EDITORIAL: Academic advisors should exercise extra care when suggesting courses

For some Elmhurst University students, picking courses took place with an advisor over Zoom. For many, this online appointment went well; however, many students have run into errors after they pressed the red X to log off. 

Looking at a course plan, a lot of the time there are classes that are mandated for students to take, yet sometimes advisors miss these crucial courses.

Sometimes, advisors tell us to enroll in courses that we can not even take yet, missing out on the prerequisites one may have to take for the course.

While we understand that academic advisors are human as well and will inevitably make mistakes from time to time, sometimes they fail to double-check that students are getting enrolled in the courses they need.

Academic advisors should take extra steps during advising appointments to make sure their students are on the right track. 

Graphic by – Rachel Fratt

For instance, they should ensure that any credits from AP courses, dual enrollment courses, or courses from other colleges are transferred properly. 

Some members of The Leader’s editorial board have gone through course misplacement after their first advising appointment. For us, when we mention our interests, they tell us to take News Reporting or Media Writing, classes that we have already taken at our former colleges. 

This error could mean the difference between graduating earlier or later for another student. So, it’s vitally important for advisors to double-check all transfer credits. 

Additionally, advisors should always refer to the course catalog during advising appointments to help students figure out any essential information they need to know about courses, as well as determine any prerequisites they may need to take. 

Although browsing the course catalog is something that students can do on their own terms, sometimes it helps to have an advisor explain parts of the course descriptions that students may have questions about or provide further information about the courses. 

Lastly, advisors should work closely with all students to sketch out a course plan for their entire degree path.

Of course, the plan can be made flexibly with room for changes, but working with students to create a rough plan early on can help prevent confusion or scheduling errors later on. 

We understand that a big part of the responsibility lies on the students to make sure they’re enrolled in all of the courses they need and want. We also understand that a lot of these errors aren’t solely on advisors, some fault also lies with the registration department. 

However, advisors must remember that this is a two-way street: ideally, both the student and the advisor are putting in equal effort to help the student achieve their ultimate goal— earning an Elmhurst degree.