Table of Contents

• Graphic Summary
• Sample Auxiliary Advisor Roles
• Undeclared L&S Students AND in Center for Academic Excellence

Graphic Summary of Advisor Assignments

To assist with determining when to fill out Program and Plan versus Program only, see the table below. This distinction of the plan-level Academic role vs the program-level Auxiliary roles will be most relevant when adding a student advisor.

There are primarily two types of advisors at UW–Madison: Academic Advisor and Auxiliary Advisor.

Academic Advisors are advisors who are assigned to a student because of the student’s academic program. These advisors are identified with an advisor role of "Academic." Every undergraduate and graduate student must be assigned AT LEAST ONE "Academic" advisor or committee. 

Auxiliary Advisors are advisors who are assigned to a student based on a specialty such as career advisor, graduate coordinator, athletics advisor, or advisor for a specific scholarship or academic support program. In many cases, auxiliary advisors work with students across a variety of majors.The responsibility for maintaining correct auxiliary advisor assignments rests with the program’s staff.

Sample Auxiliary Advisor Roles

The list of auxiliary advisors is constantly changing, but examples include:

• Academic Advancement Program
• Athletics
• Career Advisor
• Center for Academic Excellence
• Center for Educational Opportunity
• Education OURR
• Engineering Diversity Affairs
• Faculty Advisor
• First Wave
• Graduate Coordinator
• Honors - Letters & Science
• Korean Flagship Program
• McNair
• Mercile J. Lee Scholars
• PEOPLE
• POSSE
• Pre-Business
• Pre-Pharmacy
• Russian Flagship Program
• Study Abroad
• Veterans Benefits

Undeclared L&S Students AND in Center for Academic Excellence

Students in the College of Letters and Science (L&S) who are admitted into the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) and have not yet declared a major, will be assigned a CAE Program Advisor. This advisor often serves a dual role of "CAE" advisor as well as "Academic" advisor. 

Note: You will notice that undeclared L&S students who are in CAE will have two rows with the same advisor name (see image below):

1. One row has the Advisor Role of "Center for Academic Excellence" (remember to keep Academic Plan blank), and
2. An additional row with the Advisor Role of "Academic" (remember to fill in Academic Program and Academic Plan). 

When the student declares a major, the CAE program advisor assignment will remain; however, the "Academic" advisor row will be changed to the newly declared Academic Program, Academic Plan, and Academic Advisor or Committee.