History

In 2003, a significant shift occurred at the university with the implementation of a new University Core Curriculum (UCC) to standardize general education requirements for both first-year and transfer students. This change replaced the previous dual system, which had specific requirements (CORE) for first-year and a more flexible approach (General Education) for transfer students. With the introduction of the UCC, academic advisors now had to closely evaluate transfer credits to align them with the new curriculum, a task for which they were unprepared and understaffed. This led to workshops led by Undergraduate Studies to help "upper-division" advisors adapt to the new requirements.

 To support advisors through these changes, the university created an Upper-Division Advising Guide under the Title V Grant Initiative. A cross-departmental team, including representatives from various colleges, collaborated to develop the guide. This collaborative effort not only produced a valuable resource for advisors but also fostered a sense of community across academic departments. This unity laid the groundwork for an Advisors' Forum, an annual event for both professional and faculty advisors to address shared challenges, learn from each other, and advocate for improvements in advising practices.

A project to transition our degree audit to a new platform (called GradXpress) began in 2005. Initially, advisors were not invited to provide feedback or suggestions on its development. Problems with the platform’s design began to emerge and this brought the advising leads from the different colleges together to share concerns. In Spring 2007, realizing it was important for administration to recognize the advising community, Undergraduate Studies intervened by more formally recognizing this working group as a standing Advising Council. Through feedback shared over that semester, it was decided to replace the GradXpress platform before it’s launch.

In 2009, the new Dean of Undergraduate Education gave the Advising Council a new name, Council for Undergraduate Academic Advising (CUAA), as well as a mission, vision, goals, and official charge. CUUA has provided a consistent platform for collaboration and communication, enhancing the advising experience across the university.