Advisor Resources

Academic Advising Handbook - The handbook is a resource for faculty and staff advisors. Information in the handbook includes, but is not limited to, the following topics: advising structure, fundamentals of advising, advising resource materials, advising new students, advising specific student populations, academic information, registration, financial aid, and advising forms. The handbook is available in Microsoft Teams in the MiSU Academic Advising team.

Academic Advising Syllabus - The Academic Advising Syllabus provides information to assist students in effectively planning their degree-path at Minot State. It outlines the essential academic advising information and skills students need to navigate their education throughout their academic journey at Minot State University.

Academic Success Plan Booklet - The Academic Success Plan booklet includes a variety of advisor resources for faculty and staff who advise students who were admitted to Minot State with the provision of enhanced advising.

Academic Success Plan Form - This form is used to solidify a plan when advising students who were admitted to Minot State with the provision of enhanced advising.

Advising Forms - A variety of advising forms are available for faculty and staff to use when working with advisees. Many of these forms are intended to be placed in students' advising files.

Advising Newsletter - Newsletters include various items specific to advising at Minot State in addition to general advising tips & resources.

Advisor Information Sessions - Advisor workshops and webinars allow faculty and staff advisors the chance to share advising techniques, discuss challenging situations, learn about university resources/services, and receive updates on new policies and university requirements.

Campus Resources - The Campus Resource handout provides advisors with a quick reference to a variety of resources across the Minot State campus.

Catalogs

English & Math Placement - Based on NDUS policy (401.1.2) students must meet specific pre-requisites to enroll in English & Mathematics  courses. Those pre-requisites are available in a chart on the website and as a pdf.

MiSU Orientation Advising Team - Faculty and staff advisors who assist with academic advisement & registration at New Student Orientation are added to this team to access the materials necessary to advise new first-year and transfer students. 

Guide to Virtual Advising - The Guide to Virtual Advising is a resource for advisors who will be advising students remotely. Included in the guide is information to set up appointments in Starfish and instructions for using two different platforms for virtual advising - Microsoft Teams and Blackboard Collaborate Ultra.

MiSU Academic Advising Team - This online environment allows faculty and staff advisors to access the necessary resources to advise. Information previously found in the Academic Advisor Handbook has been moved to the MiSU Academic Advising Team. The information has been placed under the General tab in various folders within the Team. A quick reference guide (pdf) is also available under the General tab, to assist advisors in navigating these resources. Faculty and staff advisors who need to be added to the Team can contact a member of the Academic Advising Council or email advising@MinotStateU.edu.

Meet Your Advisor Card - The Academic Advising Council, in collaboration with the Office of Publications and Design Services, has created a Meet Your Advisor card template. The intent of the card is to bridge the connection between the advisee and advisor as early as possible in the student's academic experience at Minot State. Cards can be given to new students on New Student Registration days and/or emailed to new advisees. Advisors should contact Amanda Francis to create a personalized card.

Starfish - Starfish allows advisors access to view past advising activity, flags (concerns and kudos), courses, grades, demographic data and notes for assigned advisees. Advisors are encouraged to contact advisees who have received flags and provide assistance.  This action can be documented in Starfish by closing the loop, prompting notification to the flag raiser. Advisors can also use the appointment feature in Starfish to simplify the scheduling process.

Advisee Welcome Email - The Academic Advising Council encourages departments to notify students, who are new to the university and/or change majors, of their academic advisor contact information. This template was designed as a guideline to use when communicating with students.

Academic Advising Best Practices

National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) - NACADA promotes and supports quality academic advising in institutions of higher education to enhance the educational development of students. NACADA provides a forum for discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas pertaining to academic advising through numerous activities and publications.

The Mentor: Innovative Scholarship on Academic Advising - The Mentor is a peer-reviewed scholarly publication about academic advising in higher education. The journal is free and published only online.

National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition - The Center serves education professional by supporting and advancing efforts to improve student learning and transitions into and through higher education.