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Advising

Bethel College values a developmental approach to academic advising that both encourages and challenges you in your educational experience. All students are assigned a faculty advisor who will work with you personally to select courses. Bethel views the academic advisor as a primary figure in helping to make your academic experience as rewarding and successful as possible.

Advisors are not authorized to change established policy of the college. You are solely responsible for assuring that your academic programs comply with the policies of the college. Any advice that is at variance with established policy must be confirmed by the vice president for academic affairs.

Freshman advising

Bethel has developed a comprehensive, developmental advising and residence life program for freshmen, designed to give them a supportive and challenging experience in and out of the classroom. Upon admission, every freshman student is assigned to a Liberal Education Advisor (LEA), who helps them select courses appropriate to their individual goals, skills and interests. The LEAs are also concerned about students’ personal, social and spiritual lives and meet regularly with them to discuss issues important to the student. Freshmen who are relatively sure about their major will also be assigned to an advisor in their major field. In these cases, the LEA and the Major Exploration Advisor (MEA) work cooperatively to provide the best possible advising for their students.

All first-time full-time freshmen entering fall semester are assigned to an advising group. Each advising group also forms a section of the course IDS 102: College Issues Colloquy (CIC), required of all first-time freshmen. CIC is offered in the fall of each academic year and is taught by the LEAs.

• Course description

  College Issues Colloquy is designed to help new students adjust academically and socially to Bethel College and to enhance the skills of liberal education: to think clearly and cogently and to communicate in writing and speaking with grace and precision. It is required of all first-time freshmen at Bethel College who enter in the fall semester.

• Course objectives
  1. To strengthen language skills essential to academic success, including:
     • the ability to read and write at the college level, and
     • skills in the exchange of ideas in an intellectual community.
  2. To facilitate adjustment to the college academic environment by strengthening study and research skills and knowledge of the academic support system on campus.
  3. To facilitate adjustment to the college social environment by increasing self-understanding and knowledge of the religious, historical and social environment unique to Bethel College.

Major advising

Freshmen work with their Liberal Education Advisor for the first semester and often for the entire first year. When students are ready to declare a major, an advisor in the major department will be selected. Students who are not ready to declare a major may remain with their LEA until they are prepared to make a decision that is right for them.

Transfer students who are ready to pursue a certain major will be given an advisor in the appropriate academic department prior to enrollment. A transfer student who has not decided upon a major will be assigned to a faculty advisor who, like the LEA, will work with the student until he or she is ready to declare a major.

Once students have chosen or been assigned to an advisor in their major field, both students and advisors will work together closely in a mentoring relationship in an effort to equip students to realize academic, personal and career goals.