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Goals
of the Program
In an effort to assist Biology and Microbiology majors in the development of
a successful career path, the Biology Department Advising Center has
implemented a Developmental Advising Program. A Developmental Advising
program “…focuses on advising as a developmental process akin to
teaching rather than a clerical function of scheduling courses and reviewing
degree requirements. In this model, academic advising is an integral part of
the academic mission of the institution, is student centered and concerned
about the student’s total educational development, and encourages
students to share responsibility for advising.” (Tuttle, 2000) The goal
of the Biology Department Developmental Advising Program is to not only
provide students with information on degree requirements, but also to develop
closer advising and mentoring relationships with each student and provide
guidance and direction with their academic and career planning. It is
believed that these efforts will provide the support necessary for more
Biology and Microbiology majors to remain in the program and graduate in a
timely manner.
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Overview of Program
The Biology Department Developmental
Advising Program consists of two primary components; advising and mentoring.
Biology and Microbiology majors will meet with (1) the Biology Department
Advising Center to discuss their degree plan, and (2) meet with their Faculty
Mentor to discuss their career plans.
New Majors
Freshman, transfer students, and newly declared Biology and Microbiology
majors will be required to meet with the Advising Center and with their
Faculty Mentor during each semester of their first year. A registration hold
will be placed on each student to prohibit them from registering for the next
semester until they have met with both the Advising Center and a Faculty
Mentor.
Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be required to meet with the Biology
Department Advising Center once per academic year and meet with their Faculty
Mentor once per academic year. Registration holds will be placed on
sophomores, juniors, and seniors only in the fall semester to prohibit them
from registering for the subsequent spring semester.
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Student, Advisor, and Mentor Responsibilities
The following lists of student, advisor,
and mentor responsibilities were taken from the NMSU College of Arts and
Science Advising Manual. Responsibilities written in italics have been added
as part of the Biology Department Developmental Advising Program.
Students are expected to:
• know the degree requirements of the University, college, and your
major, as listed in the Undergraduate Catalog
• be familiar with university academic regulations as listed in the
Undergraduate Catalog and Student Handbook
• consult with their academic advisor each semester about their degree
plan and career goals
• follow registration procedures as listed in university publications
• keep track of their own progress towards the degree and notify the
Dean’s Office of any discrepancy noted between university records and
their own
• be familiar with the academic calendar for such information as
drop/add deadlines, registration dates, and the final exam schedule.
• meet with the Biology Advising
Center at least once per academic year to discuss their degree plan (new
majors will meet in each of their first two semesters)
• supply the Biology Advising
Center with a copy of their STAR degree audit once per academic year
• meet with their Faculty Mentor at
least once per academic year to discuss career plans q(new majors will meet
in each of their first two semesters)
The Biology Department Advising
Center will:
• be available to listen to students’ concerns and maintain
confidentiality
• correctly interpret degree and major requirements
• provide accurate information about University regulations, policies,
and procedures
• provide guidance in the student’s choice of classes and career
plans
• be willing to listen to students’ concerns and convey a sense
of understanding
• refer students to appropriate campus resources as needed
• assist students in monitoring their degree progress and in keeping
their academic records accurate
• meet with each Biology and Microbiology major at least once per
academic year
• instruct students in the use of the STAR degree audit system
• identify and contact incoming freshmen to provide them with advising
information
• sponsor career development workshops and/or seminar series
• supply Faculty Mentors with current lists of their students at the
beginning of each semester
• supply Faculty Mentors with information on student progress such as
poor performance on the first exam(s) in BIOL 111 and BIOL 211, academic
warning, or academic probation.
Faculty Mentors should:
• be available to listen to students’ concerns and maintain
confidentiality
• provide guidance in the student’s choice of classes and career
plans
• be willing to listen to students’ concerns and convey a sense
of understanding
• refer students to appropriate campus resources as needed
• meet with each of their freshmen
students and newly declared majors during each of the students first two
semester to discuss career plans.
• meet with their sophomore,
junior, and senior students at least once per academic year to discuss career
plans
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Advising Benchmarks
For success in their academic program and
future career, a student should be planning ahead for each step of the
process. Many students do not realize the steps they should be taking for
success. This Developmental Advising Program assists students by establishing
benchmarks for each year of their academic program.
Freshman Benchmarks
- learning the degree requirements for the University, college, and their
major
- learning to use the STAR degree audit system
Sophomore Benchmarks
- identifying research and/or internship opportunities suited to their
interests and career plans
- beginning to identify upper-division course work suited to their interests
and career plans
Junior Benchmarks
- investigate post-bacchelaureate opportunities such as graduate or
professional school
- make plans for taking standardized tests such as GRE or MCAT
Senior Benchmarks
- register with Career and Placement Services
- proceed toward professional/grad school with applications, testing, etc
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