Academic Advising at Linfield College

Office of Academic Advising, Walker 124

503-883-2250 / aad@linfield.edu

Janet Peterson, Interim Director of Academic Advising, japeters@linfield.edu

Ellen N. Crabtree, Associate Director of Academic Advising, enuxoll@linfield.edu

Lindsey Gummersall, Interim Academic Advisor, lgummer@linfield.edu

 

The Office of Academic Advising is responsible for the coordination of faculty advising, fostering effective academic advising practices, and advising special populations of students. The Office of Academic Advising is committed to serving students and faculty in ways that support the relationship between advisor and student and the overall mission of Linfield College.

The Office of Academic Advising is responsible for:

• Assigning faculty advisors to first-year and transfer students
• Coordinating the Colloquium course for first-year students and the Connections program for transfer students
• Providing leadership, training and information for faculty to ensure quality advising services for students
• Assisting undecided students in selecting majors
• Providing information on Linfield's academic programs and the Linfield Curriculum
• Interpreting Linfield policies and procedures
• Coordinating with other student support services
• Helping students and faculty utilize academic resources and Learning Support Services
• Advising special populations of students - pre-law, some pre-health professions (excluding pre-med), provisional, and probationary students
• Maintaining academic student records, including declaration of majors/minors, advisor assignments, and academic alerts

Academic Advising Mission Statement

Grounded in the liberal arts tradition, academic advising at Linfield College is an intentional, collaborative teaching and learning process between advisors and students to facilitate student engagement and responsibility for their educational goals.

Advising Student Learning Outcomes

The Office of Academic Advising suggests the following student learning outcomes for quality academic advising:

• Familiarity with curriculum (courses, majors, and graduation requirements)
• Familiarity with academic expectations and processes (WebAdvisor tools, academic alerts, GPA calculation)
• Understanding and comprehension of an academic program evaluation
• Familiarity with academic and service resources
• Establish reasonable academic goals
• Develop and maintain collaborative advising relationship with faculty advisor
• Practice effective time management, study skills, and academic decision-making
• Maintain a 4-year academic plan
• Appreciation for the values of a liberal arts education
• Value engagement with the Linfield community
• Value life-long learning

Academic Advising Program

Linfield College employs a shared advising model utilizing both faculty and professional advisors. All students are assigned a faculty advisor when they begin at the college and choose an advisor in their major department once they decide an educational track. Students are required to meet with that advisor at least once a semester prior to registration.

Academic advisors at Linfield College are committed to meeting students' needs for information and advice and assisting them in making sound educational, career, and life goals. Academic advising provided at Linfield is mission-driven, helping to promote intellectual growth, critical thinking, thoughtful dialogue, and lifelong learning. Academic advisors strive to mentor students, support them as unique individuals, and use their specialized knowledge for student benefit.

The primary purpose of Academic Advising at Linfield is to assist students in the development of meaningful educational plans that will be compatible with career goals and instill a desire for lifelong learning. The majority of advising at Linfield is conducted by full-time faculty members who encourage the intellectual growth of students and serve as rich resources of information.

The advising relationship is based on a system of shared responsibility where both student and advisor engage in ongoing learning. For more information on the expectations and responsibilities of advisors and advisees at Linfield and the role of the Office of Academic Advising in supporting this relationship, refer to the Advisor/Advisee Relationship and Responsibilities on page 5.

Advisor Assignments and Declaration of Major

First-year students are automatically assigned a faculty advisor (who is also their Colloquium instructor). Transfer students are assigned an appropriate faculty advisor based on their intended major (a list of transfer advisors appears on page 48). Returning students (students who have been readmitted to Linfield College after an absence) will return to their former advisors. If this is no longer appropriate, a change of advisor will be made by the student in consultation with the Office of Academic Advising.

First-year students may declare their major and change advisors (a student's advisor must be in the academic department offering the student's major) any time after the conclusion of the Colloquium class by completing a Declaration or Change of Academic Program form (available at http://www.linfield.edu/advising.html and in Walker 124). Transfer and continuing students may change majors and advisors at any time.

Students should be encouraged to change to an advisor in a potential major as soon as one is identified. Students who are undecided about a major usually remain with their Colloquium advisor until they declare a major and select a new advisor.By spring semester of their sophomore year (or when a student has completed 45 semester hours), students must declare a major and obtain an advisor in that department. This declaration must be completed before a student is permitted to register for the following semester.

Whenever a change of advisor is made, the Office of Academic Advising will request the student's file from the faculty advisor, add a current transcript, record the change and forward the file to the new advisor. Advisors are asked not to transfer student files to another advisor without notifying the Office of Academic Advising in Walker 104 (x2250).