Department of Statistics
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Advising Expectations

Academic advising is a partnership between students and staff. Our team of knowledgeable and experienced academic advisors are available to help facilitate your success. Managing expectations about the advising process helps students and staff maintain common understanding and clarify goals to best assist you through your college experience.

Please include your 10-digit campus ID number when contacting advising staff so we can best support you.

On this page: appointment expectations, useful advising links, attendance policy, and enrollment expectations.

Students will:

  • Take responsibility for your actions and decisions
  • Initiate contact with your advisor:
    • Be proactive and ask questions ahead of time
    • Schedule appointments via Starfish
    • Seek help before a situation becomes a crisis
  • Come to appointments prepared:
    • Run and review your DARS report
    • Have questions and discussion items
    • Be knowledgeable about academic requirements, policies, and dates and deadlines
    • Email a completed FERPA waiver form to your advisor 24 hours before your appointment if you want to bring a guest to your appointment
    • Email to ask for permission to record the meeting 24 hours before your appointment
  • Participate in meetings fully:
    • Tip: we cannot advise you if you are in the middle of a workout, at a family meal, or are driving in your car. Please plan ahead. If something comes up, you can reschedule your appointment.
    • Remove distractions
    • Be courteous
    • Ask questions if you do not understand an issue or have a specific concern
    • Answer your advisor’s questions to the best of your ability
      • Personalized information helps us help you!
    • Explore multiple plans and options based on your educational, career, and life goals
  • Keep personal records for your academic progress like:
    • Degree requirements
    • 4-year enrollment plans
    • Recommended courses
    • Campus resources
  • Follow through on your advisor’s suggestions and referrals

Advisors will:

  • Respect your individual experiences, cultures, strengths, challenges, and goals
  • Provide a high-trust space for you
  • Be a responsive listener and advocate while encouraging your own self-advocacy and decision-making
  • Help you explore your interests and relate them to academic majors
  • Discuss your academic performance and implications
  • Be accessible and reply in a timely manner
  • Be knowledgeable about your program, requirements, and policies to help guide your progress toward your degree
  • Refer you to resources and support systems across campus
  • Maintain confidentiality outlined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Undergraduate Advising Resources

Professional Programs Advising Resources

Appointment Attendance

Attendance Policy

We have 5 advisors for almost 3,000 undergraduates in the Statistics department. Advising appointments are limited. You must attend your scheduled appointments to avoid:

  • wasting your own time
  • taking your advisor’s time
  • taking space from other students who need advising

If you cannot attend your appointment, you must cancel (via Starfish or email your advisor) at least 10 minutes before the start time.

Links to your advisor’s Starfish profile can be found on your major website, which are linked above in the “advising resources” section.

No-show appointments:

The Statistics department defines no-show appointments as:

  • an appointment you do not attend
  • an appointment you cancel with less than 5 minutes notice prior to the start of the meeting
  • an appointment that you are more than 8 minutes late to

If you have 2 or more no-shows in a row, staff will email you before you can schedule another appointment.

Enrollment Expectations

Because we have so many students, we unfortunately cannot guarantee access into high-demand classes. Remember that the sample 4-year enrollment plan on Guide is just one option – differing from this plan does not automatically mean you are ‘behind’ your graduation timeline.

Before enrollment

  • Ask questions early!
    • Our schedules book 1-2 weeks in advance starting early November (for spring enrollment) and early April (for fall enrollment).
    • Discuss your questions before these peak times so you have answers by your enrollment appointment.
  • Clear holds on your account.
  • Plan multiple back-up options:
    • Have a list of alternative courses/sections in case your first-choice course(s) is not available.
    • Note: just because a course is ‘best’ for you (i.e., a course that satisfies multiple requirements) does not mean that we can guarantee access into such courses. You may have to take different courses than you originally planned.
    • Having a double major(s) does not give you priority enrollment in select courses over students without a double major (unless specified in the Course Notes or Requisites section in Search & Enroll).

During enrollment

  • Enroll on time – do not wait days or weeks after your enrollment appointment.
    • Including to wait lists!
      • Many courses fill early but then have seats that become available later.
      • TIP: adding the wait list two months after enrollment began will likely not help you get access into courses. Plan ahead!
  • Check Search & Enroll to for new seats or sections that have opened that you are not wait listed for.
  • Read all course notes or section notes, section-level requisites, and enrollment errors.
    • This helps you understand why you may not be able to enroll in courses.
    • If you still are not sure, send a screenshot to an advisor for help.
  • Do not over-enroll in major courses.
    • “Over-enrolling” means enrolling more than 2-3 quantitative and/or coding classes per term or enrolling in more courses than you need to complete your academic program.
    • Be kind to your peers: over-enrolling can actively prevent your fellow declared students from making progress towards graduation requirements.

After enrollment

  • Check your wisc.edu email every other day.
    • You may get enrollment access for a wait listed course or enrollment updates from staff.
    • Enrollment permission usually expires within 24-28 hours.
      •  If you do not use your access within that timeline, your spot is given to the next person in line. We cannot guarantee that you will be given access again.
  • Be patient!
    • Frequent emails asking about your spot on the wait list or if seats will open later delays us from managing course enrollment.
    • Check the Courses & Enrollment FAQ, or the FAQ on your academic program’s website for answers to commonly asked questions.

 

Personalized questions outside of your spot on the wait list are always welcome! Email us to talk through your options.