Advising Handbook 2025-2026 Advising Handbook 2025-2026 |
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Allegheny College Advising Mission Statement
Advising at Allegheny College holistically empowers students to seek coherence
and meaning in their liberal arts educational experience, to develop agency in
their individual educational journeys, and to build lasting connections to support
their growth and success.
Holistic advising is one of the hallmarks of an Allegheny education and a tangible demonstration of the close interactions we celebrate as an institution. Advising is a multi-faceted, professional activity based on research, standards, and best practices. Effective advising reinforces and extends the education students acquire in the classroom, helping them to take advantage of curricular and co-curricular opportunities, understand academic requirements and college policies, and prepare for career planning and lifelong learning. Research has also demonstrated that successful advising can significantly improve student achievement, retention, and satisfaction.
While students are responsible for all decisions that they make at Allegheny and should understand that not all things are possible and that choices carry with them consequences, advisors are responsible for encouraging students to take ownership of their education and providing them with the guidance and structure to do so. For student and advisor learning outcomes for the Allegheny advising program, see Faculty Advising at Allegheny College in the Faculty Handbook.
Allegheny students have an evolving advising team during their time on campus:
- The Admissions team is often their first contact with Allegheny, providing students with initial information about the Allegheny curriculum and our support structure
- The Academic Success team welcomes them to the community, schedules their first-semester courses, and provides onboarding and orientation support
- Their Exploratory Advisor helps them acclimate to college life and learn how to be successful students through pre-registration meetings in the spring before they matriculate, the Advising@Allegheny courses in fall and spring of their first year, and regular individual advising conversations until they declare their major
- Their Major Advisor(s) help them navigate their academic programs through both curricular and co-curricular opportunities
- Their Senior Project Advisor works with them to complete their Senior Comprehensive Project
- Other faculty and staff form part of their support network, including instructors, coaches, Class Deans, and staff from an array of other offices across campus.
In an effort to support the Allegheny advising network, this handbook brings together information on major and minor program requirements, contact information for campus offices, and quick links to other useful resources. This document is a work in progress, evolving from year to year to best meet the needs of advisors at Allegheny and represent the most current information about our programs and resources. We welcome your feedback and advice on how to refine this resource.
Co-directors of Academic Advising
Ian Binnington
Dean for the Student Experience
Professor of History
Rachel Weir
Interim Associate Provost
Professor of Mathematics
Advising Handbooks (PDF):
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