Freshman > Major Advising

Freshman Advising Ending Soon

Freshman Advising is ending soon, and that’s okay! You understand the basics of university policy and procedures, General Education and major requirements, and how to use the course catalog, MyMadison, Office of the Registrar, and the JMU website to find relevant information. If you are being assigned a new advisor, they expect you know this information; If I will still be your advisor, I expect you know this information, too. As I’ve mentioned since Summer Springboard Orientation - Your education is your responsibility; use the resources available to you to be prepared when meeting with your advisor. To understand what’s happening more, please read at least one of the three categories below (declared, not sure if you’re declared the right major, still exploring and “Undeclared):

If you’ve declared a major. From February 10 - March 14, 2015 if you have declared your major, your academic advisor will change from your current advisor to a major advisor, an academic advisor in your declared major. This is one large transfer that happens for once a year - going from a “freshman advisor” to your “major advisor.” Your advisor assignment is based on the major that is listed in MyMadison, as of February 6.

Depending on your major assignment, you may be required to attend a new majors meeting. To find out if your major is holding mandatory sessions and how your major department will be contacting you about these meetings, view the Department Notification Spreadsheet.

If you’ve declared a major and aren’t sure if it’s the right fit, you may also switch back to Undeclared  and I will continue to be your advisor. Let your advisor know if you think this might be the best option for you!

If you’re still exploring and declared “Undeclared”, that’s ok! You may remain Undeclared and I will still be your assigned academic advisor. (Remember, you must declare a major by the third Friday of the first semester of your sophomore year).  My role as an Undeclared advisor is to know a little bit about all the majors so I can help you with your decision-making and exploring. But, if you know what you want to declare for your major, there are no benefits to remaining Undeclared. A major advisor will give you better advice for summer registration and fall registration. Major advisors are good because they are the experts of their discipline and program.

If you have any questions about this process, please let your advisor know!

Major Advising and the Registrar

As you move on from Freshman Advising, you’ll want to recall all of the lessons I’ve taught you regarding graduation requirements, class enrollment (a.k.a. registration) processes, and more! A great resource to utilize for help-seeking is JMU’s Academic Advising website. This site is designed to provide you with important academic information regardless of your specific major. Additionally, you’ll want to utilize the Registrar’s website to find important academic dates and deadlines. The Office of the Registrar coordinates course enrollment (a.k.a. registration). Therefore, you can always visit the Registrar’s website to find important dates and deadlines, like when Summer and Fall Advanced Registration begins. You may even want to “like” the Registrar’s Facebook Page to keep up with these important dates. These two resources are essential for all JMU students. When you need (a) major information, or (b) do not understand information from these resources, utilize your major advisor! You should also utilize the Madison Advising Peers (MAPs), who are JMU students who care about you and are committed to providing supplemental academic advising information. You can just drop by their office anytime during their hours.