Note to Parents and Family

Whether your student transferred from another institution, or is attending Texas State as a first-time college student, academic advisors help ease their transition by providing academic guidance in a collaborative and supportive environment. From new student orientation to graduation, we are here to assist students with semester planning and provide information pertinent to their academic success.

As advisors, our goal is to empower students to take an active role in their educational experience and prepare them to make informed decisions regarding the completion of their degree. We believe that academic advising is an opportunity to educate students on degree requirements, academic policies, and campus resources. In addition to course selection and long-range planning, our staff can answer questions about transfer coursework, education abroad, GPA calculation, and major/minor selection.

As a parent or family member, we know your student’s success is a top priority. In an effort to meet the unique needs of each student, academic advisors are trained to effectively communicate, actively listen, and are prepared to help students identify common academic issues. In the event an advisor is unable to assist your student, a referral will be made to the appropriate campus resource. If your student doesn't know where to go or what to do, the advising center is a good place to start. Please encourage them to schedule an appointment with an advisor and we will happily help them get back on track.

For current students in good academic standing, academic advising is not required; however, we encourage students to meet with us on a regular basis to ensure they are on-track for graduation. If your student has been recently admitted or re-admitted to Texas State, they are required to meet with an advisor prior to registering for courses. Please refer to Undergraduate Admissions for more information about New Student Orientation.

An important factor in determining what access you have to a student's records is also the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which limits the nature of information we're able to provide to anyone other than the student.

Without a FERPA Grant Access form on file, there are still a number of other accessible resources on the Texas State website and on our College of Liberal Arts Advising Center website like those listed below:

• Refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for explanations of academic policies and for individual course descriptions of every course offered at Texas State University. 
   
• Explore our website for a list of Majors and Programs offered within the College of Liberal Arts and degree planning information about each. 
   
• Use the search function at the top right corner of the Texas State Homepage to search for a specific staff or faculty member's email and office phone number. 

Our front desk staff are also available to you if you still have questions or would like something you've found online explained over the phone or in person.  If they can not provide you with the information you need, they will refer you to the appropriate resource and/or schedule you an appointment with an advisor.

Academic policies are fully outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog, but a few of those policies that are especially relevant to many transfer students include the following:

Students who have attempted numerous courses outside of their degree program requirements may be affected by Tuition for Excessive Undergraduate Hours.

Students whose Texas State GPA falls below 2.0 are placed on Academic Probation and must raise it to a 2.0 within two long semesters to avoid being placed on Academic Suspension. 

'Graduation' refers to the actual awarding of a student's degree to their transcript upon successful completion of all degree requirements. 

'Commencement' refers to the ceremony conducted at the conclusion of each academic semester in celebration of those students who will be graduating.

Participation in the commencement ceremony is not necessarily indicative of a student's graduation status. Posting of final grades occurs after the approval process for commencement ceremony participation and therefore does not account for a student's final academic standing, which will be used to determine graduation eligibility.

The Parent and Family Relations office is dedicated to providing you with timely communication to help your student navigate college.  They also offer a variety of programs, activities, and resources for you and your student.

The Texas State Family Association is a support organization dedicated to helping Bobcat families feel connected to their students' university experience, providing information to families as well as opportunities for involvement with the university with the understanding that students blossom when family and friends take an active interest in their education.