General Advisement Notes:

Advisement is a key ingredient in the recipe for success in Comm Studies at SUNY Oswego. There are special advisement programs for first-year and transfer students and regular, ongoing advisement for all students. We, in the Communication Studies department, place a high premium on advisement and urge all of our majors to keep in regular contact with their advisers.

If you are not sure who your adviser is, you can check the adviser/advisee list posted on the bulletin board outside the communication studies office (rm. 1) in Lanigan Hall. If your name does not appear on that list, please contact the advisement coordinator, Miss Jessica Reeher, as soon as possible, so that you can be matched with an adviser. The best way to contact the advisement coordinator is via e-mail: reeher@oswego.edu.

Meeting with your adviser

It is particularly important to see your advisor before you register for your next semester. You should make an appointment to see her/him as soon as, or very shortly after, the course schedules are available. If you are a first-year student preparing to register for your second semester, or if you are about to enter the second semester of your junior year, you must get your alternate PIN. Without it, you cannot register. You get your alternate PIN from your adviser after you have met with her/him to discuss your academic progress.

Class Rankings for Registration Purposes

The designation of first-year, sophomore, junior and senior (class standing) is determined not by the number of semesters you have spent at SUNY Oswego, but rather by the number of semester hours of credit you have earned (successfully completed). Your class standing does not include the hours for which you are registered in the current semester.

Your adviser can help you understand the requirements you must meet in order to graduate, answer questions and discuss with you your academic and professional goals, and guide you in a direction that will help you meet those goals. Your adviser has your academic folder, which contains various forms detailing your academic progress.

Your Role in the Advisement Process

The role of the student is to learn what the requirements are for graduation — the total number of semester hours; general education requirements; department core requirements; major core requirements; major required electives; expository writing requirements; upper division semester hour requirements; maximum semester hours in major department; minimum semester hours in minor/s; minimum semester hours outside of major department — and to think of the best way to meet those requirements. Prepare a blueprint for yourself and be prepared to work off of that.. When you meet with your adviser, be ready to discuss your blueprint and ways of implementing it. Also, be sure to bring with you to those meetings your MAP (My Academic Plan), which you keep and update, and use to plan for upcoming semesters. If you don't have a MAP, see your adviser about getting one. The MAP helps you keep tabs on what you have done and what you still need to do about academic requirements. Keeping it updated and current is your responsibility.

Fulfilling your degree requirements, achieving your education goals,and choosing a professional direction is your responsibility. Your adviser can help guide you in your chosen direction. Getting there is up to you.

The Role of the Advisement Coordinator

The role of the advisement coordinator is to help make various transitions smoother for students and advisers. If you are new to the communication studies department — that is, if you’ve changed your major within the College or have transferred from another institution — you should make an appointment to meet with the advisement coordinator as soon as possible to review your academic history, discuss your goals, and be assigned to/matched with an adviser in your major who can best help you.

For More Information Contact:
Jessica Reeher, Advisement Coordinator
13 Lanigan Hall
Reeher@oswego.edu