Responsibilities of the Academic Advisor
One of the most important things that faculty do is to encourage and empower students to take full responsible for their own educational experience. Faculty members take this role very seriously and strive diligently to mentor students as they journey through their college experience. Below is a list of faculty academic advising responsibilities, tasks that will help students successfully progress through their educational experience at Bridgewater College.
It is the responsibility of the faculty academic advisor to:
- Develop a mentoring relationship with students by getting to know their academic interests and needs and offering assistance to help them have a successful academic experience.
- Help students navigate the course planning process and develop a four-year educational plan that fits their interests and capabilities
- Assist students in connecting their educational plan with their career and life goals (in other words, to help students make meaning of their college experience)
- Encourage students to take advantage of opportunities available at the college (internships, research, interterm experiences, study abroad, student clubs and organizations, etc.) to broaden and enrich their educational experience
- Connect students to appropriate campus resources in order to enhance their academic success, whether that be in assisting students with academic struggles (e.g., connecting students with Academic Support Services or Counseling Services) or encouraging students to take on greater academic challenges (e.g., joining Flory Fellows or getting involved in independent research)
- Commit to student development by nurturing students’ self-reliance and independent decision making. In the end, the goal is for students to become personally accountable for their educational experience
