Jennifer Hartwig
The undergraduate students in the MABE department have a new place to go for academic advising with the recent renovation and expansion of the department’s Undergraduate Advising Center.
The center was opened to provide students with a centralized location and dedicated staff who can meet their academic advising needs. Previously, students depended on faculty members and department staff to answer questions and provide direction on which classes to take. Now, having the center allows faculty and staff to focus on classroom education and research, and leaves the advising up to professionally-trained staff members Academic Advisor Roger Gray and Senior Academic Advisor Jennifer Hartwig.
Roger Gray
Many students see advising as a required meeting where they are told which classes to take and then get cleared to take those classes. “It is more than that,” explained Gray. “While the curriculum does have a list of requirements, students often have more options that they may not be aware of and we want to give them the information they need to make the best educated choices for themselves. This can include things such as minors, study abroad opportunities, and information about professional planning.”
The goal of the center is to teach the students how to help themselves and take ownership of their own academic and professional plans.
The center will soon be moving in to its permanent location on the third floor of the Dougherty Engineering Building. The newly renovated space will include private advising offices and a reception area.
“Jennifer and I are looking forward to moving to a better location soon,” said Gray. “While we are still both learning, I feel quite confident in saying that advising in MABE is rapidly improving and constantly progressing.”