Advising

Following admission to the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, each student is assigned an academic advisor. This is in line with the University Academic Regulations. The academic advisor continues to advise his/her students up to their graduation. Due to its importance, academic advising is considered as equally important as other duties such as teaching, research and service.
The duties of the academic advisor as outlined in  Academic Regulations are to:

• Help the student discover his/her potential and capabilities.
• Approve the student’s choice of courses each semester in accordance with Academic Regulations.
• Assist the student in exploring alternative paths to the degree, if for any reason the normal pace of the degree is disrupted.
• Advise the student on other matters affecting his/her studies.

To effectively carry out these duties, the academic advisor has to:

1. Maintain a student file consisting of: (i) the Student Information Sheet; (ii) a Degree Program Checklist (Academic Record Summary) (iii) past registration forms; (iv) an updated transcript; and (v) other administrative documents (e.g. Drop & Add Form, etc).

2.  Give a general orientation by meeting advisees prior to registration to discuss the course registration process, course selection and class schedule.

3. Explain graduation requirements, which consist of University, College and Departmental requirements.

4. Explain performance evaluation and how academic progress depends on the GPA and CGPA at the University.

5. Carry out related administrative tasks involving change in majors; dropping or adding of a course; course withdrawal; student absence; transfer from the college; postponement of studies; and withdrawal from the University.

6. Help in conflict resolution between the student and faculty members as well as course and time management.

7. Encourage the student;  ensure that there are no academic problems hindering performance; and advise the student to seek professional help if needed.

8. Help in career decisions by stimulating his/her advisees thinking by mentioning all the possibilities of pursuing a career in different disciplines.

Academic advisors are required to keep a file on each of their advisees. This file includes:

1. Student Information Sheet (SAA1).

2. Student Academic Record Summary (SAA2) & Transcripts.
   This form will be useful for degree auditing. It helps the advisor keep track of all courses taken or should be taken by his/her advisee. The form consists of two sheets: the first sheet includes the common courses that need to be taken by all Engineering students; and the second sheet should be generated by each Department for each program or specialization and must be distributed to the advisors by each Department.

3. Recommended Semester Course Load (SAA3)
   It is the responsibility of the students to see their advisors before registration to discuss the courses that need to be taken.

4. Probation Interview Report (SAA4). (This form should be filled once the student is on academic probation).

5. Transfer Form to Counseling & Guidance Center
   The advisor can recommend transferring his advisee to the  Counseling & Guidance Center. The transfer form should be submitted to the Counseling & Guidance Center by the student.

6. Admission material, transfer equivalency records and correspondence.

The academic advisors use the Student's Academic Record Summary, which incorporates the requirements for completing a degree and the University regulations to track students’ progress towards attaining the B. Eng. Degree.

Comprehensive advising and registration guides are also available on the internet at http://sisinfo.squ.edu.om/ or at  http://sis.squ.edu.om. This document serves as the guideline and is available to staff, faculty and students. Seminars and presentations are generally held to the faculty on student advising.