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Program Overview
MSU Denver follows a shared academic advising model where professional academic advisors are embedded within colleges, schools, or academic programs. These advisors collaborate closely with faculty advisors to provide comprehensive student support. This shared structure is supported by Advising Systems, an academic program within Undergraduate Studies that provides centralized coordination and resources.
Our Guiding Documents
MSU Denver’s advising structure allows advisors to employ inclusive and equitable advising practices with their diverse student populations while also digging deep into curricular and developmental conversations specific to their academic areas of focus. MSU Denver’s standardized academic advisor position descriptions (Advisor I, Advisor II, Advisor III) are helpful in translating the *big work* of advising into actionable areas.
Academic advising at MSU Denver is guided by a set of frameworks, established by advising leadership in order to better direct, assess, and enhance the overarching advising program.
MSU Denver students receive personalized academic advising that meets them where they are so that they can get to where they are going.
The Academic Advising Community at MSU Denver upholds the following basic values as central to our work:
Student Success:
- Advisors equip students to achieve their educational, career, and life goals by honoring their lived experiences and the assets they bring to college.
Inclusive Spaces:
- Advisors strive to create and maintain accessible, equitable and inclusive spaces for our work, enacting processes grounded in justice, respect, and diversity reflecting our mission and diverse campus community.
Collaborative Advising Strategies:
- Advisors actively engage with students and campus partners to contribute to a student population well-versed in self-advocacy, creating and maintaining relationships across campus, and the cultivation of intellectual habits that lead to lifelong learning.
Integrity and Responsibility:
- Honesty, transparency, accountability, timeliness, and accuracy guide advisors’ work with students, each other, campus partners, and the larger community.
To deliver on the promise of its program mission and goals, MSU Denver Academic Advising outlines the following operational commitments at the advisor, unit, and program level.
Advisors will:
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be reasonably and predictably accessible to students via multiple channels.
- serve as positive role models, engaging in clear, inclusive, and considerate communication across all levels of the University community.
- employ informed and effective advising approaches to create a reflective, supportive, and brave space for students to explore educational, career, and personal ideas.
- effectively communicate University degree requirements, academic programs and policies, and campus resources relevant to a student’s experience.
- foster relationships with, and promote, programs, offices and personnel that provide students with educational, career, and personal growth opportunities.
- advocate with positive intent while supporting the development of students’ self-advocacy, decision making, accountability, and responsibility.
- embrace data-driven and technology-forward practices to meet the evolving needs of students.
- foster inclusivity and belonging and seek to mitigate barriers to student persistence, degree completion, and well-being in line with the University’s mission, core values, and strategic plan.
- adhere to the legal guidelines of academic advising practice within higher education, including privacy regulations and confidentiality.
Academic advising unit leadership will:
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ensure advisors receive timely updates on information relevant to the advising process.
- support their advisors through effective leadership that recognizes the scope of the advising role and its needs.
- uphold University advising standards while adapting to the distinct needs of their unit.
- facilitate communication between advisors and the University advising system level, promoting informed decision-making and collaborative planning.
- drive strategic data collection with the clear intent of recognizing successes and identifying areas for improvement.
The University advising program will:
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foster an engaged community that unifies the diverse academic colleges, schools, departments, and programs at the University.
- support comprehensive professional development programs to continually advance advising knowledge and skills.
- recognize outstanding academic advising, employing career development ladders and university-wide awards.
- elevate systemic issues and concerns and support large-scale initiatives that align the University’s strategic priorities and the advising program’s goals and expected learning outcomes.
- conduct regular, purpose-driven assessments at the program level to recognize strengths, identify areas for improvement, and inform strategic decision-making.
While measures of student satisfaction assess how students feel about their advising experience, measures of learning evaluate what students actually understand and can apply from advising interactions.
Student learning through academic advising is assessed by measuring students’ understanding of key advising outcomes, such as academic advisor roles, academic policies and degree requirements, use of advising related tools, ability to engage in goal-setting and self-advocacy skills, etc. Ideally each learning outcome has multiple means of measurement – direct/indirect, qualitative/quantitative. Not every outcome needs to be assessed at the same time, and as such, assessment plans typically involve multi-year commitments across the range of expected learning outcomes.
Common methods include pre- and post-advising surveys, advisor observations, student reflections, and tracking retention and graduation rates.
MSU Denver academic advising embodies the university core values of community, access, diversity, respect, and excellence by employing inclusive and equitable advising practices with our diverse student population. Academic advisors establish long-term advising relationships with students and empower them to define and navigate meaningful paths toward achieving their educational, career, and lifelong learning goals. Academic advisors achieve this through a learning-centered approach that provides students with holistic, clear, accurate, and timely guidance and support that informs their choices.
Collectively, academic advising at MSU Denver works towards the following goals:
- Ensure that all students have access to informed and inclusive advisors appropriate to their academic and career preparation stages.
- Provide accurate information about university academic requirements, policies, and procedures.
- Encourage, support and guide students to take increasing responsibility for identifying and meeting their own academic, personal and career goals.
- Support and promote a culture of quality academic advising through advisor training, development, recognition, and reward, and advising program assessment.
It is the collective aim of the Academic Advising program at MSU Denver that students experience growth because of their interactions with academic advising. As students advance through their education, they cultivate intellectual habits that lead to lifelong learning. This learning, as it occurs within the academic advising process, is often expressed by students as demonstration of the learning outcomes below.
As a result of engaging in the academic advising experience, students:
- Demonstrate understanding of relevant roles and responsibilities, including their own, in the academic advising process.
- Students can identify advisors relevant to their academic program and proactively engage in effective communication, while gradually taking on more responsibility for initiating advising sessions throughout their academic experience.
- Choose academic programs appropriate for their educational and career goals.
- Using accessible information and resources, students can explore the variety of academic programs available to them to build a foundation for discussions about their interests, values, and abilities with an advisor, with the final goal of declaring or confirming an academic program, or programs.
- Craft a path toward achieving their educational and career goals.
- Through discussions with an advisor, students can co-construct an academic path consisting of courses and experiences that achieve their educational and career goals.
- Pursue opportunities that support them in completing their plan and attaining their stated goals.
- Students can follow, and as needed, adjust their plan, and pursue appropriate courses and experiences (such as internship and employment opportunities and co-curricular activities) that allow them to act toward achieving their stated education and career goals.
Undergraduate Advising Teams
Please see the CACED Advising page for more
CACED advising information. Visit the the CACED Advisor Directory page to see the faculty advisors in your program.
Please schedule your advising appointment through Navigate or by reaching out to your academic department directly. To help us stay organized, we ask that you do not contact your advisor directly to set up appointments.
Phone: 303-615-1114
[email protected]
College of Business Advising Information
New transfer students, freshman and sophomore students, readmits, and seniors nearing graduation should meet with a professional academic advisor.
Juniors and seniors should meet with faculty advisors in your major department to discuss major elective options, career goals, and internships.
Phone: 303-615-1099
[email protected]
College of Health and Human Sciences Advising Information
Academic Advisors are available for in-person and virtual appointments. Many of our advisors work extended hours so they can be available for appointments early in the day or late in the afternoon/evening.
When you schedule an appointment online, please make sure to include your phone number, the day/time/advisor, and preference so that we can update your appointment details. If you request a Teams video/screen sharing appointment but we’re having issues with technology, we will default to a phone appointment.
Please send an email to [email protected] or give us a call at 303-615-1099 if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to schedule an appointment. Please include your name, student ID number, major, phone number, days/times you are available, and preference for an in person, phone, or video/screen sharing appointment.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with your advisor yourself, please do so through Navigate Student.
Phone: See the CLAS advising webpage for contact information
College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Advising Information
During the weeks leading up to the start of each semester, MSU Denver sees an increased number of students registering for classes and reaching out to their Academic Advisors for help. To help as many students as possible between January 12-23, 2026, the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Academic Advisors change their schedules to accommodate more drop-in advising opportunities.
Visit the CLAS Peak Academic Advising Schedule online.
Students generally work with their professional academic advisor/s first and then transition to working with faculty advisors in their department. Keep in mind, this varies by department, so double check before you schedule.
Phone: 303-615-2025
[email protected]
Exploratory Advising Information
Exploratory students are those that have not decided on a college major.
A Non-Degree Seeking student is a student looking to take classes at MSU Denver without earning a degree here. This is not the same as being an Undeclared/Exploratory student.
If you are a non-degree student and a class you want to take has prerequisite requirements, you will need to schedule with the academic department that class is housed in to request a prerequisite override.
Phone: 303-615-1555
[email protected]
School of Education Advising Information
Whether you are a new or prospective student, a current student, graduate student, or you need to meet with a School of Education course instructor, you can submit a request for an appointment using this form.
We will ask you a few questions on the request form that will help us determine an appropriate advisor – you don’t have to know who to meet with at all, we’ll help you figure it out!
Looking for a specific advisor? Browse the School of Education advisor listings.
Phone: 303-615-1616
[email protected]
School of Hospitality Information
Advising Systems plays a vital role in advancing student success at MSU Denver. As part of Undergraduate Studies, a unit within Academic Affairs, the department manages many aspects of the undergraduate academic advising program across the University’s shared advising model.
They work in partnership with colleges, schools, and academic programs to support efforts that foster consistent, student-centered advising aligned with institutional goals. This approach strengthens communication and coordination throughout advising teams in colleges and schools.
In addition to leading key initiatives, providing academic advisor training and professional development, and supporting strategic planning, their Student Intervention Services staff works with students facing academic challenges.
What They Do:
- Help coordinate academic advising efforts across colleges, schools, and academic programs
- Lead efforts to improve consistency and clarity in undergraduate advising practices and communication
- Provide academic advisor training and professional development opportunities
- Provide guidance to students on academic standing
- Leverage technology-driven solutions to enhance student support and streamline workflows
- Manage strategic initiatives, including the:
- Early Alert Program
- Academic Standing Policy
- Navigate360 Platform
Impact:
By building strong partnerships and aligning academic advising with institutional goals, they help create a connected, student-centered undergraduate advising experience that drives student success.
Contact information:
Student Success Building 170 (Window #2)
Advising Systems
[email protected]
303-605-5650
Student Intervention Services
[email protected]
303.605.5644
