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Advising Information for WGS Majors

The responsibilities of your faculty advisor are:

  • To help you plan your program of study;
  • To listen to your academic concerns and needs;
  • To be available to you and take an interest in your welfare;
  • To refer you to appropriate resources elsewhere on campus or beyond for guidance on academic and career matters;
  • To help you make informed decisions, negotiate difficulties, and take ownership of your education by learning from the consequences of your actions and choices.

Your responsibilities as the advisee are:

  • To be an active participant in your educational planning, goal setting, and career choices
  • To develop a program plan with liberal arts breadth and depth that may change over time as you discover new interests and passions, but still leads to graduation in a timely manner;
  • To develop resourcefulness by seeking out, identifying, and appropriately using resources beyond your adviser for guidance on academic and career matters;
  • To assume ownership of your education by learning to make informed choices and take responsibility for your decision.

When to meet with your advisor:

  • Prior to the fall registration period, you should make an appointment with your advisor to discuss your goals and course selections for the spring and winter semesters;
  • Prior to the spring registration period, you should make an appointment with your advisor to discuss your goals and course selections for the summer and fall semesters;
  • During your search for an internship and prior to accepting an internship;
  • You may also contact your advisor via email to set up an appointment for advisement any other time during your academic career.

Preparing for advisement appointments:

Always come prepared for your advisement appointment.  Before meeting with your advisor, you should log onto PAWS to review your Academic Requirement Report, check your Unofficial Transcript to ensure that all AP/transfer/ test credits are posted, create a What if Scenario, and search for your course selections for the upcoming semester and place desired courses (plus four or more back-up courses) into your Shopping Cart.  If you are unsure how to navigate within PAWS, student tutorials are available at:  http://www.tcnj.edu/~it/paws/students.html. Course offerings within the Women’s and Gender Studies Department can be fount at: http://www.tcnj.edu/~wgst/courses/index.html.

 

 

Additional Resources:

Humanities and Social Sciences (with liberal learning information and links to other resources): https://hss.tcnj.edu/

TCNJ Undergraduate Bulletin: http://www.tcnj.edu/~bulletin/

Academic Integrity Policy: http://www.tcnj.edu/~academic/policy/integrity.html

Office of Differing Abilities Services: http://differingabilities.tcnj.edu/

The Career Center: http://career.tcnj.edu/

Study Abroad Programs: http://cge.tcnj.edu/

Goals for the first year:

  • Become familiar with the various features of PAWS (see above);
  • Research the requirements for graduation and for each major, minor, and interdisciplinary concentration you may be considering;
  • Investigate how to maximize the Breadth Distribution courses you register for (ie. course counts towards a Liberal Learning requirement and towards your major);
  • You should know the drop/add days and how to drop or add a course;
  • You should fulfill all noncredit requirements for graduation (e.g., Community Engaged Learning and library requirements);
  • Create a tentative four-year plan so you can see your options for each major, minor, and interdisciplinary concentration you may be considering;
  • Visit the Center for Global Engagment and discover your study abroad options;
  • Apply for membership in student organizations that compliment your academic and social endeavors;
  • Make every effort to talk to the upper classman within your major, TCNJ alums, and people currently working in the careers you are considering. They can provide you with a wealth of valuable information.

Goals for the second year:

  • Revise your four-year plan if needed;
  • Register for courses within your major that are being taught by professors you have not had yet;
  • Develop a professional relationship with at least one faculty or staff member who can serve as a mentor;
  • Consider study abroad programs;
  • Research internship possibilities and consult with advisor about Field Study Course.

Goals for the third year:

  • Build your resume;
  • Learn what the Career Center has to offer you;
  • Apply for internships to meet the requirements of WGS 398;
  • Determine when you will take the Praxis, GRE, LSAT, or MCAT (if relevant);
  • Research graduate schools.

Goals for the fourth year:

  • Apply for Graduation (Senior Audit);
  • Plan for your transition to life after graduation;
  • Schedule the Praxis, GRE, LSAT, or MCAT (if relevant).

Advisement and goals for transfer students:

Please see Goals for second and third year students.  As an incoming transfer student, it is vital to your academic success that you meet with your advisor during your first semester at TCNJ to ensure that all coursework completed at your previous educational institution has been evaluated and applied correctly to your Academic Requirement Report.  It is also important to note that even though you may have completed four academic semesters at your previous school, it will more than likely take an addition  two and a half to three years to complete your degree at TCNJ.

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