Student Council’s Academic Affairs Committee recently announced the creation of the Major Advising Program, which will provide another source of information for University students seeking to learn about and make choices in regards to the many majors and courses available to them at the University.
“One of the goals of this program is to allow first-year and transfer students to have a certain level of comfort at U.Va. when they’re trying to pick a major,” said Academic Affairs Committee Chair Marisa Roman, a former Cavalier Daily associate editor. “There are so many choices here at the University, and the advisers will try to steer students toward classes [that students] might be interested in.”
The advising program will include second- and third-year students who will advise first-year and transfer students, College Rep. Todd Rooks said. Council decided to not involve fourth-year advisers because many fourth-year students are already busy with other tasks, such as job searches, and Council also wanted advisers who could serve for at least two years.
Rooks said the fact that the advisers are students could help newer students feel more at ease with the entire course decision process.
“It’s easier to talk to older students who can lead to you in the right direction,” Rooks said. “It helps having it coming from someone who is the same age as you; it makes it so much more realistic [and] relatable.”
Third-year College student Chelsea Cantrell said she believes the Council initiative might prove quite successful.
“I think it should replace faculty advising,” Cantrell said. “Often, fellow students are more in tune to major requirements and are more sensitive to student concerns than professors. “Professors from various departments cannot and should not be expected to meet student needs from other departments.”
The student advisers will answer questions through an e-mail system, Roman said. Council originally planned to hold office hours with advisers, as well, but these plans were modified so students instead can attend office hours on a case-by-case basis.
“It is hard to gather a lot of students together in one room,” Roman said. “The e-mail list would be a greater communicator between students. Since students check their e-mail so frequently, we felt this would be the best resource to use.”
By sending an e-mail, new students will have the opportunity to express questions and concerns they have about declaring a specific major or signing up for certain classes.
Rooks said this program aims to be a less formal, less intimidating way for students to have advising questions answered.
“There are ways that this advising system can be improved,” Roman said. “Academic Affairs felt that an informal system, a peer-to-peer system would take constraints off faculty members and give responsibility more to the upperclass students. It could be a much more comforting process for new students.”
Fourth-year College student Chine Anikwe, however, said she does not believe the new advising program will be of much use to students, also noting that many other groups on Grounds already offer peer advising programs.
“I’m pretty sure there are going to be people that fall through the cracks [even with the program],” Anikwe said. “I think it has to be all or nothing. People that actually need it might not know that they need it.”
Anikwe also said Council possibly could use its resources more wisely.
“I don’t really think first-years are going to get much out of that, and second of all, they already have their RAs and all these organizations that are trying to get at them and they also meet with their advisors, so I don’t see why first-years need this and I don’t see many of them wanting it,” she said.
College Association Dean Shawn Lyons also noted that there are already many advising sources at the University, including Resident Life advisers and the Office of African American Affairs peer advising program. He said that for the most part, though, advising sources probably have within them “a recognition of the limits of advising” and a training and/or familiarity requirement, so students will most likely benefit from such programs, including the new one offered up by Council.
“I think peer advising, with training, and a recognition of the limits of the training, can be helpful,” Lyons said. “Is it a substitute for association deans or career advisers? No. In concert, though, all of these advising sources can be very helpful.”
Roman said the committee plans to formally present the program to Council members at tonight’s meeting.
Read More
U.Va. Dine launches new partnership with ReusePass for reusable container program
By Brandon Kile | 10 hours agoWhile students will still have the option to choose between a reusable and disposable container at Gaston Food Hub, reusable containers are now the only option for to-go meals at the dining halls.
Guide Service will focus on historical tours after SSO agreement termination
By Cecilia Mould | 22 hours agoAs the organization prepares to conduct itself independently, Taliaferro said that general body members of the Guide Service are frustrated but looking forward to the future.
Nearly 300 gather outside Albemarle County Office Building for anti-Trump protest
By Lexie Stadler | YesterdayIndivisible Charlottesville organized the event to encourage civic action against what it called an "unconstitutional power grab."
