TLU's Office of Advising
Purpose and Mission
The purpose of advising is to help students explore, define, and achieve academic goals consistent with their personal and professional interests.
TLU’s Office of Advising supports students in developing a coherent educational plan consistent with personal interests, values, and abilities by providing individual support, resources, and programming to enable degree completion and lifelong learning. Many individuals across campus may assist students in making decisions and accomplishing goals; however, TLU grants formal authority to the assigned faculty advisor to app a student’s academic program of study and assist their student in progressing toward the chosen degree. TLU’s Office of Advising works directly with first-year and transfer students to identify their desired degree plan and connect to a specific faculty advisor. Additionally, existing students work with TLU’s Office of Advising to understand the impacts when changing majors or minors to their expected graduation date.
General Education
Your General Education requirements are known as Compass to guide your path to college graduation and consist of four parts. The first part is your Foundations, which provide the base for you to build on the rest of your time at Texas Lutheran. Next part is Distributions where you choose classes across the Liberal Arts curriculum to achieve a breadth of knowledge. These include experiencing Fine Arts, Humanities, STEM, and Social Sciences based on your interests and future goals. The third part is Competencies, which you demonstrate in conjunction with other courses taken. These include Critical Thinking, Citizenship, Communications, and Ethics. The last part is two Reflective Modules of your choice, which provide practical skills and experiences outside the classroom such as financial literacy, stress coping skills, and bystander intervention techniques.Compass
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Foundations
What classes do all TLU students take?
Foundations are the classes that give you the base you will build on for the rest of your college experience. Think of these classes as the starting point to begin your college journey.
- Basic Quantitative Literacy
Math 130 or higher - Critical Reading
FREX 134 - Engaging Faith Traditions
THEO 133 - Modern Language
Any modern language at the 131 level or higher - Written Communication
COMP 131 & COMP 132
Foundations classes will account for 18 hours required toward Compass and your degree.
- Basic Quantitative Literacy
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Distributions
When do I get to take the classes I want to take?
With Distribution Classes, you get to choose the class that interests you the most in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, cultural perspectives, and religion.
- Arts: 6 hours in Dramatic Media, Music, and Visual Arts
- Humanities: 12 hours in African American Studies, Communication Studies, English, History, Modern Languages, Mexican-American Studies, Philosophy, Theology, and Women’s Studies (Must be satisfied by courses in two different disciplines or modern languages).
- Natural Sciences & Math: 6 hours in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Math, Physics, and Statistics. (At least one natural science course must have a lab)
- Social Sciences: 6 hours in Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology
Distribution classes will account for 30 hours required toward Compass and your degree, and are taken in addition to your Foundation requirements.
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Competencies
What does all of this mean?
You will gain certain skills and Competencies with the completion of your Foundations, Distributions and selected classes in your major. These Competencies will help you stand out from other college graduates when interviewing for your first job or graduate school.
You will be required to take classes that satisfy each of the four competencies:
- Critical Thinking (T) 3 courses
- Effective Communication (C) 2 courses
- Engaged Citizenship (Z) 3 courses
- Ethics (E) 1 course
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Reflective Modules
What will I learn outside the classroom?
Reflective Modules give you an opportunity to apply the knowledge you’ve gained in class to activities outside the classroom and in the community. You will complete three reflective modules during your four years that may include anything from public speaking to community gardening, career preparation, and study strategies.
You will also build skills within the competencies that give you a unique advantage when applying for a job or graduate school.
Examples:
"Tutoring Together" (Engaged Citizenship Competency)
Tutor children at Ball Early Childhood Center (3-4 years old) and Jefferson Elementary School (K-5th grades) to help them master skills, and be better prepared for their futures. Have fun and make a difference in the life of a child!
"Get Your Financial Life In Order" (Self Awareness & Development Foundation)
Gain a better understanding of basic financial information for any future college financial courses and potentially events that could impact students for the rest of their lives.
Science Education & Social Justice (Engaged Citizenship Competency)
What does social justice have to do with science education? Explore the definitions of social justice and discover how it relates to science education. Students will cover several peer-reviewed articles focusing on the overlap of science education, culture, cultural bias, and equity.
This module is ideal for pre-service teachers or anyone interested in learning more about how these two areas work together.
Picking a Major
Students must select a specific subject to study more in-depth for their degree. You can explore all of Texas Lutheran’s majors and minors through the Registrar’s page.
Majors are divided into three parts. The first part is core courses (ranging from 24-54 hours), which almost holistically within your chosen field. The second part is supporting courses (ranging from 9-30 hours), which provide skills used in upper division core major courses. The last part is electives, which differ in quantity for every major to complete 124 total hours required for graduation. Minors are not required for graduation, but enable students to augment their major with additional courses from other academic disciplines.
MyMajors Assessment
Choosing a college major can be a difficult decision. Texas Lutheran University encourages you to explore possible majors using our MyMajors assessment to assist you with this process. After completing the assessment you will receive recommended majors at Texas Lutheran University based on your academic aptitudes, interests, and personality. You can discuss these options with the Office of Advising when choosing or changing your major.
New Student Registration Form (NSRF)
All incoming students complete the NSRF, which captures a student’s plans, goals, and aspirations to design a whole person advising plan for students to become the best future version of themselves. This information seeks to balance a student's interests, skills, and desired lifestyle to determine the best courses, experiences, and co-curricular activities for students to complete while at Texas Lutheran.
Advising and Registration
Students will receive their first semester of classes and connection with a Faculty Advisor from their selected major while the Director of Advising supports all undeclared majors. All tenure-track faculty with one year of teaching assume academic advising responsibilities.
Students can revisit their BARKSS information during future semesters as their interests or goals change to ensure they’re optimally positioned for graduation within four years. Students remaining in the same major continue developing a personal and professional relationship with their assigned Faculty Advisor. Students deciding to change majors or minors will review previously completed work with the Director of Advising to determine how it applies for the desired new degree plan before being assigned to a new faculty advisor.
Advisors will review holds, prerequisites, and previously completed courses or tests to ensure students take appropriate courses within their degree plan while balancing co-curricular activities like athletics, ensembles, student organizations, or jobs. Many individuals on campus assist students in making decisions and accomplishing goals; however, the assigned advisor has formal university authority to approve student degree plans and assist in progressing towards graduation. Students will be cleared to register by their Faculty Advisor, then select their courses through the Student tab on MyTLU portal.
Advisor & Advisee Responsibilities
Faculty advisor will... |
Student advisee will... |
Have a knowledge and understanding of General Education & major requirements Encourage and support students as they gain the skills to develop clear and attainable educational plans Provide students with information about and strategies for utilizing available resources and services on campus |
Be involved in the advising process, be prepared to discuss plans, and bring materials Accept responsibility for decisions and actions (or inactions) which affect your educational progress and goals Ask questions if you do not understand an issue or have a specific concern |
#15To Finish
- Want to graduate on time?
- Get better grades?
- There’s a substantial amount of data that shows how taking 15 credits a semester (or 30 credits each school year) dramatically increases on-time graduation, leads to higher grade point averages (GPAs), and lower dropout rates!
Here a few reminders to help you stay on track to graduate on time:
- Attend class at the scheduled times, review and follow course syllabus requirements, and seek out tutoring before you receive bad grades.
- Meet with your academic advisor if you have questions or need help understanding your degree plan. Schedule meetings with your Faculty Advisor or the Director of Advising as needed.
- Don’t be afraid to talk with course instructors, staff members, Peer Mentors, or family if you feel like you’re struggling inside or outside the classroom. There’s a world of resources and support networks available to resolve most issues.
- Conduct a degree audit with the Office of Registration and Records after completing 90 hours, then finish any identified requirements in your last year.
- Work with our career services office to prepare your resume and interview skills.
- In four years or less you can find yourself walking our graduation stage as a new college graduate ready to excel in entry-level positions within your desired field.
Contact Us
Kenneth D. Kovach
Do you have a question? Get in touch.
Contact
- Phone:830-372-6955
- advising@tlu.edu