(10/31/99)

LSA Student Academic Affairs serves students, the College, the University, and the larger society by contributing to the intellectual and personal growth of students in the liberal arts tradition. Our staff shares with teaching faculty and other academic departments the task of facilitating the student's academic path through the College. In achieving its mission, LSA Student Academic Affairs:

• Assists students in defining educational goals and in designing a plan to meet these goals.
• Guides students in assuming responsibility for their education.
• Teaches students to appreciate the values of a liberal arts education.
• Provides accurate and accessible information to assist students in making informed decisions.
• Articulates the standards of the College and assists students in meeting these standards.

LSA students are encouraged to be actively involved in shaping their own undergraduate experience. To help them accomplish this, the College provides academic advising support to students for reaching their academic goals and objectives. Students are expected to meet with academic advisors to discuss course selections and the wider issues of educational planning.The Comprehensive Studies Program, the Honors Program, and the Residential College Academic Services Office are responsible for academic advising and, in the latter two units, for academic actions and academic auditing for students admitted to their respective programs, and each of these programs is described separately in Chapter VI of the LS&A Bulletin.

LSA Student Academic Affairs provides the following services: Academic Advising, Academic Standards, Academic Auditing, Academic Information and Publications, Central Files, and the Office of the Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs. Student Academic Affairs is responsible for helping undergraduates achieve the expectations and rewards of the liberal arts education afforded by the College. A liberal arts education, first and foremost, is a natural forum for an inquiring mind, and the staff of Student Academic Affairs serves students and contributes to their intellectual and personal growth by encouraging informed decision making, self-assessment, and the assumption of self-responsibility. The Student Academic Affairs staff also shares with the teaching faculty and academic departments and programs of the College in the task of facilitating the student's academic path through LSA. Student Academic Affairs is committed to promoting the understanding and accomplishment of a liberal arts education, and will do all it can to succeed in meeting its service obligation to students.