Online major/minor/advisor form instructions for advisors and chairs/coordinators

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Instructions for academic advisor (for an advisor or major declaration)

Instruction video

Once you click on the link in the notification e-mail (see image below)

screenshot of email advisors receive when action is needed

or go directly to the Slate reader and log in, you will see your queue, which includes all of the students on which you need to take action.

Click on the student whose form you would like to review.

You will see all of the information the student submitted on the form. To take action on it, click on “Review Form/Send to Bin,” in the lower right corner of the screen.

When you do, the Review menu will open up on the right side of your screen. You will have the choices “Approve,” “Deny,” or “Need More Information.” You can also save internal notes for yourself, other approvers, and Academic Advising (not seen by students) in the “Internal Notes” text box.

If you are approving a student’s Advisor declaration form (that is, the student is not declaring a major at this time, but just adding or replacing an advisor):

  1. Select “No” for “Next Reader.”
  2. Under “Next Bin,” select “Request Approved.”
  3. Click "Send", and you are done.

If you are approving a student as your major advisee for a Major declaration form:

  1. Select “Yes” for “Next Reader.”
  2. Under “Next Bin,” select “Department Chair Review” and for “Next Reader,” select your department chair.

It is important that you remember to put your department chair’s name here so that they are notified that they need to take action. ***If you send the request to the “Department Chair Review” bin without putting a name for “Next Reader,” the request will end up in limbo—in a bin waiting for review but with no one alerted to do that review.***

If you are not approving a student at this time (for example, if the student has not spoken to you yet, or you are not the appropriate advisor for the student), select "Deny" or "Need More Information," depending on the circumstance.

If you select “Deny,” a text box will appear for you to write an explanation that will go to the student as part of the automatic “Request denied” e-mail the Slate system will send:

  1. For “Next Reader,” select “No.”
  2. Under “Next Bin,” select “Request Denied.”
  3. Click “Send.”

If you select “Need More Information,” you will see a link to send an e-mail message to the student. Once you have done so, select “No” for “Next Reader.” Then, under “Next Bin,” you can move the request into one of two places:

  • “Advisor—Need More Information” OR
  • "Advisor Review (current)," which will keep it in the current bin, so you will see it again in your queue the next time you log in

Note that the only difference between these is where the request resides for you in the Slate system, so this is purely a matter of your preference.

Finally, click “Send.”

 

Instructions for department chair/program coordinator (for a major or minor declaration)

Instruction video

As chair, you will have the same view as any other faculty member in the Slate system. So, follow the instructions for faculty through the point where you are reviewing a student’s request. You will see the same information and the same Review menu.

To see previous approver comments and approvals, select “Review Form(s)” on the left-hand menu, below the “slate” logo. This is where you can see any comments from the major advisor.

If you are approving a student as chair for either a major or minor:

  1. Select “No” for “Next Reader.”
  2. Under “Next Bin,” select “Request Approved.”
  3. Click “Send.”

If you have selected “Need More Information” and have contacted the student requesting that information, you can move the request into one of two bins:

  • “Department—Need More Information” OR
  • "Department Chair Review (current)" to keep it in the current bin, so you will see it again in your queue the next time you log in

Again, the only difference between these is where the request resides for you in the Slate system, so this is a matter of your preference.

If you have denied the request, you can send it to the “Request Denied” bin.

Finally, click “Send.”

Important: if you are approving a combined major, be sure to use the “Review Form(s)” option on the left-hand menu to determine if the request has been approved by the other department yet. If not, when you approve it as chair:

  1. Select “Yes” for “Next Reader.”
  2. Under “Next Bin,” select “Advisor Review,”
  3. For “Next Reader,” select the major advisor the student has listed for the other department.