Advising

Advising Athletes
In advising athletes, faculty advisors may consult with the Assistant Provost for Student Affairs and Academic Enhancement. While accepting his/her assistance, advisors should bear in mind a) that responsibility for advising belongs to the faculty and that their interaction with students should not be ceded to others; and b) that all academic requirements are applicable to athletes on the same terms as to non-athletes.

Some students seek a coaching endorsement. Advisees seeking such an endorsement should contact the School of Education.

Advising Open-enrolled Students
Students enrolled in A&S are not required to select a major until well into their second year, although it must be recognized that in the sciences and the fine arts it is typically impossible to wait that long. Students not yet committed to a major are referred to as "open enrolled." Most such students will be assigned to advisors who are specially qualified to work with them.

Advising Students with Special Needs
Advisors of students having special needs will be so informed. Efforts to work in extraordinary ways with these students often bring good results. Faculty assigned advisees with needs so extraordinary that they cannot accommodate them should refer these advisees to the Dean's Office.

Advising Teacher Education Students
Students pursuing teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels present special needs in advising. All advising concerning certification is done in the School of Education. Students aspiring to careers in secondary education are encouraged to pursue degrees in academic majors, with the certification as a corollary program available in the School of Education.

Changing Advisors/Advisees
It happens occasionally that the fit between an advisor and an advisee is not a good one. Typically the reason lies in a change of interest by the student, but personality conflicts sometimes come into play. When the fit is not right, the student should be directed to the A&S Dean's Office to request a change.

Forms Concerning Students
The forms listed below for dealing with student requests and changes in students' academic circumstances are available in the Dean's Office. Copies may be requested as needed.

· Application for Graduation: For use by students to petition for graduation. Can be obtained in the Dean's Office or from the Office of Student Records. Separate forms are required for undergraduates and graduates. This form is to be completed the first 2 weeks of the last semester before graduation.

· Business Studies or Marketing Minor Petition: Requires advisor recommendation and approval of the Assistant Dean in the College of Business and Public Administration.

· Degree or Program Change Designation: For use by students for Change of Major, Change of Advisor, Double Major, Designation of Major, Declaration of Concentration, and Double Degree Declaration. Accuracy in completing this form facilitates good record keeping.

· Drop/Add:

Students are required to validate their enrollment by attending the first class meeting for each course on there schedule. Failure to attend the first class or make prior arrangements with the professor will results in student being dropped from that course.


Please note that an undergraduate student may add a course through the first five days of the course. (In the case of a short course, they may add before the second class meeting of the course.) Students may drop a course until the midpoint of the semester (short courses, the midpoint of the class). However, after the first 10 days of the semester a grade of "W" will be recorded. For various reasons, it is important that this form be filled out completely and with care. Comments from advisors or instructors are very helpful in making decisions on approving or disapproving the drop/add requests. Please don't just scribble your signature on a form without looking at it. Some of our most touchy problems develop from such scribbles.

· In-semester Low Grade Reports: It may be puzzling to discover that students do not know how they are doing in a course, but the fact is that many of them do not, and most who do not are the ones who are not doing well. Use of this form often has the effect of improving performance later in the semester; if it does not accomplish that, it at least protects the professor against being faulted for failure to give warnings. The use of midterm grade reports for all first-year students has reduced the importance of this report, but there remain situations in which using it is advisable.

· Intra-University Transfer: Used in the Dean's Office. Does not require advisor's signature.

· Report on Incomplete Grade: The terms for removing the Incomplete must be stated specifically. It is essential to establish firm due dates and make clear specific tasks that remain to be done. (See the General Catalog for University policy regarding grades of Incomplete.)

· Recommendation for Change of Grade: The basis and procedures for assigning and changing grades are specified in Section 2.175 and 2.176 of the Faculty Manual of Drake University. Grades may not be changed as a result of the acceptance of work submitted or requirements satisfied after the final grade report is submitted to the Registrar. If later work is anticipated, an Incomplete should be awarded.

· Petition for a waiver of specific requirements for graduation, such as the requirement that the last 30 hours for a degree be taken at Drake. Careful attention by advisors to providing complete details on this form can make it more useful to the Associate Dean; the abolition of the Academic Policies Committee in 1992-93 places a greater responsibility on the advisor and the Associate Dean.

Drake Curriculum Requirements
The Drake University faculty voted to adopt the Drake Curriculum during the fall semester of 1998 and approved revision in 2002 and 2006. The approved Areas of Inquiry Curriculum is used for all students. The web site: http://www.drake.edu/dc contains the latest information and should be consulted for answers to questions regarding Drake Curriculum Areas of Inquiry. Refer to this often.