The days of waiting in long lines for academic and career advising can be over thanks to online advising. Started in the fall of 2009, the online advising program is relatively easy to navigate. All a student has to do is fill out an information release form. This form allows an advisor to release student information over the phone or through e-mail. The information that may be released includes progress of degree completion, class scheduling, academic standing, grades, and repeated courses, among other pieces of information.
Thus far, many students have taken advantage of online advising. “The number of students has continued to increase,” said Joanne Thomas, Assistant Director of Academic and Career Advising. “We had to bring in another advisor.”
The online advisors are particularly busy at the beginning of a semester and during the period when students are registering for the next semester. In January of 2011 the number of students that used online academic advising was 763. In February the count went down to 304, and in March it was 440 students. In April, however, the count went back up to 788. During spring semester the online advising program helped a total of 2,295 students.
Academic Advising has two advisors that staff the online advising program. One works three-quarters time, and the other works part-time as an online advisor and meets with students personally during the rest of the day. Both are experienced advisors with the school. Online advising has a guarantee of response in 48 hours, though most inquiries are responded to within 24 hours during the lesser busy times of the year.
The questions that are most commonly asked online are, “How do I get started?” and, “What do I have left to graduate?”
If a student has other questions for the school there is a website that the college has called “Ask SLCC.” This is offered through the contact center at the school. Using this site is also relatively simple, as a student just needs to type in their question. Listed on the site are the answers to the ten most commonly asked questions.
Ask SLCC says, “If the answer to your question is not available today, it may be tomorrow – so keep coming back.”
Ask SLCC can be found by visiting slcc.intelliresponse.com or by calling 801-957-4073. Online advising can be contacted at onlineadvisor@slcc.edu, and 801-957-4978.
