Advising

ADVISING

In the School of Management (SOM), there are two staff members who are qualified to provide both advising and academic counseling services to students. They are committed to helping you make the most of your education.  They are available to meet with you and discuss your degree progress in a one-on-one, confidential setting.  You can feel comfortable knowing that your success is important to your advisors and they are prepared to help you overcome the struggles you encounter as you pursue your degree.

Brenda Harrison, PhD, LPC, Senior Academic Advisor/Counselor             
Phone:  (810) 762-3160, Email:  brendaha@umflint.edu
 
Anna Bennett, Academic Advisor            
Phone:  (810) 762-3306, Email:  annakben@umflint.edu

 

What is the difference between a Counselor and an Advisor?

Counselors are professionally trained to address personal issues, resolve academic anxiety, assist students in choosing career fields and majors, and problem solve other academic difficulties. With students on restricted academic or financial aid status, counselors work to develop individual success plans, which address the specific issues inhibiting academic success.  Counselors can help with the following issues:

  • Provide short term personal counseling for issues that may interfere with studies
  • Facilitate decision making on educational and career goals
  • Facilitate college adjustment for in-coming freshmen (homesickness, time management, depression, anxiety)
  • Facilitate college adjustment for returning adult students (balancing roles of student, parent, spouse, and/or employee).
  • Teach coping skills and stress management
  • Develop individualized retention interventions
  • Interpret career inventories and provide career counseling

Advisors specialize in matters pertaining to your educational program: college policies, placement/assessment test interpretation, degree requirements, transferability, schedule planning, and graduation checks.  Advisors can help with the following issues:

  • Help with course selection
  • Facilitate educational transactions; e.g., schedules, drop/adds, withdrawals, change of major, waivers, graduation requirements, etc.
  • Clarify instructional policies, procedures and requirements
  • Provide general information on special services including academic remediation, admission, placement testing, courses of study, and registration
  • Explain course transfer differences between institutions
  • Interpret placement scores and recommend appropriate classes.

Student/Advisor Relationship

You can expect advisor to act in a professional manner at all times.  Your advisor will:
Keep your information confidential.  The information shared during your appointment, as well as grades, class attendance and academic progress, will only be shared with others with your expressed, written permission.
Encourage you to make an appointment to discuss complex academic matters.  This limits the risk of misunderstanding by both yourself and your advisor.

Advisor Limitations

While your advisor will be informative and helpful, please keep in mind:
Your advisor may not have all the answers.  However, they will be willing to find out where you can get the answers and to encourage you to use additional campus resources for services they cannot provide. 
Your advisor will not make decisions for you. Your advisor can provide advice and suggestions, but you must make decisions for yourself.
Your advisor cannot evade University policies and procedures or make special exceptions.  You can count on your advisor to support and advocate on your behalf if possible and also to assist you in finding solutions to challenges you face.

Appointments

APPOINTMENTS
As a freshman and sophomore, you will be advised in the Student Success Center.  The Student Success Center is located on the second floor of the University Pavilion.  To make an appointment, call 810-762-3085 or email advising@umflint.edu.

As a junior and senior, you will be advised in the School of Management. To make an appointment with a SOM Academic Advisor, please call 810-762-3160 or use the links below to request an appointment online.

WALK-IN ADVISING

Walk-in advising is also available throughout the year and is intended for brief, 20-30 minute advising sessions. Advisors will be available to see students during walk-in advising hours on a first-come, first-serve basis. *Please note that the last student will be seen one half hour before the scheduled end time of each day.

Winter 2015 Walk-In Advising Hours:

Monday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (must sign in by 4:30 p.m.)
Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (must sign in by 12:30 p.m.)

 

 

 

How can you make your advising appointment a success?

Your academic advisor is an important source of information, but the success of your appointment is largely dependent on you.  It is important that you come to each meeting prepared.  You are expected to:

  • Show up for your appointment on time.
  • Bring a list of questions and concerns that you would like to address.
  • Bring a list of possible courses that you would like to fit into your schedule.
  • Be prepared to discuss your past academic performance in detail.
  • Bring a notebook or planner to write down notes or information for your next meeting.
  • Be open to suggestions and understand that there may be several different ways to accomplish your goals.

Forms

FORMS
 

Commonly Used Forms

 

Graduate Student Forms

 

 

FAQs

Frequently Asked  Questions
 
General FAQs
Undergraduate FAQs
Graduate FAQs
 
 
 
 
General FAQs

     1. Where do I find the catalog?

     You can find your catalog at catalog.umflint.edu.
 

     Make sure you select the correct catalog year in the upper right hand corner of the screen.  Then, select
     Program Requirements (near the bottom) on the left menu navigation.  Finally, select the appropriate program.

 

     2. How do I get an override for a class?

     If you meet all the requirements for a Business/Management/Accounting class and the system does
     not allow you to register for your desired class, you may request an override from an SOM Advisor. 
     Once the Advisor verifies that you meet the prerequisites, the Advisor will enter an override in the system. 
     You will then be notified via email that the request has been processed.  At that time, you should return to
     the SIS and register for the class.

 

     3. I have a hold on my account, what do I do?

     Holds are placed on student accounts for various reasons.  The first thing you need to do is click on the
     “View Holds” option in SIS to see where the hold has originated from. If the hold is of a financial nature,
     then you need to contact the Student Accounting department.  If the hold is due to missing transcripts,
     then you need to contact Admissions.  If, however, the hold is due to an academic probationary status,
     you need to contact Brenda Harrison in the School of Management for removal.

 

     4. How do I run a CAPP (Degree Requirements) evaluation?

     Instructions for running your degree evaluation are found at the Registrar’s website.
 

     5. How do I apply for graduation? 

              All information regarding commencement, diplomas, transcripts, etc. can be found on the Registrar’s website.
 

     If your last semester of courses is in fall, you would select a December graduation date.  If your last
     semester of courses is in winter, you would select a May graduation date.  If your last semester of courses
     is in spring or summer, you would select August as your graduation date. 

     There are only two commencement ceremonies, so August graduates will select to attend either the
     May or December commencement ceremony. 

 

     6. What does it mean to be on academic probation? 

     Visit our page on probation to learn more.
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     7. How do I dispute a grade?

     Visit our page on appeals to learn more.
Undergraduate FAQs

    

     1. How do I find out what courses fulfill a specific general education requirement? 

      You can find the approved courses for each general education area on the University's GenEd page.
 

     2. What are the criteria to graduate with honors and/or qualify for the Maize and Blue award?

     Criteria for graduating with honors and/or the Maize and Blue award can be found on the Registrar’s website.
 

     3. How do I declare/change my major and/or minor and/or change my catalog?

     Complete the online Declaration or Change of Curriculum form.
 

     It will take approximately 5 business days for the requested changes to show up in SIS.

 

     4. What do I need to do to enroll in the BBA online program?

     You do not need to fill out an application for this program.  However, BBA online students must major in
     General Business, since the other BBA majors currently are not offered fully online.

 

     5. What happens if I take more than a semester off?

     Students who have a break of more than 1 year will be subject to the requirements of the current year's catalog.

 

     6. If I retake a course, how will that impact my overall GPA?

     The grade for the second attempt of the course will be included in overall GPA calculation, the
     previous attempt will be excluded from overall GPA calculation.  Both attempts will remain on your transcript.

 

     7. Can I add a major after I graduate?

     You may complete the coursework for an additional Business major after you graduate.  However, you would
     not be seeking a second degree, it will result in another major designation on your transcript.   Since you would
     not be obtaining another degree, you would not be eligible for financial aid.

 
Graduate FAQs

     1. What do I need to do if I want to take a course outside of my delivery mode? 

     If you are a NetPlus! student and want to take a course in the traditional format or vice versa, you will
     need to contact your advisor in the School of Management.  
 

     2. What do I need to do if I want to declare a concentration or change my concentration?

     Complete the online MBA Concentration Form.
 

     3. If I retake a course, how will that impact my overall GPA?

     At the graduate level, the grade for a course that’s retaken does NOT replace the original grade in GPA calculation,
     the average of both grades is included in the GPA.

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     4. What is the grading scale for graduate students? 

     At the graduate level, you will have a 4.0 scale.  To be in good academic standing you must have a 3.0 or higher.
     In addition, if you receive a grade of “C-” or lower in a course, you must retake the course.
 

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     5. What happens if I take more than a semester off?

     The graduate program courses are offered on a rotation basis; therefore, taking any time off may result
     in a program completion delay.  You should discuss with your advisor any potential time off.

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     6. Is there an honors designation for graduate students?

     No, there isn't an honors designation for graduate students

     (top)
 

     7. Is there a time limit to complete my degree?

     Graduate students must complete their program within 5 years.

     (top) 
 

     8. How do I get my textbooks? 

     If your program is in the traditional mode, you can find out what textbooks you need by clicking
     on “Shop for Textbooks”  in the Registration area of SIS and then click on “Go To Bookstore” website.
     It will list the textbook information, price and ISBN.

     If your program is in the NetPlus! mode, your books are included in the total cost of tuition and you
     will pick them up through the School of Management.You must be registered for your courses before
     you may receive your textbooks.  If it is your first semester, you will pick your books up at orientation.
     From then on, you will pick up your books for the next semester during the current semester’s second residency.

     You may also request to have your textbooks mailed to you.  There will be a $20 charge for this service, unless
     you are not enrolled in the current semester. 

    

Graduation

Graduation Plans
 
Sample Four-Year Plans for Business Majors

The sample four-year plans are provided as outlines for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years. These plans include both the general education and business coursework required to complete the degree.  The sequence of courses is based on Math placement exam results, prerequisites and when the specific business courses are offered.  These plans are based on full time enrollment during the fall and winter semesters only.  If students want to reduce their course load in the fall and winter semesters, it is highly recommended that they take the general education courses over the spring and/or summer semesters.  These plans would need to be altered if there are one or more the following placements:  Math placement lower than MTH 090, Writing Placement of 1-3 credits of ENG 109, and/or Reading Placement of ENG 100.

Sample Graduation Plans
Accounting Management -
(Entrepreneurship)		 Finance General Business
International Business Marketing Management -
(Operations Management)		 Organization Behavior/Human Resources
 
Tools needed to create your own graduation plan

 

Steps to creating graduation plans

  1. Run a CAPP degree evaluation in SIS.

  2. Highlight each uncompleted course on your business major curriculum guide.

  3. Place each uncompleted course on your graduation plan using the BBA course rotation schedule (make sure you have met the prerequisites for the course.)

  4. If the total credits on your graduation plan, along with previously completed credits, do not equal the minimum of 120 total credits, including 60 non business credits, you will need to add elective credits.

  5. Consult with your academic advisor each semester to review and modify your graduation plan as needed.

  6. Students are responsible for keeping informed on graduation requirements – so be proactive by applying for your degree and reviewing your degree evaluation each semester
     

Applying for Graduation: Click here