Academic & Career Planning Center

Click on any of the following links for information:

• Advisor Assignments
• Academic and Career Planning Center
• School of Business Student Services Center
• School of Education Student Services

Academic Advising consists of a series of interactions requiring the serious involvement of both student and advisor. Academic advisors help students make informed choices about courses, majors, and careers. With the assistance of academic advisors, students are encouraged to explore the many opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth at The University of South Dakota.

Advisees are expected to:

1. Know and understand the general education, college, major and minor requirements necessary for their graduation.
    
2. Arrive on time for scheduled advising appointments.
    
3. Prepare a preliminary schedule prior to their advising appointment.
    
4. Be honest and forthcoming about their academic progress and performance in their course work.
    
5. Monitor and keep informed about their progress toward the completion of graduation requirements.

Advisors are expected to:

1. Know and understand the general education, college, major and minor requirements for students in their department and/or college.
    
2. Understand that students may be subject to the requirements under different catalogs and to know how to access relevant information.
    
3. Ask students about their academic progress and plans for the future.
    
4. Be familiar with campus resources to answer non-academic questions as well as questions regarding career options.

Departments are expected to:

1. Facilitate faculty training to ensure accurate advising and the broader mentoring of students.
    
2. Disseminate information to students regarding internships, scholarships, campus organizations, and other opportunities for intellectual growth.
    
3. Provide students with clear methods of tracking their progress toward graduation.
    
4. Design and implement a mechanism by which to inform students about advising appointments.

Professional advisors in the Center for Academic and Career Planning (CACP) will advise students who have not declared a major; students who have declared any major within the College of Arts & Sciences; or students in the following majors within the School of Health Sciences: Alcohol and Drug Studies, Social Work, Clinical Lab Science, Health Sciences, and Nursing. Students advised by the CACP will remain advisees of the CACP until they complete 48 credit hours of college course work. After 48 hours of completed course work, students will be assigned a faculty advisor in their major department.

Students who have declared a major within the College of Fine Arts are assigned faculty advisors by their departmental offices. Students interested in degrees within the School of Business or the School of Education are initially advised by the student services centers within those schools, then by assigned faculty advisors.

Steve Ward, Interim Director
Academic Common, I.D. Weeks Library
605-677-5381
advising@usd.edu 
 

The Academic & Career Planning Center provides general academic advisement for all USD students. In particular, the Center’s staff advises new students that have declared a major in the College of Arts & Sciences, most of the majors in the Health Sciences, and individuals who have not declared a major. The Academic & Career Planning Center also acts as a clearinghouse for the declaration or changing of majors. Students can receive answers for many academic questions, such as the following: What classes should I take? How do I declare a major? How do I add/drop a class? Where can I find a tutor?

The Academic & Career Planning Center is an excellent resource for all students who seek to improve their academic success. A Learning Specialist is employed by the Academic & Career Planning Center to help students develop effective study strategies. In addition, advisors offer classes and individual instruction to strengthen test-taking, reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. The Center provides focused support for students on academic probation and for those requiring assistance with the regental proficiency exam. Finally, the Center coordinates all tutoring offered on campus through an online matching system that allows students to find tutors easily.

The Center is also home to the First Year Experience (FYE). FYE includes programs such as Supplemental Instruction and Networks. Supplemental Instruction offers help in some of the most time-consuming courses on campus. The Center hires upper-class students to sit in on these courses, take notes, work with the professor, and hold extra study sessions at night to help students learn the course material. FYE Networks help students get connected in their first year - both in the classroom and in the residence halls.
 

Rhonda Hulkonen
Assistant Dean-Student Services
Beacom School of Business, Beacom Hall, Room 101
605-677-6268
Rhonda.Hulkonen@usd.edu

The Beacom School of Business Student Services Center (SSC) assists undergraduate students majoring in the business areas of Accounting, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Health Services Administration, Human Resource Management,  and Management. The SSC helps students with their informational needs and supports the faculty advisors in the School of Business. All students who plan to major in a business field but have not yet been admitted to their majors work with the SSC professional advising staff as they complete the liberal learning requirements of the University and the prerequisites for admission to the Beacom School of Business majors. Additional assistance is available relating to transfer credit, study skill development, academic appeals, scheduling issues, and referrals.

Sherrie Bosse, Advisor
School of Education, Delzell 113/114
605-677-5698
sbosse@usd.edu

The School of Education Student Services (SESS) faculty advisors provide a comprehensive program of advisement that supports students from initial teaching career awareness to teacher preparation, assessment, placement, certification, and follow-up. In addition, advisement is provided as to the requirements and assessments necessary to achieve status as a highly qualified teacher based on the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. This Centralized Advisement Model is used for all undergraduate students completing a teacher certification program. Students seeking a secondary education or K-12 major should also have an advisor in their content area.