Academic Advising Center

Hit the ground running®...

Student Development Center

Schedule a Meeting with an Academic Advisor

In addition to the support provided by your assigned or faculty academic advisor, you may schedule an appointment with one of the professional advisors in the Academic Advising Center.

We recommend you schedule with an advisor who specializes in your major or school (see Side Note).

Side Note

To locate the school you are associated with, log into the ASC Portal:

  • Select BannerWeb
  • Select Student Services and Financial Aid
  • Select Student Records
  • Select Student Information
Matthew Hollis
  • Matthew Hollis
  • Coordinator of Academic Advising
  • 607-587-4142
  • Program Specializations
  • School of Architecture, Management, Engineering, and Technology (SAMET)
  • School of Arts and Sciences (SAS)
  • Schedule an Appointment
Jill Crandall
Tracy Flett
Jeremy Raymore

Mission and Goals

In collaboration with faculty advisors, the Academic Advising Center at Alfred State will assist students in being active, responsible learners who take advantage of the opportunities the college provides.

Academic advisors are committed to teaching students how to access essential information and acquire the skills to make well-informed decisions that will lead to the achievement of their educational, career, and life goals.

Academic advisors are dedicated to providing quality, holistic advisement services that meet each student’s needs. In collaboration with faculty and staff across campus, the Academic Advising Center is devoted to establishing an environment that supports student recruitment, retention, and success.

Our goals in Assisting Students
  • Make a successful transition to Alfred State College.
  • Develop an appropriate academic plan for timely graduation based upon their demonstrated academic abilities, personal interests, and expressed goals.
  • Engage in an exploration of career goals related to their personal interests and area of study.
  • Continuously assess academic progress towards meeting their stated goals, clarify potential avenues to reach those goals, and make appropriate adjustments as necessary.
  • Engage in experiential learning and creative activities designed to complement their overall undergraduate experience and career preparation.
  • Utilize campus resources and connect students to support services.
  • Understand and take responsibility for knowing university policies and procedures, including the importance of adhering to deadlines.
  • Recognize the relationship between academic progress and financial implications.
Student Learning Outcomes
  • Students will know whom to contact for academic advising help.
  • Students will know the requirements for their major.
  • Students will know the requirements for General Education/Liberal Arts.
  • Students will know academic support resources available to them.
  • Students will understand course loads necessary for timely progress toward their degree.
  • Students will know how to register for classes.
  • Students will utilize ASC tools, such as, Degree Works, Schedule Planner, SEP.
  • Students will practice self-awareness by reflecting on their academic, professional and personal development at Alfred State College.

Frequently Asked Questions

Advising

How do I know who my advisor is?
  • Log into your Student Portal
  • Select My Academics
  • Select Degree Works
  • The advisor's name will be listed with your degree program and other student information.
Am I required to meet with my advisor?

You are required to meet with your assigned academic advisor once per semester to choose your classes and receive your alternate PIN to register for the upcoming semester. It is also recommended that you meet with your assigned academic advisor at the beginning of each semester to review your schedule for the upcoming semester to ensure you are not missing any critical graduation requirements.

How do I schedule an appointment with my advisor?

You can schedule an appointment with your advisor through Starfish or by contacting them through email.

How do I contact my advisor?

You can contact your advisor through email, Starfish, phone, or during their office hours. To find your advisor’s email address you can search their name in the Alfred State Directory. To find their office location and phone number, see the current semester's Faculty Advisor Contact Sheet under the Office of Student & Faculty Development department's Documents on the ASC Portal. 

How will my academic advisor contact me?

Your advisor will most likely contact you through your Alfred State email.

How do I change my major?

You can change your major by meeting with your academic advisor or a professional advisor in the Academic Advising Center (Hunter Student Development Center, #203).

Course Registration/Schedule

How do I get my schedule or register for classes?
New Students Your schedules will be created by a professional academic advisor in the Academic Advising Center before your scheduled Academic Summer Orientation session.
Transfer Students You should email your assigned academic advisor to schedule a meeting to review your transfer credits and choose classes for the upcoming semester.
Continuing Students You should email or schedule a meeting with your assigned academic advisor to discuss classes for the upcoming semester and receive your alternate PIN number.
Where can I view my schedule?
  • Go to your ASC Portal
  • Select BannerWeb
  • Select Student Services & Financial Aid
  • Select Registration
  • Select Schedule by Day and Time
  • Arrow over until you hit the dates for the current or next semester
How do I drop or add a class?

Prior to the first day of classes, continuing and transfer students can add or drop classes on their own through BannerWeb. The first week of classes, students will need an advisor to fill out and sign a Course Change form for processing. You can get the Course Change form from an advisor.

The second week of classes, students will need their assigned academic advisor to fill out and sign a Course Change form, as well as receive the department chair’s signature for processing.

After the second week of classes, a course cannot be added unless the student works with their advisor to file an academic appeal.

Students can drop a class by the deadline specified for that term. After the add/drop period, a $20 processing fee may apply. Please see the college Part-of-Term Calendar and Liability Policy.

Please see the academic calendar and college academic regulations for details about adding and dropping courses.

How many credits should I register for?

To be a full-time student, students should register for at least 12 credit hours (a maximum of 19 credit hours is allowed). Twelve credits are required to be eligible for on-campus housing and athletics.

Students can register for fewer than 12 credits and be part-time, but this can impact on-campus housing eligibility and financial aid package.

Online courses are also available in the summer and winter. Consult your academic advisor and financial aid counselor to determine if this is an option for you.

Degree Requirements

How do I know what classes I need to take?

You can find the required classes for your major in the Alfred State course catalog, through Degree Works, and/or by meeting with your assigned academic advisor.

What is a prerequisite?

A prerequisite is a course you need to take and successfully complete (sometimes with a minimum grade requirement) before you can move on to another course. For example, you will need to pass COMP 1503 – freshman composition before you can move on to take LITR xxx3 – a literature elective.

Transfer Credit

What do I do with my AP/college courses taken in high school?

After you receive your final grades/scores for college courses taken in high school or AP exams, you should go to the main websites for the institution or organization that is granting the college credit (College or University website, College Board, etc.). Request that your scores/transcripts be sent to Alfred State. For more information, please visit our transfer website or contact Jason White, Transfer Advisor, by phone 607-587-3954 or via email.

Other

How do I get access to my Alfred State email?

You can locate your student email by logging into your student portal and select Email to login.

How do I purchase my textbooks?

You can purchase your textbooks through the Alfred State Campus Store. Utilize our helpful handouts on Purchasing Textbooks and Using Financial Aid to Buy Textbooks.

Who can I talk to about financial aid questions?
Each student has an assigned Financial Aid Counselor based on the first letter of their last name.
A - H Robin Harrington
I - R Laura George
S - Z Chris Vernam
Contact the Student Records and Financial Services Office for further assistance.

Contact Us

Academic Advising Center

Student Development Center | Room 203

607-587-4122

New Students

New First-Year Students

Welcome to Alfred State! The Academic Advising Center is excited to be a part of your academic journey from the beginning.

  • Step 1 | Pay Admissions Tuition Deposit
  • Step 2 | Register for Orientation
  • Step 3 | Creation of Schedule
    • To assist us in creating your schedule, please fill out our Pioneer Course Preference Survey (Pre-scheduling Survey) when you log into BannerWeb for the first time.
    • The information you provide on this survey provides advisors with information regarding anticipated transfer or AP credit, scheduling restrictions, as well as which general education preferences to help us build each student an optimal schedule.
  • Step 4 | Get your Schedule
    • Your first semester schedule will be created by our team of professional academic advisors. You will be given access to your schedule on your Virtual Academic Orientation day. Schedules are subject to change pending the receipt of transfer and AP credits; or section changes that are beyond our control.
    • Virtual Academic Orientation is required for all full-time new and transfer students. You’ll have a chance to:
      • Meet with academic department faculty
      • Receive your class schedule
      • Meet other incoming students
      • Attend academic advising sessions
      • Learn about academic support services
      • Get your questions answered (Health and Wellness, Technology Services, Financial Aid, Residential Life, Dining Services, ordering books and tools)
      • Virtually tour the campus spaces (classrooms, dining hall, residence halls, etc.)
    • Online First-Year Students
      • You will be invited to an online orientation. Please attend.
      • Be sure to complete the Online Readiness course in Blackboard a few days before classes begin.
      • For more information about online learning, please contact the Center for Online Learning.
  • Step 5 | Process your Bill
    • Love your schedule? Lock it in by processing your bill by the deadline prior to the start of each semester.
  • Step 6 | Attend Week of Welcome (WOW)
    • Week of Welcome (WOW) is when new students move-in and transition to campus life before classes begin. WOW is a great time to locate the buildings and room numbers on your schedule. Print off a campus map and go exploring!
    • Be sure to order your textbooks and get course materials from the Campus Store.
    • Make sure that you have the computer and resources you need to complete course assignments.
    • At the end of WOW, you will have the chance to visit your assigned academic advisor to ask questions, discuss your schedule, and make a degree plan.
  • Step 7 | First Week of Classes
    • Go to all your classes! Enjoy!
    • If you haven’t already, stop in and introduce yourself to your assigned academic advisor.
    • In class, sit where you know that you will learn best.
    • Read your syllabus for every class.
    • Introduce yourself to your classmates and form study groups early.
    • Visit the Student Success Center (SSC) in Hunter Student Development Center (SDC), room 204.
    • Check your Alfred State student email account daily.
Transfer Students

Welcome! We are excited to have you join the Alfred State College community. Now that you have chosen to make Alfred State a part of your college career, the Academic Advising Center is here to help.

To create your course schedule, you will need to work with your assigned academic advisor.

  • Step 1 | Pay Admissions Tuition Deposit
  • Step 2 | Register for Orientation
  • Step 3 | Meet with your Academic Advisor
    • After your transcripts have been evaluated for transfer credit, your advisor will be able to assist you in selecting courses based on your remaining degree program requirements.
    • You can locate the name of your assigned academic advisor in BannerWeb under the student information tab.
    • While faculty advisors (academic advisors in your department) are not on obligation (winter and summer breaks), you may work with one of the professional academic advisors in the Academic Advising Center (link back to contact page) to review your transfer credits and select courses.
  • Step 4 | Register for Classes
    • See our how-to guides if you have questions about registering for classes online.
  • Step 5 | Process your Bill
    • Love your schedule? Lock it in by processing your bill by the deadline prior to the start of each semester.
  • Step 6 | Prepare for the First Week of Classes
    • All Transfer Students
      • Be sure to order your textbooks and get course materials from the Campus Store.
      • Make sure that you have the computer and technology resources for your major.
    • On-Campus and Commuter Transfer Students
      • Week of Welcome (WOW) is when new students move-in and transition to campus life before classes begin. WOW is a great time to locate the buildings and room numbers on your schedule. Print off a campus map and go exploring!
      • At the end of WOW, you will have the chance to visit your assigned academic advisor to ask questions, discuss your schedule, and make a degree plan.
      • If you need a parking pass, register your vehicle in BannerWeb.
    • Online Transfer Students
      • You will be invited to an online orientation. Please check your Alfred State email.
      • Be sure to complete the Online Readiness course in Blackboard a few days before classes begin.
      • For more information about online learning, please contact the Center for Online Learning.
  • Step 7 | First Week of Classes
    • Go to class! Enjoy!
    • If you haven’t already, stop in and introduce yourself to your assigned academic advisor.
    • In class, sit where you know that you will learn best.
    • Read your syllabus for every class.
    • Introduce yourself to your classmates and form study groups early.
    • Visit the Student Success Center (SSC) in Hunter Student Development Center (SDC).
    • Check your Alfred State student email account daily.

Continuing Students

Course Registration

Continuing students will be required to meet with their academic advisor to receive their registration PIN and register for classes.

  • Step 1 | Set a meeting time
    • Your assigned academic advisor may contact you (or you can contact them) to schedule an appointment one or two weeks before the start of the registration period.
    • To see when registration begins, please visit the official academic calendar.
  • Step 2 | Prepare for your advising meeting
    • Before meeting with your assigned academic advisor, you should review your degree audit in Degree Works to identify possible courses (major-specific courses, general education courses, pre-requisite courses) to take in the next semester.
    • Create a list of courses before meeting with your academic advisor.
  • Step 3 | During your advising meeting
    • Ask questions.
    • Write down the finalized list of classes you plan to take.
    • Identify any action items you need to complete before registering. For example, if you have holds on your account, you will not be able to register until those holds are resolved.
    • Know how to contact your advisor after the appointment if you have follow-up questions.
    • You will be provided an Alternate PIN (sometimes called Registration PIN). Write down your PIN (or take a picture of it) so you have it ready when it comes time to register.
  • Step 4 | Register for Classes
    • Be sure to resolve any holds on your record prior to beginning the online registration process.
    • A few days before your registration opens, use the Schedule Planner to create your ideal schedule. Note that this tool only shows your possible schedules and does not register you for classes.
    • On your designated registration day and time, log into BannerWeb and follow these steps:
      • Register for classes using the Alternate PIN provided by your academic advisor.
      • Confirm you have Web Registered.
      • Check your registration compliance results to make sure you are registered for courses that count for your degree program. (You may be able to take a class that shows not eligible – contact your advisor or advising@alfredstate.edu).
      • View your Student Schedule by Day & Time under the Registration tab in BannerWeb.

How-to Guides

General Advising Duties

ASC Academic Advising Philosophy

  • “Alfred State College is committed to providing an academic environment which fosters the positive academic and personal development of each student. Academic advisement is a critical component of this educational process with responsibility shared by both the advisor and the advisee. The role of the academic advisor is to enhance the education students receive by assisting them to achieve their educational, career, and personal goals.
  • Academic advisement is facilitated through interaction between the advisor and the student along with the utilization of other resources. The success of this process depends largely on the relationship which is established between the student and the academic advisor.” (Approved by ASC FS April 1999)

Responsibilities of the Academic Advisor

The responsibility of the academic advisor is to facilitate the student’s understanding of degree requirements, academic policies, and campus resources. These are accomplished through tracking student progress, being available, and communicating regularly.

Advisor Responsibilities

  • Establish a positive advisor/advisee relationship
  • Meet at key points in time
  • Plan the program course-taking
  • Accept responsibility

STUDENTS: It is your responsibility to share in the advising process by taking the initiative in seeking advisement and developing a working relationship with your advisor.

Resources and On-Demand Professional Development

We strongly encourage all faculty advisors to self-enroll in the Academic Advising Professional Development Course in Blackboard. This Blackboard shell is the go-to resource for all information related to academic advising at Alfred State. The Blackboard course can be accessed anytime, from anywhere, as often as you’d like.

Benefits

  • Access to our informational “Quick Guides” and instructions for using BannerWeb, Degree Works, Schedule Planner, Starfish, and more!
  • Access to our comprehensive library of on-demand content which includes past workshops/trainings, power points, worksheets, and videos.
  • Notifications and announcements from the Academic Advising Center about important advising dates, upcoming professional development opportunities, and pertinent information about academic changes and advising students.

How to Gain Access

  • Log onto Blackboard from the Faculty and Staff Portal (my.alfredstate.edu).
  • At the top of the screen, click on Courses (just to the right of the My Institution tab).
  • On the left side of the screen, in the Course Search box—Search for “Advising” or “Academic Advising”.
  • Next to Academic_Advising_PD_Anchor, click the down arrow and select Enroll.
  • You may need to confirm your enrollment by clicking Submit in the bottom right corner of the screen.
  • Academic_Advising_PD_Anchor should now appear as a “Course” under your list of courses and under My Institution.
  • Congratulations, you now have access to all of the resources, guides, and training developed by the Academic Advising Center.

Description and Instructions

Quick Guides

Academic Regulations

Link to General Education