Future graduates must see advisers

New university requisites receive mixed reactions

By Angelita Caudillo
The Collegian

Two new requirements for graduation were established in fall 2006, with the goal of reducing the length of time it takes students to graduate.

“Graduation rates are not really bad,” Executive Director of Student Success Maxine McDonald said, “but it could be better.”

The new requirements will apply to many of the new students on campus, while others, mainly seniors, will not be affected in their final years at Fresno State.

The first new requirement is the declaration of a major. It requires that students with 60 units declare a major. After students have completed 45 units, they will be notified via e-mail that they are approaching this requirement.

The second and potentially more controversial requirement is to see a major adviser by the time 75 units have been completed.

McDonald said the new requirement would apply to students who entered the university in the fall 2005 semester.

“It gives students an idea of what needs to be done and helps them to clearly view that path,” McDonald said.

However, some students don’t see the new requirement as a positive one.

Kinesiology sophomore Mike Nyberg was not too happy when he was first told about the new requirement. Having entered the university in 2005, he will be obligated to fulfill the requirement.

“I think it’s stupid, if you want to see an adviser it should be your choice,” Nyberg said.

Junior business major Crystal Hetherington had the same reaction as Nyberg.

“It’s good for some people because they might be taking the wrong classes, but if you already know what you’re suppose to take, why should you have to see an adviser?” Hetherington said.

McDonald disagrees.

“I can see where one may see it is a burden, but I think the payoff is more,” McDonald said. “It’s a necessary ingredient in student success.”

McDonald said one reason the Student Success Task Force implemented the requirement is because research has shown that students who have interaction with faculty have greater success in college. One reason is because they feel more comfortable with the staff and faculty.

“It is very disappointing to know that you are one class off of graduating and I think that counters any argument. Do it now rather than waiting,” McDonald said.

Dean of Undergraduate Studies Dennis Nef had similar suggestions to any student who may think the new requirements are a burden rather than an advantage.

“This is to your advantage,” Nef said. “It’s a check to make sure you’re on progress early in your career. Instead of waiting until you have 90 units and look at your DARS report, why don’t you come in to talk about it as a freshman or sophomore?”

Both Nef and McDonald said they had no negative feedback from faculty and staff.

“I have heard no negative comments, other than a couple of faculty members concerned that they wouldn’t be able to cover everybody, but as we’re phasing it in that doesn’t seem to be a problem,” Nef said.

Senior social work major Janet Sandoval said the graduation requirements are both good and bad.

“It’s good because it helps you stay on track and it’ll let you know if you’re going to [be] graduating, but at the same time it’s like dang, they don’t want you to graduate,” Sandoval said.

Sandoval said she completed her general education requirements before she declared her major.

After she declared her major, she saw an adviser to see what she needed to do in order to graduate.
The adviser told Sandoval that some of the courses she had taken didn’t count because there were certain G.E. courses required for some of the major.

Sandoval said it took her another semester to complete those requirements.

“It’ll save them hours and hours of agony and stress,” Nef said. “I think it reduces the barriers, the faculty knows that students need this and they are going to expect the students to come in,” he said.

The Craig School of Business implemented the requirements a semester early, in spring 2006, and was used as the test case.

“It worked pretty smoothly,” Nef said. “I don’t think the students felt pressured or stressed and I don’t think the faculty or staff did either.”

Nef said students will be notified by e-mail and in PeopleSoft, it will say there is a hold — and in order to lift the hold, students have to see an adviser.

The only delay, Nef said, is that students cannot register for classes right after the adviser lifts the hold. They then have to wait a day before they are allowed to register.

Nef said his only response to students who thought of the requirements as a burden, was to give an experience he had when he was in graduate school and reviewing the courses he had taken so that he could graduate.

As Nef was arguing over a class he insisted he had already taken, the faculty member responded, “Do you want to do this the hard way or the easy way?” Nef responded, “Well, the easy way.” The faculty member said, “Okay, well then do it my way, it’s the easy way.”

“That’s what I’d tell students — this is the easy way,” Nef said. “Why get stressed when you think you’re going to graduate and you’re missing a course?”

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