Academic Advising FAQs

Academic advisors are educators and problem solvers who advocate for students as they
navigate their personal journeys through higher education and attain their academic
goals. Through inclusion and connection, academic advisors open doors to new opportunities
for self-awareness and growth, empowering students to define their roles as citizens
within local and global communities.

• Listen attentively to your questions and concerns.
• Respect your unique interests, abilities and circumstances.
• Help you to explore academic and extra-curricular options that support your personal
  and career interests.
• Explain degree requirements.
• Clarify information about university regulations, policies and procedures as appropriate.
• Assist you in developing an appropriate class schedule.
• Refer you to appropriate campus resources.Help you learn how to search out answers
  for yourself.
• Assist you in gaining decision-making skills and assuming responsibility for your
  education.

• Be prepared for advising sessions by bringing appropriate documents (DARS, test scores,
  transcripts, etc.), making a list of questions and concerns and planning a tentative
  class schedule.
• Take responsibility for learning and complying with university requirements, policies
  and procedures.
• Honestly communicate your unique interests, values, abilities and circumstances with
  your academic advisor.
• Take responsibility for achieving your success and accept the consequences of your
  academic and personal choices.
• Keep up with your academic progress and maintain your own advising file.
• Bring your file to each advising session, and keep all documents until you graduate.
• Meet with your advisor regularly, and whenever you have a question or concern.

John and Marcia Price College of Engineering students are always encouraged to meet with an advisors with
any questions or concerns about academics or progress toward their degree. At certain
points in every student’s academic career, they are required to meet with an advisor
to continue attending classes. Students who do not meet with an advisor at these times
will have an academic hold placed on their records, preventing them from registering
for classes or applying for graduation. Learn more about the University’s Mandatory Advising Program here.

Find instructions for the Degree Audit Reporting System.

A catalog year is the year you declared your major. When running a DARS report for
your major, you should always use the appropriate catalog year. You can do this by
clicking the “Generate DARS Report for My Major(s)” link in your CIS.

Degree requirements can change from year to year. This happens most commonly with
major course requirements. You don’t want any surprises, do you? To be sure you are
fulfilling the requirements for your particular catalog year, generate DARS for the
correct year – YOUR catalog year.

The Graduation Planning System (GPS) is a helpful tool that can assist students with planning courses for the next semester of their whole degree. Building a plan early often helps you to make informed choices and complete your degree. Be sure to check your plan with your advisor to make sure it meets department and prerequisite requirements. More information can be found here.

Registration holds can prevent you from being able to register for classes in a timely
manner. To find out if you have a registration hold, you need to log into CIS

• Look for the “Student Records” section on the Student tab
• Click on “View Holds.”
• Look for the name in red on left side.
• Click on the hyperlink on the left side.
• Look for the reason that the hold was placed and follow the instructions for contacting
  the office to release the hold.

Depending on the type of hold, you may need to contact different offices. Read the registration hold policy in the Student Handbook.

If you still do not know what to do, contact your academic advisor to help you figure
out your next steps so you can register.

There are many ways to answer this question as there are students at the University. Please make an appointment with a John and Marcia Price College of Engineering academic advisor so we can help you explore opportunities that interest you. You can also check out the Associated Students of the University of Utah or Lowell Bennion Community Service Center website for additional opportunities.

The University understands that sometimes students need to take a break from their
education. Before you leave the University, please fill out the Registrar’s Leave of Abscne Form and make an appointment with your departmental
academic advisor to learn what you need to do now to make your return to the University
of Utah easier.