Academic Advising

Yes.

Every student is assigned a core advisor when they first comes to LC. The placement team reviews the student’s file and tries to match the student with the core advisor who can best meet that student’s needs. This person can also provide executive function coaching services.

The advisor takes a developmental advising approach by working closely with each student to address academic, social, and transitional needs.

Once students reach their junior year in a bachelor’s degree program, they transition to working with a faculty advisor who mentors students in discipline-related inquiry, research in the field, and planning for life after college.

Once a student has decided to attend Landmark College, an academic advisor is assigned.

The College informs new students of the advisor assignment, and the advisor contacts the student.

New students meet their advisor during New Student Orientation and work with their advisors during orientation to complete course selection. During this orientation session, students learn about where their advisor’s office is located and talk briefly with their advisor about how they will work together.

Advisors work closely with their students in their first year, providing weekly meetings.

Students who want to change advisors during an academic term should contact Nevada Bromley, Director of Academic Advising.

Students should be prepared to discuss their request for an advising change. A reassignment can only be made if the resources are available at that time.

Returning students may also request an advisor change on the course registration form submitted each semester when selecting courses for the upcoming semester.

Advisors work with students prior to the start of the semester to help them to develop a time management plan. In the first few weeks of the semester, this plan may be adjusted.

For new students, this plan will include an established weekly advisor meeting time.

Students are expected to attend all scheduled advising meetings.

Core advisors hold graduate degrees or equivalent experience in student development, education, or a related field. Advisors have had professional development training as executive function coaches.

Advisors are required to stay current with college advising research and are expected to have extensive experience advising students with LD/ADHD and autism.

If a student completes an associate degree and elects to move on to earn a bachelor’s degree OR once a student has moved to the junior level of a declared major (more than 61 credits that is applicable toward a B.A. or B.S.), the student may transition from a core advisor to a faculty mentor advisor.

Faculty advising is intended to connect students more closely with their majors, allowing each student to work with faculty in the student’s field of study. In this model, students begin to practice greater independence, while still retaining access to support services such as academic coaching in the Drake Center for Academic Support. 

At the center of Landmark College’s educational philosophy is a firm commitment to helping students learn to advocate for themselves. Students are given explicit instruction in understanding their learning strengths and challenges, and are offered the opportunity for self-reflection at key points in their academic program.

We introduce students to various types of assistance, from assistive technology to coaching services to academic support services. In all of this support, we help our students learn to develop their own strategies and to hold themselves accountable for using those strategies.

We expect students to make use of the available resources, ask questions, and take ownership for their learning needs. Students who are strong self-advocates understand their responsibility in appropriately advocating for themselves, and they have the ability to tailor requests based on their individual situations.

The Parents’ Role

No parent wants to get a phone call from an unhappy-sounding son or daughter. Almost every parent will get at least one such call at some point. What can you do?

Lend an empathic ear. Listen nonjudgmentally, and try to understand what your student is experiencing. Validate feelings if it seems appropriate (e.g., “That must be very difficult.”).

Stay in touch. Your student is in a new and potentially overwhelming environment, and knowing that you are still there can make a difference. Letters and packages from home, email messages, text messages, IMs, and phone calls can be critical to helping a student feel comfortable and supported.

Offer encouragement. Let your student know that you have faith in him or her to make the right decisions.

Encourage your student to consider available resources for resolving problems. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the College’s support services and to encourage them to use the resources here. A great question to a student who seems to be stuck or struggling would be: “Who might you go to for help with that?”

Inquire gently. Away from home and your direct guidance for the first time, students may have trouble with medication management, require counseling to help with emerging emotional issues, or develop substance abuse problems. You can monitor these potential challenges by making gentle inquiries. Ask your student about their social life and about their physical and mental health and well-being.

Setting Family Expectations

One of the largest issues we have observed is that families experience conflict because the parents and the student do not have the same expectations. We strongly urge families to have open discussions about hopes and expectations.

We advise families to consider together:

• Expectations about class attendance, use of campus resources, and minimum standards for grades
• Overall budget, allowance, and spending money
• Frequency of telephone and email contact
• Medication issues: will prescriptions be filled at home or at college?
• Timing of student visits home
• Timing of parent visits to Landmark College
• Long-term academic aspirations and life goals

Advisors serve as the primary contact person for parents or sponsors who have questions about their academic program. The student is primarily responsible for contact with parents.