The path to graduation can seem daunting, but UNLV's 54 full-time academic advisors can help you avoid bumps along the way.
Academic advisors assist students in class planning, major and minor selections, career and internship options, graduate school opportunities, and research possibilities. In addition, they work with every department on campus to bring resources to students.
Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor every semester. Here's why:
Collaborate to graduate.
This motto was adopted to draw attention to the importance of academic engagement. Students should meet with academic advisors starting at new student orientation through graduation. Academic advisors can offer useful information on a variety of campus resources to enhance the educational experience and ensure students complete their degrees.
Graduation visualization.
Advisors listen to the needs and wants of each student so together they can devise a graduation visualization plan towards degree completion. That begins with making sure students take enough credits and the right courses. Advisors recommend that students enroll in 15 credits per semester (or 30 credits a year) in order to graduate in four years.
Advisors are connected to campus.
Monthly meetings bring together UNLV's 11 advising centers to share updates, best practices, and future projects. A portion of these meetings are dedicated to presentations from various campus offices and units, including financial aid & scholarships, career services, international programs, veteran services, admissions, registrar, Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach, and tutoring. So advisors are key to helping students connect to the many programs on campus that will improve their academic experience.
Advisors are connected globally.
All UNLV academic advisors are members of National Academic Advising Association. Through continual professional development, UNLV's advisors stay current on advising trends and research.
-- Compiled by Tracy Johnson and Valarie Burke.
Johnson is the senior academic advisor at the Wilson Advising Center in the College of Liberal Arts. She also is the liaison for nontraditional and veteran students within the college.
Burke is the student academic integration coordinator in the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. Previously, she was a senior academic advisor at the Wilson Advising Center.
