Advisors play a crucial role in assisting students with their academic endeavors. Each student is assigned a faculty or staff advisor, as he/she enters Principia. The advisor will encourage questions, help in making responsible and informed choices about academics and provide an invaluable informational resource. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisors any time they need assistance. Advisors:

Students are responsible for obtaining registration materials, reviewing course information online and making advising appointments with their advisors 7th week of each quarter. At this appointment each student reviews course choices for the next quarter, discusses long range goals and obtains the advisor’s signature on the Advising Registration Agreement (ARA), so as to get his or her Alternate Pin Number for registration.

When coming to Principia, students will meet with their new student advisors, faculty or staff members involved in the academic program.

New student advising occurs before the quarter begins. New students have several opportunities to meet and talk with their advisors about goals, interests and plans for courses for the upcoming quarter. Registration occurs after the meetings with advisors.
First-year students are advised within "interest groups." Although these groups include students who have expressed a common interest in an academic field, advisees should still be encouraged to explore the wide range of choices at Principia. Advisors should not assume that a student has selected a major track merely by being in a particular interest group. The advisor should help the student consider a number of options so that she or he will arrive at carefully thought-out decisions and academic directions.

Week 6
Set up an appointment with your advisor for week

Week 7
Obtain a course schedule for the next quarter by getting onto Self-Service Banner or from ACA or the Registrar's Office Read Course Info online Meet with your Advisor Update your Educational Planning Guide Ask about upcoming abroads, extra curricular activities Discuss long term goals, internships, graduate schools, careers

Week 8
Registration (check days/times in Self-Service Banner or on the front of
the paper copy of the Course Schedule)
Note: for updates on spaces available (in classes) check Self-Service Banner,
Or in the ACA office, or on the bulletin board outside Registrar’s Office.

Note: for updates on spaces available (in classes) check Self-Service Banner,
Or in the ACA office, or on the bulletin board outside Registrar’s Office.

Tips on selection of courses:

Withdrawals

“Temporary” withdrawals

Students who withdraw “temporarily” (for only one or two quarters) should notify the Academic Transition Coordinator with contact email, phone number and location because the Academic Transition Coordinator (x5777, SG 114) will help the quarter prior to returning, with the communication between the student and his/her advisor(s), especially during advising & registration weeks (weeks 7 & 8 ). If the student’s plans to return become evident after week 8, the Academic Transition Coordinator will help achieve the registration up until the “batch” deadline date during the break which is set by the Registrar.

“Permanent” withdrawals

Students who withdraw “permanently” (for three Quarters or more) need to see the Academic Transition Coordinator (x5777) in Academic and Career Advising (ACA), SG 114, for an exit interview.  The Academic Transition Coordinator then alerts all offices impacted by the student’s withdrawal, which include the Office of Admissions and Enrollment, the Office of Student Life, Financial Aid, Billing Services, and the Registrar’s Office.  The student should then personally contact his/her employer(s), academic advisor(s) and resident counselor, coach(s), the Financial Aid Office (7+ 3554) and the mailroom.  If the circumstances of the withdrawal do not allow the student opportunity to contact these individuals personally, the Academic Transition Coordinator and/or Office of Student Life (OSL) will provide this notification.

Students who originally withdrew “permanently” but who return after an absence of only one or two quarters, should simply contact the Academic Transition Coordinator. Their resuming process will then be the same as for “temporary” withdrawals.

Suspensions

Social: One and two-quarter suspensions do not have to re-apply in order to resume studies at Principia.  Three-quarter suspensions must re-apply through the Office of Admissions and Enrollment.*

Academic:  Eligibility to re-apply through the Office of Admissions and Enrollment is granted upon completion of a full year of satisfactory work at another accredited college, a full year of work experience, or a combination of the two. *

Financial:  The Business Office (Billing Services) must clear a student on financial suspension prior to his or her return to and/or registration at Principia.*

*NOTE: In all three types of suspension, the Academic Transition Coordinator must obtain clearance from the applicable office prior to the student’s being able to work with the Transition Coordinator in order to be re-enrolled, advised and registered for the upcoming quarter. 

Uncertainty about withdrawal

Students who are uncertain about their return should see the Academic Transition Coordinator, who may be able to help them clarify what they want to do or to refer them to another who might be able to help.  Students are encouraged to work with their advisor and plan an advising registration agreement and even register for the next quarter rather than withdraw, if they are uncertain, in order to keep their options open.

Re-applying

Regardless as to whether a student has withdrawn “permanently” or “temporarily”, if that student has been away for just one or two quarters, he or she may return to Principia without re-applying, by contacting the Academic Transition Coordinator in ACA, (618-374-5777 or 800-277-4648, x2801).

After a one-year (3 quarters) absence, however, the student must contact and work with the Office of Admissions and Enrollment in order to return to Principia.  The student is sent a shortened application form, which the Admissions Committee will review. Upon re-acceptance, the Academic Transition Coordinator then becomes involved in coordinating the advising and registering process for that student.