At Northern, academic advising is a critical component of your educational experience. Your advisor helps you create educational plans that support your personal and academic goals and become a self-sufficient learner.
Spring 2013 Advising Syllabus
Spring 2013 Academic Workshops
Advising Services
Schedule an appointment with your advisor via email at
advisingcenter@northern.edu. Or, you can call your advisor or visit during office hours.
You're encouraged to meet with your advisor regularly. Sometimes a face-to-face meeting is required, like during registration. Other times, an email or phone call is more appropriate. Advisors can help with the following situations and more:
• Academic requirements and progress
• Available programs (majors and minors) and changing majors
• Educational plans
• Placement and testing
• Career exploration
• Registration, including course selection, and
• Referrals to appropriate campus resources
Northern's Advisors:
- Understand and effectively communicate the curriculum, graduation requirements, and university policies and procedures
• Encourage and guide students as they define and develop realistic goals and educational plans
• Inform students of ways to best use Northern's resources and services
• Help students understand the purposes and goals of higher education and its effects on their lives
• Monitor and accurately document students’ progress
• Can meet with students via telephone, email, or web access
• Help students develop good decision-making skills and assume responsibility for their educational plans and achievements
• Maintain confidentiality
• Help students work closely with their professors
Who We Are
Advisors help all first-year students as they register for their first semester, and they continue to serve students through their first academic year. Students who are undecided about their major will be advised through the Advising Center, regardless of class standing.
Transfer students with fewer than 24 credits will work with an advisor from the Advising Center. Transfer students with more than 24 credits and a declared major will work with faculty advisors.
The Advising Center will provide each department with a list of first-year students who are transitioning to faculty advisors. Departments are encouraged to contact new advisees to introduce the faculty advisors.
Mission Statement
Academic advising is an educational process that, by intention and design, facilitates students’ understanding of the meaning and purpose of higher education and fosters their intellectual and personal development toward academic success and lifelong learning (NACADA, 2004).