The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS) is a vibrant academic community that fosters engagement, development and academic success in all phases of the student life cycle. The successful student experience will involve personal, interpersonal, intellectual and social development and empowerment.

Student success depends upon an essential partnership between students and the University. The Centre for Student Success has been created to provide and partner with other responsible areas in the Faculty and University to deliver the successful student experience in LA&PS. Students served by the Centre for Student Success can be prospective, transitioning, continuing, graduating or alumni of LA&PS.

Academic Advising Services

Advising is one of the crucial activities that support student engagement and success. The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies considers academic advising to cover a number of complementary areas related to assisting students:

• select majors and courses;
• change majors or degrees;
• transferring to LA&PS;
• ascertain whether they are meeting the Faculty's academic regulations;
• plan for their academic future both before and after graduation;
• and generally make the most of their talents and interests.

The Centre for Student Success - Academic Advising Services will assist new students with the transition into their first year at York University and support them throughout the entire first year. It is responsible for providing students with the advice and information required for a successful first year experience.

The centre is also committed to advising continuing students. Advising those students is a shared responsibility of the Centre for Student Success, individual departments, divisions and programs of the Faculty as well as the Faculty-affiliated colleges. Students should contact these offices throughout the year for advice and information related to their academic career including academic performance, degree program requirements and career planning.

Academic advisers will provide advice, guidance and support, as well as strategies and guidelines for continued educational success. They will provide accurate information of academic policies, procedures, regulations and degree requirements. They are here to answer questions and when unable to provide an answer, they will find the person who can or refer students to the appropriate resource.

Advisers are available for new and continuing students from 8:30am to 6:30pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30am to 4:30pm on Fridays.

Academic Success and Student Responsibilities

It is important for students to recognize their responsibility to familiarize themselves with the academic policies, procedures and requirements, published each year in the Undergraduate Calendar. They must continually monitor their progress toward graduation and for their academic choices.

Students are expected to:

• ensure the courses they choose meet all requirements for graduation;
• ensure the courses they choose meet prerequisites and are not course credit exclusions of other courses already taken;
• ensure the times of the courses they choose do not conflict;
• ensure the accuracy of their registration records, including all changes;
• note and observe deadlines and procedures, especially deadlines for adding and dropping courses;
• ensure full documentation is provided in support of petitions and other requests for special consideration;
• keep themselves informed about their academic progress, including their performance in individual courses;
• ensure they are familiar with the University Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.yorku.ca/oscr/studentconduct.html);
• ensure they understand University Academic Integrity provisions (http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/policies/document.php?document=69).

It is also recommended that students become familiar with the broad range of information and services available through the LA&PS Web site. This site has a great deal of information on the matters listed above, but also provides useful links to services such as Web enrolment, Student Client Services in the Division of Students and Student Community and Leadership Development and Faculty-affiliated colleges.

Student Engagement

Student engagement occurs in academic, cocurricular and extracurricular programs, initiatives and activities inside and outside of the classroom, as well as in the community. The Centre for Student Success recognizes that students who are actively engaged benefit more from their university experience. While every LA&PS faculty and staff member has a responsibility to “act” in ways that support student engagement and create a sense of community, staff in the Centre for Student Success are dedicated to providing and partnering with other areas of the Faculty and University to offer student engagement opportunities. Whether it is putting students in touch with an academic club, or inviting them to a workshop on student awards and bursaries, the staff in the Centre for Student Success will ensure students discover the many opportunities to be an engaged learner and student leader in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.

Below is a sample listing of student activities that students can find out about in the Centre for Student Success:

• Peer mentorship programs in partnership with the Faculty colleges, which match upper year and new students to help during their first year experience.
• Volunteering and skills building opportunities for students.
• Awards information sessions and scholarship/awards celebrations.
• Participation in LA&PS student clubs and Faculty governance.
• Workshops that support student academic success.
• Student Experience Fund to support club and student initiatives.
• A host of other initiatives that encourage student leadership, development, alumni involvement and the active participation of all LA&PS community members.