Level 4 Advising Training - A Few Typical Advising Scenarios

The following list of scenarios is meant to help you think through some common situations that arise when advising students. If any situation comes up that makes you uncomfortable or you are not sure about, please make sure to either contact one of the counselors or refer students to make an appointment with one of the counselors.

DocumentationPertinent to all Scenarios

Make sure to use Starfish to capture the essence of what occurred in your advising sessions with students. Speednotes in Starfish are check boxes that help in collecting data about what types of services students are utilizing. The Outcomes in Starfish is where you can write a note documenting what was done in the advising session. It is important to try to write a sentence or two. Finally, if overrides are provided to students, it is very helpful to record the justification (mostly for prerequisite overrides) in the SPACMNT screen in Banner. This screen does not keep your name or the date of the note automatically; please provide that information with your note.

Scenario 1 – The Returning Student

You see a student who says they have not been to MC in a few years, but they think they have a lot of credits here and could maybe earn a degree quickly. You look in Banner and see that the last time they took courses here was 201220 and they have a 2.5 cumulative GPA with 40 hours earned (college level).

  • Q: What additional information would you gather to help advise the student?
  • A: First, you probably want to check in to see whether or not they are keeping the same major. If they aren’t sure or if they are not part of your program anymore, it is probably a good idea to send them to Counseling and Advising so we can explore that with them further. If they are remaining in the same major, the catalog year regulation is important as they have had more than a two year consecutive break. So, they have to follow the catalog year in effect in the semester during which they return. You will have to check on any curriculum changes and/or walk them through a catalog year appeal if warranted. Also make sure to look to see that English and math series is complete and inquire about transfer plans or if they plan on bringing in any transfer credits (you might suggest that they bring in unofficial transcripts or sometimes they access them online and you can review that with them).

Scenario 2—I Have a Degree from another Country

You see a student who comes to your office because they have earned a bachelor’s degree outside of the United States. They want to know how many courses they have left to finish the degree. They also speak English and say they have taken English courses in their country.

  • Q: How would you advise this student? What initial steps are necessary before you start exploring program related information?
  • A: If they have never taken courses at MC please refer them to Counseling. If they have taken courses here,explore whether or not they have had their degree evaluated by one of the two credential evaluation services that we work with (World Education Services or AACRAO). If the student says they have already had the evaluation service review their transcript, make sure they have sent those in a sealed envelope to Admissions and Records. Make sure to look to see if they have started their English sequence. If you notice that they have not taken any English courses and do not have placement scores or a code indicating English placement, please refer them back to Counseling and Advising. We will explore whether or not they need to submit TOEFL scores or take our ESL accuplacer, etc.

Scenario 3- I Can’t Register

A student comes to your office who says they cannot register and are being blocked. You look up their academic standing and find out they have a 1.23 cumulative GPA with 30 attempted hours and the student has not taken a semester off since they began.

  • Q: What is the student’s academic status? What would you tell the student to do?
  • A: It is important that all students below good standing work with the Department of Counseling and Advising. The student is likely on academic suspension and a hold has been placed preventing them from registering. They can either sit out a semester or appeal to continue the semester, but that appeal is done with a counseling faculty member and then goes to the campus Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

Scenario 4—I Had an IEP

You see a student who discloses to you that they had an IEP in high school and they think they need some help right now.

  • Q: How do you respond to the student’s needs?
  • A: an IEP is an individualized education plan set up in K-12 to help provide accommodations to students with documented disabilities. That plan does not automatically carry over to a higher education institution, therefore they need to be referred to a DSS (Disability Support Services) Counselor. These are also faculty counselors who are available at each campus to assist students with this process.

Scenario 5—I Need to Appeal to Get my Financial Aid Back

A student comes into your office and lets you know that they have received notification that their financial aid has been suspended. They plan to appeal this and were told to see an advisor for an academic plan as part of the required documents. However, they say that they never received the forms from Financial Aid. The appeal is due tomorrow.

  • Q: What can you do to help the student?
  • A: First, take into consideration the timeframe. Appeals are typically due in October and in March. Second, make sure their major is correct in Banner. If the major is not correct, refer the student to Counseling. Third, students who are eligible for an appeal typically have the forms in their MyMC under the Financial Aid tab. Financial Aid also sends them emails reminding them of the appeals due dates. When in doubt, refer them back to Counseling. Otherwise, you might help them look for the forms in their My MC and print them out. The academic plan is a semester by semester sequence of the course they have left to take to finish their major regardless of transfer plans. You must make sure to sign the forms and put the expected date of graduation. This plan can be full time or part time. Be VERY careful because Financial Aid will hold them to this plan.

Scenario 6- I Can’t Register for This Class

You see a student who says they cannot register for a course even though they have tried several times.

  • Q: What sorts of things might you consider checking?
  • A: Make sure they meet prerequisite. If they don’t have a test score or other means (transcripts, AP, etc) giving them the prerequisite please refer them back to Counseling and Advising. If it looks like they meet the prerequisite, check to make sure there are no holds. Any student with an academic hold should be sent to Counseling and Advising so that we can explore their academic standing. If it isn’t an academic hold preventing registration, make sure it isn’t a third attempt. It could also be that the class already began, so you might check the start date/time of the class. If it is a course with a lab and/or discussion make sure they are also registering for those parts at the same time. Also, consider checking to see if someone else gave them a prior prerequisite override. This gets a little tricky. If someone gave them a prior prerequisite override and they did not pass the course, it might be a good idea to call the person who gave the original override if the justification is not apparent. If you give another override please document it in the comments section of Banner. When all else fails, you might have them log into their MyMC so they can show you the error they are receiving. When in doubt, refer them back to Counseling and Advising.

Scenario 7- I Took a Course that is Now Not a General Education Course

A student says that someone told them their course is no longer on the general education list and they are panicking. They don’t want to have to take a different course.

  • Q: What additional information would be prudent to gather?
  • A: Knowing the student’s catalog year is most important. If the student is a continuing student, they are most likely going to complete the Gen Ed program that existed when they started at MC. The Gen Ed program will have changes implemented for some programs starting in the fall 2016. The remainder of the programs at the college will follow suit through staggered process. Questions about this should go to your chair, dean, or the Gen Ed Committee. When in doubt, you can always refer the student back to Counseling and Advising.

Scenario 8—I Don’t Like My Accuplacer Scores

You see a student who is really unhappy with their Accuplacer results and wants to be given another chance to test.

  • Q: What sorts of things should you take into consideration when responding to the student?
  • A: In most cases you will refer them to meet with a counselor. If they are a student who has already begun taking classes here, you could look to see if they have attempted reading, English, math, or any of the AELP courses. In that case, they are likely ineligible to retest. If they have not begun the sequence and have only tested once in reading,English, or math they should be referred to Counseling and Advising for a retest form. If they are an AELP student asking for a retest, they should be referred to Counseling and Advising or the AELP department.

Scenario 9- I Want to Transfer Out of State

A student comes to meet with you to talk about out of state transfer options. They are close to graduation.

  • Q: What would you take into consideration when advising the student? What resources might you use?
  • A: Keep in mind that ARTSYS does not have out of state schools in it, which makes finding information a little more difficult. Encourage/ help the student narrow their options. Check out websites of the schools they are interested in applying to and look for information about the major they want. Try to look at the transfer school’s catalog descriptions to see if it looks like we have some course equivalencies. Encourage the student to contact the school for specific curriculum information that you can review with them.

Scenario 10- I am Only Going to Grad School

A student comes into your office stating that they have earned a bachelor’s degree in the United States. They explain that they are only looking to take a few prerequisites in order to be able to apply to a graduate program.

  • Q: What would you do to help advise the student?
  • A: Ask them for an unofficial transcript that you can review with them and provide overrides for your area of expertise as appropriate. You probably should look in Banner to see if Admissions has given them a FAUV code (which gives college level English placement). If that isn’t in Banner, refer them to Admissions and Records.

Scenario 11- The Third Attempt

A student has been unsuccessful in a course twice and wants to take it for the third time.

  • Q: What do you need to take into consideration when advising the student?
  • A: Make sure that it is in a discipline area that you have permission to give overrides for (if not, refer to the correct academic department). Check to make sure they actually need the course based on their major/program and transfer plans. Explore why the student is having a tough time in the course and when appropriate, refer them to a counselor for more in depth intervention. Explain the repeat policy and that the next step would be an academic appeal if they cannot pass it the third time.

Scenario 12- No Longer in Good Academic Standing

You see a student whose cumulative GPA is 1.7 and they have been here several semesters. They are upset because they cannot register and are not sure what to do.

  • Q: How would you advise this student?
  • A: The student is likely on academic restriction and the hold placed on their registration is to ensure they meet with a counselor. A counselor will explore the barriers to academic success and help them form a plan to get back into good academic standing. Please make sure to refer them to Counseling and Advising. This type of hold should only be lifted by a counseling faculty member. You can help by giving some guidance on courses within your discipline that you notice they have struggled in.

Scenario 13—I Can’t Focus and I Need Help

A student comes into your office and expresses that they are struggling and just cannot focus or get ahead no matter what. This is making them feel depressed and hopeless.

  • Q: What would you do to help this student?
  • A: This student should be referred to Counseling. From what little information we have, there are a few red flags that may indicate a deeper issue going on and/or an issue that could also be referred to Disability Support Services. When students start to express personal struggles, it is best to make sure they get to a counselor as soon as possible so we can make sure they are linked to the right resources and services in addition to providing brief personal counseling when appropriate. You can assist by helping the student to make an appointment in Starfish and by following up with the student to see if they met with one of us.

Scenario 14- I Want to Change my Major

You see a student who says that they have changed their mind about their major and want to change it. They also want to know what they should take next semester.

  • Q: How would you advise this student?
  • A: If a student is undecided about what they want to change their major to, they should be referred to a counselor. Having a correct major not only has implications for what courses they choose but can also have an impact on other things such as financial aid. Additionally, Counseling and Advising offers courses that help students to decide on a major and career path. We also have some career tools we use to help with career counseling. If the student is choosing a major outside of your discipline area, then you probably need to refer them to an advisor within that new discipline.

Scenario 15- I Need an Override to Take a Course

You see a student who says they need your permission to take a course.

  • Q: What should you look into, ask, and consider when advising this student?
  • A: First, make sure it is appropriate for you to be advising on the course they are asking about. Second, you probably want to explore why the student is seeking an override. Check to see why they don’t meet a requirement and to see if they have other proof such as an unofficial transcript, AP credit, etc. that could help. Don’t assume that you have to give an override again because one was given for the same class before. If they have attempted the course once, failed it and are asking for another override, it may be more appropriate for them to take the prerequisite again or a different course before attempting the course again. Make sure to look at the notes in Banner. When overrides are given based on unofficial transcripts, notes should be recorded in Banner.

Scenario 16—Not Sure About my Visa Status

You meet with a student who expresses concern about their F1 visa status. They ask you if they drop a course whether or not this will affect their status.

  • Q: How would you advise this student?
  • A: It is probably best to refer this student to Heidi Russell-Kalkofen since she is the International Student Coordinator. Students on an F1 visa do have to be careful about their status, so it is very important to get them to the person who can appropriately assist them before they make decisions about dropping a course.

Scenario 17—Do I Have to Take AELP Courses?

A student comes into your office upset because they placed into the American English Language Program (AELP). They don’t feel like this is fair and ask you if you can provide them permission to skip that requirement.

  • Q: How would you advise this student?
  • A: If you are not AELP faculty, it is probably best to refer them to Counseling and Advising (or the AELP department). You can help by checking with the student to make sure they have attended an IMAP (International Student Academic Orientation). We definitely want to ensure they have completed that first step, then if they still have questions one of the counselors can meet with them to explain the process of the American English Language Program placement and options.

Scenario 18—I Have Credits from a Different College