Academic Support
Supporting the Learning Effort with "Dialogue-Oriented" Advice
At ICU, the faculty advisor system and Academic Planning Center serve to support students through dialogue as they take the initiative to think about and make decisions on designing their own educational experiences.
The Faculty Advisor System
Every student is assigned a full-time faculty member (an associate professor or higher-ranking faculty member) who serves as the student's advisor. During a student's first, second, and third years at ICU, the advisor he or she was assigned upon enrollment gives advice on the student's course plan for each term. When the student begins graduation work in his or her fourth year, a thesis advisor takes over for the student's original advisor to provide more specialized, fine-tuned guidance and help ensure that the student successfully earns his or her degree.
The Main Roles of Faculty Advisors
- Checking students' course plans for each term
- Advising students as they create their course plans
- Helping students with various issues in their academic and regular lives
- Writing recommendations for scholarships, study abroad applications, job applications, graduate school applications, and more
In addition to the advisors and thesis advisors assigned to all students on an individual basis, there are also "major advisors" who assist students with any questions they might have about learning and studying their respective majors.
Academic Planning Center
Academic advising focuses on helping students shape their own academic experiences--thinking about what kinds of courses to take, which majors to choose, and how to take a good academic approach as graduation approaches. To guide students along as they take advantage of the academic freedom that ICU offers, the Academic Planning Center not only advises students on selecting courses and majors but also provides support to help students become " intentional learners" who are personally invested in making the most of their learning opportunities.
The Main Roles of the Academic Planning Center
- Promoting a deeper understanding of learning mechanisms and processes
- Helping students choose their majors
- Helping students plan with a long-term perspective
Academic planning: From enrollment to graduation
ICU Brothers and Sisters (IBS)
ICU Brothers and Sisters (IBS) are a group of students who advise their fellow students on academic matters. Always offering different perspectives from faculty and staff, these "peer advisors" help younger students with questions about everything from student life to picking courses and choosing majors.
