Academic Advising

Advising, Retention + Career Center

Advising:

Students will have an academic advisor and a faculty advisor from their major to assist them in developing academic and career goals based on their interests and abilities.  If a student is unsure of a major, an academic advisor can recommend courses that explore various majors while keeping curricular options open to the extent possible.  A student can expect advisors to be knowledgeable about university policies, procedures, and a wide variety of campus resources available for assistance.

Advisors in the Advising, Retention + Career Center also work with transfer students to help them understand requirements, policies, and procedures related to transferring to UW-Eau Claire. Academic advisors review transfer course evaluations with new transfer students to identify issues students need to address to best use their transfer work to meet UW-Eau Claire’s requirements.

The Advising, Retention + Career Center also provides advising for high school and non-degree seeking students taking college courses at UW-Eau Claire.

Visit the Advising, Retention and Career Center website.

Academic Testing: The Advising, Retention + Career Center administers English, mathematics, and world language placement tests for the university.  Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, DANTES, and PRAXIS results are also processed by the Advising, Retention + Career Center.  Visit the Academic Testing website for more information.   

New Student Orientation:

First Year Students

All new first-year students are required to participate in a New Student Orientation program prior to starting classes. The hybrid orientation experience features virtual advising and registration sessions, and opportunities to come on-campus for additional programming.  New first year students starting in the summer or fall semester will participate in their orientation programming throughout the summer.  New first-year students starting in winterim or the spring semester attend a session before spring classes begin in January. During New Student Orientation, students and their guests have an opportunity to meet with staff members, tour the campus, and obtain information on a variety of topics related to both academics and student life.

Transfer Students

Advising and registration meetings for new transfer students are flexible, with the option to meet in-person, by phone or by video conference. The Admissions Office performs the initial transfer evaluation after a student has applied and been admitted. Academic advisors help transfer students understand policies and procedures related to transferring and identify transfer course issues students need to address to best use their transfer work to meet UW-Eau Claire’s requirements.  New transfer students will have the opportunity to attend a formal orientation program either before classes begin in the fall (for summer/fall transfers) or in the spring (for winter/spring transfers). 

Questions regarding transfer advising and registration should be addressed to the Assistant Director for Orientation. Visit this website for more details.

First Year Experience: The First Year Experience program at UW-Eau Claire helps new first-year students transition to college life. Many new students take a course that is designated as “first year only.” These sections are regular university courses that are open only to new first-year students. Many first year only classes have an experienced UW-Eau Claire student mentor who works closely with the instructor to help students adjust to college. New freshmen may also register for special "linked" courses that are designed to help with transition to UWEC or to explore a topic, major or career of interest. In addition, all new first-year students are invited to participate in the Bluprint for a Blugold program, which is a schedule of out-of-class activities and corresponding online modules designed to help students learn valuable information about college life. Visit this website for more details.

Nontraditional Student Services:

Nontraditional students comprise an important component of the university community. The Advising, Retention + Career Center provides this constituency a variety of offerings that address the needs and experiences of adults returning to college. Working adults, students with children or other family responsibilities, veterans, and adults in various life transitions, will find resources to support them. Further information may be obtained from the Advising, Retention + Career Center.

Visit the ARCC website.

Undergraduate Advising

Advising Philosophy

Academic advising is an important component of a student’s undergraduate experience. The university has established a structure intended to bring each student into a collaborative relationship with an academic advisor and a faculty advisor. The partnership with these advisors empower students to establish connections to campus and their field of study, facilitate graduation in a timely fashion, and develop a portfolio of skills and experiences that will help them achieve their academic and professional goals. Advising is most effective when viewed as a developmental process in which the students and advisors work together.  Students have the ultimate responsibility for monitoring their progress toward graduation and they should work closely with their advisors to develop a corresponding academic and career plan. Advisors serve as a resource for students, providing accurate information and referring them to appropriate sources of help offered by the university.

Advising Structure

There are seven advising clusters.  The clusters are comprised of 5-10 majors that are similar in nature, with the exception of the undeclared cluster.  A student who has declared a major is assigned an academic advisor from that cluster and a faculty advisor in their specific major (some majors may assign faculty advisors after students are admitted to their program).  To view the majors in each cluster, visit this website.

Students who have not decided on a major will work with an undeclared advisor. Once a student declares a major, they will be assigned an academic advisor from that cluster and a faculty advisor in that major.

Students who wish to change their major, minor, or certificate must first consult with an academic advisor, so students should plan ahead. If a student switches to a new major that is in the same advising cluster, their academic advisor will remain the same, but a new faculty advisor may be assigned to reflect the student’s new major.  If a student switches to a major outside of their current advising cluster, they will be assigned to a new academic advisor and a new faculty advisor. 

Roles of Academic and Faculty Advisors:

Academic Advisors:  An academic advisor provides holistic and comprehensive academic and career advising for students in a specific advising cluster. They provide students with guidance regarding course selections, graduation requirements, major exploration, academic policies and procedures, referrals to other campus resources, and High Impact Practices. Academic advisors collaborate with faculty advisors and career counselors to serve students.

Faculty Advisors: A faculty advisor provides ongoing consultation for the student on long-range academic and career plans, monitors progress towards specific major degree requirements, assists in the selection of major courses, and connects students to High Impact Practices available in their department/field.   Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor each term to discuss major-related opportunities. Faculty advisors collaborate with academic advisors and career counselors to serve students.

Students must see an academic advisor at the following times:

• Students must meet with their academic advisor prior to registration for fall and spring semesters. Students are encouraged to discuss summer and winterim courses with their academic advisor. 
• All readmitted students must meet with an academic advisor prior to registering.
• All new transfer students must meet with an academic advisor prior to registering.
• All students must consult with an academic advisor prior to withdrawing from a course or withdrawing from the university.
• Students should meet with their faculty advisor to discuss major-related High Impact Practices (such as internships, Service-Learning, research, study abroad, National Student Exchange, etc.) and major course selection that may affect future career or academic opportunities.  

Advising Responsibilities

Student Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all students to:

• Meet with their academic advisor at least once per semester.
• Read and respond to all emails sent from academic and faculty advisors in a timely manner.
• Be prepared for meetings with their academic and faculty advisor.
• Learn to read and use the degree audit; become familiar with graduation requirements; fulfill all degree requirements.
• Develop plans for taking courses required for graduation.
• Keep track of their own academic records.
• Develop plans for achieving academic, career and personal goals.
• Utilize their academic and faculty advisors to address questions about High Impact Practices (such as internships, service-learning, research, study abroad, National Student Exchange, etc.).
• Utilize their faculty advisor to address questions about opportunities in the major, major courses and the influence on career choices, and educational opportunities beyond their undergraduate degree.
• After registering for their final term, apply for graduation on MyBlugold CampS.
• See their academic advisor, faculty advisor, and course instructor at the first sign of academic difficulty.
• Understand academic policies and become familiar with important deadlines.
• Utilize the full range of campus resources: career planning, counseling, tutoring, Services for Students with Disabilities, the Writing Center, and other resources available at the university.

Advisor Responsibility

It is the responsibility of academic and faculty advisors to:

• Be accessible to students on a regular, predictable basis.
• Encourage students in self-direction, learning, and assuming responsibility for their own educational plans.
• Reinforce the responsibilities of students.
• Assist students with course selections.
• Help students with academic and career planning and re-evaluate plans regularly.
• Empower students to achieve academic, career and personal goals.
• Know graduation requirements and other institutional policies outlined in the catalog.
• Refer students to appropriate campus resources.
• Help students learn about academic policies and procedures.
• Increase advising skills through regular training and professional development.
• Helps students understand the value of their liberal arts based education.

Academic Skills Center

The Academic Skills Center is a resource for students needing individual assistance to enhance learning strategies and skills in college reading and study methods, critical thinking, and problem solving. Group and individual tutoring is also available for selected entry-level foreign language courses, as well as several physical and social science courses. Diagnostic evaluation is available in reading and study strategies. Supplemental instruction is a guided study program that is available for selected courses particularly in Arts and Science. Further information may be obtained from the Academic Skills Center staff or the ASC website.

Career Services

Career Services is a resource to students, offering opportunities for them to connect their liberal arts education with future career and professional goals. We partner with employers, faculty, and staff to provide opportunities to help students realize fulfilling careers. Career Services helps students understand the relationship between their educational choices and career fields.  Specific services include: career counseling appointments and group workshops, internship and job search assistance, resume and cover letter reviews, networking coaching, interview preparation, and salary negotiation. Career Services is the liaison between employers and campus, connecting students, faculty, staff, and alumni with employers in the region and across the country.   The Career Services office is responsible for collecting and reporting data for the annual First Destination Survey. 

Handshake: UW- Eau Claire’s online jobs and internship search platform used by students and alumni. Employers who recruit UW-Eau Claire students utilize this platform to assist in meeting their workforce needs by posting part-time, internship, and full-time positions. Students can search for opportunities and upcoming career events. They can also participate in campus interviews and receive invitations to employer events.

Career Events: Each year Career Services sponsors a variety of events designed to allow students to explore career and internship options including:

• Accounting and Finance Career Fair
• Fall and Spring Career Conferences
• Nursing and Health Care Professional Career Fair
• Part-Time Job Fair

Services for Students with Disabilities

Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) facilitates the provision of academic accommodations for eligible students with documented disabilities. Disability-related accommodations address the need for both program access (i.e. exam accommodations, note taking, interpreters, alternative format course materials, etc.) and physical access. Verification of the need for accommodations is based on current disability documentation provided by the student. Students with disabilities who wish to request accommodations must provide disability documentation to the SSD Office and make their requests known in a timely manner so that arrangements for accommodations can be initiated. A Test Center is available for testing accommodations. Information about required documentation and procedures for arranging services can be obtained by contacting the SSD Office or visiting the SSD website.

Services for Students with Disabilities Project AIM (Ability in Motion)

Project AIM is a Student Support Services program funded by a TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Due to federal eligibility requirements, the students served must have a documented disability. Goals of the project are focused on promoting academic and career success of participants. Project AIM provides a variety of supplemental services for eligible participants including student-specific advising, career exploration, financial literacy, free tutoring, mentoring, leadership development and a variety of cultural and educational activities. Some students qualify for additional federal grant aid based on participation in the program. Further information may be obtained from the Services for Students with Disabilities Office staff.

Center for Service-Learning 

All candidates for the baccalaureate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire must satisfactorily complete 30 hours of approved service-learning activity. UW-Eau Claire’s Service-Learning requirement fosters habits of public engagement and service to society. This requirement is intended to provide students with an opportunity to serve their community, apply knowledge gained in the classroom, enhance their critical thinking skills, and become informed, active, and responsible citizens. The Center for Service-Learning works with community partners to create meaningful projects for students and helps students and staff to develop projects.

Within the first few weeks of the fall semester, the Service-Learning & Community Engagement Fair is held. At this come and go event, community partners come to the fair with the expectation of talking directly to students about volunteer, service-learning, internship or job opportunities they have at their specific organizations.

Visit the Service-Learning App for information on available projects, the website for news, resources and procedures and the Service-Learning Guidebook for current policies. For catalog information, view the University Graduation Requirements.

Student Support Services

Funded by a TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the Student Support Services program provides a variety of supplemental services for qualified students. Due to federal eligibility requirements, the students served must be from a low-income household, be a first-generation college student, or have a documented disability. The staff assists eligible students in assessing their academic skills and in developing individual goals that promote their academic and career success. The program provides participants with free tutoring, career exploration opportunities, comprehensive academic advising, mentoring services, graduate school preparation, financial aid information, and a variety of educational activities. Some students qualify for additional federal grant aid based on their participation in the program. Further information may be obtained from the Student Support Services staff. Visit the SSS website.

Upward Bound

Upward Bound is a federal TRIO program awarded to UW-Eau Claire by the U.S. Department of Education. All participants are from public high schools in Eau Claire (North High School and Memorial High School). Most students are recommended by school counselors during the last semester of middle school. Once enrolled in the program, students continue through high school graduation. The program serves 73 promising high school students who face barriers to the completion of high school and the attainment of post-secondary education. During the academic year, students receive tutoring, counseling, and study skills support. The summer six-week residency program, for which students receive high school credit, provides an academic core enhanced with field trips and cultural, social, and athletic activities. Upward Bound develops career exploration and decision-making skills and assists students in selecting appropriate post-secondary educational options. Assistance is given in completing college admission and financial aid applications. Further information may be obtained from the Upward Bound Office or by visiting the Upward Bound website.

William J. and Marian A. Klish Health Careers Center

The William J. and Marian A. Klish Health Careers Center is a specialized career center for students who are interested in a career in the health sciences. The resources available through the Health Careers Center help students explore a wide range of health careers and create a personalized, interdisciplinary pathway to graduation and admission to professional schools. UW-Eau Claire offers pre-professional programs in Pre-Medicine, Pre-Veterinary Medicine, Pre-Physician Assistant, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Chiropractic, and Pre-Athletic Training. The Health Careers Center offers resources for academic and health career advising, connections to health-related clinical, research and volunteer opportunities, and workshops designed to build effective tools for career development and competitive applications. Further information may be obtained by visiting the Health Careers Center website.