The mission of academic advising at Missouri State University is to assist students as they develop meaningful educational plans to help them achieve their life goals. The Academic Advisement Center is directly responsible for advising undergraduates who are in the process of selecting majors. To contribute to the overall success of academic advising on campus, the Academic Advisement Center provides services, programs and publications to assist academic departments in providing quality advising to all of our students.

Relationship of Academic Advising to the Mission of Missouri State University

Academic advising is one of the few services in which all students participate and arguably the only one that includes a one-on-one relationship between each student and a member of the faculty or professional staff. “Advisors are especially important because they are among the first people new students encounter and should see regularly...” (Kuh, 2006).The advising relationship therefore provides a unique forum to discuss the benefits of higher education and individual student goals and responsibilities. Effective advising relationships contribute to a learning environment that fosters each student's opportunity to become an educated person.

Effective academic advising enhances student retention and is an important part of our enrollment management plan. If we are to maintain our enrollment goals while continuing to raise admissions standards, a campus-wide commitment to academic advising is necessary.