Introduction to Electronic Advising Notes

Welcome to Advising Notes

• This platform allows advisors and appropriate staff to document student contact

and log supplemental information appropriate for the student’s educational

record.

• The following information within these modules will guide you through a

review of FERPA , the do’s and don’ts of writing a note, and how to use the

Advising Notes function in MaineStreet.

• Once you have successfully completed this short training process you will be

issued a certificate and access to the note function through your campus

MaineStreet security process.

Updated 10/9/13

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Notes as an Educational Tool

• Students will have access to see all of their advising notes.

• Advising notes will be available to students through MaineStreet.

• Students will be able to refer back to the notes to reinforce their advising discussion

and have access to supporting documentation.

• A student can revisit notes to ensure completion of tasks and expectations before

deadlines and upcoming advising meetings.

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FERPA & Protection

• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed

to protect the privacy of a student’s educational records. It defines when and what

information from a student’s educational record may be released to anyone outside

the University of Maine System.

• An Educational Record is defined as information that is maintained by University

of Maine System and that can be specifically identified with a particular student.

• It is important to know that advising notes, whether they are hard copy or

electronic, are part of the student’s educational record to which the student has a

right of access and which can be subpoenaed.

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Documenting and Following the Law

• To follow the federal law when writing advising notes, it is best to know the do’s

and don’ts of advising notes documentation and a few general rules.

• Documenting the conversation or advising actions can assist students, help all those

involved in the situation remember details, and adds to the student’s educational

record.

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General Rules to Follow

• If in doubt, leave it out.

• Describe, do not evaluate or judge.

• When writing a note keep it simple.

• Do not note a student’s conduct actions, disability and/or medical information,

unless the student specifically requests that it be part of their educational record.

• Ask yourself the question: Would you send this note directly to the student and

their lawyer?

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Information NOT Part of the

Educational Record

• Information that is not part of the educational record includes

• law enforcement records,

• medical records, and

• employment records that were created by, and utilized exclusively by, the office

that created the record.

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Other Records

• Any records that are created by a faculty or staff member, that

• are kept in the sole possession of the maker,

• are used only as a personal memory aid,

• and are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary

substitute for the maker of the record

are NOT part of the student’s educational record.

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Sharing and Accessing

• Non public educational information may be accessed by or shared with university

officials only if they have a valid educational need to know in order to perform their

university duties.

• Accessing information beyond what is necessary is a violation of FERPA.

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Accessing Violation Example

• A student in class or a student in a work study position is not performing to

standards. A faculty or staff member accesses and reviews the student’s advising

notes because the faculty or staff member wants to know what is happening with

the student.

• In this instance the person accessing the notes is doing so out of curiosity rather

than a way to support a referral, conversation, or interaction with the student to

assist in his/her success. The person accessing the notes does not have a “need to

know” and is in violation of the Federal Law. It is only permissible to access a

student’s advising notes when an individual absolutely needs the information to do

their job.

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Exclusion from the Public Directory

• Under FERPA, students have the right to restrict the release of their directory

information.

• Note that when a student chooses to restrict the release of directory information that

information will not be released to any source outside the university (even the

fact they are a student) except as specifically required by Federal and State Law or

explicitly stated in writing by the student.

Example: A student’s name would not be included on any Dean’s List published in

local papers; or the University would not be able to verify their enrollment to any

person or organization outside the university for employment, unless there is a signed

statement from the student received in writing with the request for information

authorizing the release of this information.

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How Would You Know?

USE MAINESTREET TO SHOW

You would know if a student had filed an exclusion from the public directory on:

• MaineStreet – a window shade indicates the student has requested their

personal information be restricted. If you click on the window shade one of two

statements will appear:

– This student has requested that their Directory Information not be released to the public.

– This student has requested that address information not be released.

• Students may request that no information be released by sending a signed

written statement to the Registrar’s Office/Office of Student Records or by

selecting to Restrict All Fields on their MaineStreet account.

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Public Directory

• Directory information may be publicly shared by the University unless a student

takes formal action to restrict its release (see previous slide).

• Unless you and your office have a valid routine reason to respond to inquiries of

this nature please redirect those requesting information to the Registrar’s

Office/Office of Student Records.

• In the event that written notification is not filed, the University assumes the student

does not object to release of directory information.

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Public Directory Information Includes

• Name

• Address

• Phone

• Date of Birth

• Program of study

• Class Level (1st year, sophomore,

junior, senior)

• Enrollment Status (full/part time)

• Dates of Attendance

• Degrees and Awards received

(including dates)

• Most recent previous educational

institution attended

• Participation in sports and activities

• Height and weight for athletics

• @maine.edu email address*

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* As of 10/15/2013

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Consent to Release Information

A student can submit a Consent to Release Information form to release any/all of the following information to specified person(s):•Academic•Financial•Student Conduct

To see if a student has submitted a release, click on the Student Information Release link

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Release of Information*

If the student has submitted

a release, you will see what

information you can release

to the specified person(s).

The four (4) digits after the

name are the last four

numbers in that person’s

social security number.

Please verify the last four

numbers each time you

speak to this person before

releasing any information.

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*University of Maine-Machias does not utilize this functionPlease contact the UMM Registrar for Information Release protocol.

Avoid FERPA Violations

• Unless the student has given explicit written permission you may not:

• Post a student’s grade in any place, physical or electronic, where someone other

than the student has access.

• Make available a list with any restricted information (i.e., SS # or MaineStreet ID)

about the student that can be seen by anyone other than that student.

• Post a photograph of a named student in a public place (i.e., photos of all students

in a particular major).

• Transmit an email to a group of individuals where one individual can see the email

address of another. To avoid this problem use the BC (blind copy) option unless

you are certain no student has requested that their e-mail address information not

be released (note: this e-mail address option starts 10/14/2013).

• Give out a copy of the student’s schedule, or the time/location of a class s/he is in

to anyone. In case of an emergency, transfer/refer the person to the Campus Police

Department, or offer to give the student a message.

• Talk to a parent or other family member about a student’s educational information.

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Scenarios and Do’s & Don’ts

Scenario Do Write Don’t Write

Student has not taken math for a

number of years and doesn’t want

to take a math class and is petrified

of taking one.

Student has not had a math class in

five years and is concerned about

ability to succeed. Discussed

importance of starting math

sequence ASAP.

Student is scared of math and is

avoiding it.

Student came in to discuss what

he/she feels is a very unfair grading

policy that their professor has and

wants to drop the class.

Student dropped MED120. Student dropped MED120 due to

unfair grading policies of

instructor.

Student came in because they had

missed a number of classes because

they have been in the hospital for

cancer treatment and didn’t feel

well enough to attend. Says

treatments are going better now and

can return to classes.

Student wanted it noted that he

missed two weeks of classes as a

result of hospitalization.

Student missed two weeks of

classes because of hospitalization

for cancer treatment.

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Scenarios and Do’s & Don’tsContinued …

Scenario Do Write Don’t Write

Student came in for advising

(second year student) and wasn’t

prepared at all for the session.

They hadn’t looked at the classes

offered for the semester or their

degree progress report.

I asked the student to return for

another advising session when they

had prepared a list of potential

courses for next semester.

Clueless.

Student appeared stressed because

they had overextended themselves

with work hours, home issues, fun

things, and didn’t find the time to

do their class work.

Student indicated that their current

schedule (work, school, & personal

life) was being difficult to manage.

We discussed time management

techniques.

Student should get priorities in

order and quit that job!

Student requested tutoring support.

They indicated that they had had

help in high school but hadn’t

turned in any paperwork here.

Student requested tutoring support.

Referred to TRIO and to Retention

Services.

Student in financial and academic

distress. Referred to TRIO for

help.

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Scenarios and Do’s & Don’tsContinued …

Scenario Do Write Don’t Write

Student requested new academic

advisor because they don’t like the

one they have and s/he isn’t

answering their calls, or returning

emails, and doesn’t even know

what they’re talking about.

Student requested new academic

advisor.

Student doesn’t feel they are

getting good advising from current

advisor or doesn’t get a response.

Student came in to discuss their

medical issues. They shared a

personal medical issue which is

effecting their participation/

attendance in their classes.

Student has ongoing medical issue

that impedes academic success.

Made appropriate referral.

Student is doing poorly in a class –

(because of specific medical issue)

– what should she really do? OR

Student came in to discuss how

(specific medical issue) is affecting

current success. Referred to

Counseling Center.

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Scenarios and Do’s & Don’tsContinued …

Scenario Do Write Don’t Write

Student came in and said that they

were having difficulty in their

classes. They had had extra time

and extra help in high school and

didn’t know how to go about

getting them in college.

Student came in to discuss

struggles they were having in class

and wanted to discuss support

services available. Made

appropriate referral.

Student came in to talk about

trouble in class – made reference to

possible learning disability in high

school – referred to disabilities

services personnel.

Student came in with concerns over

their roommate and their addiction

issues: sex, drugs, gaming.

Student is looking for help as their

living arrangement is causing

academic issues.

Student came in with roommate

issue that was affecting academics.

Referred to housing.

Student had problem with

roommate regarding sexual

activities, drug and gaming

addictions. Extremely unhealthy

environment. Referred the student

to the Dean of Residential Life.

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Scenarios and Do’s & Don’tsContinued …

Scenario Do Write Don’t Write

Student came in and shared they

were having difficulty in the

semester. During conversation it

was revealed that they were first

generation, lacking family support,

and unsure of their next step.

First gen student struggling with

the transition to college and

expectations. Made appropriate

referral.

Student isn’t getting help from

family. Has no clue. Family has no

clue and student needs a lot of help

financially and academically to be

a success.

Student comes in and discloses that

they are learning disabled. They

specifically request that you put it

in your notes and share these with

everyone so that they can get

appropriate advising and services.

Student requests that advisors

know student has learning

disabilities and is registered with

the disability services office.

I do not feel that this notation is

necessary but am accommodating

student request.

Advisor is both students’ instructor

and advisor. Student is failing the

course the advisor is teaching.

Write nothing or early alert for

COM 101 class.

Student is failing my COM 101

class.

ALWAYS A GOOD TO DO: If in doubt, leave it out! If appropriate, ask students preference

and note that you have done that. DESCRIBE, DO NOT EVALUATE.

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Ways to Access:

The Advisor Center

Advisor Notes can be accessed

through:

Advisor Center – Simply click

on the **Student Details**

section to find the Advisor

Notes options.

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Ways to Access:

The Student Center

Student Center – Simply click on Advisor

Notes in the Advisor area on the right hand

side of the Student Center.

NOTE: Students also will access/view their

Advising Notes through this link on their

Student Center page.

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Advisor Notes Page Screen Shot

• When you click on the

Advisor Notes tab you

will get this initial page

where you will create,

write, and save the note.

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Adding a New Note

• Simply click on to add

your note.

• In order to add notes you must fill in

any field that has an (*) asterisk.

Otherwise you will not be able to save

the note.

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Adding a New Note

• Type – Select the type of

appointment: Email, In

Person, Other, Phone, Skype

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Adding a New Note

• Date - Select date of

appointment.

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Adding a New Note

• Reason - Select the

appropriate reason for this

appointment.

• Note: Reason will be

campus specific, this is an

example and may not reflect

the terminology on your

campus.

• You will have the option to

use Note Tags, if further

definition of the

appointment is needed.

1st Appointment – initial meeting with official advisor

Orientation – meet with student during orientation

Graduation Planner – meet to create/review graduation planner

Registration/Enrollment – actual registration for semester courses

Priority Registration/PIN – meet to review next semester courses and issues PIN

Department Meeting – introduction to the major

Graduation Check – meet to review final graduation requirements (dept level)

Academic Action – meeting/conversations regarding poor academic standing

Academic Recovery – meetings which address an academic support plan

Academic Alert – meeting to address faculty concerns

General Meeting – various topics

Career – meeting to discuss various career topics and exploration

Career Assessments – administer and interpret MBTI/SIGI/Strong/etc.

Career Employment Learning Assistance – discuss learning support strategies

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Adding a New Note

• Non-Scheduled – can

represent a Walk-In or Drop-

By contact with student.

• Scheduled - represents a

booked appointment or

meeting with student.

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Writing the Note

• Create Note: Refer to the

Scenario Notes Section before

writing notes.

• This note is an example of an

initial advising appointment.

• Your last step is to save the note

by clicking OK

• Make certain the note is

appropriate and complete as

it becomes a part of the

student’s permanent

educational record immediately

viewable by the student.

Advising Appointment

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Delete a Note

• Delete this Note: It is possible

to delete a note from the visible

file in MaineStreet.

• However, the deleted note is

archived and can be accessed

by a supervisor and/or dean if

all files must be reviewed.

• It is advised that you follow the

note taking guidelines to reduce

the need to utilize this feature.

Advising Appointment

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Using Note Tags in Advising Notes

• Note Tags are another way to code and filter the reason for an appointment.

• Note Tags can be used to track a specific activity which might not always happen

during a appointment, but is vital to track.

• Note Tags do not have to be used when creating a note.

• Note Tags must be consistent with every entry.

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Creating a Note Tag

• If you wanted to track Grad

Certifications at the Junior and

Senior level, you could use the Note

Tags to identify the type of Grad

Certification.

• A Query can be used to pull all

Junior Checks for tracking

purposes.

• It is imperative that the codes in

Note Tags are consistent. Please

work with your department to

determine if you need to use Note

Tags and appropriate coding.

• Note Tags do not need to be used to

complete a note.

Grad Certification

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Adding and Viewing Attachments

Attachments can be added to an

advising note. Examples: e-mails,

PDF, Word Documents, etc.

After you have completed the notes

for the advising session, select Add

or View Attachments.

Advising Appointment

Student came in to discuss fall semester courses. We reviewed

major requirements and what was left in core. Made a list of

potential courses to select from. Will attach approved list.

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Adding and Viewing Attachments

• You will then select the paperclip

icon, to access your computer files

to locate the appropriate file to

attach.

• Once you select the file, the name

will appear in the Attached File

box.

• Press OK to upload the file to the

student’s record.

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Adding and Viewing Attachments

When viewing notes, you can see

how many files are attached to an

existing advisor note. The number

can be seen to the right of the link.

Advising Appointment

Student came in to discuss fall semester courses. We reviewed

major requirements and what was left in core. Made a list of potential

courses to select from. Will attach approved list.

(1)

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Advisor Note Training

You have completed the Advisor Note Training Course.

Please close this window and continue the process by choosing the Quiz option

within the training module.

You must earn a grade of 80% or higher in order to pass the training and receive the

Certificate of Completion.

Thank you for your participation.

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