Advising Manual at UMFK

Each student is assigned a Faculty and/or a Professional Academic Advisor, which is based on various factors, such as the number of credit hours the student has completed, the student's declared major, and more.

Here are some important points that describe what Academic Advising is and your role as an adviser:

• Academic Advising is an ongoing educational process that connects the student to their advisor and the university.
• Academic Advising assists students with their academic goals and career paths they may choose, as well as supports the student learning beyond the confines of academics.
• Academic advisors represent and interpret University policies and procedures to the student and help the student navigate the educational and organizational paths of the institution. 
• Advisors help students learn which major courses and necessary prerequisites to take to persist towards graduation. 

If there is ever a question that isn't answered in this guide, please feel free to contact Leslie Kelly, at (207) 834-7522 or by email at lesliek@maine.edu, so she may help you navigate your role as an advisor here at UMFK.

Academic Advising and Majors

• The Mainestreet Student Center provides students with information about their academic program and progress.
• Students should Explore: their contact information for their advisor, read their advising notes, their degree progress report, and their grades.

• Students should check that they are in the correct major and the assigned advisor is correct.

  • Students can check their major by going to their Student Center in Mainestreet and clicking on the "Degree Progress Report" found in the upper part of their Student Center. 
  • They will have found out who their advisors are during the initial advising meeting before coming to UMFK. The Executive Director of Academic Support Services (Leslie Kelly) will introduce newly admitted students to their advisor/s.
  • If they forget or want to doublecheck who their advisor is, they can go to their Student Center in Mainestreet Account. 
  • They should be sure to make any necessary corrections as soon as they see a discrepancy by submitting paperwork through the Business Office.

Early Alerts

• Instructors post early alerts when students fail to attend classes on a regular basis, make poor academic progress, or there is a concern about a shift in behavior.
• Should an early alert be sent, the student will be notified and required to meet with the Assistant Dean of Student Success to create a plan for academic success.

Course Registration

• Students should try to understand the degree plan for their major and/or minor/concentration as outlined in the catalog of their admittance year.
• They may also use the Degree Progress Report in their Mainestreet student center to guide them to courses needed to complete degree requirements. It is important for them to enroll in courses required for their program major since incorrect course choices will delay their graduation and affect their financial aid.
• Students should review their course schedule. They can use the wish list function in their Mainestreet Student Center to input classes of interest that meet their major requirements. They select the "Notify Advisor" button to alert the advisor that their wish list is ready for approval.
• Students are also encouraged to meet with their advisor in person or phone/email to review the wish list and choice of courses. 

An Advisor serves as a mentor for students at their point of entry into the college right until their graduation. The advisor foresees and guides the student throughout his/her academic journey. In most cases, an advisor could influence a student's path to success in college and also, life after college. 

In efforts to build a good relationship with students Advisors are encouraged to

• Reach out to their advisees at least twice a month to make sure the student is on the right track.
• Have face-to-face meetings, which is important to make the students get comfortable to the extent of sharing any non-academic related problem that would potentially hinder their success.

Below is a list of responsibilities every advisor should do: 

1. Start a file for each student containing their information and interests to serve as a guide for advising and referrals
2. Set goals with the student at the beginning of each semester (Academic/Non-Academic).
3. Listen attentively and observe student for non-verbal clues to better advise the student to their academic and personal growth success.

The following is a checklist of suggested advising topics to help you have effective advising appointments. This checklist lends itself best to a series of appointments over an extended period of time.

Calculating GPA

In order for a student to improve their GPA, they should first be aware of how it is calculated.

To calculate a GPA for a semester or entire career at UMFK,

• multiply the number of credits in each course and the numeric value of each grade received (see chart below for grade values).
• The product will give you the total quality points earned in each course.

To obtain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

• divide the total number of quality points earned by the number of credit hours attempted during the specified timeframe at UMFK (54 quality points divided by 18 attempted credit hours give you a 3.0 CGPA). 

Grading Scale