Among the top goals for Miami University is to improve academic advising for students according to the university registrar, Dave Sauter, and Wednesday the first steps were taken as a consultant hired by Miami heard student concerns.
Lydia Voight, a professor at Loyola University New Orleans, was hired to help Miami administrators pick out the key issues concerning academic advising: what works and what doesn't.
Approximately 20 students attended the forum, which was held in the Campus Avenue Building Auditorium.
The students, most of whom were senators in Associated Student Government (ASG), said they liked the fact that currently academic advisers are required to live in first-year residence halls-making them easily accessible.
After that, student praise for the current system was minimal.
Amidst several personal horror stories, like when an adviser once told senior Jenni Kim to change her major from psychology after she asked about studying abroad, students also lamented that their advisers regularly change from year to year-and when they do, they never contact the student.
Additionally, some questioned the use of professors as advisers, since many professors do not know how to best help a student graduate on time.
"Advisers can offer good career advice," said sophomore Adam Harris. "But not necessarily what classes you need to take."
When Voight asked the students if they felt a lot of students go through their time at Miami without the help of an adviser, the students replied with a resounding "yes."
Student Body President Jens Sutmöller, who was in attendance, agreed with the students.
"It's like there's a black market advising system," he said. "It might be out there, but you have to find it."
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Other recommendations included the hiring of full-time advisers, not professors, to guide students. The students also recommended having a centralized location where students can meet with their advisers.
After the 90-minute forum, Voight thanked the students for their input and reassured them that Miami is hard on enhancing academic advising.
"(Advising is a) universal issue ... your school is committed to excellence," she said. "Everybody wants you to get the maximum out of your experience."
Voight said she will send her report to her "team" at Miami, which includes Sauter, Susan Mosley-Howard, dean of students; and John Skillings, vice provost and senior associate vice president for academic affairs in "a couple weeks."
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