Academic Advising - Massasoit Community College

Welcome to Academic Advising at Massasoit!

Academic advising interactions directly impact your success and attainment of your academic goals. This syllabus is designed to guide academic advising interactions throughout your experience at Massasoit.

Academic Advising at Massasoit is an active, intentional, and ongoing partnership among students, faculty, and staff that is grounded in teaching and learning. Advising is a supportive collaboration designed to create relevant, diverse, and comprehensive educational experiences that empower each student to succeed.

As a result of the academic advising process you will be able to:

Understand how your academic program will help you achieve your educational goals
Have a general understanding of college rigor and academic expectations.
Understand curricular requirements in your chosen academic program in order to graduate as expeditiously as possible.
Be aware of campus resources that will support your academic success.
Understand Massasoit academic policies and procedures.
Demonstrate responsibility for academic success by participating actively in the advising process.
Advocate for yourself.

Student Learning Outcomes established 2021 as part of the Academic Advising Curriculum.

What advisees (you) and advisors can expect from one another at advising interactions

Advisee	Advisor
Will take ownership of your academic plans at Massasoit.	Will advocate and empower advisee to create their academic plans.
Will be prepared to collaborate in the planning of your goals.	Will be knowledgeable on all Massasoit academic policy and procedure.
Will check your Massasoit email account and communicate with your advisor on a regular basis.	Will collaborate with advisees and communicate with them regularly to generate solutions to challenges.
Will check with your advisor before making major changes such as withdrawing from a course, changing programs, or transferring.	Will be able to articulate the downstream impacts of changes to an advisee’s original plan.
Will arrive on-time for appointments and communicate in a timely manner if circumstances change.

Your Semesterly To-do List

*Before your first semester*	Complete New Student Orientation Identify key advising tools such as DegreeWorks and your Academic MAP Create your completion timeline that maps out your coursework from the first to last semester including any semester-specific coursework (e.g. courses that may only be offered in spring or fall). Register for courses with an advisor who is knowledgeable in the chosen program Begin preparing for the semester by logging into the portal and familiarizing yourself with our student learning platform, Canvas. Complete an online training for Canvas Make sure you have all required textbooks and materials (found in course syllabi).
Beginning of every semester	Identify your Academic Advisor in DegreeWorks Begin planning your academic goals, use your resources, such as the Focus 2 Career Exploration tool on the ACT Center website. Connect with the Academic Resource Center for study skills and tips. Apply/re-apply for FAFSA. Visit our Student Central Office if you have any questions about the FAFSA or your bill. Reach out and schedule your first meeting with your advisor to discuss these goals and make sure you are on the right track (and meeting milestones for degree and transfer planning)
Mid Semester	Make sure you know how you are doing in your courses and meet with your professor during their office hours. Begin planning for Spring registration, take a look at your DegreeWorks and the Course Schedule. Make sure there are no holds on your account. Connect with your advisor again to make sure your plans for spring registration are on track with your academic plans and register for courses.
End of every Semester	Finish the semester strong, identify your final exam schedule and study weeks in advance! Begin thinking about summer planning. This could include a summer internship. This can also be another meeting with your advisor, the earlier you start these conversations the better Get a head start on the transfer process by identifying programs and schools of interest early. You can find more information by visiting the ACT Center Transfer page.
As you prepare to graduate (after 80% course completion in degree works)	Submit your intent to graduate form. Complete your after graduation plans: Visit our transfer page for more information on transfer applications. Start your resume and cover letter in order to prepare for your job search. Visit our Career and Internship Services office for help.