Students are responsible for planning their education. Advisors assist students, provide information, and recommend steps towards completing a degree. Advisors make sure students have a thorough understanding of the majors and coursework available to them, and Academic Mapping workshops give students a chance to work on a long range plan for their coursework.
Ultimately, it is the student’s responsibility to use these resources to make decisions and set educational goals.
Here are goals and responsibilities for students at different stages of their college career:
First-Year Students
In their first year, students should become familiar with Old Westbury’s Liberal Education requirements and requirements for proficiency in Math and Writing. While students do not need to choose a major in the first year, they should be aware of the majors offered by Old Westbury and give some thought to which one they may pursue. In addition to individual sessions with academic advisors, first year students will attend an Academic Mapping Workshop that will help them develop an understanding of the coursework required to complete a degree.
Sophomores
Students are responsible for choosing and declaring a major during their second year. If a student has not declared a major after completing 42 credits, a declaration of major hold will prevent them from registering for classes. Majors ordinarily have introductory courses that need to be completed before moving on to upper division courses. In some majors, there are courses which must be taken in sequence. Sophomore students need to become familiar with their major’s requirements- the Academic Planning Center is available to provide information and answer questions.
Upper Division Students
Once students have begun their junior year, they need to begin working a faculty advisor in their major department. Many faculty advisors expect students to come to advising sessions with a printed Degree Audit report, so it is important for students to know how to perform an online degree audit at this stage. The Academic Planning Center is available to answer questions and provide assistance for upper division students, but at this stage their major department should be their primary source of advising.
Transfer Students
Prior to starting at Old Westbury, New Transfer students will meet with an academic advisor or faculty advisor during the orientation process. Coursework from other institutions is evaluated by the Transfer Services office. Once accepted to attend Old Westbury, new transfer students are required to register for an orientation session to be able to schedule an advising appointment. An Academic Advisor or faculty member from the student’s major department (depending on class standing) will explain how the coursework was evaluated. After being advised, transfer students should understand which Liberal Education requirements and major requirements have been met by previous coursework. The Academic Planning Center is available to help transfer students who have questions that were not addressed by their faculty advisors in the majors.
Academic Planning Involves Collaboration!
At all stages of a student’s college career, academic planning/advising is a process of collaboration between student and advisor. Students who prepare for advising sessions by reviewing their degree requirements and checking to see what courses are available tend to gain more from the experience than those who expect to be “given” classes. The more students actively participate in the academic planning/advising process, the more satisfied they will be with their education.