Establishing the UAC
The UAC was established in response to a review of advising practices completed by the Advising Coordinating Taskforce at USC. The following six recommendations for advising were presented and are outlined in the Re-envisioning Academic Advising at the University of South Carolina report.
- Establish a USC Advising Center and First-Year Advisors to facilitate consistent student advising of all undergraduates, with attention to first-year and other students in transition. The UAC strategically allocates undergraduate academic advisors to each academic college/school based on a set of four allocation rules.
- Establish expectations and processes for the advising of freshman, transfer, and continuing students within their respective colleges and schools.
- Provide training and certification programs for First-Year Advisors and others who advise that incorporate USC academic requirements and national best practices.
- Provide technology and online resources that enable efficient and effective advising.
- Offer faculty-led student programs to assist first-year and continuing students to explore and connect with their fields of study and career opportunities.
- Develop a culture of student responsibility for academic and career planning.
In addition to fulfilling these recommendations, the UAC provides all services offered by Cross College Advising and Academic Coaching (ACE) formerly housed in the Student Success Center.