Walk-ins and Appointments
Harpur Academic Advising offers walk-in hours every Monday-Friday from 10:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm. Walk-ins last about 15 minutes and usually consist of immediate schedule related and course-based questions. Appointments are 30 minutes long and address issues such as degree planning and future goals. During an appointment, you have an opportunity to thoroughly explore your options with an academic advisor.
Policies and Procedures
Harpur Advisors provide advice based on Harpur College and Binghamton University policy. If at any time you experience difficulties in fulfilling a requirement or understanding an academic policy, feel free to consult with an academic advisor about your concerns. We can explain policies and procedures in detail and provide you with an appropriate referral if necessary.
Services you can expect from Harpur Advising |
What Harpur Advising expects from you? |
Attention to your individual needs and goals |
Seek advising whenever you need it and create a sustained, collaborative relationship with an academic advisor |
General academic advising on policies and procedures, curricular offerings, and assessment |
Come to appointments and walk-ins prepared. Bring any questions and necessary information that you have |
Up-to-date information via websites and handbooks |
Plan ahead: think about your goals for the future |
Transfer credit processing and evaluation |
Understand that our decisions are determined by university policy |
Degree audit (DARS) programming |
Learn how to read & understand your Degree Audit Report |
Pre-health, pre-law, and Individualized Major Program (IMP) advising |
Use your major department’s advising services |
Workshops pertaining to advising and degree planning |
Use the appropriate resources available to you on campus |
Preparing for an Advising Appointment
Think of your academic success as a shared responsibility. The best approach to achieving success is working with advisors to prepare for and achieve your educational and career goals. Appointments are 30 minutes long, so you'll want to come prepared to get the most out of your time. To help you do this, you may want to consider the following points:
- Know that academic advising is more than course scheduling
Feel free to discuss academic and non-academic matters with your advisor. To get the most out of your advising relationship, get to know your advisor and let your advisor get to know you.
- Review your DARS report and other important information
-By reviewing your Degree Audit Report (DARS), you will be able to develop some general goals and questions that can be discussed in your advising meeting. Get a sense of which General Education requirements need to be completed, and explore options for your major and/or minor. Be sure to bring a copy of your DARS with you and have your questions ready.
-View the academic calendar and familiarize yourself with important dates and deadlines.
- Consider your academic and extra-curricular experiences
When developing a future schedule build upon your proficiencies and interests to help you create a fulfilling and comprehensive degree plan. We suggest that you consider the following questions in order to gauge your interests:
-What kinds of classes have I enjoyed in past semesters? Are they in a specific area of study or do they require certain skills?
-Is there a course sequence that I want to follow for a potential program of study?
-Which electives will I find helpful in helping me to decide on a major and/or develop special skills or talents?
-How can I use general education or college requirements to explore interests or majors?
-Which general education categories need to be fulfilled, and how can I fulfill them in a way that best suits my interests?
-Do I have an intended major or a strong interdisciplinary interest?
- Identify a top ten
After considering the above questions, develop a list of courses you are interested in pursuing. As you are making the list, write down some notes explaining your interest. An advisor will be able to help you identify target courses from your list, or other courses related to your interests, goals, and priorities.
- Write down your questions and concerns
Prepare a list of questions that you would like to ask an advisor in order of priority. This way, you will get the answers you need, and you will be able to stay on subject during your meeting.
Lots of Questions? Complex Issue?
Why not make an appointment? You can schedule a meeting to fit your schedule, and to give you more time for discussion. You can schedule an appointment at the front desk of our office or by telephone at 607-777-6305.
Tips on keeping your academic information organized
- Review your DARS report regularly. This will allow you to plan for future semesters and understand remaining requirements.
- Check your Binghamton University e-mail often. Important Harpur College information is sent to your Binghamton e-mail account on a regular basis. If you use an alternate e-mail, be sure to have your BU e-mail forwarded to that account.
- Notify the Registrar’s Office of an address change. The Harpur Advising Office occasionally sends mail to Harpur students regarding important policy/ procedure updates and reminders.
- Meet with your instructor and your major department advising office.
If you are experiencing academic difficulty, discuss your situation with your professors and academic advisors as soon as possible. There are numerous resources on campus that can help you to improve your academic performance.
- Meet regularly with an academic advisor. Meeting with an advisor can be very helpful in planning and implementing a class schedule prior to registration. Many of your long-term advising questions including degree planning and major questions can and should be addressed over a sustained advising period.
