At Hunter College, advising plays a critical role in guiding students toward academic success. While honors students have access to dedicated advisors, many non-honors students often find themselves navigating course selections, major requirements, and graduation pathways with limited to no support. To create a more equitable and supportive environment, Hunter should expand access to in-person advising, promote resources like DegreeWorks more effectively, and establish a centralized platform for campus-wide information.
One of the key changes Hunter could implement is increasing the availability of in-person advising sessions for all students. Many students, particularly first-generation college students, are unfamiliar with course planning, financial aid, and career development. Having more advisors available for regular, face-to-face meetings would get rid of confusion and provide students with clear guidance on how to achieve their academic goals.
Additionally, DegreeWorks, an online platform where students can track their degree progress, its usage is not always emphasized across the student body. I only found out about DegreeWorks because my sister, a former CUNY grad, told me. I also asked many of my friends in CUNY and they didn’t know about it either. DegreeWorks is an excellent site to track your credits, and courses and plan your future at CUNY. Regular workshops on how to use DegreeWorks should be held for all students, ensuring they understand its potential as a tool for staying on track to graduate.
Finally, CUNY campuses should implement an app featuring an AI assistant that helps students navigate essential areas such as financial aid, course advising, and graduation tracking. This AI tool could provide real-time, personalized guidance, simplifying the often complex processes of academic planning and support.
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Hi Sadaquel,
I really enjoyed reading your blog, it resonates with my blog as well. I completely agree with you. My best friend attended a CUNY, which I won’t name, but she had a terrible experience with advisement. It ultimately led her to transfer to a two-year college. She felt overwhelmed and didn’t know where to turn for help.
I was fortunate to receive good support at my CUNY, and while I tried to share my knowledge with her, it just wasn’t the same. Each student deserves personalized guidance, and it’s disheartening that so many of us are just thrown into college after high school and expected to figure it all out on our own.
Many students lack the support of parents or siblings who have been through college, and some simply don’t have the time to seek help because they’re busy working to pay bills. I remember needing assistance from someone and being ignored for two months! I had no idea who to report it to, which made the situation even more frustrating.
Thanks for sharing your insights, it’s important to bring these issues to light.
Hi Sadaqul, thanks for outlining your frustrations with CUNY advisement. It seems to strike a lot of people, including Nathalie and some others who were unsure of how to navigate CUNY. You’re the second person to bring up DegreeWorks! I wonder if we should do a skill-share of that program to our CPL group. It doesn’t sound like something that should be kept a secret. Let’s chat!