General Information

For each first-year student, the Assembly of each Department assigns Academic Advisor duties to the Department’s faculty members, no later than November 30^th of each academic year. The number of first-year students is equally distributed among the faculty members and the selection is done randomly. A student’s Academic Advisor remains the same until the completion of his/her studies. In case of absence of the Academic Advisor for a long period of time (e.g., sabbatical leave, health problem, retirement), the Assembly assigns the students of the aforementioned Advisor to another faculty member.

Departments with fewer than 10 faculty members may appoint Academic Advisors from the temporary teaching staff (according to P.D.407/80, academic scholarships). In case of non-renewal of the temporary teaching staff contract, the Assembly assigns the students to another Academic Advisor. Upon entry into force hereof, for former students, the Assembly of each Department assigns the duties of Academic Advisor to faculty members by random selection.

Regarding the admission of students with special illnesses or other special categories (e.g., athletes, children of Greeks Abroad, transferees, students from qualifying exams), who enroll later in the Departments, the process is repeated after the completion of these enrollments.

In exceptional cases and after a documented request of the student or the Academic Advisor, a new Academic Advisor may be appointed.

The coordination of the Academic Advisors of each Department is done by the Chair of the Department.

Role of the Academic Advisor

The duties of the Academic Advisor include, among others:

• Informing students about the Department’s vision, the professional skills, qualifications and professional rights of the Department’s graduates.
• Supporting first-year students in their transition from secondary to higher education in order to cope with the demands of their studies at the University.
• Identifying the needs and interests of students, supporting their inclinations and skills and directing them to follow areas and fields that suit them.
• Facilitating students’ contacts with university authorities, institutions and administrative services.
• Providing information on issues related to the professional orientation of students, based on their interests and the development of their academic career (e.g., postgraduate studies in Greece and abroad).
• Providing information on the services offered by the University’s library, by sending supporting material.
• Providing information on the content of the courses, participation in workshops, the use of the infrastructure of the Department’s workshops, the ways of evaluating course performance, encouraging students to participate in progress tests, series of exercises, remedial teaching with additional tutorials etc., which will help them to understand and successfully complete the courses in which they have difficulty, study methods, bibliography.
• Providing information on the content of compulsory and elective courses, determining the best course selection, minimizing exam failure, and discussing with students so that course selection is consistent with their personal interests, skills, and their abilities.
• Providing counseling for the selection of the subject of research papers, diploma theses or other research works.
• Exploring professional prospects (opportunities in the public, private sector, freelance, job vacancies abroad).
• Discussing any topic that hinders their studies.
• Discussing topics with the academic faculty.
• Informing students about the services offered by the University (Student Care, Internship Office, Student Advocate, Liaison Office, Alumni, etc.).
• Discussing exam results and identifying students who owe a lot of courses (slumping students). Caring and preparing a plan for these students in order to provide:
  • advisory and remedial teaching from the Department
  • support in collaboration with the Vulnerable Students Support Unit (Greek M.Y.F.E.O.),
  • consulting services in collaboration with the Liaison Office
  • psychological support in collaboration with the team of psychologists of the Foundation.

The ultimate responsibility for their choices in matters of study rests with the students themselves.

Contact

• The Academic Advisor has a list of the e-mail addresses of the students assigned to him/her and communicates with them regarding study matters. In addition, he/she announces on his/her personal website and on the website of the Department a specific time of discussion with the students he/she advises. In order for the meetings to be effective, there are both individual meetings with each student and group meetings on topics of common interest.
• The student with his/her application (see Model 1 – Application Form) can request a meeting with the Academic Advisor.

The Academic Advisor makes sure to have meetings, face-to-face or remotely, at regular intervals with the students he/she has undertaken at least two (2) times per semester.

For first-year students, there should be special care for more contacts.

The Academic Advisor informs the Department Assembly in written form (see Model 2 – Contact form for student meeting with the Academic Advisor), about the contacts with the students and any problems raised by the students. In his/her report he/she can point out malfunctions or deficiencies that create problems for the students and propose measures to deal with them.

At the end of each academic semester, the Academic Advisor submits a written report of activities and conclusions (see Model 3 – Winter/Spring Semester Activities Form).

For the essential support of the students regarding their studies, the cooperation of the Academic Advisors of each Department with the Liaison Office and the Support Unit for Students in Vulnerable Groups (Greek M.Y.F.E.O.) is deemed necessary.