An Education Plan outlines a list of all courses a student needs to satisfactorily complete in order to earn their certificate or degree.  The list of courses will be outlined into quarter units so that a student will know exactly what courses to register for each quarter.

• Saves time and money.
• Informs students of exactly what courses they need to register for each quarter.
• Presents students with clearer pathways to completing their academic and career goals.

• All students need to make an educational plan that reflects what their goals are for attending Northwest Indian College.
• While NWIC strongly recommends the student and an Advisor create the Education Plan as part of the initial advising and registration process during the student’s first quarter of attendance at NWIC, an Education Plan may be created and revised by any student and an Advisor (Faculty or Academic) at any time.

Some students have specific goals while others only have a vague idea about why they are attending college. Even if a student wants to take time to explore majors by taking a variety of courses, they need to make a tentative plan outlining the English, math and general education courses they need to complete their goals.

**Remember, student education plans are not etched in stone; they can be changed or modified as goals change. Please also keep in mind that excessive changes in academic and certificate programs may result in students earning unnecessary course credits resulting in increased costs of both time and money to the student.

1. Be prepared to discuss your goals and educational plan during an appointment by gathering relevant information before you arrive.
2. Come prepared to advising appointments with tentative course choices according to your degree program (be aware of course prerequisites).
3. Keep your advisor informed of changes to your educational and career goals.
4. Ask questions if something is not clear during the advising session.
5. Be open and willing to consider advice given during the session.
6. Accept responsibility for decisions made during the advising process.
7. Schedule and keep appointments with your academic advisor – remember to plan ahead and schedule your appointments in advance of peak busy times.
8. Become knowledgeable of campus policies, procedures, academic calendar deadlines, and resources.
9. Inform your instructors and/or advisor when something disrupts your ability to attend classes or interferes with your academic performance.
10. Regularly check your NWIC email account for important messages.

An advising syllabus is a tool which allows advisors to outline the advising relationship and experience for their advisees. Use of this tool is grounded in our understanding that advising is essential to the educational mission of our institution. At NWIC, course syllabi are a regular part of every student’s classroom education. However, the role of our advisees’ co-curricular experiences is not often as clearly defined even though literature indicates that student success highly correlates to activities outside of the classroom (see Cress et al., 2001, Higbee, 2002, Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991).

Advisors often help students navigate between curricular and co-curricular issues; an advising syllabus is one way we can help students close the gap between the two. For example, advisors model and teach life and professional skills that support student academic success. Additionally, advising is one of the few resources students find consistent from semester to semester; thus it is at the center of student education.

CSS Advising Syllabus