Advising Information for Students
Who is my adviser?
At St. Mary’s, we value the Faculty Advising of students. Through this relationship, students and their Faculty Adviser work through the various aspects of the student’s college career, including academic challenges, course scheduling, internships, and graduate school possibilities. Students are assigned an adviser shortly before the beginning of their first semester on campus. The name and contact information for their Faculty Adviser will be sent to the student’s SMCM email once the Adviser is assigned.
When to meet with your adviser?
Students should attend the advising meeting they are assigned during new student orientation and schedule an appointment with their faculty adviser 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 adviser at least once per semester, for pre-registration advising. However, for best results, we encourage more frequent contact. Many students see their advisers multiple times, either to ask questions or just to keep in touch.
Any student is also welcome to meet with an adviser in the Office of Student Support Services. Please call 240-895-4388, email advising@smcm.edu, or drop by the office in Glendening Hall, Suite 230 to make an appointment.
How do I Change My Adviser?
To initiate a change of adviser, the student should identify and ask the faculty member to serve as their new adviser. The new adviser must e-mail the request to advising@smcm.edu, providing the student’s full name and ID number. OS3 will make the change and send an email confirmation. Students who would like a new adviser, but do not have a specific professor in mind, should contact the Office of Student Support Services to be matched with a suitable professor.
The deadline for requesting a change of adviser for Advising Day is by 4:00 p.m. one week before Advising Day.
Creating a mock schedule for your advising appointment
Having a visual schedule for what you want to take in the coming semester will benefit you and your adviser in making your plan easy to track. Here are two resources for making your draft schedule:
Pre-Professional Advising
To seek advising for pre-engineering, pre-law, or careers in health care visit the Pre-Professional Website.
Advising for Master’s of Art in Teaching Degree
Preparation for admission to the MAT program, and for eventual teaching certification, can be complex. Students who are contemplating teaching as a career are encouraged to consult the Educational Studies department’s website, and to meet with a member of the Educational Studies faculty, in addition to their regular adviser, to ensure that they are on track to satisfy college and state requirements.Please contact the Department of Educational Studies for information about teacher preparation and the MAT program.
Advising Forms & Resources
- SMP Information
- Major / Minor Checklists
- Core Curriculum Checklist
- Schedule Planner
- Incomplete Grade Request Form