As the enrollment dates for fall 2019 pass, many students are busy planning their schedules for next year. But for some, the lack of organization and accessibility of their advisors has left them behind when planning and enrolling for next semester.

NC State uses a decentralized model of advising in which each college is tasked with the organization and assignment of advisors to students, according to Carrie McLean, Assistant Dean of University College and director of advising.

“Each college gets to do what they want to do,” McLean explained. “It’s hard to coordinate that, though.”

University College, Poole College of Management, Life Science First Year and Biological Sciences use primary role advisers. Their main responsibility is to advise students, compared to faculty advisors who advise along with teaching and research, McLean said. 

McLean explained that Poole College of Management, Life Science First Year and Biological Sciences use a front-loaded model, which assigns first-year students to a primary role advisor until they declare their major and get assigned a faculty advisor.

New primary role advisers in University College are required to attend one of three academic advising academies which teach information systems and key policies, Mclean explained. The classes are also open to current faculty advisors who are attending more every year, Mclean said. 

Workshops are also offered for faculty advisors as part of the Advisor Development Institute, which prepares advisers for specialty cases such as first generation and international students, McLean said.

However, some students feel that they are left behind by a lack of accessibility from their advisors.

“I think, to this date, I have never gotten a response to an email,” said Spencer Byrd, a second-year studying nuclear engineering.

Byrd said that he was also switched to a new advisor without notice.  When he discovered the switch, Byrd said that his enrollment date had already passed.

“I tried to explain that it has been several days since my enrollment date and I still haven’t been able to get my hold removed, and he basically just told me to fill out my whole college Pack Planner,” Byrd said.  “When I told him that I’ve had a persistent problem with the planner, he just said to fix it and fill it out, which wasn’t much help.”

Other students have also had unexpected changes to their advising.

Sam Goetz, a first year studying political science, said he received an email in November from his advisor stating that she would be leaving the university.  

Since receiving that email, Goetz said that could not raise a response from the contact listed on the email and only received a new advisor two weeks ago. 

Despite the delay, Goetz said he could meet with his advisor who then rushed him through the advising process.

“She gave me three minutes, didn’t look at my schedule, didn’t give me any advice on what I was going to be doing and then sent me out of her office,” Goetz said. 

Goetz said that he was then able to register for classes on time.