Advising Calendar & AA Actions

• Thursday, August 31: Individual Registration Meetings with your advisees
  Advisors must sign off on advisees’ registrations by 5PM. 
  AA Action: Arrive 10 minutes early, bring laptop and be prepared to contribute.
  
• Friday, September 1: Class schedules temporarily available on WebSIS
  AA Action: Remind your advisees to review their schedules for accuracy and to download or enter into CourseRoad or some other calendar management tool.
  
• Tuesday, September 5: Registration Day for upper-level students
  AA Action: Help your students make any necessary adjustments to their schedules. This may include lecture or recitation changes, adding themselves to CI waitlists on WebSIS or submitting an Add/Drop Forms for a class that they decided to change.
  
• Monday, September 11: First full week of Classes 
  AA Action: Follow up with each advisee once again, referring to your notes/spreadsheets as needed, to ensure that they have made registration adjustments. This often includes adding themselves to CI waitlists and attending the first class or finding a HASS class that interests them.
  
• Monday, September 18: Second week of Classes
  AA Action: Connect with your advisor about planning individual check-in meetings with your advisees. You should give the advisor your availability since it is important that you are included in these meetings if possible. These check-ins are intended to get to know your students better and address any initial issues that they may be experiencing.
  
  It’s also a good time to start organizing a fun activity with your advisees. You can take the lead by using an online scheduling app to coordinate. Funding is available available through your advisor.

• Monday, October 2: Few days before Add Date Oct 6
  AA Action: Remind your advisees about Add Date as a time to consider switching versions of classes. If a student finds themselves in a class that is not suitable for them, they should submit an Add/Drop form to be approved by their advisor. Most GIRs within a department are scheduled simultaneously to accommodate changes, and instructors are flexible about make up work.
  
• Monday, October 9:  Instructors begin sending First Year Flags(cc advisors) to any first year who is performing at C or below.
  AA Action: Be proactive by asking your advisor if any of your advisees are ‘struggling’ in a class and how you can help. Then invite these students to meet with you in order to figure out what has contributed to their poor performance. By offering pset and test taking strategies, time management tips, and directing them to appropriate resources, you can help them improve their performance.
  
• Monday, October 16: Second round of check-in meetings with your other advisees
  AA Action: Plan meetings with your advisees for a brief check in if they are doing fine and a more comprehensive meeting if they are experiencing academic or personal difficulties. Talk to your advisor on how they prefer to follow up with your student. In some cases, your advisor might defer to you.

• Friday, November 3: Last day to add half-term subjects offered in second half of term (H2).
  AA Action: Lots of first year students take 6.100A, so this date is very important if they decided to add the class or any other half-term one.

• Monday, November 20: One week before Drop Date November 22
  AA Action: Contact advisees prior to Drop Date to help them assess whether dropping a class in which they are struggling or is taking up most of their time might give them time to focus on their other classes. Meet with any advisees that would like to discuss their options.
  
  Ask them about their plans for Thanksgiving and direct those staying on campus to gatherings on the holiday.
  
• Monday, November 27: Last check-in meeting before finals
  AA Action: Schedule a third check in meeting with your advisees as the semester comes to a close. Reminders include pre-registration, preparation for finals and plans for IAP.

Wednesday, December 13: Last Day of Classes
AA Action: Send your advisees online tips and resources for finals preparation and remind them to find stress relief techniques that work for them.

Friday, December 18 – Thursday, December 22: Final Exams

Thursday, December 22: Finals end
AA Action: Send a congratulations message to each of your advisees because they made it! Check your notes for details that you might include about their specific challenges or accomplishments.

Monday, January 30: Registration Week Begins
AA Action: Coordinate with your advisor the individual registration meetings for your advisees.

Wednesday, February 1: Associate Advisor Recruitment Begins. Application available online
AA Action: Re-apply and refer your advisees and friends!

Friday, February 3: Registration Week Ends at 5pm
AA Action: Remind your advisees that they must take the last step of ‘submit’ to finalize their registration.

Monday, February 6: First Day of Classes
AA Action: Let students that any changes after they have submitted their registration require an Add/Drop form. If an advisee did not enter the CI lottery, they can add themselves to waitlists on WebSIS.

Monday, February 13: First full week of Classes 
AA Action: Follow up with each advisee referring to your reg notes, to ensure that they have made section changes and other schedule adjustments.

Monday, March 17: Associate Advisor Application Deadline

Monday, March 6: Few days before Add Date March 10
& (Leslie’s 30th wedding anniversary!)
AA Action: Remind your advisees about Add Date as a time to consider switching versions of classes. If a student finds themselves in a class that is not suitable for them, they should submit an Add/Drop form to be approved by their advisor. Most GIRs within a department are scheduled simultaneously to accommodate changes, and instructors are flexible about make up work.
Monday, March 13: First Year Flags from instructors begin going out any first year who is performing at C or below. You will not be copied on notifications.

AA Action: Ask your advisor if any of your advisees are ‘struggling’ in a class and how you can help. Reach out to any advisees to help them figure out what has contributed to their poor performance. It might be how they’re approaching the material and need to connect with department or TSR tutoring.

Week of March 20: Check In Advisee Meetings
AA Action: This is a good time to schedule check in meetings with your advisees to find out how the semester is going. These should be initiated in communication with your advisor.

Associate Advisor Applications: April 3-14 are AA group interviews for new applicants. Returning applicants do not interview.

Nominations for First Years/Advisors Awards begins (more information to come!)

Friday, April 7: Last day to add half-term subjects offered in second half of term.

Friday, April 14: Last day to add half-term subjects offered in second half of term (H4).

Tuesday, April 18: One week before Drop Date April 25
AA Action: Contact advisees prior to Drop Date to help assess whether dropping a class in which they are struggling would allow them to focus on their other classes. Meet with advisees that would like to discuss their options.

Tuesday, April 25: Last day to drop half-term subjects in second half of term.

Friday, April 28: Deadline for your advisees to declare their major
AA Action: Have preliminary conversations with each of your advisees about their decision. This includes answering questions but also directing to resources that will help them make the decision on a major. Forms need to be turned in to the Office of the First Year, 7-103.

Monday, May 1: Pre-Registration for Fall Term begins
AA Action: Email your advisees to initiate at least with one class even if they don’t actually know what they are taking.

Monday, May 1: Last day to drop half-term subjects offered in second half of term (H4)

Week of May 8: Recommended end-of-term advising meetings with your advisees
AA Action: Check in with your advisor about planning the final meetings. It’s a great time to remind your advisees that they have until Add Date of the following semester to change their grades to P/NR and visa versa… and to say goodbye!

Tuesday, May 16:  Last day of Spring Term classes

Friday, May 19 – Wednesday, May 24: Spring Term Final Exam Period
AA Action: Send a congratulatory message to your advisees for finishing up their first year at MIT!