Advising Program

Good academic advising is both an element and an extension of instruction: it enables the student to benefit more fully from the classroom and it can be an occasion for learning itself. Through the advising process, students can define and redefine goals and make intermediary plans to move towards them, evaluate and integrate past experiences, and come to productive assessments of their current status.

Traditional First Year Advisers

First year students are assigned to an adviser who:

a)is a full-time faculty member who has been selected by the Director of the First Year Experience (FYE) in consultation with the Associate Academic Dean for Advising and is prepared for the responsibility,

b) will teach the advisee in a First Year Experience course.  

There is the expectation of very close monitoring of academic progress by the adviser during the first, tenuous months of the college experience. Around the time of registration for the second year, the student who is not already assigned to a major adviser will continue with the current adviser or, with the assistance of that adviser, change to someone else.

CCE Adult Transition Advisers

The part-time faculty who teach the Adult Transition course, GST 101, serve as their students' academic adviser during the semester the student is enrolled in GST 101. These advisers recommend their students' placement in either English 101 or 102 or in Historical Perspectives, based on an assessment of the students' writing skills in GST 101, and their transfer credit, if any. In addition, for the semester subsequent to taking GST 101, these advisers emphasize registering their advisees in courses that fulfill general education requirements. Students are expected to select and move to an adviser in their major by the semester after taking GST 101.

Major Adviser

An individual within the department chosen by the student for the major, who will guide the student through both the College-wide and departmental requirements for graduation. Students not ready to select a major should, by the end of their first year, change to an adviser in an area of interest or an adviser who specializes in exploratory students.

Transfer Student Adviser

Transfer students will be assigned, when possible, to a major adviser in the student's expressed area of academic interest. Transfer students who have not declared a major will be assigned an adviser who will assist with course selection and, ultimately, assignment of the student to a major adviser.

Academic Adviser Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the academic adviser at Guilford have been defined as follows:

  • Advise students each semester before issuing their Alternate PIN numbers
  • Approve dropping and adding courses
  • Assist in securing additional academic support for students not performing at an appropriate level
  • Assist in the exploration of career possibilities
  • Assist in the selection of courses and the planning of a major
  • Discuss academic program alternatives
  • Discuss academic progress and grades, both interim and end-of-semester
  • Help students explore alternative learning opportunities, e.g., Internships (summer and semester) and Semesters Abroad
  • Keep advising folders up-to-date
  • Maintain and share academic records in manners consistent with FERPA requirements
  • Monitor progress in academic programs
  • Post and keep Office Hours on a consistent basis
  • Refer individuals for additional academic or personal counseling