Adult development in college includes the ability and willingness to think carefully and intentionally about all four years of your Ithaca College experience. Your faculty advisor is your assigned mentor and guide who will help you navigate these four years, and the critical developmental tasks and decisions that will ensue.
What Can My Faculty Advisor Do? What Are My Responsibilities to Advising?
Faculty Advisors can:
- help you select courses and register for classes.
- assist you with interpreting and understanding your degree and major requirements.
- help you decide whether or not you should add or drop a course, take a course pass/ fail, audit, or withdraw from a course.
- interpret School and College academic policies and procedures.
- discuss your career interests and life goals.
- talk through any problems that may be affecting your academic performance.
- refer you to other campus resources for non-academic assistance you may need.
- talk to you about your favorite flavor of ice cream, why dogs wear hoodies, or to share what you hope to be doing when you are 50 – or any other matter of interest!
Your responsibilities in the faculty advisor/student relationship are to:
- read your email each day and stay abreast of School announcements and College information, including important deadlines.
- provide your faculty advisor with genuine information about who you are, what skills you have, the skills you wish to develop in college, and your academic, personal, and professional goals.
- be proactive in scheduling meetings with your faculty advisor, especially prior to course enrollment. Come to meetings prepared by reading the course schedule and online catalogue ahead of time.
- know your faculty advisor's office hours. Drop-ins during office hours are usually for quick meetings (10 minutes or less) to address brief questions. Ask them how to schedule an appointment for more extended discussions. Give them an agenda or send your questions ahead of time, if possible.
- inform your faculty advisor about your co-curricular activities and engagement.
- contact your faculty advisor as soon as you begin to have ANY difficulties – academic, personal, etc. Don’t wait until you are “knee deep.”
- Carefully consider your faculty advisor's suggestions.
The name and contact information for your assigned faculty advisor is shown on your main Student Profile page in Homer or on the main screen in Degree Works.