You will have several advisors while at Wooster.
Your first year
You will work with an advising team during ARCH and your First Year Seminar instructor will be your academic advisor until you declare a major.
Department advisor and I.S.
Once you declare your major, a faculty member in your major department will become academic advisor. Your final academic advisor is typically your senior independent study project faculty mentor.
Here’s a graphic representation of what your advising path could look like:
ARCH advisor –> FYS Instructor –> Advisor in major –> I.S. advisor
Occasionally, your academic advisor will go on leave and you will be assigned another advisor until that faculty member returns, you declare your major, or you begin you I.S. project.
How to work with your advisor
Please note that departments assign advisors in different ways. You will find out more about this once you declare a major. Here are some guidelines that can help you build effective relationships with your advisors:
| Your Advisor can expect you to: | You can expect your Advisor to: |
|---|---|
| Come to advising meetings prepared, having reflected on your experiences and goals. | Listen to your ideas and to help you clarify your goals. |
| Become knowledgeable about College policies, requirements, procedures, and resources. | Provide timely and useful information that will help you to identify opportunities and to effectively navigate your way through the College of Wooster. |
| Develop and continually refine your educational plan, and to discuss your plan with others, including your advisor. | Help you to adapt and refine your educational plan so that it reflects your new experiences and evolving goals. |
| Reflect on connections among your experiences, both within and beyond the curriculum. | Assist you in finding ways to integrate your various experiences. |
| Maintain regular contact with your advisor, and to respond promptly to communication from your advisor. | Be accessible for individual advising appointments requested in advance, and respond to your communications in a timely manner. |
| Take responsibility for your decisions. | Help you make decisions, but not make decisions for you. |