Mar 19, 2024  
2012-2013 General Catalog 
    
2012-2013 General Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG–FOR INFORMATION ONLY]

Obtaining A Degree at SUU: Academic Advising and Support


 

Academic Advising and Support



University Advisement

Advising helps students regarding education programs, courses of instruction, policies and procedures, career options, and information resources.  Both the student and the advisor have specific roles.

Students are responsible for seeking academic advisement and monitoring progress toward graduation. Advisors are available for students for each major as well as open option students, who are those that have not yet declared a major.  Students should work with advisors prior to registration to ensure progress toward a degree or certificate of their choice. All students who have earned less than 30 credits are required to be advised each semester before registration.  A Registration Access Code (RAC) is needed to register.  Advisor contact information is available at 435-586-5420 or http://www.suu.edu/advising/advisors.html

The Student’s Role in Advisement

Southern Utah University expects students to be responsible for their own academic progress as they move through the University.  To accomplish this objective, each student will:

  1. Assume responsibility for knowing the rules, regulations, and policies of the University and the requirements pertaining to the student’s degree program, and will consult the University catalog, class schedule,  academic planner, and meet with an academic advisor;
  2. Make contact with the advisor upon admission to the University, and see him/her at least once each semester;
  3. Visit his/her advisor immediately after being placed on academic warning or probation;
  4. Notify the appropriate academic advisor and the Registrar’s Office of any change in intended academic program;
  5. Notify the Director of Academic Advising of any problems experienced with advisement;
  6. Use the appropriate catalog that governs each student’s graduation requirements; and
  7. Accept responsibility for decisions pertaining to personal academic progress.

The Academic Advisor’s Role in Advisement

  1. Provide information for students working toward their major, designed to help students understand course requirements, prerequisites, and course frequency and sequencing to enable them to complete their academic objectives as efficiently as possible;
  2. Communicate with students, outlining requirements and preparatory work expected for the specific degree programs;
  3. Be knowledgeable about University resources and give appropriate and accurate referrals; and
  4. Create a schedule that allows for regular and timely student appointments.

The Staff & Faculty’s Role in Advisement

  1. Each college, school or department can formulate its own plan to support advising and the undergraduate advising needs of declared majors.
  2. Faculty or staff with advising assignments will communicate with students who indicate an intended major, outlining requirements and preparatory work expected for the specific degree programs.

Open Option Students

For students who have not declared a major, the Academic Advising Center provides academic advising and other services to help students select a major field of study and fulfill their general education requirements.

Southern Utah University will allow students to remain undeclared until they have earned 75 semester hours.  Some academic majors require that specific courses be taken during the freshman and sophomore years.  Students should, therefore, declare their intended major as early as possible to ensure proper advisement.

Declaring a Program of Study

Students are encouraged to declare an intended major (as well as other academic program of study goals) as early as possible.  This can be done at the time of admission to the University.  Students are allowed to change their major at any time by obtaining an advisor’s signature on a program of study change form and returning the form to the Registrar’s Office.

Academic Support For Athletes

 A professional staff member provides academic guidance to students in intercollegiate athletics.  This support, mandated and supported by the NCAA, is intended to ensure academic success and progress toward graduation.  Advisement for athletes is an extension of the University’s approach to academic advisement for all students and is designed to assist student-athletes with the transition into college and with continued progress toward academic goals. 

Academic Advising Center

The Academic Advising Center, located in the Sharwan Smith Center, offers services which help students adjust to college life, select college courses, identify academic and career options, and provide information and registration for a variety of skill and aptitude tests.

Academic advisors in the Academic Advising Center assist students with selecting an academic major, completing general education requirements, and evaluating educational goals.  In addition, advisors work with students in choosing appropriate fields of study and resolving issues that impact students’ academic success.

Testing Center

The Testing Center is part of University College and is located on the first floor of the Electronic Learning Center.  The Testing Center’s main focus is to administer on-campus quizzes, exams, mid-terms and finals for current SUU students.  These exams are set-up at the request of campus professors and instructors.  The Center also administers placement exams as needed for SUU students.  Testing Center staff also proctor exams for a variety of Universities, Colleges and state agencies.  Proctored exams are offered for SUU students as well as non-students.

Additionally the Testing Center administers the ACT Assessment, SAT I & II, College-Level Exam Program (CLEP), Police Officer Selection Test (POST), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the PRAXIS Series, Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) (subject only), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and other testing programs as needed.  Applications, some study material, and other information for these exams are available in the Center.

Tutoring & Learning Assistance Center

The Tutoring & Learning Assistance Center, located in Suite 205 of the Sharwan Smith Center, is designed to help students enjoy academic success while becoming independent learners.  Free peer tutoring is available for math, chemistry, biology, physics, geology, foreign languages, business courses, writing, reading and study skills, and other subjects as needed.

Assistance in organizing and facilitating study groups is also available.  Contact the Tutoring and Learning Assistance Center for more information.

College Student Success (UNIV 1050)

University College offers a first-year course, College Student Success (UNIV 1050), to support the academic endeavors of freshmen students.  This elective course if designed to help increase student’ understanding of the brain and learning, to assist students in developing positive academic and planning skills, and to aid in the process of better realizing the demands and norms of higher education.  This course is required for students entering SUU with an admissions index of 90 to 94.9 but is open to any student wishing to increase his/her academic skills and awareness of personal strengths and challenges during the first year of college.

University Studies

Academic and Career Development Center
Sharwan Smith Room 177 ~ (435) 586-5419

University Studies courses are general courses that are designed to enhance the academic and personal life of the student.

Course Descriptions