Academic Advising

The academic advising program at Urbana University is based on the premise that significant learning and growth can occur within the context of a close relationship between a student and a faculty advisor. An academic advisor is a resource to help your student monitor his/her progress toward graduation and encourages your student to design his/her own schedule and find his/her own level of balance. Academic advising is a process for obtaining information needed to make appropriate decisions regarding an academic program. Advising includes periodic assistance in scheduling courses, evaluating academic progress and interpreting academic policies and procedures. Freshmen are assigned an advisor for their first year, or until they declare a major (recommended by sophomore year) and obtain an advisor within their academic division. While your student’s academic advisor can be of great help in interpreting academic information, it is the responsibility of the student to be completely familiar with the Catalog under which they entered Urbana University and their degree requirements.

Academic Support

In order for your student to succeed academically at Urbana University it is crucial that he/she understands the importance of personal responsibility. A college student must be able to maintain a healthy balance among the academic, extra-curricular, social, spiritual and personal care areas of his/her life at college, and it will be part of the maturing process to learn how to maintain that balance for him/herself. While the University will support that learning process, it is ultimately up to the individual student to make sure he/she gets up in time for class, eats well and gets enough sleep, sets aside time to study, makes new friends and participates in activities, takes appropriate steps to resolve problems, takes care of necessary business matters, and finds ways to nourish the spirit. You can help by letting your student know that these are your expectations of him/her.

Urbana University expects students to take responsibility for their academic career and will hold them to high academic standards. You can help by asking your student often how his/her classes are going, if he/she is having difficulty, where their academic interests are leading them, and generally showing interest in this aspect of college. There are a few specific items of which you should be aware and discuss with your student:

• Attendance policy--Class attendance is required. Each instructor will inform students as to what his/her specific attendance policy is; in most cases, a student will be allowed a minimal number of excused absences before their grade is affected. The only legitimate excuse for missing class is extreme illness (requiring a visit to the nurse or doctor) or an extreme personal emergency, such as the death of a close family member. “Not feeling well” or “too tired” or “had to watch my little brother” are not considered excused absences. Please encourage class attendance and don’t put your student in the position of having to miss class to visit Aunt Sue in Indiana! A student who must miss class for a legitimate reason should immediately contact his/her instructor(s) to let them know and to make arrangements to make up missed work. If a student needs help in reaching instructors or will be gone more than one day he/she should also notify his/her academic advisor and a Student Services staff person (secretary, nurse, counselor) for assistance.
• Classroom behavior--University students are expected to behave like adults in the classroom setting. They should arrive on time, be respectful towards their instructor and other students, avoid disruptive behavior, pay attention and participate actively in the class. Plagiarism and all other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students should take advantage of the small class sizes and personal attention the University offers; they should make a point to get to know their instructors personally and always ask for help or guidance when needed, as well as explore those topics that particularly interest them.
• It is imperative that students have the textbooks required for the classes they are taking. Make sure arrangements are made for your student to be able to purchase his/her books at the beginning of the semester. Loan money and other financial aid often does not arrive until well after the semester is under way (especially if the financial aid process is not completed early) so students will need cash, check or credit card to cover the cost of books when they arrive on campus.
• Encourage your student to buy some type of planner and use it! College is not like high school where teachers and parents remind students of their obligations. College students must remember for themselves when tests will be given, when projects are due, when out-of-class requirements must be met. Successful students develop a system for keeping track of what needs to be done and plan in structured time for studying every day.
• The Student Success Center, located off the Hazard Hall lounge, is specifically designed to support students’ academic success. The SSC is open Monday - Friday, from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., with limited weekend hours in addition. The SSC has computers available for student use and is staffed at all times to provide academic assistance. Upper class and graduate students are available for free tutoring in most University subjects. The SSC also houses the Writing Lab, which is staffed by English instructors who offer help for any student with any type of writing assignment. In addition, the SSC provides staff and tutors who hold regular Tutor Table/Study Table sessions for study and tutoring in a structured group setting. SSC staff can also help students improve general study skills.
• If your student is struggling with any aspect of their academic life, encourage them to seek help immediately! The student should talk personally with the instructor after class or during office hours, and to their academic advisor. The Nurse and the Counselor/Student Development Specialist, as well as all other University staff, are available and willing to help with any health or personal issues that may be creating obstacles to academic success. The student must be willing and responsible to seek that help.

- FERPA & Academic Catalog