Student Responsibilities | Academic Advising, The Ohio State University (2024)

Advisors have things they are supposed to do, but so do you! The advising relationship is a partnership. Here's a few things you should do regularly:

• Check your campus email daily. University offices send official notices and information to your "name.#@buckeyemail.osu.edu" email account. If you have your email forwarded to another email account, you may not receive official Ohio State mail, including information on scheduling and graduation. We recommend that you do not forward your email to another account. Go to buckeyelink.osu.edu to update or manage your Ohio State username and e-mail account online. If you are having problems, contact (614) 688-HELP
• Schedule regular appointments with your assigned academic advisor(s). How often depends on you; talk to your advisor(s) about what would be appropriate if you are unsure
• Have honest conversations with your advisors about what your needs are when you believe that they are not being sufficiently met ; while this approach is uncomfortable, this is great practice for how you will be expected to address conflict and misunderstandings in the workplace after graduation and some departments have only one advisor so switching may not be an option
• Know your current schedule at all times, including class numbers. You can find your schedule by logging into your Buckeye Link account
• Know whether or not you are on a waitlist. You can find this information by logging into your Buckeye Link account.Check your schedule regularly to see if you have been added to a class from the waitlist. (The waitlist will not add you to any classes after the first Friday of the term)
• Check the prerequisites for all classes that you schedule
• Drop courses you have stopped attending. An instructor will not automatically drop you from a course simply because you stopped attending class. You are also responsible for knowing the drop deadlines for each term
• Know the consequences of schedule changes (the effects of changes on your eligibility for financial aid, your projected graduation date, your athletic eligibility, your tuition and fees, etc.)
• Understand your fees (tuition, health insurance, etc.) and resolve any issues. Contact the Buckeye Link office for assistance
• Read and understand the Code of Student Conduct (available under the "Bylaws and Rules" menu on the Board of Trustees page)
• Know the university's and your college's policies, regulations, and procedures
• Read and understand the definition and consequences of academic misconduct
• Maintain good academic standing (what is considered "good" may vary based on your program/major)
• Review updated information on general education requirements. Know the requirements of the curriculum you are pursuing
• Provide the documentation required for the exemption from student health insurance, if you are covered by another plan

Your email contacts with faculty and staff are part of your official academic record. These guidelines will help you present yourself professionally.

Getting Started

• Always use your Ohio State email address. This is the only way the reader can be sure it comes from you, since you are the only one who should have access to your account password.

• Include specific useful information in the subject line; it helps faculty and staff identify which messages to address first. Subject lines that say Quick question are not specific enough; subject lines that say Course drop question help advisors understand that this email needs to be answered soon

• Include a greeting in your email, such as "Hi, Dr. Smith," or "Dear Mike"

  • Most instructors like to be called "Professor," "Dr.," "Mr.," or "Ms." and their last name, unless they have given you permission to call them by their first name

  • Using "Hey" instead of "Hi," "Hello," or "Dear" is considered informal and is not appropriate for email to anyone other than your friends

  • Use an introduction and conclusion at the end of each email, even if it is part of a chain. It shows good manners

Writing Your Email

• Keep your tone polite, include all relevant information (your full name, major, etc), and try to ask only questions with a single/simple answer (for example: a question about which GE to take can have many answers, but a request for a website URL has only one correct answer)

• Do not use texting shortcuts or slang. Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation will make your email easier to understand

• Remember that email is NOT a secure form of communication. Be careful about what you include in email. Don't send sensitive personal information in an email

After Sending

• Do not forward your Ohio State email to a non-Ohio State email account (such as gmail, yahoo, or hotmail). Email is the main way that Ohio State contacts you. If you decide to forward your email to an outside account, important university email could end up in a junk or spam folder. You are responsible for knowing the information in any official Ohio State messages that are sent to your email address

• Be aware of when you are most likely to get a response:

  • Advisors (like many other members of the university community) keep hours between 8:00 a.m.and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (standard business hours and days). That is when they will likely be reading and responding to email. If you send a message to your advisor at 1:00 a.m., don't expect an answer at 6:00 a.m.

  • Likewise, if you email your advisor Saturday night, don't expect an answer on Sunday

  • Keep in mind that advisors see many students; a response within 1-2 business days is reasonable

  • In asking a question, please email one advisor, not an entire advising office. If you do email multiple advisors, please let them know that another advisor may be working on your request