Academics and Advising

Academic advising is one of the cornerstones to a successful student experience at the University of Idaho. Whether you are a faculty or staff member looking for guidance on how to advise your students or a student looking for academic advising on everything from choosing a major to career goals, our staff in academic advising can help. At the University of Idaho, academic advising is performed at the department or college level. Students are assigned an advisor by the college or department for the major(s) a student has declared. 

Academic Advising Center

Vandal Success Center, Idaho Commons 306; 208-885-6300; advising@uidaho.edu

The Advising Services program serves as a clearinghouse for academic advising information and is a point of contact where new and continuing students receive help in finding their way to the appropriate college and department advisors. Advising Services is also a center for delivery of development programs on academic advising for faculty and staff advisors. Advising Services staff can assist students considering a change of major and consult with advisors and students who have questions regarding general education requirements.

Center for Disability Access and Resources

Bruce M. Pitman Center 127; 208-885-6307; cdar@uidaho.eduwww.uidaho.edu/cdar

The University of Idaho has established services for students with disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended. 

The Mission of the Center for Disability Access and Resources (CDAR) is to provide equal and integrated access to students with permanent or temporary disabilities. Students requesting accommodations or services must provide CDAR with appropriate disability documentation to support their request. In order to receive services in a timely manner, students are advised to make requests with adequate advance notice. Services include, but are not limited to deaf services, alternative text, notetaking, testing accommodations, assistive technology, transition management, housing accommodations, campus accessibility information, scholarship opportunities, advocacy, and assistance with learning as it relates to disabilities.  

Students are asked to contact CDAR as soon as possible to discuss specific disability-related concerns and needs. This voluntary self-identification enables CDAR to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations to ensure classes, programs, services and activities at the University of Idaho are accessible. Information regarding disabilities will be kept in strict confidence and has no effect on admission to the University. Federal law prohibits the Admissions Office from making preadmissions inquiries about disabilities. 

Counseling and Testing Center

Continuing Education Building, 3rd Floor; 208-885-6716; www.ctc.uidaho.edu

Many students find that it is helpful to discuss their concerns with a professional who takes the time to listen and understand. Counselors at the Counseling & Testing Center (CTC) are available to meet with students to discuss personal, educational, or career concerns. Counseling can help students learn more about themselves and develop new skills to deal more effectively with personal problems such as depression, anxiety, stress, eating disorders, sexual abuse, relationships, academic pressures, and problems with alcohol or other substances. Counseling sessions are confidential. The CTC offers the following services: crisis intervention, individual counseling, group counseling, couples counseling, stress management, biofeedback training, educational presentations, referral, testing, and assessment of learning disabilities. For students who wish to research issues on their own or in conjunction with a counselor, the CTC has a self-help room with information to assist students with solutions to problems such as test anxiety, panic, depression, homesickness, relationship concerns, and a variety of other issues common to college students.

The CTC also offers the following career development and counseling services to help students select a major and a career direction that is right for them:

  1. individual counseling for major and career decision making,
  2. career interest testing and interpretation, and
  3. computerized career exploration system (DISCOVER© ).

The CTC offers a variety of testing and assessment services. These include placement tests such as COMPASS which is used to determine initial placement in math and English courses, and advanced placement exams such as CLEP which allow students to earn college credit by passing exams in a variety of subject areas. The CTC also administers many of the national testing programs such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, TOEFL, MELAB, MCAT and PRAXIS and provides a secure testing environment for students who need exams proctored. Assessment services include evaluations for learning disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. In addition, psychological, diagnostic and career assessments are often used in the context of counseling and are available at the CTC. A fee is charged for most testing and assessment services. For more detailed information go to www.uidaho.edu/CTC/testing.

Counseling services are available without charge to full-time students. A fee is charged for most assessment and proctoring services. The CTC is committed to offering services that are inclusive and respectful of all students, regardless of race and/or ethnicity, sex, color, religion, spirituality, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or veteran status. For additional information on services provided by the Counseling & Testing Center, visit the web at www.ctc.uidaho.edu.

National Student Exchange

National Student Exchange (NSE) gives University of Idaho students the opportunity to attend one of 175 colleges or universities throughout the United States for one or two semesters. UI students pay UI fees or the resident fees of their host campus. Students normally need to apply by February for the next academic year. Credits earned on NSE fulfill University of Idaho residence-credit requirements.
 
To qualify for participation in the NSE, a student should:

  1. be a full-time University of Idaho student;
  2. be a sophomore, junior, or senior at the time of exchange; and
  3. have a UI grade-point average of 2.5 at the time the application is filed.

Information and applications may be obtained from the International Programs Office, LLC Building #3, Ground Floor (208-885-0858).

Polya Mathematics Center

Brink/Phinney Hall, 1st floor; 208/885-5717; polya@uidaho.eduwww.uidaho.edu/sci/math/polya/approach

The Polya Mathematics Center is a resource for students who take MATH 108, MATH 143, and MATH 144. Polya is located on the ground floor of Brink/Phinney Hall. The computer lab offers students mathematical software and courseware and is staffed over 70 hours each week by tutors and instructors. The students in MATH 108 and MATH 143 attend one focus group each week where they are guided by an instructor who provides the necessary structure and direction. Additional lectures are delivered at computers by streaming video so that students can view them at their leisure.

The pre-calculus courses MATH 108 and MATH 143 are taught entirely in Polya. The students in these courses attend one focus group each week where they are guided by an instructor who provides the necessary structure and direction. Lectures are delivered at computers by streaming video so that students can view them at their convenience and review them as needed. Those who prefer a live lecture can attend the lecture series offered nine times a week. Students do homework exercises on the computer. The computer-mediated exercises offer assistance and immediate detection of errors. The flexible organization of these courses offers students the option of working at a faster pace than required in order to complete the courses in less than a semester.

The Polya Math Center staff also offers drop-in assistance for students in MATH 160MATH 170, and MATH 175 in the Calculus Learning Center from 3 pm - 9 pm Mondays through Thursdays and 1 pm - 5 pm Fridays and Saturdays.

Pre-Health Professions Advising 

pre-health@uidaho.edu; 208-885-5809

The Pre-Health Professions Advising Program at the University of Idaho serves as a resource for current students and alumni from all majors who are interested in a health professions career. 

"Pre-Health" is not a specific major or academic track: it is a personal and professional development path that students pursue alongside completion of their degree requirements. Pre-health advisors assist students with prerequisite course sequencing, advice for building necessary clinical and shadowing experience, preparing to take professional school entrance exams, and guidance with the application and interview process.

Students can connect with our program by signing up for the Pre-Health Advising Contact List (this process also adds a specific pre-health cohort code to your Degree Audit, such as "pre-med" or "pre-PT"), requesting an individual advising appointment, attending workshops, and following us on Facebook.

Raven Scholars Program

Idaho Student Union 330​, https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/cdar/raven-scholars; ravenscholars@uidaho.edu; 208-885-9107

The Raven Scholars Program supports college success for students who are on the Autism Spectrum by providing peer mentoring, coordination of campus services, and opportunities to improve academic and life skills. 

Statistics Assistance Center

Second Floor of the University Library in the tutoring areawww.uidaho.edu/sci/stat/about/sac

The Statistics Assistance Center (SAC) was developed to give assistance to students taking lower level statistics courses. Statistics graduate students in the SAC provide help for students enrolled in STAT 251STAT 301, and STAT 431. The staff works to provide a friendly, non-threatening environment where students will feel comfortable to work, ask questions, and learn statistics outside of class.

The SAC is generally open for statistics tutoring Monday through Friday. Statistics tutoring hours vary each semester, so please check with the Department of Statistical Science Office (Brink 415A; 208-885-2929) for scheduled times or see the statistics web page (www.uidaho.edu/sci/stat/about/sac). Students can visit the SAC on a drop-in basis during scheduled times for help with homework problems. There is a Student Computing Lab that has a number of computers that provide supporting software for statistics courses at the Library.

Student Support Services - a TRIO program

ssstrio@uidaho.edu

Student Support Services (SSS), an academic support program, assists 232 participating students each year to

  1. identify and pursue their educational goals;
  2. establish, maintain, or improve their academic performance; and
  3. work through the challenges of university life.

The SSS-Trio program offers participants individualized tutoring in most subject areas, educational planning and goal setting, academic advising, and focused learning and study skill development. SSS also provides personal support. This support is particularly helpful for students with specific needs (e.g., delayed entry or re-entry, nontraditional preparation, disabilities which impact learning, academic probation and reinstatement, or provisional admission).

To be eligible for services, a student must be either a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, must have a need for academic services, and must be

  1. low income (according to federal guidelines) OR
  2. from a first generation family (neither parent/guardian has earned a baccalaureate degree) OR
  3. have a documented disability which impacts learning.

SSS Merit Scholarships (between $890-$1,000) will be awarded spring semester to each active program participant with freshman or sophomore standing who is a PELL Grant recipient with financial need and who makes satisfactory academic progress fall semester. Students are accepted into the program on a first-come, first-served basis and are encouraged to contact the office as early in the semester as possible. 

Tutoring and College Success

tcs@uidaho.edu

Tutoring and College Success (TCS) supports all undergraduate students in their educational goals through Drop-In Tutoring (tutoring for most subjects with no appointment), Supplemental Instruction (SI-PASS, Peer Assisted Study Sessions for difficult courses), and Academic Coaching (success consultations, workshops and presentations, and for-credit success strategies course).

Writing Center

Idaho Student Union Building (ISUB) 323; 208-855-6644; writingcenter@uidaho.edu; www.uidaho.edu/class/writingcenter

Located on the third floor of the ISUB, the Writing Center offers peer tutoring assistance to all UI students. Writing Center tutors assist students with writing for any class or subject and at all stages of the writing process. The Writing Center is open Monday through Friday through face-to-face or online tutoring sessions during the fall and spring semesters. Students can check availability and schedule appointments through the website. Students can also telephone, email, or visit the website for further information.