0:00 Welcome to the University of West Florida. We are so excited that you're joining us for an upcoming semester  
0:06 and we look forward to meeting you soon. This short presentation will help you understand more about the academic advising process at UWF.  
0:14 The full Advising 101 module you will experience, as part of new student orientation, will help you prepare  
0:21 to meet with your academic advisor to finalize your semester course schedule and be prepared to start off strong.  
0:28 My name is Jennifer McCaul. I'm the Executive Director of the Center for Academic Success at the University of West Florida.  
0:35 The Center for Academic Success has several offices that are designed to provide you with support and resources,  
0:41 enter  
0:52 Also follow us on our social media channels found under @UWFSuccess.  
1:00 Let's talk about the structure of academic advising at UWF.  
1:04 In your first year, you'll be assigned to a specific advisor in the First Year Advising office based on your area of interest.  
1:11 All new first-time-in-college students entering in the fall are assigned to this office for the entire first year,  
1:18 regardless of the number of credits that you were transferring in.  
1:21 We understand that more of our students are bringing in more college credits due to dual enrollment, AP, CLEP, and others.  
1:29 But it's still your first full time year in college, and there's a lot that goes with that.  
1:34 Our advisors are prepared to support you with this transition to college,  
1:38 and we work closely with the academic units to ensure you are on track for your degree.  
1:43 After the first year, you're released to an assigned advisor in your major department  
1:48 who you will continue to work with until you graduate to update your degree plan,  
1:52 talk about internship or research opportunities, and everything else to keep you on track to reach your degree and ultimately career goals.  
2:00 The third facet of the advising structure are your faculty, although they may not be formally assigned to you as an advisor,  
2:07 they are experts in their field and you engage with them multiple times a week in class.  
2:12 Take advantage of getting to know your faculty, as they can assist you with research opportunities,  
2:17 graduate school considerations, or career pathways in your specific field.  
2:22 It's important that you get to know your faculty, starting with your first year.  
2:26 All of our academic advisors and other resource staff at UWF are here to support you during your first year...and beyond.  
2:33 Your first year advisor will assist you with the transition to college and help you  
2:38 learn more about the campus resources and services that you may be interested in.  
2:43 And we'll also help you initiate your four year degree plan, including talking about high impact experiences that might be a good idea to consider.  
2:51 Those conversations will continue as you move deeper into your chosen program with your program advisor.  
2:57 So let's talk about what advising looks like at orientation. When you register for your orientation session,  
3:03 you will complete an Academic Interest Questionnaire which provides some information about you and your interests.  
3:10 Additionally, we will know some things about you from your transcripts and test scores.  
3:15 Your advisor will take this information and preregister you for courses to save  
3:19 you a seat in your first semester. As part of the full Advising 101 module,  
3:24 you will learn more about tools and resources that will be handy to track your courses,  
3:29 your degree requirements, register for classes, and other things you need to know.  
3:34 You will also have a one-on-one virtual meeting with your academic advisor to go  
3:38 through some of these tools and to review and finalize your course schedule.  
3:43 You can make changes after your meeting, but it's strongly urged due to seat limitations, that you get as close to finalized as you can and do not  
3:51 make changes to your schedule without first consulting with your academic advisor.  
3:57 Now, let's meet the First Year Advising team. You will be assigned to a specific advisor based on your major that you selected when you applied to UWF.  
4:06 Don't worry! If you've changed your mind before you get here, we'll help you make that change and reassign you to the correct person.  
4:12 Any of our advisors are prepared to assist you with the initial meeting.  
4:17 *music playing softly in the background*  
4:38 When you have access to the full Advising 101 module as part of your new student orientation,  
4:44 we will provide additional short video tutorials of important tasks or tools to be familiar with,  
4:50 as well as additional success tips for other areas that advisors get asked about.  
4:56 So again, Welcome to UWF! The Center for Academic Success team is here to support you and we look forward to meeting you soon!