Service to the College

Advising Students

1. The Advising Role

   From a student's point of view, the advisor serves as the first and most important link between the Faculty and the student. The ideal advisor is available to talk about general academic requirements, academic or adjustment problems, majors, career prospects, and educational opportunities after graduation. The advisor offers assistance but allows the student the freedom to make his or her own decisions. If an advisor is successful, he or she will become more than somebody who simply releases a student to register; he or she will form a beneficial relationship whose influence will last throughout the student's time here and, perhaps, beyond.

2. Duties of Advisor

   Full-time members of the Faculty share the responsibilities for advising students within their major program as well as the responsibilities for advising students who have not yet declared majors. Incoming students will be assigned an advisor who will perform that role through the student's sophomore year. Wherever possible, the student's academic interests will be matched with the advisor's program area. Students who have declared majors will be assigned an advisor by the chair of their chosen academic program. Students who have not declared majors will be assigned advisors by the Assistant Dean for Advising, who will attempt to distribute these responsibilities equitably. The Assistant Dean for Advising also will assign a peer counselor to each Faculty advisor to serve as an assistant during orientation. Faculty advisors should expect to be consulted about: study skills and time management, pre-registration for courses, adding or dropping a course, taking a course on a pass/unsatisfactory basis, choosing and developing a major, petitioning program committees or the Academic Standards Committee for waiver of academic rules, and certifying the completion of requirements of the College and of the major program for graduation. The advisor should counsel the advisees about academic performance, progress toward the completion of the general requirements and major requirements, planning to study off-campus, and educational or career opportunities. If the advisee should ask a question the advisor is unable to answer, the advisor should refer the advisee to a knowledgeable source.

   Before releasing a student for registration, advisors should ascertain that:

   1. the student is making adequate progress toward completion of the College's general education requirements;
   2. the student is making adequate progress toward meeting basic skills requirements in expository writing, foreign language, and mathematics;
   3. the student has the appropriate prerequisites for all the courses for which he or she intends to register;

      Questions regarding registration or requirements should be referred to the registrar's office, to the Associate Dean, to the appropriate program or Division Chair, or to the Assistant Dean for Advising.

3. CentreNet Advising Portal and Folders for Advisors

   Advisors have access to academic information for each advisee through CentreNet and other electronic programs. Information may include student schedules, grades, degree audit, biographical data, GPA projection, a copy of the application form, and a copy of the high school transcript.

Committee Assignments

Faculty members can expect to be assigned to at least one major standing committee of the Faculty or the College Council. Some may be asked to serve on more than one such committee, and some members of the Faculty will be asked to serve on ad hoc committees, panels or commissions formed by the administration to deal with special circumstances. Faculty members are expected to participate actively in the work of these committees and should not absent themselves from their meetings without good reason.

Faculty members who feel unduly burdened by their committee work or who feel that committee work is interfering with the satisfactory fulfillment of their other responsibilities to the College, should discuss the matter with the Dean of the College who will make every effort to reduce the burden appropriately.

Attendance at Council and Faculty Meetings

Faculty members are expected to attend all meetings of the Faculty and, when elected, to the College Council and to take an active role in the work and deliberations of both of these bodies.

Attendance at College Functions

Members of the Faculty are expected to attend the fall conference, opening fall convocation, the winter Founders Day Convocation, Council (when elected) and Faculty meetings, and the Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies. For the opening fall and the winter Founders Day convocations, and the Baccalaureate service and Commencement, the Faculty will wear academic regalia. (Rentals of gowns can be arranged through the bookstore.)

Requests to be excused from the fall conference, the opening convocation or Commencement must be made to the Dean of the College. Attendance at the Baccalaureate service is strongly encouraged. However, for personal or religious reasons, an individual Faculty member may choose to be absent from the Baccalaureate service.

Additionally, members of the Faculty are expected to participate generally in the overall life of the College, which entails attendance at some of the many concerts, lectures, convocations, performances, exhibits, athletic contests, and other events sponsored by the College.

Faculty Liaisons to Athletic Teams

The aim of the Faculty Athletic Liaison Program is to forge better understanding among faculty and coaching staff, to strengthen the ties between the athletic and academic programs and to enable liaisons to experience and understand the balance required by the student-athlete to achieve success in the classroom and on the field. Each varsity team is assigned at least one liaison. Faculty are encouraged to volunteer for the program by responding to a request sent annually each summer. Such service is considered part of the faculty member’s service to the College and should be mentioned in the annual Faculty Activity Summary. For more information, visit http://www.centre.edu/academics/faculty/athletic-liaisons/.

Other Responsibilities to the College Community

Members of the Faculty may also be called upon to supervise student internships, to advise pre-professional students, to advise student clubs or organizations, to assist in the recruitment of students, to represent the College at meetings, and to perform other services for the College. While such contributions do not constitute a formal requirement or expectation of the Faculty member's position, they will be regarded favorably in evaluations affecting tenure, promotion, and salary determinations.