What Is Advising?
As a student, you have an advisor assigned to you to help you with various issues:

• To help you to integrate into the SPSU academic community
  
• To help you to develop the understanding and skills needed to succeed at SPSU
• To help you to understand the curriculum, both in your major and to meet overall Univeristy requirements (the "CORE"), including helping you decide what courses need to be taken and in what order
• To help you to set and to meet intermediate and long-range academic goals
• To act as a mentor in connecting you to your major field and its resources
• To help you to solve any academic problems that may arise, or refer you to those who can help
• To help you graduate from SPSU in a timely fashion and in a way consistent with your goals.
  

How do I know who my Advisor Is?
You can find out your advisor's name in your banner web account.  You will need your ID number and pin to get into banner web.  Once you have logged in, click on the following:

• "Student Services and Financial Aid"
• "Registration"
• "My Advisor"

Is tutoring available at SPSU?
Yes--tutoring is available in English (Composition), Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Computer Science.  The Tutoring Center is located in the basement of Howell Residence Hall.  Tutoring hours are posted each semester.

How do I choose a Major?
If you come to SPSU as an "undecided" major, you will be assigned to the "undecided student advisor, Jon Lindsay.

Many students come to SPSU "knowing" what they want to major in.  Those students are assigned an advisor from their major field.  It may be, though, that you decide that your original major is no longer what you want.

In both cases, the person to talk to is your advisor.  Your advisor can help you evaluate your interests and strengths, and help you select a major that is right for you.  If you need to change majors, go to the Registrar's Office (Building B) and ask for a "Change of Major" form.  Once the form is processed, you will also be assigned a new advisor from the new major.

How do I choose what Courses I should take next term?
All majors have a list of required courses, which can be found in the University Catalog.   Many also have flowsheets (available at the Department Office) that  tell you what order you should take courses in.   These can be very helpful in plotting out your next several semesters.  Each term, the schedule of courses being offered can be found online.

Remember that not all courses are offered every semester, and some alternate being offered in the daytime and in the evening.  Your advisor can help you to prepare a schedule that meets your needs and lets you move toward graduation in the most efficient manner.

If you are undecided, you will probably want to take courses from the CORE, and perhaps sample some introductory courses in areas that you may wish to consider majoring in.  Again, your advisor can help you to make these decisions, and can also help you to assess your strengths and interests in the interest of selecting what courses to sample.

What is the CORE?  
All students are required to take a set of courses that will provide a broad background and context to support their studies in their major discipline.  These courses include essential skills (such as English Composition and Mathematics--Area A), as well as courses in the humanities and fine arts (Area C), sciences (Area D), and social sciences (Area E).   Basic courses related to your major are also in the CORE (Area F), and will be different for each major.

Each University can also require courses that emphasize its mission, and are in Area B of the CORE.  At SPSU, we require two such courses--Public Speaking (COMM 2400) and Science, Technology and Society (STS 2400).

For more information about CORE requirements, click here.

Can I exempt CORE requirements?
In general, the answer is no.  All students must satisfy CORE requirements. 

If you took an AP or IB course in high school, you may be eligible for credit for the related CORE course.  Evaluation of AP, IB, and transfer courses is usually done at the time when you first register at SPSU.  You will need to submit a transcript from high school (showing the AP or IB courses) or from another college (listing the courses you wish to transfer) to the Registrar's Office.  They will evaluate the courses, and let you know how and if they will transfer to SPSU.

I have a question that wasn't answered on this page:
If you have a question that wasn't answered on this page, your best bet is to speak with your advisor.  If, for some reason, that doesn't work, submit your question by clicking here and we will try to answer it within 24 hours.