Advising

During your first quarter or the beginning of your second quarter, you should meet with your advisor to complete your AHE study plan in Degree Works. Plans allow you to map out the courses you will take each quarter and double check to see that your planned courses will fulfill all of your degree requirements.  Degree Works is an academic planning and degree progress tool that reflects your academic progress towards the completion of your program of study at Western.  View the short tutorial video under Make a Plan on the Graduate School website; and/or you can also refer to the Degree Works Guide for Students. You can access Degree Works in Web4U, navigate to your Students Tab, select Student Records, and then select Degree Works. AHE students are advised to register for required (core) courses FIRST before their four electives, in order to build an academic and intellectual foundation for your studies.  There is a prerequisite sequence to some of the core courses:  You must take AHE 501 before AHE 571; and you must take AHE 577 before taking AHE 580.  The elective courses are on a two year rotation (a few are offered every year).  Refer to the AHE Student Handbook for detailed course information.  If you decide to take different electives, your plan can be amended with your advisor. 

Your advisor will contact you annually via Canvas to make an advising appointment that can happen via email, telephone, or in-person---whichever is more convenient for you.  You have the option of not being advised at this point by simply stating this to the advisor in writing.  Otherwise, make and confirm an appointment to meet with your advisor. The advising session will be documented. An academic adviser can help with questions related to your plan, about how to plan your progression through the program, your career path and particular courses that might be best for your professional interests, and/or challenges you may be experiencing.  During this session, the advisor will ask what s/he can assist you with in terms of the aforementioned items and if you have questions about academic issues.  They can also talk with you about building a professional network or gaining experience that will help you in your professional aspirations. The advising session can last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. Advising can happen all year round. All you have to do is send your advisor an email to start this conversation.  You can also contact your advisor at any point on this Canvas advising forum or email to ask for assistance on any matter related to your academic progress.  

We use what is called “solution-focused advising” as our model because we realize the AHE student community is composed of busy adults who are balancing any combination of work, family responsibilities and coursework, so they have unique needs and schedules.  This means that attention is given to decision-making regarding course selection, monitoring academic progress, and facilitating career-based networking and services.  Your advisor will assist you with any of the following during your tenure in the program:  developing and/or continuing your plan of study in Degree Works (see Student Handbook), assistance with making decisions regarding amendments to your Plan of Study, helping you to monitor your academic progress in the program, developing strategies for improvement, as well as facilitate a discussion and possible referrals that impact your academic progress.  The advising session is not for counseling.  If personal life issues are negatively impacting your academic progress, the advisor will refer you to various support services on campus.  Peers in the AHE Program, especially through the GSAC (Graduate Student Advisory Committee), can assist in mentoring for pastoral support to persist in AHE.  This primarily emotional support is often in the form of community building activities and discussing work/life balance.

The New Student Welcome/Advising Email informs students of their assigned advisor.  And you can look below to find your advisor according to your admission quarter/year. The New Student Orientation session is an opportunity to meet your advisor and to ask questions about academic issues in AHE.  You might also have general program inquiries and these questions can be directed to the AHE Program Coordinator, Sherry.Haskins@wwu.edu. If you have a question about your schedule or what you should take next quarter she's a great help! Sherry can also refer you to resources or greater reference points at WWU (for example, how to get tech help).