Academic Advising at Landmark College

Video Transcript

[Music]

[Text on Screen: Academic Advising at Landmark College]

Thomas Koehler, ’18: When I was in high school, I had a hard time accepting the fact that I had an LD. I have low-level autism and Asperger's. When I heard about Landmark, I thought, it's a good step to ease my way into college life with a school that would understand and help me and when it came to academic support, I could get the most out of it.

Kathy D’Alessio, Academic Advisor: Our advising is a very robust, comprehensive, unique, developmental approach to working with students with learning differences. I meet students every week and I want to know what's happening with them first, because students will have a lot on their minds when they come into my office. We're working with students comprehensively, and with the parents, and with faculty here on campus. So, it's very inclusive. Advising has a specific curriculum, what we call the Student Learning Outcomes. So, it ranges from things such as teaching students about their own learning, their strengths, their challenges, what strategies they should use. The director of advising looks at students reports and files and testing and they match incoming students with advisors that they feel would be the best match for particular students. The end goal is to have students do things independently. We do not make decisions for students. We guide them to make decisions. 

Koehler: It's definitely something that I've considered basically as necessary as going to a class, not just in helping me to figure out, you know, how to navigate through classes, homework, study methods, all sorts of things, but also to help me grow so that I don't always need help.

[Music fades]