Academic Advising Responsibilities (Policy 4010)
University Policy 4010
Download a Printable Version of Policy 4010
Effective Date
July 1987
Last Revision Date
June 2015
Responsible Party
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, (208) 426-1202
Scope and Audience
This policy applies to all University faculty, staff, and students engaged in advising activities.
1. Policy Purpose
To define the scope of advising, who may serve as an advisor, advisor responsibilities, and student responsibilities.
2. Policy Statement
Academic Advising is the process by which advisors, using their knowledge of the University, help individual students explore and define educational and career opportunities in their fields of study. Advising may include:
- Course and academic planning;
- Interventions to support students;
- Major, career, skill exploration;
- Guidance regarding experiential learning opportunities; and
- Referral to campus resources.
3. Definitions
3.1 Tenure-Eligible Faculty
A faculty position assigned to an academic department or the University library, wherein the incumbent holds academic rank and is eligible for tenure or is tenured.
3.2 Teaching Faculty
A faculty position in which the primary responsibility is teaching courses in degree and/or certificate programs for an academic year. Positions include lecturer, clinical faculty, or instructors.
4. Responsibilities and Procedures
4.1 Who Serves as an Advisor
Advisors are defined as institutional representatives/officials whose assigned workload includes advising:
a. Tenure-Eligible Faculty and Teaching Faculty assignments include responsibility for advising.
b. Non-faculty such as professional and student peers may also serve as advisors.
c. Each college is given the autonomy to establish its own advising model and the appropriate roles to support that model.
4.2 Advisor Responsibilities
a. Ensure familiarity with the tools, strategies, policies, and legal issues associated with advising available through the Advising and Academic Support Center.
b. Provide advisees with information and assistance in course selection, academic program development, and interpretation of academic policies and procedures.
c. Assist advisees in choosing educational and career objectives commensurate with their interests, abilities, and values.
d. Assist advisees in exploring the possible short- and long-range consequences of their choices.
e. Maintain accessible advising hours.
f. Maintain advisee records.
4.3 Advisee Responsibilities
a. Actively engage in developing an academic program, course selection, and applying policies to their own personal situation.
b. Access advising regularly.
c. Maintain responsibility for their own academic decisions.
Revision History
July 1993; July 1995; August 2010; April 2012; June 2015