Mar 30, 2026

News/Notes for Undergraduate Academic Advisors: Changes in Political Science Course Prefixes | Summer/Fall 2026 Registration Assistance - Advising Ctrs | School of Public Affairs & Service Course Book | Course Changes- Fall 2026 | OIE Academic Coaching

Don't forget Wednesday, April 1, 2026 is the deadline for Spring 2026:  Application for Graduation | Commencement RSVP
 
IMPORTANT: Changes in Political Science Course Prefixes
  • Effective with the 2026-27 University Catalog, starting in the Summer 2026 term, all Political Science courses will have a common POLSCI prefix.
    • For example, POL AMER 1014 Power and Politics in the U.S. will now be POLSCI 1014 Power and Politics in the U.S
  • Aside from a few new courses and minor adjustments to course titles and numbering for 2026-27, the only change will be the prefix.
  • The department is working with the Registrar’s Office to ensure advisement reports and course selection/shopping cart options populate correctly.
  • To assist students in selecting courses, the department has created this document listing all course equivalencies between the new and old course prefixes.
    • The spreadsheet lists all our courses, as well as the specific courses we're offering in the summer and fall.
    • If a student needs a POL THRY 3xxx/4xxx course for the political science major, they should reference the course equivalencies document to verify which courses will fulfill.
  • Please be aware:
    • If a course has the same number and title as one previously completed, a student should avoid enrolling again unless they want to replace the original grade.
    • Most course numbers and titles remain unchanged, making it easy to identify courses already taken.
  • Graduation requirements are not affected by these changes.
  • Contact Scott Peters (scott.peters@uni.edu / 319-273-2039) with questions or for additional information.
     
Summer/Fall 2026 Registration Assistance - Advising Centers  Note: Days of operation for each center is Monday - Friday
  • Wilson College of Business - Office for Professional Distinction (OPD)
    • Will provide walk-in appointments for students during priority registration during the following times:  Monday, March 30th - Friday, April 17th  | 9AM -12PM and 1PM - 4PM
    • A student can meet with an advisor in OPD in person (Curris Business Building 5) or through our Zoom link: https://uni.zoom.us/j/7238299969?pwd=Tm1PVlprQXVlZjJ5enVvME9RR1ltdz09
    • Non-business majors, business minors, or any other student wanting to take a business course (UNIFI/general interest) who cannot register on their own for the class should come to our office for a walk-in appointment starting Wednesday, April 15th for assistance.
    • If a student or an advisor outside of Wilson receives an error message when trying to enroll, please do not override/add them in the class.
      • Direct the student to OPD at the appointed time for assistance. Each semester, a process is used to ensure only eligible students are added to business classes, and avoiding removing students after registration is preferred.
    • A student can also email our office directly with questions anytime at opd@uni.edu. This message will be routed to an advisor for a response as quickly as possible.
  • College of Education Advising & Teacher Education Success (CATS) Office
    • With the teaching education curriculum change, the CATS Office wants to ensure that every student has a chance to meet with an advisor, walk through the process, and ask any questions that they may have. Therefore, the CATS Office will not be holding drop-in advising appointments. Instead, advisors will meet with students through scheduled appointments for questions about Summer and Fall 2026 class schedules.
    • To schedule an appointment with an academic advisor in the CATS Office, select an advisor's name below (note that due to time constraints, you may need to look at more than one advisor's schedule to make an appointment)
  • Office of Academic Advising  (now located in Rod Library 230)
School of Public Affairs and Service Course Book
 
  • Political Science / Criminology is now the School of Public Affairs and Service.
  • The school has compiled a Summer/Fall 2026 course booklet for students and advisors that includes all offered courses, UNIFI courses, and individual course flyers.
 
Course Changes for Fall 2026
  • POLSCI 1025 Global Politics
    • Starting in Fall 2026, the Political Science Department combined the former International Relations and Comparative Politics courses into a single course: POLSCI 1025 Global Politics.
    • This new course will satisfy the requirement for the UNIFI Human Condition: Global learning area (same as the International Relations course)
  • EARTHSCI 1059 Understanding Earth/Understanding Earth Laboratory
    • This is an experimental version of EARTHSCI 1300 Intro to Geology
      • For Fall 2026, there will be a separate 3-credit lecture section and 1-credit lab section.
        • EARTHSCI 1059 Understanding Earth  - 3 credit lecture, sections 1 and 2
        • EARTHSCI 1059 Understanding Earth Laboratory - 1 credit lab, sections 3 and 4
    • The lab is optional if they don't need it for UNIFI, degree requirements, or prerequisite credit.
      • Please note that no 4-credit version of EARTHSCI 1300 Intro to Geology will be offered in the Fall 2026 or future semesters.
OIE Academic Coaching
  • The Office of International Engagements (OIE) wants you to know about Academic Coaching! 
     
  • Currently, 248 international students, including 67 graduate students, 80 undergraduate students, and several exchange students, have chosen UNI to meet their academic and professional goals. These students enrich our campus and provide opportunities for all students to engage in global partnerships and collaboration.
  • OIE offers Academic Coaching to international and multilingual students in areas of study skills, intercultural communication, and more.
  • If any of your students or advisees can use some support for success or a specialized focus on their skills , reach out at oie-coaching@uni.edu or Lauren Rein-Hamberg, OIE Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator. 
Is Your Student Questioning their Current Major?
  • Help them Pivot with Purpose by referring them to the Office of Academic Advising. Advisors offer personalized support to help students explore:
    • Major, minor, and certificate options | Reasons for changing majors (e.g., lack of interest, career goals, academic challenges) | Self-assessments like FOCUS 2 or Strong Inventory | Goal-setting and decision-making strategies
  • Encourage students to schedule an appointment or complete the Academic Discuss Your Major Options Request Form.
  • As a faculty or staff member, you can complete this referral form to start the outreach to a student considering changing their major.
Institutional Academic Advising Vision & Mission Statement (revised Spring 2016) [See Academic Advising Mission, Vision, Goals & Outcomes webpage]
  • Vision Statement: UNI aspires to create the best possible advising experience for each student.
  • Mission Statement: Academic Advising is a critical component of the teaching and learning environment at UNI. Advising is a personalized educational experience, empowering students to explore, articulate and achieve their academic, career and life goals.