What is Academic Advising?
Academic Advising is far more critical than just removing holds, selecting majors and concentrations, and scheduling classes. At the University of the District of Columbia, we view academic advising as a critical support service for students, providing the best possible guidance tools to assist them in reaching their highest levels of human potential. This handbook is designed for both administrative and faculty advisors as a resource and quick reference for useful and pertinent information. The handbook is by no means comprehensive and is intended to supplement the official University catalog and the student handbook.
In a 1982 NACADA publication, Academic Advising is defined as “a developmental process which assists students in the clarification of their life/career goals and in the development of educational plans for the realization of these goals. It is a decision-making process by which students realize their maximum educational potential through communication and information exchanges with an advisor; it is ongoing, multifaceted, and the responsibility of both student and advisor. The advisor serves as a facilitator of communication, a coordinator of learning experiences through course and career planning and academic progress review, and an agent of referral to other campus agencies as necessary.”