Your Adviser's Role and Responsibilities

• Help you understand the nature of Penn State's academic programs, specifically looking at the expected standards of achievement and how they affect your likelihood of success.
• Help you understand and follow University procedures.
• Guide you in exploring educational and career objectives that may be a good fit for your demonstrated abilities and interests. Since academic requirements and recommendations vary according to academic program, the adviser can help you become familiar with general education requirements as well as courses required for specific majors. The adviser can also provide information about prerequisites for certain courses.
• Provide information about University opportunities and programs such as undergraduate research opportunities, study abroad, internships and other available academic resources.
• Stay informed by participating in professional development programs provided by each college or department.

Your Responsibilities as an Advisee

• You are ultimately responsible for determining your course schedule, planning your program and ensuring you complete all graduation requirements. Your adviser will provide support and guidance in these areas, but you will make the final decisions.
• Take the initiative to seek the academic and career information you need. Discuss your goals and interests with your adviser, so he or she can suggest relevant strategies and resources that might be helpful.
• Know what your adviser can — and cannot — do. Advisers can help with academic issues and concerns, but do not have access to information about your financial aid, tuition bill, or other administrative areas. However, they would be happy to refer you to people who can help you with these issues. (See below for additional resources.)
• Do your homework. Familiarize yourself with relevant policies, procedures, and rules of the University, as well as those pertaining to your particular college and academic program.
• Be prepared. Prior to speaking with your adviser, try to have as much information and paperwork handy as possible. For example, if you will be asking about courses you may still need, having a copy of your degree audit already printed out would be helpful. When asking about transfer credits you earned at another college or university, you should have a syllabus or detailed description from that course to share with your adviser. Tip: Ideally, you should be at a computer when speaking with your adviser, so you can access your eLion account or any other digital information you may need.
• Stay in touch. Consult with your adviser at least once a semester to decide on courses, review the accuracy of your degree audit, check your progress towards graduation and discuss relevant academic opportunities at the University. It is also important to consult with your adviser before making any important academic decisions, such as dropping a course or changing your major.

Academic Advising Syllabus

For a complete overview of the roles and responsibilities of advisers and advisees, as well as a list of commonly used student resources, visit the World Campus Advising Syllabus page or download a PDF version of this document.

Additional Resources

Your adviser cannot access your financial aid information or semester bill, or find an exam proctor for you. Here are some additional resources to help you.

Financial Aid

Your eligibility for student aid (and the amount of aid you may receive) is determined by several factors including the number of credits you take each semester and whether you are a full-time or part-time student. The Office of Student Aid can provide information about how your course load may affect your aid. Find out more about financial aid. 

Your Bill

Your semester bill is prepared by the Office of the Bursar. You can view your bill on eLion. Simply select "Bills Tuition/Other" from the menu at the left.

If you have questions, check out the Office of the Bursar’s Frequently Asked Questions or contact the office by telephone at 814-865-6528.

Proctoring for Your Exams

Some World Campus courses require students to take exams administered by a qualified proctor. Find out more about proctor qualifications and securing a proctor.