Academic Advising and Access

Academic Advising and Access is here to help!

Students are strongly encouraged to regularly meet with an Academic Advisor, ideally every semester. Advisors play a crucial role in helping students maintain progress toward their academic goals.

WNC provides a range of advising services that are essential to each student's educational journey, including:

• Assist students in developing educational plans for certificate of achievement and degree programs
• Monitor students academic progress each semester by determining classes completed verses classes needed for program completion
• Link to career resources
• Provide information about transferring to other colleges
• Assist with personal counseling and resources
• Explain college policies and procedures
• Review Financial Aid Appeal Form and Academic Plan
• Review Excess Credit Fee Appeal Form
• Assist with completion of Veterans Data Form (required each semester)
• Encourage and support goal fulfillment

Assist students in identifying and attaining their educational goals.

This includes:

• Explaining the mission of the college and the differences between the degrees and certificates the college offers.
• Helping the student assess which degree or certificate may be the most appropriate for them.
• Providing accurate information about degree requirements and course sequences of the curriculum.
• Assisting the student with course selection and/or registration.
• Monitoring a students academic progress and producing degree progress reports which allows the student to see which requirements have been met for the degree or certificate and which requirements still need to be completed.
• Assist with transferring to other academic institutions.
• Using career assessments to interpret potential career paths for the student.
• Help with locating occupational and/or career information.

Maintain appropriate counseling approach and ethics.

This includes:

• Remaining aware of the advisors limitations and advising only about matters of which they have knowledge. If the advisor does not know the answer to a question or does not possess knowledge of the information a student is seeking, the advisor should find out the answer and follow-up with the student.
• Creating an atmosphere of openness and trust, remaining non-judgmental and maintaining confidentiality of shared information.
• Promptly returning student phone calls and email messages.
• Not making decisions for students. Advisors are not expected to and should not make decisions for students; instead, their role is to provide information, ask questions and listen to what the student wants and needs so the student can make the decision that is right for him/her.