| MISSION OF ADVISING |
| Academic advising at Kalamazoo
College helps students: |
|
• develop and refine academic plans compatible with
their interests, abilities, and life goals |
| |
• plan a course of on- and off-campus study that
leads them to meeting degree requirements |
| |
• grow intellectually and personally |
| |
|
| WHAT ADVISORS DO |
| Advisors are academic mentors
who: |
|
• notice what is happening to their advisees, pay
attention to their academic progress, and help them work toward completing
their degrees and identifying and fulfilling their academic goals |
| |
• help students understand and take advantage of
the K-Plan |
| |
• help students understand degree requirements and
make prudent course selections each term |
| |
• encourage students to develop international and
intercultural competency |
| |
• listen and ask questions to help students make
decisions; they give specific advice sparingly |
| |
• help students apply a scholarly approach to solve
unscripted problems. They never answer a question when they don’t
know the answer, but actively work with students to find needed information
or solutions to problems |
| |
• are not personal counselors. When necessary, they
refer students for help to the Counseling Center, the Health Center, the
Dean of Advising, or the Dean of Students. |
| |
• avoid the extremes: a lack of concern or an overly-involved
enabling |
| Good advising helps prepare our
graduates to fulfill the stated mission of Kalamazoo College: “to
better understand, live successfully within, and provide enlightened leadership
to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world.” |
| |
|
| Who advises and when? |
|
• All full-time faculty members (except those in
their first year) and some senior administrators serve as academic advisors |
| |
• Academic advisors work with new students during
orientation, undeclared students in their first five terms, and declared
majors in their own departments |
| |
• Academic advisors post regular office hours and
are available during those times. They set aside extra time for appointments
during Advising Days. They make sure students know how to reach them. |
| |
|
| ROLE OF ADVISEES |
| With their advisor, each student
does the following: |
|
• explores intellectual interests |
| |
• considers personal and academic goals |
| |
• plans international study, internships/externships,
and the fulfillment of general education requirements |
| |
• chooses a major, and, possibly, a
minor or concentration(s) |
| |
• use drop/add and course withdrawal
options wisely |
| |
• monitors progress toward completing
degree requirements |
| |
Students should schedule appointments in a timely fashion
during Advising Days and as needed throughout the year. |
| |
Students should prepare for each advising
appointment by developing a list of courses, creating several workable schedules,
reviewing requirements and courses taken, and focusing on future plans. |
| |
|
| Although students are able to change
advisors at any time after fall quarter, most stay with the first advisor
until the winter quarter of sophomore year when they declare majors |
| |
|
For advising assistance, get in touch with:
Dr. Zaide Pixley, Dean of the First Year & Advising (Dewing 109,
269-337-5755 or pixley@kzoo.edu)
or
Lesley Clinard, Assistant Director of Academic Advising (Dewing 108,
269-337-5767 or lclinard@kzoo.edu)
|
