Academic Advising

Whether your goal is to improve your grades, to get through a tough course, to be admitted to one of Calvin College's professional program, or simply to find out more about yourself to improve your learning for life, the Office of Academic Services and your faculty advisor are available to help you meet your goal.

Also see the Academic Advising and Registration Checklist!

Faculty Advisors

A faculty member's responsibility as an academic advisor is to help students plan efficient, fruitful academic programs, and to ensure that students are familiar with, and can make the best use of, the college curriculum. They encourage students' initiative, offer accurate information, and provide a liaison to other college resources. Academic advisors make clear their concern for the students' academic and personal welfare. They listen to their advisees and strive to understand student goals and aspirations, and in this light help them evaluate their academic programs.

Academic advisors understand the nature of and the rationale for Christian liberal arts education at Calvin College. They are able to articulate this rationale and to explain to students how it is embodied in specific programs. Advisors understand the goals of the liberal arts core as well as the scholarly intentions and practical ends of the programs of their own departments. Advisors also provide active liaison between advisees and sources of help in other departments and administrative offices and make themselves available for consultation, both during advising days and in regularly scheduled office hours.

Academic Advising Days

Plan on making an appointment to see your advisor during the two days set aside each semester for academic advising. All undergraduates must meet with their advisor before they will be permitted to register for courses. Watch for registration material approximately a week before these academic advising days in your Calvin e-mail account.

Contact advise@calvin.edu for more information about academic advising.

Three Steps to Academic Success:

STEP ONE: Find out if your major "fits" you

Determine whether “English” is really your passion, or whether you are suited to a different major.

STEP TWO: Assessing your learning style

Find out how you learn best and how to make each class work for you.

STEP THREE: Use your resources

Use the campus resources available to help you make improvements.

(Go directly to the Study Skills Page here)

Facebook:

You can connect with us on the social networking site Facebook by joining our Group called Academic Advising