Academic Advising

Advising Services

Gustavus Adolphus College utilizes a faculty-led and faculty-based advising system that is supported by the John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning, the Academic Support Center, the Office of the Registrar, and other campus resources. Incoming first-year students are first advised by their First-Term Seminar (FTS) instructor. Students then change their advisor to an advisor within a specific department when choosing a major.

The Academic Support Center provides additional academic advising, support, and resources for students who want to: 
  • Develop more effective study skills and habits
  • Explore options for potential majors, minors, graduate study, or future careers
  • Draft a semester-by-semester Four-Year Plan
  • Prepare for registration sessions
  • Address academic challenges related to leaves of absence, illness, incomplete grades, or other academic difficulties

Advising Roles & Responsibilities

An academic advising relationship is a two-way street. Advisors and advisees are both expected to invest the time, effort, and care necessary to create and maintain a healthy and productive advising relationship. All Gustavus advisors and advisees should seek to fulfill the following roles and responsibilities:

The Student's Role as an Advisee:
  • The student should actively explore possible majors and seek referrals from their advisor.
  • The student should understand graduation requirements and track their degree audit progress.
  • The student should proactively prepare for advising meetings prior to seeking registration approval.
  • The student should actively research opportunities to further their post-college trajectory, including study away, internships, graduate or professional school, career fields, etc.
  • The student should articulate any academic difficulties and seek out appropriate resources.
  • The student should have a working knowledge of the College’s Honor Code and Academic Honesty Policy, including consequences for dishonesty.
The Faculty Member's Role as an Advisor:
  • The advisor serves as a resource person to help students explore majors and college resources.
  • The advisor assists students with planning an appropriate schedule and reasonable workload.
  • The advisor is reasonably accessible to advisees for advising conversations via office hours, email, etc.
  • The advisor provides opportunities for informal and formal discussion of academic and career priorities, decisions and consequences, and student concerns.
  • The advisor serves as the student’s advocate on campus: A person who helps the student understand and access academic and other campus resources.
  • The advisor educates students about academic integrity and honesty, when appropriate.