On the Job with Academic Advising

The Bulletin sat down with Beth Merritt Miller, coordinator of freshman programs for the office of Academic Advising.

What do people think you do?
When people hear that I help organize freshman programs at Sacramento State, they assume that I run freshman orientation.

What do you really do?
The best aspect of my job is that I get to do a number of things. First of all I help incoming students get enrolled in programs that can help them succeed academically. The freshman seminar program is designed to help high school students adjust to college life, both in and out of the classroom. The learning community program also helps students by putting them into an environment that helps them achieve. I also supervise the peer mentor program that utilizes current student’s experience to aid freshmen.

Describe your office.
Our office really works together well. Mary Sheppard is our orientation coordinator and she runs freshman orientation, Ed Perhay deals with probationary students, and Tom Griffith is our director. We have faculty advisors as well as student interns that also provide academic advising to students. The interns are particularly important because they can relate to the students much better and provide the kind of information and support that students want.

What surprises people?
Students are surprised to find out how comprehensive our advising can be. Tom and I have doctorates and Mary and Ed have master’s degrees. I think that we offer more than just a “Here’s what classes to take” kind of advice. We are always trying to cater to the needs of the students. Students also find it nice that they can walk into the office and get to talk to someone immediately.

What is your biggest challenge?
Dealing with students with academic difficulty is the most challenging aspect. Many students who are having problems in their college livelihood could have avoided their problems if they had only come to see us earlier. We’re here to help them and it can be very frustrating to the student and for us because we’ve got most of the answers, it’s just of matter of seeing us first.

What do you get asked the most?
“Is my GE done?” And the hardest part is usually having to answer, “No.” Many transfer students from community colleges have been told that their general education requirement is complete, however, you can only complete so many GE courses at a community college.