Student Departmental Advisers (SDAs) are a select group of senior students whose primary function is to provide fellow students with accurate information about courses, prerequisites, college requirements, registration procedures and other basic academic information, especially in their own departments. In addition, they provide information from their own experience which, presented as objectively as possible, can help students make appropriate choices for themselves.
These student advisers receive training to familiarize them with the academic information they need and ways of presenting this information. Linguistics SDAs also organize social events, assist in hosting visitors (such as guest speakers), coordinate the design of a department t-shirt, and provide other types of support to strengthen the relationships among majors, and/or between majors and departmental faculty and staff.
SDAs are not assigned to specific students as advisers, but rather are available as a resource to all students, especially new students, who want to talk to a knowledgeable and experienced upperclass student about courses and registration. They supplement those formal advising systems already in effect. Faculty advisers, RAs, and OPLs have a list of the SDAs and may call upon them as needed.
