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Undergraduate Academic Advising Responsibilities
Kansas State University is committed to providing effective academic advising to students as an essential component of their educational experience.
Students are assigned to an academic advisor in their academic college or department and required to meet with their advisor each term prior to enrollment. Academic advising is a collaborative process where both the student and advisor share responsibility for the student’s academic planning and progress towards achieving their academic goals. Academic advisors adhere to FERPA in protecting the student’s academic information, confidentiality, and privacy.
In accordance with the Kansas Board of Regents academic advising policy, effective advising is central to the mission of the Board of Regents. To ensure that all students have access to high quality advising, each state university shall establish an Academic Advising System which shall provide the following:
- Goal setting. Academic advisors will assist students in setting both short-term and long-term educational goals.
- Information. Inform students of the graduation requirements of their department, help with strategic course selections so as to minimize the number of semesters required for graduation, and inform students of career opportunities in their field of study.
- Transitions. Inform students how to change colleges and/or departments and provide information to explain the process students follow to enroll in their curriculum and to drop or add courses during the semester.
- Accessibility. Have reasonable hours and methods of availability for students. Students should be able to set up appointments for an adequate amount of time to make curricular selections and career choices.
- Referral to campus resources. Be able to refer students to various campus resources, including but not limited to: Academic Achievement Center, Counseling & Psychological Services, Career Services, and Student Access Center.
- Provide information to students to inform them of their responsibilities in the Academic Advising process.
- The university will train academic advisors to assist them in meeting the responsibilities of the policy.
Students are ultimately responsible for fulfilling all the requirements of the curriculum in which they are enrolled. Students share responsibility for a successful university experience and are expected to contribute to effective advising sessions by:
- Participating in orientation programs, providing standardized test scores, as required by Kansas Board of Regents policy, and providing an accurate academic history that aids in course selection decisions.
- Working with an advisor to develop and implement both short- and long-term educational and career goals.
- Knowing academic policies and procedures, academic calendar deadlines, and degree or program requirements.
- Consulting with an advisor when necessary and following through on recommendations.
- Scheduling and keeping appointments with an advisor. Coming prepared for appointments by bringing appropriate materials, identifying course choices from requirements of the preferred program or major, and identifying questions to address.
- Informing an academic advisor of any special needs, deficiencies, or barriers that might affect academic success.
- Remaining informed of progress in meeting academic requirements, carefully maintaining academic records, and seeking assistance to resolve any errors or questions.
Exploratory Advising
Exploratory Advising is chosen by students who are in the process of deciding on a major or transitioning between majors.. With over 200 programs and majors at K-State, many students initially declare Exploratory Advising while deciding which program best fits their talents and interests. Students work closely with exploratory advisors to explore academic interests, majors and careers to develop a sound program of study. Exploratory advisors help students with the active decision-making process required to choose a major. These advisors are housed in the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center within the Division of Academic Success and Student Affairs.
Exploratory Advisors are available to assist students with more than 60 hours who are in transition and need assistance exploring alternative major and career pathways.
See the College of Arts and Sciences Open Option section for details.
Pre-Law Advising
K-State Pre-Law is a non-degree designation that supplements any field of study. This designation is added to a student’s academic plan and will be reflected on their transcript. Pre-Law has no required coursework.
After adding Pre-Law to their plan, students are assigned a Pre-Law advisor in addition to their major advisor. The Pre-Law advisor provides assistance and support to help create a competitive application for admission into law school. This includes providing a robust program of experiences to expose students to a wide variety of legal career options and help students start building their legal network.
Additional information about Pre-Law Advising can be found on the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center website.
Pre-Health Advising
Whether students are interested in a career in human or animal health, K-State is a great place to start the journey toward becoming a healthcare professional. Pre-Health Advisors help students become competitive applicants to professional schools that will prepare them for the following health careers:
- Pre-chiropractic medicine
- Pre-dentistry
- Pre-medicine
- Pre-nursing
- Pre-occupational therapy
- Pre-optometry
- Pre-pharmacy
- Pre-physical therapy
- Pre-physician associate (formerly physician assistant)
- Pre-veterinary medicine
Some professional schools require a bachelor’s degree before matriculation. Even if a degree is not required, some students may wish to earn a bachelor’s degree from K-State before going on to professional school.
Students who require or wish to complete a bachelor’s degree before going on to professional school must declare a major. No specific major is preferred over another by professional schools, so students should choose a major based on their academic interests. A major may be chosen from any undergraduate college at Kansas State University. Pre-health students who declare a major will have a pre-health advisor and an advisor for their undergraduate major.
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