Advising (Undergraduate): a brief description
The Advising process ensures that all students take the correct modules and number of credits they need to graduate in their chosen degree. The Advising of students is looked after by Advisers, who are Academic members of staff from a range of Schools and Departments across the University, and is overseen by the Pro Dean (Advising) in each Faculty.
Advising is obligatory for all undergraduates and no student can take a module without the approval of the appropriate Adviser at a meeting in person during Advising in September (January for 2nd semester entrants and those returning from leave of absence for 1st semester). All students must have their modules validated (approved) by their Adviser(s) in order to matriculate and officially become a student of the University for that Academic session.
All issues relating to fees, accommodation, medical services, ID cards, etc. are dealt with at Matriculation and not at Advising, which focuses on academic matters.
There are sub-honours Advisers and Honours Advisers, and their roles differ.
Sub-honours Advisers
Sub-honours Advisers each have a number of students assigned to them, and they are responsible for the Advising of those students into modules. Thus every first and second year has a personal, named Adviser. Students will normally stay with the same Adviser through the first two years of their University career. Sub-honours Advisers also advise General degree students into sub-honours modules.
Advisers will see their students for an individual appointment at Advising in Orientation Week and can advise them into first and second level modules in any appropriate subject. Advisers will check that their students are taking the correct modules for their intended degree, that they are suitably qualified for any other modules they wish to take, and generally ensure that their students' module choices are appropriate and in accordance with University and Faculty regulations. Advisers will check and approve any module changes students wish to make.
The online Advising system is designed to minimise the more bureaucratic aspects of the process so that Advisers will have time to encourage students to think more carefully about their aspirations, needs and degree/career intentions. In addition, Advisers will direct entrant students towards the Personal Development Planning (PDP) tool, which will prompt them to think about the relevance and usefulness of particular modules and programmes for their future plans and help inform their discussions with their Advisers.
Students may also contact their Advisers at any time in the Academic Year if they have anything that they wish to discuss. Although the primary function of an Adviser is to deal with the administrative side of a student's academic career, the Adviser is also a student's first point of contact, especially in the first year of study, and consequently Advisers may expect to be approached for advice upon a range of issues. Advisers do not know everything, nor are they expected to, but they will be able to direct students to the various sources of information or support available in the University (e.g. Academic Schools, Student Services, Registry, Student Accommodation Services, Careers Service, CAPOD etc.).
Honours Advisers
At the end of second year those students who have met the published requirements are admitted to Honours. They now pass from a named sub-honours Adviser to the Honours Adviser(s) in their chosen subject(s). Students must meet their Advisers in person for an Advising appointment in Orientation Week in order to complete matriculation.
Honours Advisers are School-based and control access to the Honours-level modules in their particular subject. Unlike sub-honours Advisers they can only advise students into Honours modules in their own subject. A student may only be advised into an Honours-level module by the Honours Adviser for that subject.
The primary role of the Honours Advisers is to ensure that each Honours student in their subject registers for an appropriate selection of modules that will enable them to fulfil the requirements of the Honours Degree Programme to which they have been admitted. In the case of Joint Degree programmes, students will have to meet with Honours Advisers in each of their subject areas to have their module choices validated.
As with sub-honours Advising, students may contact the Honours Adviser for advice at any time during the Academic year.
Advising Calendar:
Pre-Advising: choosing modules for the next Academic Year
For new students: the online system is open during the summer and entrant students are able to select and enter modules online once they have set up their computer account. Advisers will check, correct if necessary, and discuss and confirm these module choices at Advising.
- Pre-advising Guide for Entrant Arts and Divinity Students
- Pre-advising Guide for Entrant Science Students
- Pre-advising Guide for Non-Graduating Undergraduates (Exchanges and Study Abroad)
For returning students: Pre-Advising takes place from April for the following Academic Year. For sub-honours students this should be done online. For Honours students Schools will provide all the necessary information for module selection and Pre-Advising; some Schools prefer Honours students not to submit their module choices online at this stage.
Advising: first meeting with Advisers and validation of module choices
For all undergraduate students Advising is scheduled in Orientation Week, the week prior to the start of teaching. First year, Second year and General degree Arts and Divinity students are emailed individual appointment times for a meeting with their Advisers. First year, Second year and General degree Science students must check the arrangements for Advising with the School or Department their Adviser belongs to.
Honours students must check the arrangements for Advising with the individual Schools' Honours Advisers. Details can often be found on the relevant School noticeboard.
Re-Advising: changing module choices
Students may request changes to their module choices during the Re-Advising period, which is until 1pm on the Monday of Week 2 of each semester. Students must make these requests to their Adviser(s), who will check whether the changes are permissible and discuss them with students as appropriate.