Advisors play key roles in students lives
Guidance position to be taken seriously, deserves time, full attention
I’ve found in my five years here
that too many advisers are not tak
ing their advising seriously enough.
Most of them add advising to
their teaching responsibilities. They
have so many responsibilities that
many times advising is not one of
their priorities.
As students, we depend on our
advisers to keep us informed as to
what courses we need in order to
graduate. Of course, we need to
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take the responsibility of talking
with our advisers and asking them
questions.
As advisers, though, they need
to familiarize themselves with what
is required for our majors and mi
nors and make sure we know this.
I’ve had about every kind of
adviser since my first year. I’ve had
student advisers, professors, heads
of the department and deans of the
college. And only one of them was
organized and well-informed. She
kept me informed and up-io-date
on what courses I needed and any
changes.
The adviser I have now is com
pletely unorganized. I’ve met with
nim many times to make sure my
classes were all in order to gradu
ate. Each time he said everything
was right on. But when I got my
senior check back, I noticed a prob
lem. As it turned out, my adviser
had me taking the wrong plan for
my minor.
Many other people I’ve talked
with have had problems with their
advisers, also. A friend of mine had
to drop all his classes three weeks
into the semester and add all new
ones because of a mistake by his
adviser. He’s the one that let me
know about another class mistake
my adviser misinformed me about.
That mistake could’ve prevented
me from graduating on time.
Advisers need to realize that
they’re dealingwith people’s lives.
If they don’t know an answer to
someone’s questions, they should
look into it — not just try to save
face by making up an answer. If
they don’t take advising seriously,
they shouldn’t be advisers. We need
advisers who will help us, not hurt
us.
Jean Wdkcl Is • senior sociology major
and a Diversions contributor.
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Robin Tiimarchi/DN
Andy Morrison gives advice to students about senior checks.
1 r •
Clear up contusion
Senior checks help end schedule woes
As much as I sympathize with
Jean, I can’t say I totally under
stand. Possibly it is more of a bu
reaucracy problem.
I am a criminal justice major and
as such, my college, public admin
istration and community service,
comes from the Omaha campus.
This possibly might be why I feel
they are more efficient than the
UNL administration department.
I don’t know if you are all aware
of your right to have senior checks
done, but my senior check has
become my adviser for the past two
years. At UNL, a senior check takes
more than six weeks. At Love Hall
(north of Neihardt), where I go for
my administrative needs, it took no
more than six minutes.
The checks clearly list what you
have taken section by section, and
let you know how many hours you
need to fill each requirement. If you
don’t know what classes qualify for
each section of your major, then
you should check with the Under
graduate Bulletintheuniversily gave
you at New Student Enrollment.
I’m lucky enough to have par- •
1
ents that are college graduates —
one with a master’s and one with a
doctorate. They sat me down from
the beginning and helped me un
derstand how it works.
In the Undergraduate Bulletin,
you will find all majors at UNL ana
some transfer majors. Under the
major it will tell you what classes
are required and whatelcctivesyou
can pick from.
After you have analyzed your
needs by looking at your senior
check, you look at the bulletin and
pick your options for classes. Next,
lake your senior check and your
bulletin and show it to your adviser
—just so he or she sees that you are
not making bad selections for your
future.
That helps the adviser lessen the
possibility of error, and gives you a
little more freedom and makes you
feel a little less helpless.
When it comes to my future, 1
don’t like to depend on others to
get things done for me. I like to do
it myself.
Andy Morrison Is • senior criminal jus
tice major and a Diversions contributor.