Undergraduate Advising Council (UAC) Operating Code

Article 1 – Mission

The mission of the Undergraduate Advising Council (UAC) is to provide a university-wide forum for academic advisors and student affairs professionals to discuss advising and other matters that relate to University of Florida undergraduate students. Our specific goals include . . .

• Disseminating advising and student services information to academic advisors;
• Establishing and promoting a common understanding of university policies and procedures among UF advisors, administrators, and students;
• Developing, evaluating, and recommending changes to advising and administrative policies and procedures that affect undergraduates;
• Facilitating cross communication among UF academic affairs and student affairs offices to insure that administrative policies and procedures are efficient, effective, and in the best interest of our students and the university;
• Keeping the advising community abreast of services offered by UF student affairs offices so that we can make appropriate referrals to our students and, in turn, providing academic and student affairs offices with input and feedback on the services they provide to students;
• Generating professional development opportunities for academic advisors;
• Promoting the academic advising profession and advancing the university community’s understanding of the purpose and function of academic advising; and
• Ensuring that advisors are represented in university projects/committees that impact their work.

Article 2 – Membership

General Membership   

All UF faculty and staff who provide academic advising services to undergraduate students will be welcomed as general members. The Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs serves as an ex-officio member to the UAC.  

Voting Membership

The following colleges will provide two voting representatives to the UAC:

• College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
• College of the Arts
• Warrington College of Business Administration
• College of Design, Construction and Planning
• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• College of Health and Human Performance
• College of Journalism and Communication
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• College of Nursing
• College of Public Health and Health Professions
• College of Pharmacy

The following units will provide one voting representative to the UAC:

• Dean of Students Office
• Office of Student Life at Large
• Office of the University Registrar
• Office of Admissions
• University Ombuds
• Financial Affairs
• Career Resource Center
• Flexible Learning
• Office of Undergraduate Affairs
• Innovation Academy
• Student Representative
• Counseling & Wellness Center
• UF Honors Program
• UF Online
• UF Housing and Residence Education

College and units will annually select their voting representatives and notify the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and the UAC chair of these appointments prior to the first meeting of the fall semester. College and unit representatives will be responsible for informing their college/unit of UAC meeting dates and times, as well as the topics and issues that were addressed at the meetings. If a representative is unable to participate in a vote, he or she can submit a written request for a proxy to the Chair prior to the vote.

Article 3 – Responsibilities

General Responsibilities

The UAC plays a vital role in the development of policy and procedures that influence undergraduate education and academic advising at the university. To that end, the UAC provides a forum for academic advisors to discuss issues related to undergraduate education, share information, promote a common understanding of university policies and procedures, and vote on changes to be considered by the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and the Advisory Council for Undergraduate Affairs (ACUA).

Meetings

The UAC will meet monthly throughout the calendar year to support the objectives stated in Article 1. Additional meetings may be called by any member of the UAC or the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs for the purpose of discussing items of concern or interest.

Listserv

The UAC will manage the UF Advisors listserv for the purpose of disseminating information to the academic advising community.

Article 4 – Election of Officers and Duties

Chair, Past Chair, and Chair Elect

Generally, the UAC Chair will be elected via a vote of UAC voting members in March to assume duties as Chair the following July. The Chair shall serve a one year term unless elected to fulfill an unexpired term of a prior member. Elected officials have the opportunity for one additional consecutive term.  To facilitate the transition of leadership, the Chair will serve as Past Chair during the first portion of the new Chair’s term, and assist with the Chair’s duties, as needed.  The Chair Elect will act in the absence of the Chair as needed.

The Chair is responsible for arranging, conducting, and setting the agenda (with input from the UAC members and the Steering Committee) for UAC meetings. The Chair serves as the liaison to the Advisory Council for Undergraduate Affairs (ACUA) and the University Curriculum Committee (UCC), and is also responsible for meeting with the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs to discuss matters related to undergraduate education and advising.

Committee Chairs

Generally, Committee chairs will also be elected in March via a vote of UAC voting members, and assume duties the following July. Committee chairs will serve a two-year term and may serve additional terms.  Committee chairs will not vote unless they are a voting representative for their respective college/unit.

Article 5 – Undergraduate Advising Council Committees

Advising Certificate Committee

The Advising Certificate Committee is responsible for the development, implementation and tracking of advisor professional milestones and accomplishments.  The purpose of the committee is to create a baseline for professional proficiency as well as develop incentives for continued professional development and educational contributions to the field of academic advising.  As a leader in providing academic advising services, the UAC will spearhead the continued professionalization of the field of advising as well as promote and celebrate the best practices utilized by the University of Florida. 

Campus Affairs Committee

The Campus Affairs Committee serves as a liaison between the UAC and other campus units. Through meetings with other student affairs offices, the Campus Affairs Committee will provide the UAC with important updates and opportunities for collaboration, and will also help units outside of the traditional advising realm understand the roles of professional academic advisors at the university. The Campus Affairs Committee will also be responsible for promoting the presence of advisors on campus, as well as the state and national level.

Communication Committee

The Communication Committee is responsible for disseminating information to the UF advising community, for enhancing communication across colleges, and for fostering the exchange of information with appropriate organizations and educational partners. This committee will recommend improvements to the UF Advising web site and other publications, as well as publish an e-newsletter.

Professional Development Committee

The Professional Development Committee assesses and delivers appropriate professional development for academic advisors. The Professional Development Committee will provide the UF advising community with training materials purchased by/for the UAC and will also develop additional professional development opportunities for advisors. The committee will develop “best practices” sessions at UAC meetings and will be responsible for organizing the annual UF Advising Conference.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee, which is headed by the UAC Chair, will assist the UAC in identifying goals, objectives, and matters of importance to the mission of the University of Florida advising community. To this end, they will recommend agenda items for future meetings, check the status of progress on action items from previous meetings, and assure that the UAC mission is central to discussions and actions. The Steering Committee will consist of the Chair, Past Chair, Chair Elect, Campus Affairs Committee Chair, the Advising Certification Committee Chair, the Communications Committee Chair, the Professional Development Committee Chair, and other at large members. At large members are appointed by the Chair of the UAC.

Article 6 – Amendments

Amendments to the UAC Operating Code can be proposed by any UAC member. These amendments will be presented along with any appropriate rationale to the UAC for review to ensure consistency. The proposed amendment will be presented to the UAC

for review and comment. A simple majority of the voting members will be required for approval.