AAS Advising Syllabus
Like many of your classes, L&S Academic Advising Services has a syllabus designed to help you successfully navigate your academic journey. By using the syllabus, you take the guesswork out of the advising process and put yourself firmly in the driver’s seat of your education. Review the L&S Advising Syllabus below (or download a copy here) to discover how we can best work together to achieve your goals.
What is Academic Advising?
- Academic advising is a collaborative partnership between you and your advisor that is meant to help you navigate college academics such as classes, tutoring, academic policy, degree requirements, etc.
- Your advisor will not tell you what to do nor make decisions for you. They will listen to your concerns, goals, and interests, recommend appropriate steps, and empower you to make the most informed decisions regarding your education.
A collaborative advising partnership depends on the active participation of both advisor and student. The most successful of these partnerships will follow the guidelines below:
| As a successful student, you will… | An academic advisor will…. |
|---|---|
| …think critically about your academic, career, and personal goals; commit to honest self-reflection before, during, and after advising. | …help guide your reflections and suggest action steps to support you along the way. |
| … be open-minded and curious about your L&S degree; reflect on how you can customize your liberal arts education to achieve your academic, career, and personal goals. | …help you understand the L&S curriculum and stimulate thought about how to make it your own. |
| …take appropriate actions to understand academic procedures and apply academic tools. Such actions include completing L&S Academic Advising 101, seeking advising, and reading & following-up on emails. | …regularly contact you regarding important academic procedures and tools. |
| …take responsibility for the decisions you make, as well as the actions you take and/or do not take. | …help you understand UW-Madison policies and processes to assist you in your decision-making and support development of your own self-advocacy and accountability. |
| …take the initiative to seek support as often as you need it. | …be available, responsive, and help connect you with appropriate campus resources. |
What is L&S AAS?
L&S Academic Advising Services (AAS) is one of the many academic advising departments at UW-Madison. We advise students in the College of Letters & Science who have not yet declared a major. Once you declare a major, you begin working with an assigned academic advisor in your major’s department. You can read more about us, our Mission, and our primary values on our home page. You can also learn more about your L&S AAS academic advisor on our advising staff webpage.
What Are Our Learning Goals for Students?
Every advising encounter is a learning experience. We have identified student learning goals that are important to know in your first year at UW-Madison. Those learning goals are:
- Liberal Arts Conceptualization: Students will understand their fit within and influence upon their liberal arts education.
- Curriculum: Students will understand the L&S degree curriculum.
- Enrollment: Students will understand the enrollment process.
- Navigation/Belonging: Students will navigate UW-Madison with competence and confidence.
- Reflection/Growth: Students will engage in meaningful self-reflection regarding their academic goals.
Meet with Your AAS Advisor
Academic advising appointments are a great opportunity to meet one-on-one with your advisor to discuss interests, goals, concerns, and any other questions you have about academics in L&S. Learn how to schedule an appointment.
- Many students see their advisor once or twice in their first semester, and usually once per semester after that.
- You are also able to email quick questions to your assigned advisor. Our availability varies throughout the semester.
- November and April are especially busy times for advising, so we encourage you to plan ahead.
- Meeting with your advisor early in the semester can be a great way to discuss how you see yourself and your interests reflected in your liberal arts education.
During certain times of the academic year, we also offer drop-in advising for quick questions.
- You will see an AAS advisor, but this may not be your assigned academic advisor.
- Before attending drop-in advising, please read over important drop-in guidelines.
We Strive to Create a Welcoming, Accessible, and Inclusive Environment
The academic advisors in L&S AAS actively create an open, respectful, and supportive environment for all people. We serve students of all abilities, sexual orientations, genders, races, cultures, religions, nationalities, and socio-economic statuses. We believe in preparing students to live, work, and engage in a global and diverse community.
Privacy / Confidentiality
AAS advisors adhere to guidelines set forth by the Family & Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This means that AAS is not allowed to share your information with people other than you. It should also be understood that we are mandatory reporters, not Confidential Campus Resources. This means that disclosure of certain information to our advisors is required to be communicated to other support offices on campus (such as the Dean of Students or the Title IX Coordinator). If you prefer to have certain information only disclosed to a Confidential Campus Resource, we can help you to connect with these resources.