FAQ's
The following questions and answers provide specific information on advising procedures in the College. Where practices differ for liberal arts and fine arts students, such differences are noted.

1. How are students assigned to advisors?
Students are assigned an advisor by the Associate Dean in consultation with department chairs. Care is taken to make good matches based on major field of study or interest and to ensure that individual faculty members do not have excessive numbers of advisees.

Initial advising takes place for in-coming students during summer orientation and in July and August for students who did not participate in summer orientation. Assignment of advisors takes place before "Welcome Weekend" when students are notified via brochure or email who their advisor is.

Students who change major fields or who change from "open program" status, request new advisors by completing the appropriate form (see the section of Forms, below). There are no open program students in fine arts.

2. What are the roles of the Dean's Office in managing the advising procedures, once students are assigned to advisors?
a. To send advisors copies of letters to students who receive in-semester low grade reports.

b. To handle cases of students who seek the waiver of specific requirements for graduation (such as the one requiring the last 30 hours to be earned at Drake); these cases are to be dealt with according to agreed upon guidelines and referred to the Dean's Office for final disposition.

Waiver of the requirement that the last 30 hours be earned at Drake depends on such things as: the proportion of the total degree requirements satisfied by courses taken at Drake (e.g., a student who has taken almost all of the required 124 hours at Drake is likely to be granted a waiver, while one who transfers in up to half of these hours is not); a waiver is more likely to be granted if elective credits rather than those required for a major or general education purposes are to be earned in another accredited institution; a high GPA is helpful, while a low one is not.

Please note the following below:
   A. Advisor approval of study abroad at a Drake affiliated program will automatically be accepted as part of the last 30 hours of credit.
   B. After 94 credits of earned undergraduate hours, anyone attempting to transfer in courses must take those credits from a 4-year university. After 94 credits do not attempt to transfer in credits from a community college. They will not be approved.

c. The maximum number of credits allowed in a semester is 18. An additional fee will be charged for each additional credit over 18. Advisors need to consider these overload charges carefully when advising students.

d. To remind advisors that they should review their advisees' completion of requirements for the major, once the student has petitioned for graduation. This petition is usually filed at the beginning of the semester in which the student considers the final one before graduation.

e. To monitor or process drop/add forms, recommendations for changes of grades, and requests for independent study.

f. To maintain the academic files of all students.

g. To give special attention to students with extraordinary needs and to provide assistance to their advi-sors, which may involve phone calls, letters, or memos to the students.

3. Under what circumstances should students get in touch with the Dean's Office?
a. When there is a problem of compatibility between the advisor and the advisee or when schedule conflicts make meetings between advisors and advisees impossible.

b. When there is a question about degree requirements or any other matter that the advisor cannot answer.

c. When there are concerns regarding faculty, academic matters, or other students that have not been addressed satisfactorily at the department level or which cross department lines.

d. When a student has reason to get a message to all of his or her instructors (because of an extended absence, for example).

e. When a student is invited to do so by a letter informing him or her of probation, suspension, or some other academic problem.

4. What should students expect of advising?
a. Accurate academic information and advice.

b. Correct interpretation of requirements as stated in published materials.

c. Proper advice regarding the use of forms and the following of procedures.

d. Confidentiality.

e. Opportunities to discuss options within and between academic programs.

f. Willingness to listen to student concerns and to convey a sense of understanding.

g. Reference to help on non-academic matters, such as financial aid and career planning.

h. Counsel and letters of recommendation for graduate study and, if the advisor is competent to provide it, career planning.

i. Fair, prompt, and courteous treatment.

5. What should students not expect of advising?
a. That advisors will provide psychological or psychiatric counseling or therapy (the advisor might suggest it or help to arrange it, but he or she should not attempt to provide it).

b. That advisors will tell them only what they want to hear.

c. That advisors will be available at all hours.

d. That advisors will have expertise or knowledge on matters far beyond their disciplines.

e. That advisors will initiate the first contact with a new advisee or be responsible for staying in touch with advisees; in special circumstances, however, advisors may initiate contacts with students if in the advisor's judgment it is necessary to do so.

f. Infallibility.

6. What should students expect of the Dean's Office?
That all of the services enumerated under #2 above will be offered promptly, efficiently, and courteously.

7. What should students not expect of the Dean's Office?
a. That standards will be disregarded, rules waived, or documents improperly altered.

b. Infallibility.