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> Office of the Provost > Student Outcomes Assessment > Advising Plans
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Advising Goals
Our overall advising goal is direct each student major to
the best possible education programs in chemistry and
biochemistry. In addition to classroom and laboratory
instruction, our programs require participation in
professional quality research, tailored to the interests
and aptitudes of each student. Our advising policy also
aims at promoting faculty/student interactions, problem-free
course selection and curricular planning, a timely academic
progression, and regular student feedback.
Advising Policy
Each student is encouraged to meet with their advisor on a
regular schedule or whenever the student has a particular
concern or question. In addition, we have procedures in
place to require students to see advisors at least twice
yearly. Which advisor is assigned depends on the
particular option chosen by the student as indicated above.
Recent Changes and Future Plans
- To Improve Quality of Advising
- We made major changes to our advising system a year earlier,
when we switched from one advisor to the present system of
six advisors. A weakness with this system is that it is
more difficult for an advisor to find the time to keep
current on all present university and department procedures
as they relate to advising. Our plans thus include making
it easier for advisors to reference such information.
We are also working to improve advising by promoting
contacts between our present majors and past MSU Chemistry
and Biochemistry graduates that have had successful careers
in industry, government, and academia.
- To Improve Accessibility of Advisors
- As mentioned above, we switched from one advisor to six in
1994. Since most students can go to either one of two
advisors, there is rarely a problem of no advisor being
available. In the last two years, the number of
biochemistry majors has increased substantially, however,
and we are in the process of evaluating whether we need to
add an additional advisor for this option.
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