Section 2: Planning

�鶹��ý’s individually advised curriculum requires active consultation as the adviser. Become familiar with �鶹��ý’s definition of a liberal education and with key partners in planning the student’s education, such as the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Off-Campus Study (OCS), and the (CLS).

Understanding the Liberal Arts

Helping a student craft a liberal education in an individually-mentored curriculum is the exciting and challenging task of the adviser. Read (and encourage your students to read) “Education in the Liberal Arts” in the �鶹��ý College Academic Catalog and other works on the liberal arts, such as “” by William Cronon. These documents will provide basic grounding in the meaning of a liberal education and assist with initial course selection decisions.

Advising the First-Year Student for Registration

The Academic Catalog outlines strategies for a course plan in the first year:

“In planning a program of study, the student and the tutor balance the cultivation of existing interests with the discovery of new ones. An entering student should regard the first year as a time for gaining breadth in the arts, social studies, and sciences; confidence in exploring a variety of disciplines, and a more mature understanding of the place of each of these in liberal education as a whole. The following guidelines are helpful in realizing these objectives during the first year.

The student should develop their command of written English, not only in the tutorial but also in at least one other suitable course as well.
The student should develop their knowledge of mathematics, a foreign language, or both.
The student should take courses in each of the three main divisions of the curriculum — humanities, science, and social studies — and should take no more than two full courses in any one division in any semester.”

General Strategies

Register for 16 credits (or 17–18 credits with language, P.E., or music) total — overloads are not advised.
Students with transition challenges may be advised to take three 4-credit courses plus writing, math, science labs, and/or music ensembles/lessons, and/or P.E. for credit. OR your advisee can start with four courses and give latitude for an eventual course drop.
Start with the student’s stated goals, both short- and long-term. Include courses that challenge a weakness.
Consider classes that provide a balance of types of coursework. The amount of reading, writing, hands-on, technical, and quantitative work should vary across courses.
Use language, math, and computer science placement information carefully. Encourage students to talk with faculty in those departments about placement recommendations. Course level can be changed within the add/drop deadline; but it is easier to drop down a level than go up, so aim high.
Use program- and department-specific guidance. See Departmental Advising & Registration Suggestions and read Academic Planning for New Students to learn what advice students have already received. Students are directed to read this publication in the summer prior to arriving at �鶹��ý.
Encourage breadth. Discuss what a liberal arts education means, including Phi Beta Kappa honors.

Additional Considerations

Prerequisites: Is the student taking the prerequisites for the courses they want to take next semester or next year? Check the Departmental Advising & Registration Suggestions section to be sure.
Background required: Is the student prepared for this course? Does the course have a prerequisite? Caution is needed in the case of first-year students registering for 200-level courses for which some verbal or mathematical sophistication is assumed, or for some advanced language courses where skill in literary analysis is expected. When choosing between two levels, opt for the higher level in most cases. And create a fallback plan for the student, reassessing after one or two class periods whether or not they have been placed too high in their math or foreign language class.
Teaching methods: A student may benefit from a combination of lecture, workshop/lab/studio, and seminar courses.
Related interests: Activities or topics that a student may consider a hobby or an extracurricular interest may sometimes be pursued in courses at �鶹��ý. Music, theatre, and art are some of the areas where a student might find this type of course (but don’t assume that such courses involve light workloads!). A student’s passion for creating change — environmental, societal — can be enhanced through coursework or even concentrations, which should be mentioned to the student as options.
New disciplines: The College curriculum includes disciplines not usually available in high schools — American studies, religious studies, sociology, economics, anthropology, and philosophy are examples. The first-year student should explore new fields along with further work in more familiar areas.
Future plans: The regulations on declaring and completing a major can be found in the . Departmental information is also helpful to consult. Encourage students to talk with faculty in the departments in which they are interested.
Pre-professional planning: Students who seek pre-engineering preparation (including the 3/2 program), pre-health program, teacher certification, or who have other strong professional interests, should discuss their programs with the appropriate pre-professional adviser at an early date.

Interpreting Test Scores

Scores from standardized assessments may be somewhat useful as you review your new student’s file to understand their preparation; however, . Talking directly with your new advisee about their comfort and experience with various academic skills is likely to be more helpful than a particular score.

Most students submit scores from either the or as part of their application. To understand one in comparison to the other, refer to this or these .

International students whose first language is not English, and/or whose primary languages of high school instruction have not been English, take the internet-based or exam.

The Four-Year Plan

In the first or second semester, it is advisable to guide your advisee in creating a two-year plan or a tentative (practice) four-year plan. Although the major declaration is not required until the April of the second year, this exercise is strongly encouraged. See the “Four-Year Plans” section of for ideas about how to make this a tutorial class activity or assignment.

A four-year plan can be created in various formats, each with its own advantages:

Use (Academic Planning). Students can plan not just the next semester but all future semesters online.
Students can plot completed and planned courses by division or by the 6 Elements of a Liberal Education using the (login required).
Utilize page 3 of the for a basic format.

Questions for your advisees to consider as they formulate their plan:

Does your course plan meet all the requirements for graduation as listed in the “Requirements for Graduation” section of the Academic Catalog?
Does your plan contain the six elements of a liberal education, as described under “Education in the Liberal Arts” in the Academic Catalog? Have you used the (login required) to assess whether it contains opportunities to improve your command of English prose and quantitative reasoning skills, the study of a language other than your own, the natural sciences, human society, and creative expression?
Will your plan qualify you for induction into Phi Beta Kappa (assuming a high GPA, of course)? That is, does it meet the Phi Beta Kappa requirements as listed in the Academic Catalog?
Does your plan include a broad selection of introductory (100-level) courses during the first and second years, while generally avoiding such courses during the third and fourth years?
How will you enhance your program of study and apply what you’ve learned? Have you considered choosing a concentration listed under Departments, Majors, Concentrations in the Academic Catalog to give structure to your courses outside the major? Will you choose to spend a semester pursuing off-campus study? Will you pursue a internship or other experiential opportunity?
What might life look like for you after graduation and what can you do now to enhance those experiences? Do you have a specific career path in mind? Do you expect to attend graduate or professional school? Or, in lieu of this, consider challenging your advisee to reflect on “Big Questions” in the context of the four-year plan such as:
- Who do I really want to become?
- What are my values?
- How do I work toward something when I don’t even know what it is?
- What do I want the future to look like — for me, for others, for my planet?
- What constitutes meaningful work?
- What do I really want to learn?
- When and where do I feel most alive or creative?
- Where do I want to put my stake in the ground and invest my life?
  (from Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in Their Search for Meaning Purpose and Faith, by Sharon Daloz Parks, 2000.)

Encourage your advisee to share their draft plan with others: their CLS exploratory adviser, close peers, and other mentors in their life. In addition to getting input, this also presents your advisee an opportunity to share why they have crafted their two- or four-year plan in such a way.

Departmental Advising and Registration Suggestions

This is a separate, but important publication. Each academic department provides students (especially new students) suggestions for what courses to take and in which order, with an eye toward leaving open the possibility of majoring in that discipline.

Departmental Advising and Registration Suggestions

You will want to check the and the online for additional information.

Interdisciplinary Study

�鶹��ý structures the curriculum departmentally; however, faculty also offers a number of interdisciplinary courses, many of which are open to first-year students.

Some examples students can consider (not offered every year) are:

AMS 130 — Introduction to American Studies
ENV/SCI 125 — Introduction to Earth Systems Sciences w/lab
ENV 145 — Nations and the Global Environment
FMS/ART 155 — Introduction to Film Studies
GDS 111 — Introduction to Global Development Studies
GWS 111 — Introduction to Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies
LAS 111 — Introduction to Latin American Studies
LIN 114 — Introduction to General Linguistics
PCS 101 — Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies
PHI/GLS 135 — Philosophy and Literature
SMS 150 — Critical Studies of Science, Medicine, and Technology
SMS 154 — Evolution of Technology

Interdisciplinary Concentrations

Interdisciplinary concentrations are offered at �鶹��ý as a way to pursue a breadth of study across several related disciplines. They are organized programs that a student may choose to complete in addition to a major. Each concentration includes work in several departments and culminates in an interdisciplinary seminar or project in the senior year.

Students declare their intention to pursue a concentration by the start of their third year.

Completion of a concentration is entered on a student’s permanent record and transcript.

Off-Campus Study

Advisees interested in studying off campus for a semester or year in the U.S. and abroad will need your guidance. You may be asked to sign off on application forms or submit recommendations.

A collaborative partnership between you and off-campus study (OCS) staff in the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) is essential for your students as they engage with the OCS process before, during, and after their study away experiences. You are welcome to meet or consult with OCS staff about program selection, course syllabi, the application process, identity considerations, pre-departure preparation, reentry programming, and health and safety. Email OCS.

Timing

OCS staff encourage students to begin exploring options during their first year in part because some programs have language or other prerequisites. Students generally study off campus during their third year or fall of their fourth year. The faculty-led �鶹��ý-in-London program is open to second-year participation.

�鶹��ý applications are due by Feb. 1 for the following year (both fall and spring). However, students are encouraged to apply by the Dec. 5 early deadline, especially if their program of choice has an early deadline. ��ҷ�’s application portal includes a database of featured programs and policies/procedures.

��ҷ�’s includes a database of featured programs and policies/procedures.

MAPs and Other Research Opportunities

�鶹��ý is committed to giving every student the opportunity to engage in substantive research or scholarship. Most students will undertake this in the context of an upper-level course; however, many students will aspire to participate in independent or guided research. Advises will need your guidance. The most common opportunities include:

Mentored Advanced Projects (499) (MAPs) — summer or academic year options
Guided Reading (297), Individual Reading (387), and Independent Study (397) (397) — academic year options
Directed Research (299 or 399) — guided by a faculty member and like a MAP only with less rigorous guidelines
Plus-2 — independent research connected to a course the student is taking

Advisees may need your assistance in:

refining an idea.
identifying and approaching a faculty member for sponsorship.

Once completed, advisees should be encouraged to (and coached to) share their research on or off campus. Some opportunities to do this include:

Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Symposium, mid-April, annually
self-scheduled presentation on campus
state or regional professional conferences
- Sometimes national or international professional conferences are also reasonable.
- Students may apply for funding for travel through the Office of the Associate Dean.

Internship Guidelines

Students at �鶹��ý may participate in a range of internship opportunities both during the academic year and during the summer. This type of exploration is extremely beneficial.

The CLS’s page provides details regarding finding an internship, College funding to offset the costs of food, transportation, and housing for an unpaid internship, and the �鶹��ýink alumni-affiliated internship program.

Most students who do internships do not receive academic credit; however, a few students each year earn credit either for a summer experience (at least 8 weeks, full time) or during the semester (at least 12 weeks, 14 hours per week). To earn credit, students should carefully research criteria and expectations in the “Internships” section of the Academic Catalog and on the CLS’s page.

Major Declaration and the Major Adviser

When the student declares a major, they are responsible for securing an adviser in the major department. Usually, educational planning at this time of transition is done with both support from the first adviser and consultation with the new adviser in the major department. For more information, refer to Declaration of Major.

Finding a New Adviser

Most students identify a new adviser easily, but some get stuck. Students may not know who is available to advise nor how to approach a faculty member. Second-year students often say how nervous they were to ask — they liken it to proposing marriage!

Encourage your students to attend events hosted by the prospective major department(s) and learn who will take on new advisees. Alternatively, students can meet with the department chair as a first step to getting a list of possible advisers.

Coach students in how to ask someone to be their adviser and reassure them that if they get a “no” it’s not personal, it’s just that the professor is not eligible, is going on leave, or has too many advisees already.

When are declarations due?

Students must declare a major two weeks prior to preregistration in the fourth semester, typically just after spring break. Frequently, students will begin the process of deciding on their major early in the second year. Not only is it natural for students to be more focused on their studies by this time, but the off-campus study application process requires applications (due at the end of the fall semester) to be signed by a faculty member in their intended major department.

Whose job is it?

Although declaring is, of course, the student’s responsibility, tutorial advisers play an important role in this process by offering support and guidance. In addition, the Office of the Registrar sends a reminder to students in their fourth semester who are still undeclared. This email arrives about two months before forms are due, and it includes a link to the Declaration of Major form and the due date. The Office of the Registrar sends a reminder to these students’ advisers, too. At that point, you may decide to invite your undeclared advisees for a group meeting to discuss the process and advance their plans.

Planning the major.

Part of the process to create a four-year plan includes deciding which courses to take within the major department to fulfill requirements. Students should consult their academic evaluation on WebAdvisor. Within this system, they can pose a "What if ...?" scenario. For example, to assist an advisee interested in a theatre, dance, and performance studies major, provide these directions:

Before you meet with the theatre department, log in to the and run your academic evaluation.
After logging in, click on Academic Evaluation. This will take you to an area where you can check your progress towards your �鶹��ý degree, and (this is the cool part) you can ask it, “What if I were to major in theatre and dance?” and select ok.
The computer program will go through all your courses to date and tell you what you need to take if you major in Theatre.
In addition to reading the requirements in the Academic Catalog for the theatre, dance, and performance studies major, this should significantly assist in your planning.

The Undirected Student

It can be challenging to work with some students to help them find a clear direction, enthusiasm, and a sense of purpose. For students who are struggling in this area, it is wise to partner with your student’s CLS exploratory adviser to brainstorm on how best to support the student. Together you can offer ideas that may excite a passion, or opportunities to engage which will help a student find their intellectual home.

Challenges vary widely by the student. When a first-year student is unsure of their future plans (most are or should be!) a broad program of study is recommended. This permits the student to search while keeping many avenues open, and it also relieves the feeling that every course must be justified in terms of specific goals. Intellectual curiosity is sufficient justification for taking a course.

Some of the prior sections of this handbook may assist in working with a student who seems to lack specific direction (e.g., “The Four Year Plan”). If the student is struggling to choose a major, you might ask some questions:

Is it about having to make a choice and feeling like you then can’t change your mind?
Is it difficult to make a decision because there are too many good options?
Is it about feeling like you don’t have any good choices?
Are your ideas about what you want to study in conflict with the expectations of your family?
Do you feel that you’ll become completely defined by your major? That it is too limiting?
What about a second major or completing a concentration?
Do you assume that your major has to tie directly to what you do after graduation?
What are your options for after graduation? What do you want your life to look like?

Sometimes students’ answers to these questions help guide your conversation or let you know you need to make a referral. Standardized assessments sometimes help; these inventories are available at the Center for Careers, Life, and Service. It may also be helpful for students to meet with a Student Health and Wellness counselor for career counseling or with Academic Advising.

The Second Adviser — Partnering

It is not uncommon for students at �鶹��ý to have more than one faculty adviser. Working together on the student’s goals benefits the student and may save you time in the long run.

At the very least, it is wise to contact your advisee’s other adviser(s) to determine a protocol for signing off on the student’s registration. One unfortunate limitation of the Student Planning (Academic Planning) online course registration system is that the system allows course choices to be authorized with just one adviser signing off. For questions about this, contact the Office of the Registrar.

Professional, Personal, and Civic Development — Partnering with the Center for Careers, Life, and Service

The Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) serves as student’s connection in their professional, personal, and civic development while at �鶹��ý to prepare them for life after �鶹��ý. Encourage your students to meet with their CLS adviser to address any of the following topics:

assessing their strengths, skills, and interests through career-counseling appointments and self-assessments (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory, MBTI, StrengthsFinder)
choosing majors or concentrations and discussing how to apply their liberal arts education to the world of work
connecting with service, social innovation, and experiential learning opportunities (e.g., volunteering, service learning work-study opportunities, community-based learning classes, job shadowing)
exploring pathways through the CLS’s
networking with �鶹��ý alumni and recruiters
planning how to use their academic breaks effectively (e.g., Alternative Break, job shadowing, internships)
searching for internships and jobs
composing and revising résumés, cover letters, or personal statements
practicing for interviews
Preparing for graduate or professional school
applying for competitive scholarships and fellowships (e.g., Fulbright, Rhodes, Truman), �鶹��ý College summer internship funding, and post-graduate service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Lutheran Volunteer Corps)

Students can visit the to view upcoming events, specific programs, and valuable information.