Why academic advising is important

By Julie Newell
Editor in Chief

One of the many student resources that LCC offers is academic advising. Academic advising is a department where students can find help to make sure they are on track to reaching their academic goals.

“Advisers are like a doctor for a student’s academic health,” LCC Lead Faculty Adviser Eva Menefee said. “We make sure you are taking the right courses to help you reach your career goal.”

Menefee said whether students plan to get an associate degree, a certificate, or are looking to transfer to another school, advisers can help them plan out their MAP (My Academic Pathway).

“An adviser will help you stay on track by working with students to create a MAP in degree works,” Menefee said. “A MAP outlines the classes a student will need to take at LCC to help them reach their goal.”

According to Menefee, advisers are trained as generalists, but each adviser has a specialty area.

“For example, if you are interested in nursing or sonography, you can ask to talk to a health careers adviser,” Menefee said. “If you are interested in business, you can talk to a business adviser.”

Menefee said advisers can help students with more than just course selection and program planning.

“Advisers can help you with career decision making, transfer school exploration and selective admissions requirements,” Menefee said. “In addition, if a student needs to have a MTA (Michigan Transfer Agreement) audit, academic amnesty, or nursing sign off, advisers do that as well.”

Menefee said that having an adviser is important to help students stay on track, make sure they take the right classes and help them reach their academic goals.

“Speaking with an adviser can make sure that the classes you choose to take actually will make sense to the degree path you are following,” Menefee said. “Higher Education is much too expensive these days to get too far off track.”

Menefee said it is important for students to stay on track, even if they change their major.

“An adviser can look at what you have taken and, like doing a puzzle, they can help you make something out of the pieces you already have, possibly with the addition of just a little more,” Menefee said.

Menefee recommend that students meet with their adviser at least once a semester.

Advisers are available by appointment in person, by phone or WebEx. To make an appointment call 517-483-1200 option 4 or email to eadvising@lcc.edu.

Students can also contact an adviser by chat at https://www.lcc.edu/services/advising/index.html.