Office of Academic Advising

Advising at New Paltz

What is the role of the OAA advisor and how do they partner with faculty advisors?

OAA advisors are primarily responsible for advising undeclared students, while faculty advisors are responsible for advising declared students in their respective major.

When students declare a major, they are assigned a faculty advisor for advisement in the major. The student remains connected, however, with their OAA advisor as a general advisee. In this dual role, OAA advisors maintain a caseload of undeclared and declared students.

In their role as a general advisor, the OAA advisors will always refer students to their major advisor for registration clearance and for educational planning in their major. 

Faculty advisors may find it helpful to know that the OAA advisors complement the faculty advisor’s role by providing their caseload students (declared and undeclared) with the following forms of guidance and assistance:

  • Degree Requirements/Policies. General advisors assist students in understanding their degree requirements and answer questions pertaining to their progress report. General advisors can also provide information regarding academic policies (i.e. add/drop, course withdrawal, etc.) and submit requests for General Education (GE) equivalencies.
  • Educational Planning. Students may visit their general advisor to discuss adding a minor and changing their major, as well as to review study abroad plans and their General Education (GE) requirements.
  • Student Support & Performance-based Interventions. The OAA’s general advisors use Starfish as a student management system to monitor their caseload students’ academic progress and by providing timely student support in response to flags raised by their instructors in Starfish. General advisors work with students to create an individualized success plan to support their needs within the context of holistic educational planning throughout the semester.
  • Campus-wide Resource Referrals. General advisors are equipped and positioned to refer students to the appropriate campus resources to support their individual needs, including the student’s faculty advisor, Center for Student Success, Career Resource Center, Psychological Counseling Center, among others.

Liaison Model 

OAA advisors serve as liaisons between the Office of Academic Advising and undergraduate programs across the College. The liaison’s role is to support faculty in their role as academic advisors. Faculty advisors in need of support or training are encouraged to communicate directly with their designated liaison.

Professional Advisors

Students and faculty in the following schools/majors/programs are supported by these embedded professional advisors: 

  • The School of Business has its own Center for Business Advising; the director is Rendesia Scott. 
  • The School of Education has its own undergraduate professional advisor, Collin Cusack. 
  • Communication Studies and Digital Media majors are served by professional advisor, Nancy Heiz.

Students admitted through the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) are advised by faculty advisors in partnership with the student’s program advisor.  

The Role of the Center for Student Success (CSS)

CSS staff promote student learning, academic engagement, and timely degree completion through the coordination of peer-based academic support programs and the management of the College’s Student Success System, Starfish Early Alert.