Academic Advising & Students - A Great Partnership
The advisor-student partnership at the college level is a working, dynamic relationship. Each person gives information, asks questions, and trusts each other to ultimately help the student realize their goals. Below are the answers to some common questions that Exploratory Studies advisors are often asked:
What makes college advising unique?
At Purdue, and at most other colleges, it is assumed that students are responsible for their degree progress, course choices, as well as their in-class and extracurricular behavior. Because of that, students need to be internally driven to succeed and understand. They need to take the responsibility to ask questions before making decisions. To that end, college academic advisors act more like consultants. They assist students in constructing effective questions and thinking through the consequences of possible solutions. Advisors also connect students to campus resources to gather specialized information or assistance.
As you can see, each party, the advisor and the student, bring something meaningful to the table. The best outcome happens when both the advisor and student embrace their half of the partnership responsibilities. To help you understand what you and your advisor might expect from each other, Purdue's Office of the Director of Undergraduate Advising has created a great page of expectations and outcomes!
How do I find out who my Exploratory Studies advisor is?
Before you attend your initial advising appointment during All Aboard, our director randomly assigns your Exploratory Studies advisor to you. After your first meeting, you will be able to see your academic advisor’s name and contact information on MyPurdue > Academics tab > Academic Profile section of the page. The little envelope icon next to the advisor's name is a clickable link to their e-mail address. This person will be your advisor until you leave Exploratory Studies. After you move to your new major, you'll be assigned a new advisor who is a specialist within that major.
Occasionally, your Exploratory Studies advisor may refer you to staff members in your major of interest for further exploration. Here is a list of Undergraduate Advisors who serve students in Purdue's twelve colleges and departments.
How often do I need to meet with my Exploratory Studies advisor?
We do not have a maximum limit to how often you can meet with us! However, we do require that you meet with us at least twice during your first semester in Exploratory Studies:
- September Check-in: A 30-minute appointment to check-in with you, cheer your successes, and help you find solutions to issues or concerns. This is around the time of students’ first exams, but before the last course drop date.
- Spring Registration: A 30-minute appointment, usually between mid-October and mid-November to discuss courses the student will schedule for the spring semester.
When students remain in Exploratory Studies for the spring semester, academic advisors will often ask students to come in for:
- February Check-in: An optional 30-minute appointment similar to the September Check-in.
- Summer Registration: An optional 30-minute appointment, usually between late January and late February.
- Fall Registration: A required 30-minute appointment, usually between March and mid-April.
If a student earns below a 2.0 semester GPA at the end of the fall or spring semester, they are additionally required to set up a 60-minute Laying Tracks academic notice appointment early the following semester.
How do I make an appointment with my Exploratory Studies advisor?
The best and quickest way to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor is to use the BoilerConnect online calendar. Here are instructions for making an advising appointment using BoilerConnect. If you want to make a same-day appointment, call our main desk at (765) 494-0843. When you call, please give the secretary your advisor's name plus a few times you are available.
Generally, Exploratory Studies advisors do not have drop-in hours. Therefore, if students do have quick questions, it is recommended they e-mail their assigned advisor. We aim to reply as fast as possible. We also maintain a small student-to-advisor ratio to make it easier for students to make appointments with us!