About

About Undergraduate Advising

Undergraduate students at the University of Connecticut are enrolled in one of nine schools and colleges, the Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES), the Bachelor of General Studies Program (BGS), or as non-degree students.

Responsibilities for advising students are shared by faculty and professional staff, with each school or college defining specifically how those responsibilities are shared and implemented.

Each school or college as well as each regional campus has an office or center with oversight over advising. These centers/offices serve as a resource to students, faculty, and staff on a wide range of advising matters, including:

  • Understanding academic requirements, policies, and resources
  • Requesting permission to register for excess credit, to add or drop a course, or receive a late withdrawal from a course
  • Supporting students in and throughout the University's Scholastic Standing process, including warning, probation, dismissal, and appeals of academic dismissal
  • Requesting general education or curricular substitutions or policy exemptions

Mission

The Office of Undergraduate Advising supports the University of Connecticut’s mission to help every undergraduate student grow intellectually and become a contributing member of the state, national, and world communities.​ 

The Office of Undergraduate Advising supports this mission by:​ 

  • providing leadership, advocacy, and strategic planning for UConn’s undergraduate advising community,​ 
  • ensuring effective, equitable, and culturally competent advising practices, 
  • sharing critical communications, resources, and support with undergraduates as well as the academic advising community, 
  • delivering robust advisor onboarding, training, and professional development, and​ 
  • facilitating connections and collaboration between academic advisors and campus partners.​ 

The Office of Undergraduate Advising actively promotes and enhances holistic undergraduate student success, retention, and graduation. Through innovative and inclusive advising, a culture of collaboration, and data-driven decision making, we are transforming UConn’s campus climate and building a welcoming and anti-racist community. 

Values

  • We are student-centered in all we do, seeking to remove barriers and regularly reevaluate policies and practices that do not serve the best interest of students or promote student success, retention, and/or graduation. 
  • We seek to remove all barriers to success for both students and advisors, providing them the tools, education, and connections they need to be successful in their work. 
  • We embrace regular communication and collaboration in our work with the advising community and campus partners. We will constantly encourage information and data sharing across UConn. 
  • We seek to be a strategic and essential partner at UConn, allowing us to collaborate across the institution as we seek to achieve our goals. 
  • We are data-driven in our approach, but balance this with a holistic approach to decision-making. We will use data to educate the advising community, as well as to challenge and support policies and decisions that advocate for the success of our students and advisors. 
  • We engage in regular benchmarking and research regarding best practices in the advising community, in order to stay abreast of advances in our field. 
  • We exhibit professionalism in all we do, setting the bar for professional, collaborative relationships. 
  • We commit to creating an equitable and inclusive advising experience for all undergraduate students. 

Goals

  • Providing new and transfer students with the foundational academic information and resources to help them transition successfully to UConn. 
  • Connecting students with the necessary offices, support systems, and resources for academic exploration, planning, and goal attainment throughout their UConn journey.  
  • Empowering students to take ownership of their academic, personal, and career success. 
  • Providing education to students and advisors surrounding UConn’s academic policies and procedures relevant to advising. 
  • Delivering regular and robust training, communications, resources, and community building opportunities for faculty and professional staff advisors across UConn, enabling them to successfully support and empower students in their work. 
  • Serving as a central office to connect academic advising to core university initiatives and student success initiatives, providing leadership, advocacy, and voice for UConn’s advising community. 
  • Supporting student and advisor success initiatives through meaningful data collection, analysis, and communications. 
  • Embracing and advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout UConn’s advising community as we recognize and acknowledge the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of each student.  

     

    University Policies

    University Policies

    Guide to policies that apply across the University of Connecticut.

    University Senate By-Laws, Rules, and Regulations

    Guide to policies specific to the University Senate.