16 Week Longmeadow Undergraduate Advising Model

Advising Mission

Advising is a critical component of a Bay Path University education. Through advising, each student is empowered to develop and implement sound educational plans consistent with their academic, personal, and career goals. Advising is a cooperative effort between advisor and student in which we are committed to providing quality, accurate advising in an environment that is welcoming, professional, and supportive. Our purpose is to guide students to become self-directed learners and decision-makers.

Each student is assigned a team of advisors to support them in their transition to University life at Bay Path. The advising team, made up of a Faculty Advisor, Professional Advisor, and a Peer Advisor, guides students through the educational planning process, which includes course selection during periods of open enrollment and tracking degree requirement and the extracurricular, leadership, and work experiences they want to pursue via a personalized degree plan.

Faculty Advisor

The Faculty Advisor serves as the primary advisor and is a faculty member within a student’s major or academic field who will provide support with course content, academic planning, and graduation planning, answering questions about course sequence planning, program requirements, and career preparation within the major program of study.

Professional Advisor

The Professional Advisor services as a trusted and consistent resource to students, providing accurate and reliable information to assist students in meeting academic and personal goals. Professional Advisors work in a culture of collaboration with faculty advisors, faculty, peer advisors, and career center staff members to aid in students’ success, assisting students in understanding university policies and other administrative processes, providing referrals to various university resources as needed.

Undergraduate Students (BPO, Boston)

A student's academic advisor will assist them in their transition to University life at Bay Path, as well as guide them through the educational planning process, which includes course selection during periods of open enrollment and tracking degree requirement and the extracurricular, leadership, and work experiences they want to pursue via a personalized degree plan.

Academic advisors work closely with our major program directors and faculty, as well as the Sullivan Career & Life Planning Center, to help students with professional networking and to obtain experiential learning opportunities, and discuss career aspirations and fit, including post graduation preparation for graduate school or the workforce.

Advising Outcomes

As a result of engaging in the advising process, each student will be knowledgeable on:

• The General Education Core requirements
• How to enroll in full or part-time classes using BPU Community based on their individual goals
• How to generate and interpret their degree audit and degree planning resource sheets
• Important academic dates, policies, and procedures, including but not limited to the add/drop deadlines, course withdrawal options/deadlines, and course registration open enrollment dates

As a result of engaging in the advising process, each student will:

• Set and continuously monitor realistic short and long term academic, personal, and career goals
• Consider possible career interests and map out a path for attainment
• Review, consider and engage in extracurricular activity options, athletics, and leadership opportunities

Student and Advisor Expectations & Responsibilities

Students are expected to:

• Actively participate in the advising process, including scheduling advising sessions and arriving on time for advising appointments
• Be willing and prepared to discuss problems and challenges
• Take responsibility for their own actions and decisions
• Research programs of study thoroughly to assess fit and engage with academic advisor about possible changes as needed
• Become knowledgeable about University resources, including the Undergraduate Academic Catalog and Bay Path University Student Guidebook
• Follow through on suggested actions or referrals
• Adhere to University policies and procedures

Advisors are expected to:

• Serve as a primary resource for students throughout their college journey, with a proactive approach to the students personal and academic well-being as they transition to University life
• Provide accurate information about major program requirements, the General Education Core requirements, and elective options, and help students read and consider course descriptions and prerequisites
• Encourage exploration and affirmation of programs of study based on each student’s interests, abilities, and priorities
• Engage with students regularly to check in on their academic and personal progress, in addition to open enrollment periods
• Keep accurate records of advising sessions to foster relationship building and continuously build on goals that are set
• Document and report any concerns affecting academics via our early alert systems
• Assist each student in the decision-making process, allowing them to make the final decision
• Encourage students to use University support services and resources and to participate in complimentary activities outside of the classroom, as appropriate
• Treat students in a professional, friendly, courteous, respectful manner
• Address student needs with confidentiality and with respect for privacy

Graduate Students

Students enrolled in graduate programs at Bay Path University are advised by Program Directors and faculty members within each program. The professional advising team works in collaboration with the academic program directors to ensure students are supported holistically. Students can find information about their academic advisor(s) within the Advisor Information section of the Students tab on the MyBayPath Portal.