Overview

In July 2022, the Advising Software Committee was charged with recommending a platform to assist students in academic planning and facilitate collaboration among undergraduate advisors across the University.  Sponsored by University leaders in academic affairs, information technology, and student affairs, the committee drew its members from more than 20 offices across Grounds. The committee sought to identify a platform that would make academic planning more intuitive while fostering a collaborative approach to advising across Grounds. The goal is to make it easier for students to connect with advisors in UVA’s many support offices, to help advisors communicate with advisees and refer them to other advisors, and to help advisors and administrators identify and connect with students who may need support. Recognizing that stakeholder feedback was critical to the success of this project, the committee invited students, faculty, and staff to attend in-depth demonstrations of the three platforms under consideration in late January 2023. Feedback from these stakeholders was incorporated into the committee’s report to the Provost, weighing the strengths of each platform and providing a recommendation. In spring 2023, the Provost accepted the committee’s recommendation that the University adopt the Stellic platform. Implementation took place throughout the 2023-24 academic year and the new platform  was launched in summer 2024 

Student Focus

We intend for all undergraduate students to use Stellic to connect with their advisors—both those who are assigned as well as those students are referred to or seek out independently. To ease the course planning process, Stellic will allow students to plan their courses without going to SIS, which we have heard from students is a priority. The platform is designed to be used not only by assigned academic advisors but also more broadly by all faculty and staff who work with students. For example, students should be able to connect with their pre-major academic advisor, favorite Career Center counselor, and the coordinator for their prospective major all in one place. 

Protecting students’ privacy is important to us. Leaders in student support units and central offices, in consultation with legal counsel, are developing guidelines and expectations associated with information sharing to ensure not only that we remain compliant with laws such as FERPA but also that students’ privacy is protected.