Academic advisors are key to supporting student progression, retention, and success. They provide personalized guidance to students regarding course selection, degree planning, institutional policies, and long-term academic and career goals. This glossary category highlights the core terms used in academic advising to facilitate communication between students, faculty, and administrative staff.
Whether working in centralized advising centers or departmental programs, advisors rely on consistent terminology to manage student plans, conduct interventions, and collaborate with faculty and registrar offices. As advising becomes increasingly data-driven and holistic, the use of standardized terms supports consistency and alignment across institutions.
Understanding these terms is essential for improving advising outcomes, automating alerts, and scaling student support systems across large and diverse learner populations.
A temporary restriction on course registration until a student meets with an advisor or fulfills specific advising requirements.
A system-generated review showing a student's progress toward meeting degree requirements, often used in course planning.
A proactive advising model where advisors actively reach out to students—especially at-risk populations—to provide timely support.
A customized plan co-developed by an advisor and student, detailing academic goals, action items, and support resources.
A notification triggered by faculty or systems to flag students who may be at risk of dropping out or underperforming.
A scheduled timeframe in which students are allowed to register for classes, often determined by class standing or program.
Academic advising has shifted from reactive to proactive engagement, thanks to predictive analytics, early-alert systems, and integrated student success platforms. Advisors now use real-time data and holistic profiles to provide tailored support at critical academic milestones.
Models like "Intrusive Advising" and tools like "Degree Audits" exemplify how institutions are evolving from basic schedule advising to comprehensive student success strategies. These changes support improved retention, equitable advising practices, and better alignment between academic pathways and workforce readiness.
Collaborative, technology-supported advising is now considered a cornerstone of institutional effectiveness.