Guide to Productive Academic Advisement Meetings

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Steps for Advisement Prep

Step 1: Connect with Academic Advisor.

  • The name of your advisor is at the top of Degree Works or listed in your Starfish Connections, as “Academic Advisor.”
  • Look for an email from your advisor to schedule an advising appointment. If you have not received an email, it is still your responsibility to reach out for your advising meeting.

 Step 2: Be mindful of your Time Ticket and any holds on your account.

  • Use the “Preparing for Registration” link on the Student tab in myRedDragon to see the day and time you can begin to register (Time Ticket) and to see if you have any holds that may delay your registration.
  • If you do have a hold, follow the instructions in the alert box or contact the "Originator" to determine how to resolve it.

Step 3: Review Degree Works to ensure your transfer credit is posted. If you have AP credit or have taken courses through another college or university (as a transfer student, through high school dual enrollment, or during summer or winter session) make sure SUNY Cortland has your transcript. You do not want to retake classes you already have credit for! Contact Advisement and Transition, with questions.

Step 4: Review Degree Works, identify your ideal schedule and prepare questions to discuss with your advisor.

  • Review Degree Works to identify courses you need for your degree.
  • Use Schedule Builder to create multiple possible schedules options. For more information, see the How to Register section.
  • When meeting with your advisor, share how your current semester is going and any areas where you may need additional support. Prepare questions specific to you and your degree plan that you want to discuss with your advisor. Examples are in the following sections!

Review the points to consider and discussion topics and questions by class year to learn more about making the most of your academic advisement meeting.

Points to Consider and Discussion Topics and Questions for Advisement Meetings

First-Year

Points to Consider:

  • Review your Degree Works audit and the sample four-year plan for your major in the University Catalog to help identify classes to register for.
  • Utilize your COR 101 Student Facilitator for advisement and registration information shared in class.
  • Plan to attend SGA’s Club Fair early Fall or Spring to explore your interests and learn about student clubs, sports clubs and opportunities to get involved. There may be major-related clubs.
  • If you receive Financial Aid, make sure you are aware of what type of aid you receive and how it impacts the minimum number of degree applicable credits you take each semester. Contact Financial Aid with questions.

Discussion Topics and Questions for Advisement Meeting:

  • Introduce yourself. Why did you decide to attend SUNY Cortland? Why did you choose your major? Any plans after graduation? What interests you outside of your academics?
  • Learn about your different degree requirements on Degree Works: General Education, Foreign Language, Writing Intensive, etc.
  • Are there courses that should be prioritized over others? Are there certain courses only offered specific semesters?
  • If you are undecided, or thinking about changing your major, what classes and resources may expose you to a wide range of subjects to help in your decision-making?
  • What internships, undergraduate research, or study abroad opportunities are open to you based on your major?
  • Are there scholarship opportunities you should be considering?

Sophomore

Points to Consider:

  • If you haven’t already started building your resume, contact Career Services.
  • Consider going to SGA’s Club Fair early Fall or Spring to explore your interests and learn about student clubs, sports clubs and opportunities to get involved.
  • If you receive Financial Aid, make sure you are aware of what type of aid you receive and how it impacts the minimum number of degree applicable credits you take each semester. Contact Financial Aid with questions.

Discussion Topics and Questions for Advisement Meeting:

  • Are you considering changing your major? Speak to your advisor or Advisement and Transition for guidance.
  • Do you have the required GPA needed for your major?
  • Degree Planning
    • How many credits do you have remaining at the end of my sophomore year? What will your next two years of courses look like?
    • Do you have room in your degree requirements to add a concentration/minor? If so, explore what concentrations/minors may interest you or enhance your academic experience.
    • How many elective credits do you need to take to reach the 120-126 credits required for your degree?
  • What opportunities should you consider in building your resume? Do these experiences need to be major-related? Consider Career Services for more information.

Junior

Points to Consider:

  • Consider going to SGA’s Club Fair early Fall or Spring to explore your interests and learn about student clubs, sports clubs and opportunities to get involved.
  • Build and continue updating your resume and/or CV. Contact Career Services for assistance.
  • Think about your plan for post-graduation. Graduate school or the workforce? Prepare accordingly with the help of Career Services and your Academic Advisor.
  • If you receive Financial Aid, make sure you are aware of what type of aid you receive and how it impacts the minimum number of degree applicable credits you take each semester. Contact Financial Aid with questions.

Discussion Topics and Questions for Advisement Meeting:

  • Are you on time to graduate? Review your remaining degree requirements with your advisor. What classes should be prioritized to stay on track?
  • If you are considering graduate school, discuss the following questions with your advisor and/or Career Services.
    • Are there certain prerequisites that need to be completed for graduate school?
    • Will you need a personal statement to apply to graduate school?
    • If you are interested in graduate school, is now the right time to start preparing for any entry exams you may have to take to apply, such as the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc.?
    • Seek the advice of your advisor to gain more information on the graduate school application process, whether that is for a Masters, PHD, JD, or MD program. This may require certain steps to be taken during your junior year to prepare for the application process.
  • What internship opportunities/student employment or club leadership opportunities should you be thinking about to help enhance your academic experience?

Senior

Points to Consider:

  • Consider going to SGA’s Club Fair early Fall or Spring to explore your interests and learn about student clubs, sports clubs and opportunities to get involved.
  • If you receive Financial Aid, make sure you are aware of what type of aid you receive and how it impacts the minimum number of degree applicable credits you take each semester. Contact Financial Aid with questions.
  • Contact Career Services as begin exploring life after Cortland:
    • Build and continue updating your resume and/or CV.
    • If you are planning to attend graduate school, you may be preparing to write your personal statements and other written responses required to apply.
    • Consider employment opportunities and look for positions that fit with your major and interests.
    • If you are deciding to take a gap year you should still seek the help of Career Services.
  • Be sure to apply for degree conferral (after you have earned 90 credits) on the Student Tab in myRedDragon, Registrar channel, Undergraduate Degree Application.
  • If you are in a teacher education program, make sure to also complete the TEACH Authorization Form.
  • Consider contacting faculty/staff in your network to see if they can write a letter of recommendation for graduate school or future employment.
  • Seek advice for resume review, cover letters, and interviews for graduate school or employment.
  • Order your cap and gown. Make sure you have all the information you need for commencement.

Discussion Topics and Questions for Advisement Meeting:

  • Confirm you are on track to graduate. Review your remaining degree requirements, including overall credits.
    • If you are not on track to graduate, you may need to stay another semester or year. Discuss how you can best approach completing the rest of your degree plan.
  • What are your post-graduation plans? Ask your advisor about their career journey
    • If you have plans set, discuss with your advisor, if there are any professionals or alumni you can connect to, to gain more insight for your future? This may be someone in your major field or your prospective work field.

 

How to Register:

  • After consulting Degree Works and your academic advisor, have a list of courses to register for that meet requirements for your degree.
  • Be aware of section numbers (600 – majors only, 700 – non majors, etc.) and prerequisites. Use Schedule Builder to filter the courses you add to your potential schedule.
  • After various schedules have been made in Schedule Builder and you have identified a favorite, add your desired course schedule to the shopping cart.
  • At your Time Ticket, have your registration pin (you should have received it during your advisement meeting) ready to register for your classes on Schedule Builder.
  • Make sure you are registered, and your courses are not sitting in your shopping cart. You can view your schedule on the "Schedule/Registration History" tab in MyRedDragon.
  • If you are unable to enroll in a class because it is “closed,” contact your academic advisor to see about other course options or contact the academic department offering the course to see about opportunities to get into the class.

Drop/Add Period: The first five days of the semester classes can be dropped or added on Schedule Builder under the Current Schedule tab. No PIN is needed.

Transfers: If you are a transfer student, meet with your advisor to discuss where you fit in by class year and credits and what your next steps should be in completing your degree. You may consider utilizing both pamphlets for freshmen/sophomore and juniors/seniors.