Some executive members of Undergraduate Student Government plan to meet with Registered Student Organizations during the next two weeks to discuss changes in SIUC’s advisement process.

Kris Bein, USG academic affairs commissioner, and Megan Moore, USG vice president, have worked to improve academic advisement since last semester.

Bein and Moore already have met with administrators to discuss their proposed changes.

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One of the changes, documented in a USG report, is to improve communication between students, college advisers and department advisers.

Part of that improvement is a universal degree progress checklist that can be completed by a college or department. The information would come from the appropriate student handbook.

In addition, class sequences and other degree progress information would be included. Several departments and colleges currently have such forms, but no standardized form exists campuswide.

Also, colleges or departments would be required to send a survival guide that includes registration, housing, bursar and financial aid information.

Additional plans outlined in the USG report include overhauling SIUC’s website to include more advisement information.

The document also includes provisions for trying a group advisement program so students in the same departments can rely on each other for advisement support.

Bein said she and Moore will meet with Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Friends, Reserve Officer Training Corps, and an RSO from the College of Agriculture within the next two weeks. The Academic Affairs Commission met with Black Affairs Council Monday.

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The meetings, she said, will provide student input on current advisement and will give students a chance to suggest other changes.

In addition, a general meeting is planned for 8 p.m. Thursday in Neely Hall.

Though early forums for advisement had no student attendance, Bein said some students now are backing the advisement changes.

We are getting a lot of support from students on this, she said.

Surveys are included as part of the forums. The questions aim to gauge students’ reactions to advisement they already have received.

Walker Allen, director of Admissions and Records, said the changes proposed by Bein and Moore have merit.

I thought they did a terrific job of including the concerns of students, he said. We are trying to work with them to ensure that the needs of the students are being met.

The Academic Advisement Commission will meet with students at 8 p.m. Thursday in Neely Hall. For information call the USG office at 536-3381.