Mission, Vision, & Values

Mission 

The mission of the Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising (OAPA) is to empower all undergraduate students at UMBC to make informed decisions about their academic pathways; to support exploratory, pre-allied health, and incoming students specifically; and to lead the campus coordination of academic advising through training, assessment, and support.

Vision  

The Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising aspires to lead our campus community in becoming the global model for academic advising best practices where every student is empowered to achieve their full potential at UMBC and beyond.

 

We are guided by the following core values: 

We aim to forge meaningful connections with students, fostering an environment of genuine and humanistic interactions. Our student-centric approach enables us to understand their needs, leading to positive interactions and advising outcomes. 

We foster an atmosphere where students are validated while exploring various academic pathways and navigating their individual academic journeys at UMBC. Our office provides students with a supportive environment where they are empowered to be exploratory and inquisitive. We hold space for students to be heard and foster a judgment-free zone in which we seek to understand our students and help them move toward their goals.

We take pride in our professional code of ethics and standards of care, which position us as a reliable place for students and campus stakeholders to obtain accurate information that impacts students’ academic planning and decision-making. 

We honor our diverse student population’s unique needs and experiences and strive to engage with them in a manner that conveys respect, understanding, and empathy through our advising practices.