Author: Whitney Jones

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Professional Advising University Advising Center

Advising Communication Update for Simmons

Dear Simmons Faculty and Staff,

As we continue to enhance the undergraduate advising experience for our students, we would like to share important updates regarding advising procedures for current and new students in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

SMU in Four recently sent an advising update to all faculty and staff, stating that any student who declares a major before June 1, 2025 will continue to be advised under the current advising structure. Continuing students will receive communication in August regarding how to access advisor information through my.SMU. However, all Simmons majors who declare after June 1, 2025 will transition to professional advising through the University Advising Center (UAC).

Samia Siddiqui will become a full-time staff member of the UAC, with primary responsibilities in advising. Samia has played an integral role within Simmons, and her knowledge and expertise in the majors will be invaluable during this transition. The Division of Student Academic Engagement and Success is currently in the process of hiring a degree counselor to coordinate all Simmons records functions, including athletic certification, graduation certification, petitions, repeat rosters, and more.

Here is what you can expect from these changes:

  • Professional advisors will support students with:
    • Approving Abroad Proposed Plans of Study
    • Assist students with completing petitions
    • Awareness about departmental events
    • Declaring majors and minors
    • Fulfilling Common Curriculum requirements
    • Guiding students toward on-time (4 year) graduation
    • Semester and Intersessions scheduling (including support for double majors and major/minor combinations)
  • Faculty will continue to mentor students in:
    • Internship and experiential learning opportunities
    • Curriculum guidance and sequencing within majors and minors
    • Concentrations and specializations within academic programs
    • Career exploration and industry-specific advice

Together, faculty and advisors will form a co-curricular partnership to support student success throughout their academic journey on the Hilltop. Your role will remain integral to student success.

More information about this process will be shared soon. Departments will be meeting with advising staff over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition and continued support for our students.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to student success.

Samia Siddiqui

Director of Advising & Student Records

Dr. Francesca Go

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, ad interim

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Professional Advising University Advising Center

Professional advising in Dedman College

Dear Dedman Faculty and Staff,

As we continue to enhance the undergraduate advising experience for our students, we would like to share important updates regarding advising procedures for current and new students in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

SMU in Four recently sent an advising update to all faculty and staff, indicating that any student who declares a major before June 1, 2025 will continue to be advised by their current faculty advisor in Dedman College. This aligns with our established advising structure. Continuing students will receive communication in August regarding how to access advisor information through my.SMU.

This semester, several Dedman College departments participated in a pilot program with the UAC to support a smooth transition to professional advising. These departments were Anthropology, Biology, Biophysical Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Health and Society, Mathematics, and Political Science. Students who declare these majors after June 1, 2025 will be advised by UAC professional advisors. We sincerely thank these departments for their leadership and collaboration during this important initiative.

Professional advising of other majors will be implemented in stages and will occur only after there has been a period of training and preparedness. Starting in Fall 2025, the next group of majors that will begin the process of adopting professional advising are listed below. They will receive communication in the coming months about advisor training in collaboration with the associated departments.

  • Earth Sciences
  • History
  • Human Rights
  • Markets and Culture
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology
  • Sociology

All remaining majors can expect communication regarding collaboration with UAC advisors beginning Fall 2025 or early Spring 2026 to begin the training process. As all programs adopt professional advising, they will be organized in a pod and supported by a team of 3–4 advisors. The purpose of this structure is to group similar majors based on student experiences. The pods will be structured as follows:

  • Business Adjacent: Advertising, Applied Physiology & Sport Management, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, Economics, Journalism/Fashion Media, Markets & Culture, Sport Performance Leadership
  • Pre-Health & Natural Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysical Science, Health and Society, Applied Physiology and Health Management
  • Statistics, Math, and Physical Science: Data Science, Creative Computing, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics
  • Social Science: Anthropology, Human Rights, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
  • Humanities: English, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, World Languages and Literature

Note: International Studies and Public Policy will continue to manage their own advising for declared majors.

Dr. Kacy Hollenback (khollenback@smu.edu), Director of Undergraduate Studies in Anthropology and a Provost Fellow, is dedicating time to learn how you advise your students, understand your best practices, and hear about any concerns or issues. The role of DUS will continue to play a vital role in student success. Even with the shift to professional advising, faculty engagement with students remains essential. Faculty will continue to mentor students and identify meaningful touchpoints each semester to support students in a variety of ways, including internships, minors, research, career pathways, etc.

All current and new advisors will continue to have access to the Advising Canvas course, as well as the newly developed Advising Handbook, which will be available in Summer 2025. These resources will support ongoing efforts to guide students to degree completion and academic success.

The UAC is currently finalizing advisor assignments. Once complete, DUSs and department chairs will be notified.

Continued Support from Dedman College Academic Services

Dedman College Academic Services will maintain essential enrollment functions, manage academic records, and provide academic support for all declared Dedman College students. Monthly reports—including rosters of assigned students and their declared majors—will be distributed to all advisors, DUSs, and department chairs.

Thank you for your continued dedication and partnership as we work together to support the academic success of our students. If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Dr. J.B. Georges

Director of Academic Services & CIQ Officer

Dr. Tom Carr

Associate Dean, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

 

Categories
Professional Advising Student Academic Engagement & Success University Advising Center University Advising Center

New Director to lead the University Advising Center

We are excited to announce that Josh Beaty has been appointed as the new Director of the University Advising Center, effective April 4, 2025. In this role, Josh will oversee advising for both pre-major and declared students in select majors within Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, and Meadows School of the Arts.

Josh brings over a decade of advising experience to this position. He began his career at SMU in 2014 as an academic advisor and was later promoted to Assistant Director.

While many of us know Josh as a dedicated and collaborative colleague, he also has a rather unique extracurricular portfolio. He owns the fourth-largest pog collection in the lower Midwest, once attempted to traverse the Texas Panhandle on a Segway (until the battery gave out), and was originally cast in the role of Sebastian in La La Land—until producers decided they wanted someone who could “sing,” “dance,” and “look more like Ryan Gosling.”

If you haven’t already, please join us in congratulating Josh on his new role. We look forward to working with him in this exciting new chapter.