Semester Conversion To-Do List: Creating an Individualized Advisement Plan

• February 2, 2018

As students started back to school this quarter, a new task appeared on many of their “to-do” lists on the online portal “MyCSUEB” — a reminder to see an advisor and create an individual advisement plan.

Better known as an IAP, the electronic road map serves as a guideline for both a student’s general education and degree courses. In order to complete a plan, students must meet with both a Cal State East Bay academic advisor and a faculty advisor for their major. The meetings aren’t required for graduation, but Advising Director Larry Bliss said the advising department highly recommends students complete them.

“Students need to know how the change to semesters will affect their graduation roadmap and the easiest way to do that is with one of these plans,” Bliss said. “Our staff will help them decipher how different aspects of semester conversion plays out for them.”

The new IAPs and the change to semesters do not mean students will have to start over with new general education plans. Rather, it allows them to see and address some of the nuances of the transition. For example, the graduation requirements are changing, so some students may opt to continue on the requirements outlined by the quarter system while others may switch to the new semester requirements.

“The bottom line is we want to help them figure out how to graduate in the most expeditious way possible,” Bliss said.

For more information about semester conversion or advising and the IAP, visit csueastbay.edu/semester.