Academic Advising

Academic advising begins at Orientation when the student meets with a faculty member, professional and/or peer advisor. Upon enrolling in a major or professional program, the student is assigned a faculty advisor from the appropriate department or school. Undeclared majors in the College of Arts and Sciences will be assigned an advisor by the College. In some cases, students may be temporarily assigned to an advisor other than the one they have been assigned to for their academic career at USF.

Academic advising is a continuing process of assisting students in course selection and academic and career exploration. Students meet with their advisors at regular intervals and prior to semester registration. Registration cannot be completed without the signed approval of the faculty advisor, department chair, or representative of the dean. The school or college should be consulted regarding the specifics of the advising process. The deans of each school or college are available to assist students.

Academic advisors contribute to each student's academic career by assisting him or her to

• understand USF, its mission, goals, standards, policies and procedures, and resources for students;
• meet the challenge of being a University student by establishing a clear relationship between the University programs and the individual student's needs;
• understand and appreciate his or her abilities, strengths, and interests; and
• select and make progress toward a career by integrating information about the world of work and occupational choice with an appropriate academic program.

In addition, assistance in developing time-management or test-taking skills or changing study habits is available through the Office of Academic Support Services. The office also provides testing accommodations and support services to students with disabilities.

College of Professional Studies applicants must participate in a series of informational, counseling, and degree planning sessions with an academic advisor at a Regional Campus or on the San Francisco campus to determine eligibility for admission and potential for degree completion. These academic advisors serve as the applicant's counselor until the student enrolls in a learning group and through the first semester of classwork. After the first semester, an academic advisor assigned through the Student Advising and Support Services office will be responsible for continuing individual counseling, advising and academic planning. The academic advisor assists the student throughout his/her academic career within the College and will continue to monitor the student's progress.

Testing and Academic Placement

Upon admission to the University of San Francisco, new undergraduate students (except College of Professional Studies students), freshmen and transfers may need to take placement tests for placement in the appropriate mathematics courses. Students are encouraged to take these tests prior to enrolling at USF.

The SAT writing score is used to place freshmen in writing courses. All transfer students who have completed a college-level writing course will take a special writing course designed for them.

There is also a foreign language placement test for College of Arts and Sciences students and a calculus readiness test for students planning to take calculus at USF. Students are placed in the level of courses indicated by the results.

Mathematics courses are required for some, but not all, majors. Check with your advisor before enrolling in a mathematics course. It is not possible to succeed in any mathematics course without sufficient preparation.

Placement tests may be taken only once. Students may not re-take these exams.

For further information, please refer to descriptions of the:

• Rhetoric and Composition Program, and the
• Department of Mathematics.