Advising Information for Students
Who is my advisor?
At St. Mary’s College of Maryland, we value Faculty Advising of students. Through this relationship, students and their Faculty Advisor work through various aspects of a student’s college career, including academic challenges, course scheduling, internships, and graduate school possibilities. Students are assigned an advisor shortly before the beginning of their first semester on campus. The name and contact information for their Faculty Advisor will be sent to the student’s SMCM email once the Advisor is assigned.
When to meet with your advisor?
Students should attend the advising meeting they are assigned during new student orientation to schedule an appointment with their faculty advisor and again within the first two weeks of classes. They can bring any questions or concerns that they may have to this meeting. After the initial meeting, students are required to meet with their advisor at least once per semester, for pre-registration advising. However, for best results, we encourage more frequent communication. Many students see their advisors multiple times, either to ask questions or just to keep in touch.
Students are also welcome to meet with an advisor in the Office of Student Success Services. Please call 240-895-4388, email os3@smcm.edu, or drop by the office in Glendening Hall, Suite 230 to make an appointment.
How do I Change My Advisor?
To initiate a change of advisor, the student should identify and ask the faculty member to serve as their new advisor. The new advisor must e-mail the request to advising@smcm.edu, providing the student’s full name and ID number. The Registrar’s Office will make the change and send an email confirmation. Students who would like a new advisor, but do not have a specific faculty member in mind, should contact the Registrar’s Office to be matched with a suitable faculty member.
The deadline for requesting a change of advisor for Advising Day is by 4:00 p.m. one week before Advising Day.
Having a visual schedule for what you want to take in the coming semester will benefit you and your advisor in making your plan easy to track. Here are two resources for making your draft schedule: