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In keeping with the Portland State University Presidential Advising Initiative,
the Department of English is pleased to submit the following advising plan, which reflects
department policies regarding undergraduate academic advising as proposed and approved by our
Executive Committee and Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and adopted by the Department,
May 26, 1999. This plan was revised May 21, 2003.
English Department Undergraduate Advising Plan
Every tenure-track faculty member at Portland State is contractually responsible
for the academic advising of students (Article 4, Collective Bargaining Agreement). And for good
reason. Advising has always been an extension of classroom teaching. In addition, as we move to
the new funding model for higher education, we need to work even harder to assure that majors and
students who might be taking our courses get good, timely advice. Good advising is near the top
of the list of factors related to student retention; it also has clear implications for alumni
relations and development.
The following are departmental policies/principles about advising:
Every tenure track faculty member in the department is an advisor. Those on the graduate
committee advise graduate students; everyone else advises undergraduates. Fixed-term faculty
are generally not expected to serve as advisors. New faculty are generally exempt from
advising duties for at least the first term they are in the department. Before assigning
new faculty any advisees, the Department holds meetings to discuss the major requirements and
ideas about how to work with advisees.
A letter from the Coordinator of Graduate Studies informs new graduate students of their
advisors; advisors receive a copy of the letter.
Undergraduate advisees are systematically assigned to advisors by office staff, who
maintain a running list of advisor assignments. Advisees are given names and phone numbers of
their advisors; advisors are given names and phone numbers of their advisees. Advisors should
call new advisees within a week of their assignment. In the case of students who go through
undergraduate orientation in the summer, department advisors are assigned at that time (see below).
Every full-time faculty member in the department is expected to maintain a minimum of three
hours of office hours per week, with one of those hours specifically designated an
“advising hour.” At times throughout the year, faculty will be expected
to provide some extra advising for the department.
In working with undergraduates, advisors are asked to complete the form at the back of
the “BA in English” worksheet (whether for old or new major) and give it to office staff to file.
This provides the department with a record of what each student has been told.
Every tenure-track faculty member is required to attend an orientation on advising, to be held
during the period between September 16, our contractual start date, and the first day of classes.
The department will conduct monthly advising sessions for undergraduates, generally the
first week of each month and/or when new time schedules are published. These sessions will
provide an overview of major requirements, a discussion of General University Requirements and
University Studies, a discussion of all English Department Junior Cluster courses and Senior
Capstones, and other relevant information. These sessions should also provide students with
the major worksheets and updating of their progress toward fulfilling the major.
Summer Advising
Each summer the English Department participates in New Student Orientation and Academic Advising.
These sessions, for First-Year students and Transfer students, are attended by at least 50 percent of
new PSU students. In summer 2001, for example, over 100 new English majors were advised in these sessions.
For First Year students these sessions introduce them to the requirements for the English major,
and help them plan their academic schedule for their entire first year at PSU. In addition to assisting
students with English Department requirements, we also provide general education advising regarding
University Studies, new distribution requirements, and foreign language requirements.
During these sessions we also provide information and handouts that detail requirements for the
Professional Writing Minor and the Graduate Teacher Education Program.
For Transfer students these sessions provide individual assessments of their transcripts and/or
their DARS audit or transfer evaluations.
At the end of each session, student programs are reviewed by a faculty advisor and students are
assigned a permanent advisor in the English Department for on-going advising.
During orientation information is also collected about students such as address, interests, email, etc.
During summer 2001 and 2002, the Department requested and received funding from Summer Session to
hire a graduate student to assist with both the New Student Orientations and with weekly "drop-in"
advising in the English Department Conference Room. We call it drop-in although sign up sheets are
available for students seeking appointments. In summer 2001 and 2002, the Department was able to
schedule six days of drop-in advising to help students who are unable to meet with their assigned
faculty advisor who may be off campus over the summer
In addition, many people, including non-PSU students seek advising for the GTEP. Last summer, outside
of scheduled orientation sessions, 46 students were seen in half-hour individual advising sessions.
Supplemental Advising Activities
Ensuring student access to timely, efficient advising is complicated by the reality of term-to-term
changes in student as well as faculty schedules, as students may find that faculty office hours are
not convenient. To address this concern, the Department has assigned a portion of an OS1 staff
position to basic advising. This process allows for drop-in students who previously had not
participated in the advising process but find that they have urgent questions to schedule advising
time with a trained and knowledgeable staff member. Current practice is to provide four-to-six hours
per week for this supplemental advising. The goal of this advising session is to give the student
immediate feedback on questions; one outcome is to encourage the student to make an effort to meet
with the assigned faculty advisor.
Next Step: Career Planning and Placement
Previous conversations with Dee Thompson, head of Career Planning and Placement, reveal that her
office is eager to help the English Department with career planning sessions for our students.
This option is in the planning stage. The advising arm of the Undergraduate Committee is considering
how often the Department should provide this service, the topics to be covered, and format issues,
including the invitation of guest speakers and graduates who can offer their experience and advice
to our majors.
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