Academic Advising

Academic advising at Notre Dame focuses on student development, as well as educational and career goal setting. It is student-centered and responsive to student needs; it involves ongoing and regular contact between the student and advisor. Students who are pleased with the advising process tend to persist. Moreover, student involvement with advisors who offer support, encouragement, and expertise adds to student success.

NDMU academic advisors are available to assist you in developing a personalized educational plan, through making informed decision about your major exploration, academic policies, and procedures. Your advisors will help you identify support services that can help you achieve academic success.

Your advisor can be a:

• Faculty Member
• Professional Advisor
• Professional Student Affairs Staff Member

Philosophy of Academic Advising

Notre Dame offers a holistic, developmental advising system. Consequently, the scope of advising is wider than the question of which courses will be taken to fulfill graduation requirements.

Academic advising is viewed as an important responsibility of Notre Dame’s faculty. Departments designate faculty members for academic advising who are extremely well-informed and highly motivated. Each advisor plays a significant role in helping the student set educational goals, plan how to meet those goals, and assess progress. The advising process itself is integral to the student’s overall growth and development.

Although advisors play an important guiding role, ultimately, each student is responsible for understanding and meeting the degree requirements for graduation. Frequent advisor contact helps ensure that the student has current academic information and is making optimal progress towards his or her educational and career goals.

In fulfilling its advising responsibilities to students, Notre Dame will provide:

• A clear delineation of responsibility for academic advising
• A high degree of transparency of program requirements and offerings to majors, minors and prospective majors
• Regular orientation and best practices training for faculty and staff involved in advising

Effective advising will include substantive dialogue between student and advisor on topics including:

• Student plans for and progress toward achievement of the goals established for general education
• The choice of a major, the process of choosing a major, and the appropriateness of that choice in light of the student’s personal goals, values and aptitudes
• Student plans for and achievement of the goals established for the major
• Identifying educational and career objectives commensurate with interests and abilities, including areas of growth and development; and student plans for progress toward growth in these areas
• Use of the educational resources available at Notre Dame, including referral to appropriate campus offices and services such as the Academic and Career Enrichment Center (ACE), International Programs, Mission & Ministry, etc.
• Consideration of the issues and obstacles that may inhibit the student’s growth and development and referral to appropriate support resources and services
• Articulation of short-term and long-term plans, assessment of progress, and review/revision of goals and plans in all areas of the student’s educational growth
• Knowledge of academic policies and procedures of the University

Advisor/Student Expectation

Academic advising is an essential component of students’ experience. The quality of the advising they receive will depend on their willingness to engage in the process by meeting regularly with their advisor and being prepared for the meetings.

Students are expected to:

• Collect all necessary documentation.
• Discuss their academic progress and academic program plan with their advisor.
• Consult with their advisor prior to each registration period and obtain their advisor’s consent for their course selections, either through online approval to register or through signature on the registration form.
• Complete the student-initiated forms for declaring a major, minor or certificate and apply for graduation by the applicable deadline.
• Discuss their growth and development as reflected in their advising folder.
• Follow up on suggestions, recommendations and advice provided by their advisor.
• Maintain a copy of the degree requirement check-sheet.
• Be aware of their graduation requirements and their progress toward their completion.

Advisors are expected to be available to students, to invite them to share their goals and plans and to help students reach these goals by making suggestions and observations. The advising folder, maintained by the academic advisor, is one of the two major parts of the documentation used in advising. Keeping a personal academic file is the student’s responsibility.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the student to plan, register for and successfully complete the courses required in the decided major and any concentration and/or minor.

Contact Us

Undergraduate Studies

Pam O’Brien
Dean for the School of Arts & Sciences
pobrien@ndm.edu