone: 541-737-8338
Email: chris.gasser@oregonstate.edu

Advising Directors by College and Program

Honors College

Beau Baca
450 Learning Innovation Center
Phone: 541-737-6414
Email: uhcadvisor@oregonstate.edu
Website: https://honors.oregonstate.edu/academic-advising/

Liberal Arts

Karen Sullivan-Vance
214 Bexell Hall
Phone: 541-737-0561
Email: liberalarts@oregonstate.edu
Website: https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/advising/

Pharmacy

Eliza Allison
209 Pharmacy Building
Phone: 541-737-3424
Email: pharmacy@oregonstate.edu
Website: https://pharmacy.oregonstate.edu/

Science

Jennifer Olarra
109 Kidder Hall
Phone: 541-737-4786
Email: sciencesuccess@oregonstate.edu
Website: https://science.oregonstate.edu/academics/advising

University Exploratory Studies Program (Undeclared Majors)/New Student Advising

Kerry Kincanon
102 Waldo Hall
Phone: 541-737-8144
Email: uesp.advisor@oregonstate.edu
Website: https://uesp.oregonstate.edu/

Academic Catalog

Academic Advising

Vision

Mission

Goals

Commitments

Purpose of Academic Advising

As a student, you should:

Advisors should:

Executive Director of University Advising

Associate Director for Advising Practice

Advising Directors by College and Program

Agricultural Sciences

Business

Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences

Education

Engineering

Forestry

Health

Honors College

Liberal Arts

Pharmacy

Science

University Exploratory Studies Program (Undeclared Majors)/New Student Advising

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