Advising at Miami

Your Academic Advisor

The goal of academic advising at Miami University is to assist students in steadily gaining ownership over their college experience. Through dialogue, advisors teach you to value the learning process, apply decision-making strategies, put the college experience into perspective, set priorities and evaluate events, develop thinking and learning skills, gain personal and intellectual maturity, and make informed choices. 

During the orientation process, you will work with an academic advisor from your academic area to answer questions about your academic program, course selections, and career opportunities in your major. If you are undecided, Oxford students will be assigned to a student Success Navigator in the Office of Exploratory Studies. Regional undecided students will be assigned to a professional advisor. When you choose a major, you will transition to an advisor in your academic division or department. Your academic advisor or student success navigator is your best resource to help you plan your academic schedule, offer guidance on academic success, and ensure that you graduate in a timely manner.

What Advisors Can Do

Advisors can help you:

• Know your degree requirements for graduation and use advising tools toward timely degree completion.
• Craft an educational plan based on their abilities, aspirations, interests, and values
• Understand where to find answers to questions.
• Discover and integrate co-and extra-curricular activities and programs that enhance your academic/collegiate experience and prepare you for your future.

What Advisors Can't Do

Advisors can't:

• Ensure that you get into every course exactly when you want to take it.
• Change University policy or alter academic requirements.
• Know what you need unless you communicate your needs.
• Force you to meet or to read advising-related communications.
• Guarantee that you will succeed in every class.

Who is my advisor?

1. Log in to myMiami
2. Search for the "Who is my advisor?" tile. Click on the tile and it will take you to your advisor or navigator’s information.

Your academic advisor or student success navigator is the person you should contact with any questions you have about your academic plan.

What’s the best time to meet with your advisor or navigator?

All first-year and transfer students should meet with their academic advisor or student success navigator between September and early November in the fall semester to plan for their winter term and spring semester and again between mid-February and late March in the spring semester to plan for the following summer term and fall semester.

Follow these guidelines to make the most of your advising relationship and to better ensure your academic success at Miami:

• Contact your advisor or navigator each semester during the windows of time noted above to arrange an appointment.
• To make an appointment:
  • Login to Navigate Student.
  • Click on the appointment tab on the left side navigation bar. You will see any scheduled appointments or appointment invitations.
  • At the bottom of the screen click on the blue button that says “Schedule or Drop-in For an Appointment”.
  • Follow the prompts to schedule an appointment with your advisor or navigator
  • You will receive an email confirmation of your scheduled appointment.
• Meet with your advisor or navigator if you are experiencing difficulties, need clarification on academic requirements or policies, are considering a new or different major, or are preparing for graduation.
• Come to your advising session prepared with a list of your questions.

Preparing for your First Semester Advising Session

It is important to think about the questions below before meeting with your academic advisor or student success navigator during your first semester so that you can fully benefit from your appointment. 

Jot down some of the things that you are interested in learning or doing while at Miami (e.g., learning a foreign language, studying abroad, taking a statistics course, getting involved in a music ensemble, pursuing a particular major). Respond as thoroughly as you can, but note that you do not necessarily have to enter something for each category.

• Major(s), Co-Major(s), Minor(s) I might want to pursue:
• Courses I may want to take:
• Student activities and organizations I am considering or have already joined:
• Off-campus activities or work experience I am engaged in:
• Other experiences (study abroad, research, community service) I may wish to pursue:

Questions to answer

1. What has been the most rewarding aspect of college so far?
2. What has been the biggest challenge of college so far?
3. Approximately how much time do you spend studying each week?
4. What are your short-term goals (for this and next semester)? 
5. What are your long-term goals to accomplish before or after you graduate?
6. Which people or what resources/offices can help you achieve some of your long- and short-term goals?
7. Carefully read your Degree Audit Report (DAR) and determine which requirements you might like to complete next semester. Look up those courses in the General Bulletin, and read the descriptions. Find and read the section in the General Bulletin about your major (if you have identified one). Use all this information to think about which courses you need to take and would like to take next semester. List some of those courses below.
8. What additional questions do you have for your academic advisor?

Bring these notes, along with your Degree Audit Report, to your advising session with your academic advisor or student success navigator.

Make a list of next steps to complete with your advisor or navigator during your appointment.

Additional Advising Help

If you need immediate assistance and cannot locate your advisor or navigator quickly, contact one of the following advising resources:

The advising office in the academic division of the department of your major: 

• College of Arts and Science (146 Upham Hall; CASadvising@MiamiOH.edu)
• College of Creative Arts (103 Center for Performing Arts; CCA@MiamiOH.edu)
• College of Education, Health, and Society (127 McGuffey Hall; ehssuccess@MiamiOH.edu)
• College of Engineering and Computing (205 Benton Hall; CEC@MiamiOH.edu)
• Farmer School of Business (Dauch Academic Advising Center, 1022 Farmer School of Business; FSBStudentServices@MiamiOH.edu)
• Regional Campuses and College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science (Hamilton: Second Floor, Rentschler Hall; Middletown: 001 Johnston Hall; Regadvising@MiamiOH.edu)
• The Student Success Center 112 Nellie Craig Walker Hall; studentsuccess@MiamiOH.edu