What is advising anyway?

For detailed information on the advising process, visit the main Shepherd site's Advising section.

I know what I want to take. Do I really need to meet with my advisor?

Yes. Advisors have the pin codes needed for you to access RAIL to register. (And you might be surprised what you can learn in an advisement session!)

I can't make any of the times my advisor has available.

Email your advisor to see if you can do advisement at another time or by Skype, phone or email.

What do I do if the course I want is full?

Try to identify some alternative classes that work in your schedule to prepare for this possibility. However, if you are in dire need of a course you can contact the professor of the class to request an "add." It is totally at the discretion of the instructor whether or not to allow an additional student in class, and students close to graduation get priority.

 

 

 

Academics: Advising for Communication Majors

Advising for the Fall 2011 semester will run March 30-April 13. Registration begins April 11. Students should set up appointments to meet with their advisors during this time period. Kevin Williams, Jason McKahan and Monica Larson request that you sign up for a time slot on the sheets by their offices. Dr. Webb requests that you email her to set up a time.

Before your appointment...

While your advisor will do everything he or she possibly can to answer your questions and guide you through the registration process, in order for a successful experience we ask that you do some preliminary work on your schedule before you come to your advising meeting.

Be aware of what courses you need to take by consulting the University catalog. Course schedules have been printed that show offerings, or you can view the online schedule. (The online schedule has the advantage of showing how many seats are filled in a particular class at any given time.) The Comm curriculum is available both in the catalog and on this site. You may want to do a degree evaluation in RAIL as well. (Download the pdf instructions if you don't know how to do this.)

Fill out your paperwork prior to your meeting. In the back of the printed schedules are two forms for you to fill out: a proposed schedule for yourself and another for your advisor. (You may want to use pencil in case of changes during advisement.)

Be on time for your advising session!

Identifying your advisor

If you are unsure who your advisor is, you can find out on RAIL.

  1. Login to RAIL.
  2. Click on Student.
  3. Click on Student Records.
  4. Click on View Student Information.
  5. Select the current or most recent term.
  6. Information about your current degree program will come up, including your current advisor.