About AAC & the AAC Team

Statement of Purpose

The Academic Advising Center (AAC) serves as the hub for high-quality, data-informed academic advising practices at Cal Poly Humboldt. By connecting students, faculty, and staff through holistic and proactive advising, the AAC creates a network of care to support students throughout their college career, building an inclusive environment where students feel welcomed, supported, valued, and seen. Ongoing work and learning in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion guides and informs our advocacy to empower students to explore and develop as they pursue their goals. Through regular meetings and communication, academic advisors help students build relationships, while making the most of the opportunities available on campus and in the community.

Vision Statement

The Academic Advising Center will nurture a unified campus culture of collaborative, holistic advising practices that are centered around justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We aim to prioritize a culture of care through valuing the wellbeing of our staff and faculty as highly as we do for the students we serve. We will support the student academic journey by:

addressing inequities within campus policies;
promoting transparent and timely student assessment through Early Alert practices;
and improving communication about GEAR requirements and academic recovery.

Through ongoing learning, accountability, and scholarly inquiry, we strive to be a model of student-centered advising.

Student Learning Outcomes

As a result of Academic Advising, students will:

Actively Engage in Academic Planning & Preparation:

Students will demonstrate an understanding of degree requirements through regular use of DARS audits and the DARS degree planner to inform course registration.
Students can identify campus resources that are culturally responsive and aligned with their individual needs to support academic progress.

Achieve, Explore, & Experience:

Students will identify, evaluate and explore academic pathways that best align with professional and personal goals
Students will identify and seek out degree/career-related experiences to support academic learning

Connect to Campus Support:

Students will demonstrate knowledge of where to find information regarding campus policies
Student will demonstrate knowledge of how to maintain and/or return to good academic standing
Students can locate and engage with holistic student support services, including academic and basic needs help

Advisor/Advisee Relationship & Responsibilities

Advisor/Advisee Relationship:

The advisor/advisee relationship is essentially educational in nature, and is thus broad and multi-faceted. For the student new to an academic community, advisors can help the student engage with and learn to thrive in their new environment. Advisors who take the time to introduce themselves to their new advisees with something as simple as an introductory exchange of emails, office visit, or telephone conversation do the following:

Demonstrate an interest in the student’s well-being
Communicate to the student that they, as an individual, matter
Provide a friendly and supportive connection to university life
Serve as a campus expert by referring them to campus and community resources
Confirm that faculty on campus are approachable and helpful
Visit Communicating with Advisees for suggested conversation topics

As the advisor/advisee relationship develops over time, advisors act as mentors, and:

Help students to formulate and articulate life goals and values—primarily academic, but also integrated with personal and career goals
Guide them to realize connections between what they learn in the classroom and what’s happening in their immediate environment and the world at large
Support advisees as they make plans and decisions that are challenging, and appropriate to their interests and abilities, and teach them to develop independent decision making skills.

In addition to the educational role of mentorship, advisors are charged with the practical tasks:

Dispense accurate information regarding university requirements, policies and procedures
Assist students in monitoring their academic progress towards graduation
Continue to refer students to the appropriate campus resources as their needs change.

There is no doubt that the work of an advisor is challenging. It is also immensely rewarding. Any advisor who has been enthusiastically thanked for supplying a timely piece of information or for uttering a few words of encouragement at the right moment knows how satisfying the job can be. Congratulating a student at graduation when you know you’ve been instrumental in helping them along the way is an immensely satisfying moment!

Advisor Responsibilities:

Communicate university policies and procedures
Help students define and develop realistic goals
Match student needs with available resources; make appropriate referrals
Assist students with planning programs consistent with their abilities and interests
Discuss linkage between academic preparation and careers