News

Academic Advice

1. Name

Academic Advising Policy of the College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University.

The policy establishes a systematic, accessible, equitable, and documented academic advising system for all undergraduate pharmacy students enrolled in the College.

 

2. Vision

To establish a student-centered academic advising system that supports every pharmacy student in achieving academic success, professional development, personal growth, and successful progression toward graduation and a career in pharmacy.

The College aims to ensure that every student has meaningful access to an academic advisor and receives appropriate guidance throughout all five stages of the pharmacy program.

 

3. Mission

• The mission of the Academic Advising System is to:
• Provide students with accurate and timely academic information and guidance.
• Support students in planning and successfully completing their pharmacy education.
• Monitor student academic progress and identify students who may be at risk of academic failure or delayed graduation.
• Provide appropriate referral to academic, professional, personal, health, and student-support services when necessary.
• Support students in developing professional competencies and career plans.
• Promote student responsibility, self-directed learning, and informed decision-making.
• Maintain appropriate advising records while protecting student confidentiality.
• Continuously evaluate and improve the quality and effectiveness of academic advising.

 

4. Objectives

The objectives of the Academic Advising System are to:

 

4.1 Academic Objectives

• Help students understand the curriculum, course requirements, prerequisites, progression requirements, and graduation requirements.
• Assist students in developing appropriate academic plans.
• Monitor student academic performance and progression.
• Identify students experiencing academic difficulties at an early stage.
• Develop appropriate academic intervention and support plans.
• Guide students regarding course registration and academic requirements.
• Reduce course failure, academic delay, and unnecessary extension of study.
• Support students in developing effective study and learning strategies.

 

4.2 Professional and Career Objectives

• Introduce students to different pharmacy career pathways.
• Provide guidance regarding internships, training opportunities, postgraduate education, research, and professional development.
• Help senior students prepare for transition from university education to professional practice.
• Encourage participation in professional, scientific, research, and community activities.

 

4.3 Student Development Objectives

• Promote students' professional identity and ethical behavior.
• Encourage self-assessment and reflection.
• Support students in identifying their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and career goals.
• Promote student well-being and appropriate use of university support services.

 

4.4 Quality Improvement Objectives

• Collect and analyze student feedback regarding academic advising.
• Monitor advising participation and effectiveness.
• Use advising data to identify recurring academic problems.
• Develop corrective and improvement actions based on evidence.

 

5. Membership

The Academic Advising System include:

• Dean of the College of Pharmacy
• Associate Dean/Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, where applicable.
• Head of the Academic Advising Committee
• Academic Advising Committee members
• Academic Advisors
• Heads of Departments/Scientific Units
• Course Coordinators, when required.
• Student Support Services, where applicable.
• Quality Assurance representative
• Student representatives, when appropriate and in accordance with university regulations.

 

5.1 Academic Advisors

• Each enrolled student assigned to an academic advisor.
• Because the College serves approximately 1,000 students across five stages, the College shall use a distributed advising model to ensure that the advising workload remains manageable and that students have reasonable access to their advisors.

 

• The College should establish an appropriate advisor-to-student ratio according to available faculty resources. The ratio shall be reviewed annually based on student numbers, faculty availability, advising workload, and student needs.

 

5.2 Assignment of Students

• Students shall be assigned to advisors at the beginning of their first academic year or upon enrollment.
• Where possible, students shall remain with the same advisor throughout their program to promote continuity.

 

• The College may reassign students when necessary because of faculty workload, leave, conflict of interest, specialization, or other administrative considerations.

 

6. Governance Structure

 

The Academic Advising System operates under the authority of the College Council.

 

6.1 College Council

The College Council shall:

• Approve the Academic Advising Policy.
• Provide institutional support and resources for advising.
• Review annual advising reports.
• Ensure that advising activities support the mission and objectives of the College.
• Approve major improvements to the advising system.

 

6.2 Academic Advising Committee

 

The College establised an Academic Advising Committee responsible for coordinating and monitoring the advising system.

The Committee include:

• Develop and implement advising procedures.
• Assign students to academic advisors.
• Prepare advising guidelines and forms.
• Monitor student advising records.
• Review students at academic risk.
• Coordinate academic intervention and referral.
• Organize advisor training and orientation.
• Collect and analyze advising data.
• Evaluate student satisfaction.
• Prepare an annual Academic Advising Report.
• Recommend improvements to the College Council.

 

6.3 Academic Advisor

Each academic advisor:

• Meet assigned students regularly.
• Review students' academic progress.
• Explain curriculum and progression requirements.
• Help students develop academic plans.
• Identify students who are academically at risk.
• Document advising interactions appropriately.
• Refer students to relevant support services when required.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Encourage students to take responsibility for their academic decisions.
• Participate in advisor training and evaluation.

 

6.4 Student

Students are responsible for:

• Attending scheduled advising sessions.
• Preparing questions and relevant academic information before advising meetings.
• Taking responsibility for their academic decisions.
• Following agreed academic plans.
• Informing their advisor of academic difficulties or circumstances that may affect their studies.
• Seeking assistance when needed.
• Providing honest feedback about the advising process.

 

7. Elections

• The Academic Advising System is an academic service of the College and is not an elected student organization.
• Academic advisors and members of the Academic Advising Committee shall be appointed according to the administrative procedures of the College and Hawler Medical University.
• Where student representatives are included in the Academic Advising Committee, their selection shall follow the applicable university and College regulations.
• Appointments shall be reviewed periodically to ensure effective distribution of advising responsibilities.

 

8. Meetings

8.1 Advising Meetings

 

• Each student shall have access to academic advising throughout the academic year.
• At minimum, formal advising should occur:
• At the beginning of each academic year.
• During the course-registration/academic planning period.
• At an appropriate point during the semester to review academic progress.
• At the end of the academic year or before progression to the next stage.
• Whenever the student or advisor identifies a need for additional advising.
• Students experiencing academic difficulty shall receive additional advising as required.

 

8.2 Committee Meetings

 

The Academic Advising Committee shall meet at least once every semester and additionally when required.

The Committee will review:

• Student progression.
• Academic-risk cases.
• Advising participation.
• Student feedback.
• Referral and intervention activities.
• Advising workload.
• Problems identified by advisors.
• Recommendations for improvement.
• Minutes shall be documented and maintained.

 

9. Code of Conduct

Academic advising shall be conducted according to the principles of:

• Respect
• Professionalism
• Confidentiality
• Equality
• Non-discrimination
• Integrity
• Transparency
• Student-centeredness
• Mutual responsibility

 

Advisors shall provide objective and accurate information and shall not discriminate against students based on gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, academic performance, or other protected characteristics.

Students shall communicate respectfully with advisors and comply with College and university regulations.

Advisors shall avoid conflicts of interest and shall refer students to another appropriate person when a conflict may affect objective advising.

 

10. Data Protection

The College shall maintain appropriate records of academic advising while protecting the privacy and confidentiality of students.

Advising records may include:

• Student identification information.
• Academic progress.
• Courses completed and outstanding.
• Academic concerns.
• Advising meeting dates.
• Advising recommendations.
• Academic intervention plans.
• Follow-up actions.
• Student feedback.

Access to advising records shall be restricted to authorized personnel with legitimate academic or administrative responsibilities.

Advising information shall not be disclosed to unauthorized individuals except where required by university policy, law, or where necessary to protect the safety or welfare of the student or others.

Electronic advising records shall be stored using secure College or university-approved systems.

The College shall retain advising records according to applicable Hawler Medical University policies and Iraqi regulations.

 

11. Financial Management

The Academic Advising System shall operate within the approved budget of the College and Hawler Medical University.

Financial resources may be allocated for:

• Advisor training.
• Advising materials and forms.
• Student orientation.
• Career guidance activities.
• Academic support activities.
• Advising information systems.
• Workshops and professional development.
• Evaluation and quality improvement activities.

No student shall be required to pay a fee for routine academic advising unless specifically authorized by university regulations.

All expenditures shall comply with the financial regulations of Hawler Medical University.

 

12. Activities

The Academic Advising System shall provide and coordinate activities including:

 

12.1 Student Orientation

New students shall receive information about:

• The pharmacy curriculum.
• Academic regulations.
• Course requirements.
• Assessment and progression.
• Student rights and responsibilities.
• Academic support services.
• Advising procedures.
• College and university resources.

 

12.2 Academic Planning

Advisors shall assist students in understanding their academic pathway and planning for successful completion of the program.

 

12.3 Academic Monitoring

The College shall monitor student progression using available academic records.

Students may be categorized according to academic need, for example:

 

Category A – Good Academic Standing:

Students progressing normally.

 

Category B – Academic Attention:

Students showing signs of declining performance or other academic concerns.

 

Category C – Academic Risk:

Students with significant academic difficulties, repeated failures, delayed progression, or other indicators requiring formal intervention.

 

12.4 Early Alert and Intervention

When a student is identified as academically at risk, the advisor will:

 

• Contact the student.
• Identify the academic problem.
• Discuss possible causes and barriers.
• Develop an appropriate action plan.
• Refer the student to relevant support services when necessary.
• Establish a follow-up date.
• Document the intervention and outcome.

 

12.5 Academic Support

Students experiencing academic difficulties may be referred to:

• Course instructors.
• Course coordinators.
• Tutoring or remediation programs.
• Learning resources.
• Counseling services.
• Health services.
• Disability support services.
• Other appropriate university services.

 

12.6 Career Advising

Students will receive information about:

• Community pharmacy.
• Hospital and clinical pharmacy.
• Pharmaceutical industry.
• Regulatory affairs.
• Public health.
• Postgraduate education.
• Professional training opportunities.

 

12.7 Graduation Advising

Students in the final stage shall receive specific guidance regarding:

• Completion of graduation requirements.
• Outstanding academic requirements.
• Internship/training requirements, where applicable.
• Graduation procedures.
• Professional development.
• Employment and postgraduate opportunities.

 

13. Communication

The College shall provide students with clear and accessible information about the Academic Advising System.

Communication may occur through:

• Official College website.
• University/College electronic systems.
• Institutional email.
• Student information systems.
• Official social media channels.
• Notice boards.
• Student handbooks.
• Orientation sessions.
• Direct communication with academic advisors.

 

Each student shall be informed of:

• The name of their academic advisor.
• How to contact the advisor.
• Advising office hours or availability.
• How to schedule an advising appointment.
• Available academic and student-support services.

The College shall ensure that important academic information is communicated in a timely manner.

 

14. Awards and Recognition

The College may recognize outstanding contributions to academic advising.

Recognition may be provided to:

• Outstanding Academic Advisor.
• Advisor demonstrating exceptional student support.
• Academic Advising Committee members contributing significantly to quality improvement.
• Students demonstrating outstanding engagement with academic advising.
• Recognition may include certificates, letters of appreciation, College awards, or other forms approved by the College.
• The criteria for recognition shall be transparent and based on documented evidence.

 

15. Relationship with the College

 

The Academic Advising System is an integral component of the academic and student-support system of the College of Pharmacy.

The system shall work collaboratively with:

• College Council.
• Academic Affairs.
• Course Coordinators.
• Quality Assurance Unit.
• Examination Committee.
• Registration/Student Affairs.
• Library and learning resources.
• Counseling and student-support services.
• Career and professional development services.
• Relevant university administrative units.

Academic advising shall support the College's mission, educational objectives, student progression, professional development, and continuous quality improvement.

The College shall provide adequate human, administrative, technological, and other resources necessary for effective advising.

 

16. Amendment of the Policy

This Academic Advising Policy shall be reviewed at least annually or whenever significant changes occur in:

• University regulations.
• College regulations.
• Accreditation requirements.
• Student support systems.
• Data protection requirements.

Proposed amendments may be submitted by the Academic Advising Committee, College Council members, or other authorized academic units.

All amendments shall be reviewed and approved according to the governance procedures of Hawler Medical University.