Academic Advising Unit (AAU)
Mission
AAU mission is to provide professional support to UST students from admission to graduation, ensuring academic success and personal development. Academic Advising Unit (AAU) is designed to ease students’ transition from high school to university. This is achieved through educating students about the required skills and knowledge to enhance their academic success, capitalizing on the importance of choosing the right field of study, and familiarizing them with the available academic programs, and with the available personal support on campus.
Vision
Providing UST students with institutional support and direction about academic, social, or personal matters.
Students Regulations
Each student in UST should be assigned to a specific Academic Advisor. Academic Advisors duties are to counsel their advisees throughout their journey as undergraduate students. Academic Advisors help their advisees to define their goals of the study and targeted career, to understand their requirements, restrictions and policies, to plan their academic tracks, and generally to overcome any obstacle –socially and/or personally- that might hinder their progress.
Students MUST visit their advisor to
- Select/change their track.
- Select their major.
- Select/change their concentration (if any).
- Select elective courses.
Students may need to visit their advisor to
- Confirm the academic requirements for their degree.
- Make sure they are enrolled in the right courses.
- Review UST policies and procedures.
- Explore major and career options.
- Plan future steps in their education.
- Discover campus resources and engagement opportunities.
- Check their academic progress.
- Make a connection between challenging academic work and the students’ future success.
Current Structure
Approach
AAU should apply the following methods and techniques to ensure achieving the learning outcomes.
- One-to-One Advising Sessions
- Group Advising Sessions
o Academic orientation
o Major fairs and seminars
o Small groups meetings
o Peer advising
- Communication via email
o Open communication channels to detect problems as early as possible
- Online tools
o Accessible advising link on SSS
o Accessible students’ academic records
o Appointment reservation system
o Advising hold to ensure the obligatory meetings
o Advising assessment survey for professional development purposes