Guidelines/Procedures

Guidelines:

1.  Two Faculty Advising Coordinators (one counselor and one full-time faculty member) will be appointed to coordinate and assist the college-wide faculty advising process and be attentive to both student and faculty needs within the advising process. The coordinators will be given release time to perform their duties.

2.   Faculty Advising Training will be offered for Professional Development credit prior to each advising session and be conducted by the Professional Development office with the assistance of the Faculty Advising Coordinators.

3.  The Faculty Advising Committee will continue to review, update, and improve the Faculty Advising process. A review will be conducted after each advising session (fall, spring, and summer) to identify concerns and implement improvements.

4.  The Faculty Advising Committee will operate with a shared governance structure consisting of at least one student, one faculty from each Dean’s division, one Workforce Dean, one Academic Dean, two Counselors / Advisors, and the Faculty Advising Coordinators.

5.  Faculty will only advise declared majors who are either TSI (Texas Success Initiative) complete or are referred by a counselor for career and transfer information. Counselors/Advisors will advise all other students.

6.  Faculty will advise during normal office hours.

7.  Faculty will advise students who are currently enrolled in a class section and who seek instructional guidance; such students will have priority over students who seek career and transfer advising.

8.  Faculty will advise only at their home campus.

9.  Faculty will have access to counselors and advisors who can answer immediate questions.

10. Faculty will be provided advising tools that offer:   
      a. easy access to student records through the Student Advising Report Web site;
      b. career, transfer, and advising information on the Faculty Advising Resources Web site with numerous advising links;
      c. an online Advising Tracking System to record advising sessions and recommendations.

11. Faculty who volunteer to advise during intersession periods will receive compensation.

12. Departments with large numbers of majors are encouraged to implement group advising and will be offered assistance through student events.
Departments with unique faculty advising needs may present an alternative advising proposal to their Dean and to the Faculty Advising Committee for review and approval.

Procedures

1.  Students are not required, but are encouraged to seek a minimum of advisement:
     a. prior to their second semester of enrollment;
     b. when the student has completed seventy-five (75) percent of the credit hours in their transfer plan, ACC credit certificate, or ACC degree.

2.  Students are prompted to seek advisement through:
     a. recommendation by the Counseling/Advising office or by a faculty;
     b. a college-wide marketing campaign that includes: advisement notifications, posters, brochures, newspaper articles, Web announcements, etc.;
     c. the advising Web site, Faculty Advising Resources;
     d. self-motivation.

3.  The Counseling/Advising office will refer the student to a faculty advisor who is available at the time and location needed by the student.

4.  Students can continue seeking advisement with the assigned faculty or seek another faculty advisor who is available at another time and/or at another campus.

5.  If the faculty advisor is helping another student, the faculty will recommend the student call and schedule an appointment. Students enrolled in the faculty member’s class will have advising priority.

6.  The faculty may use the Student Advising Report to access the student’s academic information, the Faculty Advising Resources to make transfer and career related recommendations, and the Advising Tracking System to record advising sessions and recommendations.

7.  Faculty are encouraged to include faculty advising related information in their Faculty Input form for evaluation purposes.