Advisor Information

Your advisor will help you develop the degree program best suited for your individual needs that fulfills the requirements of your selected major. Most faculty advisors have years of experience in advising students, so they are in a unique position to help and advise you with most problems concerning your academic life. However, advisors cannot help if they do not know that a problem exists. It is your responsibility to keep your advisor informed. Your advisor can be contacted directly by phone or in the office. Remember, advisors do have other commitments so they are not always immediately available. If your advisor is not available and your business is urgent, then a secretary in Room 3111 should be able to find another advisor to help you.

The desired outcome of the advising system in the Crop and Soil Science Department is to:

• Successfully attain the student's educational and career goals.
• Achieve academic grades consistent with the student's ability.
• Develop a friendly relationship between the student and the advisor.

Crop and Soil Science advisors know that students want three major things from their advisors:

• Accessibility
• Specific and accurate information
• A caring and sympathetic attitude

Every Crop and Soil Science student can expect to have an advisor who is responsive to needs and who makes an honest effort to be understanding and helpful.

Registration

You will need to see your advisor at least once each term for registration. Just before registration begins at midterm, you should pick up a DARS (Degree Audit Graduation Report) from your advisor. It will summarize your progress towards your degree. Before seeing your advisor, you should have a proposed registration schedule already formulated. It is the advisor's responsibility to suggest possible alternatives, help eliminate difficulties in scheduling, and to see that you are progressing properly in satisfying requirements for graduation. You should register as soon as possible to avoid conflicts in scheduling.

During your sophomore year, you should make out a proposed schedule of classes for the remaining semesters until graduation. Listing the courses required for each term during the rest of your undergraduate program will cause you to think about what you really want to do after graduation. This plan will also help you and your advisor set up a logical sequence of courses to meet your career goals, avoid scheduling conflicts, and to meet proper prerequisites for advanced courses.

Letters of Recommendation

Those who know you best should write letters of recommendation. Just taking a course from a professor sometimes is not sufficient for the professor to write a meaningful recommendation. Three letters of recommendation are usually required by a potential employer or for entrance into graduate school. Students normally request letters from their advisor, other professors, and former employers. Unfortunately, some students go through 4 years of college without really getting to know members of the faculty. They may not even get to know their advisor very well. These students have problems obtaining meaningful letters of recommendation. The Crop and Soil Science staff finds that participation in the Agronomy Club is one of the best ways of promoting student-faculty interaction on a more personal basis.