Fresno State hosted the first ever Advising Day on the University Student Union balcony on Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event had games and resources to help undergraduate students reach their academic and professional goals.

All eight colleges on campus had tables at the event where students could walk up and either meet with an academic advisor or schedule an appointment to help students prepare for the Spring 2024 semester.

Perla Perez Maciel, an academic counselor with the University Advising Center, was the coordinator of Advising Day.

“Basically, students need to know that we have a set of tools that can help them keep track of their graduation progress and also help them with selecting classes and scheduling. Mainly, we wanted to bring the advisors right now in case they [students] run into problems,” Perez Maciel said.

Advising Day also brought in other other campus resources for students to talk to regarding their academic success, such as EOP counselors, Undergraduate Degree Evaluations and Veteran services.

Maciel described how there are many tools for students to use online that can help them navigate their way to graduate on time.

“The Steps to Success is what is funding this event. That is our Degree Progress Report, our My Degree Plan and we also highlight in-class scheduling and Bulldog Connect. It’s a tool where students can schedule an appointment online (with their academic advisor),” Perez Maciel said. “And all of these tools, we have videos on Youtube. We have tutorials so the students can know what they are, but mainly we want them to know all these tools can help them keep track of their degree.”

Advising Day isn’t just for students to meet with academic advisors. Many other campus departments were at the event as well.

Jerry Gomez, program coordinator for Off Campus Student Life and Innovation, explained how students who live off campus also have resources to get more involved with campus life. He said there are also ways to network with other students and campus community members.

“Any student identifying as a Bulldog commuter, is anyone who doesn’t live on campus. They could live across the street, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, [or] an hour and a half away. We try to do a lot of different events and programs to connect with students,” Gomez said.

“We like events where we can provide food items, refreshments and whenever there is an event like this; We like to engage so that students know that we are there for them and at the same time we like to promote other resources,” he added.

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