Academic Advising in the Online Learning Environment

If you are attending a university, you have most likely been assigned to an academic adviser.  So, what can they do for you?  The purpose of the academic adviser is to assist you with all your academic questions.   They can be considered as your academic lifeline.  They wear a variety of different hats so make sure that you find out exactly how they can help you.  At the least, they can answer questions pertaining to your schedule, programs, and university policies.  They can also have other duties such as career advice, tutoring, personal or technical support.  Academic advising is handled differently at each university so make sure that you contact your adviser from the beginning of your program to learn the types of things they can do for you to make your academic journey run smoothly.

One thing that your academic adviser will do is reach out to you on a regular basis to ‘check in’.  The information they will send you will be comprised of university information, policies, academic performance, and resources.  These communications will most likely come in the form of email, but texting can also be used.  You will most likely receive a school email account when you enroll, so I suggest that you check it every day.  Keep in mind that they are there to help you.  So, if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to reach out to them.  If they don’t have the answer, they definitely can find someone that will.  Your adviser is also the liaison between you and your instructor.

Communication is key in the online learning environment.  Being in isolation can make us more adapt to try to figure out a problem by ourselves.  Take some advice from me – emailing a problem or question can sometimes take days to be resolved, however, when we make a phone call with that same issue it usually can be resolved in minutes.  Pick up your phone and make that call – don’t be shy or afraid.