Getting Started

San José State University can be confusing for students to navigate in terms of how to navigate academic policies, the process of filling-out and submitting petitions, and processes involved in petitioning for various things like changing your major and declaring for graduation. 

In order to ensure that you and your advisor can work together to resolve your concern, or at least move you into position to help resolve your concern, it would be best to provide as much documentation and record of all information that are relevant to your concern.

Meeting an H&A SSC Advisor

There are a lot of different academically-related reasons why a student will need to see an advisor. Some of these reasons include but are not limited to:

• GE Planning;

• Transfer Credit Articulation;

• Probation and Disqualification;

• Reinstatement and Readmission;

• California Promise;

• Filing for Graduation;

• Graduation Worksheets;

• Hold Letters;

Sometimes things do not go to plan, and we get that. If you need an ear to listen to you, need help brainstorming ideas for the future, someone to talk to about the challenges of transitioning in different stages in life, or/and anything involving or might be related to any of the reasons above, we want you to speak with an advisor.

General Preparation Tips

In preparation for your advising session, whether it's a drop-in or appointment, it helps to bring with you any and all documents that pertain to the specific concern you might have. 

It's important to ensure that you have an idea of what your particular concern is, so that you and the advisor can resolve the concern as best possible. Look at the various possible concerns that many students have, and see if yours falls under one of these categories. If it does, try to bring as many of the documents that might be helpful outlined in the drop-down below.

• GE Planning

  • GE checklists

    Any documentation between you and an advisor, if applicable (emails, documents, etc.)

    A timeline of planned courses at SJSU or other institution

    Expected graduation term

• Transfer Credit

  • Transcripts from previous institution(s)

    Record of AP, IB, CLEP (if applicable)

    A GE checklist, or prior confirmation from an advisor either at previous institution or at SJSU (if applicable)

• Probation/Disqualification

  • Academic action plan completed on Canvas

    Focus2 assessment completed on Canvas

    Course progress reports (if applicable; extras accessible on Canvas)

• Reinstatement/Readmission/Former Student Returning (FSR)

  • Petition for Reinstatement

    Petition for Re-Admission as FSR

    For more information on the above documents

    Previous GE checklists (if applicable)

    Previous transcripts (if applicable)

• California Promise

  •  Up-to-date MyPlanner

• Filing for Graduation

  • Any previous GE checklists

    Copies of transcript(s) not yet articulated on MySJSU

• Graduation Worksheet/Hold Letters

  • Copy of graduation worksheet (only for majors not applying online)

    Copy of hold letter

    Any applicable documentation with an advisor or other individual (if applicable)

Preparing For Your First Session

Is this your first time meeting with an advisor at SJSU? Meeting with an advisor for the first time can be an anxious experience for students, and it is perfectly fine to not be sure about what you might need help with. 

We highly recommend that you attempt to mark your own progress before you meet with an advisor by doing your own GE checklist. Download the file and use your computer's PDF reader to fill it out. Do not fill it out on your browser's view.

If you need help in figuring out how to fill-in your classes, you should check MyProgress on MySJSU. Due to the number of countless classes from not just SJSU but other potential colleges and universities that go into fulfilling requirements, errors can occur on MyProgress. Note any possible errors on your checklist.

Accessing MyProgress →

Fillable GE Checklist → [pdf]

Preparing for Advising as a Transfer

If you are a recent transfer (going into your first semester, or currently in your first semester), you can check on whether credit from your place(s) of transfer have been processed yet. 

Office of the Registrar on Transferring Credits and Checking Status →

If you find that your transfer credit has not been processed yet, it is essential that you stay on-top of what GE's you have finished, in order to help our advisors focus on you on planning your future plans. Prior to meeting with an advisor, you are highly recommended to mark your own progress on a GE checklist.

Keep notes of any questions you might have so that an advisor can address these specific issues.

In your first meeting with an advisor, it is essential that you bring any records of transcripts, and your GE checklist, so that an advisor can go in-depth on your concerns and resolve any discrepancies or errors in record.