Advising for undergraduate students with CLASS majors is a multi-layered process. Freshmen (0-29 credits earned) are advised in the First Year Advising Center. Students then transition to the CLASS Advising Center their sophomore year. Students also have a faculty advisor located in the department which houses their declared major.  PLEASE NOTE:  CLASS students involved in university programs such as Honors/Scholars, Athletics or TRiO/SSS are advised by specific program advisors instead of advisors in the First Year Advising Center or the CLASS Advising Center. Sophomore undecided students interested in CLASS majors are split between the CLASS Advising Center and the Exploratory Advising Office due to sheer volume.  As of 2014, potential transfer students interested in CLASS majors but who have not yet applied to CSU meet with an advisor located in the Transfer Center Office. This office will assist in completing an unofficial transfer credit evaluation and encourage application to the university.

CLASS advisors work on a caseload basis that assigns CLASS majors to a specific advisor. By doing this, advisors become knowledgeable in their designated majors. This facilitates communication between the Advising Center and the department.  Advisors also become liaisons for students to their major department as well as a contact for faculty. Even with assigned caseloads, all CLASS advisors are cross-trained to ensure general education advising can be done with any CLASS student. General education requirements are comprised of university and college requirements.  For specific advisor liaisons, please visit http://www.csuohio.edu/class/advising/major.html.

Students seeking a teaching licensure (all except music education) will have a freshman advisor, than a CLASS advisor after 29 credits are earned, faculty advisor, and an advisor in the College of Education and Human Services.

Faculty in each department are responsible for providing students with information about:

• majors, including areas of concentration
• upper division course selection
• upper division transfer credit evaluations
• career objectives
• transition advising (4 to 3 credit hour conversion, 2014)

Faculty advisors are encouraged to remind each advisee to meet with their assigned advisor regularly to ensure progress toward graduation. Students have an assigned general education advisor. Students can find their assigned advisor by logging in to CampusNet and clicking  on the blue star. This will open Starfish Solutions software. From here the student can access their assigned advisor’s calendar and schedule an appointment.

The CLASS Advising Center assists CLASS undergraduate students with:

• identifying and selecting appropriate courses for multi-term semester enrollment
• understanding progress towards completion of both university and college requirements (these are often  referred to as general education requirements). A CLASS general education check sheet, completed by the advisor during an advising session, informs students of their progress on these requirements. Students  receive a copy each time a new check sheet is completed
• submission of petitions, CLASS and/or University
• identifying and referring students to appropriate academic and personal support services
• understanding and interpreting Grad Express/Degree Audit
• initial and unofficial transfer credit evaluations for both potential and current transfer students (Office of the Registrar does official transfer credit evaluation)
• transitioning to faculty advisors for major field requirements
• adding or removing majors and/or minors
• college to college transfers
• understanding the academic standing policy
• creating an action plan for achieving academic success, especially for marginal and probationary students
• providing study skill intervention and academic monitoring services
• providing general advising for newly accepted transfer students
• graduation application assistance

The CLASS Advising Center is also responsible for representing the college during:

• Community College Visit Days
• Orientation Days: both first year and transfer
• Special events:  Fall Visit Day, Spring Open House, Department/School/Program Orientations, High School and Community College Counselor Events, CMSD Senior Scholars Luncheon, CMSD Honors and Scholars Day Visit, Weeks of Welcome Events

Please visit the CLASS Advising Center’s home page for additional information http://www.csuohio.edu/class/advising/.