Orientation Advising

The Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising works closely with the Office for Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation to provide academic advising during both Summer and Winter Orientation. If you are an incoming freshman or transfer student looking for information about New Student Orientation, including scheduling your orientation advising appointment, please click here.

Each session, UMBC brings both new freshmen and transfer students to campus for Course Selection Day, a one day orientation program designed to acclimate new students to campus and register them for classes. Our office coordinates the academic advising component of Course Selection Day. For more information on Orientation programs, click here.

As part of Orientation, our office recruits faculty, staff, and graduate students from all academic departments on campus to assist us is advising and registering new students. These Orientation Advisors, assist in the overall provision of academic advising and registration assistance to the entirety of UMBC’s entering undergraduate population.

 

Position Description for Orientation Advisor

Orientation Advisors assist in the overall provision of academic advising and registration assistance to the entirety of UMBC’s entering, undergraduate population.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree required 

  • Attending a one-day training program.
  • Discussing advisees’ major and minor interests.
  • Reviewing advisees’ prior high school and/or college coursework.
  • Interpreting advisees’ outside responsibilities, such as work and family obligations and exploring extracurricular interests at UMBC.
  • Discussing appropriate course load given advisees’ personal and academic circumstances.
  • Assisting advisees with developing a course schedule for the upcoming semester.
  • Assisting advisees with registering for the upcoming semester.
  • Writing advising notes to record the interaction with each advisee.
  • Interpersonal communication skills; the capacity to listen and respond to individuals’ questions and concerns; the ability to help others problem-solve and make decisions.
  • Ability to interact in a positive manner with a varied student population in a multi-ethnic and multicultural environment.