Undergraduate Advising
A maintained policy of one-on-one advising is a longstanding strength of the undergraduate program in the Department of Physiology. Each student is assigned an advisor when he/she declares a major in this department. Sometimes a student selects a different advisor during the undergraduate program based on developing research and/or academic experience with a particular faculty member, but most others typically remain with the same advisor through graduation. Often, students obtain advising services from several different faculty depending on interests and needs of the moment. No student, however, is ever without the direct support of the faculty as courses are selected for each semester, enrollment problems are resolved and postgraduation plans are formulated.
Before scheduling an appointment with an advisor, all students must meet with Ms. Amylou Davis (room 2240C Biomedical Physical Sciences; phone: 355-6475, ext. 1129; E-mail: davisam@msu.edu) who maintains all undergraduate records. Not only is she a valuable source of information about all aspects of undergraduate training in this department and throughout the university, she will also bring each student's academic folder up-to-date before a meeting is planned with the advisor. Considering the complexity of record keeping, students need to contact Ms. Davis at least 48 hours before the planned meeting with an advisor.
Academic advisors have unique responsibilities. They are markedly different from those of a course instructor, although faculty often function in both capacities. The academic advisor typically provides many years of experience to work in collaboration with a student. Together they plan an academic program that best-fits not only immediate enrollment needs, but also long term professional and personal goals.
In the same way that not all students need the same kinds of help, advisors also differ in the services and support they offer. Many subtle factors affect the intellectual and personal match that works best. Not all students, of course, are the same - not good, not bad, just different. So are advisors. Even so, students can reasonably expect the advisor: