General
The institution of the Academic Advisor of Studies (AAS) is defined by the provisions of Article 35 of Law 4009/2011, where among others the following are stated:
«The Advisor of Studies guides and supports students in their study programs. The Internal Regulation of each institution determines the rotating assignment of advisor of studies duties to professors and regulates the more specific relevant matters».
In the EE Department, the role of the AAS is undertaken obligatorily by every faculty member of the Department, regardless of rank and position.
The AAS undertake the guidance of new students, provided they have a remaining term of at least five (5) years. The AAS monitor the students they undertake from the beginning until the end of their studies, even if these exceed the minimum duration of studies required to obtain a degree.
Allocation of students to the AAS
The allocation of students to the AAS is carried out as follows:
The number of first-year students is divided by the number of active Faculty Members, and thus the number of students per faculty member is derived. The allocation of students to faculty members is made alphabetically.
The Secretariat of the Department undertakes to notify each Faculty Member of the list of students for whom they have been appointed as AAS.
The student is informed of the name of the AAS assigned to them upon their registration at the Secretariat of the Department.
The AAS of each student remains the same until the completion of their studies.
In exceptional cases and following a documented request by the student or the AAS, a new AAS may be appointed.
In case of absence of the AAS on educational or other leave, their duties are undertaken by a temporary substitute.
Communication of the AAS with the supervised students
Each AAS creates a list with the email addresses of the students assigned to them.
At the beginning of each semester, the AAS invites all students under their supervision to a meeting in order to inform them about their role, the ways of communicating with them, their availability, as well as the services provided to students by the Department and the Institution. This meeting emphasizes informing first-year students, but students from subsequent years of study may optionally also be invited.
At the end of each semester, the AAS invites again the students assigned to them, aiming to be informed about their progress and to discuss possible problems that have arisen.
In addition, the AAS must be available for discussion and cooperation whenever this is requested by the students assigned to them.
Also, the AAS may invite a student for discussion in case they identify a problem in their studies (e.g. continuous absences, systematically poor performance in assignments, unjustified abandonment of a study cycle).
The meetings of the AAS with students may, depending on the existing conditions and current needs, be held either in person or remotely through teleconferencing. Especially in cases of force majeure or necessity, such as for example in the case of compliance with precautionary measures due to COVID-19, the meetings of the AAS with their students may need to be held online.
Role and duties of the AAS
The work of the AAS is to guide and support students both in the consistent and successful attendance of the study program, and in any personal problems related to their studies, as well as to indicate to students the optimal way to achieve their individual goals at each level of their studies.
The AAS also supports final-year students for possible assistance in the last courses that must be successfully examined, and/or the preparation of a diploma thesis, and/or optional practical training.
In the advanced years of studies, the AAS helps the student to form the best possible understanding of their future prospects (e.g. postgraduate studies, professional placement).
In particular, the AAS ensures the information and guidance of students regarding:
- the transition of first-year students from secondary to tertiary education,
- the ways of communicating with the teaching staff of the Department, with a view to cultivating mutual respect in the Student – Professor relationship,
- the content of the theoretical and laboratory courses,
- the safe use of laboratory facilities,
- the proper utilization of the Department’s infrastructure,
- the optimal combinations of courses within the framework of the study program, so that each student selects the appropriate courses according to their personal interests, skills and abilities,
- the personal problems that hinder the student’s progress and the possible ways to resolve them,
- the topics of diploma theses and/or the practical training institutions,
- the possibility of student participation in the research initiatives of the Department,
- the possibility of student participation in international mobility programs,
- the services that the Department and HMU offer to their students,
- the services (Student Care, Practical Training Office, Erasmus+ Office, Networks Office, Psychosocial Support Office, Student Ombudsman, etc.) to which they can turn,
- postgraduate and doctoral studies both in the EE Department and more generally in Greece and abroad,
- the student groups (IEEE Student Branch, Space Group, Robotics Group, Open Software Group, Astronomy Group, Radio Group, Music Group, etc.) which they can join,
- the professional prospects offered, indicating employment opportunities in the public and private sector, and/or the practice of the freelance profession of electronic engineer, and/or job positions abroad.