Academic Advising: Mentoring and Academic Success Program

As part of the Mentoring and Academic Success Program, each student in the three-year program is assigned to a PBS faculty member as their faculty advisor for the first three trimesters of the program. Thereafter, a CAS faculty member will become the advisor for the remainder of the pharmacy program. Although each student is assigned to a faculty advisor, all CNUCOP faculty have an open-door policy, meaning students are able to seek the assistance of other faculty if interested in doing so, who may be more knowledgeable in a specific area of pharmacy the student is interested in pursuing.

Each student is expected to meet with the faculty advisor at least once per trimester. To help facilitate student meetings with their advisor, two weeks from each trimester is designated as Student Advising Weeks, during which time both faculty, staff, and students are asked to refrain from scheduling meetings outside of advisor-advisee meetings. During this time, faculty advisors will review the students’ academic standing in the program, their progress in completing the co-curricular requirements of the program, the students’ e-Portfolio, and will discuss students’ career development plans and professional career goals. The faculty advisor serves as a valuable resource to students as they transition into the professional degree program and throughout the duration of the pharmacy program. Faculty advisors can help direct students to academic and non-academic resources they may need to successfully complete the program, including tutoring services, counseling services, disability services, etc. Faculty advisors are also alerted when their advisee(s) are placed on academic alert in order to provide early intervention to their advisees.

Students are expected to respond to advisor emails in a timely manner and maintain open communication with their advisor to optimize the benefits of the Mentoring and Academic Success Program.

FACULTY ADVISOR-ADVISEE RESPONSIBILITIES

ADVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Post and maintain regular office hours; notify advisees of hours at the beginning of the semester.

• Inform advisees of their responsibilities.

• Get to know advisees.

• Maintain records of advisees’ educational progress.

• Help advisees to develop a course of study that takes into consideration their personal, educational, and career goals in pharmacy.

• Answer advisees’ questions about academic regulations and professionalism.

• Provide information about planning and actions to improve course grades when they are in jeopardy of failing or placed on academic alert.

• Inform advisees about academic and non-academic support through the College and University, such as tutoring, disability services, and mental health and counseling referrals.

• Review advisees’ progress in completing the co-curricular requirements of the program.

• Review advisees’ e-Portfolios.

• Discuss career specialty areas, residency, and fellowship options with advisees.

• Write letters of recommendation for advisees.

ADVISEE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Know your advisor (phone number, locations, office hours).

• Read the Student Handbook, General Catalog, and Experiential Education Handbook to become familiar with program requirements and policies.

• Be aware of important dates on the academic calendar.

• Schedule appointments in advance of important deadlines; keep your appointments with faculty advisors.

• Prepare specific questions for your advisor and ask for contact persons on questions the advisor cannot answer.

• Maintain a file of materials that relate to your academic progress.

• Gather information needed to make academic and career decisions.

• Accept responsibility for informing your advisor about you and your interest. Be prepared to discuss personal, educational and career goals.

• Seek help from your advisor when needed, and ask about other ways that you can participate effectively in the advising process.