The Center for Advising and Academic Services is a new academic service for students at Iona. Students have had the past few months to use the service in order to figure out if it was helpful to them.

The new Center for Advising and Academic Services assists freshmen students, those who may be undeclared and/or those who have the desire to explore other majors with putting together their class schedule. The new service is offered to students in both the school of Arts and Science and the School of Business.

Students who visit the center for advising will have the opportunity to meet with advising staff and receive professional advice in academic areas such as course withdrawal, first-year amnesty and academic program changes. The center is attached to Ryan Library.

Freshman Eddie Maffia is part of the first class of students to visit the new center. With an area of study in Mass Communications with a focus in Broadcast Media, Maffia was prepared to select classes for the upcoming spring term.

“This semester advisement was very helpful, [as] after meeting with my advisor I was able to clearly see the requirements I have fulfilled and the classes that I still need to take,” Maffia said. “The advisement center was very helpful as I had the opportunity to meet with an advisor, so I could easily plan out my classes for next semester.”

Toward the middle of each semester, students from all grade levels meet with an advisor. As students near the end of their second year of college, they begin to have a clearer idea of their area of study and are assigned an advisor that specifically relates to their major.

“I am thrilled that Iona College is offering academic and advising services to freshman students,” senior Nick DeCamillo said. “I often find advisement at Iona College both resourceful and helpful when it comes time to plan out my courses for the upcoming semester. This is a service that I hope freshmen students take advantage of.”

Junior Katrina Flood was thrilled to hear about the new center and planned a recent visit for advisement.

“I went to the Advisement Center searching for help for classes for the upcoming semester and I was pleased with the services provided to me,” Flood said. “When I went into the office, everyone was very friendly and the new system implemented was very organized.”

Sophomore Jose Diaz, who is currently undecided for his major, found the services very beneficial, as it helped him gather a bit more of an understanding of which area of study he may want to pursue.

“When I went to the Advising Center, I was given the earliest appointment time,” Diaz said. “The advisor already had a list of course options prepared for me and it was both easy and simple for me to select from the list of classes.”

Being able to have courses planned out for the rest of one’s college career also helped junior Sean King.

“The advisement center was very efficient,” King said. “I loved that I was able to just walk in and be advised right away. I loved how I was able to receive advisement on courses that I can take for the rest of my college career.”